Every morning, as the sun rose over the horizon, Blake Thornwood set out into the Wilds with his monsters. The Monster Forge, his monster training upgrade facility, had been a monumental success so far, but it only augmented the real-world experience of daily training.
Blake did end up fusing his Flame Sword card with his Berserker Wolf, which replaced the massive twin-bladed ax with a huge flaming greatsword. The wolf became known as a Flaming Berserker Wolf.
Each day, Blake took his monsters to face different challenges and adversaries, pushing them to their limits and beyond. He continued to receive three work orders a day, two kill orders, and one duel order in the arena each night.
The first day Blake was on the lookout for black wings in the air, coming to kill him, but no attempts on his life were made.
Blake wondered whether Clay Atlas had rethought his attempt at killing him. He hadn’t made direct contact with Blake, but the fact that he was still being given work orders was reassuring.
He focused on training his monsters, harvesting as many power cards as he could, then using those to strengthen his existing monsters.
In the dense forests, the Stone Slasher Golem practiced carving through the massive trunks of trees with its blade arms. The Berserker Wolf honed its predatory instincts, stalking and ambushing prey, setting them on fire with its new flaming greatsword. The Pyrestalker sharpened its flaming claws and flashed its fiery mane, leaving a trail of scorched earth in its wake as it darted from enemy to enemy.
At the foot of a towering mountain, Blake and his monsters tackled steep cliffs and treacherous rock faces. The Scorch Dragon spread its mighty wings, soaring high above them all, bellowing a challenge to the skies. It blasted strange, winged stone creatures that roosted on the side of the mountain out of the air.
By a roaring river, Blake focused on the monsters’ teamwork, guiding them through coordinated assaults on their enemies. The Minotaur Warlord, now clad in armor, charged forward with its enormous hammer, creating openings for its teammates. The other monsters followed, exploiting the gaps in their adversaries’ defenses and striking with brutal precision.
Over time, the bond between Blake and his monsters grew stronger, their understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses deepening. They moved as a single, cohesive unit, each one complementing the others’ abilities, their power growing with each passing day.
He’d even taught his Stone Slasher Golem to ride on the backs of the Pyrestalker and the Scorch Dragon, so it could launch at enemies from the saddle.
Blake was content at the state of his fighting force, and he was happy to stay as a Rank 3 Challenger for now. The 8 anima limit per day wasn’t really much to worry about, because he always had some Lair Energy banked up he could convert into anima if he needed to.
He was more worried about leaving himself open to attack from Clay Atlas if he sent more assassins after him, but they never came.
During his excursions out of the city, Blake stopped by the resistance scout camp. The scouts glanced up from their tasks, their eyes widening in recognition as they noticed the young Monster Summoner in their midst.
Blake locked eyes with Sarah, the middle-aged woman who was part of the expedition he’d saved from the minotaur and went down into the water treatment plant with. She burst into a grin the moment she saw him, rushed over and threw her arms around Blake.
“Blake! I wondered where you’d gotten to. How are things in New Meridia?” she asked.
“Is there somewhere private we can talk?” he asked, and Sarah nodded.
She led him into a canvas tent and closed the flap behind them.
Upon entering the tent, the first thing one noticed was the soft, muted glow of lanterns hanging from the central support poles, casting a warm and inviting light throughout the space. The interior was spacious and well-organized, belying its humble appearance from the outside.
To the left of the entrance, a large wooden table dominated the space, strewn with maps, documents, and tactical plans. The table was surrounded by a handful of sturdy wooden chairs.
On the right side of the tent, an array of communication equipment was set up, including a makeshift radio station. A smaller table beside the equipment held various tools, spare parts, and a tangle of wires, for repairs and maintenance.
“So, tell me what’s been happening,” Sarah said as she took a seat.
“I think we’re just about ready to kick things off. My monsters are strong, I found a vulnerable entrance into the city that I think David should be able to cut his way into. He’ll probably need to do that before you all actually come to the city though, because he’s coming in with Randall as an expert, right?”
Sarah nodded. “That’s right. Do you need his flare beam power?”
“To the northeast of New Meridia you’ll find a grate that covers a sewage outflow pipe. I know, it sounds gross, and I’d highly recommend wearing protective clothing if you’ve got any, but there’s nobody down there. It’s not that difficult to get from the sewage plant to the water treatment plant, so Randall and David could come into the city with me, and the rest of your force could enter through the sewers and put your defensive perimeter in place. Then I’ll lead Randall and David down into the sewers, and the plan can kick off in earnest.”
“When do you envision us putting this plan into motion?”
Blake shrugged. “We can get things moving as soon as your people are ready.”
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“I’ll need to confer with Sam, talk this plan through with him, we might even need to scout out this sewer pipe grate you’ve told me about. Can you come back tomorrow? I’ll make sure Sam is here and we can go over everything together.”
“That’s fine. There is one thing that you should know, however. A few days ago Clay Atlas sent assassins out here to kill me.”
Sarah’s eyes flew wide, and her mouth opened as though she wanted to say something, but Blake continued.
“They obviously didn’t fulfill their mission. But I don’t know what Clay will do if he suspects me of odd behavior in the city. I would like to accompany David and Randall back to make sure they can get where they need to go without Clay taking them into custody himself.”
“I’m pretty sure Sam would be agreeable to that. But come back tomorrow, and we’ll talk about things in greater depth.”
“I need to speak with Samuel Jackson,” he said. “Arrange a rendezvous for tomorrow.”
The following day, as the sun began its slow ascent into the sky, the rendezvous with Samuel Jackson took place.
The resistance leader arrived with a small group of his most trusted men, their faces grim with determination and purpose.
Blake greeted Samuel with a firm handshake, his eyes meeting the older man’s.
“We have a plan to get you and your men into New Meridia,” he said. “The city’s sewerage system provides a hidden route into the heart of the city. It’s risky, but it’s our best chance.”
Samuel nodded, his expression thoughtful. “Yes, Sarah has given me the gist of the plan, and we’ve sent our own scouts to confirm what you’ve said,” he replied. “We’re prepared to take the risk. The people of New Meridia need us, and we won’t let them down.”
Together, Blake, Samuel, and the resistance members began to make preparations for their infiltration of New Meridia. Weapons were checked. Decks were organized. A quiet anticipation thickened as the cold morning warmed up.
When the time came to spring their plan, Blake, Randall, and David approached the gates of New Meridia, their hearts pounding with trepidation. David had already prepared the entrance for the rest of the resistance using his Flare Beam card, and they were already making their way into the city.
Blake took a deep breath, steadying his nerves as he prepared to put their plan into action.
As they neared the gates, a group of guards dressed in the uniform of New Meridia’s security force approached them, their expressions stern and their weapons at the ready. The leader of the guards, a tall, broad-shouldered man with a neatly-trimmed beard, stepped forward and addressed the trio.
“Halt! I know you, Blake Thornwood, but who are your two companions? They look like wildlanders. State your names and your business in New Meridia,” he barked, his gaze scanning the group.
Blake swallowed, maintaining eye contact with the guard as he replied, “Randall Jackson and David Millwater. They are here with parts that Clay Atlas desperately needs. They were a part of a lost expedition that was sent to repair the water treatment plant down south, and I rescued them. We’ve managed to recover all the necessary parts to fix the New Meridia water treatment plant, and we’re here to deliver them.”
The guard raised an eyebrow skeptically. “A lost expedition, you say?”
Blake nodded. “Check my quests from the City Hub. It’s taken me almost a week, but they’re here now.”
“We needed a day to rest, recover, and let our families know that we were alive,” Randall said. “I hope the delay hasn’t caused any difficulties in the city. Is your water still running okay?”
One guard sniffed. “It has been tasting a little funny for the past couple of days.”
David stepped forward, brushing his curly hair out of his eyes. “I’m David, and I know how to repair your water treatment facility. Blake tells us that he was on sewer duty a few weeks back, and he can take us there. No need for any of you to leave your post and go down into the smelly sewers.”
“Yeah that sounds good to me,” the head guard said. “Blake, you all good to accompany these two?”
“Definitely. I’ll send word up to Clay when the repairs are done.”
“All right, go on through,” the guard said, and ushered Blake and his companions into the city.
Relief washed over Blake and his companions as they were led through the gates of New Meridia.
Step one of their plan had succeeded.
Now the real work was about to start.
Blake, Randall, and David made their way through the streets of New Meridia. David seemed to marvel at the grandeur of the city within, asking a million questions about everything as they walked along.
On the flip side, Randall grew even more stoic in the face of the hustle and bustle of this city. He was clearly uncomfortable, and Blake got the impression that he wanted to be off the streets as soon as possible.
Soon enough they neared the entrance to the city’s sewer system. As they entered the narrow, dank tunnel, the stench of the sewers hit them like a wave.
They pulled makeshift masks over their faces, but the air remained thick and oppressive. With only the faint glow of their flashlights to guide them, they pressed on through the murky darkness.
After a short while, they reached a junction where several tunnels converged. There, waiting for them, were the other members of the resistance – a motley crew of battle-hardened fighters and stealthy scouts, all united by their common goal of bringing down Clay Atlas.
Sarah was leading the group.
“Blake, Randall, David. Good to see you’ve made it,” Sarah said, her voice barely above a whisper. “We’ve been monitoring the situation from down here. The water treatment plant isn’t heavily guarded, and we should be able to take it without much problem. If we move quickly and quietly, we can slip past the guards and take control of the facility.”
Blake nodded. “Where’s Sam?”
“He couldn’t follow us in here, and if we fall, we can’t have the head of the resistance cut off. He’s back at our camp, safe.”
“Understood. Once we finish this, you can send word for him,” Blake said.
They set off through the twisting labyrinth of tunnels, with the resistance following Blake as he led them toward the water treatment plant. Every footstep echoed softly through the darkness, the tension mounting as they neared their destination.
Finally, they reached the entrance to the water treatment plant, hidden behind a rusty grate. One of the resistance fighters used a Stone Fists card to enhance his strength and pull the grate from its mountings.
With the rusty grate removed, they entered the water treatment plant.
It was a sprawling facility filled with enormous pipes, valves, and machinery responsible for the flow of water throughout New Meridia. The hum of pumps and the sound of rushing water filled the vast space, making it difficult to hear anything else.
Blake scanned the area, spotting several guards patrolling the plant.
He turned to the resistance leader, whispering, “We need to take out the guards, quietly.”
Sarah nodded to her team.
They moved like shadows, silent and swift, taking out the guards one by one.
Blake was impressed that the resistance fighters didn’t kill a single one of the guards and captured them all as they went.
As the last guard was captured and taken into custody, the resistance fighters turned to David and sought advice on what to do next.
“See that building over there, where the pipes converge?” David asked. “Let’s go in there and bring the parts we’ve brought with us! Let’s cause some mayhem.”
“Are you all good now?” Blake asked.
The time had come for him to kick off his part of the plan, and it was the most dangerous part yet. He needed to return to the surface and make the most of this distraction.
David nodded. “We’ve got this from here. Like you said, we’ll disrupt the water supply to the city. We’ll do it in a way that can be easily reversed, and we’ll protect our position here until you can take care of Clay Atlas.”
Blake nodded. “I’ll do my best. I’m heading topside again. It’s time to take New Meridia away from Clay Atlas.”