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Twenty-nine days after the Awakening, the County was almost clear of mutated beasts. There was only one red spot left on the map, near Mount Port Crayon Preserve, on the extreme northeast of the county. Leaving the car a couple of miles from the destination, because the dirt road just ended there, they hiked. A mild exercise, for Rowan, but an exhausting one for the rest. Isla and Thomas panted and heaved at every other step.

“My feet are killing me,” Isla complained.

“Unbelievable!” Rowan facepalmed. “You both have more Strength and Toughness than I do, but bitch for going up a hill like it’s Everest.”

[Cory to all]: Strength is a vague representation of your capabilities. For Isla, it helps to kick your butt. For you, it means hiking. By the way, Isla, since we’re talking posteriors, he’s ogling yours every other step.

“Hey, that’s not cool, you snitch!” Rowan blurted.

“I’ll kill you in your sleep… If I… huh… survive this…” Thomas heaved.

“So, you do admit ogling my butt,” Isla turned around, frowning.

“It’s in my face, I can’t help it!”

“Go in front. Now.”

[Cory to all]: Negative. Keep this formation. Tank in front, Hybrid DPS in middle, Rogue in the back.

“I’m not a Rogue,” Rowan objected.

[Cory to all]: Until you learn magic, you are. Stop. The target is just ahead, one hundred yards. Keep silent, use the chat.

[Rowan to all]: What should we expect?

[Cory to all]: I don’t know. Mana sensors are vague until I reach level ten.

[Thomas to all]: I hope it’s not another mutated hare…

[Isla to all]: You liked Bugs Bunny a lot when you were little.

[Thomas to all]: Yeah, but he wasn’t jumping all around, trying to bite my throat out. I’m fed up with this quest. So many animals… It feels like we’re doing all the work.

[Cory to all]: You did. The quest didn’t ask for a quota, most people killed one mutated beast, and let you do the rest. Easy XP and AP with no stress.

[Rowan to all]: Damned freeloaders... Sit tight, I’ll scout ahead.

He barely made a step when the phone rang. Or rather buzzed, as it was set on vibrations. Rowan did cuss but answered.

“Hi, sweetheart,” he whispered. “Can you make it quick? I’m in the middle of something here.”

“Please, come back home,” Grace’s voice said. “I have that dreadful feeling, again… I beg you… just come back… I love you so much… I don’t want to lose you.”

“I promise I’ll be careful, and if something’s fishy, I’ll turn back.”

Without any other words, he turned his phone off.

[Cory to Rowan]: She’s just hysterical. Having a fiance, despite her previously decadent sex life, must mean the world to her.

[Rowan to Cory]: Shut up. You’re a very bad and impolite core.

[Cory to Rowan]: Only ONE more kill and I’ll be level ten. Think of the greater good and dispatch that creature.

Shrugging, Rowan sneaked through the forest. One hundred yards and five minutes later, the target was in view. It was a huge bear, twice the size of a normal Grizzly. The creature was nonchalantly munching some berries. For whatever reason, Rowan’s mind was more interested in examining the berries than in the monster’s specs.

[Cory to Rowan]: Blackberries.

[Rowan to Cory]: I know. I like them more in the preserves.

[Cory to Rowan]: Can you please kill the monster? Its back is turned to you, easy crit.

[Rowan to Cory]: What if Grace is right, and it’s more dangerous than it looks? I’ll go get the others.

[Cory to Rowan]: Just message them.

[Rowan to Cory]: Just shut up.

Returning to the group as discreetly as he could, he beckoned them behind a rock formation.

[Rowan to all]: It’s a trap.

[Cory to all]: What are you talking about?

[Rowan to all]: It’s a bear.

[Cory to all]: So what?

[Rowan to all]: Bears smell people miles away. The wind blows toward him. There’s no way it doesn’t know we’re here.

[Thomas to all]: You sure are a hiking nerd.

[Cory to all]: C’mon... It’s just a low-level monster.

[Rowan to all]: Exactly. What low-level monster would stay put, knowing three top predators are around?

[Cory to all]: Oh no! You’re right. I’m detecting ten disturbances… cloaking devices.

[Rowan to all]: Meaning?

[Cory to all]: The bear’s someone’s pet. A Beast Master’s. We have been infiltrated by hostile forces.

[Rowan to all]: You can stop nukes but can’t stop people coming in?

[Cory to all]: Nukes are no big deal. Classed are. This means they know about the quest, and meddled with it, to lure us out here.

[Isla to all]: It’s not hard to find out about the quest, every citizen has it. But why the ambush?

[Cory to all]: Best guess? To capture or kill Rowan and claim the County. Change of plans. I’m investing points to enhance Rowan’s perk, effective immediately. You’re immune to bullets. New formation: Thomas and Rowan in front, Thomas steps back when his skills are on CD, and Rowan replaces him as the tank. Stay behind the rocks at all times.

[Isla to all]: No. We’re retreating. I won’t have Thomas fight in a real battle.

[Cory to all]: You might have no choice. The disturbances are taking a crescent formation behind the tree line and have you under observation. I’m detecting guns now. If you run, they’ll shoot at you.

[Rowan to all]: Or follow and pick us one by one. What if we advance, pretend to go for the bear, and attack them first? Thomas, stay here… no, better run away while we engage them.

[Isla to all]: Cory, you were supposed to teleport hostiles out!

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

[Rowan to all]: True. What the fuck are you waiting for?

[Cory to all]: Hostiles are problematic. The System likes to throw challenges at you, remember? But if Rowan accepts the invaders as immigrants and grants them citizenship… they become criminals. And criminals are easy to teleport.

[Thomas to all]: That’s an exploit, right?

[Cory to all]: Queen of Exploits is my middle name, so yes. The only problem is I can’t send notifications to hostiles. Rowan, yell something at them.

[Rowan to all]: OK, here goes nothing.

Clearing his voice, he yelled as loud as he could:

“I, Count Rowan the First, accept the ones invading our territory today as immigrants and grant them citizenship. They have to obey the law from now on.”

There was a long silence, and then a hail of bullets hit the rocks protecting them.

“What the fuck happened to the teleport?” Thomas yelled.

[Cory to all]: Oh, no… The System interfered.

Leadership Quest: The Awakened Warriors that had infiltrated your territory refused your offer for citizenship. The System has decided to allow them to challenge you. Rowan Allinder, prove your mettle by repelling the incursion.

Reward for winning: Continued Existence. Various. Maintain your title and your control of the County.

Penalty for losing: The County will be taken under the winners’ control: Unnamed Awakened Military Faction.

“They’re on us!” Isla shouted, unsheathing her gun and firing it wildly. “Thomas, run!”

Nine semi-translucent shadows advanced toward them in turns, pausing to take and offer cover, almost invisible, except for the faint distortions their silhouettes made on the surroundings. Ignoring Isla’s order, or maybe obeying it but in the wrong sense, the boy dashed ahead, yelling Taunts, interposing himself between the incoming enemies and his party. Bullets bounced off him like heavy raindrops from a hard stone.

[Cory to Rowan]: Go help him! I can’t rezz anyone but you, remember? Switching the notification to the System for faster feedback.

Rowan followed the boy, running as fast as he could. Their foes were still invisible, but their guns were letting out smoke and flashes of light. He executed a skill that made him move forward like lightning, ten times faster than normal, a Rush.

You have slain Invader, level 40. XP gain is delayed until you are out of combat, as per your choice of settings.

His spear had skewered the nearest enemy. The cloaking failed, revealing a middle-aged man, with short hair, dressed in military fatigues, who dropped dead and dissolved into specks of blue light the next second.

Dodge-rolling on the grass, Rowan heard a bunch of bullets pass above him. One hit his shoulder but got flattened. At the same time, from behind the rocks, Isla fired her gun like mad, reloading and firing again. Rowan flourished his spear around, hoping to catch someone by chance. It worked, another man fell, his severed foot spilling blood. A second swing cut half the man’s head off, passing through a military helmet like through butter.

You have slain Invader, level 40. Any further XP gain is delayed until you are out of combat, as per your choice of settings.

“Your plan failed, surrender!” Rowan yelled, jumping up.

“You surrender, piece of shit!”

Someone hit him hard, a fist in the kidneys. It would have knocked Rowan down, normally, but he willed his pain away, and turned to face his foe, trying to grapple him… no, her. It was a woman, tough-looking, in her forties. Before they fought, her skull sprayed blood, a shot from Isla, and she collapsed.

Team member Isla Culloden has slain Invader, level 40.

“Get the boy!” someone shouted.

Three people emerged from their cloaking, surrounding Thomas, and another three near Isla. One of the latter tried to shoot her, but she moved too fast, grappling with another man, and shielding herself behind him, making him soak the bullets destined for her. How she moved afterward was so savage Rowan swore to never make her angry again. She tore a bandit’s throat off with her bare hands, then headbutted the last adversary, smashing his skull like cardboard.

Team member Isla Culloden has slain Invader, level 40, x3.

“Stop, or we kill him!” a man yelled.

There were only three foes remaining, but they had the advantage. One restrained Thomas, another,—the one shouting orders—kept a gun at the boy’s head, and the third, a young woman, aimed a pistol at Rowan.

“OK, OK!” Rowan yelled, throwing down his spear. “Don’t hurt him.”

“Don’t!” the leader of the invaders told Isla, who had exited her cover and was advancing and growling like a mama lion seeing her cub in peril, pushing his gun closer to Thomas's temple.

[Thomas to all]: My Invulnerability is off cool down. It holds for 3 secs, so be quick. Now!

Isla unsheathed her spare gun, firing toward the one restraining Thomas. The projectiles hit the boy too, but the spell held, and one bullet managed to find its target. The two remaining invaders shot at Rowan. He felt the bullets hitting him hard, like giant fists, but kept going onward, grappling with the leader. From the corner of his eye, he could see the younger woman disintegrating and Thomas throwing himself down to take cover.

Team member Isla Culloden has slain Invader, level 40, x2.

“Who are you?” Rowan shouted. Surprisingly, even for himself, he had managed to disarm and restrain the leader of the other team, holding a knife at the man’s neck. Isla’s lessons had paid off.

“US special forces, you fucking traitor. How did you survive? I shot you twice.”

“A perk. Shit, Isla’s hurt. Thank you for your gift, the XP will be put to good use.” After slitting the man’s throat, Rowan rushed to help Isla, who was wobbling and gurgling blood, briefly reading the notification on the way.

You have slain Invader, level 40.

Leadership Quest cleared. Ambush defeated. +1 free Lvl. + 1 free AP, XP

Leadership Quest cleared. Incursion defeated: +1 free Lvl. +1 free AP

Quest: Clear the County, tier 1, has been cleared. +1 free Lvl. +1 free AP

You have reached Lvl. 42. 4 AP in each Stat have been granted for passing two level thresholds (30 and 40). You have 16 free APs available.

“They got me… s-sorry…” Isla stuttered, lying on the grass.

“Mom!” Thomas screamed, kneeling near her.

“Thomas…” Isla whispered, fondling the boy’s cheek. “It’s OK…gh…”

“Stand still!” Rowan took off her vest, and cut the blood-soaked shirt with his knife. Fortunately, he didn’t have to undress her breasts. Unfortunately, the wound was in an armpit, a bullet had managed to go around the armor. He tried to stop the bleeding using the T-shirt, but it didn’t work. “Shit, she’s fainting. Cory, help! Tell me what to do!”

[Cory to all]: Slap her to keep her awake and tell her to invest Attributes Points into CON. She’s near fifty, hopefully, she’ll be able to choose some Regen perk.

“No slap… I heard…” Isla mumbled, going on and off unconsciousness every other few seconds.

[Cory to all]: She did unlock an Enhanced Regen, but it’s still not enough. She won’t make it. Invest points in INT until you get 25. With luck, you’ll unlock Healing, because of your first-aid training.

“Are you sure?” Thomas yelled, holding his mother in his arms.

[Cory to all]: Y-yes…

Pushing five Attribute Points into INT, as suggested, Rowan crossed his fingers.

“Fuck!”

Intelligence Perk, Threshold 1 obtained: Strategic Sixth Sense. You can read a battle situation, politics, or just moods with uncanny accuracy. Access to advanced skills: Inspect and Analyze.

[Cory to Rowan]: Hurry, put the rest of your points in—

He acted before the core finished the sentence. There were enough points to raise his Will to seventy-five.

Will Perk, Threshold 3 obtained: Magical Synergy. You have unlocked Minor Mana Manipulation. Through sheer force of Will, you can enhance items, skills, or perks, no matter how mundane, with Magic. Exceptional Synergy with the INT stat, normal with the rest.

Dismissing the notification, Rowan hurried to apply a bandage over the wound.

“Stop the bleeding, damn’ it!”

First Aid Skill: Stop Bleeding (Minor) applied. Success. 100 MP consumed.

“Yey!”

[Cory to all]: Err… Sorry, but the bullet is still inside. But I guess she’ll make it to the hospital, where a proper doctor could help her.

“Extract bullet!” Rowan yelled, touching the wound with his index. As attracted by a magnet, the projectile crawled its way out, and he threw it on the grass.

First Aid skill: Extract Bullet (Minor) applied. Success. 100 MP consumed. You have unlocked Minor Telekinesis (you can move small objects with your mind at a moderate distance). Warning: You have inflicted Bleeding on your teammate Isla Culloden. Temporary status with the teammate Isla in the negative: Your Guts Are Hated.

“You idiot!” Isla grimaced in pain.

First Aid skill: Stop Bleeding (minor) applied. Success. 100 MP consumed.

Next, he put a Band-Aid over the wound. “Heal!”

Minor Heal fails. This spell is not in your current repertoire. Channeled healing spells are specific to Healer classes. Option: achieve Max INT or/and Advanced Mana Manipulation.

[Cory to Rowan]: It’s OK, her HPs have stabilized at 8%. I suggest not moving her until she’s around 50%. That will take about 30 minutes. Usually, parties have Healers, but there are only two in town now, and have a lot of patients.

[Rowan to Cory]: Yeah, that makes sense.

[Cory to Rowan]: I’m taking back control of notifications, for better semantics. Why don’t you let them have a mother-son moment while we have a chat about your build? I’m disbanding the team.

“You two rest for a while, I’m going for a walk.” Rowan retrieved his spear and walked away.