My friendly emotional mage was just sniffling up a bit of clear snot as she composed herself when Korbin yelled, “0”. Immediately, a display appeared in front of me.
—> Defend the Pylon in 0:30.
The thirty second timer began ticking down, a few audible gasps of horror short after as clearly everyone shared this prompt on their own HUD.
“Don’t forget the plan, people. This is for your lives, your families lives. Stand strong, and fight like you’ve only dreamed this day would come. The opportunity to stand before a common enemy, in defense of a common love.”
Oh my god, is he fucking monologueing right now?!
Turning to laugh with the Mage over the cliche words of inspiration, her upper lip stiffened. Her posture appeared to straighten, her hands clutched her staff firmly.
Oh my god, is this working?!
The timer now ticked to 0:15, and people were getting…fidgety. I couldn’t help cringing at the random cursing and screamed invitations to battle, or ‘fuck with them’ into the air. Metallic ringing left after soldiers clashed their own swords together proved the greatest annoyance that trumped both the former.
It was the incessant arguing that let the mass anxiety settle nicely. They were terribly moronic disputes at that. A few along the lines of this or that person was ‘too close to them’, even though they’d already been measured and placed in areas according to Korbin’s defensive strategy.
Then there were the dick-measuring contests. Honestly, why someone would try to assert dominance on their comrade right before fighting to defend one another just completely escapes me. Korbin handled it better, reminding each they’d be an afterthought had either decided to fight right now.
“Time and fucking place everyone. Focus people let’s go come on?!” Korbin announced, clapping as he returned to his station by his wife and children.
—> Defend the Pylon in 0:05
“Don’t overextend! Ranged fighters, wait till you know you can hit, or at least think you can!” Korbin yelled through cupped hands.
By now, I’d grown tired of countdowns, and decided to neglect the displayed one. Frankly Korbin ruined it, so I’d prefer to be happily surprised instead. It didn’t end up mattering too much, as my Mage friend's shaky, whimpering gasp and slow exhalation implied it was go-time.
Surveying the sandy beach, there appeared to be zero immediate threats in view. No sight of people, animals, sentient vegetation, nothing. It took several minutes of palpable tension looming over our silence before a male voice hollered.
”Movement to the West!!”
Glancing over and focusing my eyes revealed a group of some slow moving bears approaching from the tree line in the distance. No, no bears don’t have heads that large, nor do they walk that low to the ground.
“Hey?! We got activity over here too?!” Someone hollered far from my right.
“That’s movement north, call out your sides when you see something!” Korbin commanded.
Still looking west, the animals that approached had made their way closer now, revealing a cluster of naked tails that flailed about in concert as they marched. Their eyes glowing a bright yellow, with long noses that held giant whiskers at the end below their noses. Long, black, straight hair covered their bodies.
No, no absolutely NO fucking way.
“Tom!?” My arm being tapped by the mage diverted my attention back south, revealing a much clearer look at another group of the assumed abominations. They were massive, hairy, unified fucking rats. Whatever deity I’d slighted in the tournament clearly held their grudge, and I must be reaping with excruciating haste whatever I’d sewn.
“You got magic attacks right? Shoot ‘em before they’re too close.” My tone now much harsher than just a minute prior.
“R-right. Okay I got it.” The mage replied, stepping forward now readying her staff. The sounds of Korbin barking orders for archers and Mages loose their ranged attacks echoed through ought the beach. Part of me relished the moment on his behalf. This must’ve been a dream of his come true, minus his family being involved.
“My mana bolts, they’re not doing anything?” The mage said, after clearly missing every shot.
“It’s alright they’re a bit closer now, focus on landing shots more than just throwing them.”
I replied, now beginning to step forward, just outside her line of fire.
“What are yo-“
“Just keep shooting that way!” I ordered, now pushing forward while still remaining out of her attacks paths. She acted as if I’d abandoned her, when really I had no intention of letting these things get too close, ending in her missing and shooting me. No, best take out the rats she’s not focused on as they arrive.
The mage managed to kill one, but had to take longer and longer breaks between mana bolts. Holding herself up with her staff, she looked damn near exhausted. Thankfully, our rodent issue had closed into my permitted area of attack.
To start, Their size was utterly fucking absurd. They towered over me on all fours, more proportional to rhinos than any rat I’d ever heard of. Their wafting acrid aroma that worsened as they approached guaranteed their authenticity however.
Excitement began sprouting throughout my body as they neared. I fucking hate rats, and these ones are giant slow moving tanks, a group of 5 on our side specifically. The key word was slow, meaning agility was more than likely not their strongest stat. With any luck, one of their stats would be higher than mine on average. At least enough for my Chosen title to pop its 10% max total stat boosting cherry.
Screams and shaky battle cries deep from our flank indicated we weren’t the only ones about to enter melee, so I wasted little time. Water Stepping along the side of the rat closest to me in the pack, I went to impale its neck with a stab. Its tail whipped around in response, glowing a black hue that swayed through the air like a rotten lava lamp. Using Flow Inverse and kicking the tails trajectory higher, it spiraled through air wildly as it slammed into another rat beside its’ backside.
Riding the momentum of the kick, I spun back readying a Lightning Strike blasting my arm elbow-deep into the side of its neck. A pleasant ding sounded as I removed my arm and Wakizashi from the putrid rodent, followed by a notification I took note to check later. The giant rat that had previously suffered friendly fire to its ass at my offensive-defenses behest now turned its attention to me, along with another who trailed behind them.
Assuming an angle that kept them both in front of me, I Water-Stepped forward while crossing my legs at a slower pace. The nearest rat leaped over its dead kin, going for a downward bite to my skull. Twisting my hips, I stabbed my blade upward as I stepped diagonally to smother his neck and remove its chomping range. My blade pierced deep into the disgusting rats skull from under its jaw. Somehow, it remained combative after I removed it, which prompted a few more quick dodging steps and slashes in rapid succession before the beast succumbed to its wounds.
Its backup couldn’t seem to keep up with the angle changes, as the third rat kept stumbling over its own weight trying to change direction in pursuit. My confidence eclipsed before a strange gurgling hiss from behind forced me to quickly dash to the side.
In my place was the mouth of another flanking abomination of a rat that U-turned from the Pylon to attack me, its maw smashing into the sand. Not willing to let rats performing rat-behavior slide, I immediately stabbed downward into its neck with both Wakizashi.
It didn’t fucking die yet, and its fellow rat had pressed forward right after this one sneak attacked, prompting me to retreat and maintain space to move. That didn’t stop me from kiting the beast around enough to Lightning Strike the injured rats front leg completely off, a ding sounding shortly after as it stopped squirming, laying in a massive pool of blood soaked wet sand.
Ohhh, death notifications, neat.
Having two down, I turned back towards the mage, who was frantically running about as the one rat I hadn’t distracted was clumsily chasing her around. Creating more space between me and the rats, I shouted back, “don’t run straight!! They aren’t quick laterally!” She appeared to mouth an ‘okay’ but her voice was nowhere near audible from here.
Returning my attention to the last rat outside our little perimeter, my feet shuffled across as I traveled its body avoiding its lurching bite attack these monsters loved so much. Twisting my hips, Lightning Strike triggered twice in a row as I blasted two powerful stabs into its neck, causing it to bleed immensely as it writhed laying on its side where the stabs entered.
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The pleasant ding was drowned out by a sudden scream being cut short by a ‘thud’ as the mage stumbled over her own ankles trying to dodge laterally. The rat that was chasing took little time to bite down, ripping her apart from the stomach out as she tried to scream but was unable due to the internal bleeding.
Jesus fucking Christ, seriously?!
My mind filled with a wave of remorse and disappointment in her footwork as I sprinted to the rat, stabbing both its hind legs while stepping around it. Now sat onto its rear unable to use its hind legs, I double stabbed with Lightning Strike again, this time the *ding* more audible.
Korbin’s back had been turned to me, now a bit further pushed North from the center of our formation, implying they needed support on that side.
Moving through the middle of our formation, the panicked rapidly panning screams of a man being tossed around in the maw of a rat like a chew toy distracted me. Sizing up the beast I noticed it had been even larger than the other rhino sized rats, its eyes a harsh red glow with no visible pupil. It appeared to gaze over the other rats, glancing toward the western front before it pointed his nose and made a terrible screeching sound. It was reminiscent of metals rubbing at extreme pressures and high speeds, only with tonal control. Immediately 2 of the 6 other ‘normal’ rats changed course, now headed for the flank I’d just fled. Kaitlyn turned around now, seeing me just 12 feet away.
“Korbin’s being overrun over here with some others, you gotta h-“
Nope, plausible deniability.
There was no time to discuss it, but if Korbin was over there, I had to trust him. Right now, only an archer/mother and the two children remained on the western front, the children having served as a means of communication throughout the back line rather than any actual combatants.
“No, TOM DAMNIT”
Kaitlyn’s voice echoed behind as I headed westward, with a tinge of panic I hadn’t expected even if she didn’t know what Korbin could do now after the tournament. He’d still be far more than capable as a fighter, and one could argue he’d make a better assassin than MMA star when it came to the type of fighter knowledge he possessed.
It wasn’t like she didn’t know this, causing me to look back once more toward the north. There was only a woman left from that flank, clearly a mage by her massive staff that looked much like my comrade from the south’s did.
Korbin was busy with a rat himself, flaring his boosting skill and ripping through it with his sword and brutal body kicks. Only issue was, 2 others circled the mage. Unfortunately my focus was again diverted sharply by the sounds of those from the west screeching in agony…including a younger sounding scream.
Without another wasted second of consideration, my legs sprang towards the west l, no longer terribly bothered over the other fully grown adults well being at the moment. Before me was 5 total rats, 1 being the clear commander. Priorities locked on the children’s well being, I shuffled across the side of the nearest rat to our back line or, what’s left of it.
Stabbing with a Lightning Strike, my Wakizashi burrowed deep into its gut, where a second strike with my hand still holding the other blade’s grip in a palm strike, the handle taking the impact. Running with the momentum created from the strike onto the handle, I opened its entire stomach as its innards spilled in a mess of black blood and organs onto the smooth sand.
Twisting and ripping my blade free and neglecting the wonderful ding of success, my attention transferred to the next rat nearest to me. Assuming it is among the immediate threats to the rest of the people here, I quickly stabbed into its eye, piercing half the length of my blade before ripping it out, leaving its eyeball deflated as it spilled, bleeding profusely.
*ding*
Looking further west, the next closest rat was further out, standing by the largest one 12 feet away.
“TOM?! COME TO THE NORTH SIDE NOW!” Korbin’s voice echoed across the beach, which was terribly timed, as the large rat now flared with a deep red energy that spread all around the battlefield of dead rats and people in the sand.
Tracking a red cloud streaming by me into a dead rat, the corpse began twitching. Its opened belly wound began closing, as its chest rose quickly with a gasp of air.
Oh, great. Medic boss rat.
The ‘healed’ rat then rose to its feet, the newly healed stomach flopping open under the weight of its remaining insides as it did dangling below as it walked.
Or…maybe necromancy boss rat.
There was no way we’d win this battle if every fallen rat was reanimated, internally justifying me to yet again ignore Korbin’s call. There truly was no world in which he wouldn’t be livid not to find me returning, but I had no choice. Running at a ‘C’ pattern to avoid the lesser rats, I water stepped straight at the boss. Its eyes flared a deep red hue, followed by the rat I’d avoided leaping in front of me, throwing its body in the way of my incoming stab.
Confused, I let go of the Wakizashi in its stomach as it flew by. As it passed, the larger boss rat lurched its head for a bite, attempting a surprise attack. Side stepping, I just barely avoided its snapping maw before jabbing into its neck with a stab. Its skin was noticeably stronger than the rest, and my blade hardly pressed a few inches deep before I had to retreat from a sweeping tail attack.
The rotten beat’s eyes glowed a shimmering yellow hue, followed shortly by loud trotting sounds from behind me. The angle the flanker took caused me to dodge to the side further west from the Pylon. Whipping my body around to meet the attacker revealed the rat I’d impaled with the other Wakizashi as it passed by.
My weapon was resting hilt deep in its stomach below, dragging on the sand. Based on the ding that sounded after it performed its noble sacrifice before, it must’ve been undead by this point.
Feeling the pressure of my companions' time running short I got hasty, and sprang for a Lightning Strike head on with the boss rat, only with my fist. Its maw opened at an incredible speed, forcing me to Flow Inverse with the butt of my sword, turning my punch into a roundhouse kick to its skull.
Spotting the other rat closing in from my peripheral, I adjusted my rear foot behind the lead and shuffled quickly at a curving angle. One stab with my remaining weapon penetrated deep into its neck, the blade twisting and ripping up flesh as I yanked it out while shuffling away. Not missing a beat, I planted a foot once more, water stepping back to the reeling boss rat.
Its tail swept wildly around as the rat spun back to counter attack, my weapon hand reacting in kind chopping its tail completely off at its base. Turning the blade’s angle after the slash that removed its tail, I stabbed into its hips, aiming to pierce through to its spine with a Lightning Strike.
The rats thick hide-like skin fought back at the initial contact, only to relent as the force from the attack caught up to the blade's tip. Once passed the initial resistance, the blade glided in like a molten rock dropped into a tube of butter. It screeched a terrible shrill, causing my vision to twist a from the ear shattering volume. The undead rat I’d killed twice now threw its body at me recklessly yet again, its head completely limp and flopping about.
Stepping back, I saw the handle of my lost Wakizashi which I grabbed firmly, causing my arm to jerk hard before its skin tore allowing me to remove it. Stumbling, a non-resurrected rat, attempted to catch me off balance with a leaping chomp at my head. Ducking, I extended both blades upwards, stabbing through where its neck met its jaw. It slumped, however it fell at an angle that twisted my wrists holding my sword grips, forcing me to release them both.
Unarmed, I decided enough had been enough, and beelined for the king. It swiped a claw at me as I approached, my momentum shifting quickly to the side opposite its attack dodging its relatively stubby arms reach around its own chest. Swinging my back leg dent my shin blasting into its neck, the feeling of its windpipe denting from the kick almost feeling utterly gratifying.
My kicking leg stomped as I struck again, this time with an angled hook called an ‘overhand’ blasting my fist into its skull. The loud crack in its head didn’t slow my fury. Rather, it allowed me the confidence to plant my lead foot again, spinning and launching my rear heel into its nose that damn near exploded on impact. Blood along with a cloudy red aura leaked from the rats head, but I refused to allow a flanking dead rat to interrupt my combo.
Shuffling my steps quickly, I kicked downward hard onto its exposed leg and pushed off of it, thrusting my opposite knee into its skull using my hands to keep it on target. Its head twisted causing me to smash the side of its jaw, ejecting one of its large fangs. Landing back onto the sand, I shuffled to the downed tooth grabbing it in stride and dashed back towards the boss.
By now, it squirmed violently while chomping into the air aimlessly, apparently blinded by its own contorted facial structure and blood streaming from just about everywhere. Naturally this made leaping to its side and piercing its own tooth into its neck to catch my weight, slitting its throat as I spun around it, relatively easy.
The beast collapsed in a mess of its own blood, followed by the other undead rats to fall as well. The still living ones appeared suddenly lost, their eyes clearing from a bright yellow to black pupils with whites returning behind them. They scampered hastily towards the tree line after seeing me.
A familiar ding sounded in my head, however my eyes had already wandered back to the pylon, where only Korbin, Kaitlyn, and Ana remained. Walking back, my eyes fought the urge to look down, as throughout the scattered corpses of grown men and women along the beach unprepared for defending themselves and families, lay those of the little ones I’d failed to save.
I’ve monumentally failed, regardless of this fucking ’victory’.
Now within a few feet of the pylon, Korbin approached, his hands clenched and face red.
“Where the fuck were you?! I called out to you 3 fucking times I know goddamn well you fucking heard me, Tom?!”
“Korbin please, that fucking big rat it was contro-“
“Controlling the rats, yeah I saw that from 30 yards out, Tom. We needed to keep the rat numbers low before we could push th-.” Korbin interrupted.
“NO it fucking reanimated them Korbin?! I killed 3 and it just sweated this red mist a-“
“I really cannot fucking hear it right now, Tom. Seriously, just…” Korbin clenched his sword in his hands before turning away for a moment.
“…get the fuck out of here for a bit. I can’t even look at you right now without the urge to kill you where you stand for endangering my fucking family like that.” Korbin’s eyes never broke from Tom’s, making sure no illusion of exaggeration was misconstrued.
“But I was fucking ri-…” Korbin’s eyes flared their orange hue before I could finish my sentence.
“…where you want me to go, Korbin?”
“Do what you’re here for. Everyone’s dead, we don’t gotta dance around it anymore. Go kill some monsters, take some pylons, and come back when you have somewhere safe for my family. Until then, I don’t want to see you here. I have to figure this pylon shit out now.” Korbin finished before rubbing his temples and turning his back to Tom, walking away.
Tom remained there a moment, watching his friend walk away, knowing damn well he had every right to refuse Tom another breath, much less just send him out for an opportunity at rectifying his monumental blunder. Tom probably would’ve done the same in his shoes honestly.
Shame overcame every fiber of his being, and ate at him like a trillion microscopic leeches latched at every cell within his body. Closing his eyes, he focused on ridding himself of all these pointless, self-serving thoughts of guilt, as it wouldn’t change anything if he didn’t use it for a better outcome.
Finally getting a grasp on his bodily functions once more, Tom turned on his heels, pacing west, towards the tree line ahead. Of course, assuming he could make up for his sins to the few he felt loyalty towards, these notifications I get to read along the way should cheer me up a bit.