Chapter 47- Class 7 Monster Horde Part 1
----------------------------------------
They exited the car and immediately people stared at the misted faces. The group moved down the alley and into the huge group of people standing around. There wasn’t much Unwanted- many of them were already on the wall.
The wall spanned across the whole of the edge of New London, up until the cliff edge either side and spanning a thin area across the docks. It was 20 metres thick and each section could hold thousands of people. In this case, there were soldiers and adventurers manning most of it.
Down below the wall there were probably 10 thousand people scattered about, waiting to receive orders.
A guard captain and guild master stood on a van and were yelling orders.
“We need 400 more to the eastern gate!”
“All Unwanted on the walls! Get your orders there!”
“All 25s and above will be outside the walls!”
The group moved through swords and shields as they made their way to the stairs. They garnered many looks, most of them towards Elora and Kara who stood out among the crowd by their beauty.
Little Ozark was finding it tough to make it through the crowd but her pointy elbows managed. Tower just walked through people too rude to step aside. They made their way to the top of the wall where they saw Mercy talking to the vice guild master.
“Mercy!” Tower said.
“You’re late,” Mercy stated.
“Sorry, Sir.”
“Did you bring… Elora Evergrand and Kara Field. That makes up for it then,” Mercy stated.
“I’m here too!” Ozark squealed above the shouts.
Mercy just nodded. “Put your ear pieces in. You’ll be working as a team down there. Sharp and Spike stay up top with Lady Elora and Lady Kara. Mute, Immortal and Tower will be down below. As you know, Class 7 will spawn a continent boss, which we haven’t had in a decade. We are expecting ghouls, goblins, orcs, seven different types of wolves, grey skinned trolls, ogres, boggers, snatchers, winged lizards, and a range of golems.”
“The boss, Sir?” Tower asked.
“Undetermined, we haven’t seen any sightings so far. Sharp, you’re gonna stay close to me and feed me input from the horde. We need your eyes in the sky, drones will just be shot down by the boggers otherwise.”
“And me… Sir?” Ozark asked cutely.
“Do you have any weapons?” Mercy asked the little insect girl.
She pulled out a wrench. “I have a project in my pouch too.”
Mercy sighed, “You’re not helping your already impending problem Ozark.”
Ozark looked down to the floor, “I want to fight. If I don’t fit your criteria then I will hand in my resignation tomorrow.”
Everyone turned to look at her.
“I’m serious!” she shouted.
“Very well,” Mercy said. “Disappoint me and you will be removed from the organisation. Understood?”
“Yes, Sir!” Ozark squealed.
“Get down there guys. It’s gonna be a tough one, we only have half of what we usually have in class 6.”
“Yes, Sir!” the group shouted apart from the two mages.
Tower began handing out ear pieces to everyone. Sol began to take his top off as he handed Sharp his storage pouch.
“Mine too, Sharp,” Tower said.
Sol stretched with both daggers in his hands. It was time for a fight.
“You guys know the drill. Three sets of explosions 200m, 350m and 500m away from the wall. They’ll announce it 10 seconds before each one is set. The wall of fodder- us, down below will stretch 100m wide all around New London. Mages and ranged weapons will be fired always 100m from the frontline of fodder. We will also have constant air support from the-”
A loud buzzing went over their heads as roughly 50 hovercrafts lined themselves up above the wall.
“I’ve just sent out war party invites to you all,” Tower said. “Ozark, you’re gonna stay up here. What’s that special project you’ve been working on?” he asked her, he felt as if he had been harsh earlier.
“It’s a secret. I can control it from up here.”
Tower paused for a moment then nodded his confusions away.
“Let’s go, can everyone hear me on the earpiece?”
“Roger!” the group said.
Sol took one last look at Elora then he jumped off the edge with Mute and Tower. He couldn’t help but feel worried for her. She smiled back at him but after he disappeared beneath the wall.
“You looove him,” Kara teased.
“I do not!” Elora rejected.
“It’s ok, I get it. Deflection is just ignorance,” Kara teased again.
Elora rolled her eyes.
“Elora, I’m speaking to you on a private channel now. I appreciate you two coming along. Will Kara be alright with this?” Tower asked.
“She has not done things like this before. It will be good for her to get a taste of real combat.”
“Her powers? I heard she’s a space-time mage.” Tower said.
“She’s a void mage in the pure form, best I’ve ever seen.” Elora replied.
“I’ll hold you to that,” Tower said.
Sol, Tower and Mute headed to the frontline of fodder. Some of them looked scared- most of them would die. They were average adventurers just caught at the wrong time and forced to fight. Most people just ran from monster hordes, you were far more likely to survive that way. They arrived at the frontline where they saw a few more Unwanted who looked bloodthirsty.
“Ahaha! We got the Immortal!” one shouted.
“Lucky bastards!” another bellowed further down the frontline.
“The Immortal fights by our side!”
“That’s not a good thing,” Tower muttered under his breath.
“Let me enjoy the limelight,” Sol said. “You know Mute’s got a fanpage now?”
“Do I have one?” Tower asked with haste.
Sol smiled and shook his head, “Thought you didn’t care about social media.”
Tower rolled his eyes, “Mind yourself, sometimes my swings can get a bit wild.”
“Hey, I was just saying,” Sol pleaded.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
A message popped up in everyone’s vision.
Gaia Event: Monster Horde
City: New London
Class: 7
All experience will be doubled until the monster horde has failed its objective or the city falls.
All rarity of loot will be increased.
Those who contribute will be given rewards based on your contribution.
The entities that die in the monster horde will not be lootable. Defenders included.
Time remaining: 59:58
“I always hate seeing that fucking message. Too many people have died after reading it,” Tower said as he spat on the floor.
“I wish I was back in Bandits Cove,” Sol remarked.
“You lived in Bandits Cove?” Tower questioned.
Sol nodded. “See, I can open up.”
The group down below started to chatter with the others above. It was helpful to calm everyone's nerves. Monster hordes were very scary and dangerous. Millions of people around Gaia died of them every year.
They waited patiently until the timer was at 10 minutes. A loudspeaker turned on and grabbed everyone's attention.
“This is King Reginald Kraos,” The man said and paused for a moment.
“This monster horde was unexpected. It will be strong and it will come fast.”
“But we are no ordinary city, nor country”
“We are Kraos born, pride runs through our veins. We live in New London, the leading city of this world's economy and a force to be reckoned with.”
“So hold your spears high and your heads higher. Because today this city will not fall to those creatures of the dark. Today we stand strong and lock our shields.”
“Yesterday you were commonfolk, today you are warriors- you are born to fight. You are born to slay the creatures of the dark and protect those who cannot fight for themselves.”
“Brothers and sisters! Do we want to fight?! Do we want to crush our enemies back down to where they came from!”
“So fight! Tear their hearts from their chests! Rip into them with your bare teeth!”
“Embrace the Kraos blood flowing through your veins!”
“Today you reach Valhalla and the pleasures of Asgard!”
The whole wall erupted into a massive cheer.
“Now that’s a speech,” Sol mused. “You should have brought a notepad.”
Tower tuted. “I’m working on it. Actually, I wish the king would fight with us.”
“Times change Tower. He’s not a fighter anymore, he’s a diplomat.”
“Yeah, tell that to the south. They’ve been fighting medieval style for the past 2 decades, they’ll never change.”
The ground started to rumble beneath their feet; the horde was approaching.
“Mercy was correct with the monster types, most of the frontline will be easy picking for you guys,” Sharp said through the ear piece.
“You see the boss?” Tower asked.
“Negative, I’m predicting it’s incredibly smart. As soon as the boss is spotted they send out the most powerful to face it. Perhaps it’s waiting for the high pressure moment of the back line surge.” Sharp said.
The ground began to shake more and the sound of a charging horde came into earshot. Sol could feel everyone’s heartbeat thumping. He had fought many like these before, it was always the starting moment or the charge from the opposite force that even he feared, be it men or monster- it was always the same. The feeling of overwhelming death just lurking in front of him. It’s what kept him alive, to be in the fray of murderous glory and his skin stained with crimson blood.
A red aura shimmered down New London and others like it appeared.
You have received the buff Heart of the King.
King Reginald Kraos of Kraos has buffed those who fight on his side.
+15% Increase to HP/S
+1 Charisma
+1 Endurance
You have received the buff Spellsword’s Vanity.
+5% Increase to HP/S
+5% Increase to MP/S
+5% Increase to SP/S
You have received the buff Raven’s Eye
+2 Perception
+1 Dexterity
Spike strung his guitar and the sounds echoed over the soon-to-be battlefield. Sol turned to see Spike spray and an ungodly amount of hairspray on his pink mohawk and started to sing with the heavy guitar chorus.
He was sat atop the roof of a guard tower with another 3 adventurers all with musical instruments in their hands. Whenever Spike sang, it was an oxymoron to how he acted. His voice was beautiful, not even a recording or edit could match the smoothness and tone.
You have received a buff from the song Whole Lotta Love by Led Zeppelin.
+5 Constitution
+3 Strength
+3 Endurance
Expert Bard gives +13% Bonus to all stats given.
Bard of the Black Sea title gives +25% Bonus to all stats given.
“I really hate that bastard, but-”
“That bastard can sing,” Tower finished. “Tell me about it.”
“Ranged and Artillery! Prepare to fire!” The guard captain shouted.
“Hold!”
The sounds of the horde started to become deafening, snarls and screams were now in earshot. Sol tightened the grip on his two daggers. Even if he was immortal, he was always nervous.
“Hold!”
“Fire!”
Sol’s ears rang as thousands of magical projectiles were shot into the air along with twice the amount of arrows. The attack hit 20m into the horde, only stragglers emerged from the dust and rubble. The front line held strong as a bunch of injured goblins and orcs rushed them, only to be slaughtered swiftly. This was the tactic all cities and countries adopted, it was efficient and organised.
“Fire!” The guard captain shouted again and decimated tens of thousands of monsters in an instant.
A small goblin came charging towards Tower. It wore a loincloth across its waist and was clutching onto a broken dagger. The enormous man grabbed its head with his palm and crushed its skull. The grip on its dagger loosened and the goblin went limp. Tower chucked the goblin out of his way. The adventurers looked terrified but the Unwanted smiled. It was the brutality that most of them liked.
“Fire!”
Another wave of destruction crashed down on the battlefield.
“I cannot see the end of the horde,” Sharp said through the earpiece.
“What?” Tower questioned.
“They still haven’t came out from Growtz Forest.”
“That’s 7 miles away!” Tower stated as he backhanded a winged lizard.
“Exactly, estimates of roughly half a million but I suggest close to 700,000 now,” Sharp replied. “The number we received was more than an underestimation.”
“And how much are we down?” Sol asked.
“50,000 already. I project we will be able to take care of 300,000 before they start to trigger the explosives.”
“Shit,” Tower said, “We won’t have enough for 400,000.”
“Fire!”
“I’ve already made Mercy aware, we can only prepare,” Sharp explained.
Ten large planes soared over the sky above them and dropped bombs onto the horde.
“100,000 now,” Sharp said.
“Fire.”
“Switch! Take a potion!” The guard captain shouted.
Alternating to recover mana and stamina was an important part of monster hordes. It wasn’t a 100m race but rather a test of endurance. Sol saw Elora’s blue flames soar over him and disintegrate hundreds of monsters.
“Fire!”
It seemed to go on endlessly. The craters left by the explosions were filled with dead monsters. Their own kind just crawled over as they hunted for the feast in front of them.
“200,000 down now.” Sharp said.
“Fire!” Switch!”
“Fire!”
“Fire!”
“Fire!”
The ranged on the wall were starting to look tired, their mana and stamina were in the red.
“Hold all!” The guard captain shouted.
Everyone on the wall halted their actions and waited for the signal. The monster horde began to approach at an alarming rate, they were no longer held back by the synchronized attack.
“Initiate 650!”
A few seconds later the 650m explosion went off in spectacular fashion. They were far more powerful and deafening than the artillery and magic before. Monsters began to emerge from the black smoke with a crazed look in their eyes. They all sprinted forwards, growling and snarling.
“Initiate 500m!”
A second explosion went off.
“Initiate 300m!”
The final rigged explosion went off and silence filled the battlefield.
“Brothers and sisters! Do not hesitate! The horde approaches! Stand your ground!”
The frontline fodder roared in motivation.
Tower gave Sol and Mute a final nod.
“Fire at will!” The guard captain shouted and a flurry of magic fired once again into the horde.
Sol charged forward, past the frontline of shields and into the incoming monster horde. He kicked a blogger in the air while slashing at it. They were small monsters, large mouthed frog types that could spit acid vomit. He grabbed its body and threw it into the horde. He moved with purpose, every slash with his daggers crippling or killing an enemy. He heard the sounds of flesh hitting shields and the real fight had just begun.
Sol saw Mute from the corner of his eye cause a wake of black blood. She hopped from monster to monster like they were branches, offering a devastating blow each time.
He felt his ribs break as a rock golem slammed its fist into his side. Rock golems were tall and their armour almost impenetrable. They were a counter matchup for Sol. He managed to stay on his feet and take out a small goblin as he backed away.
“Tower!” Sol shouted.
“On it!”
Tower came charging forward like a football player, picking up multiple monsters at once and charging straight for the golem. The powerful force sent the golem back into more creatures of the dark.
The giant man didn’t hesitate and leapt while clutching his club with two hands above his head. He slammed it down into the head of the golem and the shockwave decimated nearby enemies- splintered with jagged stone.
Two mana arrows perfectly blinded a huge orc and Sol went straight for its throat. He landed down on top of the orc- sliced its throat and leapt into the fray once again.