Chapter 121 – Floor 11: Part 5
Rehn experienced an overwhelming feeling of fear as the first of the Anti-Life creatures crested the horizon.
Mathew and she were sheltered under a massive overhanging root from the still-growing World Tree. The remnants of the Players from the Stalwart Wayfarer were still retreating from the wreckage of the ship, or coming to the mountain in dribs and drabs from wherever they had landed in the crash.
From their vantage point, Rehn could see hundreds of thousands of creatures approaching. Disgusting, misshapen and wrong, they were perversions of life. Worse, she could faintly sense their thoughts, more of an echo than an actual connection between them.
She had expected the anti-life to be filled with anger and rage, along with a will to devour everything in their path. Instead, they were cold and passionless. She shivered in fear and cut the connection, blocking the Anti-Life out of her mind and she refused to ever touch them again.
On the human side, Rehn estimated that less than half of the millions who had been on board the Stalwart Wayfarer were on the mountain. Normally, with the numbers in their favour, Rehn would be confident of the Player's chances in the coming battle.
But, they were leaderless and divided, clumped together into separate silos and groups. The Anti-Life would keep coming, while the humans would need to survive for 48 hours until reinforcements.
“We’re not going to make it.” Rehn whispered, her hands tightening against a rocky outcrop that shielded her from the scorching hot wind of this hostile world. She was exhausted and parched, and the hopelessness she felt was sweeping over her like a tide, downing her in the depths of despair.
“We’ll make it.” Mathew said confidently. He was busy buying potions, elixirs from the store, and a belt to hold them. Mathew spent all of the bonus Aether he had just received on potions in red, green and blue.
He had wanted to save some Aether for Blessings or equipment but decided to hold nothing back after seeing the horde approaching.
“Have you seen how many there are out there!? There’s nothing between them and us but a few rocks and a tree root! We should make for the peak and hope that we can avoid them until reinforcements arrive.” Rehn suggested.
“Retreat, and we’ll die. Same as if we try to hide on the peak and hope someone comes to bail us out of this mess. We need to stand our ground and believe that once the other Players see us holding, they’ll do the same.” Mathew said as he placed more potions in his belt and pockets.
“How do you know that? It isn’t as if you’ve faced anything like this before!” Rehn argued, and Mathew paused what he was doing to look at her. His expression was ice cold and as hard as the rock beneath their feet.
“I have, on the Seventh Floor. But at least here, we have the numbers to make a difference and defensible terrain to put our backs against. Try fighting on a field of ash against Fiends that outnumber you three to one, and you’ll see that this situation isn’t that bad.” Mathew stated before turning back to his placement of potions.
“Small mercy that we won’t have to worry about people turning against us.” Mathew muttered softly, thinking of Samuel and the others who had joined the enemy. He made a last adjustment to his belt, tightening it slightly and tucking it under his jacket so that it had some cushioning.
“Look, just stay there and watch my back. But don’t get too close to me; I want to have room to move.” Mathew ordered, walking away from the tree root and rock overhang that sheltered Rehn. Mathew took his position in the center of the small path, between two large boulders of obsidian that the World Tree’s growth had dislodged.
“Alright, let’s keep it small and efficient. I’m going to need to hold the change for awhile.” Mathew whispered to himself, focusing on his hands first.
“Alter Self.”
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His hands began to shift, darkening in colour until they were grey and covered in a layer of protective scales. His fingers lengthened, and his nails grew longer. Mathew added a ridge of hardened bone across his knuckles to finish the transformation.
From where Rehn stood, she felt a trickle of mana from Mathew as the Blessing took effect.
Letting out a deep breath, Mathew assessed his handiwork and nodded. He could hold the transformation for hours, but he couldn’t help feeling a pang of regret at this new Discipline. He preferred fighting at a distance, using the terrain and setting up traps to thin enemy numbers before hurling weapons with ‘Catapult.’
But Alter Self and Earthbind were the only two Blessings he had now, and both relied on him getting close to his opponent. Mathew noted that if he survived the next few hours, he would purchase some better Blessings from the Shop.
Mathew was interrupted from his thoughts about the future by a terrible roar that split the air. He felt the ground shake and rumble, and he knew that the Anti-Life creatures were near. He could feel them through the ‘Buzz,’ like an irritating headache that was quickly becoming a blinding migraine.
From where he stood, the path below twisted slightly as it climbed the mountain, allowing him a moment to see his foe as they slowed to follow it.
The first Anti-Life creature leapt over a rock and skidded to a stop as it noticed Mathew.
Six-legged, with grey, slim-covered skin, it was all teeth, claws and eyes. Mathew could smell it even from dozens of feet away, a mixture of Aether spice and rot. It looked wrong, like something created as a caricature of a spider mixed with a boar, but the pieces didn’t fit.
It stood on six legs that lacked muscle, being nothing but skin and bone that ended in claws. Its torso was a mass of fat, flesh and long bristles. Its head had three eyes, a large one in the middle and two smaller ones on the sides that swivelled to look behind and to the sides. It reminded Mathew of a fish or shark, with its mouth having three layers of razer shark teeth.
The monster let out a roar and charged, its clawed feet digging deeply into the hard rock to propel it forward. With its approach, the stench grew stronger, and Mathew nearly gagged at the smell. In the back of his mind, the ‘Buzz’ was warning him of the danger.
Rehn was terrified as the monster pounced on Mathew, and her vision was obscured by dust.
Page Break
“You’ve never been in a fight before entering the Tower? How is that even possible?” Samuel asked in surprise, turning away from the sheet of fabric that he was helping to stretch over a gap between two large pieces of debris. He was helping Mathew with his shelter in preparation for a major storm that was coming.
It happened a few times on the Seventh Floor since they had arrived at the ruins of this city, along with a large group of other Players. There were talks about forming a ‘Council,’ but Mathew was not interested in it. He was fine with simply surviving; he didn’t want to lead anyone.
Mathew tied the rope with a knot, then did another for good measure before responding.
“I’m a lawyer who went to Harvard, and I live on the Upper West Side. I wasn’t raised to get into brawls on the street. We would have family debates, not fist fights.” Mathew replied irritably. He had never thought that learning to be a lawyer was a waste of time until he entered the Tower. Instead, he should have been learning to wrestle or box.
In its place, he joined the rowing team. A useful skill for the Seventh Floor that had no water.
“Huh, I’m surprised you’re still alive. Goblins, Undead and now these Fiends. Maybe you should try to debate them next time we’re ambushed.” Samuel joked, something that was rare for the man. He must have been in a good mood, which was becoming scarce on the Seventh Floor.
“Ha ha ha, very funny.” Mathew replied dryly.
“Look, it’s not hard. I can show you a thing or two. I fought in the war, you know.” Samuel said proudly.
“The Great War, Grandpa?” Mathew responded, and Samuel tilted back his head and laughed.
“No, the second one. Signed up in 1950 when I was 16, and the Japanese held half of California.” Samuel said, and Mathew paused.
“Wait, what? That’s not right…”Mathew muttered, remembering his history. He had thought that Samuel had come from his Earth, but clearly, there were some differences.
“Anyway, you’ve been doing alright with the Fiends, but you need to be quicker. Stand here, and I’ll show you.”
Page Break
As the Anti-Life monster charged toward him, Mathew was reminded of the few lessons he had during downtime on the Seventh Floor with Samuel before things went sideways and he had been forced to kill his friend.
It was hard to think about, especially knowing that some of the things that Samuel had taught him had been used to defeat the Apostle.
“Hit them from a distance, but if you don’t have a choice, then take them off guard.” Mathew whispered as he judged the gap between him and his foe. Bending his knees, he waited as the creature leapt toward him, its open mouth wide and ready to bite his head off.
With as small movement as possible, Mathew twisted and let the monster pass him while lashing out with his Altered Claw-like hands. With blinding speed, he stabbed through the monster's torso, spilling blood that stank of Aether onto the ground.
The monster took a few steps forward, its torso a mangled mess before it collapsed onto the ground and disappeared into a haze of blue Aether that lingered for a moment and then was swept away by the wind.
“That’s one.” Mathew counted, looking toward the next of the charging creatures.