~~~Lee~~~

Lee couldn't find anyone to hunt with. Not because they were all busy, which they were, but because of the notification that came up shortly after he went looking.

It is time to claim your own Lair and build up a defensive position. Greenfield Village occupancy has endured long enough for Sapient Lair formation to begin.

To claim the prize, prospective residents will have to defend their budding Lair from Invaders who will come to contest ownership.

Time to battle: (59:59)

All who flee the area will forfeit their claim to residency. If all prospective residents flee, then the Lair will default to the invading force.

Lee wasn't the only one to see the message, clear by the chaos that erupted in the aftermath. Lots of fresh shouting and people running around outside. Lee wasn't exactly sure which way everyone was leaning, but knew what he had to do.

Fight, obviously.

He wasn't about to abandon his home... assuming he could get enough help to defend it, of course. While it sounded like this was something they wanted, something powerful that might help them survive, Lee would not die in a hopeless battle if everyone else fled.

So he went back to the roof, where he found them already discussing the issue.

"Sounds like we might get a good fight," Jake said. "I'm up for that, but don't expect me to settle down here afterward."

Alejandro looked dubious about the idea. "It is safer to flee..."

"We shouldn't run," Lee said. "If we can hold on to this place, then I can enchant it again. I don't know if I'll be able to do that without the Well. Plus, what's to say this doesn't keep happening wherever we go?"

"Probably a good point," Jake said. "Don't know if you've noticed, but it's getting quiet out there." He waved vaguely toward the greater world outside the complex. "I think most monsters are settling down in their own Lairs... Now, whether they stay inside is another question entirely."

Jake was happy enough to hold the roof for now, not having plans to flee, and Alejandro went to find Maria. Lee followed. He had a vested interest in their remaining to help him defend the building.

On the way down, he considered trying to enchant the building despite the Mana Burn debuff. It was a hard call to make. On the one hand, it might make the coming battle much safer, but on the other, might leave him crippled for months to come. Hell, it might even prevent the enchanting entirely, possibly while still increasing the debuff.

The spirited debate that followed between Alejandro and Maria was all in Spanish, accompanied by looks in his direction that varied between reassuring and... less pleasant things. So Lee left them to it and went looking for another thing he would need.

"Jamaal!" He found the cook working even more frantically over his fire, and the man jumped at Lee's greeting. "Sorry... but remember our deal? Well, I'll need that food for the upcoming fight."

Jamaal froze, staring at him in shock. "You... will stay?"

"I think so?" Lee said, then once again explained his reasoning about how they would be running forever if they didn't fight.

Jamaal's hurried motions slowed as he listened, but the fear in his eyes didn't diminish. "I am... no fighter," he finally said.

"I'm not saying you have to fight," Lee said. "I just don't think running is going to do much good. At least, not in the long run... Though if you leave, just don't go too far."

The message didn't specify what exactly resident status entailed, or what the lack of it might mean. Could people run away and come back after the fight? Assuming the humans held onto this place, of course.

"I... will think about it," Jamaal said, but he also handed off a big pile of his cooked and magically preserved meat into Lee's bag. So that was good.

Lee went looking for Saira next. Having her around for the fight could be a real game changer, especially if her F-grade evolution had been a good one. Whether she would fight after last night was another issue. Sandra... or Sandy would be great, too.

His trip outside was thwarted by a man standing frozen in the doorway, his hands clutching the doorjamb on each side in a white-knuckled death grip as his whole body trembled.

"Excuse me..." Lee said.

"Ahh!" the man screamed and jumped nearly into the air.

Lee backed up and kept his machete clear of the flailing man as he did so. The guy didn't look familiar, but he was on edge... "Are you okay?"

The man was plastered to the wall beside the door and staring at Lee, chest heaving for breath as sweat dripped from his face. He didn't respond to the question.

"Do you live here?" Lee asked. "I just moved in before all this... so maybe we haven't met." He didn't have time to comfort scared people, but something about the man reminded Lee of himself that first night. Terrified to go outside, but still trying.

"I... don't." The man slid down the wall onto his butt and hugged his knees. "Live here, I mean."

"Need an escort out there?" Lee tried a different tactic. "I'm not much in a fight myself... but two is better than one. Or I could see if Alejandro..."

"No. It's no use. I can't do it."

"So... stay inside? We got lots of food back there... just tell Jamaal that Lee sent you if they give you trouble." Not that there were many people still harvesting the snake.

That brought his head up, and the man stared at him. "You're Lee?"

"Yes..."

"You killed the snake?"

"I..."

"Alejandro told me about it. He said you just pointed at it and blew its head off."

"Well... it wasn't quite that easy... and I almost died... sort of." Technically, the mana blast hadn't threatened his life, but the aftermath could very well prove deadly. Or had it? That over one hundred percent negative channel capacity he avoided might have been fatal without the trait.

"You saved me," the man said, eyes unfocused, as if remembering something, and not anything pleasant by the look on his face. "You and someone named Jake."

"I don't... umm, remember you," Lee said. "But happy to help, I guess?"

"It ate me." His voice was hollow and barely above a whisper, but Lee heard it. Heard it and felt his own unpleasant memories rise to the occasion. He also remembered something from the day before. A man shooting a rock at the snake's eye and getting eaten for his efforts... Oof. Lee was honestly shocked the guy had survived that.

He didn't mention that thought. "Been there," Lee said instead. "Zero out of ten stars."

"You... what?"

"Zero out of ten stars," Lee said. "Would not recommend. Getting eaten, I mean." The man just stared at him.

"Everybody's a critic." Lee sighed as he shifted his weight and glanced at the door. They didn't have time for this, but... "I got eaten by a giant frog on the first night. It was... an experience." He shivered involuntarily at the memory. The bouncing... his skin melting off... the panic. He knew now that it wouldn't have killed him, his mana blast would have been more than enough if he'd used it, but... it also would have crippled him earlier.

He didn't want to talk about it anymore and moved to the doorway to leave. "I need to go. Don't suppose you know where Saira is?"

"She's the one who healed me?"

Lee nodded. "Probably."

"She went outside not that long ago. Not sure where she is now..." he paused, and Lee took a step before he spoke again. "How do you do it?"

"Mostly my class..." Lee said.

"I mean, how do you go out there? You got eaten! How can you just waltz back outside like it never happened!?"

"Oh, that." Lee stood in the doorway, looking out at the deceptively peaceful world as he gathered his thoughts. "It's because if I don't keep going... I'll die." He didn't mention that his brother would likely die with him.

"We're in a race," Lee said after a few more moments, giving voice to something he'd understood but never said out loud before now. "Everything is getting stronger out there. If we don't get into the lead... or at the very least, keep pace, we're nothing but food."

Of course, that wasn't mentioning all the other humans that would for sure be a massive threat...

"I... can't do it."

Lee glanced at the timer ticking away in his notifications. If this guy... "What's your name?"

"Bradley... Summers."

"Well, Bradley. If you don't go outside and run away soon, then you're probably going to get stuck defending this place with me."

Bradley's head sank down to rest on his knees. "I'm going to die..."

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"You make rocks, right?" Lee asked, an idea coming to him.

"That's about it, yea."

"Do they persist? Like after the spell, do you have more rocks than used to exist?"

"I think so... why?"

It was a great idea. "We have a lot of openings in this building between broken windows and other intentional gaps, not to mention the damage from the snake." Bradley flinched, but Lee kept talking. "I want you to use that spell of yours to close up everything you can... which you should be able to do without going outside."

That brought a light back into the man's eyes as he looked up at Lee. "I... guess I can try. Though my spell is..."

"Great! I gotta find out if Saira is sticking around while you do that. Bye." Lee rushed away before the mopey guy could start whining about something else. He wasn't unsympathetic, but this was hardly the time.

Luckily, he found Saira just around the corner. She was sitting in the grass under the tree next to the small park Lee had vandalized for weapons... two nights ago? It felt longer than that.

Lee approached her cautiously, unsure of her current mental state. Hopefully, this wouldn't turn into another conversation about how they were all screwed and doomed to die...

"Saira..." his semi prepared speech faltered when he found Mar sitting next to her mother. She was still invisible, but in his Mana Mind she stood out as clearly as anyone else. "Hi, Mar."

He could see her outline shift from his words, and thought she might have looked at him. The outline was too fuzzy to see her facial features, but he could make out arms, legs, and a head. Well, one arm. She was still down a limb.

"I will stay," Saira said, drawing his attention back.

"I didn't say anything..."

"We have discussed it, and we will stay to defend our home."

"Um, great!" Lee said. Then he stood there awkwardly in the silence that followed. Neither woman moved nor said anything else, and Lee wasn't sure what to do or say himself. "Have you seen May?" he finally asked, primarily as an excuse to leave, but also because he was hoping she had made some weapons or armor already.

"The blacksmith? She is around the corner." Saira pointed, and Lee left quickly.

~~~Bradley~~~

Bradley didn't have to go far to find a hole in the building. One that was an intentional design choice rather than monster damage. It was on the stairs one flight up from where he'd been cowering like a little bitch.

He tried not to focus on the wide open blue sky visible through the gap and instead raised a hand to cast his skill. Stone spear.

A two foot long shard of stone materialized in front of his hand, and shot straight out the window. It sailed clear out into the main street before hitting the ground, but Bradley didn't see it. His eyes saw only a giant snake looming above him.

He ducked below the window, pressed his back to the wall, and hugged his knees against his chest. I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die!

He'd been thrilled and awestruck that first night when he used actual magic. It was amazing and fantastic! He could cast magic with nothing but a thought and a wave of his hand. He had even killed two giant frogs with the spell. He loved his magic...

Until the snake.

It had happened so fast... one moment he was casting the spell, and the next... he hadn't even seen it coming. Only a sudden darkness and crushing pain as his bones broke and his lungs screamed for air.

Then the acid had come...

"Snap out of it." Bradley didn't know how long he'd sat there before the voice startled him from the nightmarish memories. He scrubbed a sleeve across his wet eyes before looking up and seeing the man he remembered from the night before. The one who'd been dragging trees onto the porch... also the man who'd been fighting the snake...

"Thank you again... for saving me."

"I didn't care about you last night, and I still don't care now," the man said, staring at him with those creepy eyes. "You just got lucky."

Bradley buried his face again. It was just as well. He wasn't a badass like this guy; he wasn't even a fighter at all. He was just a loser... and a coward.

The others had talked last night while he laid on the floor and cried. They'd mentioned this man, mentioned how he'd killed people. Bradley believed it. He'd seen the man fighting the snake... normal people couldn't do that.

"Thank you, anyway," Bradley said. He didn't want to die, and lucky was better than unlucky... though how lucky could he really be since he'd gotten eaten by the snake in the first place?

"If you want to thank me," the man said. "Then don't sit around crying about being alive. Prove your life was worth saving."

That was easier said than done, but Bradley managed a nod for the other man. "I..." He looked up... and the man was gone. "I'll try..." he whispered. He had to, right? If someone saves your life, then you have to help them...

It took a few more minutes before he could stand up and face the opening again. Then he stood still and tried to figure out how his very limited skill could do anything to fill the gap. He couldn't change the shape of the projectile from its spiky form, but maybe...

~~~Lee~~~

May wasn't making much progress on weapons or armor, and she was less than pleased with him asking about it.

"I'm working with one bag of charcoal, a portable forge, and sub par materials. It's going to take time to make anything decent, and I'll need a lot of wood before I can do shit."

"Okay..." Lee frowned at her setup. He knew jack about the profession, but had hoped she would have magic to simplify the process. Apparently, she didn't. But Lee did...

"Are you staying to fight?"

May and Dennis exchanged a look, and then she glanced at the machete in Lee's hand. "You make me a blade like that and we might."

"I can't do that at the moment," Lee said. "But I can offer you something..." He watched a family hurry past, heading toward the complex exit. It wasn't the first group he'd seen leaving today. Then he turned back to May. "I can make an enchantment that will heat your forge without the need for any fuel... but I can't do it for two more days."

She looked very suspicious, and Lee didn't blame her. "We have some weapons," Lee said. "But not enchanted... unless you can convince Jake to give you one of his."

"I suppose you want me to stay and fight in exchange for your... help." She eyed his blade again. "You enchanted that, right? What's stopping you from doing another?"

Lee sighed and glanced around again. They were relatively alone. "You saw the snake." He pointed up at the circular hole through the top floor of the building they were currently next to. "I did that, and... it cost me." His arm tingled with remembered pain... and real pain, too.

They both eyed him and the building with more skepticism.

"Just ask Alejandro or Jake. They saw it. I got a debuff from doing that and it still has a couple of days left on the timer."

They shared another silent look for a moment, and Dennis nodded slightly while May shook her head. "We are not fighters," she said. "I will make you weapons, but we will not die fighting monsters. We will leave and return if you survive."

Lee shook his head. "Fine." He refrained from calling her a coward and instead eyed the tall man next to her. "So... Dennis. What's your... what can you do?"

Dennis kept his mouth shut but held out his hand, palm up. Lee saw the mana surging from the man and coalescing in his hand for a few moments until something finally appeared.

It was a banana. A yellow, normal size, regular looking banana.

"Does it explode?" Lee asked, eyeing the fruit.

Dennis proceeded to peel the banana and then popped half of it into his mouth. He offered the other half to Lee.

Lee accepted it warily and then took a tentative bite. It tasted... normal. Not bad, just normal. Though it was a nice change from snake meat... "Okay, extra food is always good. Do they last? Can you make a stockpile?"

Dennis nodded, paused, and shrugged.

"Could I get another one to go? I can always use more food."

Dennis shook his head. "Low mana."

"Okay then." Lee considered the couple before him and thought about the Mana Well. He'd told some people about it already, which meant he might as well see if anyone else could use it. Definitely not these guys, but maybe Maria. She was a healer, and unlike Saira, who needed plants more than mana, Maria might actually make decent use of it. Assuming they weren't running away as well...

Back inside the building, Lee had mixed feelings about Bradley's attempted fortification efforts. Spikes of rock filled the previously open windows in the stairwell and did so by impaling horizontally into both sides of the gap. It left the center still open, though a much smaller opening than before, and lined with what looked like stone teeth... Well, it was better than nothing. Hell, the guy was actually staying for the battle. Though, that might only be because he was too scared to run away...

He found Bradley with Maria in someone else's apartment, almost directly across the courtyard from her actual home. She was directing him on where to place his stone spikes, and each one hit like a jackhammer blow as it punched through plaster and concrete alike. Gabriel sat on the couch with Anita, and he held his hands over her ears before every hit.

Bradley only cast twice more before sitting down with a muttered, "Mana."

That was possibly something Lee could help him with, but Bradley was still unknown. Alejandro knew about the Well, and he'd likely told Maria. Which would explain why she wasn't setting up right next door to his place...

"Maria, does this mean you're staying?" It only stood to reason, since she was fortifying an apartment rather than packing. Though it didn’t explain why she was doing it so close to the Well…

She nodded, and Lee decided it was time to test the Well. And to extend some more trust in Maria. She followed him to his apartment, somewhat reluctantly, and then waited.

Lee wasn't sure what to do next. That first message had said he could give permission... Give Maria permission?

Maria flinched, and her eyes stared at something Lee couldn't see.

Liquid Mana Well access granted: (Maria Morales)

She reached out a hand and touched the glowing point of light... and then yanked her hand back. "No good. Says I will explode."

Her expression was accusing as she took the kids and left. Lee just shook his head. It was sort of good that normal people wouldn't want it, assuming they would know that before killing him... But it was also a shame that they couldn't use it for the coming fight. That would have been useful... Especially for Maria, or even someone like Bradley.

The stone mage kept busy until the timer ran out. Mostly fortifying Maria's new apartment so they'd have a shelter of sorts for the children. Lee was fine with that. He wasn't expecting much from the man's magic until after he could enchant the building again. Then it would be more useful to have something closing the larger gaps. For now, they would have to fight the old-fashioned way.

Jamaal remained behind as well, raising Lee's opinion of the man considerably. He spent the time cooking furiously over all the other abandoned fires in the courtyard while he waited for the timer to wind down. Granted, he planned to hide during the battle... so he wasn't much better than Bradley in that regard.

Sandy showed up, and she went with Jake to the roof to act as lookouts.

No one else joined them. Apparently the notification went to the whole complex, which Lee had expected given the Greenfield Village name showing up, and the few people staying behind all wanted to defend their own little apartments rather than combine forces in one place.

Lee suspected that the Well might draw more targets to their building and had even reluctantly brought the issue to Alejandro's attention. It might be smarter to abandon this place and group up in another building altogether.

"I'm counting on it," Alejandro had said. "They will focus on one area and we will not have to go hunting to protect everyone."

Clearly the guy was spending too much time with Jake... who, of course, agreed with him. "The snake wanted you bad. So we can use you as bait."

It wasn't a terrible plan, aside from the whole being the bait part. But with Alejandro guarding him, and Saira ready to heal... it might work. It should also pull attention from the kids.

Not that Lee had any intentions of sacrificing himself, but he also didn't want to give up his new home. That all these people were willing to stand with him... well, he could contribute his own talents to the cause. Even if it mostly amounted to being a juicy target. A hard to kill target, and wielding a magically sharpened machete.

(00:00) 55 Participants Remaining. Adjusting trial difficulty...

Trial has begun. Fight for your home and claim it with the blood of your enemies.

Skill Level Up: Mana Mind (Epic) Level 3 (Novice)

That was good timing.