Chapter 67

A rampaging ogre suddenly appeared, and the gathered goblins were thrown into a frenzy. Their attacks only went through the thing as I arrived from their flanks and started blasting them with fireballs.

The projectiles exploded, knocking my enemies off their feet. Halbert took the opportunity to jump off my back, and cause mayhem amongst their ranks. He used his superior speed and toughness to weather all their attacks, while paying everything back double.

I felt even lighter, when Briella too dropped to the floor. I quickly understood what she wanted, and started kicking at the outskirt goblins. My Horsekick Gambit activated, and the light and hellflames did wonders to destabilize them off their feet. The goblins averaging at a level of 40 were then methodically killed by our one and only Overqueen as she made sure to distract with flashing lights and colors, while she went for the kill with her enchanted dagger.

One by one they fell, until all that remained was a goblin rider and her boar. The two of them were over the level of 80, and the animal was already bleeding profusely.

The boar faltered, and I capitalized on the weakness by kicking at its side, gouts of flame spreading from the point of impact. The monster began to topple, and the goblin atop pulled on her mount's fur to try and get it to not fall over. But that was when Halbert struck, flying straight for the enemy rider while she was unaware. They landed on the ground, while I pushed the boar to its limits, stomping repeatedly across its head, without allowing it to ever regain its balance and walk again.

[Your Party Has Defeated a Level 87 Warrior!]

[You Party Has Defeated a Level 82 Warrior!]

[You have advanced to Level 76!]

The goblin too died. I looked over to my side, and saw her green neck pierced by Briella's knife. My friend was now only a single level away from her goal.

[Handler Lvl 49]

"Good job team!" Briella beamed and raised her hand. Halbert gave her a high five, and I did a hoof bump with the both of them.

We took a break right after, as my eyes scanned the surroundings from within the clothing store we took cover in.

Large hawk-like birds descended, with too many eyes on their heads, and a terrifying maw instead of a beak. They preyed upon the goblins, but were driven away by more of the green monsters.

That confirmed it for me. I wasn't just imagining things. We were near Geneva's base… or at least the goblins that attacked them. It seems the monsters ranged further than what I originally thought.

It's here. I wrote on the white tiles with my flames.

"Yes. Indeed…" Briella said ominously.

"The darkness is upon us." Halbert finished solemnly.

Goddamit I'm being serious! I neighed and snapped my teeth at them.

It's Geneva's place! That of the woman who lead an entire settlement of her own… and whom Flaze beheaded. After she tried to take me hostage, as leverage against Flaze.

Briella blinked for a few moments, until the realization hit her. Flaze and I have informed the others of our travels.

"Hang on…" Briella trailed off. "Wasn't that near Green Street?"

I nodded.

"It makes no sense then. We're still quite far from there."

I pointed outside, and at the goblins trying to snioe at the birds running away.

"Oh shit… The goblins… What you guys assumed to be some settlement of them… Their patrols reach all the way here?"

I gave her another nod, with my horse head.

"This might be a danger to the people, and to society." Halbert straightened up, and looked like he was just about to rush into battle with the goblins outside.

"Wait." Briella put a stop to his ambitions. "There's only three of us. Not the time."

"What? But you know how many there are. Our lands cannot fight those kinds of numbers yet."

"And neither can we." Briella's scowl then slowly melted into a grin. "But you'll be surprised how capable everyone else is now. You don't have to take everything on yourself, Halbert. It was never about that."

"I'm supposed to be a hero. A symbol for the people. I can't run away! Not–"

"And who would see a symbol, all the way out here?" Briella asked, and stood up as well. "The goblins? You want to be a symbol to the green fuckers?"

Halbert paused. "I… Well… You're right. But it's just. A lot. It'd be very dangerous to Friendom. And someone has to. And as the hero, I have to…"

"It'd be very dangerous if we were to die here, attempting an assault with just the three of us."

"I never asked you to come–"

"Which is even worse! You'll die!"

Halbert recioled, as if slapped. "You… Do you not think I can do it?"

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Briella tapped her foot, thinking it over. "Yes." She finally decided. "Absolutely."

Halbert looked to me for help, but I was completely on Briella's side. I remembered when we first reunited, and he was dead set on fighting solo even if the rest of us were there. It wouldn't even have helped him become stronger, because we'd already worn down the monster too much before he arrived, for the Level 100+ to count as a solo kill.

I took my time, to get all of that in writing. Goblins from outside spotted us at some point, with all the ruckus, but we made quick work of them.

Halbert agreed in the end. He saw reason. But he still seemed a bit sad about it.

I approached the man, and offered him a shoulder to lean on.

He did, and for that moment, even with his costume on, Halbert lost all the bluster of a supposed hero.

He was never the best actor of us. He worked mainly on the scripts.

~~~

Halbert POV - Apocalypse Day

The apocalypse happened, in the form of floating boxes. The world had become like a game, a scenario straight out of a novel, but it was all real.

I was at the office, writing out an article about stupid benign bullshit, when it all began. A horrible pounding headache assaulted me, and I slumped over on my desk, but the screams of pain and horror woke me up from my stupor as I forced my pounding brain to function. I saw, with open confusion, that everyone else was experiencing the same thing, if not even worse. Their skin bubbled and changed colors, and bones broke into impossible shapes and angles. The humans that I once knew were mutating right before my very eyes, and when Gary from the next booth over grew the oversized head of a vicious moth, I turned around and ran.

I made it all of four steps, before I tripped over a chair. I quickly kicked it off and limped away from the area.

"Nooo!" "Stop!" Help! Help!" "Look out!" RUN!!!"

The cries and pleas of my coworkers and acquaintances only served to further confuse me. My head swiveled around, and the chaos I saw only fed into my panic. The world became a blur, and I was an object of uncontrolled motion. My mind only came back to focus, once I was forced to come to halt, on account of being tossed across the room.

My eyes glazed over, as I took in the scene. People have died, and monsters were devouring them. The one that harmed me was one hairless pink monkey.

"Ugghhh…" I groaned.

"Argggghhhh!!" I groaned again without realizing… and it took a moment for me to realize that it wasn't me who was groaning the second time.

My head turned towards my back, and I saw Melinda from HR. Her head was a mess of red blood, and her eyes roamed deliriously, jaw clenched and shivering.

Melinda spoke without her lips moving, and I found the voice strangely undefined. It took me another moment to realize that she wasn't the one speaking, as screens started appearing in front of myself.

It was just like that of a video game, and the moment that thought crossed my mind, I picked up the first Class I saw. My eye was still half on my gains, and distributing my stat points, when I saw from the corner of my vision the same hairless monkey going after me.

I dodged, faster than I'd ever been. I felt my ribs crunch, but I powered through it, reading through the skills I gained. The monkey turned back to look at me, when I thrust my hand out towards its direction, pushing with the power of the wind.

The monster flew away and crashed onto a table. It was not enough to kill it, but I heard a dinging sound in my head, which I quickpy confirmed to be that of a Level up. That brought with it stat points, which I promptly distributed, keeping a wary eye on the monkey that was trying to get up, and the many other abominations around me.

"Thank you!" Someone's voice made me swivel my head around. Melinda was standing behind me, clutching at her skull, and vomitting. "You saved me. My hero…"

My eyes widened at her statement. I felt at my body, and I felt that I was the strongest I've ever been, despite the countless internal injuries.

I remembered my past, I remembered it all; Like my life was flashing right before my eyes, of old memories and forgotten dreams.

I want to be a Hero.

And this woman just claimed that I had accomplished that dream.

"Fear not! For I am here! You are safe now!" I bellowed.

I took her hand, and we ran away to the janitor's closet. The dying screams continued all around us, and as a Hero, I could not abandon they who were in need.

"Wait here. And wait for me." I told Melinda, as I closed the door so she may hide.

And then I dove into the chaos, joining the mess of blood and gore.

I accomplished a whole lot of slaying, and my Level kept on going up, the stat points immediately used to further my power. But I did not manage to save a single person more, for they were caught in the crossfire, and could no longer survive.

I… At least I tried?

~~~

I took in the world, from atop a high rise building. I cast my gaze downwards, and I saw what appeared to be humans, running away from a hairy meatball on legs.

I stepped off the edge, and dropped, my cape fluttering behind me. The winds coated me in my descent, protecting my body, but doing the opposite for my foe.

I landed on the monster, and its body splattered into the pavement. I ground its flesh underneath my boot as I took in the visage of those that I have saved.

"Fear not, people. You are safe now. I have vanquished the monster."

The two of them bowed profusely, thanking me for my efforts. I told them it was no big deal, before I promptly flew away into the distance.

I had to land pretty soon, because my Skill was more about speed, enhancing my movements with the wind to move really fast, and towards any direction. Those directions only involved 'Up.'

Hours later, as the sun began to set, I came across a peculiar building. It was bolted up and reinforced, as a pack of humanoids covered in an exoskeleton of white bones pounded at its walls.

I looked up at the roof, and that's when I noticed the small little humans bombarding them with magic, or throwing rocks and other hard things.

That was when I remembered what this place was. It was the orphanage. And the four-armed monsters were about to break through.

[Warrior - Lvl 35]

[Warrior - Lvl 40]

[Warrior - Level 37]

I Identified the lot of them, and found that their levels hovered near my own. It would be a very difficult engagement, against the dozen or so of them here. But I was a hero, and I could not just allow orphans to die.

I engaged the enemy. My fist crashed into the first one, and its exoskeleton cracked. But so did my hand.

I powered through anyway, as I weaved around them, kicking and punching. Their four arms were trouble, adding even more avenues of attack when I was already surrounded. Their faces were completely hidden by bone.

How do they even eat if their mouth is sealed away?

I shook away the thought.

Unimportant.

Blessedly, I was not alone, and the children up top redoubled their efforts upon my arrival. I wished to tell them to hide while I took on the danger, but I was not at the luxury of doing so. Their attacks chipped away at the defenses of my foes.

I kept the monsters on their toes, and ensured that their aggression remained focused on me. I took what hits I could, but kept my injuries to a minimum.

Minutes passed, and I managed to down one of them, when its bony exterior finally cracked open. I kept on hitting the same area until the creature died to my fist.

I immediately backed away upon hearing the notification, narrowly dodging a kick. I ducked and weaved away from being boxed in, and then sidestepped an overhead smash.

Except… there was a delay, to my actions. I felt myself get strangled lightly, but not in a direct manner. Rather, it was through my clothes.

The four fists descended on me, and I realized that it was my cape that had been grabbed, halting my movements for a precious moment that lasted less than a second before the fabric snapped.

Fuck.

I was smashed to the ground. My bones creaked and broke. The cape behind me was ripped away. I staggered to my feet, and rolled away from a stomp. The monsters began circling me, and I was about to get caught and brutally murdered.

My teeth clattered, as I struggled for breath. All around me were enemies, and I frantically scurried away. My chaotic movements threw them off, and I was able to gain some distance, but limping as I was, they easily caught up.

[Wind Rush].

I attempted to fly away, but one of them managed to grab onto my arm. We were both launched a meager distance away, to which my enemies immediately gave chase.

I pushed aside the one right next to me, and attempted to crawl to freedom. But soon I was kicked to my side, and I was rolling on the pavement.

They were circling me like vultures. I was about to die.

One of them made it to my position, and I knew I could not dodge away in time.

I watched as the bony foot descended, almost as if in slow motion.

I flinched away in horror, at the very last second.

The horrible crunching sound of breaking bone followed, and I gasped for the pain that never came.

Instead there was a woman in a pink shirt, with her spine clearly broken. She was puking out blood and dying, as she looked at me with resolve and grabbed my hand.

I felt the healing energies flow through my body, as my wounds closed, and my bones righted themselves.

I looked her in the eye, as she gave me her incomplete last words.

"The… children…"

She died, as I breathed heavily. I shakily got to my feet, and made eye contact with the remainder of my foes. My efforts had only managed.to kill one of them, and I nearly died for it.

They tried to box me in again, but I saw a gap in their formation. I immediately jumped for it, and ran away, to their silent chasing. But they could not catch up, to me running away at my best.

It only occured to me mid-flight. I recalled the orphans that I left behind.

But the monsters chased after me. I wasted so much of their time. The children must have used that opportunity to run away and hide.

Hell, the bone people might have even forgotten all about them, and moved on to a new target.

Those were the lies I consoled myself with.