Soldiers fought atop palisade walls built barely a month earlier. Undead shambled, ran and prowled towards the encampment. Few could ascend the three metre high fortifications, clumping up at the base of the wall and ineffectually battering the defences.
But some could, and those were the true threats in this battle. A large monkey-like creature used the shoulders of the weak undead amassing at the base of the wall to launch itself up and onto the battlements. It swiped out with long clawed arms rippling with muscle, battering aside two imperial soldiers.
They cried as they fell, one toppling off the wall completely, fortunately into the camp and not out. The second slumped against the sharpened stakes that tipped the fortification, wheezing and gasping for breath.
The undead monkey screeched in maddened triumph and stalked forward. Somewhere in its feral gaze was the faintest sheen of intellect. A frightening prospect, either this monster had been alarmingly powerful when it was turned, or had somehow levelled up considerably.
Undead displaying even a hint of awareness were a terrifying prospect to any region or territory held by humanity. Fortunately for the wounded soldier a higher levelled officer was close by. Flames roared atop the battlements, incinerating the monkey as it threw itself to the side a moment too late.
All across the imperial outpost, newly constructed in the ruins of the now abandoned town of Far-Reach, similar scenes played out.
The defenders held, but all knew in their hearts the position was lost. Some of the mostly green soldiers had heard the reports of conflict with the undead in the east. The ravenous tides had been a near constant thorn in humanity's side for what felt like countless generations.
The citizens of Mekrys all held faith in the eastern garrisons. But for how long would their faith in the empire’s ability to defend them remain if a new front against the undead was opened in the north?
For the average recruit, these contemplations on the wider scope of imperial stability were irrelevant, preoccupied as they were in surviving from one moment to the next.
Far to the south a rainstorm pelted down in angular sheets. The column of half a dozen floating, vaguely ship shaped vehicles seemingly spared from the downpour by sheer luck as gale force winds propelled them ever onwards.
Above the evacuating skimmers, in the roiling cloud cover a man stood defiant in resplendent imperial armour, his concentration split partially between commanding the weather itself and fending off the pair of undead griffons harrying the evacuating non combatants.
A serpentine form slithered through the air as if swimming through the rain itself. A maw lined with sharp fangs grinned down at the two monsters, a low rumbling growl escaping its throat. Then, with a snap of its vast, bird-like wings it plummeted down.
===
Leif took in a sharp intake of air as he crested the jagged hill’s peak. From the summit he could see the outpost sprawling out beneath him. Though perhaps more importantly, he could see the swarms of undeath surrounding its wooden fortifications.
Hera already stood atop the hill. The woman had used her arrow teleport skill to quickly ascend and get her eyes on the situation. Conjured bow in hand she grimaced down at what she saw. Leif couldn’t blame her, the situation looked grim.
The outpost was built along a series of rocky bluffs. The undead were attacking uphill, through what had once been farmland and local industry. Behind Far-Reach were heavily forested valleys, rolling hills and snaking rivers.
A natural stone arch, easily the width of a road, connected the primary bluff to a shorter secondary bluff that stood otherwise alone to the south of the rocky formation. Leif noted this smaller bluff seemed to be in heavy use by the expedition, but at the distance he was looking he couldn’t identify why.
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People scurried along the wide, yet winding dirt paths. Some rushed to the walls while others carried out tasks with almost frantic energy. Newly made wooden structures and large clusters of tents outnumbered the derelict buildings of the town.
Bright flashes of multicoloured light lit up along the palisade fortifications. Leif could clearly make out bursts of elemental energy and the glint of weaponry from his vantage point. Behind him the more physically capable of the expedition were struggling up the hill’s final incline.
Leif studied the ongoing battle, a part of his mind subconsciously analysing the battlefield. From the placement of troops to the position of bottlenecks and choke points on the slope leading up to Far-reach. He turned to Hera. “We need a plan.”
She turned to him and nodded slowly. “It’s hard to say, but I'm not confident that most of the students can handle this fight. You’re a durable, close range sustain fighter, correct?”
“Yes, and the undead seem to have an obsession with tearing me to pieces.” He knelt, amber eyes squinting. “We need to draw them away from the walls, there aren’t enough soldiers to maintain the perimeter's defence for much longer. If we could group them up it should be possible to eliminate most of the horde in a decisive blow.”
Hera raised an eyebrow. “You seem keen. I’m not the girl you want if killing lots and lots of monsters is the goal. My specialty is long ranged single target damage, my summons could do a lot of work in melee, but they can’t really move from where I place them.”
Leif contemplated their options for several moments, then stood. “I might just have an idea. How exactly does your summon skill work?”
===
“I wish I was level fifty.” Sieg grumbled. “Being so close to such a major power up when it could be used doesn’t sit well with me.”
Marcus shrugged as he led the expedition single file along a series of ledges leading towards Far-reach. The mage turned and grinned over his shoulder. “You’re just jealous they didn’t include you in the plan.”
“Hardly. I can slow and hinder a large group of weaker enemies with my aura and other skills, but I don’t have the capabilities or strength to pull off what they have planned.”
“Probably better that way.” Linus huffed from behind them. “I only caught the tail end of that discussion, but it seemed pretty insane. I’m glad we’re not involved though, all this hiking is exhausting work.”
“Maybe if you allocated more [Might] getting up that hill would have been easier.” Adriana mumbled as she followed.
Linus muttered something under his breath. Before the young man could reply in earnest and kick off another argument, a figure appeared from around an upcoming bend. Mist fell off their form as their barely visible outline faded into sight.
“Footing is decent but the final climb up the bluff will need someone to get up ahead and put down rope.” Darius said, squinting up at the sounds of battle above.
“You seem nervous.” Marcus commented with a sly smirk. “Worried about someone?”
The scout looked at the mage with a blank expression. “I mean kinda. If this goes bad my badge will end up in some zombie's belly. I need that to get paid, and if I lose it my father will kill me.”
“Oh?” The mage asked. “Not thinking about someone else?”
“Huh? No I… I…” The man spluttered, realisation dawning as Marcus stood there beaming. “I’m not... There’s nothing...”
“Even though we barely see you, it's incredibly obvious.” Sieg grunted as he bumped Marcus to keep the man moving.
“N-no it isn’t. I mean… W-what’s obvious?”
Linus didn’t seem to care, still grumbling under his breath.
“Isn’t she too old for you?” Adriana asked with a scowl as she scooted past.
The scout faded away to hide the changing colour of his face.
===
Still atop the hill Hera sneezed.
“Feeling sick?” Leif asked, not taking his eyes off the battle below.
“Gods I hope not. I’m over level one hundred. If I’m somehow still susceptible to the common cold despite my advancement this whole system is a scam.”
“Well, get all the sneezes out now, I need your aim to be on point. The timing of this will be pretty tight.”
The blade wrinkled her nose and conjured the first of several arrows. “I’m fine, maybe someone was talking about me?”
“Only good things I hope.”
Hera pressed her lips into a line. “Very funny. Do you perform stand-up to grass and shrubs?”
Leif cocked his head to the side and replied flatly. “I’m usually standing up? What do you mean?”