Chapter 78
Bandit Chase
image [https://i.ibb.co/BwZZJR3/Ch-78-Pic-1.jpg]
A couple of days had passed since the talk between Erin and Lexton. While the kobold was still obviously somewhat depressed by his lack of equipment, which in turn affected his ability to perform his duties, he was doing better than earlier. He was now more motivated when it came to acquiring materials and making potions. He had even started to make different sorts of items as well, such as many types of bombs.
Erin was glad to see her friend doing better, but knew that doubts that you might have managed to suppress for now could come up later. Because of this, she hoped that they could find a way to rebuild Lexton’s workshop as soon as possible. Not only would this help keep his spirits up, but it would be a great asset to the whole group as well.
Right now, the group was driving towards their next destination, Burrow’s Deep. Due to the attack by Dryzal, they had been forced to take a detour and had lost their original vehicle. Now they hoped to get to their destination without any interruptions.
The group was taking turns in who would be in the driver’s cabin, as their job was to keep an eye on things while also driving. While Lexton and Arkay couldn’t drive, they would accompany the driver in order to keep them company and keep a lookout on their surroundings. Erin had at first had issues with driving due to the loss of her hand, but after some practice and a simple prosthetic being provided to her by Lexton, she managed to handle it.
Erin and Durge were currently in the driver’s cabin, while the others were in the cargo compartment. The orc was handling the wheel, while the redhead sat next to him, looking out the window to see if anything was happening out there.
“Anything new on your side?” Durge asked in a bored tone. “I’m not seeing anything except an endless wasteland before us.”
“It’s pretty much the same over here. With the exception of some rocks here and there,” Erin replied. “Any idea if we are going to be reaching Burrow’s Deep anytime soon?”
“Well, if I understood the map correctly and according to Lexton’s explanation, we should get there around nighttime today,” the orc answered. “I hope that the information is right. I’m getting sick of these repetitive sights and would love to sleep in an actual bed for once.”
“Same here, although I’m not sure if that last part will be possible,” the redhead said. “Remember that our finances aren’t exactly in the best shape right now. Not only do we need to restock on our supplies, but we need to start thinking about building up Lex’s workshop as well.”
“Great… I guess I’m still going to have to choose between hard rock or cold metal as my sleeping place,” Durge said with a sigh. “Are you sure about helping Lexton build up his workshop? I hate to tell you this, but that will be a really expensive investment.”
“Trust me. It’s more than worth it,” Erin replied. “You haven’t gotten to see much yet, but the things he can make with the right equipment are simply amazing. Once he has what he needs, he will be the greatest possible ally to us all.”
“If you say so,” the orc said with a shrug. “I don’t mean to sound distrustful or anything, but some of the stuff you told me that he can create sound way too good to be true. I mean, golems that can be carried around in your pocket? That sounds crazy and too good to be true.”
“Believe me, they are real. I saw them in action with my own eyes,” the redhead said. “Once you see someone drop goo out of a vial that turns into a giant monster that then proceeds to beat the crap out of your strongest ally, you tend to see what that guy sells as the real deal.”
“...So he basically gave a thrashing to Ryle?” Durge asked.
“A very bad one, yeah,” Erin said.
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Meanwhile, in the back of the vehicle, a certain someone was getting riled up.
“Son of a-!” Ryle said angrily.
“What’s wrong?” Arkay asked in a worried tone.
“I don’t know. I just felt this sudden anger take over me,” the blonde explained. “I feel like someone just insulted me big time and needs to get their ass kicked.”
“Trust me, Ryle. If you were to fight everybody who insults you, you’d have to fight about 90 % of the world’s population,” Lexton said. “Even that’s kind of a low ball, seeing how much of an imbecile you are.”
“Why you little-!”
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Back with Erin and Durge, the two were continuing their drive in silence, keeping their eyes on the road ahead of them.
“You know, I almost hope that something comes and attacks us,” the redhead said. “I fear that if nothing happens soon, I might fall into a coma or something.”
“Don’t be like that. We should be grateful that we are only bored and not in actual danger,” the orc said. “I promise that once we end up meeting anything dangerous, you’ll be regretting making that wish.”
“Yeah, I know. That why I said almost,” Erin said. “I just wish there was something that could keep us awake.”
It was then that the redhead took a look to the side and saw dust clouds in the distance. Upon noticing this, she grabbed a pair of binoculars to get a better look at them. To her surprise, it was a group of vehicles driving towards their direction.
“Hey, we might have some company,” Erin called out to her partner. “I just spotted some cars coming towards us.”
“Do they look dangerous?” Durge asked.
The redhead used the zoom on the binoculars to get a better look. Since there were no signs of any military emblems, she could rule out them being part of the army. However, it became very clear to her quickly that these weren’t your average travelers either. This was made evident by all the people being completely armed and looking rather crazed. What also helped establish this were the dead bodies of their victims hanging from some of the vehicles, like macabre trophies.
“...Yeah, these guys look dangerous alright,” Erin said. “I’m pretty sure they’re bandits or something along those lines.”
“Ever heard about being careful what you wish for?” Durge asked with a slight frown. “Do you think they’ve seen us?”
“I did say almost,” the redhead said sheepishly, before looking through the binoculars again. “As for your other question, let me see about that.”
It didn’t take long for Erin to notice one of the bandits looking directly at them with their own binoculars.
“Yeah, they’ve seen us alright,” the redhead told her partner.
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“Just great… This is just what we needed,” Durge said sarcastically. “Inform the others that this is going to be a bumpy ride.”
Erin nodded before knocking on the back wall of the cabin and then opening a small sliding window that allowed her to see and talk to the people on the back. Ryle, Arkay and Lexton immediately turned their attention to her, wondering what was going on.
“Hey, heads up over there!” the redhead called out. “We’ve got company! Some bandits are heading our way!”
“Thank God! There’s finally something happening!” Ryle said. “I swear, I was getting so bored that I was about to fall into a coma over here!”
“Hey, being bored is better than being in danger!” Lexton scolded the blonde. “You should be careful what you wish for!”
Erin wisely decided to keep her mouth shut and not get dragged into the argument of her two friends.
“So, what’s the plan?” the redhead asked Durge. “Does this car have any means for us to defend ourselves with?”
“Nope. This is pretty much a simple transportation vehicle that’s meant to be used only in controlled areas. Any weaponry would be just a waste of money at that point,” the orc explained. “Our best option is to find a way to lose them before we get an actual fight going on.”
Just as Durge said that, a large explosion erupted ahead of them. The bandits had started firing explosives at them.
“I guess it’s too late for that!?” Erin asked as more explosions erupted around them.
Due to the bombardment from the bandits, Durge was forced to go from side to side in order to avoid getting hit. This caused the people in the back to get thrown around, which was something Ryle loudly voiced her complaints about. Luckily, they didn’t get hit, but this had sowed them down long enough for the bandits to catch up to them.
Seeing as their pursuers had gotten close, Erin took out her pistol and got ready to shoot. While she wasn’t left-handed, even giving some form of fire at the bandits was better than nothing. The redhead took aim at a bandit on a motorcycle that was trying to get next to her side of the cabin and fired at him. Thanks to him being so close, her shots were able to land on their target and take him down easily.
But while one might have been taken care of, there were still plenty left. This was far from over.
“Heads up at the back!” Erin yelled as she hit the back wall of the cabin to notify the others. “Our new friends just arrived!”
“Yeah! We noticed!” Ryle yelled back angrily. “Also, is Durge drunk or something!? What the hell was up with his driving earlier!?”
Before the blonde’s question could be answered, a harpoon impaled itself through the backdoor of their vehicle. The door was soon torn off, revealing the gang of bandits chasing after them.
With the door gone, one of the bandits decided to take his chances and jumped off one of the vehicles. He landed one the inside of the back area and pulled out an axe, a wicked smile on his face as he was looking forward to the violence he was about to unleash.
However, Ryle prevented him from doing anything by landing a powerful kick right in his face, sending him flying out of their car. The bandit’s body hit one of their own cars, before falling on the ground and getting run over.
“Get ready, you two!” Ryle shouted. “Looks like we are not going to be able to just sit this one out!”
Both Arkay and Lexton got ready to defend themselves from the attackers. The cat boy prepared his spells, while the kobold pulled out his pistol and had some of his vials at the ready.
Seeing what had happened to their comrade, the other bandits decided to try and take out the defenders by shooting at them. The trio was able to get down and avoid the bullets, after which they decided to counterattack.
Arkay launched a small fireball at the driver of one of the cars. The fiery projectile smashed through the window, setting the person behind it on fire. The bandit screamed as he lost control of his vehicle, crashing it into another one.
Lexton pulled out one of his vials and threw it at another car. The liquid inside exploded on impact, blowing up the front part of the vehicle and taking it down. He then spotted one of the bandits preparing a firebomb and fired his pistol at him. The bandit was struck down by the bullets, causing him to drop his explosive and taking out the other bandits that were in the same car.
“...Why do I feel like I’m the useless one here?” Ryle muttered, as she watched her companions defend themselves.
The blonde didn’t get to mope for too long, as she heard something land on top of their car. Upon realizing just what spot the sound had come from, her eyes went wide before she made a quick dash towards Arkay. She managed to pull the cat boy out of the way of an incoming spear that had pierced the roof.
“T-Thanks, Ryle!” Arkay said while still in somewhat of a shock over almost dying. “T-That almost got me!”
“Not when I’m around!” the blonde said loudly as she ran to where the backdoor used to be. “Just wait a moment, guys! I’ll take care of that guy!”
Spotting a pickup truck with a few bandits riding on the back that was very close, Ryle charged up her ki in her legs and jumped towards it. The bandits had not been prepared for someone to actually come to them, so they were caught completely off-guard by the blonde. In just a matter of seconds, she had taken care of the people riding on the back with blows enhanced by ki. Once she was done with them, she took a grenade that was dropped by one of them and dropped it inside the driver’s cabin, before jumping off the truck and back to their vehicle.
As the pickup truck blew up, Ryle landed on the roof of their vehicle, where a bandit armed with a spear was trying to stab at Arkay and Lexton below. He stared at the blonde with fearful wide eyes, as she simply grinned.
“I’m afraid you don’t have a ticket for this ride,” Ryle said in a threatening tone. “I’m going to have to ask you to get off.”
The bandit tried to defend himself with his spear, only for the blonde to grab his weapon and throw him off. She then threw the spear at one of the cars chasing them, impaling the driver and causing the vehicle to crash into another one.
With her work done for now, Ryle climbed back inside, where Arkay and Lexton were waiting. Both had wide-eyed looks on their faces after witnessing the blonde’s actions.
“How about that!?” Ryle asked with a big grin. “Was I cool or what!?”
“...How reckless,” Lexton said. “You were lucky not to get shot over there.”
“Oh, shut your mouth!” the blonde yelled back at the kobold.
“Y-You were really cool back there, Ryle!” Arkay quickly said, hoping to prevent a fight from breaking out. “I was completely amazed by what you just did!”
“Thanks, Arnie!” Ryle said happily. “At least someone appreciates my help!”
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Back with Erin and Durge, the two of them were doing their best to defend themselves from the bandits as well. The orc had been driving as fast as their car could make them move in order to get away from the people chasing them, every so often using the car itself to ram into some of the bandits that got too close. Meanwhile, Erin was doing her best to fight back against their pursuers with her pistol, but she was starting run out of money. They needed to escape, as they wouldn’t be able to keep this up much longer. While they were able to repel their attackers, the damage being caused to their car was beginning to build up and it wouldn’t take long for it to be completely useless.
“I’m running low on ammo!” Erin said as she reloaded her pistol. “Do you have any spare bullets!?”
“No, I don’t have a firearm on me!” Durge said. “I only have my hammer with me!”
“Seriously!? You should consider carrying a gun on you!” the redhead said as she began to fire her gun on the pursuing bandits. “It helps a lot to have something that allows you to deal with enemies from afar!”
The orc was about to respond, but another bandit jumped on their vehicle, hanging on the door to his side. Before the intruder could get in, Durge grabbed his warhammer and thrust it through the widow, striking the bandit right in the face so hard that his head flew off.
“You were saying?” the orc asked with a raised eyebrow.
“...Okay, point taken,” Erin grumbled.
As Erin’s group prepared to continue fighting back against their pursuers, something odd happened. Suddenly, all of the bandits stopped, before turning around and riding away.
At first, Erin thought that they might have been scared off by some sort of a large monster, but nothing like that seemed to be around them. The redhead looked in every possible direction she could, only to see nothing threatening anywhere.
“What suddenly got into them?” Erin asked. “Just a moment ago they were willing to put their lives on the line in order to get us, but then they suddenly leave. Why would they give up like that?”
“I can’t say. That doesn’t make sense to me either,” Durge said. “They pretty much had us at their mercy, so why leave after sacrificing so much?”
While they were wondering the sudden change in the attitude of the bandits, the orc noticed something. There was rumbling sounds in the skies and he looked up to see dark clouds right above them. It didn’t take long for rain to start falling on them.
“Would you look at that. It’s raining,” Durge said as drops of water landed on the windshield. “Think that drove the bandits away?”
“A little rain? I doubt that,” Erin said. “I mean, how could it-?”
The redhead was cut off, as Lexton began to suddenly hit the wall behind them and yell in a panic.
“Is it raining outside!?” the kobold asked. “We need to get out of here and fast! Turn the car around and go the other way at full speed! NOW!”
“Huh? What are you getting so scared over?” Erin asked as she opened the window that showed the passengers in the back. “It’s just rain. It’s not like we are getting attacked by some sort of a monster.”
“We might as well be getting attacked by a monster in this area! Hell, that would probably be better than dealing with rain!” Lexton shouted. “The ground close to Burrow’s Deep is special in the way it absorbs water! If we stay here for too long, it will so wet that we-!”
Just as the kobold was about to finish his explanation, the car came to a sudden stop. Durge took a look outside and noticed that their tires had sunk into the ground.
“Well, this is going to be a pain in the ass,” the orc muttered. “We’re stuck in mud. I’ll try to get us out of here.”
“DON’T!” Lexton yelled.
Upon trying to get the car out of the mud by stepping on the gas, it only led to the car sinking deeper. Now the tires had almost completely sunk.
“What the hell!?” Durge shouted in shock. “How the hell are we sinking so fast!?”
“I tried to tell you! The ground here has a special characteristic, where it absorbs water and turns into one big sinkhole! They even call it the Badlands Sea because of this!” Lexton explained. “This is why the bandits left! They realized it was going to rain soon and they would be stuck here the way we are now!”
“How do we get out of here!?” Erin asked.
“Not much we can do here, I’m afraid,” the kobold answered. “As long as we don’t move, we might be able to avoid sinking even deeper. Luckily the rain isn’t too bad. If it was truly pouring, then-”
Just as he said that, the rain got much worse. It was now pouring on them.
“Oh, son of a bitch!” the kobold cursed.
“You just had to say it, didn’t you?” Ryle asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Shut up, Ryle...”