I equip my elvish spear in one hand and my staff in the other. If we’re fighting off a massive number of invaders, I want all the firepower I can muster.
While we wait for the first wave, I take the time to talk to Buzz about his farm. Town building has never really interested me, so I haven’t looked much into it.
“How do you know when you can upgrade or what kind of upgrade paths your farm can take?” I ask.
“It’s pretty simple, really. You have to learn the skill for building. Turns out there are skills for everything from crafting to cooking to fishing. Once my farm is upgraded enough, I want to specialize in breeding. I never knew there were so many ways to level up aside from killing monsters. Once you have certain skills, you’re able to spot material when you’re out in the wild. Wood, metal, and other resources. There are different building paths that you can choose to upgrade your property once you pick a base model. After that, you just gather and build. Sometimes there is a level cap for building, or in this case, a challenge you have to defeat. Different lands have different rules and requirements for building too. Like I said, it’s simple, but it can be super complicated if you let it.”
“Here we go,” says Talia.
Wave 1 flashes across my vision. For the first few moments, nothing happens, but then something begins moving in the distance. Tiny little dots scatter through the grass.
“The goal is to keep them from the farmhouse. If they destroy it, the quest is over,” says Buzz.
When I look at the small farmhouse, it now has an HP bar hovering over it. Alright, at least we know what we have to do.
Buzz pulls his sword, ready for battle. It’s a shortsword with an engraved pommel, which makes perfect sense considering the size of his shield. He will mostly block and then attack only if he needs to. With his wolf helm and giant shield, he looks like a force to be reckoned with.
Grayson taps his gauntlets together and they begin to glow, an orange aura surrounding them. He dances from foot to foot like a boxer ready for the big fight.
Behind me, Talia has an arrow knocked and pointed in the distance. Yellow tendrils of light wrap around the arrow like vines, continuously coiling.
Benji is the only one without a weapon drawn. A small dagger rests on his hip, but his power comes from his hands. From what I saw on our journey through the mountain, that’s all he will need.
The black dots cross the path we followed here and I can finally make out what they are.
Rat. Level 25. Rats are the plague of humanity.
Why is it always rats? A dozen of the creatures chitter and chirp as they approach.
“What the hell?!” screams Buzz. “They aren’t normally this high of a level. They must know I’ve got backup. Usually, the first wave is only five or six rats and they are the same level as me.”
“We’ll be fine. Three of us are around level fifty,” says Talia. “Everyone do your job and we’ll make it through this.”
That’s the thing I like about Talia. When the action gets going, she takes charge, boosts morale, and holds it down. She never points fingers unless it’s done playfully. It will be good to have her for this.
“You heard the woman,” says Grayson. He clinks his gauntlets together and charges the rats. “Hold the line!”
We all hold our positions and wait for Grayson’s clash with the first wave. His fists glow orange just as he launches himself into the air. It’s as if his gauntlet is pulling him forward when he collides with the first rat, killing it instantly.
The rest of the rats swarm in on him, but Grayson is already on the offensive, landing jabs and uppercuts as quickly as they appear, knocking the rats back and dropping their health in droves.
An arrow whizzes by overhead. Bright yellow tendrils snake out as it soars towards the battle ahead. The arrow lands in the earth next to Grayson. For a moment, I think Talia missed her shot, then the yellow tendrils reach out and wrap around four rats. The tendrils squeeze tightly before suddenly retracting and slamming the rats to the ground.
“You’ve got two seconds before they release,” she yells to Grayson.
He charges his gauntlets and attacks with the same move he started the battle with, and all four rats crumble to the ground. Not wasting any time, Grayson turns to face the remaining vermin. The rats stare him down with demonic red eyes. They hiss at him, their long pointy teeth bared in anger, and they attack. Seven on one, the odds don’t look favorable, so I take a few steps forward, ready to rush into battle if needed.
The rats have closed half the distance to Grayson when he raises his arms by his sides as if telling them to bring it on. In a matter of seconds, the rats will be on him. What is Grayson up to?
He brings his hands together with a vicious clap and a sonic boom echoes throughout the land. A beam of energy explodes from his gauntlets, smashing into the rats and leveling every one of them.
Wave 1 complete
Prepare for Wave 2
That was easy enough. We made it through the first wave with only Grayson and Talia getting their hands dirty.
“That was awesome!” cheers Buzz. He jumps up and down, clapping his hands. “You’re so awesome and you don’t even know it!”
I swear I see the edge of Grayson’s lips twitch when he returns to us.
“Thanks for the arrow,” he says to Talia.
“Don’t mention it. Nice awareness for the follow-up. The spell is called Arrow of Truth. It binds the four closest enemies and pulls them toward its center for two seconds.”
Grayson takes a mana potion and settles in beside Buzz once again.
Wave 2
Buzz lifts his shield and walks past us to the other side of the farm facing the woods.
“This time, they come from the woods. If we make it through this, I have no idea what comes next.”
It doesn’t take long before I see several orange, furry animals trotting in our direction.
Fox. Level 27. Sly and fast, these creatures can match wits with the best of them.
The rats weren’t that difficult, but I have a feeling these foxes will be. Foxes are quick and agile. If they are able to sneak past us, they could destroy the farmhouse without us even knowing.
The closer they get, the more their swift movements becomes apparent. Grayson charges out, using his gauntlet launch, but the fox evades his punch. The critters scatter to both sides of us.
Talia hits one with a speeding arrow and it tumbles through the grass. Grayson follows up with a hard uppercut leaving one less to deal with.
“No matter what, keep them away from the farmhouse,” I say. It doesn’t matter how many we kill if some of them make it past us.
A fox rushes at Buzz and when he tries to slash it with his sword, the creature leaps on to his shield and pounces over his head.
“Not so fast!” I say as I cast Lunging Strike. I land on the fox at the same time it touches the ground, stunning it in place. I stab my spear into its chest and Buzz follows up with a slash of his sword. Two down.
Benji has fallen back to the farmhouse and is using his battle magic to blast away foxes as they attempt to swipe at the structure.
“We need to fall back,” yells Talia. “They made it past us, now we have to defend the farm!”
The critters are fast, darting in and out of range. Hitting the farmhouse and retreating.
I focus on the building and its stats display at the side of my vision while I continue to fight.
Buzz’s Chicken Farm.
Level 2.
HP: 1957/2000
It has a hefty amount of health, but that doesn’t mean we can slack off when we don’t know how many waves there are.
If only there was a way to slow them down.
Of course!
“Get ready to kill as many as you can!” I tell the group as I cast Mud Pits.
Mud Pits. Cost 100 mana. Creates a field of mud pits, slowing your enemies attack, and movement speed by 50% for 20 seconds. Cooldown: 60 seconds.
Giant pools of mud appear around the farmhouse. It’s so small that they actually cover all four sides, slowing the foxes no matter where they try to attack. With half their speed gone, they are finally catchable.
Benji uses Cloud Burst to propel him from one fox to another, punching and kicking them to defeat. Talia uses another Arrow of Truth and Grayson follows up with a gauntlet launch, killing four foxes instantly. In the twenty seconds it takes the mud to disappear, we defeat them all.
Wave 2 complete
Prepare for Wave 3
“Good job, team!” Buzz congratulates us. “Take mana potions if you’ve got them. I’ve got a feeling things are about to get hairy.”
When I focus on the farmhouse, I notice it has gained a few health points, currently at 1963. It must passively regenerate over time.
“Is there any way to repair the farm?” I ask.
“I can repair it with material I have if we beat the quest, but the repair function is locked until the quest is over.”
A low rumble comes from the tree line and I feel a dull quake in the earth. We all take our positions right as a stampede of horned creatures bursts from the treeline.
Chapter Fifteen
Wave 3
The ground continues to quake as a herd of golden creatures stampedes towards us.
Peryton. Level 28. This hybrid creature combines the head and body of a stag with the wings and hindquarters of a bird.
They charge us with fury, black antlers pointed forward for attack. Beautiful golden plumage sprouts from the peryton’s back, displaying wide, powerful golden wings.
“Deer birds! Just great, we’re fighting deer birds,” says Buzz. He plants his shield in the earth and stretches his arms overhead.
“Don’t get scared now, Buzz. The fun is just getting started,” says Talia.
“I’m just limbering up!” he counters.
Several of the herd flap their wings and leap into the air.
“Talia, you’re on air patrol. The rest of you, focus on the ground attack,” I order.
The herd is so closely packed together that it’s hard to tell how many we are up against, but there are definitely more than the last round. Everyone begins casting their buffs and charging their attacks. The fight is on.
Grayson is the first to attack. He runs out and launches into the first peryton at the same time as it attacks with a swing of its antlers. There is a violent clash and Grayson is bucked to the side, taking a hard fall and losing a good chunk of health. The peryton, on the other hand, is down by half.
Talia fires arrow after arrow at the creatures soaring overhead. Their health ticks down with each shot.
Buzz has planted his foot in the ground just as the herd reaches our location. He casts a spell and a blue aura surrounds him. Two perytons lower their antlers and collide with his shield, coming to an abrupt halt. They shake their heads in anger, but they move in slow motion. While the creatures are slowed, Buzz repeatedly stabs them in the neck with his shortsword. In the two seconds it takes for the spell to wear off, both creatures fall covered in blood.
Alright, Buzz!
The rest of the herd bypass Buzz and come charging for Benji and I. Several energy beams zoom past me and explode against different perytons. I cast Mud Pits, Haunted Earth, and Waterfall in quick succession. The mud pits slow the herd, allowing Grayson and Benji to follow up with several attacks. Roots spring up from the ground, catching one unlucky peryton mid-stride and rooting him in place. Right as the roots release, a torrent of water floods down from the sky, wiping out half of its health.
I don’t waste any time jumping into the fray. Antlers clash against metal all around me and the grunts of man and animal fighting for survival fill the air. I cast Resilience on myself, increasing my attack speed, and use Lunging Strike on the closest peryton. While it’s stunned, I activate Ring of Power, doubling my attack for the next thirty seconds. I kill the creature with a few strikes and move on to the next.
Alert: Buzz’s Chicken Farm is under attack. Current health 1846/2000.
Two perytons have made it through and are ramming their antlers against the farmhouse.
Talia fires Arrow of Truth and both creatures are pulled back from the building and slammed against the ground, unable to move.
Benji carves a symbol into the air, his hands glowing a vibrant crimson. He uses Cloud Burst, propelling him rapidly towards the creatures. When he impacts with them, he disappears in an explosion of smoke.
When the smoke clears, both perytons are dead.
The remaining perytons, six in total, take flight.
They soar through the air, out of reach for all but Talia. She continues to pelt them with arrows, but they have grown wise and spread out their attack. Once she shoots at one, the remaining five dive for the farmhouse and attack. The farm won’t last much longer if we can’t stop it.
Buzz’s Chicken Farm.
Level 2.
HP: 1432/2000
Benji fires his energy blasts at the creatures, but his attacks move too slow and are easily evaded. Grayson removes his gauntlets and equips his revolver, firing shots into the sky. They are accurate, but do very little damage on the whole. I equip Grappler before realizing that its beams don’t work in this world.
“We need to do something fast or it’s all over,” I say.
Buzz stands helpless, looking at the perytons circling overhead. He has no abilities that can reach the creatures destroying his property. Forlorn, he simply shakes his head. Just like everyone else in The Boxes, he’s forced to stand by, unable to fight back.
No longer.
“Talia, can you use another Arrow of Truth?” I ask.
“Yes, but it’ll pull them to the arrow’s location. They won’t be able to move, but they’ll still be in the air.”
“That’s all I need. Grayson, put your gauntlets back on. We’re not losing the farm today.”
Talia nocks the arrow and fires it toward the perytons. It’ comes to a halt in the sky and yellow ropes of light reach out and grab the four closest, pulling them to its center and hovering in the air for the next two seconds.
I use Grappler’s grappling ability and aim my hook at the floating mass of bird-deer. It catches one by the antlers and locks into place. I retract it and they all come barreling towards me. Dropping my weapon to the ground, I stand back and cast Haunted Earth, rooting the area where they fall, and follow up with Waterfall. In the two seconds it takes for Waterfall to take effect, Grayson pummels the creatures with his fists. I go to cast Resilience on him, but nothing happens. I’m out of mana!
Grayson is able to finish them off without my help, but that leaves two perytons left and Buzz’s farm is at 1207/2000 HP.
“I’m out of mana,” I say.
“Me too,” says Talia.
The final two perytons are both at a quarter health, but without Talia’s magical arrows, there’s no stopping their attack. We can only hope to kill them before they destroy the farm.
Talia and Grayson fire their weapons at the winged creatures, sometimes hitting them, sometimes not. The lasers from Grappler don’t work in this world so I am forced to sit back and watch. It takes me a moment before I realize Benji isn’t attacking. I look over and see him casting a spell and then a round translucent shield surrounds him. The perytons aren’t attacking him, so what in the hell is he using a shield for?
“Benji!” I shout, but he ignores me.
His hands move in front of his face as he carves his spell into the air. Clouds form beneath his feet, building in pressure. He holds the spell until his knees are hidden behind a wall of white clouds. He holds it longer and the clouds begin to turn gray, almost as if they are growing angry. Longer still and they are a dark charcoal. Small bolts of lightning crack in and out of the cloud. And then he releases.
A thunderous crack echoes around us, causing everyone to stop attacking. Even the perytons are awestruck for a moment. The Cloud Burst sends Benji soaring
through the air like a bullet. His shield crashes with one of the perytons with such force that the creature’s health drops instantly and it tumbles out of the sky.
The force of the impact sends Benji even higher, like a Menehune pinball ricocheting off the peryton. Clouds are already forming around his feet as he descends towards the ground once more. He doesn’t hold the charge as long this time before he releases, but he doesn’t have to. The Cloud Burst explodes him into the last peryton at a closer range and this time, Benji cancels his shield right after impact and carves a spell into the air. An orange blast from his hands smashes into the creature and its body goes limp.
Wave 3 complete
Prepare for Wave 4
“Dude! That was awesome!” Buzz’s eyes are still wide with surprise. He runs up and gives Benji a giant bear hug, smothering the tiny man in his embrace.
“I agree. Smart thinking. Using a defensive spell as an attack.” Talia pats Benji on the shoulder. “And you too, Esil. Using your grappling hook like that was a brilliant maneuver. Everyone potion up. Wave four will be here before we know it.”
I use up the last of my mana potions as we wait for the next wave. The farm slowly regenerates, but currently only has 1250/2000 HP.
“Guys, whatever happens, thanks for doing this. It’s been a lot of fun,” says Buzz.
Buzz gave up hope in the last round. If not for smart thinking on Benji’s part, then we might have lost. But that’s why we have a team, to lean on each other when the going gets tough. I understand Buzz’s reasoning for setting his expectations low for this next wave. It’ll make it hurt less if we don’t succeed, but that’s not the man I know. The man who built a chicken farm in the land of gods.
“Whatever happens?” I ask. “We didn’t come here to tuck our tails between our legs. We came to protect your farm! We came to make you the chicken king of Asgard!” The rest of the group echoes my sentiment with chants of “chicken king, chicken king!” and I don’t know if I have ever seen Buzz smile so wide.
Buzz waves his hands through the air like a mock king addressing his people when the air suddenly grows chill.
Pangea Online: The Complete Trilogy Page 36