The small army of King Nathaniel's soldiers sprinting across the desert slowed their paces as they neared the ruins site we'd kept watch over from the dunes west. Most all of them adorned the familiar tan armors, only with purple and gold insignias on their shields and backs. One however, was in a larger and far more prestigious set of the same armor, wielding an insanely large double headed axe in one hand.
By the larger, far greater detailed symbol on his shoulder, along with him barking orders to the other soldiers implied he was the highest rank present. He knelt beside the bodies, checking their wounds.
"They don't know we're here." I said to Steve.
"We can't really keep it that way for long if they start looking." Steve added, glancing over the 12 soldiers investigating below. We weren't exactly far from their position looking down on the soldiers from over the just 40 feet away. Luckily, that was by design.
"Suppose there's no better time to introduce ourselves first then." I said grinning to Steve.
Steve seemed confused watching me creep low under the cover of our sand hill, heading toward the direction we'd gone to flank the patrol. We couldn't get away with the same distance and speed traveled to wrap around given how alert they're acting. That didn't mean they knew where we were yet, and we'd use that to make them chase.
After slowly making our way about 30 feet south, I hopped on Steve before doubling back, headed at an angle towards the small army seeking us out. Nine of their soldiers spotted us until we got within 10 feet. The soldiers panicked 'look out!' was cut short by Steve's maw chomping around his head before weaving through the soldiers, speeding back to the our Pylon.
The soldiers didn't give chase, instead assembling their shielded combatants alone the frontline. Massive jagged stones rocks crashed all around by us, sending puffs of sand cascading off of us. Whipping my head back, the hurtling rocks turned out to be courtesy of the few hooded mages waving their wooden staffs in the back line. There were only 4 of them, though their staffs all exuding a thick smoke gleaming a bright tan hue. Stones ripped from the dunes at their feet, launching through the at us. Steve serpentine'd along the sands evading their jagged boulders volleying through the sky.
"Get around them! We got to take out a mage!"
"I can barely AVOID them right now." Steve shot back. Their casting was impressively coordinated, having fired one after another based on the bursts of exploding rocks around us. Slowly, the sheer volume of stones raining from above began to subside.
"They might be burnt out, circle back and beeline it for their frontline. Throw a tail whip out, and meet me on their backline." I instructed, hoping to replicate the success from the fight against the Slavers at what is now my castle Pylon.
"…uh, alright if you say so." Steve hesitantly relented, U-turning back toward Nathaniel's troops.
The distance to get to the backline from the front was about the same it had been at the Castle Pylon assault. It was only after I'd leapt off of Steve's feathered tail whipping over the shield solders heads did I recall having fallen short into a crowd of cannibals last time.
Turns out, Steve's evolution didn't provide any boosts in people-flinging. My blades audibly crackled separating at the hilts as I descended for one of the heavily armored soldiers layered in front of the mages. His sword shot up to stab me, to which I'd kicked to the side on my way down with a Flow Strike. Lightning jutted unstably through the air slashing between the soldiers neck and collarbone, slicing between the gap in his armor.
My arm yanked hard on the other blade's grip, lurching the squirming soldier to the side. The stumbling soldiers hand fell onto my chains before I could remove my blade from his body. The delay removing my blade took a second too long, my next evasion amongst a sea of swinging steel a half second too late. A slash across my back from the end of a longsword pierced into my light armor, serving as a cold plunge to my senses.
Mana welled rapidly within my chest, surging into my arms and back as I charged a Lightning Strike. Seeing a soldier overcommit on a slash attack, I released the energy all at once. The momentum carried me through the soldiers breastplate, forcing me reengage with the mass of my opponents. I'd just killed 4 before they could swing once when a path cleared to one of the mages.
Their long wooden staff began emitting its familiar tan hue. Bessie me, a large stone emerged from the dunes just in my peripheral range. Dodging with a Water Step and sprinting towards the Mage, an odd tightness crept into my stomach. The momentary lapse in focus was abruptly ended by the sensation of sand wrapping around my ankle, flipping me to my side as my foot fell down assuming to find stable ground.
Landing on my back, a large axe head rose toward the bright sun. The soldiers arms flexed hard thrusting his axe down toward my head. Rolling to the side as it crashed into the sand beside me, I kipped up to my feet and faced my attacker. Their lead warrior who'd adorned better armor had made his way back from the frontlines of their formation, no doubt hoping to catch me with my back turned. Electing to ignore him for now, my foot planted hard off the dunes resuming my pursuit of the mages, only to find Steve slithering away with one in his mouth. Another mage sprinted across the back line assuming an angle behind the bulk of melee allies.
Pushing into the newly freed space the mage left behind, a soldier wielding two swords stabbed toward my side. Smacking the tip of their blade away with my own, I stabbed through his neck with the other. The splash of sand against my calf alerted me to dodge forward, evading a flanking attackers slash.
Another soldier swung his short sword from the side, my hands separating at an angle to sheath the attack into my chains. With their blade wrapped in my chain, my blade swiped across his throat with a twist of the shoulders.
Whatever rank their leader was, he charged forward recklessly as any other foot soldier. My foot planted hard for a Lightning Strike, channeling my energy to really amplify the speed. Releasing then internalized pressed, the sand under my back leg slid away causing me to slam hard onto my back. The energy from my attack shot my arm forward toward the sky, my grip almost giving from not having anything to disperse this energy into.
Quickly kicking up to my feet, the leader continued his relentless pressure unleashing a frenzy of strikes. I stopped forward seeing the billowing Flow in his shoulder. The ranking warrior reciprocated my encroaching step however, landing far too close for a stab. I punched the Flow Point glowing in his shoulder before his swinging axe could reach me, triggering Flow Strike sending him reeling back. He stumbled back a couple feet before a hump in the sand caught his heel, tripping him onto his back.
A shield bashing into my shoulder intercepted my dash towards the downed warrior, bouncing me several feet across the desert sands. It hadn't hurt too badly, the bash resembling a stiff shove more than a hard impact. Still, having to get back to my feet again afforded their soldiers time to close in from multiple angles.
Steve's tail whipped into view, slamming into a group of soldiers in front of me. My twinblade pierced into two prone soldiers who'd dodged Steve's swiping tail. Steve wriggled toward me as I prepped for a pickup up when a boulder slammed into his body from the side, spinning him out of control. Gathering himself, Steve darted away avoiding another pair of crashing stones.
"Got to make a lap hang in th-" Steve called as his mental message was cut, most likely due to distance as he sped away. My steel pierced into another prone soldier as their remaining armed forces converged, forcing a retreat. Diagonally Water Stepping, my hands danced over one another partying and counter stabbing any non-shielded soldier. The shielded ones I straight up avoided, not able to afford giving their widespread defenses the necessary attention with the massive numbers disadvantage.
It was after the third soldier, when I tried to use Lightning Strike again, did an unfamiliar pain in my side manifest, forcing me to bail out of the attack entirely. My body was moving okay, and I didn't feel too physically drained. However, an overwhelming emptiness emerged elsewhere, and the memory of my humorously small mana pool pinged through my brain.
Shit, don't tell me.
Mana: 0/74
FUCK!
Almost immediately after realizing I'd fully depleted my mana pool, my legs began feeling heavy attempting a Water Step, causing me to stumble blocking the next incoming strike. A shielded soldier charged forward, forcing me to dodge matador style not having my explosive movement skills available. My body contorted off balance when the leader's front foot crashed into my ribs, launching me 7 feet away, rolling across the sand.
My side ached, but not the one which suffered the kick. It was the same side that ached when I realized my mana was empty, my hand applying pressure hoping to alleviate the ungodly cramp.
"Hahaha, wrong side idiot. I kicked over there, you're not foolin no one." The leader barked as one of his soldiers lunged at me from the side. My chains caught the attack, but the catch was sloppy due to not having my usual boost in perception from Water Stance active, throwing off my timing.
The soldier's blade nicked my thigh as I stabbed up into his jaw, causing me to wince in pain as I ripped out my weapon. The leader cocked his head to the side before extending his arm out in front of a charging soldier. A devious grin developed within the gap in his helm.
"Well well, looks like our little birdie's wounded. This one's mine boys." He growled, glaring with bloodshot eyes.
"I don't need skills to slay ALL of you where you stand, but by all means. One at a time is fine by me." I said through heavy panting, knowing damn well they weren't buying the bluff. It was just to buy Steve time, wherever the fuck he was now?!
As the leader charged forth, and I reserved myself to using Water Step how I'd originally learned it; without magical assistance. My agility and endurance stats are still crazy high, making non-mana based combat hypothetically feasible still. I just had to win this old school.
The first Water Step hurt like hell as my body naturally tried using mana to trigger the skill, setting my side on fire internally. My feet still moved, however, and the large axe vertically hurtling for my forehead fell short in front of me. My foot shot up under the leaders jaw with his head leaning forward, causing him to recoil upward. He merely spit blood out and wiped his face after eating a kick that would've killed me pre-system.
"Yeah, you're weak alright." Their leader growled, flashing a devious smirk. My patience was dwindling for this man's ego, especially since he was dead to rights already if it weren't for his soldiers saving his skin. Gritting my teeth in anticipation for another shooting pain, I attempted to water step without activating the skill.
Luckily the pain never arrived, instead a sense of nostalgia for the technique at its purest form. My feet shuffled across the sands towards the gap in his guard, thrusting my blade forward at the leader's shoulder. The space in the warrior's armor was just big enough to get through. Unfortunately, the lead warrior cared little for my piercing strike, smacking my head with the butt of his axe.
My was barely returning from utter darkness to find the leader's figure standing over me, raising his axe above his head. Regret for having been so liberal with my use of mana stung at my spirit like a wave of acid shot through my veins watching the Leaders grin widen.
This is an embarrassing way to go.
His axe began its downward descent when he paused hearing one of his hollering soldier's howl.
"SNAKES BACK, SNA-AAHH!!" The soldier yelled, his guttural scream slowly quieting being dragged away in the fanged maw of my serpent companion. My head snapped back toward the leader hearing a booming thunk. My eyes focused in time to watch Cassi's fist blasting through the leaders chest armor, followed by a quick uppercut to the chin as he lurched forward. The warriors head snapped back violently before he fell to the sand.
I staggered trying to clamor back to my feet, my struggle suddenly relieved feeling Steve's massive tail scoop me from under my legs, sliding me down to his back. Gathering my senses the best my concussed state could muster, I surveyed the battle at hand. Korbin, Lonni, and Cassi fought at the front lines with our druids in melee with the King's soldiers. Nathaniel's men had a numbers advantage, however Cassi just killed their best fighter with her bare hands. Not to mention Korbin was showing more combat prowess than I'd seen since the tournament, unleashing a flurry of strikes into a armored soldier.
"They're good for now, let's get you to the Pylon" Steve said, darting off into the sands toward our merchant settlement. I was conscious enough to check my resource pools just before fading into a less than voluntary nap for the ride back.
Health: 38/158
Mana: 0/74
Stamina: 135/432
Damn, I lost?
…
My body lurched upward as I awoke, my hands reaching all around for my twinblade. Daryl was beside me, now putting a hand on my shoulder.
"Easy, killer. You just got in here half an hour ago, knocking on deaths door on my sheets, son." Daryl informed, not calming me in the slightest.
"Where's Steve? And everyone else?!" I asked, now locating my twinblade sitting in the corner of this small medical room. A lady in tanned cloth holding a potion bottle entered as I found my footing.
"Sir, your mana levels are dangerously low for fighting, please you n-"
"I'm not resting, my guys could be DEAD out there right now!" I barked, causing the nurse to flinch.
"N-no I-I understand. This is just a potion, sir. A-a mana potion, sir." She muttered, her chipper attitude replaced by fearful trembling. A wave of guilt overtook my anxiety for my people.
"Shit, no I'm so, so sorry. That wasn't fair of me." I said, reaching for the curved blue glass bottle.
"Thank you so very much, please forgive me for yelling at you like that. I'm just worried about my people." I said, trying my best to sound remorseful. These folk weren't ignorant, I know what me screaming in their face might mean to them. An overwhelming fear or hatred at my ability to do them harm. It wasn't my intention to intimidate this woman, only to stress the importance of me leaving. Another aspect of control I'm still not fucking good enough in; communication.
"I understand, sir. They're your family right?" She asked after considering my apology, somehow finding her smiling again. Not sure how people could be so damn nice. Still, her question reminded me of what I needed to do, and I didn't have time to explain the technicalities of our group.
"Yes, pretty much. Thanks again but I got to go." I said, before popping the cap off of the bottle and chugging the blue liquid down quickly. It was practically flavorless, however the feeling it gave me trickling down my stomach and dispersing in a wave of invigoration was utter euphoria. The internal aches that spread across my midsection instantly lessened exponentially, minus the cuts and bruises I'd physically accrued.
Daryl tried to calling me back, but I was already sprinting east, unwilling to let anymore bodies of my people rest on my conscience. The mana potion only gave me 50 mana back, but I wasn't about to spend it all in one place again. Besides, I only had 74 to start with, and had to learn to be economical in group fights anyhow. At least until I can raise my mana pool, something quickly ascending my priority list.
After around 2 miles full sprinting and rapidly depleting my stamina pool along the way, Steve slithering figure appeared in the distance.
"STEEEVE!!l I yelled across the dunes, running even harder toward my serpent freind. I'd owed him now a few times over from that last battle alone. My sprint slowed gradually to a jog, smiling ear to ear as I Getting closer, I slowed down to a jog with wearing a big smile counting all 20 of our total forces marching casually behind him.
Korbin and Cassi accompanied Steve, though I doubted they were exchanging stories with my slithery friend since, well, they can't.
"Oh wow, you're supposed to be at the Pylon? Tryna get some cardio in or?" Korbin teased as I jogged over.
"Are we all good? Did anyone get hurt?" I asked, breathing heavily as I recounted the soldiers behind them. Lonni stepped forward, grinning as he placed a hand on my shoulder.
"We're fine, brother. You should be resting, why are you here?" He asked, his baritone voice oddly diffusing my fear for my fellow soldiers well being.
"There was no way in hell I was letting anyone die without me there to at least try to help, absolutely no fucking way." I said seriously, the last of my anxiety fluttering away finally vocalizing it. Truthfully, there was little practical reason to be concerned. The only reason I got caught out so bad was my bad mana management.
"That's sweet Tom, but we saved you, don't you go worrying about us." Cassi so rudely added. She had a point, albeit a conditional one.
"How the hell did you end up behind them like that? We only set up like a mile away knowing you'd fuck around but, you went the wrong way?!" Korbin asked.
Shamefully, I explained the whole encounter, emphasizing the idiocy of my mana management. The skill for Lightning Strike wasn't clear on its mana cost, but it was absolutely articulate of the drawbacks to increasing your speed more.
Lightning Strike (common) - Wielder is able to add Lightning mana into an attack, amplifying its speed depending on the total mana spent while using it. User gets a +4 agility when using this strike.
Considering all I focused on using the skill was dumping as much mana as I could into the strikes, it was no surprise my small mana pool dried up so fast. This hadn't even been the toughest fight I'd had, and it felt like I'd lost to my own gross negligence. The kind of typical Tom flavor of failure I'd hoped to grow out of by now.
For the course of our hike back to the Pylon, my mind was racing connecting my old stupid mistakes to the ones I'd just made. There were zero considerations for my resources for the entire fight, and truthfully I'd hardly ever checked my mana mid-fight. My sword curved the total mana expended being aligned with my affinities and naturally cycling said energy upon activation. Not to mention I'd never really had to speed up an attack, being faster than most with sheer stats and skill.
This time however, I'd landed myself in a situation far too dicey to merely Water Step away from, forcing my own hand in overextending myself. I'd mistaken the Flow of battle for my own and suffered heavily for it, neglecting my wellbeing entirely and embracing my lust for victory.
This…wasn't new behavior. I'd leaned heavily into bad habits with substances in my teens, mistaking a good time for good time spent. The same could be said for my dreaded ex, whom I at one point went ring shopping for. The same ex that cheated with whoever was willing and available it turned out, and I'd be a liar to say the writing wasn't on the wall. Shit, the wall could better be compared to that of a stereotypical crazy guy who got abducted by aliens, scribblings nonsensical symbols wall to ceiling.
Details be damned, my behavior was the problem. My dumbass can't take a second to focus if I'm having too much fun. The trait was all cute and shit when life was boring, filled with menial jobs and civilized living. It'll land me in the dirt here though, and too many already depended on me. I still had to be better, by a lot.
We finally returned to the Pylon as the sun began dipping under the horizon, though I was fully prepared to turn in for the night. I'd almost subconsciously wandered back to Daryl's room where I'd napped in earlier before Korbin caught up with me.
"Hey hey woah, where you goin'?" He asked from behind me.
"We-um…I'm actually not sure." I answered, realizing where I was. Korbin laughed at my absentmindedness.
"There's other beds, let me walk you to an available room. I need to talk to you anyway." Korbin said, motioning his head away from the Daryl's place. I considered denying his offer and just meditating somewhere in town, but Korbin helped save my life not that long ago. My debts needed to start getting dealt with sooner than later. Nodding, I followed his lead as we weaved through the marketplace.
"Tom, you know you're pretty tough now, and frankly most everyone else does too. It's why I often send you out with Steve alone, to handle threat levels I can't calculate yet." Korbin began, bending around a building down the main road.
"That's kind of you, but I get the feeling that's not all you're trying to say." I responded, knowing my friend better than that.
"Actually, it sort of is." He retorted, a tinge of doubt crept in my mind for my ascertaition.
"See, we indeed need you, Tom. The multiverse already knows who you are, who we are, and it's not even two weeks into the Tutorial. You're bound to receive many gifts and skills from your path. Skills that we need in order to pull off this whole 'world domination to ensure peace' project." Korbin added, now making his intended point more clear.
"So…you're saying I'm important? I mean thanks but I don't see how that's relevant to today?" I asked, confused by the rather flattering implication that the entire faction and world sort of depended on me. It wasn't fitting for either of us.
"Because we need you alive, Tom. That means you need to be careful, even on crazy ass missions. Just because you got some advantages out there doesn't mean you're invincible. No one out here is." Korbin said, still with an oddly caring tone.
"So, please. Get some rest tonight, and be ready for a late night raid. I've got Cassi, Lonni and I leading the lookout shifts tonight but, we can't confirm the 35 or so he sent weren't more expendable than reported." Korbin said, now in a more professional voice.
"Sounds g- wait, 35? I only counted like, 12?" I asked, certain I hadn't been hit that hard on that head.
"You might have started fighting 12. You were utterly swarmed by soldiers when we arrived though. There's a good chance they poured in while you went all 'one man army' or whatever." Korbin shot back. It would explain the increase in sharpened steel flying around throughout the battle, though not having noticed meant I truly wasn't paying attention out there.
"Right, that sounds on brand for me today. Well, give me a yell if you need me… And Korbin?" I said, as he turned to leave.
"…sorry. It won't happen again." I said, feeling the need to expunge my guilt somehow for fucking up the mission.
"Nah, it might honestly. Just don't die, Tom. That's all I ask." He said with a nod before pivoting and heading off, leaving me at the door of a small home. Honestly, I have no idea how he can focus on navigating while so deep in thought. The guy forgot when his hand was broken and played tackle fucking football on it one time as teenagers, the influx in attentiveness just didn't make sense.
Unwilling to follow after him to prod further, I opened the door, and beelined it for the queen sized bed that sat against the back wall. A gentle breeze blew my cowl back leaping onto the pillows head first. My mind slipped into a meditation immediately, as I faded from consciousness before my inner demons could torture me for my numerous failures today.
Better to leave that for tomorrow, when I have something I can hit in front of me.