Loch looked at the people gathered at the bottom of the steps. He was on the steps, facing them. There were guards along the wall, people working the fields past the road, more people to the side in the old parking lot building barracks. They were all too busy to pay attention to Loch and the people all looking up at him.

Which was fine with him. He didn’t like all the pomp and circumstance around his movements. At least what amounted to pomp and circumstance with the growing Clan. It wasn’t much, just the people watching him at all times, nervous by his presence, when there was so much to be doing. This is what he wanted, the Clan doing what they needed to do and letting him do what he needed to do.

It was a large group gathered before Loch. Three teams of scavengers, each consisting of four people. All were Classed, a variety of Combat and Scavenging Classes. There were three of the adventuring teams.

Davis with his newly formed team was there, along with Bobby McKay, the archer he and Harper had worked with before. Randy Sager had decided to join his team. He was in his mid-thirties and that made him the oldest of the group. Kim Hudson, the Clan’s only true caster Class, and one of the healers. Emily Fitz with the Uncommon Class of Caretaker had gotten to Level Seven because of the gaunt’s attack. She’d done a lot of healing during and after the fighting. She filled out the party. Davis had tried to form a group with Harper, but her higher Level would mean hindering the party’s progress. Like most of the groups in the Clan, there was a wide range of Levels which messed with the experience gains. Someone of Harper’s much higher Level, nearly double that of Davis and Randy, the two highest in that party, would have made them receive next to nothing. It would stunt their growth.

The whole point of this expedition in Loch’s mind was to Level the parties and finally check out some items on his checklists. Harper messing with the Spirit Experience gains was counter to that goal. Both Harper and Davis were disappointed, they’d been looking forward to spending some time together. Loch liked Davis, but he was glad it hadn’t worked out the way the teens wanted.

The Connection had changed the typical teenage life. Nothing would ever be the same, but Loch was still the father of a teenage daughter and some things would never change. Game rules governing the world, Divine Beings existing, monsters everywhere, a father was still going to be a father.

Which had led to an awkward conversation, one Loch had had before, with Davis’ father earlier. Peter Millman was still only Level Four. His encounter with the XXX Phoenix had made him very reluctant to fight and Level. He didn’t have any prior crafting skills and was currently helping build the various structures around the Clanhold. Like Loch, he didn’t like the idea of his child fighting monsters all the time. Unlike Loch, he was still resistant. Loch had realized that both Harper and Piper needed to Level to survive this new world. Because of the circumstances when the Connection had arrived, they’d fought in the Dungeon and both had gotten combat Classes. No safe Crafting Classes for them. That meant to Level they had to fight. Loch hated it, but he forced himself to accept it. Peter hadn’t gotten that realization yet.

He hated Davis going out and fighting. He had tried to deny it, but knew it was hopeless when Davis himself had angrily told his father to back off. The two had a heated exchange, one Loch had hoped never to see. It had ended with Peter stalking off, one last glare at Loch as if it was his fault. Loch had a feeling that wasn’t the last time he’d be having the same argument with Peter.

Drew was there with some of the survivors, Loch still hated calling anyone refugees, that he’d brought with him from the Strafford camp. These were people he’d fought with. They were not even close to his Level, and he’d hinder their growth, but it was his choice. Loch didn’t try arguing with him, they both knew it wasn’t the smartest. After Loch and Harper, Drew was the highest Level in the Clan.

And Loch knew he was a little hypocritical with his arguing. His own party was mixed Levels. He’d tried to get them to join other groups or form their own but Brian, Jenny and Julia weren’t budging. Adding in Elora Seedspear and that really messed with the Levels. It wasn’t even a balanced party, something else he had argued with Davis Millman about. The addition of Piper meant his party was even more unbalanced.

But unlike the other groups, his wasn’t going out to specifically Level.

Looking over the assembled people, Loch wondered if he was making the right decision to not include Roger’s party. They had to be punished for putting the Clan in danger for their own gains, but the expedition could have used them and they could have used the experience. It wasn’t just hurting that group but the Clan as a whole. He sighed. It was the right decision.

And taking the Dungeon spot away from Roger’s party allowed another party to enter. There were a couple in the Clan that could have benefitted, some of the guards that ran the Dungeon for experience, but Ed Turner had argued for another group.

In two days, Josh Hauser would be running the Painted Caves Dungeon with some of his people from the Pittsfield Camp. Loch didn’t like giving the spot to newcomers but Ed had been right. It helped cement Josh and the others as truly part of Clan Brady. It showed that there was no favoritism and the Clan would make decisions based on what was best for the Clan and its people. Politically it was the right move.

Loch hated politics.

“It’ll take us at least two days to get to the target area,” Loch said, even though everyone involved already knew. Loch had talked over the plans with each of the party leaders, with Randy along with Davis, over the last couple of days. It had taken that long to get everything organized and set up plans for the Clanhold with Ed and Kristin. “It could be more depending on the planet’s expansion and anything else we run into.”

It had been a while since anyone had come to the Clanhold from as far east as the 43/202 intersection. Drew’s group had turned away before hitting the intersection, having come down the powerlines. It was from them that Loch was getting the estimation, but who knows how the land had shifted south of the powerlines. And there were a couple of possible spawn fields along the road and other areas of interest. The trip could end up taking far longer.

“Elora and Harper, you have the lead. Davis take point.”

The two, Elf and teen girl, separated from the crowd, running ahead. Davis followed, letting them get a good twenty or so feet before him. The rest of the group followed, spreading out in a small line, planning at being two or three side by side. Brian and Drew would take up the rear with others spread out along the sides. It was a strong group, even the scavengers, with no need to put anyone in the middle to protect but it was the logical place to put the archers, casters and healers. They’d alternate positioning in the rear and sides, except for the three in the lead. They all had Classes and Skills made for being scouts. Loch hoped that the sheer amount of people would prevent any monsters from attacking.

But this was now a Connected world, chances of that happening were slim.

***

Loch stood in the rear with some of the other higher Leveled, all of whom looked bored and annoyed at being made to stay back. Even Harper, holding the handles of her tonfa tight, her body poised to rush forward, grumbled. Silently, making sure he couldn’t hear.

He couldn’t blame them. Loch wanted to be out there, swinging with Onyx, busting skulls and earning experience. But the enemy was only mid-Level, not a challenge for any that he held back. But they were good experience for most of the group.

The pack of Mutated Coyotes were Levels Eight to Ten, perfect for most of the group to get valuable experience from. There were over three dozen of the Coyotes, which seemed pretty odd to Loch.

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The whole pack had charged out from the woods where the old chinese restaurant had been, across from the Meadows parking lot. There had been no warning, just the weird yipping calls of the Coyotes as they attacked. The beasts were larger than the ones that used to attack the original camp at the churches. These were easily four feet tall. Still lean and long, but heavier due to size. They were faster as well.

And smarter.

The pack had waited until the two scouts had gone by. Elora was on that side and had detected nothing, which hinted at some kind of ability. Loch’s Evaluate had just called them out as Mutated Coyotes.

They may have been smart enough to wait for the scouts, but hadn’t been smart enough to launch the ambush silently. They’d still been over a hundred feet away when started their howling and yipping. Loch hadn’t even needed to give a command before the Archers and Kim Hudson had started releasing arrows and spells.

Only a handful of Coyotes were killed, a couple wounded. They were just too fast and agile, constantly leaping and swerving, for the ranged to accurately target. Loch had called an end to the firing, wanting to conserve arrows and Spirit. He’d then called out for the higher Levels to hang back, forming a defensive wall, with some attention to the south and the Meadows for possible more ambushes. The ones chosen to attack had rushed forward to meet the Coyotes and the battle had been on.

Loch watched the battle, focusing on each of the fights for a bit before looking at another. He was no expert fighter, mostly just brute forcing his way through battles, but he was getting better. Even at his skill level, Loch could tell which of the people fighting needed more training, which were natural fighters and which were going to be in danger of dying to a mistake they’d make.

Luckily there were only one or two of the last.

Loch hated giving the Connected System any credit, but it did it’s Connected good by giving them innate knowledge of how to use their Abilities and fighting Skills when they gained them. It was just the basics and the muscle memory needed to know how to swing a sword, where to set their feet, and how to move. The only way to truly grow and improve was to actually fight and learn through doing, but the System at least started them off with enough knowledge that they wouldn’t die in their first fight.

Hopefully.

Afterall, the System needed the Connected to Advance and generate Spirit through their actions so the System itself could feed and grow off the Spirit. It didn’t need all the Connected, it got more from people like Loch that were higher Leveled, so the knowledge granted was just enough. Like anything, the Connected System wanted them to Strive for more, to never stop Advancing.

The fighting had only been going on for about five minutes and most of the Coyotes were dead. No deaths on his side. A couple were wounded, but the healers had gotten them back to full Health quickly. Standing next to him, Loch could tell from Elora’s body language that she was angry. Not at him or anyone else, just at herself. More than the others, she wanted to be out there killing Coyotes. Her agitation was noticeable.

“What’s wrong,” Loch asked, looking down at her.

It took her a couple long seconds to respond. Her body stiffened, realizing he had noticed her unease. Hands gripped her sword handle tighter, eyes closed as she worked to steady herself. Finally she let out the breath she’d been holding.

“I am sorry,” she started, not looking at him, not fully relaxing. “This is my fault.”

“How?”

“I did not detect these creatures. I should have.”

“Not your fault,” Loch replied and meant it. “No way this many could have been hiding in the woods without you seeing them. There has to be something else involved.”

“That thought had occurred to me. But I still failed.”

Loch sighed. The elf was rigid in her dealings with him. He had yet to figure out if it was just her or part of her culture. She wanted to prove herself to him and anything that failed in that, hit her harder. Loch wasn’t sure how to handle her, which made their interactions a little awkward.

“I don’t agree but if you think you failed, go and fix it,” he said, hoping this was the best way.

She looked up at him and then at the Coyotes. There were only a handful left, the remaining being double or triple teamed now. The fighting would be over in seconds. Loch understood her confused look.

“No, go into the woods and find out how they could have been hidden. Take Harper with you.”

Elora nodded, shifting her gear and running off. She didn’t wait for Harper, expecting the teen to follow her. Harper gave an exasperated sigh and exaggerated roll of her eyes to her father before chasing after the elf.

Loch sighed, turning his attention back to the fighting in time to see the last Coyote fall.

The healers were going through the fighters, casting their spells and bringing everyone to full strength. The scavengers, and the people with harvesting Abilities, got to work. Coyote meat was stringy, but the Clan needed meat badly and couldn’t afford to be picky. It was good when in jerky form and that’s probably how the cooks would make it. The leather was being stockpiled. It wasn’t useful yet, the Clan didn’t have a leatherworker and no recipes to use the leather with. But once they had both, there was enough at the Clanhold, and the amount that would be added from just this fight, to produce a good number of leather armor sets.

Armor was something they really needed. Aside from Loch, the only other ones with any actual armor pieces were Roger Lewis, Elora and Harper. The elf had a full set from her old Clan, the Silver Bark. It was decent armor, though she stressed that it was low for what the Clan could produce. Everyone else in Clan Brady was making do with hockey and baseball pads, bike pads and anything else they could scavenge that gave the least bit of protection. There were a couple of people that had a single piece of armor that they’d gotten as rewards from the dungeons.

The gaunts had armor, and that had been looted from the many dead. The pieces that hadn’t been ruined in the fighting. But they had found that none of it fit the survivors properly. The gaunts had been thin and their armor designed to protect the monster’s weak spots. It wasn’t made for humans. All of it was stockpiled with the leather, just waiting for someone to start crafting with it.

Piper had been with the fighters, a couple assigned to protect her even though as a caster she’d been in the rear of the lines. Now she was in the middle, moving from person to person, letting them put the looted leather, bones, meat, claws and anything else useful into her Spatial Bag. The magical bag of holding, as Loch liked to think of it, could hold a ton of stuff inside the extra-dimensional space. They’d emptied it before leaving, knowing it would get full from the expedition. The scavengers all had large backpacks, wagons and trailers to haul everything they found back to the Clanhold, but this early and not even that far from the Clanhold, Loch didn’t want them to get weighed down or use up their precious space.

They needed a lot more Spatial Bags and hopefully the expedition would result in a couple new ones for the Clan. Loch’s biggest worry was about who would get them. The bags were soulbound, meaning only that person had full access. Family, like Loch and Harper, had more access to Piper’s bag then others but even they couldn’t fully utilize it.

Loch knew how important more bags would be and it was vital that the right people got them. That had been another reason he hadn’t wanted Roger along on the expedition. He didn’t trust the man and didn’t want him getting a Spatial Bag.

“What did you think,” he asked Brian as the large man walked over to him.

Brian was large in every sense. Bulky, muscular, tall. He had an imposing presence. That he rarely talked didn’t help make him any less imposing. Neither did the tree trunk of a club that he used. The man had served in the Army, much like Loch, and the two had instantly bonded. The big man shrugged, club resting against his shoulder. There were deep stains in the wood, dark spots of blood.

“Did okay,” he replied. “There’s a couple that will be decent fighters. Drew’s people are good.”

A couple feet away, Drew glanced at them, looking a little proud. He’d stayed behind and had chaffed at it as much as Loch and others had. It was hard to see friends fight for their lives and not help. For Loch, and an extent Drew who felt responsible for the people he’d brought to the Clan, it was harder because of the responsibility they felt. Sending people off to get hurt was not an easy decision, even if it made logical sense to do so. Loch would have decimated the Coyotes, he was Level Twenty-Five and as far as he knew the only one that Level on Earth. His Level, and overall power thanks to the many Achievements he had, would have easily and quickly overpowered the monsters. But then the rest of the expedition wouldn’t have gained anything.

“We’ll compare notes tonight,” Loch said, turning to include Drew in the conversation. “Come up with some training exercises. May not have many days before get to the intersection, but can get the most use of the time we have.”