It's getting really bothersome, having to swap identities over and over again.
With Zane potentially exposing him, Devon had discarded Gregor and Jason from the list of viable disguises. He now stood in Trey's command tent with the man himself under the new guise of Peter.
"I can't believe I missed something like this…" Trey mused to himself.
"Don't sweat it, I'm sure Nix took an abundance of precautions to ensure the existence of her little group didn't get exposed," Devon said, consoling his friend.
Devon finally understood why there hadn't been any overseer to intercept him and Eve as they'd made their way away from the scene of the duel. Trey's scouts had trickled in information over the past day that gave them a picture of what had happened.
Well, it's only to be expected that Nix would know about the overseer's plot. I simply hadn't expected her to take action so soon, or so openly.
The overseers had responded to the provocation swiftly, but without taking any hostile action. The individual overseers that had been scattered all over the place were now consolidated into seven groups, all but one having a level 50.
"Is there anything we should do about this?" Trey asked.
Devon mused over the situation, "There's nothing we can do. If we take action as a group Nix will likely see it as a sign of hostility, and could throw everything into chaos earlier than expected. If I were to attempt to do something alone I'd likely get slaughtered. There's simply nothing I could do against such a well-coordinated group."
"So we do nothing?"
"We observe and anticipate. Nix has two options before her, to press the offensive or to hold off. She's proven that the overseers can't afford to act recklessly. Most likely she intended to force them to reconsider their plan to farm the humans for experience. For many that implied threat would be enough deterrence on its own, but I highly doubt the vishan will roll over so easily. No, Nix has thrown the gauntlet down and they've accepted the challenge."
"What do you mean?"
"The vishan have consolidated their forces into seven small groups, averaging around 8-10 members. If our assumptions are right then Nix's hit squad consists of about 10-15 people. However, there's one group of overseers that is oddly different than the other six.
"One group has less than the average of 8-10 members, at only seven. But the most notable thing about this group is that despite having fewer units they lack the strength of a level 50. Four level 30s and three level 40s. To top it all off they're positioned close to a terminal."
"So they have a quick method of retreat if Nix decides to send her squad after them?" Trey asked.
"That's one possibility, yes. However, I think the implied message is much more aggressive than that. It's almost as though they're saying, 'Here we are, come and get us.' Instead of the terminal being seen as a way for the overseers to quickly retreat, it could also be used as a point of egress for Nix's squad if they take the fight to the group of seven and the other overseers respond."
"So you think that group is deliberately smaller and lacks the firepower of a level 50 in the hopes it'll bait Nix's group into fighting them? But why would they do that? They could have simply consolidated their forces into six groups, each rounded out with a level 50. Then the risk wouldn't be anywhere near as high."
"But then they'd be less likely to actually draw out Nix's squad. And besides, they're confident."
"Okay, so do you think Nix will take the bait? And who would win if she does?"
"Nix only deployed the hit squad as a response to Kal'o Kir's antics, so the initial action was defensive rather than aggressive. However, the one the squad targeted at that time was neither Zane nor Kal'o Kir herself, but the level 50. Their plan from the beginning was to go after the overseers, and now that her hand is exposed I highly doubt Nix will simply try to take it back. No, I think she'll take this battle. But as to which side will win… I have no idea."
"You can't even guess? What happened to anticipating?"
"I'm pretty good at getting a read on feelings and intentions and the like, but I'm not a military strategist. Furthermore, I don't have the foggiest idea of either side's tactics or abilities. No, what I'd like to anticipate is what will happen as a result of this battle."
"If Nix manages to win, won't we end up with the situation you described before?" Trey asked.
"Yes, the attrition issue. If Nix wins then she'll prove to the overseers that remaining outside their camp won't be worth the risk, and they'll probably bunker up for the last few days. Then, once the protection period is up the overseers will target any hunting group that goes outside the camps to force the camps to be the ones to bunker up. But any attempt to form a group large enough to confront the overseers will simply result in the overseers instead targeting the weaker crafters of the settlements."
"There's one thing I wanted some clarification on with that," Trey said, "Won't we be able to counter any of the overseer's moves? We've been able to keep an eye on them almost the entire time without issue. We could simply withdraw smaller hunting parties when the overseers move to attack them."
Devon scoffed, "The only reason we've been able to keep an eye on the overseers so far is because they've let us. Or rather, they're afraid of the penalties that they'll incur by harming the initiates watching them. Once the protected period is through we may as well be sending any observers to their deaths."
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
"Damn it, fine. So why is Nix antagonizing the overseers even with this problem looming over our heads?"
"Well, she maybe just hasn't thought of it. It is a bit of a long-winded and convoluted plan. It's also possible she's banking on inspiring enough fear into their hearts that they'll give up, though I doubt she's that naive. The only thing I can imagine as a real end goal is that she's got some card hidden up her sleeve, though I can't even begin to imagine what it is."
"So there's nothing we can do, and there isn't enough information to properly anticipate what Nix will do if she wins," Trey summarized, looking frustrated.
"Yep. The only thing we know for certain is that things will likely return to normal if the overseers crush Nix's squad. On that note, I'll be heading out."
"Heading out where?"
"To watch, of course."
----------------------------------------
When Ivan had first entered the tutorial he'd been worse off than most of the other initiates. He was a veteran of the Gulf War, and the abuse he'd forced his younger body to go through had thoroughly caught up with him over the passage of time.
So when he'd found himself in a world where might made right, his ailing body had dragged his progression through the mud. Those first ten levels were like hell on earth, but the further he climbed the more he rediscovered the vigor he'd felt in his youth. But the damage had been done. If he'd been only 20 years younger he likely would have been able to claim a spot in the top 5 of the ladder.
But that stunted progression had presented an opportunity, or perhaps an epiphany. This epiphany hadn't come from him but from Nix, the one he served.
The unrecognized possess a strength those at the top are blind to.
She had assembled this squad around him. It was composed of others like him, the most competent and capable that Arkania had to offer. None of them were well known or recognizable, and none of them had ever had a stint on the ladder. They were an unknown element, both to their fellow initiates and the malicious overseers.
Ivan was leading them into what was almost certainly a trap. All of them knew it, and yet none of them wavered. If they succeeded then Nix's plan would be a success, and they'd be rid of their biggest threat.
I won't let her down.
Ivan sent the message to his fellow warriors to proceed. He'd been chosen as the leader because he was one of the only suitable initiates who had real military experience. Of course, he'd never advanced very far in rank, so he'd never been formally given command over any of his fellow countrymen. But he'd been forced to take command in the field twice when his squad's commanding officer had been killed in action. It was barely enough to qualify someone for a position of leadership, yet it was more qualification than anyone else in the squad had.
His troops took position in a half-circle formation around the seven overseers. He'd made a full circle around the lone level 55 overseer, but doing that here would mean his troops would be spread too thin.
We'll bait them into us, then fall upon them with magic and might.
The overseers stood near a tree, discussing something. Five of them had spears and the other two wielded axes and massive shields.
He raised his fist, signaling his 4 archers to take aim. But before they had their bows even halfway drawn the overseers leapt into action, charging directly into their formation.
They spotted us? No matter, all it means is that we don't get the first shot. They're still charging headfirst into our formation.
Their strategy was extremely simple. Five among them were black mages, a common class that specialized in offensive magic. They would use Lightning Bolt to immobilize the overseers, all of which seemed to be physical fighters. It was the same strategy they'd used against the level 55, one of elegant simplicity. Of course, 5 mages against 7 overseers meant 2 would run free, but they had more than enough troops for that.
He signaled his black mages, and five bolts of arcing lightning came from the spots where the black mages lay hidden. Ivan's eyes widened when he saw two of the spear wielders leap in front of the lightning bolts meant for the shieldbearers.
As the bolts connected with the reptilian overseers, he signaled his archers to fire the arrows they still held. However, even as the arrows were released from the bows, Ivan witnessed something impossible.
The five spear wielders moved with a practiced smoothness, each of them completely unaffected by the electricity that should have paralyzed them. As one, they each threw their spears at terminal velocity in the direction the bolts of lightning had come from. Ivan didn't need to hear the screams to know their aim had been perfect, he'd seen the overseer's perfect spear-throwing technique back on that first day, when his best buddy had been impaled right beside him.
The arrows released by his archers soared toward their targets, but the shield bearers stepped up to block as many as they could. Of 4 arrows, only 2 hit their targets in non-vital areas.
Ivan's body moved on autopilot, commanding the melee fighters to move in and engage, even as he felt despair sink into his soul. They maintained the numerical advantage, but their primary strategy had just been utterly broken apart.
How? How could they be completely impervious to the lightning?
The human fighters descended on the overseers as the five spear wielders reached into their tiles for new weapons. For an instant, Ivan felt hope return. If they could just take them down before they could rearm themselves…
But no, that hope was squashed as the two heavily armored shield bearers let out bestial roars that forced the attention of everyone in the conflict on them.
An aggro skill!?
Ivan couldn't fight against the instincts that screamed at him that those two needed to die, even as his mind rationally understood that the less armored warriors needed to be taken down first. No, before that he shouldn't even be stepping into combat himself. He was the commander, meant to give orders from the back, right?
As his mind was reeling from hatred and confusion he felt a blade stab through his back and saw the blood-stained blue metal of a curved sword pierce through his chest. He looked over his shoulder even as blood filled his mouth and saw Zane.
Of course, that's how they knew when we were going to launch our attack. I was so focused on the intel of the seven overseers I didn't stop to think about where this fucker might be lurking. He was hiding in the trees or underbrush, waiting and watching. This prick chose the perfect moment to step out of the shadows and get his hands dirty, when we were all distracted by that aggro skill.
Ivan tried to swing his weapon behind him, the mortal wound breaking him out of the trance that aggro skill had put him in, but it was no use. Zane twisted the blade and pushed it sideways along the rib it had slipped past in Ivan's chest, eviscerating his insides.
The last thing Ivan saw before his body fully failed him and he lost consciousness was his squad being cut to ribbons by the overseers.