All I could do was keep casting MANA SHIELDs to keep their casters from hitting us. With all the mages who could cast shields, they could keep physical shields up for a while…until either they or we ran out of MANA. We had to wait and see if Shadow could end this.

  It was hold or die.

  “I’m burning MANA and PSYCHIC ENERGY too fast. There are too many of them and it won’t last”, I thought as I cast another shield. “I can’t use a PSYCHIC SHIELD because I need that PSYCHIC POOL energy to CHARM the Controllers, and I’ve only got two, ten point MANA BATTERIES left. Shit!”

  CHARMing another Controller helped take the pressure off, but that still left too many more coming. “If only I had more MANA. I’ve got a couple of points unspent, but that won’t help. TRANSFER MANA only works by touch. Or does it?”

  Dropping a second Controller gained me a few seconds to think and check the SYSTEM RULES. “Modifiers! TRANSFER has modifiers! One point adds Range and another one adds Area Affect. The groups look close enough to use it.”

  Putting my last two leveling points into MANA TRANSFER modifiers. This time when I cast TRANSFER MANA, I could see the light blue MANA glow around the groups in front of me. Their MANA flowed into me. Calling it a welcome feeling doesn’t come close to how I felt.

  “What tha!?” I screamed. I saw not only our shields and the students’ MANA glow this time, but a thin, light blue MANA line that went just above the ground from behind us into the stadium. It was a much brighter MANA blue than the charmed students.

  Casting MANA TRANSFER again, this time to include both people and the line. I felt MANA flowing, no flooding into my body. In a second, my MANA POOL was full and the glow around the students was gone. Their casting abruptly stopped, and I started laughing hysterically.

  Turning back to our people, I shouted, “Anyone out of MANA or almost out? Get over here and I’ll top you off. We’ve got this!”

  There was no way I could stop laughing at the confused comments and sounds from our people, but more Casters and Healers were moving my way. I put half my MANA POOL into an area covering the people who reached me first. They looked as shocked as I had when they felt their MANA replenish. This time, I used just the blue line to top my pool off.

  [Lockout:] [William of Brinsford] [They SAPped the one in the hallway and the door guard. They’re going in. How you doin?]

  [William of Brinsford:] [Lockout] [Better now. Thought we were goners for sure. Found a way to replenish MANA. We’ll hold.]

  [Lockout:] [William of Brinsford] [Good work! Shadow says they took the outer office. They only killed 1. Captured the rest. Said 1 didn’t put up a fight. Going for the boss.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [Lockout] [Roger that. Hope it’s quick.]

  Continuing to SHIELD our people and CHARM their Controllers, we held our position. After each set of MANA SHIELDs, I tapped the line and recharged my MANA POOL.

  My PSYCHIC POOL was almost gone too. One or two more and I’d be out. My Psychic Regeneration wasn’t fast enough for this fight.

  [William of Brinsford:] [PokerRun] [I’m about out of CHARMs. Get ready to take out their Controllers. Verify with the Chief before you shoot.]

  [PokerRun:] [Irregulars] [Will do. Ralphie and I’ve got eyes on five. We’ll wait for your go.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [PokerRun] [Thanks]

  [William of Brinsford:] [BATTLEGROUND] [Next CHARM’s my last. PokerRun and friends will take out the ones they can. Everyone to be ready.]

  [Blaze:] [William of Brinsford] [Heading back to my car. I’ll get on top so I’ve got a LOS. I scored Marksman at Quantico. I can still shield from there. How’d you get your MANA back so fast?]

  [William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [Understood. I’ll leave less room on top of my shields. Tell you when we’re done.]

  [Ingrid:] [William of Brinsford] [We’re out of sedatives. Sirens getting closer. Hope they have more.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [Ingrid] [Roger that. At least we keep most of them alive. Be ready to heal the inbound Controllers. PokerRun’s got them lined up. Heal them if you can.]

  [Ingrid:] [William of Brinsford] [It’s what we do.]

  Taking a deep breath, I yelled out, “Last one!” and CHARMED the closest Controller, overriding the SLAVE tag that was also on him. I gave him the commands to get his people behind the Healers, release them, and go to sleep afterward.

  The spell worked, and the front group started moving out of the way. I recreated my MANA SHIELD behind them, hoping I wouldn’t need more…but massed spells aimed at him and the Healers immediately hit it. Then the next group shifted to his side of the last group. We were out of time.

  [William of Brinsford:] [PokerRun] [I’m out. Do it.]

  [PokerRun:] [William of Brinsford] [Got it. Chief gave us the go.]

  Two shots rang out over the incoming sirens. The two front Controllers jerked backwards and dropped to the ground. Their people kept casting until I finished draining their MANA and they just stood in their lines, silently.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  Casting a new shield behind them, I left my last one up, along with the shields from the other casters.

  [Lockout:] [William of Brinsford] [Shadow got the one in the office! Said he was the University Chancellor.]

  [PokerRun:] [William of Brinsford] [The ones in the stadium just stopped. They’re just standing there. Holding.]

  [Urako Sarutobi:] [William of Brinsford] [got him. Mellisa got one, I got one and one gave up. Bossman won’t do it again, ever. level 4 mentalist. what do we do with the 1 who gave up?]

  “Boss down. Shadow got him!” I yelled as loud as I could. “Hold your fire!”

  [PokerRun:] [William of Brinsford] [I heard that. Passing it down. None of them moving. If they do, they don’t no more.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [Urako Sarutobi] [Wait. One gave up? Is he CHARMED or a SLAVE?]

  She didn’t answer. I waited. And waited some more.

  [Urako Sarutobi:] [William of Brinsford] [you good. none of those. told him to go to Melissa and then SAPped him good. level 5 psychic and slaver. think he tha real boss.]

  [William of Brinsford:] [Urako Sarutobi] [I do too. Keep him out. Can Melissa do that?]

  [Urako Sarutobi:] [William of Brinsford] [yeah. on it.]

  ***

  “Chief! Boss down! He was a Level 5 Psychic. Slaver skill. Get your men to the Athletic Director's office. They’re in there. Get a couple of gurneys. The real boss is out, but not dead.” There was more cheering from both the tired party and the just arrived police, fire, and EMTs.

  PvP BATTLEGROUND OVER

  Appeared on my character screen. Then the experience for the battleground came into view just like it had earlier today, including my 25% bonus for being a First. I gained another level. Those in the fight the longest gained at least one. Some got two.

  ***

  The Irregulars and our friends waited and helped the police and medics clean up what they could.

  Chief Brown told us they wouldn’t charge the students who had been CHARMed, nor most of the others. They’d be let go once they were sure none of them were still mind controlled. The same for most of the ones with SLAVE status.

  They planned on tracking the chain of slavery up as high as they could and having people release everyone enslaved under them.

  “It looks like Andrew Hollick, a staff member in University Registrations, was behind this,” Chief Brown told us. “We’ll get more after we talk to people. He controlled the Chancellor and the other top Controllers and they went down the pyramid until they got to the students. I’ll let you know what all happened when we get it sorted out.”

  “I’ll see if I can CHARM him to release his Slaves. Then we’ll have time to do that down the line. We’ve got a lot of Mentalists now. I hope they’ll be on the good side and stay with us.”

  Turning to the people surrounding us, I addressed everyone close. “You did good, folks. Anyone who needs to go or get sleep, go. We should be able to take care of things from here. I noticed a few of you dinged as well. Gratz on the new levels.”

  Blaze tugged on my baldrick. “Need to talk to you,” she said as she pulled me away so we could whisper together.

  “I got a text earlier from the State Office Director. He wants to see me in his office first thing in the morning. I’m going back to my apartment tonight so I can change and get some sleep. I’ll let you know when I’m heading back here. I don’t know how long it’ll take. At least a day, maybe two. I’m betting on multiple debrief sessions.”

  All I could do was nod that I understood.

  “I hope I’ll be back by tomorrow night. I’m going to do my damndest to convince him I’m better off here, where I can do the most good and learn the most.”

  “I hope it’s not more than two days. We need you. The spare bedroom will be waiting when you get back,” I said with a soft smile and a look that said more than words.

  “I’ll bring extra clothes and food when I come back. I hope they’ll let me stay for a while.”

  “So, do I. You could tell them to send people to you if they want more details,” I said. “The system talks about spawning monsters and I think they’re next. Then come the dungeons, and who knows what else? The Irregulars will handle them when it happens.”

  “I know. I’ve been thinking about it. By the way, how did you keep recharging your MANA? None of us could figure it out.”

  “Well, first you have to be a Mana Mage and have DETECT MANA and TRANSFER MANA. Then buff TRANSFER with extra points for range and area effect. Ever heard of Ley Lines?”

  “I think so. But they don’t exist.”

  “They do now. There’s a line that goes through the Stadium that I tapped into. It’s a stream of MANA…and if there’s one, there’s more. I’ll work on that tomorrow.”

  “I’ll ask as well. But I gotta go. It’s a couple hours’ drive to the capital and I’m already tired.”

  “There’s still coffee in the pot at home, and travel mugs in the cabinet over it. You’ve got a key, so stop there on your way and drive safe. Take a cooler and plastic bins if you want.”

  She smiled. “I’ll do that and refill the pot for you. See you soon.” Blaze gave me a big hug and a bigger smile, then left as quickly as she could.

  ***

  It was just after 2 a.m. when I felt I could leave. There were others who could take over, and I was mentally and physically exhausted. After Ingrid got through with me, my legs didn’t hurt anymore…but I was sleepy. Saying it had been a long day was one of the classic understatements of all time.

  [William of Brinsford:] [Irregulars] [I’m heading to bed. I don’t think we’re needed anymore, so make sure everyone gets some sleep. I hope tomorrow is easier…but I’m not counting on it. Good night, all.]

  One of the late-responding officers offered me a ride back to my car, and I happily took it. Once upon a time, I used to walk home from here, but I didn’t want to find out how well my legs would hold up after walking more than a mile. At least it was mostly downhill.

  The streets were mostly empty, just the occasional cruiser with flashing red and blues, and a breeze that swirled around any litter on the sidewalks. Light from sodium streetlamps shimmered off puddles left behind by the overnight sprinklers at some family houses. It felt quiet…but the kind of quiet that came after the storm, not before.

  When I stopped at a sign or light, I cast DETECT MANA again. I saw a few faint light blue points in some houses. “Probably magic users”, I thought. As I got closer to home, I noticed a converging Ley Line coming in almost parallel from my left. It shimmered faintly, running just over the ground, like a pulse of light blue moonlight across grass and through the buildings.

  It would have crossed the one at the stadium somewhere behind me.

  Two blocks from home, I saw another one. It was an intersecting line closing in from ahead. “No…No. It can’t be,” I muttered aloud, and sped up. They were both thin, but bright enough now to be unmistakable. They crossed directly across the street from my house, right where the old Speedy Pizza place used to be. The second line ran straight through my garage.

  When I parked in front of my garage, I cast DETECT MANA again. This time, I didn’t just see it. I felt it. I got out and deliberately walked through the line. It tingled, like cool static brushing against my skin. When I unlocked and opened my front door, the smell of hot coffee welcomed me home.

  “Blaze did make a pot!” My eyes lit up as I followed my nose to the counter. “Too bad I need sleep more than coffee.”

  After getting out of my armor, I spread it on the sofa to dry. Then I shuffled my way to the bathroom, and eventually to bed.

  Dreamless sleep followed until the next morning. That was when the pounding on my front door and the ringing doorbell woke me up.

  My clock said it was just past 7 a.m. The same time I was woken up yesterday.

  The Nursery.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33ptulhhQPg

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