Trojan: An Epic LitRPG Adventure (Afterlife Online Book 3)

by Domino Finn

  Talon: Crux, report for duty.

  Crux: I'm a thief, Talon. I don't fight.

  Talon: Then lay some traps, dammit. What kind of self-respecting thief can't do that?

  Crux: ...You got me there. On my way.

  I hissed in frustrated relief. Every single Black Hat was gonna contribute to our defense or so help them.

  Stigg twirled his staff in beautiful destruction, buffing those nearby. "This wall's gonna blow any second!"

  "Leave it," I ordered. "Men, fall back along the road. Guard the west border of the headquarters. We have enemies in the ruins."

  Talon: Kyle, the wall's coming down. Forget about it. Switch back to turrets. This time line them along the west road. Keep two up top near the thoroughfare entrance to take on the bulk of their forces. Space the other two out to the south to defend the border.

  Earth: Dirt -> Shale

  The wall of shale chunked into pieces as the mercenaries broke through. A surge of rogues broke out in cheers and pushed ahead. Two turrets emerged from the ground and initiated bursts of fire, wiping their sudden cheers away. I scanned behind them for Hadrian or his shadows, but there was no sign of them.

  Spent 1 DP: Caltrops

  Spent 1 DP: Caltrops

  Spent 1 DP: Caltrops

  Crux: Uh, guys? Is that all we got? This isn't enough coverage.

  I brought up the headquarters display.

  Black Hat Headquarters

  Level: 2

  HQXP: 5 / 8

  HQR: 32

  Daily HQR Production: 14

  DP: 0

  Current Buildings

  Guildhall

  Brothel

  Barracks

  Lumberyard

  Vault

  Talon: Crap, we're out of juice.

  Kyle: No problemo, boss man. We can spend 2 HQR to purchase 1 DP.

  I grunted. It was a good scam the developers had going. We did have plenty of headquarters resources to go around, though. I converted all 32 HQR into 16 defense points.

  Talon: There you go, Crux. Line the caltrops under the eastern building windows to take care of those climbers. Then place a bunch on the main path north of the turrets. That'll slow down their advance while they're taking fire.

  Crux: Sounds good. After that I can cover the west road.

  Talon: Hold off on that until we see how much DP we have left. I have a feeling we'll need more handy for repairs. Kyle, check what other goodies we can build.

  Kyle: I'm not sure if there's anything else, but let me play with these menus some more.

  I swung my spear horizontally to break off an incoming attack. Stigg and Conan used similar maneuvers to stall the bandits. It was a sound strategy. Keeping them at bay was the opposite of a stalemate. Not only did we prevent incoming damage, but our archers and turrets transformed this assault into a game of attrition. All we needed to do was stay alive while our defenses did the work for us.

  Crux: Trouble up here...

  Lash broke away from the line. "I'm backing him up. I'll escort him through his drop points and get him back safely."

  I nodded as the knight cast one last buff over the line and charged through the territory.

  The Brothers in Black on the western front collected into pockets of soldiers. They ducked behind the ruins across the street to avoid being targeted by the turrets. Dune picked off a few as they peeked, but they were mostly biding time as newcomers reinforced their backfield. Soon they'd have the numbers to overwhelm us.

  "Fill the ranks!" I commanded, shuffling pirates and others south to thicken the line. This was gonna be a skirmish soon enough. My goal was to maintain order as long as possible.

  Hardened eyes squinted across the no-man's-land. The western front of Black Hat territory was bolstered by the majority of the faction. The dense ruins across the border street were brimming with rogues, a bramble of red dots on my overhead menu. The second wave would be an organized one. Muscles tensed. Weapons raised in the air. All at once, the cutthroats charged.

  So much for order.

  1450 Full Frontal Assault

  The enemy exposed themselves and rushed onto the road. Our people held back as the turrets fired into the crowd. The damage was impressive, but it couldn't stop simple herd immunity from protecting the bulk of the invasion. With screams of fury, rogues raced across the street, an unstoppable ocean meeting the coast. Our weapons clashed against theirs.

  Given their built-up numbers, it was looking closer to an even fight.

  Lash: We have vaulters coming over the river!

  I confirmed the bad news on the map readout. Just as with the rogues coming through the northern buildings, their numbers were small, yet not insignificant. While the main line of defense was no doubt along the road, these other interlopers needed to be dealt with.

  Talon: Ignore them for now. Get those caltrops placed along the northern front.

  Lash: The buildings are covered and working beautifully. Moving to the entrance.

  I paused, wondering who I could afford to lose on the line.

  A small goblin stood at attention on the roof of the brothel, stone hammer held high. "Ogreses charge!" yelled Jixa.

  The pack of brutes from the barracks stormed the melee. Fists smashed heads, knees cracked ribs; it was a lumbering dance of fury and strength that brutally overpowered the unprepared bandits.

  "Woooweeee!" yelled Trafford. "You jumpers are gonna need to get by me first!"

  I was startled to hear the buildmaster general in person rather than see him using party chat. I turned to the source of the scream and spotted the grumpy bastard pointing his arquebus from the roof of Dragonperch.

  Boom. Boom.

  He was covering the vaulters coming from the Foot. No way he could take them all on but it was a start.

  The ranger in green paused at my side. "He's gonna need support." He rushed off.

  I grimaced. I didn't like the thought of anyone alone out there. More red dots were skipping over the river than I was comfortable with. I ensured the line was holding against the main force before following Dune's lead.

  Sure enough, several serious threats had gotten through. A level 6 acrobat was the worst of the bunch. Dune and I took her together. The rest of the level 4s and 5s that had made it through Trafford's overwatch were easier to clean up.

  The river was still aflame, but just barely. There was only so long the alchemical burning could continue. To our advantage the water level was now low. Dune posted along the bank and took potshots at anyone else considering making the leap across. I checked the map. No more rovers in our territory. Hopefully the sparse defenders along the borders could keep it that way. I left Dune to his work and hurried back to the line.

  Kyle: Bad news. It doesn't look like we have more traps to build. I'm guessing we need to unlock them like the caltrops. I doubt we have the defense points anyway.

  With caltrop placements, we were so far down to 11. The traps were thankfully proving effective and Crux was going a little wild placing them. Luckily, with all the killing going on, we were scoring more defense points in their place.

  Kyle: What about playing with more socket combinations? Those placements are free.

  I checked our status.

  Socket Manager

  Feather: Dove

  Wind:

  Water: River

  Earth: Dirt -> Shale

  Unused: Bone

  Talon: Maybe, but we can't do without the turrets, we can't afford to fill the river, and we don't have much in the way of stock. Does the bone pearl fit anywhere?

  Kyle: I've tried. Base pearls need to fit into the socket's thematic category. Bone doesn't count as feather, wind, or water. I doubt earth would be different.

  Kyle: But maybe I can notch it on top of something else. Gimme a second.

  A warning sound brought me back to the map. One of the two turrets guarding the entrance was flashing red.

  Talon: Lash, there's a problem with a norther
n turret.

  Lash: I see it. It's taking a beating. There's a pack of cutthroats going at it hard. It looks like I can repair it for 2 DP.

  Crux: Sounds dangerous.

  Lash: Hey, we gotta get in the middle of that to lay these caltrops anyway, right? You good to go, Crux?

  Crux: Yup, ready to deploy at the entrance.

  Lash: Roger that. I'll clear a path, cast a shield wall. Stay behind me and throw the caltrops as I'm repairing the turret.

  Talon: I don't like this. I'll back you up.

  Lash: There's no time. This turret's about to bust.

  More blares warned of the impending destruction. This time both turrets blinked red.

  Talon: Damn it, I'm on my way. Hold off as long as you can.

  Lash: Hurry.

  I sprinted across my new headquarters, under construction and under siege. I couldn't yet say the area was beautiful, but it was mine. Ours, even, which made it especially valuable. We were building these ruins into something notable, and scores of players, NPCs, and mobs were fighting to protect it.

  I slowed as I neared the guildhall, cutting around the back. This was the foremost structure of the Black Hats, on the road right beside the entrance for all to see. Lash and Crux had to be nearby. Bodies littered the line of well-maintained buildings to the north, punctured by numerous caltrops. Many of the bodies had severed limbs, a clear signature of the white knight's cleaver. The two had done invaluable work.

  As I rounded the corner, my intuition skill flared. Indicators pointing behind me lit up. I brought the sum of my experiences together to react in a flash. With spinshield still overloaded, I activated tornado spin with less than a thought. The arc of my spear spun into a tight shield. Lightning crackled against metal.

  "Argh!" Poe's assassin needle flew from his grip. He clutched his hand in pain. "You son of a—"

  I triggered dash and rammed the point of my spear into his gut.

  Combo!

  You dealt 72 damage to [Poe]

  The assassin's health bar sank to half as he rolled out of my range and scooped up his weapon. He was lucky my deadshot skill was grayed out or he would've been hurting even more.

  "Poe!" I growled. "Up to your usual tricks. You ever considered tackling your problems head on?"

  "I'm an assassin," he spat. "A rogue, just like you."

  "Nothing like me."

  He coughed blood and twirled his dagger menacingly. "I've read your forum posts, Talon. I've seen your skills: darkvision, sneak, subdue. Don't pretend you're on any path other than assassin. It's only that legendary weapon that makes you any different."

  "Drop your weapon, I'll drop mine," I replied evenly.

  He sneered and vanished.

  I readied for an attack from any side.

  Poe's disembodied voice carried over the wind. "See, I'm thinking that waste of a skill point you call tornado spin has a long recharge time."

  I turned in a circle, waiting. He was dead-on about the skill cooldown. A full 2 minutes meant it was very nearly a one-and-done per combat encounter. If it hadn't been for my previous overloads, I could've surprised him with the separate spinshield skill. I almost drooled thinking about it. Unfortunately, that wasn't happening. I had no way of knowing when my skills would be available again.

  Poe materialized behind me. "Boo!"

  I dove away as his blade swept through my cowl. Reversing my spear, I came back for him, but he was gone. It was a helluva hide skill he had, no doubt aided by the assassin needle's +8 agility. It was the middle of a sunny day and he was disappearing in plain sight.

  My intuition rang again. That combined with my supposition that he would once again attempt a backstab prepared me for a proper crossblock. As his needle rang off my spear, I returned a blow that stabbed his leg.

  Combo!

  You dealt 44 damage to [Poe]

  He was gone before I could swipe again. I held my spear out and patiently waited for my dash timer to recharge. 5 more seconds.

  "Tick, tick," taunted Poe. "The end is nigh."

  My intuition warned me again. This time I sensed danger behind me and to my side. I hesitated long enough, confused by the changing danger notifications, that when Poe emerged from hiding right in front of me, I was caught completely off guard. The assassin jammed a knee into my elbow. I released the dragonspear as he shoved me.

  Agility Check...

  Pass!

  I tumbled onto my back. He grinned and kicked the spear away. And then he admired it for a second. "A nice prize to add to my collection." He raised the point of his enchanted needle. "But first thing's first."

  Lash: Sorry, Talon. Can't wait any longer. It's go time.

  I scowled as Poe hovered over me in a ready stance, savoring his victory. One good hit from his assassin needle would stun me and leave me nearly defenseless. I was counting on that overconfidence.

  As Poe leaned over me, I chuckled. "Sucker." My dash recharged. I surged upward, past his hungry blade's guard, and jammed my assassin needle right through his chest, all the way to the hilt.

  Surprise!

  Stun!

  You dealt 48 damage to [Poe]

  The bewildered assassin dropped his blade and stared at the identical dagger plunged through his heart. "H-how?"

  I snickered and withdrew the needle from his chest. "I told you I could beat you on even ground." No longer propped up by me, the rogue crumpled to the dirt. "Impressive damage considering I didn't use a sneak attack."

  "And you claim you're no assassin."

  I wiped blood off the needle and returned it to my inventory. In its place, I drew another weapon. "You're right, it's not really my style. I think I'm gonna kill you with a blade worthy of your vaunted reputation."

  Poe whimpered as I stuck him with my whittling knife.

  You dealt 3 damage to [Poe]

  [Poe] is dead!

  Loot:

  27 silver

  [Tiger Claws]

  Hey, now. Not only did the assassin lose his prized weapon before dying, but his random drop was a score. I finally had an upgrade to my regular climbing claws. I hastily scooped up the drops. Then I remembered.

  "Lash."

  I snatched the dragonspear and hurried around the guildhall. A large cluster of rogues bore down on Crux and the white knight. A yellow energy wall held reinforcements at bay, but only for moments at a time. Lash rolled heads and interfaced with the turret between swings.

  Spent 2 DP: Turret repaired

  With a free hand again, Lash re-equipped her body shield. Crux, mostly protected behind it, placed the second of three caltrops. The enemies in the area scattered.

  I rushed forward as fast as I could. Lash's energy barrier cracked. Cutthroats lunged forward. I needed ten yards to get there, ten seconds for a tornado spin. Too far, too late. Bravo Team was engulfed by enemies.

  Lash grunted mightily as blades penetrated her armor. The cleaver was ripped from her grip. She raised her black shield high and slammed it to the ground.

  [Lash] used Shieldquake

  The resultant shock wave knocked two thirds of the rogues off their feet. Lash was wounded, but she'd bought them enough time for the next step. Her eyes met mine. She could've gone for her cleaver. Instead, she barreled through the crowd in the opposite direction and repaired the second turret. Crux placed the final caltrops just before they were once again overwhelmed.

  Sprinting full bore, I planted the spear and vaulted clear over their heads, landing on the far side of the caltrops with a weapon slam. I fought off several blades as the seconds counted down, refreshed turrets firing away in support, then I cleared the area with a tornado spin. XP gloriously rolled in as I came to a stop. A last batch of ten Brothers approached from the thoroughfare. I turned my head to check how many had breached Black Hat territory.

  Two blades speared Crux's body as he attempted a retreat. Lash knocked the assassins away with her shield. She grabbed the thief and began dragging him to safety. More blad
es slashed the back of her legs. The knight tripped before she could reach the cleaver, but she heaved Crux forward as she fell. He dove for it, deftly scooping it up and tossing the heavy weapon back to her. The move left his back open to surrounding enemies.

  Brothers in Black closed in on Crux like a pack of alligators. His health bar sank to 0 in less than a second.

  I roared and dashed over the caltrops as the cutthroats converged on Lash. I bashed them away with my spear—one here, two there—but I was surrounded now too. Daggers came fast. My skill points were low and my main attacks were out of commission. Kicks knocked Lash's shield away. Blades hammered her plate. I killed another rogue as the turrets finished off two more, but the reinforcements were making it through, damaged but pressing for the kill. I put my back to Lash and resorted to crossblocks again and again to keep the baddies at bay, my skill points nearing empty.

  "Get out of here..." drawled Lash, too weak to fully stand.

  "FUCK THAT," I said, bashing knives away. "You've saved me more times than I can count. You got our defenses back up and repeatedly put the lives of your teammates above yours. I'm not leaving you behind."