Amy headed off to the walls to make sure the patrols were in order. Calvin had a few stops to make in town. First he stopped by to check out the missive board.
MISSIVES OF OLYMPUS
SYSTEM MISSIVES - GROUP - Rewards divided based on contribution
SLAY:
12 Glintscale Raptors - Reward: 50,000 credits
12 Spinecharge Beetles - Reward: 50,000 credits
10 Whisperclaw Panthers - Reward: 70,000 credits
6 Glintscale Raptor Elites - Reward: 120,000 credits
6 Armored Spinecharge Beetles - Reward 120,000 credits
4 Phantomclaw Panthers - Reward: 150,000 credits
1 Glintscale Alpha - Reward: ???, 250,000 credits
1 Herculean Spinecharge Beetle - Reward: ???, 250,000 credits
1 Nightclaw Queen - Reward: ???, 300,000 credits
QUEST - GROUP
Discover The Source Of The Glintscale Raptor Madness: The Glintscale raptors have been overcome by an uncontrollable madness. Discover the source of this madness and end it before the completion of the tutorial. Success will provide Olympus with additional boons upon completion of the tutorial. Failure will result in a madness being unleashed upon Earth’s creatures.
Destroy The Spinecharge Beetle Breeding Grounds: Spinecharge beetles quickly become a scourge within any environment. Seek out the breeding grounds and end this Spinecharge Beetle infestation before it has the opportunity to spread. Success will provide Olympus with additional boons upon completion of the tutorial. Failure will result in the infestation being transported to Earth upon completion of the tutorial.
Seek Out The Scourge Of The Whispering Peaks: A Scourge has fallen upon the Whispering Peaks, once the home of the Nightclaw clan. A substantial source of power lies within the heart of the peaks and the Scourge is attempting to uncover it. Destroy the Scourge. Success will provide the citizens of Olympus with additional class upgrade options upon evolution. Failure will unleash the Scourge upon Earth upon completion of the Tutorial.
Calvin carefully read each of the descriptions. The system had come right out of the gate with a whole pile of missives. It was a daunting list, however, Calvin quickly noted their importance. He assumed this was a guide for the rest of the tutorial. The ‘slay’ missives directly related to the assaults on their walls and the group quests likely related to the red beacons he’d seen from the walls the night before. As daunting as these tasks were, they now had a concrete path to complete them.
Something else became clear to him, failing those group quests would not be an option. He wasn’t quite sure what those boons would be and he was sure Andy wouldn’t or couldn’t tell him, but those conditions upon failure were not an option. Their arrival back on Earth was already going to be incredibly perilous and the way the system presented these conditions made it seem like they would be really, really bad.
He also noted that there were numerous missives generated by the citizens of Olympus, all requesting various materials for their work. It was nice to see everyone rolling up their sleeves and diving into the work.
A food stall caught his attention as he made his way to the pharmacist, with the enticing smell of freshly cooked food filling the air. He was curious about what capabilities their profession had, but he was stopped in his tracks by the most amazing smell. The smoky aroma instantly transported him back to a barbeque back home. Lost in his memories, he could almost feel the sun on his face and the weight of a cold beer in his hand as he reclined in a lawn chair, relishing the simple pleasures of life. With laughter filling the air, children eagerly leaped through the playful jets of the sprinkler, accompanied by Freya’s excited barks at the enchanting water contraption.
He shook himself out of his reverie and poked his head in.
“Sir, how can I help you?” a man behind the counter said.
“This smells amazing. I stopped in to check out what you’ve got going on.” Calvin said. He desperately tried to keep from drooling like a fool in this shop.
The large, stocky man beamed at the praise. “Well, I’ve got a few recipes from back home. Mostly grilled meats and the like. I’m working on a few system recipes too. That might be what you’re smelling. Can I get you something?”
“Hit me. I wasn’t hungry earlier but damn, I’m absolutely starving now. You mentioned system recipes?”
“Sure did. My class is all about cooking. It’s what I did back on Earth, and it looks like I’m going to keep up the tradition. I’m making food from back home just to keep that memory with us, but recipes given to me by my class have enhanced effects. It all depends on the ingredients, but I can cook up simple benefits right now like stamina, HP and MP increases. They’re all pretty minor for now.”
“I’ll take whatever you’ve got ready.”
A delicious aroma wafted through the air as the man assembled a small bowl, combining succulent meat, colorful vegetables, and a hearty grain. Carefully, he placed the bowl, filled with steamy contents, onto the counter and added a generous splash of a delicious smelling, savory sauce. Reaching under the counter, he retrieved a pair of chopsticks and handed them to Calvin.
“On the house. I hope you enjoy it.”
As the steam rose from the bowl, it created a swirling cloud of mouthwatering scents - the smoky aroma of perfectly grilled vegetables, the enticing fragrance of aromatic spices, and the luscious, deep scent of the sauce. He could feel his stomach ready to burst out of his body and dive straight into the bowl if he didn’t start eating soon. The moment he tasted the food, he was spellbound by its exquisite blend of spices.
“Holy crap man. This might be the best thing I’ve ever eaten.” Calvin said, astonished.
“I know right? I’m not that good, I promise. The system recipes seem to be a little extra special in the flavor department. Keep bringing in ingredients and I’ll keep delivering.”
“Oh you bet your ass we’re bringing in ingredients. I might just order the whole town to get out there right now!” Calvin said, only half joking.
“But seriously, whatever you need, let me know.”
“I appreciate that sir. Really. I don’t want to take you up on your offer so soon, but I do have a suggestion. We should get a garden going. I don’t know if we have anyone with a green thumb, but maybe we can get some of the kids on that path.”
“Good call. I will talk to Andy and the others and see what we can do. Keep this up. Wow.”
Calvin had just finished up his incredible meal and was about to head to the pharmacy when he heard the cries ring out from the walls. The attacks were beginning again.
He made his way over to the wall and climbed up to get a report.
Calvin approached the soldier standing on the wall. He was calling orders to the archers down the line and helping to organize the fighters at the gate. The soldier heard Calvin approach and threw him a quick salute.
“Sir!”
“Cal is fine.” Calvin returned the salute, “What’s the situation?”
“Movement in the trees, looks like those bugs are moving in. We’ve got a runner to Liam and we’ll get more people here. We can handle it.”
Freya, to me! Calvin ordered.
“Understood. I’ll stick around and observe. Freya and I will stay out of the fight unless you need us.”
Calvin watched the group as the battle took form. Marshall had arrived too, being ready to take care of any injuries the group sustained in the fight.
“These bugs. Just like old times, eh Cal?” Marshall said, staring down at the small horde of beetles closing in, “I really want to get down there and get some revenge.”
“I know how you feel. I think we’re going to get our hands dirty with the big ones, so don’t you worry.”
A dozen beetles swiftly moved across the battlefield. The defenders had meticulously cleared the area of any foliage, providing them with expansive sight lines that encircled the town. They could hear the unsettling clacking sound growing louder as the chitinous creatures rapidly approached their position on the walls. They bumped into each other haphazardly in a mad rush to assault the town.
The beetles they encountered now were noticeably more menacing than the one Calvin and Marshall had encountered before. Their size had grown by about 10 percent, and their spikes now oozed with an even deadlier looking venom. Entire horror movies had been made back on Earth about events like this, but as Calvin looked over the people on the wall, he sensed an eerie calmness in their preparedness. There was a sense of bravery in the air as they waited for their orders, undeterred by any sign of fear. Like a heavy blanket, a fierce determination settled upon the defenders, fortifying their resolve. Like an unstoppable force, the promise of more power surged toward them in a wave.
“Archers, ready!” Liam called out.
“Fire!”
Arrows whistled down from the wall, many of them bouncing harmlessly off of the beetle’s shells. Calvin noticed a few of the arrows held the golden light he’d seen in his battle with Knox. Those arrows punched straight through the beetles they’d struck, blasting gore and ichor from the wound as the projectile continued into the dirt.
“Mages, Fire!”
Elemental eruptions overtook the battlefield. Searing fire spat from the battlements, scorching everything in their path, the flora turned to ash. Beetles were set alight all over the field, their shells crackling from the intense heat. Earth pillars erupted from the ground, tossing beetles into the air. Lightning crackled from multiple sources like the fury of Zeus, arcing between them. The electric blasts stunned many of the disgusting creatures, causing them to skid to a halt, while others simply exploded as their insides instantly boiled into a rapidly expanding bug broth steam.
All of the beetles had suffered some amount of damage in the opening salvo, many of them were incapacitated completely by having limbs blown off or, simply by being dead. Seven of the beetles fell into that last category.
“Gates, open! Fighters advance!”
Calvin noted the incredible discipline among the ranks. It wasn’t perfect. The fighters still fumbled through the gates, and the procession wasn’t as orderly as you might see in a movie, but they were working hard to incorporate lessons from their drilling.
Two barrier drones emerged from the gates, their metallic legs skittering across the ground. They looked like a four-legged mechanical bug about the size of Freya. On the top of their bodies, there was an array of sorts, glowing with the inscriptions of more complicated runic patterns. The drones clattered to positions on the battlefield and anchored themselves into the ground with a thump. In the blink of an eye, a wall made of pure nanite energy burst forth from the array, taking the form of a rectangular barrier measuring approximately 12 feet in width and matching the height of a soldier.
Taking up positions behind the barriers, the fighters tightened their grips on their weapons, preparing for the impending charge. The barriers trembled as the five remaining beetles forcefully smashed into them, their bodies visibly shaken by the relentless force of inertia. The impacts sent ripples through the barriers, causing them to flicker for a moment before returning to their initial vibrant state.
Soldiers struck madly at the beetles from behind the barrier. Their weapons had no issues passing through and Calvin suspected they were either a one-way barrier or could recognize friendlies. Seth needed to get more of these ready, stat.
With each swing of their weapons, limbs were violently severed, creating a gruesome scene as the soldiers fought to incapacitate the horrifying creatures. It was a practiced strategy, they would remove their limbs and assault the weak spots once they had a beetle pinned down. The results were extraordinary. The organized onslaught left no chance for the beetles, as they fell one after another, inflicting no harm on the soldiers. Calvin felt great about this. Even though this wave primarily consisted of lower-level creatures, it should have posed a significant challenge for the citizens of Olympus. He couldn’t help but notice the remarkable potential within the group.
They successfully dealt with the wave in just a few minutes. Again, the gates swung open and a crowd of individuals poured out, ready to help dismantle the creatures and collect their valuable parts. All kinds of useful things would be made in the town using the materials that were returned.
Calvin made his way over to Liam who was debriefing with a watchstander on the wall.
“Liam, nice work. I just left you an hour ago, I’m surprised to see so much progress.”
“Ah, well, we did spend the morning drilling these types of formations, it was mostly theory though. This was the first opportunity we’ve had to put it into practice.”
Liam appraised the group of soldiers, “It worked well, I saw some areas of improvement. This should be highly motivating for them, seeing what they can do as an organized group. The credits from the missive should help in that regard too.”
“Keep it up, also, make sure everyone gets a chance to stop by and grab some food. Tell the chef we’ll pay for it from the treasury.”
Over the next few hours, the next two waves came crashing in. The raptors, much like the beetles, were easily overcome. The whisperclaw panthers were a different story. They’d come in fast. Way faster than anything they’d faced before. The panthers’ elusive nature was clear in their nimble movements, making it difficult to keep track of them. As if connected by an invisible thread, they navigated through the foliage in perfect unison, their every step synchronized. Their fur, a deep ebony, blended seamlessly with the undergrowth thanks to streaks of shimmering green along their bodies. In the beginning, the panthers carefully investigated the walls, intermittently darting out to lure the archers into shooting at them before swiftly disappearing back into the undergrowth.
One panther had charged out from the forest’s edge and leaped the full 20 feet up to the top of the wall directly into the ranks of the archers. Fortunately, Marshall and Freya were already there and put down the intruder quickly.
The fight was a hot mess. Despite employing the same strategies as in the previous two battles, the defenders discovered these tactics proved ineffective against the panthers. The panthers effortlessly evaded the barriers without even breaking their stride, inflicting severe injuries on the fighters.
The last panther met its end at the hands of two injured swordsmen. Breaking formation, they rushed to the aid of their comrade, who was grimacing in pain from a vicious slash across his chest. The panther swiftly attacked, clawing a deep gash into one rescuer’s thigh before redirecting its attention to the other. They fought off the assault as they desperately worked to flank the panther on either side. Having established their footing, they exerted immense pressure on the panther, working in unison to ensure that the wildcat had no way to evade them. Their strikes against the creature were relentless, matching the ferocity of its slashing paws. Finally, with a powerful thrust, one of the swordsmen impaled his blade through the creature’s open maw, putting an abrupt end to the attack and granting everyone a moment of respite.