“Sir, yes Sir!” mouths Ali but I ignore it. Got to let the Spirit get his shots in, otherwise, it’s impossible to work with him. Thankfully, he still does his job.
“3 left. They are set-up in the center room of the ground floor. Looks like the leader and a couple more grunts, guarding the entrances to the room,” Ali reports back in a few minutes. I’ve set-up a short distance away, watching the building from the tree line across the highway. I nod at his words, getting a little more detail about the layout before working out the new plan.
Letting Ali keep an eye on them, I walk boldly up to the door and open it. I spin out of the way just in case, but no bombs or shots go off. A quick peak shows me it’s still clear and I walk up to the next door, pulling and priming a grenade. Once at the door, I gently depress the door handle and then quickly toss the grenade in, hunkering around the corner even as the Hakarta open fire, tearing chunks out of the door and even catching me a glancing blow.
The explosion is significantly more powerful than I expected, tearing drywall apart like tissue and dumping me on my ass as more damage messages scroll through in the bottom left of my vision. I roll around, trying to get my rifle to bear and realise I might as well not bother, the lifeless and mangled bodies of the three telling its own tale. Battle over, Ali lets the important notifications creep into my view.
Level Up! * 2
You have reached Level 10 as an Erethran Honor Guard. Stat Points automatically distributed. You have 21 Free Attribute Points to distribute.
Twice in a single battle? I knew I was getting clobbered by running rather than fighting and the first ten levels were the easiest to gain, but still, twice? No wonder the others had gained levels so fast. Those free attribute points were really starting to creep up there. I’d have to make a decision soon since they weren’t doing me any good just sitting unallocated.
I spend a few minutes putting out fires to ensure the building doesn’t burn down, beginning to realise how lucky I am. After I loot the bodies, I then drag the bodies out of the house and stack them to the side. No reason to let them rot in the building after all. This time, looting the bodies gets me some scrap, a few personal weapons and their System credits. Note to self, plasma grenades should not be used unless I really need them. I make a final sweep of the building, finding some minor conveniences including what looks to be a mana-charged stove, food stores and high-tech sleeping bags. As I put them into my inventory, I can’t help but think that Lana would love the stove.
Other than the bodies, there’s a single glowing crystal In the remnants of the room I dragged the bodies from which I eye askance.
“Ali…?”
“Control crystal for the fort,” Ali explains.
“What fort?”
“The one you’re standing in of course,” Ali says.
“This is a restaurant and grocery store, not a fort!” though it looks like the Hakarta have cleared out most of the grocery items and started putting together a proper base of operations.
“System designated fort. Created at locations of importance outside of a city, generally a building that commands significant views or a strategic location. Considering we’re about 45 minutes out from Whitehorse on the only major highway in? I’d say both. Now, go on and touch the crystal,” Ali replies wearily.
Would you like to take Command of the Carcross Cutoff Fort?
(Y/N)
Congratulations! You are now Commander of the Carcross Cutoff Fort
Population: 1/1
Assigned Guards: 0/20
Structural Integrity: 68/100
Upgrades: None
First Fort Won!
Bonus +3000 Experience Awarded
“So what now?” I frown, staring at the upgrade option.
“Nothing, now we leave. Next sentient who comes in will take the place, but at least you’ll get a notification,” Ali says, sounding bored.
“But…” Just leaving this place right after I won it is frustrating, but he’s right. It’s not as if I’m going to guard it, I still have to get to Mount Lorne and Carcross. I grit my teeth and stomp out, assuaging my feelings by pulling out my new status sheet.
Status Screen
Name
John Lee
Class
Erethran Honor Guard
Race
Human (Male)
Level
10
Titles
None
Health
510
Stamina
510
Mana
450
Status
Normal
Attributes
Strength
33 (50)
Agility
50 (70)
Constitution
51 (75)
Perception
14
Intelligence
45 (60)
Willpower
45 (60)
Charisma
14
Luck
10
Skills
Stealth
6
Wilderness Survival
3
Unarmed Combat
6
Knife Proficiency
5
Athletics
5
Observe
5
Cooking
1
Sense Danger
4
Jury-rigging
2
Explosives
1
Blade Mastery
6
PAV Combatics
4
Energy Rifles
3
Meditation
5
Mana Manipulation
1
Class Skills
None (5 Locked)
Spells
Minor Healing
Perks
Spirit Companion
Level 3
Prodigy (Subterfuge)
N/A
Damn, that’s a big difference from when I started. I’m not even remotely within human normal anymore, with reaction times and strength that are off the charts. I don’t even feel the weight of my armor or seem to run out of stamina doing normal things. At this rate, there are only a few more levels before I finally unlock my class skills and after seeing Mikito use hers, I really can’t wait. On the other hand, it feels like I’m not utilising the changes in my body properly, my actions themselves jittery in the extreme. I wonder if it’s my low Perception – I’m not able to properly perceive what I need to do and what I’m doing, especially with the way my body is moving.
“Ali? Recommendations?” I enquire, waving to the Stat Screen as I get ready, the slight hitch and a barely audible grinding making me grimace as Sabre switches form. Damn, but I’m going to have to get this fixed.
“Perception. Maybe you’d get a hint or two next time before you get shot,” Ali answers immediately.
I grimace but have to agree. I dump half my points into it and then, on a whim, I put another 3 into Luck. It’s such a nebulous stat, but from what I understand, it affects minor things in the System in my favor. A shot that does more damage than it would normally, maybe more or better System assisted Loot drops. It should also reduce the likelihood that someone with high Luck bends the System to their favor. More Luck doesn’t seem to hurt anyway.
The moment I confirm it, the world shifts. It’s so startling I begin to lose control of Sabre and even as I realise that, I correct it. It happens faster than an eyeblink, perception, understanding and reaction. Oh my, this is going to be fun.
Chapter 9
“Ali, information dump time. How come the System designated the Cutoff as a fort if no one bought it before?” I enquire as I ride down the winding mountain road. On both sides is untouched, unclaimed wilderness as far as the eye can see. Only occasionally is there a road that swings out to a lone farm or suburb, but each time Ali just shakes his head slightly, indicating a lack of human life.
“The building was there and it was a strategic spot. Seems like the System decided it was worthy of being picked,” Ali shrugs, disinterested in the conversation.
I’m not as easy to put off “But why? I thought we had to buy locations.”
“Settlements certainly. However, forts aren’t the same – they are freestanding fortifications. You are limited to guard, security and observation upgrades, which generally limit what you can do drastically. Of course, you can always buy other upgrades like an armory and the like, but it’s always more expensive” Ali says.