Chapter 120 (2/2)

‘And,’ Glendel thought to himself. ‘It will happen tonight.’

Turning his attention away from Tykes’ lonesome figure, Glendel followed his ghosts, away from the forges, past the areas where the Numeral X was being challenged by the Squad ranked 11th, out towards the prairie area, where he found the Ghosthound.

For whatever reason, this was Glendel’s favorite time to watch the Ghosthound, the intense and driven man who made this town possible. He stood still, his hands casually wrapped around a spear, three strange creatures made of roots near him. Those root creatures each thrust out a spear, and then after a small delay, the Ghosthound himself followed.

This continued almost endlessly, every day, but Glendel loved it. Although his own power was incredible, and growing daily, when he looked at these strange root beings…

It just felt like magic. Real magic. In a way that Glendel, no matter how skilled he was, could never match. This was the level of the Ghosthound, who had created this town, and nurtured it to the 10,000 people city that it was approaching being.

But eventually, as it was his time to scout, he turned his attention away, flowing around. Finding nothing more of note, Glendel returned to himself.

4 other things of note had happened in the past 3 weeks, which could be divided into two groups. First, a pillar of light had appeared to their west, signifying that another village had been founded, without any assistance from the Ghosthound. Not a day later, two more appeared, to the Northwest, in a similar direction, but apart from each other enough that they were clearly separate.

After much debate, Donnyton’s council had decided that they would wait to send scouts in that direction. First because there was always the chance that the village would fall to its tribulation. Making contact before they passed that might be pointless. In addition, there appeared to be a large area in the middle of their Zone where monsters between the levels of 28 and 35 roamed freely.

It was one thing to defend a village from monsters of that level. It was quite another to wander out into a landscape you knew nothing about and attempt to survive, hounded by those monsters. So they decided to wait.

The second group of news was more happy. First, Sam proposed to Regina, and she said yes.

Then, choosing to eschew social norms, Annie announced to the world that she was pregnant.

Both of these bits of news also created excitement, for different reasons. First because there was going to be a huge celebration and party for the former. And the latter because basically no babies or toddlers had survived the arrival of the system. This baby would be Donnyton’s first, perhaps even the first of the whole Zone.

Glendel heard Daniel ask Dozer wonderingly if he thought the baby would get any bonuses for being the firstborn into the world, and was promptly punched in the gut.

There was also a push by Regina and Mrs. Hamilton to change their governing structure, but talks had stalled in recent days as they attempted to figure out how exactly it would work. In the meantime, Donnyton itself just buckled down and prepared for the night’s concert.

*****

Daniel looked around the table. “So we are in agreement? The Communications Array can be purchased?”

Everyone nodded, and Daniel did so, glad to finally have this. He opened up his menu immediately afterwards and was gratified to finally see the “Friends” option was open. Even more exciting was that it seemed there would be chat and parties available through this. There was even a social tab that displayed all individuals that you had encountered in the past.

Once the Communications Array had been purchased, it was possible to purchase “Communication Towers” which effectively gave people within the area a minimap that displayed different locations of import, allies, and enemies.

Daniel was practically drooling.

****

There was a secret here, Randidly knew. He carefully watched the rotation of the energies inside himself, seeking an answer to it. The grass grew, the rot came, ballooning outward. The fire came, burning it all away, leaving only ash-

But then Randidly frowned. He focused more, pressing his will upon the image, going closer to the ash. Ash was…

Ash was…

He could see it, glittering darkly on the ground. Although all of the biological matter was burnt away, leaving only carbon and trace elements…

It seemed as though those trace elements were slowly building up. With glittering eyes, Randidly focused closer, watching as the grass grew, it rotted away into a bulging mass of filth, and then was burned away.

Rot couldn’t consume the ash, and the grass didn’t grow off of the ash, it grew out of the ground and water. Instead, the ash remained, the refined little carbon bits from the burnt rot. So as he watched…

His Soul Skill was slowly spreading a layer of ash over this area where Aether dwelled. Of hardened and refined carbon and other trace minerals. But what was the point of that? What could ash…

Randidly opened his eyes, their green iridescent and foreign. Unless something could be planted in that ash. Unless that bed of ash could nurture something.

But then movement in the corner of his eyes, distracted him. He twisted sideways, noticing strange sigils forming on the ground around him. He stepped forward, using Footwork of the Spear Phantom, and the weeks of training paid off. He practically teleported 3 meters forward, out of the range of the sigils.

Except when he looked back, they were still there, all around him, as if they had followed him. And just like that, soundlessly, the spell activated, and Randidly disappeared.

*****

Dozer looked up, frowning.

Warning! The Tier III Raid Boss has spawned! Swiftly discover whether it spawned in the zone of you or your sister village, and hunt it down. The Village that earns the kill will be greatly rewarded. All villages who survive the Tier III Raid Boss will receive a reward. But be careful, for just like you, this Raid Boss has found its own path, and wants to walk it to completion.

‘Was it really that time already…?’ He wondered. But then he shook his head.

No rest for the wicked. The system was always throwing another monster in front of him that he needed to kill. Why would it be any different now?

In the distance Dozer heard the celebrations that had happened in the wake of Raina’s concert silence themselves quite quickly. It seemed everyone understood; their brief respite was over. It was once more time to focus on survival.

“Tsk, tsk, a single notification and you are already so serious. You already look like a father, with that grumpy face,” Annie said, yawning as she stretched, arching her back provocatively in bed. Dozer just grunted, turning away before he could get distracted.

“You shouldn’t fight like that.” He said simply, hoping she would listen to him, just this once. Annie was many wonderful things, but obedient was not one of them.

“Well obviously I’ll get dressed first.”

“No. You know what I mean.” Dozer said, turning back to her and frowning. “What if the baby-”

She stood and looked at him, her eyes round and sad. “What about you? Will you fight like that? Knowing your death means….”

She trailed off, and then just bit her lip. Not provocatively, just emotionally. And for the first time since they had met, Dozer saw fear in her eyes.

And immediately after that, he was hit with a wave of panic. He was 20! And going to be a father? And he had to fight monsters? Teach other people to fight?

It was strange how quickly his life had changed. In the past, Dozer would have gone out and hooked up with some random chick, fucking her until his cum drowned out his worries. But now, he could only close his eyes.

They really couldn’t back out now. So he opened his eyes and tried to smile, saying,. “...alright, but be careful. And stay near me.”

Annie nodded meekly and walked into his embrace, her fingers going to the spot the spell from the Ghosthound had ripped a hole in his bicep as Dozer protected her. They stood like that, silent and still, for several minutes, until the summons from Glendel’s ghosts arrived.

Then Annie flounced herself, doing her best to lose contrite in his field of vision, but his enhanced perception told Dozer she moved much more animatedly away from him. He knew that she played it up around him, but he also knew that she truly felt fear.

Annie was not a simple woman, Dozer thought as he hefted his huge club over his shoulder, but she was his. That’s all he needed.