by Naosu N R
And then we see the darkling loot also.
The loot is from them having killed each other. A massive skirmish had taken place. But it sort of scared us that we'd not noticed this, combined with Miguel messing up also on the same night.
Unlike humans, monsters might not retreat even with losses. They are driven by primal desires and needs much easier than their ability to think and reason, unless they are really smart monsters.
And I suppose anything is possible.
We considered what to do carefully.
"If its like this, we can't come back here. This place is way to freaking dangerous. We have to have a new camping spot very far from here," Shelly warned me.
"Shelly's right," Mandy said.
"I second that," Melanie told me.
The others nodded.
"So what do you want to do?" Melanie asked me.
"We could try something else then. We won't come back here," I said.
The others nod.
"So it looks like both groups actually found us and head a huge free for all killing each other last night for the right to hunt us," Simone finally concluded.
"Let's leave...like yesterday," Shelly added.
"Do you agree with her?" Miguel asked Mandy.
"Why wouldn't she?" Simone interjected.
Mandy looked around a bit. But then finally nodded. "It does look like that's what happened. But it seems there were more zombies than darklings and they won."
"Why do you say they won?" I asked.
"Darklings are sentient. And they would have taken the loots. But the zombies wouldn't, not necessarily. And most of the loot is still here," Mandy chuckled.
"I wonder if the darklings had some ability to cloak the sounds going on in the area also. That worries me more," Melanie told us.
That freaked out the others with visible physical reactions.
"Shit, they are sentient?" Miguel exclaimed.
"Of course they are. Why do you think they are so freaking dangerous!" Shelly exclaimed.
We lost a good 20 minutes clearing more zombies but then collecting the darkling corpse loot from last night's fight. We avoided anything that looked like a bio-hazard, but this is how dungeon work works. We can always sterilize this stuff later using campfires.
Yes!
We got free cash! Only its not Earth US dollars, but some kind of dungeon dollars. Losing our camping spot had an unexpected bonuses!
I'll have to count it later. Doing it now while we're exposed in a dangerous spot is too difficult.
I stashed it in my bag. But there were reminders from Shelly not to take any without a 'public' accounting of it later.
We'd been in too much of a hurry to worry about how much it was. We wanted to get out of there before other undead come.
We ended up stopping to take a rest after that.
...
We began skirmishing undead right away but trying to conserve our energy as best as possible also.
We stick with what works also. Small groups, heavy scouting, avoiding blind spots, and very careful alertness to watch our surroundings constantly. Also we don't have anyone wandering off alone, even if its for bathroom breaks.
Umbrella shield enchant device tanking with stun combos to control aggro while the others safely peel them off. Also using the dungeon detection program to avoid big clumps.
Everyone is sweating hard, but more from stress of the worry about a life ending 1 shot bite than from real exertion.
"Whoa, that was close," Shelly said one time when she used her undead attack skill to save Mandy from a bite.
Damn.
I don't want to owe her.
Oh well, technically I'd already saved her a lot.
Today Melanie insists on being the baggage carrier, because she says my strength is needed to 'tank', even if I'm a mage. She took the pack frame that has much of my stuff in it.
Simone agreed with her. And volunteered to take it.
But Mandy and Shelly stopped her. If she's working baggage then she won't be achieving 'using skills for the desired dungeon class'.
Shelly insists we have to get Simone to level 10 today! Or bust!
"Do we need to be anywhere for the class change? Or need any special items?" I asked.
"Nope. The status screen setup is all we need. She has that. And its been growing as she's being saturated with dungeon mana and XP," Mandy said.
"Really?" I asked.
"Show him," Mandy said.
Simone opened it up again.
I was surprised again.
Simone's status screen has grown significantly. Its no longer the bare bones 'DOS' like black and white system, but starting to look very cool and with lots of color and tech into it, like a more primitive version of mine.
...
We'd been steadily clearing zombies through several buildings when it happened.
Normally, we use the map 'dungeon enemy detection' skill exclusively to move around. Without it, everything is suicide.
But sometimes I wonder if there's a way to make it so the detector will show me different species of dungeon monsters, instead of just 'red dot', 'blue dot' (allies), and 'violet dot' (bosses).
We often have to back up and go around. Footwork is meticulous.
We slashed through several mobs.
Huh?
Mandy used a quick step skill to sprint fast 10 steps in nearly an instant! Then she does an overhand chop fast before the zombie noticed her and stabbed its spine.
It dies.
"Hey what skill is that?" I asked.
"You mean the [Quick Step] skill? Or another movement skill? There are technically many kinds of fast movement type skills. Or like the [offensive chop] that I did?" Mandy replied.
"Actually I was wondering that too," Simone said.
"Yeah the [Quick Step]. I saw her doing it. its a speed burst skill using mana. But you can't use it that much because the mana cost of using it all day isn't sustainable," Shelly told me.
Shelly knows about it.
"Yeah, that's the one," I confirmed.
"I can show it to you, but it probably won't let you learn it as a mage," Mandy said.
"Would Simone be able to learn it?" I asked.
"Not without more mana she won't. But after class change it should be one of her first skills as a ranger. They are a 'light fighter' hybrid class after all. Its very useful for using it with a [defend], and [cover] skill to save an ally. Or with the adventurer class [Intercept] skill, also works," Mandy said.
"Wow, there's so many skills," Simone said.
"Using them in the right order and combinations is important too. This will open up for you soon," Mandy coached. But then she added, "nobody really knows how many skills there are. Many new ones come up all the time."
"Actually I didn't learn quick step. Can you show it to me also?" Miguel asked.
It ended up being a stop and learn session.
As an archer, Miguel does still need this skill, but because he's not on the front line he never had a chance to learn it.
Mandy went ahead and taught it to him.
Simone couldn't get it to work, which doesn't surprise me because it costs mana. She stumbled a bit trying it, almost but not quite skinning her knees.
I guess it was a good use of time, but I guess my being dour is because I'm a bit spoiled that I personally didn't get gains. (Melanie and Simone don't have access yet either.)
But its a limited skill.
Quick Step can only be used once per 5 minutes for people like Miguel. But for Mandy she can use it once per 2 minutes.
...
We raided another sporting goods store. It took a bit of time to clean out.
But by doing so, we'd gotten 11 more arrows for Miguel. Also we got him some bow maintenance supplies, which he said he badly needed.
+1 pair of combat boots...but I had to give them to Miguel.
Jeez, his gear was in bad straights.
His old ge
ar was a pair of worn sneakers with holes worn into them.
Now he's threatening to adopt me.
...
Around 1 PM, Shelly asked us to stop so she could use the bathroom.
We waited.
And then waited.
And waited.
Then we found she'd been looting a store next to us by herself.
Mandy wanted to punch her for being a selfish jerk.
The others aren't happy that she was taking advantage of us. We'd also had to wait so long for her that we were mad.
Melanie asked me later, if I knew how many times she'd done this already that we hadn't noticed. Its a good question that I didn't know the answer for.
...
We'd been hunting for awhile when it happened...
"Help! Please! Can you help me!" someone said.
They approached us.
"Its a survivor! Whoa!" Miguel exclaimed first.
"Who are you? Are you OK?" Simone asked.
"We can help you. What happened?" Shelly asked first.
A young man had approached us.
He looks wounded.
Shelly applied heal skill casts on him.
"T-thanks! But can you help my team also?" he asked.
"There's more of you?" Mandy asked.
"Hurry, please! If we're going to save them we can't wait," he exclaimed.
Damn it.
Before I could issue orders it seems like my team is following him down an unfamiliar alley that we hadn't explored yet.
We keep running for a bit to follow him.
Remarkably the zombies are already cleaned out of this area and street section. Plus, there's a lot of side walls and such between buildings to make it so they can't get in.
But the place feels pretty dark.
"Its just a bit further. Please hurry! They don't have much time," this guy increases his speed.
Weird...
He's pretty fast despite being wounded.
And then just like that we're in an open plaza area.
I heard a door slam somewhere but didn't see where. And the guy who led us here is gone.
"Huh? What the hell is this?" Mandy asked first.
As we got into the plaza, I see the new problem right away. Being from my clan, we watch for this kind of move often.
We're surrounded. And not by zombies. Its a trap!
This guy lured us into the trap of another group of adventurers.
The plaza is surrounded by this other group of armed people, standing above us on shop roofs or nearby, ready to move against us at any signal.
"Th-this isn't good," Melanie frowned.
The guy who led us here also is naturally gone. But I can't help but notice one of the guys standing against us looks like him. Possibly a relative?
Damn.
We're in trouble now.
Chapter 33
"This is how you repay us? With betrayal?" Mandy shouted.
We'd just walked into a trap. And we're surrounded.
The 5 guys in front of us are now all armed also. They are standing up on the second floors above us, surrounding this plaza. Its...defensibly a very difficult position for us, giving them a big advantage.
The one in the lead looks scary. Something's wrong with his eyes, not so much physically, but internally my mind reminded me that this is the look of someone with no soul. (Did the others realize that? I might have picked it up because of my higher INT and WIS stats, than the others.)
This plaza area is like a small section of land clustered in the middle of a bunch of buildings and walkways. But it'd been also boarded up.
My eyes scanned the area for cover and defensive positions rapidly, plus escape routes. But I also tried to not let on what I just did.
Not good. There's only one spot that can even do a little. And I'd need my shield skill out to even get that to work. It will be hard.
And around us 5 of these guys have surrounded us.
"Guys, this isn't good," Shelly said.
The lead guy, the guy in front of them is a guy dressed in black wearing what looks like some kind of chief like headdress, and looking like a 'bandit prince' is in the front position facing us. To his right and left...
Are these bandits?
They look like adventurers dressed similar to bandits!
But then I was surprised also when I see that 2 of them are women, walking up from behind to join the other 5, coming from some back roof hiding spot. They sort of remained in the back, but its clear they are combatants also and armed.
I heard Shelly swear, when she saw them coming forward to join the other enemies.
But at least they haven't attacked yet.
"This isn't good," Simone whispered.
The redheaded guy in armor to the right of the bandit prince dressed leader. They were whispering something and nodding at me. (Did they figure out I've got enchanted gear? Sometimes non-mages can detect magic and enchants also, sometimes via items they stole.)
"Guys..." Melanie looked stressed out.
"Oh shit," Miguel cringed.
"Drop your weapons and loot, and we'll let you go. Don't throw away your lives and we'll let you go," one of the guys on the left side. This one, has dark black long hair and wearing leather armor, as a light fighter. His armor despite being some kind of leather is a monster processed leather making it very durable.
A light fighter? What are the other classes?
Their speech sounds almost mocking also. That means, I'm sure they won't really let us go.
The bandit prince leader is the one to fear really, I thought.
"Um... oh no," Miguel said.
I turned my head.
The bandits had activated some kind of lever mechanism and a home crafted welded portcullis like device dropped behind us blocking our exit.
"There's no way they'll let us go. Plus, there's blood stains here from the other teams they trapped here," Mandy said.
"Kill them," the bandit prince signaled to his own forces. He didn't even flinch, but rather than seeing that from the point of him having no fear, I'm seeing it like it looks like he's done the kill orders before on others. He seems to not even care about life at all, other than weapons and who is a weapon he can use.
I hit my umbrella damage absorption skill right away to absorb enemy damage. With the quick reflexes skill I'd gotten it out faster than the others, on both sides.
Just like that everyone is grabbing their weapons on both sides.
"Concentrate your fire on the two guys surrounding the prince. I'll take care of the others," I warned.
Shelly activated an unknown skill!
What?! What is this skill she just used?! The effect going off gave alarm bells in my head, signaling it to be a huge skill of immense mana power. The light it gave off was bright also.
She was hiding this maybe? It appears to be some form of temporary defensive shielding, similar to a mage mana shield! Awesome!
The enemy range fire is being blocked by it.
"It won't hold long. And I can't use this often because it takes huge mana! After this I'll be useless for awhile, with only a bit left for heal mana!" Shelly whimpered.
The enemy arrows are frustrated as they hit the weird shielding skill she did.
Miguel hits one of the guys on the right in the arm, who screamed.
We rushed to the best defensive spot available. Simone and Melanie are huddled behind me trying to avoid getting hit. Both of them don't have enough skills to help, plus we don't have a lot of range skills.
I used my flashlight on the bandit prince's left hand man, hitting him with the [blind] skill. Success! Caught him right in the face.
"Fuck! They've got some weird skills!" the right hand man cried signaling to the bandit prince in alarm while panicking. He also was in mid-swing so he was trying to not cut his own face or body. If we hadn't been in a deadly fight, it might have been funny watching him flail around uselessly looking stupid.