“Keep an orderly line! What’s the status of that damned pack leader?”

  “Sir! Half the Realmers have made it out. System portal allocation is at 30%. The alpha took out two adventurers and three buildings, but it’s bleeding hard.”

  “Shit! Pause the evacuation, send a Realmer asking for reinforcements instead. Keep the portal locked into Morteles and send an internet wire through. Tell them to use their secondary portal to bring in the best realm threes. We need crowd control and some heavy hitters for that damned blacklister. Get the remaining Realmers into the shelter. What happened to Ken?”

  A Realmer hurried through with the instructions back to the portal. Another Realmer stepped up with a tablet.

  “Seems like he lost the fight, Ken’s dragging the other [Warrior] with him but is avoiding getting closer to the herds.”

  “At least he’s still alive. Why hasn’t he reported back?”

  “Well, uh, the blacklister, um, seems to have stripped him sir. Kenheart is operating with one dagger and uhm boxers.”

  For the first time since the black alert was reinstated, the head receptionist paused. He shook his head

  “Use a drone to send him a phone. We need the intel and he needs to get back here as soon as he can.”

  “Already on the way sir.”

  –

  Ryan harassed some of the amperdons that had broken off to the side to shove them back to Lazhen. Then he was hit with a major wave of deja vu.

  “Oh right, I’ve done this before.”

  “What? Tried to kill an entire town?” Gamielle asked.

  “No, just in the Trial, I herded a bunch of soldiers and made them fight to the death. Also it doesn’t look too bad, I think all of the Realmers got out.”

  Ryan occasionally peeked over the hill to see how Lazhen was faring. The town’s walls had a huge hole in one section where the amperdon alpha had spun into it. Quite a few of the herd followed their leader and forced a somewhat controlled battle in the town.

  “Half of the Realmers haven’t made it out, they’re just in a shelter. And you can’t see it.”

  “Ah damn, I should lighten up then.”

  Gamielle hovered around him, frowning. She still had no idea what he was doing and the confusion was clear.

  “Okay, mind cueing me in here. What are you doing?”

  Ryan grinned at her. Gamielle was clearly getting sick of his antics.

  “I swear if you make a stupid joke or keep telling me to watch I’m going to–”

  “Alright, alright, I thought it was obvious.”

  Ryan coughed, he looked at the Witch hovering behind him giving him a curious gaze and he stuck out his chest.

  “Well, the Manager said that the final piece isn’t Mezhar. Who’s to say it’s me?” Ryan spread out his arms, “I know who I am, I’m just a random guy that used to work at a Manaburger, I’m nobody special. Maybe it isn’t me, but somebody else, like Kenheart over there, now that guy’s crazy.”

  Gamielle was starting to understand what he was doing.

  “So that bet to the [Assassin]...”

  “That’s serious, kinda. Adventurer’s duels need stakes for achievements. What’s a bigger stake than finding out about the apocalypse? If I keep winning then you’ll all get the Legend you want. If I lose then they get a huge boost in achievements.”

  “Until you make a single mistake and someone ends up killing you.”

  Ryan just shrugged, as if the idea of dying wasn’t that big of a deal. It really wasn’t if you thought about it. Dying pointlessly? Now that was a shame.

  “Well then I’ll just be dying to someone that I like. Anyone else? Well, they won’t even get the chance.”

  If he found adventurers he didn’t like? Well they’d get the Latarro treatment or worse.

  The Witch Tyrant’s eyes were unfocused, either she was watching something else or she was reminiscing.

  “. It’s been done before. It did not end well.”

  “You’re talking about the superhero generation right? Well of course that didn’t work, they were trying to be heroes and villains, we’re .”

  At first the idea of superheroes fighting villains seemed like good fun. Increasing achievements by challenging each other and raising each other up. It lasted for less than ten years. When a villain snapped and started killing by the tens of thousands.

  On Earth.

  The Witch snapped her attention back at him, she no longer looked like she was reminiscing.

  “? Did I not explain what they were?”

  Ryan laughed in her face. The Witch Tyrant didn’t change her expression but he knew it bothered her when he treated her like an idiot.

  He gave her a sweeping bow.

  “Congratulations, Witch Tyrant, even subconsciously you make the wisest of decisions. You truly are an impeccable ruler.”

  The Witch Tyrant couldn’t let such a sarcastic comment stand.

  “Five of those adventurers are dead from your first attack, two more from that alpha amperdon’s rampage. They are about to lose the system portal. If your goal was to show the worth of these then you have failed.”

  Ryan faltered, then sagged.

  “My skill wasn’t supposed to do that… were any of them realmbound?”

  “Does it matter? Do you think you are righteous simply because you believe yourself to be? In the end you will stand on the bones of the dead. No different than everyone else.”

  Ryan glared at the petty Tyrant.

  “Well I’m just a random guy! I’m not a genius or some talented prodigy. I’m searching for a way that doesn’t end with you burning both my worlds down. For a world that doesn’t end because a thinks chaos is the answer to her problems.”

  Ryan savored the expression on the Witch Tyrant’s face. She hadn’t expected him to have seen through her plans so thoroughly. The Witch was finally realizing that this whole show wasn’t for the world, it wasn’t for himself.

  It was for the Witch sowing chaos after taking a sign from a manipulative Manager.

  Ryan did not falter from the impossible tasks ahead, he was just taking it in a different direction than she had been expecting.

  For a moment there was a flicker of hesitation from the Witch Tyrant.

  “You are naive and lacking information but… it’s acceptable. Just remember, if you fail to progress or die in your goals then don’t expect anything less than another true war.”

  The Witch vanished as she said her piece. Ryan let out a breath.

  “That’s her way of encouraging you, good job!”

  “Thanks Gamielle.”

  –

  The amperdon alpha spun as its backside collapsed another building. It was tired, angry and desperate. At first it had allowed the dangerous two legged adventurer to move its herd into other herds.

  It had made its herd bigger and stronger.

  It fought the other herd leaders for dominance and had won using its special move. It now had the biggest herd ever. It had been happy for the two legged to keep sending them into other herds. Each addition to its herd made it bigger and tougher, soon it would crush the puny two legs in another battle for dominance.

  It had thought it was close. Even the biggest predators did not dare to attack their herd now.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Too late had it realized the scary two legs had sent them to fight the other two legs for him. They weren’t scary but they were so quick and annoying.

  One of its eyes was gone and lots of pointy sticks had stabbed into its back. But the alpha amperdon did not stop and retreat. It couldn’t

  The amperdon alpha could sense it, its beautiful green grass vibrated in anticipation.

  Something in the middle of the two leggeds’ den was singing to it.

  It promised something… something more!

  –

  “It’s going for the system portal. Why the fuck isn’t it down yet?!”

  “I unloaded my entire clip, the hide is too thick.”

  The alpha was huge, over three times the size of a regular amperdon. Undoubtedly growing by the primitive tribal magic of the herd. If this monster reached the center of town it would take the portal and then they’d all be dead.

  A full magazine of sniper rounds had penetrated its hide but did nothing to slow it. A skill enhanced spear penetrated its underbelly but had just added to the fifteen other spears in its hide. None had penetrated deeply enough for a true deathblow. The amperdon raised itself on its hind legs.

  “It’s spinning! Dodge!”

  The amperdon came in like a terrifying wrecking ball, a spinning spiky wrecking ball. A ridiculous skill that the amperdon had picked up from somewhere.

  One of their [Warriors] had tried to block it with a skill.

  Now they were dead.

  A gunshot rang out as the amperdon started spinning faster.

  “Eyeshot! It’s blind now!”

  The head receptionist pumped his fist in the air.

  “Yes!”

  The [Savant Mage] looked on in concern.

  “Guys, it’s not stopping.”

  The amperdon slammed right into the building that housed the system portal. The building shook but did not collapse. It was a good thing the building was specially made. Enchanted, though reduced in power due to it being a leveled zone–

  The amperdon started rubbing against the enchanted walls. The magical grass on its backside started shimmering against the enchantments, magic against magic. Some of the enchantments started losing their form.

  The adventurers desperately piled on the damage.

  There weren't enough of them, most of them were still guarding the shelter and diverting the rest of the herd.

  The first cracks on the enchanted walls began to show, they spread out like horrifying spiderwebs, snapping the magical enchantments one by one.

  The amperdon stepped back, ready to give another good hipslam and finish the job.

  The adventurers stopped their futile attacks, wondering if they should be turning around to flee instead.

  The amperdon stomped on the ground and–slipped.

  [Adaptive Terrain: Low Friction]

  It splayed on the ground, confused. The herd leader squealed as it tried to get up then slipped again on the slippery floor.

  “Well that’s the meanest ugliest amperdon I’ve ever seen.”

  An orc woman casually walked out from the door at the side. She stared at the giant monster that had caused all the carnage. The angry amperdon alpha tried to stand up and slipped again as it honked in frustration.

  Valee scoffed then booped the alpha on the snout.

  “Sorry beastie, looks like I have you countered.”

  “Is that Valee? They sent her?”

  Someone whispered from ahead. Valee looked up and scowled at the tone but didn’t say anything.

  “Yeah, sorry for being late, I had to beat up a bunch of people that thought they should go instead of me.”

  An elf walked out from behind her, he had a simple tunic and a longsword. The [Swordsman] looked disapprovingly at the other adventurers.

  “You let this one get so close to the portal?”

  One of the adventurers coughed in embarrassment and called out.

  “We didn’t have a skill that could stop it. It was a good thing you two arrived. I thought we used up all the portal allocation already.”

  Zedart shook his head in disapproval again. He swung at the angry amperdon’s neck with his longsword. The blade stopped only a little into its neck. The alpha squealed angrily and tried to swipe at Zedart with its head.

  One of the adventurers snorted at the condescending Zedart.

  “Yeah we tried that.”

  The elf [Swordsman] blinked, then he readied his skills.

  [Desperation Stance] + [Sword School: Efficiency] + [Cleave]

  A shimmering blade overlapped the longsword as an incredibly thin and opaque [Cleave] skill descended. A force with all the blow of a [Swordsman] at his final stand.

  The amperdon’s head came clean off. The other adventurers just stared at Zedart. He nodded to them all.

  “Yes, that was tougher than expected. I apologize for my earlier reaction.”

  “N-not at all, haha. It was a good thing you came here when you did.

  –

  Ryan didn’t dare go back over the hill to watch his handiwork. Not while drones kept hovering over his head, he had no way to deal with those and the last thing he wanted was to go out was by a dirty sniper.

  “Gam, any chance you can tell me what’s going on in Lazhen?”

  “Don’t call me Gam, Gammy is fine. Why? Are you having second thoughts? Because everyone almost died.”

  The statement caught him off guard.

  “That’s ridiculous! There were sixty adventurers in Lazhen. They’ve been diverting most of the amperdons! They could’ve brought reinforcements! It’s one herd! There’s hundreds of things they could’ve done!”

  Ryan was, funnily enough, outraged by the incompetence of the adventurers. This was only step one and they’d almost all died right there? Ridiculous.

  “You made a mistake on the herd leader. That thing was nasty for a Sector Three monster. Even I haven’t seen an amperdon that strong before.”

  “But… I dealt with that thing solo.”

  Gamielle hummed, then shook her head.

  “I’m assuming you fought that thing with your Epic before it became the leader of one of the biggest herds I’ve seen. You got lucky with the reinforcements to Lazhen. Anyone else and we’d be dealing with an entire massacre.”

  “Oh fuck me.”

  Ryan was starting to realize that despite his big speech to the Witch he might have greatly overestimated the competence of the adventurers he looked up to. At least the worst hadn’t happened.

  Then he frowned.

  “Wait, who were the reinforcements? There aren’t any standouts in Sector Three other than the [Savant Mage] and the [Assassin].”

  Gamielle blew a raspberry in his face rather than answer.

  One of the drones swerved in closer. As he switched focus to them they swerved back away. Two of them had grenades attached to the bottom but didn’t bother trying to drop them.

  “They can’t see you right?”

  “Nope, they just see you talking to yourself, you weirdo.”

  “Thanks Gam.”

  Ryan looked up as she blew another raspberry at him. He waved at the drones as they did a dodging maneuver. Once they settled down, he brought out the phone he took from the [Assassin] and pointed at it. Ryan put it in his ear and then pointed at the phone again. He couldn’t actually call the adventurers himself. The [Assassin] had refused to give up his passcode, even while he was in his boxers.

  At least it was still good for taking calls. Ryan received a call a moment later.

  “Hello, this is Artigan speaking.”

  “Are you having fun blacklister?”

  The voice was authoritative and furious. It made his [Rebellious] title tingle.

  “I’m having lots of fun, did you all have fun with the first wave? I heard that it got close there at the end.”

  “You piece of shi–wait, first wave?”

  Ryan laughed maniacally.

  “Did you really think I spent an entire week just pushing amperdon herds around? , this is going to be easier than I thought.”

  He ended the call, then turned to Gamielle.

  “How was that?”

  “I really wish I had some popcorn.”

  –

  With the death of their leader and the inclusion of Zedart and Valee, the rest of the herd became far easier to manage. Amperdons were normally defensive monsters and any that had broken into the town through the opening were being cut down mercilessly. Boosted by reinforcements, nearly a hundred adventurers worked in tandem to completely fend off the herd of over a thousand amperdons.

  The most powerful of the group were in a circle trying to plan out their next move. Some of the people there gave Valee the side eye as she pretended the looks didn’t affect her.

  At least she wasn’t getting the most stares. That would be the [Assassin] in boxers, dragging in an unconscious [Warrior].

  Kenheart dropped his charge mercilessly onto the ground. He seemed unbothered by the looks.

  “Someone's going to have to keep knocking him out. He isn’t listening.”

  A dark elf [Mage] looked at him, incredulous.

  “What happened to your gear?”

  The head receptionist, however, didn’t want to waste time on jokes.

  “Kenheart, report.”

  “That blacklister is a monster, specs are all outdated. He’s faster than me. I went full out trying to kill him he had more than enough spare to let me live.”

  “Damnit. There goes the hunting party idea.”

  The head receptionist looked stressed. He rubbed his forehead as he poured over the map of the surroundings. All of the adventurers had tablets where they could switch between drone perspectives while they stood around a massive physical map.

  “Apparently he has another beast tide coming.”

  “Correction.” the [Mage] said. “He said that was the first wave.”

  Valee recognized the dark elf now. He was Mahjit, an apparent [Savant Mage]. She’d always thought it was bullshit, the [Savant] title had been rare, even when The Realm was fresh. Maybe it was just her jealousy talking. The man was definitely talented.

  Though looking at the [Mage] being miserable made her feel better.

  The head receptionist looked grave.

  “We can’t run from a single goddamn blacklister, we’ll be the laughingstock of both worlds.”

  Everyone still remembered what the blacklister had done to everyone he’d encountered. The public humiliation of Garbolt, Chief Enforcer Ami, the Trial outpost guards and even Latarro flickered in everyone’s mind.

  Valee thought. She just couldn’t brag about it.

  Zedart stepped forward.

  “We should worry less about perception and organize so that we can stop the waves while the system portal recharges.”

  The receptionist sighed.

  “Yes, you’re right. Realmers come first and they can’t flee through the Emerald Hills.”

  Valee remembered offering her own advice to this same receptionist. She also remembered how she was ignored. Anyone else might have been yelled at for reprimanding a Guild receptionist, but not Zedart. The [Swordsman] seemed to command an air of authority that made everyone listen to him.

  It made her sick.

  The [Savant Mage] stood up and walked towards the elven [Swordsman].

  “You’re Zedart right? It’s nice to meet you.”

  “It’s nice to meet you too,” there was an awkward pause as he took the [Mage’s] hand. “Sorry I don’t know your name.”

  The face of the supposed [Savant Mage]’s face was saved into Valee’s core memory. Some of the other adventurers giggled as the dark elf cleared his throat.

  “It’s Mannit but I go by Mahjit. I wanted to–uhm, no never mind.”

  “I just go by Zedart, nice to meet you Majit.”

  At this point even Valee looked away, trying not to laugh. She would bet anything that Mahjit wanted to recruit Zedart and the [Mage] had realized he’d fucked it up.

  At least the head receptionist had the sense to break up the awkward moment.

  “Alright, introductions later, I need to learn the skills and equipment of everyone that just arrived and organize parties. We should have enough charge in twenty four hours to get all the Realmers out.”

  Zedart raised his hand, the admin nodded at him.

  “I’d like to go after Artigan.”

  “Absolutely not. You might not know Kenheart, but he’s the fastest realm three around. Also your gear would get destroyed in the Emerald Hills. The Realmers need you here to defend. We can’t deal with something like that amperdon alpha without you.”

  Zedart resigned himself and nodded along until the last sentence. Then the [Swordsman] elf tilted his head.

  “It was Valee’s skill that took it down, I just finished it off,” Zedart turned to her, “you should be able to deal with anything of that level right?”

  Now everyone was looking at her in surprise, apparently the head receptionist had thought it was all Zedart’s doing.

  She just shrugged.

  “I don’t have full control over the skill–and the cooldown varies buuut…” she paused, “if there were three of them it might be a problem.”

  The others looked at her disbelievingly. She blew her hair out of her face in annoyance.

  “Oh yeah, so when I say it you bastards don’t believe me.”

  They all looked away from her. She was still a pariah in the end. Her father’s interview made sure of that.

  That was when the [Warrior] woke up and started screaming in a bloody rage. He looked left, then right, then looked up at the hills.

  “Where is that piece of shit? Let me at him! No- no wait-"

  The [Assassin] in boxer briefs knocked out the [Warrior] again. He turned to the rest of the group.

  “Could I get some clothes?”

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