Chương 36: Executioner

"Hero." Carla calls out, snapping me from my torpor. Several hours have elapsed of her just scribbling on the board, so I may have gotten a bit sleepy. I haven't been sleeping much lately, on account of all the ridiculous stuff that has happened back to back. Hard to think it's only been a short while since I was forging away peacefully with Claire.

"What's up?" I ask as I rub the sleep from my eyes.

"You said you have a skill to get a message to the people? How does it work? How far can it reach?" I open up the menu for Spirit Hero's Divine Command again. My first usage of it was quite crude, and now I look at what all the skill can do. Should I wish, I can specify range, level range, and even general class of the message recipients. I can even send multiple messages out at once, each with different criteria. Which is what I think I want for this case.

After explaining this to Carla, she hmms, and then pulls out several sheets of paper. She furiously scribbles a bunch of messages on them. Once done, she hands them to me.

"Send those messages, with the criteria I wrote down for each." Taking the papers, my jaw drops. Each one carries a detailed plan tailored to a specific group. For instance, those in the level thirty to forty range are to gather up around the southern wall of the sixth ring–which is where we are. They will be under command of someone I don't know, who will lead them and stuff. The other groups will gather in the other directions, and make progress until we clear the sixth ring.

Then they will charge further in, doing whatever needs to be done on the way. As for me, well I think I will just kinda jump in and start smashing stuff? Carla just told me to do whatever, as she cannot really predict how useful I will be. Which is fair enough, spirit mages are quite rare, as she has confirmed. As for the rest of the plan, it has detailed points for how they will move into the city and work to take it back.

Even down to details about the highest level people gathering together to charge into the heart of the incursion, once we have stabilized the other bits. Heck, she even remembered those that are lower level. Ordering them to stay outside of the city, and form the perimeter and start clearing the surrounding territory. All of it, to the tiniest detail, is laid out. She even figured out a way to succinctly include rough information of current monster positions.

What is most shocking is that all of it is easy to understand. Even for me, I can quickly read it and not be confused at what I would need to do. It is so good that the simplest person with literally no intellect could figure it out.

"Oh, and at the top of each one, add this message." She hands me another piece of paper. On it is written the classic 'I am a hero, please comply, etcetera.' She even added in the warning about the stat boost I asked her to. I set the papers down, "This is genius."

"It is merely what I do. Now, stop wasting time, we have a city to take back." Opening up the interface, I do just that. Luckily, the skill even comes with a handy tool to copy a message from paper right into the interface. Damn, the goddess has really though of everything, huh. I assemble the messages, set the criterias and then send them all out at once. I watch those gathered in the tent as they snap to attention and start reading the message.

Giving it about a minute, I then open up the aura's menu and switch on the stat boost. The effect is instant, as I feel energy radiate out from me, it spreads out in a wave, and I quickly lose track of it. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. But the projection shows it washing over the entire city, and most of the infested territory outside too. A flat twenty percent base stat bonus is crazy I think.

The reactions of those in the tent sure lead me to that conclusion, anyways.

"Woah, I feel like I could shoot through a mountain!" Lauri says, drawing an arrow only for Pol to stop her.

"Please not here, we have work to do, idiot." He scolds, yet I can see him flexing his muscles and stuff. I wonder if it's going to be hard for them to adapt to the increased stats, they seem far more experienced. I haven't really noticed when my stats jumped other than the sheer qualitative power. But I also haven't spent that much time fighting, and honestly, my technique kinda sucks. But these are warriors that have fought for years or decades even, to jump so suddenly must be a massive shift.

Something tells me they will get used to it quickly, though. Both because it is a divine skill, but also because there are monsters to slay. The shock only grows as everyone turns to stare at the projection of the city. Thousands of dots corresponding to people start to slowly move. Eventually converging together as they rush towards the designated meeting points. A few people do seem to ignore the command, which is fair enough.

They don't have to follow what I say, and no one is going to fault them for it, I don't think. The thundering of people approaching can be heard outside the tent. So naturally, we go to check it out. As I glance over the wall, I realize that my expectations may not have accommodated for the sheer scale of combat we are about to engage in. For tens of thousands of warriors are currently approaching. The warriors come in all sorts of forms. From the rarer catkin, elf and such, to the classic humans.

I spot one person that really sticks out. I don't know much about the other races, but I think they must be fey–a hybrid though, naturally. All of them are around the level thirty mark, which makes sense. They are following Carla's orders that I sent out, after all. Within about twenty minutes, the barrier is overflowing with people. If I am being poetic, I could say that a blade hangs over the incursion's throat. Yet, for some fucking reason, I am the one set to give the order for execution.

Like seriously, why me, of all people? I get the goddess had her reasons and whatnot. But this is all just bloody insane. Like, what if a hero goes rogue and starts blowing shit up? Or what if they simply break under the pressure? I am shocked that I am somehow doing this. Under normal circumstances, I would've lumped myself in with a group that would crack under this much pressure. Naturally, my mind ends up thinking about what the goddess or system must be like, making me more calm or something.

Yet, I get the impression that is not something she would do. I of course still doubt that the goddess is some perfectly good entity and whatnot. But this whole world seems to have several features that ensure people retain their free will. So, while I do think there has been some manipulation to make me adapt to the system faster and whatnot. I realize that I might not be giving myself enough credit. I was a pretty decent adventurer in my old world, after all.

That takes guts, and thinking back on it, I always did sort of center the parties I was in. Perhaps it has something to do with me being a smith. Calder did say I was a metalhead, and perhaps he meant it in a more complimentary way. Maybe all those hours hammering away have shaped more than just the metal. Still, all this introspection and whatnot does not change the fact of what I must do. These people trust me, as a hero. What that means is still unclear to me, but I can tell that it is important.

So, I should do my best to not misplace their trust. It is far too late for me to run away now, even if a small part of me still wishes to. I doubt that part will ever go away, so I will just have to work in spite of it. Carla walks up behind me as I look out at the gathered soldiers. She places a hand on my shoulder.

"You good?" I turn towards her and stare for a moment, before laughing.

"Abso-fucking-lutely not. But that really doesn't matter, does it?"

"Ha, well you know that much at least. Honestly, I am bloody shocked you aren't freaking out right about now. Most would, in your situation." From one as experienced as she clearly is, that is quite a compliment.

"Oh trust me, behind this beard, I am freaking the fuck out."

"Fair enough. Just never let those you command figure that out." Carla says, her voice a bit distant.

"For the moment they do, everything falls apart…" I could pry further, but I choose not to. I'll just take the advice to heart. I straighten myself.

"Well then, we better get this party started. Before this mask of mine slips off and everything goes to shit." She slaps me on the back.

"We may have just met, kiddo. But something tells me you are going to go far."

"I sure hope so." I say and then open up the command screen one more time. Inside, I enter just two words: Slaughter time. I just hope that it is the monsters that end up being slaughtered, and not us.