He worked tirelessly to readjust his barrier to the makings of the leader’s plans. Zeke waved his hands, channeling the mana throughout his barrier and ensuring that none of it breaks apart during his creation.
Then again, the constant roaring and battering at his barrier from the now hundreds of monsters surrounding the tiny human army was a bit stress-inducing.
Despite trying to ignore them, the constant fangs and claws kept appearing in his peripheral vision. Their disgusting faces slobbering and growling at the nearby mage trying to create more barriers within his dome.
His creation was simple. First, he created two walls from his northern side of the barrier, where most of the monster horde was residing, towards the center of the clearing where the army was at. It created a pathway of sorts for the monsters to go through, and to make sure no surprises were made, he created a ceiling across the two walls, creating a square-shaped tunnel with the ground serving as the floor.
In other words, a funnel for the monsters to go through.
The leaders discussed with him on how to best handle the monsters using the safest method they could think of. It was a good way to farm more XP for the other soldiers. All the while, in case something happened, the leaders can jump in to exterminate the rest of the monsters easily enough.
But with this, not only can they ensure the monsters don't make any casualties, they can gain more power in the process. Of course, while Zeke was working on the funnel, the other soldiers were reasonably anxious at the rising number.
Even the usually hard-ass Piker standing by the side looked nervous. Despite their past interactions and how often he pissed Zeke off with his accusations, Zeke did feel some pity after being forced to stand still while the monsters surrounding them only grew. The way his face paled at the sight of the monsters despite his supposedly high standing when in combat was sympathetic at least.
The worst part of this all was watching his partner Mikella appearing ready to explode out of panic, fear, anxiety, or anticipation. It might even be all of them as she glared at the monsters with her sword in hand. He tried his hardest to work faster, but he didn’t want to mess up and cause the funnel to break halfway by trying to rush things..
He considered using runes to make the process easier, or to make the funnel idea even better, but he put that aside. It was just an experiment with too much mana consumption. It wouldn’t do in case things go awry and causes the entire dome to fall apart.
He shivered at the idea of the dome breaking apart. He knew the leaders would work to help them, but Zacharia’s words about not saving all of them stuck to his mind. He didn’t want to be responsible for the deaths in his squad as much as anyone else.
Finally, the funnel was completed. Zeke ensured that the barrier would stay whole, layering more walls of mana around the dome and the funnel itself. He returned to the leaders, his mana at half and caked in sweat from the effort and stress.
“It’s done,” Zeke said, his voice a little hoarse. It wasn’t that the barrier took that much effort, but the stress dried his throat and mouth, hence why he hasn’t received any notification regarding his barrier skill leveling up.
Something else did increase, however.
> Steadfast Mind Level Up! It is now Level 2.
>
> You have gained +1 SPI from your skill.
> You have gained +1 END from your skill.
He wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that.
“It should be good now. All I need to do to make it happen is to open the dome where the monsters can get in.”
“Good work, Zeke,” Val smiled gratefully. “Go ahead and rest. We’ll handle things from here.”
Zeke nodded, and for a moment he was starting to feel a little dizzy. Now he realized why Cloud kept saying that a mage should be calm and collected while casting magic. Any stress involved would tax the mind of the mage too much, and using magic despite doing it many times before would be more tiring than usual.
The leaders must have expected that, hence why Val excused him to walk away back to the campsite and sit down on the log. Though the stress did burn him a bit, his increase in Steadfast Mind made it easier to deal with it. Eventually both Mikella and Myra approached him.
“Are you sure this is gonna work?” Myra, the usually competent soldier, actually shivered as she kept glancing at the multiple monsters surrounding them. “I mean, I trust you, but…”
“At this point, I don’t even know,” Zeke shook his head. He couldn’t really answer her worries. “Any questions you have, leave it to them,” Zeke pointed at the leaders, unable to even raise his head.
“Ahh, I figured…” Myra groaned.
“Zeke, how are you feeling?” Mikella asked, growing concerned at his state. Zeke tried to smile, even as his body felt like it was breaking down.
“I’m fine. If anything, you guys need to look out for yourselves. I don’t know what’s gonna happen.”
The two soldier girls nodded in unison at that. With Myra going over to her buddies to prepare for a plan, Mikella placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Just rest, okay?” Mikella smiled. “We’ll handle things from here.”
But before Mikella could let go, Zeke unconsciously grabbed her hand, still on his shoulder. He looked up to her in surprise, trying to form the words.
In the end, he could only say what’s on his mind.
“Be careful,” Zeke added, looking straight into her eyes.
“I will,” Mikella nodded, adding another hand to his own and grasping it. “If anything, I still got you. I’ll be fine.”
Zeke couldn’t really argue with that, but Mikella continued to hold his hand as though to ensure him. She kept staring at his eyes, and before Zeke would look away from the intensity of her caring stare, she let go while still smiling. She swiftly returned to where Myra and the twins were, leaving Zeke nearly befuddled at her.
He looked back at his hand. It was a strange feeling, her warmth still on it. He realized then that he had a habit of over worrying a lot, and Mikella was making sure that there was no need.
He looked back at the scene, which was starting to look frighteningly similar to when the horde attacked the town as more monsters seemed to grow in number, and somehow in height.
“Alright everyone, get ready!” Val shouted to the rest of the soldiers. She pointed at the funnel that was open on their side, but the dome wall was still closed at the other. “Every monster that enters the funnel will die by the time they come in. For the soldiers who aren’t Dexterity-based, come towards the entrance!”
Just as she ordered, the soldiers who specialized in heavy weaponry, the two twins Jackie and Maxie, the axeman, and even the two mages Philip and Lisa stood aside one another, preparing themselves with a heavy look in their eyes.
“For those capable of jumping out of the dome, get ready!” Val turned to the others, the clearly more mobile of the bunch. That would be Mikella, Myra, the scout, the dual blader, the spearman, and finally Piker.
Zeke thought that Myra wasn’t the dexterous type, but then she didn’t use any weapons other than a spear, and with her new Expert body, she can easily jump out of the dome. What he did find surprising was that Piker was added in. But after an Identify on him, it made total sense.
> Warrior, Level 42.
Freaking level 42. Zeke thought in amazement. Clearly, Piker is a hard worker in his own right.
He also noticed that some of the heavier soldiers were just around Level 30, or Level 31. They were experts, but compared to Piker and Myra, they felt slightly weaker–at least when it came to their presence or auras. It was another reason why the funnel idea was made.
“As planned, the main goal is to protect yourselves while reducing the numbers. We aren’t sure on the details, but one thing is clear–something here wants us killed. We won’t let that happen–Are we clear?!”
“Yes, ma’am!” Each of the soldiers shouted in unison, each anxious but ready to fight.
“Good!” Val turned to the dome outside, the monsters ramping up in ferocity. Then, she turned back to Zeke. “Zeke, open up the dome! From up and below!”
Zeke took a large breath, then exhaled as he willed his dome to respond. The dome wall that was covered within the funnel opened and a circular opening appeared above the dome.
Then, all hell broke loose.
…..
Monsters of every range–stemming from levels, height, weight, and even ferocity, all charged into the funnel with crazed abandon. Once the monsters from the outside noticed some of their numbers getting in, they immediately followed.
The sounds increased in fervor as the monsters charged through the funnel, not even realizing the trap they set themselves in. The moment they entered the other side of the dome, they were met with a barrage of slashes and spells.
Blood flowed, flesh flew and meat scattered everywhere. Bones were dislocated and organs were splattered. It was rough to watch for an onlooker who wasn’t used to fighting, so instead Zeke paid attention to the area outside the dome.
The mobile fighters all jumped out of the dome, causing Zeke to close it up immediately. Even now, there were some flying creatures that tried to get in, but were immediately taken down by none other than Cloud who shot a quick spell or two at them. It was the sort of spell that looked like golden bands like rings flying out and slicing them apart.
But that didn’t take his attention. Mikella, Myra, and even Piker took most of it as they all jumped out of the dome, landing on top of it. The scout, spearman, and duelist also flowed out with ease, though not as well as the first three. As the mess followed through from within the dome, the outside was just as maddening.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Myra was the first to go, jumping straight down to the ground and landing on top of a creature that got in her way. A giant squirrel-like monster (Least Zeke thought it was) ran at her before eventually getting crushed underfoot by some other giant monster, a… prairie dog-like creature?
Man, these monsters are just made up of every animal out there…
There were so many creatures surrounding them, it was hard to discern what creature they were. But to Myra, they were nothing but charred remains after she sliced them with her flaming spear.
The metal blade was coaxed in fire, a very familiar fire that once overtook her channels. That was the one thing Zeke noticed out of her. She was making use of her attunement already, and it proved to be powerful.
He remembered watching her fight. She was a Strength-based spearman using the agility of her spear to attack from a distance, and attacking hard. She was accustomed to taking her time downing a powerful opponent rather than taking out multiple monsters at once.
But one swing from her spear across a field of monsters proved otherwise. A cascade of flames flowed from her slice, burning every monster in an arc formation across several feet. Embers followed as their corpses turned to ashes.
But on the other side, Piker was doing the opposite to the monsters. To Zeke’s non-surprise, Piker also had an attunement. Frozen spikes jutted out of the ground for every step he made while swinging his bastard sword. The blade was coated with frost as each slice he made to every monster that approached him froze in place.
Then, he used his heavily gauntleted fist to break them into pieces right after. The pieces scattered about, distracting the other monsters as the shards hit their faces. Piker took this chance to deliver more powerful strikes, each one either freezing them in place or killing them outright. One slice here and there decapitated some of the monsters approaching them, turning him into a frost knight of nightmares.
But while Myra looked like she was having a blast, a fierce smile with cold sweat running down her tanned skin, Piker was precisely like his attunement–cold, calculating, and deadly.
But out of the two of them, Mikella approached them all with a calm-like state.
Her sword was fast and precise. She didn’t go after every monster at once–she faced each one down in single combat. She faced a seven foot tall bear ready to strike her down with its claws, but she sidestepped with ease and gouged out her enemy’s thigh with not her enchanted sword, but her Sword of Lightning–a gift given by Adam the smith.
Rather than taking it down, she used the lightning enchantment to stun the creature, sparks riddling its fur and body, before pulling her original enchanted metal sword and stabbing each part that her active Hawk Eyes considered weaknesses.
Rather than overwhelming the monsters around her, she focused on conserving her energy while using all of her tools to quickly and efficiently take down a powerful monster.
The scout, duelist, and spearman also took out as many as they could on their own side, but not compared to both Myra and Piker.
But despite all that, Mikella was keeping up. Her breathing was controlled, relaxed, her face a perfect picture of calm–slow and steady. She kept facing one after another, each in single combat while the others focused on decreasing the numbers.
Zeke knew that Mikella was making waves when it came to controlling herself, but also worried that she was still fearing of losing her control over her class. However, upon closer inspection, while everyone else was an Expert, she was still an Apprentice, like Zeke. Her power just isn’t quite enough to handle a long bout with several monsters, forcing herself to keep pace with her resources and retreat when the others were close by to finish the monsters off. To her, XP was the last thing she needed right now.
The fights happening inside the dome also went by with ease. The monsters didn’t relent in trying to surge through despite each one not even coming out through the dome. Then again, it was hard to see what was happening in front of the monsters while the others waiting outside were getting slaughtered outright.
Zeke watched with awe as the carnage only grew. All the while, he could feel bits of energy surging through him, small sparks traveling through his body every which way.
He was barely keeping up with all this, but the leaders sure enjoyed watching this.
“This is amazing, Zeke,” Val commented, making him notice that the leaders were surrounding him. He was sure that they weren’t there to protect him, but because it was a better vantage point. He had a hard time believing that things would go awry like this. “Your barriers are so useful.”
“Thanks,” Zeke said, a blush apparent on his cheeks. He still wasn’t used to getting praised like this, especially since it was just his barrier made by his skill. He looked over at the carnage in front of him. “How long do you think this is gonna last?”
“I think there’s going to be a boss monster nearby,” Cloud answered, his eyes scouring every nook and cranny. “Once it appears and we take it out, the other monsters will surely run away.”
“And if they don’t?” Zacharia asked, turning to Cloud. “What if they stay and we start running out of supplies?”
Cloud frowned. “Then we have no choice but to flee. However, I find it hard to believe that each one is willing to die just to get us. Even monsters want to live.”
“You’d be surprised,” Zacharia answered, crossing his bulky arms. “You haven’t been going out as often like your wife has. These monsters may have a survival instinct, but they’ll keep going to their last breath before giving up.”
“Then we’ll come up and show them how futile it was,” Cloud said, a bit of heat in his voice.
“Now, now, boys. Play nice–children are around.”
Val said, and somehow that got the two to quiet down, though they still looked like they wanted to grumble some more.
Zeke watched it all with a bit of tension. Cloud really didn’t like Zacharia, and Zacharia always seemed to get under his skin.
It sounded like Zacharia was always commenting on Cloud’s leadership, even though he was a military commander from the kingdom far away from here.
So either Zacharia has an issue with how leading should be done, or a problem against Cloud personally. Whatever the case, Zacharia didn’t hide his criticism at all to the two. Val didn't seem to take it personally, but Cloud certainly did.
He wondered what sort of history they had together that made it out like this?
Zeke shook his head and kept paying attention to the fight. While the leaders were there, that didn’t mean he shouldn’t learn from this. As he watched, the carnage only growing and the atmosphere turning red from the blood smears, he also sensed something.
He wasn’t sure what it was. While Zeke knew that it was due to the constant death of the monsters around him, he felt that there was a sense of… rot.
Not smell, but the ‘feel’. It was strange. He knew what a rotting corpse smelled like–he had smelled it plenty of times while surviving throughout the forest with Mikella and Clara. Yet, there was this strange sense of rot in the air that didn’t seem natural. Almost magical, in a way.
Zeke unhesitatingly tugged on Cloud’s robe, getting him to pay attention. “Cloud, do you sense that?”
Cloud tilted his head. Then with his eyes widened, he responded. “Can you?”
Zeke wondered whether Cloud was screwing with him like usual, or he was sincerely asking that. Figuring that this situation wasn’t a joking manner, he responded honestly.
“I sense… something. I’m not sure what. I could be crazy, but I swear that I can feel some rot coming from somewhere. I feel like it’s from the mana itself.”
Zeke wasn’t really sure what he was saying now, and after seeing Zacharia’s studious gaze on him, he felt even smaller. However, Cloud’s stare intensified.
“I see… so I wasn’t the only one then. I should’ve figured you had the ability to sense it with your high Mana Perception.”
“What is he talking about?” Zacharia asked. “Mind explaining for the rest of us non-mages?”
While Zacharia didn’t look pleased, even Val seemed hesitant, her face scrunching up in confusion at the two. Hearing that tone, Zeke realized that perhaps he had something against mages.
Was there some sort of divide between warriors and mages? Piker’s attitude towards Zeke made total sense now.
“He’s not talking about the actual rotting corpses, clearly,” Cloud answered as though Zacharia was missing a few brain cells. Something that Val didn’t appreciate as she threw a frown at him. “There's something in the Mana, almost akin to what made Myra’s potion turn awry. Now that we got closer, it made even more sense.”
“Okay… but rot?” Val asked. “That seems rather strange, isn’t it? These monsters aren’t undead, so if there is rot in the mana, wouldn’t that kill them?”
Zeke considered the wording, and he paled. Of course in a fantasy world, there would also be undead creatures, which meant that zombies are a thing… he wasn’t looking forward to that.
“There’s not enough of it to truly kill anyone,” Cloud explained, this time being more gentle with Val than he ever had with Zacharia. “But there’s enough to be noticed, and that’s troubling. That meant someone’s mana is changing the atmosphere, but as for why it’s rot–”
“Hey, you idiot! Don’t go too close!”
Zeke and the leaders heard Philip, one of the mages, shout at the soldier near him. It was the axeman, looking rather ecstatic at the amount of monsters he was killing. His heavy axe either chopped a monster’s head off or crushed their skulls, depending on where he swung his blade.
“Shut up, this is great!” The axeman yelled out. “I’m getting so much XP from this!”
The axeman shouted with glee as he stepped closer, stepping away from the formation they made. Val noticed this instantly and shouted.
“Stop! Get back into formation!”
But before the axeman could turn and follow that order, or even turn at all, something came out from the crowd of monsters charging at him.
Something long and stretchy reached out and pierced the axeman’s torso right at the center. It wasn’t a powerful strike, not enough to truly make a deep wound, but the axeman’s eyes widened as his body froze up.
Just like how Zeke’s body froze up when the system initialized, the joints seem to have locked up for the axeman as he fell to his knees, his eyes widened.
And soon, standing right in the middle by himself near the crowd of monsters, they jumped at the chance.
“Damn it!”
Zeke saw this coming and tried to summon a barrier to protect him, but there were too many–too damn many.
They were too close, and from where Zeke was, it was hard to make a decent wall. Despite making as many as he could, the monsters were too strong and broke them apart easily.
The axeman’s body remained still, as though it was paralyzed from the attack. His eyes were wide as the monsters all charged at him.
And ripped him to shreds.
Zeke’s eyes widened as the axeman’s screams echoed out, getting the other soldiers to come right at the monsters to save him. Zeke tried to get his barriers up, but there was such a mess–he couldn’t summon his barriers without trying to block the other soldiers from helping him.
The axeman’s body was nowhere to be found from within the crowd of monsters. Zeke didn’t know whether he would defend the axeman or accidently keep the monster within his barrier. If the axeman hadn’t left the formation, it would’ve been a lot easier.
But that didn’t stop Zeke’s chest tightening as the screams became wilder, almost disturbed. He could hear the flesh being torn, something gurgling despite the noise outside. It was… it was too much.
Then something red crowded the ground beneath. It was far away from the usual carnage and death near the entrance of the funnel.
“Zeke, close the funnel!” Cloud shouted, aiding in the effort to take down the monsters along with Val and Zacharia.
Realizing way too late, Zeke closed the funnel’s entrance, trapping the monsters charging at them from getting out.
Finally, the monsters receded as each soldier managed to kill every last one, their corpses laying everywhere. The leaders also helped immensely, but the numbers were too many. As the monsters inside the dome slowly died out, every soldier breathed rampantly while Zeke got up.
He approached the scene where the axeman once was, and it showed exactly what his fate revealed.
The axeman was nothing but a pile of meat and bones. The axe was left to the side the moment he was frozen, and while paralyzed, he was ripped to literal shreds. Zeke’s mouth dried up after seeing the multiple organs and limbs that should’ve been at their proper places, and the eyeballs that seem to stare directly at him.
Zeke paled, stepping back, breathing heavily. He raised his hand, activating his Recovery skill, but he had no clue on what the fuck he could do to heal.
Cloud pressed his hand on top of his shoulder, looking straight at him. His blue eyes met Zeke’s own, and shook his head.
“It’s over,” Cloud said coldly. “He’s gone. There’s no point.”
“But…” Zeke slowly said, turning over to the remains that were once the axeman.
“Even if you do heal him, the moment he’s dead, his soul is gone. The body will be recovered, but his life is gone. Zeke, he’s gone.”
Cloud reassured him, grasping hard on his shoulder. Zeke couldn’t really think. That was the first time he saw someone, anyone, die in this world. And it happened so quickly.
Just like that, a man he knew and even spoke to died.
Just like that.