Joe had been checking the pillar just to look. It was the post System equivalent to spending twenty minutes flipping through shows on Netflix before giving up and doing something else. The thought stung as it brushed up against Joe's long-suppressed desire for instant vacuous entertainment. He shoved everything back into the corner of his mind holding onto Pokemon facts from childhood, before focusing on the task at hand. His new toy was glittering in the system menu, just waiting to be unwrapped.

Minor Poison Resistance

Mana cost - lesser / passive skill

Increases resistance to poisons under rare by (1%)*SL

Oh, it was a thing of beauty. The rational parts of his mind told him it was a mana hog, and the resistance would be all but worthless until level ten. Those parts were politely invited to shut the hell up. Joe was so tired of getting poisoned in this damn rift. It had gotten old fast and showed no signs of slowing down. There was one other caveat, though it was more of a long-term thing. The minor attached to the name implied it could be upgraded, evolved, made better, etc. The thought of someday being able to give this entire rift the finger as he strolled through brought a smile to his face.

Joe accepted the skill. He would have leveled it up as well, but that bottomed out his essence. Joe would need to do some speed runs soon to get the tank filled up. He could store six essence levels at this point, and being full made the bonus Attributes easier to obtain. He turned back to the group, and his huge smile gave away that something had happened.

"So it turns out there's a Minor Poison Resistance skill."

The three guards smiled and nodded appreciatively. It wasn't the cheers or standing ovation that Joe felt was appropriate to the situation, but beggars couldn't be choosers. Diana's reaction was puzzling to him. Her head was in her hands, and she stared at the ground. Finally, she looked up at Joe, her face resigned.

"And more stupid shit gets rewarded. I'm becoming increasingly convinced that these skill unlocks are just a way to encourage people to flirt with death in new and exciting ways."

Joe opened his mouth to argue and then shut it again. She might be onto something there. If the only way to get the resistance skills was to expose yourself to dangerous stuff on the regular, chances were high that it increased the death rate appreciably. Still, he had rolled the dice and kind of won. Sort of. He had been poisoned an awful lot for a 1% defense. Joe shook his head. It wasn't worth worrying about. He moved forward with what he would have said if the skill hadn't been there.

"It's time we go out. We shouldn't take on the next boss without some heavy weapons. I'm assuming you three are interested in sticking with us?"

All the former guards nodded in agreement, so Joe pushed ahead with the conversation.

"We'll exit together. If there's anything dangerous out there or more guards than we can handle, we'll retreat here immediately. If we run, try to stay together. Diana, would you give them the address in case we get separated. I forgot to look."

The last part was admitted slightly sheepishly. Joe had been running on adrenaline and anger for the better part of a day. He was getting fuzzy. In the current world, addresses weren't as necessary, but it would have been easy enough to look in case of something like this. Everyone nodded or spoke a simple acknowledgment. They all stood and faced the rift portal together.

"Let's do this."

They stepped forward, and the world bent and shifted around them. Everyone took an involuntary stutter-step as they exited the portal. It wasn't bad, though, and Joe looked around a moment later. The sun was still high, but the angle of the light let him know it was late afternoon. His eyes scanned the area and noticed six people grouped at the gate. He also noticed a large bloodstain on the ground where the confrontation occurred the day before. It was a huge bloodstain. Whoever it was hadn't survived.

One of the people turned around lazily. The man's jaw dropped wide open when he caught sight of Joe and his group. A moment later, he yelled a warning, and spears were brandished in Joe's direction. The guards were agitated and nervous, their faces and stances giving it away. Their formation was a sloppy line, and Joe's opinion of their training continued to stay low. He grounded his spear and raised his left hand in what he hoped was a placating gesture.

"Afternoon, folks. If you wouldn't mind giving us some space, we were just leaving."

Joe looked around the group. It was mostly new faces, though he spotted the man with the broken arm from the night before. He was holding his spear awkwardly with his left arm and had started sweating bullets once he recognized Joe. The man's eyes drifted to Joe's side and shoulder. Joe's shirt was long gone, so he got a good look at the shoulder stab wound that looked like it had been healing for weeks. His face paled further if such as thing was possible, but he still stepped forward and spoke.

"You. Dylan died because of you. Who else are you going to kill today?"

Sorrow and guilt pierced through Joe's chest like an ice stiletto. When the hounds sounded out, his only thought was to escape. He'd been injured and had no chance at fighting them. Joe had hoped that the injured men would have help from their comrades to escape. When he saw the bloodstain on the trampled grass, he'd suspected what had happened. The confirmation unlocked the doubt and guilt that Joe had steadfastly refused to think about while in the rift. However, now wasn't the time, and he shoved it back into its hole.

"No one needs to die today." Joe bit the words off with a growl. "Just like before, we're leaving, and the only problems will be ones you cause."

Joe stared the group down. A tense few seconds passed, and then the man ordered everyone else to move out of their way. Joe didn't miss his eyes looking over his shoulder at the rift, almost like a nervous tic. There was another team inside right now. Joe would bet everything he had. It would be best if they got the fuck out of dodge.

"Let's go. Double time."

The group walked past the Council guards warily and then picked up the pace heading directly south. The fields weren't close, but Joe still felt his skin crawl every time he looked to the west. Something needed to be done about those things, and soon. They stuck to the main road and then cut east once they were out of sight. No one spoke as they followed him towards his new housing. Joe tried to keep his pace down and make sure he didn't run the others into the ground. The new levels had done everyone some good, and no one collapsed once they arrived.

Diana took charge, and Joe was happy to let her. She organized the newest trio into gathering water and supplies. They seemed happy to have something to do and went about their work without complaint. Once they were alone, Diana looked over at Joe before speaking quietly.

"It wasn't your fault."

Joe nodded but didn't say anything. He knew that it wasn't his fault. It was Frank's fault. It was the Council's fault. He'd just wanted to go home and keep people safe. But, he had swung the bat. He had dropped the man and given the hounds an easy dinner. Life had been hard, but Joe had never wanted to kill anyone, even by accident.

"I'm going to see if I can help find some furniture or something."

Diana didn't press him, and Joe left without another word. He needed time to process, and a young woman he barely knew wasn't someone he felt comfortable baring his soul to quite yet. They had been through a lot, but a deep emotional connection took time. Joe spotted which way everyone else had gone and went the opposite. He cased the windows of the various houses, being careful to avoid any that showed signs of recent habitation.

A winding suburb block away, he hit the jackpot and found a house filled with furniture. The excitement of having a mattress again was enough for Joe to push past his emotions and focus on the now. He ran back and got everyone to help grab the furniture. They managed to grab two mattresses and a bed spring on the first trip with another mattress and two springs the following time. One final trip brought a table and six chairs. One the way back, Joe noted a garden shed that had seen better days. Its doors were hanging open, and Joe had an idea.

Joe grabbed Mike, and they ran through the backyards near them, taking doors off of garden sheds. After three sheds, Joe judged they had more than enough material for what he wanted. They stacked three doors along the outside of the glass sliding door. Inside they did the same and then pushed the couch up against it to hold them more securely. It was redneck as shit and definitely wouldn't stop anything too determined, but it was a start. They would at least have some warning something was trying to come through.

At this point, the sun was going down, and no one felt like being outside after dark. They sat around the table, drinking water and talking. At first, they talked about nothing other than names, hobbies, where they were from, etc. It was all standard meet and greet stuff, but after the stress of the last day, it was a necessary release valve for all of them. It was almost dark, and everyone was stirring restlessly when Joe cleared his throat.

"It's been a hell of a day. I think I speak for everyone when I say we all need some sleep. I'll take the first watch and wake someone up when I'm tired. We'll figure something more permanent out later. Tomorrow, when we're more clearheaded, we'll need to talk about what comes next."

Everyone mumbled their assent. Diana met his eyes and nodded before going upstairs with the other woman. They had a single mattress and springs upstairs, with the other two being laid out in the living room away from the couch. Carl and Mike talked to each other for a bit, but shortly even the weirdness and stress of the day could not deny their body's need for sleep any longer. Joe pulled up a chair and sat under the small archway connecting the rooms. From there, he could see both the front and covered glass doors.

The silence in the house was broken only by an occasional soft snore from Carl. Joe thought back through the last two days. The almost nonstop fear and combat had left his memories hazy. Two memories were still crystal clear and massive in the front of his mind. The first was his view of the farm and the hounds. The fear played along his nerves every time he even brushed the memory. Seeing monsters loose on Earth had shaken any feeling of safety he had managed to cobble together.

The second memory was fresh, barely more than a few hours old. Joe remembered the bloodstain on the dirty pavement. He saw the man that had been lying there as he fled. Joe told himself it wasn't his fault. It wasn't, and he knew it. A few silent tears still streaked his dirty face as he looked into the darkness and waited for something to break the silence.

After about four hours, he shook Mike awake. The other man grumbled for a moment and then started awake suddenly. The light was nonexistent, and Joe could picture the man's eyes darting wildly. He tried his best to keep his voice calm and soothing as he spoke.

"It's OK, Mike. Carl and Deena are here too. I was waking you up to take a turn at watch. "

Joe heard the panic breathing slow down and subside after a minute. Mike sounded embarrassed when he spoke, though Joe couldn't make out the man's face in the dark.

"Sorry. I forgot where I was. "

"I get it. I do. Nothing seems real lately. If you need me, just yell. I've got a chair set up under the arch to the kitchen."

Mike mumbled his assent, and Joe heard him shuffle blindly over towards the chair. A soft swear carried through the room as Mike hit his foot on the chair before settling into it. Joe laid down on the recently vacated mattress and shut his eyes. He'd had plenty of time to face down his fears and demons as he sat alone and silent in the dark. Now he was exhausted and drifted off to sleep in minutes.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Dawn - Plain City - Joe's Fortress of Rednecktude

Everyone was awake by the time Joe stirred and rejoined the world. They had been nice and let him sleep, and he'd needed it. Everything felt better when he woke up. Joe's shoulder and hip still hurt, but they didn't have the deep ache of the day before. He mumbled thanks with a wave and went out to the pond with a bucket and a bar of soap. None of them were winning awards for personal hygiene today, but Joe had reached a point where he could taste the smell around him.

The water was cold and gritty, with the standard algae funk from summer, but it was better than poison and monster juices. After ten minutes of solid scrubbing and rinsing, he wandered back into the house to get something to eat. He pulled out his backpack and looked at the meager supplies within. He sat it all on the table before calling for the group to join him. It only took a minute, as everyone was milling around, a little lost after the craziness of the previous day.

"It's not much, but dig in. I know the berries keep us from starving, but I still feel hungry. Once we've had something to eat and drink, I'd like to talk about what comes next."

No one moved at first, and Joe shrugged and grabbed some trail mix he had squirreled away in a side pocket. Diana joined him shortly afterward, and the rest followed suit. Joe handed out a berry to everyone as well. There wasn't enough food to last more than two meals for the group, and every extra bit would help. The general healing helped clear Joe's head. It wasn't a coffee substitute, but it was the best option he had available.

"We need to talk about you three."

Everyone froze, and Mike's eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head. Joe rushed ahead before people could worry themselves about non-issues.

"I know Carl and Deena have families. What about you, Mike?"

"I've got a little brother back in town."

"I don't think any of your families are going to have a good time with Frank being the leader."

Carl shook his head while he spoke. "That's the understatement of the year. Frank holds grudges. He's going to punish our families for what we've done."

Joe had assumed as much. Dictators rarely took direct challenges to their rule well. Without being able to take out his anger on the actual culprits, Joe knew that Frank would find someone to punish. Joe needed a focused and functional team. He wouldn't get that if they couldn't get their families to safety. Of course, Joe would have done it regardless. Nothing had been more important to him than his family. He wouldn't expect other people to feel differently.

"Well, then it's time we plan a jailbreak. Unless you think a day will make a difference, I say we take today to scavenge, supply, and prepare. Tomorrow we'll bring your families home."

The mood in the room lifted. A gleam of hope that had been slowly fading ignited in the eyes around the table. They spent the next hour assigning tasks and working out a plan for the next day. It was with lighter steps that everyone stepped out to get moving. Mike and Carl resumed scavenging, though with a different focus. Joe sat out the various materials he'd gotten from the rifts on the table. When the men returned, Mike was going to try and rig up some passable weapons or other equipment.

Carl was looking for gardening tools. Most of these houses had a small garden plot in the back, though completely overgrown. If Carl could find the right tools and seeds of some kind, it was time for him to get a community garden going. If, no, when Joe reminded himself, they succeeded, there would be many more mouths to feed. He'd still be working the fields, but it was different when it was voluntary and for people you cared about.

The ladies were scouting a direct way through the neighborhoods to the rift. They would also scout the way between the town and rift, with the understanding that caution took precedence over results. Diana knew to avoid active habitation and scout for salvage on the way back. Joe had specifically tasked them with looking for axes or other heavy chopping weapons, and he'd also hinted that a metal bat would probably find some use.

Joe went to scout out the elementary school halfway towards the town. Unfortunately, it was a bust. Anything metal outside had been ripped out, with drag marks showing it heading towards downtown. The front doors were shattered glass, leaving the building dark and foreboding. Joe doubted there was anything too bad in there, but he turned back to meet the others without investigating.

Freshly disturbed earth on the other side of the road caught Joe's eye. The grass was high, just like everywhere else, but Joe caught sight of grave markers and realized what it was. The dirt made him frown. He hoped it was just some regular scavenger that was desperate for food. He knew the hounds were getting bolder, but he didn't want to think of them foraging this close to their new house.

Joe squinted and was relieved to see that the disturbed earth was too small to have been one of those giant monsters' doing. They didn't seem prone to subtlety. He filed the information away along with the thought that who the hell puts an elementary school across from a cemetery. Joe moved back down towards the house. He had enough to do, and whatever this was could wait.