Chương 62: Chapter Sixty-Two: The Day Before War

"Um, yeah. I did." Out of the group, one woman with a pixie cut and harsh features raises her hand.

"Oh, yeah? Would you mind if I asked a few questions about your experience? It's my first time, and I'm really nervous!" I plead while putting my hands together in a praying gesture.

"I guess. Start picking up loads though; If I'm talking, you're working." She says while clapping her hands together before pointing toward the nearest ballista where the recruits continue to distribute ammunition and the like. Giving her a small salute, I grab an annoyingly heavy crate and begin to shuffle towards her original destination. The rest of the recruits look fairly interested in the conversation as well, and I notice some cast glances at me as I begin to rattle off questions to the woman.

"So, what role should we expect to fill during the wave as new recruits?"

"Ranged support mostly. My last wave I helped power some of the mana ordnance cannons while taking potshots at the Freylith." She seems to answer honestly while picking at one of her nails in general disinterest.

"Was that a particularly risky position? How common is it to be put on the ground as a front-liner?"

"It was as safe as you can get while fighting the wave besides being a non-combatant in the city. You're still at high risk of injury, but you're a hell of a lot more safe than the poor fuckers that are stationed on the ground outside the Veil's protection. I wouldn't worry about that too much though, as you and your other Fallen friends are too low a level to be anywhere near the front line."

"So, what do you expect us 'Fallen' to be doing during the wave?"

"Shitting your pants on the back line while providing support when needed." She says while giving me a snarky looking smile. Pushing past her superior sounding tone, I keep the questions coming while letting any insults run down my back.

"So how did you survive the last wave? Are you a skilled fighter?" I press without mentioning her class: [Mineral Slinger].

"I survived by doing what I was told and using every free chance I got to boost my level. I even managed to snag a fifth skill during the last wave, so I'm a cut above most of the fresh meat around here." As I set down the crate at its destination with a loud wheeze, I try not to look too confused at her words. Standing back up, I glance over to her, and I notice her chin is held quite high as if she expects something from me.

"Wow! Five skills, huh? That's pretty impressive!" I praise after guessing at what my expected reaction is supposed to be. It looks like I was right, as my words make her chin rise even higher in the air.

"Yeah, it's no big deal. I expect by the end of this wave, I'll easily reach the requirements to join the Veil Guard. After that happens, you won't find me hauling crap around or manning the cannons again." She finishes while adding a swish of her hips to emphasize her point.

"Oh, I see! So, does that mean you will have much more freedom to do what you want next wave? How much attention do they usually focus on recruits anyway? I imagine the higher ranked guards will have their hands full during the wave."

"Yeah, you got that right. The sergeants and other experienced vets of the monster wave have plenty to do. They don't have the time to worry about recruits. That's why they expect us to do our jobs even without them constantly hounding us. If some guy decides to fuck around during the wave or run away, then they would surely be dealt with swiftly after the wave is over." She randomly laughs for a moment and cuts off my next question as I continue to lug around various pieces of gear.

"During the last wave, I watched a recruit grow some balls in the middle of the battle. This dumbass thought he could ditch his duties and head to the front line since he managed to hit level 75." Her voice cracks as she giggles in a very annoying and nasally tone.

"It's safe to say that sorry bastard learned his lesson. Within a minute of him dropping into the fray, the idiot was swarmed by a bunch of level 70 Freylith and died. The sergeants didn't even have to do anything since the stupid fuck didn't even have a melee class." The woman's annoying laugh and superior personality grate at my patience even more than being relegated to do her work. I've gotten some good info from her so far, but I don't know how much more time I can spend in her company.

"So how would you describe the Freylith's tendencies or strategies during the wave?"

"The bugs? They're cutthroat and target the weakest link every single time. It doesn't matter if you're on the wall or a citizen far away in the city, they target weaklings first. I've seen them turn their backs on Veil Guards and go straight for lower leveled recruits next to them without any hesitation. These things don't work on regular logic like us. They have no sense of self-preservation and will trample their own kind in order to get to their objective." She relays.

"Fear the man who has nothing to lose." I summarize with a sigh while setting down another heavy load. Looking back up, I find the woman giving me an approving nod with her arms crossed.

"That's a pretty good line. You make that up yourself?" She asks.

"No. Someone told me that a while ago. I thought it fit the situation pretty well."

"That someone sounds pretty damn smart. What'd you say your name was again?"

"Uh, it's Sebastian. And your's?"

"The name's Kira. Y'know, I never really thought about talking to one of you Fallen, but I'm happy I decided to help you out. You seem to have a good head on those skinny shoulders." She laughs while slapping me on the back. Barely stopping myself from falling over under her significant strength, I give Kira a sheepish smile while inwardly cursing her out for managing to insult me even while giving me a compliment.

"Alright, well I have to get back to my other Fallen buddies. They are going to want to hear about the great info you gave me." I say while quickly moving away from the muscular woman.

"Oh, that's a shame. Well, I guess it's for the best after all. Wouldn't want your low leveled friends to die in the first hour because you didn't tell them about this stuff, huh? Hahaha!" Kira's laughter fades into the background as I swiftly put distance between myself and the woman. I thought my experience with the rest of Squad Five would harden me against the discomfort caused by talking to strangers. Unfortunately, I was wrong. This lady and her deluded ambitions bother me greatly.

Part of me thinks about farming her for EXP during the wave, but I doubt killing her would net me any more levels than just focusing on the Freylith. Besides, she said something I found interesting that might be valuable enough to spare her life. It would seem Kira gaining her fifth skill during the last wave is apparently a big deal. Despite her poor effort to remain nonchalant, I can tell the woman thinks highly of herself due to this achievement.

I'm unsure of how her overall level compares to mine, but as of right now, I have seven skills. If five skills is apparently impressive around level 60-70 where I assume she stands, then that means that seven skills before level 30 should be next to impossible for the average soldier here. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

I did technically get two free skills simply due to entering The Pillar, so I guess we could be comparatively on the same level in terms of skill talent. I'm unsure if the NPCs here also were given two skills upon being born or whenever they obtained access to the System. From what I know about everyone in the Forum, two skills are the rule, but who knows if the NPCs play on the same terms as us. Honestly, I still don't know if they are even real people or just mobs.

For all I know, The Pillar could have constructed this entire world by scratch and gave different System rules to the citizens here. It wouldn't even surprise me at this point, but I have no proof to back up the idea, so it will just be tabled for the time being along with the hundred other theories I have about this place. The knowledge that I'm sitting ahead of Kira in terms of skill quantity is nice.

If she was able to make it through last wave without dying while only having four skills, then the odds of the rest of Squad Five surviving have gone up considerably I would say. It'll take some more observation of the recruits before the wave, but I think our relative power level compared to the average soldier here is fairly on par if not above that by now.

There are still some variables like skill level, rarity, and usage style that I would like to research going forward, but luckily we still have a day or so that I can spend gathering more data before the wave arr- Ruuuummmmmmmbbbbbblllleeeee. Everyone on the platform stops what they are doing as the very earth beneath us shakes and a deep moaning sound seeps into the air like the yawn of a giant.

Soldiers drop their loads and silence covers the entire world while every single living being in the area freezes as if under a divine command from the heavens. That can't be what I think it is… right? Ruuuummmmmmmbbbbbblllleeeee. With another moan emitting from beyond the wall, everyone turns their attention toward the ceaseless horizon of dust and stone. My low level and lack of investment in BDY hinders my ability to see far in the distance, and my even lower MND value makes my perception just as weak.

Even with these weaknesses, I can still see the ocean of darkness infesting the barren land like a plague. Dark cracks run along the ground as far as the eye can see, and from these cracks, I watch as denizens from the deepest parts of this planet crawl out of them like an infestation. Shiny husks and grotesque features begin to fill all edges of my vision, and with them, comes a dark sludge as if every beasts' emergence causes the very planet to bleed underneath their feet.

While the Infested Badlands show us the origin of its name, I finally hear movement behind me from the commander's tent.

"What the hell is going on out her-" Brian's voice dies off, and it doesn't take a genius to realize he sees the same thing we do.

"So, they decided to start the party early, huh? GET TO YOUR STATIONS RECRUITS!" The wide man's command rings through the air, and several soldiers begin to scramble toward their positions while others seem physically frozen by the growing sea of creatures that continues to multiply with each passing second.

I'm not one of these recruits, however, and I quickly make my way over to the rest of my group while Tobias emerges from the tent as well to begin barking orders toward the unmoving bodies peppered around the wall and platform.

"Front-liners, head to the drop site! Cannon operators, find your crews and standby! Support teams, man your assigned station and standby for your sergeant's orders! All ranged personnel should be lined up on the wall already! MOVE, MOVE, MOVE!" As everyone now scrambles to get to their positions, our group simply approaches the platform's edge near where Brian stands overseeing the Freylith gathering.

His helmet is at his hip, and he discusses quietly with Tobias while staring at the horizon in order to properly allocate the existing troops at their disposal. I imagine they were slacking on making final decisions since we were supposed to have an entire other day to stew over it, but now the two are forced to handle their platoons by ear. Tearing my eyes away from the emerging threat, I observe the other guard towers still in sight scramble around just like our own.

Regardless of the early arrival, almost all preparations for ordnance and supplies had been handled days before, so the Freylith's appearance is not exactly catching anyone flat-footed.

"Where would you like us, sergeant?" Vince asks seriously at the forefront of our gathered group. Brian casts him a glance before looking back out to the enemy.

"Fallen will be right here. Your levels make your presence anywhere else more trouble than its worth. Tobias will oversee you from here, and I will be leading the ground troops when the Freylith get in range. Any of you who can support from range should target clusters. The rest of you will be on standby." Upon hearing our orders, the group spreads out along the platform edge.

For now, we are only observing, as the monster wave has yet to fully populate, and the apocalypse creatures still have yet to reach the cannons range. This isn't a bad position to be holding, and as I look near the main gate, I see various heavy artillery machines adjusting their sights toward the sea of roiling bodies forming in the distance. As Tobias and Brian continue to discuss while donning their helmets, I focus on the rocky surface of the badlands. Ruuuummmmmmmbbbbbblllleeeee.

As if the tectonic plates of the planet itself are moving, the dull moans of the monster wave continue to pierce the air and blanket the surroundings in their deep thrum. Listening to the sounds makes my skin crawl. Some primal part of my mind almost seems to cower under the heavy atmosphere of this place. The weight of an impending war standing right at your feet is a feeling that is impossible to explain.

Just as I try to turn my attention to the Flare Loop at my back to make sure it's ready for action, I catch a series of cracks crawling across the ground a few hundred meters out. This seems odd, as the rest of the infestation of bug-like monsters seems to stem from farther out in the badlands. As I lean forward to check it out, I hear Brian laugh next to me.

"Oh, ho! It looks like a few unlucky bugs are spawning right inside our range! This might just be an easier wave than I thought!" He chuckles alongside Tobias who is already pulling an expensive looking bow from his side to take aim.

"Must be because they are earlier than usual. The unlucky beasts will probably be even weaker this time around too. I'm almost disappointed!" Tobias adds while I watch a densely patterned arrow of dark iron appear in his draw. Soon enough, the cracks have spread in an almost perfect line as far as the eye can see both to the left and to the right. Dark oil seeps from the ground and I watch in real time as a bipedal, black-husked creature desperately pulled itself free from the confines of the earth.

Hundreds of segmented and equally dark appendages of various size and shape erupt alongside it, and before I can even tell what is happening, an entire legion of Freylith stand waiting in the distance. Still dripping with sickly liquid, I pass a hard gaze over their diverse forms reminiscent of some sort of termite-roach hybrid. Weirdly though, none of the monsters approach, as if waiting for their kin in the distance to arrive.

"The hell are they doing?" Brian asks while attempting to cup his gauntlets around his eyes to get a better look at the creatures.

"No clue. I don't think I've ever seen a Freylith standing still though. It's a goddamn miracle!" Tobias laughs. I think the two men are taking the entire situation way too lightly, but I guess they probably have enough experience with the waves to be relaxed in the face of this odd sight. Their lackluster reactions at the organized line of Freylith that surround the wall makes me a bit more relaxed as well.

If they aren't bothered by the surprise appearance of the wave and the odd behavior of the creatures, then perhaps I had been letting my fear overwhelm me a little too much. I have almost zero trust in the men, but the very fact they aren't bothered means the situation likely isn't as dire as a first time wave fighter might think in the face of such a development.

"Well Tobias, what's their levels? Can you see with your bow scope? They might be a bit too far out." Brian asks in an almost bored tone.

"Huh? Oh yeah, gimme a second. I think I can probably get it to focus enough for their tag to trigger." A few seconds pass with Tobias messing with his bow until finally he gets it in working order before turning the scope out to the badlands. I look outwards after him, attempting to see which beast he is trying to identify. I don't realize it at first, but after almost a full minute of silence, the lanky man still has yet to say anything.

I don't turn to look at him other than a glance, but part of me wonders what is taking so long. He doesn't seem to be still messing with the weapon in his hand, so I don't understand what the delay is. Perhaps it takes longer for identifiers to appear the farther away they are?

"Well? What are we looking at for levels?" Brian says from his spot next to the other Veil Guard. His impatience seems to match my own, yet no answer comes from the other man.

"Tobias? Tell me their levels, jackass!" He presses. Abandoning my attempt at disinterest, I turn fully to look at the taller man. For some reason, Tobias's bow sweeps back and forth across the line of monsters. Time ticks down as the wave approaches, yet the man doesn't seem willing to tell us what he sees on the front lines. Right as Brian begins to yell at him again, I notice the thick armor that covers the thin man's figure is shaking. Is it causes by the wave's rumbles? It doesn't seem to be.

What's going on then?

"Th-their levels." Tobias finally ekes out in a low voice.

"What? What about them?" The shorter man demands. The bow in his hands lowers, leaving behind a small open slit of metal on the man's helm in which I can see his pale grey eyes staring at the monsters that remain waiting only a few hundred meters away.

"…Every monster standing there is over level 100."