The two forces fought all over the base. The ever-increasing number of humans forcing the goblins to abandon their attempt to hold the line, and retreat to the center, where they made their last stand, a C-like defensive formation, with their remaining healers and mages in the center. The open section of the circle-like defense was occupied by the goblin Boss, the other monsters giving him a wide berth.

Frank made his way to where he’d last seen Baj and the others. He found the man standing behind several shieldmen, observing the battle some distance away. As Frank approached him, he got a glimpse of the action – several people were fighting the goblin Boss. The monster was extremely fast and agile, dodging ranged attacks while overwhelming its melee opponents. A slashing motion of its hand sent out a wind blade, severing an attacker's arm. The woman screamed as she staggered away, before fully retreating. The goblin’s attention already on the other targets.

“Now, go!” Baj bellowed.

A wall of shields and spears advanced on the goblin, seeking to surround it as best they could, and crush it from all sides. Their bodies blocked the monster from Frank’s view when a small tornado appeared where the goblin stood. It expanded to about twenty yards, engulfing everything within it. A moment later, the attackers were flung out, their bodies covered by a web of cuts and gashes.

“Second wave, go!” Baj shouted before swearing.

“Looks like a tough fight,” Frank said as he stepped next to the man. He didn’t see any of his teammates, but a glance at their HP bars told him they were mostly fine.

“Ah, yes. It’s too strong to take down with a few fighters, and that tornado-shit makes swarming it impossible,” Baj supplied with a scowl.

“How often can it use it?” Frank asked.

“Enough that it can survive between cooldowns.”

“Uh, and ranged attacks?”

“It can dodge quite a few, and if it gets too much, it has a wind barrier thing it can use to stop all projectiles and spells from a given side. Maybe it could work if we could surround it and attack from all sides,” Baj explained in a grim tone.

Frank looked on as the Boss fought against the second wave – it wove around the humans’ attacks while retaliating with annoying frequency. Several attackers were already injured, and it seemed just a matter of time until they were all defeated, even without the use of the tornado spell.

“Not looking good. I’ll help the others clean up the remaining goblins so we can surround the boss,” Frank said.

“Better hurry, I estimate our healers only have enough mana for another thirty seconds or so,” Baj said and gave him a hard look. “I’ll do what I can here,” he added.

Frank nodded and rushed forward. He moved to the edge of the opening in the goblins’ C-like formation and tried to come at the goblin fighting there from the side. Before he could get close enough, a goblin from behind the monster line advanced to meet him. Frank lunged at it, his saber twirling in his hand as he sought to overwhelm the monster. Not fast enough, I don’t have time for this, he thought after a few exchanges.

Frank shot off a Lightning Bolt. The goblin dodged it, however, the spell continued, striking the goblin Frank was originally trying to engage. He wasn’t sure if the person facing that monster could take advantage of the short stun the spell offered, but at the very least it would make his opponent a bit more hesitant to just dodge his magic. The goblin must’ve realized it too, it turned its head to the center of the formation and squeaked something angrily. In response, one of the goblin shamans began to cast a spell while pointing its staff at Frank.

Taking advantage of the goblin’s brief distraction, Frank used Phantom Strike, the illusory blade staggering the monster for a moment. Frank grabbed the handle of his saber with both hands, training the weapon's point at his target, then activated Dash. Propelled forward by the skill, the saber in his hands pierced through his foe, then another one, and another one. He came to a stop some twelve yards and fourteen skewered goblins later, their combined mass too much for the skill to overcome.

Feeling somewhat dazed, Frank stepped back and pulled his weapon out of the goblin kebab. Looking around, he realized he was in the middle layer of the three-goblins-deep defensive line. Taking a big step back, Frank rotated his body as his blade swept a wide arc, hitting several goblins who had their backs toward him.

That should be enough, he thought as he turned to face the goblins making up the third layer. His left arm shot forward, fist opening at the last moment to send out a cloud of dust in the coming monster’s face. He stabbed at the cloud, the sensation of his saber piercing somewhat let him know the attack was successful. He parried an attack from another goblin, then countered with Phantom Strike. The monster tried to block his sword, but the illusory blade passed through the weapon unhindered. Frank followed up skill with a Power Attack fueled slash, decapitating his foe.

He used the same tactic to dispatch two more goblins as he advanced. With no need to conserve his resources, Phantom Strike showed its worth, allowing Frank to quickly overwhelm his foes. He could now see the supporting goblins in the center of the formation but decided to widen the gap in the formation, rather than rush alone into the two dozen magic casters. As he turned and began to fight the goblins on his right, a wave of people rolled over the goblins and pushed into their mages.

Guess the bit of help I provided was enough for them to overwhelm the defensive line, Frank thought. Now that one corner of the C-like formation was overrun, the battle turned into a massacre, as the goblins were surrounded and dispatched.

“Now this guy,” Frank murmured as he faced the goblin Boss, who was fighting the remnants of the second wave of shields and spears, as well as some new people that tried to keep it distracted. “Anyone with ranged attacks, surround the Boss, and prepare to fire!” Frank shouted over the noise of the battle.

Those nearby responded to his call and told the others, soon the Boss was surrounded by mages and archers. Baj gave the order for the melee fighters to retreat under the cover fire from the ranged attackers. Once the goblin was alone, the bombardment began. Waves of arrows and all kinds of spells flew toward the monster. It used its wind barrier to block one side while trying to dodge everything else. It worked for a bit, but soon everyone adjusted their aim, instead of shooting at the goblin, they would aim at a spot near him. The sheer number of attacks meant that no matter how the Boss dodged, it would just move into the path of another attack.

The chain armor the monster wore offered some defense, but as more hits landed, the goblin became increasingly sluggish. With its movements suppressed, it was just a matter of time before it fell. A wand made from the bragarth’s skull appeared in Frank’s hand as he used the item to shoot a jagged nova of electricity at the goblin.

Lots of new spells, Frank noted as he watched all sorts of magical projectiles fly at the target. Maybe I should learn some of them, Lightning Bolt is clearly just for the stun effect, the damage is abysmal. Hmm, that is? He wondered as he saw a woman shoot one elongated projectile of light-purple energy after another. Ah, right, Arcane Missiles, he remembered. He didn’t bother to train the spell despite having it. Although it was extremely mana efficient, the requirement to stand still while channeling it for up to fifteen seconds just wasn’t suitable for combat. Maybe I should reconsider my assessment.

He was still wondering about what spell would improve his offensive magic the most when the goblin Boss fell. There was a brief silence before thunderous cheers rose to the sky. People cheered and hugged, as they celebrated their victory.

“Don’t get complacent, stay on your guard!” Baj shouted. “We can celebrate once we return to the base, safe and sound,” he added in a softer voice.

People nodded in agreement, this was no time to indulge in celebration.

“Have a few groups stand guard outside the base. Everyone else, loot everything you can!” Baj ordered as he approached the slain Boss. “Hmm, this is?”

“Must be the Settlement Token the System spoke of,” Frank supplied as he came over as well. Beside the fallen monster laid a golden, shining ball the size of a large cantaloupe. He squinted and focused on the item, a panel appeared, confirming his guess. “Should we take it?”

“Hm, where’s Thomas? As our leader he should be… there you are. Want to be the one to pick it up?” Baj asked when he spotted Thomas coming over.

“The Settlement Token, right?” The man asked. He bent down and picked up the golden ball, holding it in his hands. His eyes turned glazed as he focused on something the others couldn’t see. “This item allows you to create a System Assisted Settlement, which offers unique buildings and is highly recommended for improved chances of survival. Be careful where you use this Token, as the place where the Settlement is founded cannot be changed,” he finished reading.

“Nothing unexpected,” Baj commented. “Alright, let’s loot this place and head home.”

Home. The word has a nice ring to it, Frank thought. He joined the rest as they ransacked the goblins’ base, taking not just the equipment used by the monsters, but also the tools from the smithy, and some of the scant furniture from inside the few buildings. A few enterprising men were even dismantling the wooden buildings. There were conflicting views on whether the place should be left as is or burned down. In the end, they settled on taking what they could and leaving it as is, even if there was a chance of the monsters respawning because of it.

The return trip was uneventful, aside from a few deers getting bagged when the animals wandered out of the forest. Frank didn’t waste this time, as he slammed his abilities whenever his resources neared maximum, earning him a few looks from the new people who weren’t used to his antics. He also got into a discussion about skills with Gabriel and the rest of the team. The consensus was that learning and leveling new skills to get Grid Points was more of a requirement than an option. Gabriel’s melee skills were apparently stuck at the same level in the high 80’s for several days now. Frank was also getting to that point in his more advanced skills, despite his monstrous regeneration. Luckily, he still had plenty of low-level skills, so it wasn’t an issue for him just yet.

Then there was the debate about what to name their Settlement. Since the group included people from all over the world, city names and the like were ruled out, leaving descriptive terms. After dismissing a few variants along the lines of New Beginning, Hope, and Last Stand, they settled on Refuge. Simple yet descriptive enough to convey what the group hoped to achieve with their Settlement.

They returned to the base in the late afternoon. Since it was unclear what exactly would happen once the Token was used, they decided to do it inside the base. Thomas and the various leaders entered the base, while everyone settled outside the fence.

“Ready?” Thomas asked after the group came near the center of the base. “Here we go,” he said after getting approving nods.

Nothing happened for a few seconds, then the golden ball in Thomas’s hands turned into golden mist and seeped into the ground. Soon, the purple mist began to rise from the ground and form into a large rectangular shape. It reminded Frank of what happened when the first wave of goblins spawned, back when the System came into existence. He tried to reach into the mist, but his hand was stopped by a strange barrier. The purple shape continued to grow, prompting the group to retreat. As it continued to expand, it ran over several wooden huts, seemingly absorbing the material.

“Sure hope it won’t get to the fence,” Steve said with a nervous chuckle, as everyone looked on.

His concern was justified, as the thing continued to increase in size for a good five minutes. Suddenly, the mist dispersed and a large two-story building was revealed. Made out of wood, it had a pitched roof, the most striking was the total lack of windows, a set of wooden doors leading inside. A wave of excited noises came over the group, as the people rushed inside from both entrances.

“Hmm, got a pop up saying I am now the leader of the Refuge Settlement, but nothing else. No controls or anything,” Thomas informed them.

“Let’s see what’s inside,” Chon, the leader of the Asia businessmen group, said as he moved toward the entrance.

The rest quickly followed, entering the building soon afterward. Inside, they were greeted by an expansive double staircase that took up roughly half the building. On the floor between the two staircases sat a large wooden desk, behind it was an entrance into the second half of the first floor. On the side of the desk stood a snowglobe-like golden item. Focusing on it brought up a panel informing Frank that it was a Settlement Core (Replica).

“Let’s look around this floor first,” Baj said. The group advanced when Frank noticed that Thomas wasn’t moving, his eyes looking glazed.

“Everything OK?” Frank asked, tapping the man on the shoulder.

“Ah? Yes. Just got a control panel when I entered, was looking at it,” Thomas explained, his eyes focusing on his surroundings.

“I see. The group is exploring the first floor before going to the second,” he informed.

The two joined the rest of the group, walking past the desk and through the entrance into the second half of the building. They walked into a medium-sized room, a door in front of them, and one on each side.

“Looks like a dining room,” Baj exited the one on the right, “got a long table and a bunch of chairs.”

Looking into the other rooms, the one straight ahead appeared to be sleeping quarters, containing a set of four double bunks and some chairs. The door on the left led into an empty room.

“I dunno, storage or somethn,” Steve hazarded a guess.

The rest shrugged and returned to the golden snow globe on the desk. Frank reached out and touched it, prompting a panel to appear before him.

Do you want to join the Refuge Settlement? Yes/No

“Got a panel asking if I want to join the Settlement,” he told the others.

“Choose yes, let’s see what happens,” Thomas proposed.

Frank obliged. Energy flowed out of the orb, briefly enveloping him before it retreated and the panel updated. “Uh, says my application was submitted,” Frank said, uncertain of what exactly happened.

“Oh, I think I’ve seen something like that. Give me a minute,” Thomas said as he opened the control panel and started to look through it again.

“Shall we head to the second floor or wait for him?” Carol asked, her voice tinged with anticipation.

“Might as well, I suppose,” Baj offered.

They left Thomas alone and made their way up the stairs. At the top was a small platform, ahead of it was a set of metal doors, while on both sides was a balcony-like design that overlooked the first floor.

“What’s with the weird floor plan,” Carol couldn’t help voicing.

“It’s meant to emphasize defense. Just think of someone attacking this place, they would have to go through the narrow entrance, meanwhile, the defenders can position archers and mages on the stairs and the balcony, as well as using the desk for cover,” Baj replied right away.

Pushing the metal doors open, the group entered into a room that took up the rest of the second floor. It was furnished with comfortable-looking leather chairs and couches, a coffee table sat surrounded by leather chairs near the far wall, several more tables were present as well. However, everyone’s eyes were drawn to the coffee table, specifically to the golden snow globe in the middle of it. Focusing on it, a panel popped up informing Frank that this was the real Settlement Core. The group spread out through the room, examining the furniture.

“Oh, this feels so good,” Carol moaned as she sat down on one of the chairs, her body sinking into the softness.

Everyone chuckled, some people following her cue. Meanwhile, Frank walked over to the Core and placed his hand on it. Nothing happened. Frowning, he made a ‘hmm” sound and plopped into a nearby chair. Carol’s right, these chairs are awesome, Frank thought as he enjoyed the sensation. Having slept on the bare earth for over a week now, he could fully appreciate such comfort.

“Should we fetch Thomas?” Chon asked as he walked toward the Core before examining it.

“Yeah, I’ll get him,” Baj said and walked out.

Frank leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He was indulging in the feeling of comfort when he heard Baj return with Thomas. Opening his eyes, Frank was greeted by a new panel.

Congratulations on joining the Refuge Settlement!

The Position changed to War Adviser. Permission changed to allow: buying buildings, buying Shop items with SP, approving applications, removing items from Warehouse.

Someone shook him, causing Frank to dismiss the panel and return to the present. He looked quizzically at Thomas, who was next to him.

“Did it work?”

“Yes, I got the pop up saying I’ve joined Refuge and was designated as a War Adviser,” Frank said in a questioning voice.

“Good. You can join the Settlement by touching either of the Cores and I can set permission to enable certain actions, like approving others’ applications,” Thomas explained to the rest.

“Why even have two Cores?” Carol asked as she struggled to leave the comfort of her chair.

“If this Core is destroyed, the Settlement will cease,” Thomas replied, gesturing with his chin at the nearby golden snow globe.

“Guess that explains the defensive design for the building,” Chon said, as he reached out and placed his hand on the Core, submitting his application. The rest of the people followed suit.

“Hold on. Thomas, where do I find this control panel or whatever for the Settlement?” Frank asked hurriedly.

“There is a new tab in the Profile.”

Frank leaned back in his chair and opened his Profile. Changing to the new Settlement tab, brought up several options. Members list, application, buildings. The first two were self-explanatory, causing him to focus on the last one. Doing so brought up an extensive list of buildings they could construct.

The first building, Warehouse, was highlighted, while the rest were greyed out. Focusing on it brought up a new panel. There was a picture of a wooden barn-like structure, approximately ten by ten yards. The words Free to Build were prominently displayed at the top of the panel, while the description sat under the picture.

Warehouse: A building used to store items and resources. Allows for conversion of items into Settlement Points.

Note: if the Warehouse is destroyed, any stored items and SP will be left on the ground.

Ah, so SP is Settlement Points. But what exactly are they? Frank wondered, focusing on the words, brought up yet another panel.

Settlement Points: the currency of Settlement. Used for everything from purchasing buildings and upgrading them, to buying items in the Shop. Can be obtained by converting items into SP in the Warehouse.

I see, Frank thought and closed the two panels to return to the list of buildings. wall, gates, tower, several types of houses, smithy, woodworking shop, tannery, tailor workshop, well, kitchen, dining hall, shop. Frank focused on the last one. A panel appeared with a picture of a kiosk.

Shop: Use SP to purchase System-generated items: materials, equipment, potions, crafting recipes, skills, and grids. Items will refresh every three days.

Cost to Build: 50 SP, 10 Wood.

Skills and grids? That’s unexpected. Could the skills actually be grid-locked ones? Frank wondered, his excitement rising. He continued to look through the list of buildings, occasionally opening those that piqued his curiosity. Reaching the end, he was about to close the list and see if anyone needed him for anything, when he read the name of the last building, gasping in surprise. A moment later he regained his composure and focused on the name of the building.

Portal.