CHAPTER 152: A Successful Test

“I’d say that was a successful test,” said Lucas as he watched the body of the armored Scyrric fall, not realizing he was shouting due to the ringing in his ears.

“WHAT?!” screamed Tom, right next to his head. It was at such a volume that Lucas winced from it even with his ears damaged. Tom had always been obnoxious and sometimes it was hard to resist punching his teammate. That was the same as it had been from pre-[System] Tom.

“[Circle of Life],” announced Abbey, using her skill.

A green circle lit up under their feet, encircling about twenty of the people standing closest. Lucas nodded as he felt a soothing energy enter his feet and quickly circulate through his body. It caused lightness in his muscles and vigor to his energy. The tension that had been causing him to clench his shoulders and neck during the battle was released. Also, his ears returned to normal, the pain from the gunshot fading quickly. He released a sigh.

“I said, the test worked,” repeated Lucas, seeing that everyone had experienced the healing too.

“WHAT?!” Tom screamed again. This time Lucas didn’t hesitate to punch him.

As Lucas watched a snickering Tom climb back to his feet, trying to smooth his now dented metal armor like it was a wrinkly shirt, he spoke into the window connected to the gun tower. A healer had been on standby outside and had nearly fainted from being so close to the sound. Fortunately, he had the presence of mind to heal himself before passing out and then quickly attended to the two gunmen in the tower.

Those in the tower had taken the sound and shockwave from it directly. Not only their ears, but much of their body looked affected by the soundwaves. Blood came out of their ears, eyes, nose, and mouth. They had also looked like someone had squeezed them to make their blood pressure rise.

“Are you guys alright?” Lucas asked the one who had fired.

“Sir, I’ll honestly say that was the worst experience of my life. The test shot from before had been at a lower power. Not sure what they did to up the charge, but it was still barely enough. It would have taken more shots than this rifle could handle to get through that armor. I’m fortunate that the targeting through the Rift Menu adjusted fast enough that I could shoot through the eye gap.”

“Image if we could melt that armor into more bullets,” suggested Tom. “Now THAT would be powerful!”

“Aye, it would,” agreed the gunman wistfully. “I think bullets made from that metal with the enhanced charge would get through more of that armor in one or two shots.”

“Then we’d better collect the body,” said Tom. “Think the lizards will back off now?”

“Guys, the body is floating away,” Joseph piped in, pointing to the body slowly rising from the ground and moving towards the distant group of Scyrric.

“I’m on it,” said Nick, not waiting for a response before he jumped from the wall.

“Can he stop them?” wondered Lamar out loud.

Everyone watched Nick drop to the ground.

“We’ll be taking this,” he said before raising his left hand and putting his thumb and pointer finger together. “[Shadows Bind Us].”

A thread of black manifested in the air. It started between Nick’s fingers and moved through the air towards the Scyrric levitating the body. Instead of moving in a straight line, like when he had used it on General Carmichael, it curved and curled, as if it was tracking the outside of the levitation spell.

Nick stared in concentration to force his spell to reach that far. As it crept along with the magic being cast on the armored corpse, the spell weakened, and the body lowered. It pulled in spurts and fits along the group, as if a person was trying to drag something heavier than they could handle. It left ruts where it was dragged through the ground.

“It isn’t enough,” said Carlos. “There is also a few stronger looking Scyrric starting to move towards us.”

“Then I guess we need to help. Get ready to support us if too many come,” said Lucas. Then to the gun tower he ordered, “If you have the range, try to take out that caster.”

“Roger!” said the gunman.

Lucas jumped from the wall, quickly followed by Tom, Joseph, Brittney, and Randall. They landed in varying degrees of grace. Randall landed the quickest, using [Flash Foot]. Lucas had great technique thanks to his innate passives from the Battlemaster class. Brittney and Joseph both thudded to the ground, Brittney due to the weight of her shield and Joseph in his brute force build. Meanwhile Tom…well, he did a flip with glitter and fireworks going off around him due to his illusion skills.

As they positioned around Nick, Brittney prepared to take on any ranged attacks that might come from the approaching invaders. Four of the Scyrric were moving towards them, including the Metallic Berserker. They hesitated, seeing the additional humans preparing to meet them.

“Sir,” spoke the gunman. “Ready for a shot on the caster.”

Lucas heard a bit of fear in his voice and asked, “is there a problem with it?”

“N-no, sir. Just the force from the explosion will tear us up good.”

“Too bad we can’t just do that sound stopping thing that Adam does when he doesn’t want people listening,” said Joseph, off handedly. “You know, but just around the gun.”

Tom slapped his helmeted forehead and Lucas groaned.

“Did we really…?” asked Tom to Lucas.

“There has been so much going on,” sighed Lucas, feeling stupid for overlooking that.

“Is there a way, sir?” asked the gunman hopefully.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“I’ve got it,” said Tom, opening his Rift Menu and doing some things. After about 45 seconds he spoke. “I couldn’t get just around the chamber and barrel of the gun, since that would reduce the bullet’s power. Sorry, gun guy, but your arms will feel the vibrations. It should save your internal organs though.”

“If true, that would still a great improvement. Let’s see how it works,” said the sniper hopefully.

***

Not only Sgolkr, but the other Scyrric were taken aback by the native challenging them for control of Khtholk’s body. Certainly, he was impressive, having risen to level 37, with a Tier 3 class, but that would be nowhere near strong enough to stop them from anything.

“This native challenges US?!” gasped a warrior in disbelieve. “Their disrespect cannot go unpunished!”

“These natives presume too much! They must be put in their place!” swore a Tier 3 healer.

“I will burn the skin from their bodies while keeping them alive!” said a master mage of fire and water. “Their death will only be allowed once they have praised the glories Scyrric for a thousand cycles!”

Sgolkr cleared his doubts. He set aside the warnings that the Red Clan speaker had made. She had suggested that part of the aberration’s success was a Tier 4 soul caster. Yet the [System] had stated there was no one like that here. She had still maintained that a figure of that strength was standing behind this group of natives, regardless of what the [System] had said.

He glanced at the natives watching from the walls and then to the one obstructing them. They weren’t strong enough to threaten this army preparing to move. The native trying to take Khtholk’s body was a high level, but also not enough to truly be a threat, whatever his class of “Unseen Death” could do.

On top of that, as the strongest here, this group of elites were expecting him to lead them. They weren’t insubordinate enough to challenge him for leadership, but should he fail to move with them his capabilities would be questioned.

What really caused his feet to step forward though was the heat building inside. The rage. These weaklings thought to stop the Scyrric?! To stop HIM?!

He had been sent here to prevent the aberration from ruining the world before their claim on it was realized. Slaughtering all these pathetic natives would be in line with those orders. That was good since his dwindling intelligence in the face of his increasing fury and strength left him without the reason to deny his instincts.

Six of them moved forward, positioning themselves in a group designed for battle, as they had been taught in their youth. A vanguard, a combination tank and warrior, went in front. He stepped next to Sgolkr since the primary defender they had brought was dead. The other warrior and mage came next. A speed-based assaulter came to their side, sniffing the air, eyes flashing as he looked for traps. The healer followed behind.

They had only moved a few steps before more natives dropped from the wall, intent once more in escalating this conflict. They did not have as high a level as the first, but also being Tier 3 drew comments from his party.

“How is it possible for them to have so many Tier 3s?” asked the healer. “Our leveling was pre-ordained by our glorious elders. They should not have the ability to grow so much in this small area we allowed them.”

“It matters not,” growled the warrior. “It is an afront to the name of Scyrric for them to even try!”

The mage just continued muttering torture that he would heap upon them.

Sgolkr only vaguely listened as his own head was full of boiling energy, hiding thoughts beyond who he would release his anger towards. He snarled as he watched one of the natives operating a menu in the air. Then one with darker skin pointed.

This time there was no clap of thunder, no explosion of sound to deafen. There was a slight breeze as Sgolkr felt the air shift unnaturally. Instinctively he stopped and looked behind him, to where the other Scyrric were waiting.

The sight that met his eyes paused his anger. It was a sight that should have increased his rage, but it was so incomprehensible that his mind froze. He turned again and looked at the natives, where the hooded one had released his binding skill and the body of Khtholk was stationary on the ground. Then Sgolkr returned his look to the other Scyrric.

Their buffer, the Telemetrician who had been pulling the armored body with his skill, was on the ground. Sgolkr didn’t think he was dead. He thought there was still breath moving the chest up and down. Yet, different pieces of him were no longer connected.

The right arm was yards away from the rest of the body and blood coated a sizable line leading away from them. There was enough mess to believe that the Scyrric was in dire straits and needed them immediately if he wanted to live.

“Krikr, go heal…” Sgolkr started, intent on ordering their healer to go back. Unfortunately, he was interrupted as he felt the air shift again and instantly their vanguard pitched backwards. If his cursing was to be believed then he was mostly unharmed, but Sgolkr saw a small dent in his shield, a white bone shard in the center of it.

Once more he turned, speechlessly looking at the natives who didn’t seem surprised or disturbed by what happened. They were still ready to fight, but seemed more curious of how the Scyrric would react.

“How dare they?!” raged the mage. “HOW! DARE! THEY?!”

Sgolkr quickly considered their actions. Somehow, they had a skill powerful enough to reach them from this distance, almost killing Tier 3s. There was enough force at this distance to knock over a heavy shielded fighter from this range. Was this the person that Red Clan speaker had warned of? Could the natives really be protected by someone at Tier 4?

Taking more losses without more information was not something Sgolkr thought was advisable. Even if retreating was dishonorable, he could postpone that until they were better prepared for facing this. The shield had stopped whatever had hit them, so they simply needed to prepare a bit better.

“We leave,” order Sgolkr.

“WHAT?!” shrieked the mage. “We won’t retreat! We are SCYRRIC!”

Sgolkr grabbed him by the throat, not hesitating to allow his talons to sink into the back of the mage’s neck.

“WE! LEAVE!” he snarled, looking the mage in the eyes. He saw recognition and acceptance clear the anger from his companion’s eyes. Then he placed him on the ground.

While fighting his instincts, he turned and stalked towards the Telemetrician. The rest followed him, all feeling the same loathsomeness for being put in this situation but knowing that this wasn’t the end of this fight.

***

“That’ll show ‘em!” crowed Tom. Lucas just shook his head at that statement as he watching the Scyrric turn around.

“That was just a warning shot. They’ll be back,” said Nick ominously.

“Don’t go all dark and brooding on us, Nicky-boy,” said Tom, before lowering his voice and mocking, “I am the night!”

“Sir,” interrupted the gunman. They looked at the display and saw the healer repairing his broken arms. Blood had seeped from burst skin and muscles. “That wasn’t AS bad as before, but I practically lost my arms firing twice. Second shot showed we won’t be getting through their armors without stronger bullets.”

“Nice shots in spite of that,” praised Lucas. “Thank you for the support.”

“Thank you, sir. I think I’ll be swapping out with someone else for a bit.”

“That’s fine,” responded Lucas. “Just make sure we have enough people on standby for when they return.”

The man saluted, his arms fully healed, and then left the display. Lucas watched the Scyrric as they formed lines and retreated. Their leader kept turning and looking at the wall, no doubt wondering what the range of the gun was. That was fine. It would give the Sentinels more time to prepare. They would be better prepared, though he had no doubt the Scyrric wouldn’t take them as lightly next time.

“Hey, temp boss. We’ve got another problem over here,” shouted Tom from the armored body. Lucas sighed. He wondered how Adam put up with Tom. It had been much easier when the stakes had only been harassing people at the school and stores, and no skills had enhanced his obnoxiousness.

He glanced at where his group was surrounding the body. Then his eyes grew large, and his jaw dropped.

“How are we supposed to get this thing back inside?” asked Joseph.

Brittney and Tom were grabbing one oversized, metal-covered foot. The single foot was half the size of Brittney. They had only raised it two inches off the ground. Joseph had the other foot and had managed to lift it three inches. Those were three of the strongest people in the base! How were they supposed to move it if they couldn’t use the Rift Menu? The amount of fuel they would have to burn to get heavy construction vehicles mobilized for this would be hard to supply.

“Yeah, another problem,” sighed Lucas, heading over to help.