The Construct attack was over in a matter of hours rather than days. The brevity was in stark contrast to all of the previous waves, and the break they had earned before the final was an incredible relief. But it had been brutal.
Coop defeated the final Ruin Construct in the darkness of the night to the solemn appreciation of the remaining defenders. All of the remaining residents of Ghost Reef were gathered around where he fought, between the library and the fort’s eastern wall, with the canal to the north and open courtyard to the south. Initially, they cast a wide net, hunting down the loose Constructs from the edges of the fort. The residents gradually closed in, until they were all surrounding the final enemies as they were defeated by Coop.
Once it was over, residents sat on the roof of the fort wall with their legs swinging over the edge while pirates stood along the canal. The phantoms and other residents spread in a protective arc between the edge of the runed library and the open galleries of the fort’s wall. None of the Constructs had been given any chance to escape the Champion’s arena.
Even though the Constructs had only challenged them for less than a day, the battles had been fierce. The toll they had taken on the defenders was obvious, and that was before Coop surveyed the destruction of the fort itself. He let his weapons dissipate once the last enemy was gone and took a good look at the defenders.
Only about half of the phantom pirates survived, though the remnants were in good spirits under the watchful supervision of Captain Kayla and her first mate. At most, they grumbled for a chance to get drunk, or to get their comrades to pay up on various wagers. The Fearless had been moored at the edge of the canal, and the pirates leaned against the hull of the corvette where it loomed over the seawall while the crew sat on the rails along the deck. They picked at gold teeth and roused each other with forceful shoves whenever they spotted something interesting.
The phantom army was devastated in comparison. They had started the siege with 7,500 members on the first wave, including the support phantoms and wraiths, but now they barely outnumbered the pirates. Sure, some had been lost along the way during the previous waves, but just the support roles before the tenth wave outnumbered the current total soldiers. The support phantoms had jumped into the conflict themselves in order to bolster the squads as they took losses engaging the parties of Constructs, so even the safer messengers and supply runners had faced the much stronger monsters in direct combat.
Coop believed the phantoms were prepared to sacrifice for the settlement, and they had absolutely validated their dedication. If the settlement survived the final wave, he really hoped the system would allow them to be resurrected again. As far as he was concerned, he and all the other survivors owed them considerable gratitude.
Shane spoke up, clearing his throat as he raised a hand and got the attention of the crowd. “Good work, everyone. Get some rest before the last wave.”
After being dismissed by their acting general, most of the survivors naturally headed for the tavern, either to visit their loved ones or to get some food and drinks, but quite a few stayed where they were, needing to gather themselves through the physical exhaustion and mental fatigue that had accumulated not just from the previous wave, but the entire event. Coop was one that lingered. He hadn’t come down from the mixture of Haunted title hype and adrenaline that coursed through his body while he fought.
Madison directed anyone who was injured to wait for her at the civilization shard. She demonstrated her aptitude by approaching the Tomb Blade, who was hopping along while being propped up by the tall blonde Dragon Knight. He’d taken a nasty injury that left him with one leg terminating below the knee. He’d already been healed, healthwise, but like when Coop’s bones were broken, the injury remained as an affliction that would take time before it disappeared.
Madison’s wings lit up the darkness while she touched the man and his leg regrew, from the inside out, starting with the bone. Coop watched with grotesque fascination as Madison reconstructed the complicated limb in less than a minute. The former bus driver tested the foot gently before he put his weight down and smiled at the miracle of such a quick recovery from a devastating injury. His party smacked him on the back while he celebrated in relief.
Coop was in awe at the healing prowess on display. He wondered if they could develop more healers in the future, or if Madison was one of a kind. When he thought about it, her whole family had ridiculous classes. Charlie and Madison were obviously exceptional, as recognized by their factions, but Emmanuel wasn’t even trying to progress, had rejected his sponsorship, and was entirely focused on keeping his family together instead of his own gains, yet even he’d shown flashes of unreal power.
The settlement had lost many people, but the phantoms had deliberately taken the brunt with the full knowledge that the regular human residents couldn’t respawn while they at least had a chance to come back. The majority of the Constructs had been defeated before they made it inside the fort, in spite of all of the breaches in the walls and the monsters’ ability to scale the protective barriers, thanks to the valiant efforts of the phantoms.
Still, he wished they had maintained the integrity of the wall coming into the tenth wave. He believed they would have been able to avoid so many losses if they could have concentrated on holding the perimeter, turning the wave into a ranged battle, instead of so many engaging in the battlefield.
Coop closed his eyes and stretched his arms into the air. He felt frustrated about how much of a struggle the wave had been, but instead of sinking into ‘what if’ scenarios, he tried to channel the energy into motivation to improve. An internal chant to get more stats, more levels, and more skills built in the back of his mind. Next time, he’d find a way to do more on his own.
He checked his status, hopeful about his own progress.
[Status]
HP - 6650/6650
MP - 12300/12300
Class - Revenant (Level 92)
Profession - Scavenging (Level 88)
Affinity - Spectral
Race - Human (Rank 1)
Faction - None
Strength - 50 (+1230)
Agility - 50 (+615)
Body - 50 (+615)
Mind - 1230
Intelligence - 50 (+1230)
Acumen - 50
Unallocated - 0
Titles - Champion III, Haunted, Ethereal, Reaper, Slayer III, Dauntless, Stacked
Skills (Active) - Retribution, Salvation, Presence of Mind, Fog of War
Skills (Passive) - Mind Over Matter, Adamance, Practical Application, Arcane Comprehension
Quests - Fortune Seeker (10/50), Trophy Hunter (3/5), Defeat Ancient Devourers II (0/25), Defeat Primal Serpents II (4/25), Defeat Ruin Excavators IV (440/5000), Defeat Primal Kites III (0/250), Upgrade Village to Town
Basic Credits - 2,271,068
The Constructs hadn’t been good for anything except experience. They didn’t contribute any levels to his profession, didn’t add any credits to his total amount, and didn’t provide any progress to his quests. However, defeating thousands of elites had been good for ten full levels. That was ten levels in a single day, and Coop had already been absurdly high to start with. He was pretty sure the wave had been actual Primal Constructs, handicapped by the system, rather than more monsters.
He had to admit that his own selfish gains took some of the sting out of the struggle that they had gone through. Savoring the satisfaction of a victory over the faction grasping for control of Earth was just the salve he needed. Before he got too excited, he felt a warm hand on his forehead as Madison checked up on him.
“Mhm, totally healthy.” The healer assessed matter-of-factly. Then she surprised him with a hug, “You did a good job.” She announced before letting him go. “Now, pass that on to my daughter, I’m gonna be busy making sure everyone else is ready for the next wave.”
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Coop just nodded at her back as she jogged toward the shard, catching up with Emmanuel who was helping move some of the more injured personnel. Coop took a deep breath by himself, the tropical night air was just a little cooler than normal. It was refreshing.
On his way to the tavern he noted most people had opted to eat and relax outside underneath the clear night sky, beneath the collection of stars. The family members that had been hiding inside of the buildings were out and about. Elly was in the main street scolding her brothers for letting so much of the walls get damaged while they feebly tried to excuse themselves. She paused to wave at Coop as he stepped up to the Clumsy Shark. The brothers twisted to see what caught her attention and eyed him pleadingly, but he just waved at the family and left the brothers in the capable hands of their little sister.
When Coop let himself into the tavern, he found a party. The pirates were drinking to make up for lost time and Derek was up on a table playing celebratory music surrounded by revelers. Phantoms were dancing together with big smiles while Maeve darted between them with arms full of drinks. For a moment, he forgot about the impending wave and felt drawn to the festivities.
Derek paused his song when he noticed Coop enter and announced his arrival. “There’s the man of the hour!” People raised their glasses and cheered at Coop’s entrance.
Coop just smiled and shook his head at them as he made his way to the bar. He couldn’t match that cheerful energy before the job was done. It was impressive how quickly the party had started even though they had another wave to go. The last wave had come dangerously close to wiping them out, but the festivities permeated the comfortable atmosphere of the tavern.
Once Coop had a seat, Desmond greeted him with a professional nod and served him a bowl of his stew garnished with leaves and herbs he hadn’t seen before. When Coop poked at them to discern what they were, they reminded him of chili leaves.
Desmond spoke up. “Lady Caisalya has been kind enough to gift rare medicinal herbs and spices. She believes humans can handle them when most species cannot, but let me know if it isn’t to your liking.”
Coop dug into the meal and found the spices to be particularly delicious. The flavor had a sharp but mild heat that was more smoky than sweet. He gave Desmond a thumbs up and kept eating. He had no complaints to make and before he knew it, he’d devoured the food and started to feel better. Eating or sleeping, Coop was thinking he was pretty simple. While he finished the bowl, Maeve draped herself over his shoulder and squeezed before she sat down next to him.
“Oh!” She exclaimed in surprise as she got a whiff of his bowl. The meal hadn’t been spicier than regular black pepper to Coop, even if the blend of flavors was new, but when he glanced at the waitress, she was flushed from her cheeks all the way to the tips of her pointed ears. Desmond had told him that the aliens were sensitive to flavors, preferring bland meals, but Coop thought the demons, at least, had a stronger palette.
“Heh…” Coop couldn’t help but chuckle at her a bit and she shoved him in response in between fanning herself and gulping down Coop’s drink.
“That was nothing.” Coop boasted, like defeating the spices was a major accomplishment, one comparable to defeating the Primal Constructs.
Maeve wasn’t impressed as she muttered, “Humans.” and put an arm underneath her hair so she could use her other hand to fan her slender neck.
“So are you celebrating your human New Year as well?" Maeve wondered while she recovered.
“New Year?” Coop wondered. It was Day 50, so that actually seemed about right.
“Yep, they wanted to make sure they celebrated the Last New Year. The human spirit really is fascinating, even more than your tastes.” Maeve seemed amused. She leaned forward and rested her cheek on her hand, letting her hair bounce back down. “What’s your resolution going to be?”
Coop just shook his head, “I just want to make sure we survive the next wave.”
“I figured you’d either say something like that or that you wanted to get more levels. Such a principled Champion.” Maeve mocked him as she rolled her eyes. “Against all odds, you’ve already gotten this far. I believe in you and all the other humans. Now, pick something fun instead.” She ordered, mischief twinkling in her eyes.
Coop had to think about it. Maeve watched him expectantly. When he decided that he would try to enjoy the beach more, Maeve laughed as if she guessed it first.
“You’re too noble, but that’s what I like about you.” Maeve pointed across the room to where Derek was chugging a mug of ale on top of a table while surrounded by people chanting “Chug!, Chug! Chug!” When he finished he flipped the mug over the head of a surprised phantom to show he hadn’t left a drop. The amused cheers drowned out the consternation of the target of his demonstration.
“You know what Derek’s resolution is?” She asked amusedly. Coop didn’t expect it to be appropriate. She gazed at him knowingly. “I’m sure whatever you’re thinking isn't as improper as what it actually is.” She stifled a giggle as Coop watched the Virtuoso with the same look he had given Derek when they first met.
“I think you might have been given the wrong idea about resolutions.” Coop shook his head, worried about the corrupting influence humans would have on the alien contractors.
“Seems like most of the ideas that come from humans are wrong.” Maeve admitted. “But that’s part of what makes being here fun.” She laughed pleasantly.
When the pirates around Derek shouted for another round, Maeve had to get back to work. Coop remained at the bar and took in the scenes. People were eating, drinking, and celebrating regardless of the mana dome that had sealed them in for the duration of the siege event. Not to mention the final timer ticking down in the periphery of their vision.
The moment of respite was a hint of how the event would have gone if they had been challenged by half the waves that they received. They were paying dearly for the variety of monsters on Ghost Reef, forcing them into fighting overlapping waves and eliminating any breaks they could have enjoyed.
Coop tried to look at the positives. The increased waves had been an opportunity for all of the residents to gain levels, experience, and credits. As long as they survived, they would be better off in the end.
Charlie and Camila joined him in the tavern and he gave them both hugs, relaying Madison’s encouragement before he caught them up on the festivities. The girls had a casual celebration for ‘the last new year,’ sharing a single drink and pledging to celebrate the next. Charlie was particularly exhausted. She still had to wait for her mana to recover and her new spell wouldn’t be ready in time for the next wave. It had a variable cooldown based on her own input into the spell, and she had maxed it out on her first try. Coop and Camila had to reassure her that it was fine, but the Aeromancer was concerned that she should have saved it for the final wave.
The girls ate their own spicy stews and retired to one of the rooms to rest. Coop hung around the bar, letting his sleepiness finally catch up to his fatigue. Once he stopped feeling restless, the exhaustion hit him hard.
—
The next morning the remaining residents prepared for the final wave. Coop expected to find hungover soldiers, but they were all ready and alert. Admittedly, he had to give more credit to mana than their sense of responsibility. The defenders concentrated on the eastern side of the southern wall, just leaving a handful of scouts for the rest of the fort. Most of the battlements were inaccessible outside of teleportation, wrecked as they were from the fighting. Portions of the walls were more like piles of stone.
Some of the residents counted the final ten seconds together and cheered when the final buzzer sounded across the island, imitating a New Year’s ball drop. After the merriment died down, they waited in expectant silence. He’d prefer to think the waiting was the hardest part, but that wasn’t always true.
When the final wave made its appearance, there was no need to sound the warning bells. Anyone with eyes could clearly see what they were facing next. It was a single monster.
It slowly made its presence known, starting with the crown of its diamond shaped head peeking through the surface of the deeper water, offshore, beyond the reefs, south of the mangroves and the eastern beach. A flock of birds, swimming offshore to avoid the action on the island, scattered frantically as a sudden wave pushed toward them. They took wing and headed for the palms of the second island. As more of the monster’s features slowly appeared, no one moved a muscle, waiting for the complete reveal. Slow steps eventually pulled the rest of the monster out of the water, toward the shore.
It was similar to the previous Constructs, except they could clearly see it as it waded out of the ocean toward the center of the eastern beach from all the way across the island. None of the defenders moved as it lethargically stepped out of the shallows, dragging seaweed from the depths at the edge of the settlement’s territory onto the pristine beach. Its wake flooded the sand like a high tide, making the lighthouse on the rocky point appear to be on a tiny island before the water receded, clearing the debris and returning the shore to normal.
The Construct glistened in the midday sun as water dripped from its body. It took another plodding step toward them. Coop thought he could feel the island shake when its bulk thumped onto the ground, but he was pretty sure it was his imagination getting the better of him. Still, the giant footprint it left in the trembling sand was evidence that it was a possibility.
The monster was a titan that made the lighthouse look small. Unlike the previous Constructs, it had several red glowing ‘eyes,’ but these were absolutely massive pools of red mana instead of the smaller crystal like structures he typically targeted. The obvious weak points were located where the forehead would be, as well as the sternum, both shoulders, elbows, and knees. Otherwise, the coloration of the giant Construct was similar enough to the regular ones to be called the same. A hard steel gray made shinier by the moisture caused the surface of the monster to seem like it was smooth, but Coop could safely predict that it would be covered in layered metallic plates, just like every other Primal Construct.
Both its arms terminated in points, like giant pikes. Its stomach had a massive octagonal structure embedded in its center that just screamed to Coop that it would shoot a laser cannon, but he had had a tendency to predict lasers and be wrong about those guesses.
Their next challenge was approaching and it was by far the most intimidating threat they had faced during the event. It wasn’t the worst of Coop’s nightmares, where losing Jones to the blood curse had left him feeling isolated, alone, vulnerable, and wary of unbeatable monsters and countless enemies gathering. Back then, Jett, Charlie, and Camila had been there to remind him that he wasn’t alone, which helped him resolve to continue forward. He looked around at the hundreds of allies that had gathered, nervous but unflinching. He really wasn’t alone now, and he was much stronger than ever before.
The other residents looked on in fear, contemplating their life choices, or considering how they would face this next challenge, but Coop felt better, having them at his back; he knew they were reliable after three weeks of siege, above all else.
Coop could see the gears turning in Shane’s head as he tried to come up with tactics for their diminished numbers to take on the huge threat. The giant clearly demanded either an equally massive opponent or a large army to challenge it. Coop interrupted Shane’s thoughts with a declaration.
“I’ll go first.”