Chương 37: Tide

I wait for a few minutes, letting the gathered warriors disperse a bit. It is crazy to watch as people jump, teleport, float or simply fall down off the wall. What is even crazier is to watch tens of thousands of people spread out through the ring. They are like a tide of death, destruction and despair to any monster they encounter. Which are quite numerous, as it is barely a minute before the first explosions start shaking the air. Once the initial wave disperses a bit, I step down as well.

Luma goes back into my phylactery, and I let Dovey spread his wings.

"FREEDOM!" He chirps as he takes to the skies, giving me some strange instinctual intelligence about the surroundings. It is strange, I cannot see the monster behind the building, but I know it is there. Rounding the corner, I swing my hammer before it can react. The power flows right through me, culminating right in the head. Crack. Before identify even has a chance, the monster dies.

'Ding', You have slain [Skeleton Warrior - Level 22]. I get no experience from it, as expected. But still, the satisfaction of actually slaying a monster is more than enough. Glad Carla had the thought to ask the higher leveled people to leave some weaker monsters behind. You know, to help weaklings like myself have something to actually fight. Not wasting any time, I quickly move on. Dovey helps guide me through the streets, which are far too complicated.

It doesn't help that almost every other building has been reduced to rubble in some way or another. My next target comes about a block later. Crouching down behind a broken wall, I peek at it, letting identify do its job. [Mad Boar - Level 27] The thing is massive, easily five times my size. Its tusks are as long as my torso too. I bet they could be useful for something cool, though. At the very least, they would look great on a mantle, supposing I ever find somewhere to establish a more permanent home.

Dovey opens the fight by diving in and pecking at the back of the boar. Angered, it releases a terrifying roar that freezes me for just a second. Regaining control of my body, I Plane Step into the center of the road. Sensing me, the boar immediately loses interest in Dovey and charges at me. I do my best to remain calm, and incant a Water Ball, which I promptly let drop right onto the ground. My theory proves to be right as I step to the side, and the boar continues on charging into the puddle.

After a few steps, it suddenly veers off to one direction and makes a panicked sound. The water on the ground causing it to have slipped. With a thunderous crash, it rams right into a nearby building, denting the metal frame. Using the opportunity, I jump up behind it and bring my hammer down in an <Anvil Strike>. Unfortunately, one blow won't be able to take out such a massive monster. I dodge away as it frees itself from the building.

Blood gushes out of its side where several of its bones have pierced through its hide from my attack. Hammers may not be good at classical damage, but damn are they good at fucking up internals. It is always hilarious, no matter how much armor one has, it doesn't matter shit if their gut gets rearranged from the sheer force of an attack. To my great displeasure, the boar does not seem to mind the injury that much. In fact, that only seems to have enraged it further.

Which is just fine, the lumbering thing is quite slow, after all. It charges at me again, and I prepare to roll to the side, aiming to get a shot at its leg. But, the instant I move to roll, it pivots. The fucking thing turns far faster than something of that weight should be able to, and crashes right into me–thankfully its tusks miss me. I am sent flying into the air, and crash through a third story window. Glass rains down around me, giving me more than a few cuts.

Luckily though, I land on some sort of cushioned chair, and quickly stand back up with only a broken rib I think. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. It tickles a bit, as the bone magically starts to set itself within my body. The rib snaps back into place, and I can feel all of the shards that just ripped through my gut head right back where they came from. Naturally, it hurts like one would expect it to.

But in the end, it hurts far less than if the wound stayed unhealed. So it is a tradeoff, temporary intense pain for less in the long run. I don't mull it over for long as I crouch over the edge of the now conveniently open window. I can't see it, but from the thunderous booms and shaking of the entire building, I would guess the boar is crashing around on the first floor. I hear something snap, and quickly leap out of the building. Just in time, as the entire thing comes crashing down.

Unfortunately for the boar, it does not survive tons of metal, glass and whatever other stuff these weird constructions are made out of crashing on top of it.

'Ding', you have slain [Mad Boar - Level 27]'Ding', Magic Smith has advanced to level 25. Stat points distributed. I sigh in relief and lean against a building for a second. My health only dropped to about sixty percent. Somehow, I think I am a bit tanky for my level. Probably due both of my classes giving vitality, as well as Luma. A growl comes from an alleyway to my right, and before I can react, I feel a sharp pain on my arm. As I turn my head, my stomach drops in horror as I see a wolf clamped down on my arm.

Its breath is hot, and for a moment I fear it is about to breathe fire, thankfully it doesn't seem to have that ability. [Lesser Wolf - Level 25] I scream and start flailing about, and in my panic I manage to land a solid kick to its side. It is forced to let go, and I orient myself just as the air splits. A blade of wind from Dovey cleaves into the monster's side, causing it to yelp in pain. But these damn monsters don't give a shit about pain.

So it leaps at me again, hastily, I raise my hammer and manage to throw it off to the side. In stark contrast to the boar, this wolf is fast, faster than me for sure. Scrambling backwards, I assess the terrain around me and duck behind a wall. When the wolf comes around the corner, my hammer is ready and I manage to hit it in the side of the head with a deafening crack of bone.

'Ding', You have slain [Lesser Wolf - Level 25]. I collapse to the ground and cradle my wounded arm to my chest. Reaching into my storage, I grab a health potion and chug it. Thank the goddess that I had the insight to ask around if anyone had some spare. Turns out, people were plenty happy to spare some to the 'great hero.' Some part of me recoils at getting rewarded for merely having the title and not having done much yet. But I am also a practical man.

If taking a few handouts is the difference between having ridiculously helpful potions and not, then the choice is obvious. The healing potion does its thing, and accelerates my natural healing quite a bit. I watch in awe as my arm just stitches itself back together. Something tells me that will never get old, no matter how often I see it. Though of course, I would rather be injured far less, I definitely need armor of some sort. As for the moment, I decide to do a bit of stat point allocation.

I put them all into health, as I feel my other stats are good enough for the moment. Sure, it may seem weird to put them into my second highest stat. But if I think about it, eventually I am likely to end up with lots of spirits and stuff. But none of those matter if I end up dead. So, health it is.

Stats Vitality: 152 Endurance: 61 Strength: 61 Agility: 78 Intelligence: 69 Wisdom: 63 Spirit: 135 Unallocated Points: 0 Resources Health: 1224/1520 Stamina: 247/610 Mana: 592/630 Spirit: 1249/1350 With that all sorted, I sink into meditation, with Dovey hovering around to keep watch for monsters. My injuries are all healed, even if my health is still a bit low. Plus it is important to keep all my resources high. When I am sufficiently replenished, I stand up and reorient myself.

Taking a glance at the projection, I see that the wave of people is making good work. A good five percent of the sixth ring has been secured. There are quite a few less people though, and I notice more than a few people lying about, unmoving. Yet, it does not say they are dead yet. Now, what kind of hero would I be if I merely let them bleed out? Or get picked off by a stray monster.

I am no saint, of course, but I do have light magic, and Carla–who's second class is apparently a light mage–shared a spell with me that I have been itching to try. With that in mind, I set off for the nearest person I can find that seems in need of assistance.