Chapter 8

The sound of the scream echoed in the Goddess's hall, making the already dark space even more intimidating. Zayne watched the whole thing take place and remained still. He didn’t feel fear often, but when he did, it usually meant there was a good reason to be scared. Even he had a little voice in the back of his head telling him this was something he shouldn’t mess with.

“Whatever you do! Don’t piss her off.” Jiminy whispered to him.

It would have been a very good idea if he hadn’t already achieved this simply by stepping in at the wrong place at the wrong time. The Goddess Achlys seemed to agree with this too. “Why in the seven pits of Hel are you here! Did I not give you your rewards for freeing me? Did I not give you a quest to spread my name! Did I not tell you that I would have a solution for you about your intelligence after you gave me the appropriate time to fix it?”

Achlys said all of this while making her way over to Zayne. He stood stock still as she got near, beating him down with her aura. Every step she took was more pressure on his back and when she got close enough, it broke both legs out from underneath him. Achlys took another step to him now standing over top of him. “You disappoint me again and I’ll put you in the same place that little bitch is in, and I do mean any failure.”

With that last line, she dismissed Zayne by throwing him through the mist to the plain he roamed. The fall was bad, and he wasn’t able to get up for a time. Crawling out of the mist into the empty town, he made his way to the northern forest. There, he stayed to recover getting ready for the next night.

On the final day before the reset, the remaining people of the town was holed up in the town hall, waiting for the mad killer to return. Zayne made his appearance known to Patrick and his group. The fire he held on to was at the end of the stick he got from an abandon home, brightening up the night, illuminating him to the people in the building.

“You sure this is the right way to kill them? I mean, I don’t disagree with you murdering them, but maybe doing it this way is a little less personal than what I like.” Foulness was against the method that Zayne had come up with. After the talk and little display, the blood thirsty Goddess had shown him. He didn’t feel the need to go about this in the fun way that he has been doing. He didn’t know what would happen if he was sent to that room with Sara (Jiminy had to remind him what her name was.) but the idea of him being locked in a room was something he didn’t want to go through with all over again.

Zayne threw the torch at the highly flammable thatch roof on the building lighting it up in a blaze. He planned to wait there at the entrance for any of the town members to escape but as time passed, it was made obvious that wasn’t going to happen.

He could hear the screams leaping out in the night as the building continued to burn, bring on a horrid view in front of him. The smell of burning hair and burnt flesh was wafting out, making the display complete as the people tried everything they could to break out of the building. The pews and makeshift fortifications on the town hall was what kept them in, but Zayne didn’t know that. He continued until there wasn’t a building left. After the whole spectacle was over, the reset happened, sending him back to the woods he started at.

This would continue for a few months, Zayne hunting them down as the town tried to escape. Even Brock and his followers went along with Patrick’s plan trying to leave behind the carnage of the town and the curse of the man with chains. They went west and east only to find dead ends, not allowing them to leave the valley. This made up a few years of them trying. Patrick soon came to understand everyone over the age of 25 stopped aging, the younger folk of the town stopped when they hit their early 20s. He realized that no matter what, even if they did hide long enough from the man in chains, the day would end on the third and they would find themselves back in their homes, waking up to the reality of the situation all over again. The whole town now had classes but for Patrick, he refused to take a class until he found one that would help out with the rest his people. Having a class didn’t help as much as they thought it would, only slowing down the process of them dying.

To the south, the goblins would either chase them out or kill off most of the group as they ran, making the job of Zayne’s much easier. Anywhere was better than staying in town for the horror show. Years went by as they died from the simplest methods to the extreme, burning, drowning, stabbing, dismemberment, all the way to dissection. The way he killed them over time started to have an effect on the people of Waterbrook, to the point that they no longer ran. Some tried to resume their lives, but that just made the deaths vary with what they had on hand. Jenifer started to take her own life as soon as she woke up from the nightmares she had, making death come quicker, but in a less painful way. It got to where she took her sons' lives too as they didn’t fight her on it. The only ones to suffer the most was everyone that was under the age gap to be harmed. Soon the whole of Waterbrook followed her in killing themselves instead of the nightmare. The whole hamlet was dying too fast, making the reset happen far quicker than what Zayne could keep up with.

The decades came and the seasons change, soon blood was found on snow or in the freezing river. Spring just meant he had a faster way to them without leaving tracks. The wildlife started to grow as he made use of the antlers he got from the deer around. Summer was hot and the blood he spilled made the valley reek, bringing in more of the nastier animals. Fall just meant that another year had pasted of their suffering. The forest life left Zayne alone, the goblins were more animalistic in their nature, so were too fearful of him and the death he brought.

Zayne would get bored with the whole thing, but the lingering threat made by Achlys kept him moving. He would take his time at some points and stretch it to the third day as he learned the -skill leather working-. That came from his torn jacket. Not finding a replacement, he made do with the flesh he had on hand. The skill grew all the way to apprentice, making the skin from different people look like it was the latest thing in fashion. No one could tell just by looking at it that it was made from their neighbors, but he didn’t stop there. His skill allowed him to make other things too. The bed they all slept on, the pillows and blankets he made too, keeping them in the cave he found. Other skills grew and new ones appeared as the decade came to the second.

Anything they made was still there after reset. The town soon found this out when they built a trench around town with fortifications and lookout towers that were in vain. If they got destroyed some time before the reset, then they would simply appear like new in the same spot they were made after the third day.

After one of the more uncivilized months the people of Waterbrook had, being killed over and over made any consequence they had unimpactful in life. Rape and killing soon followed as they all lost all hope. The women affected had gotten pregnant, but if Zayne killed them while they were in that state, then the babies were lost. On rare occasions where he didn’t show up till the third day, the babies would be born and out of harm’s way. This accumulated after a time, making the baby boom happen. This was put to a stop after one of the men got ahold of Harrison’s daughter Gwen. He killed the man numerous times with his dogs until Patrick said that it was enough. The dogs weren’t the hounds they were anymore as he got new skills turning them into large wolves. This too didn’t help with the killer problem.

It wouldn’t be until later, after the first child died permanently, that would spark Jenifer into fighting back against the killer again.

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The reset had just happened, and the town was going on with their hell, a few would take easier ways out leaving roughly 40 of them left. Half of that number was based south of the town keeping an eye out for any goblins. This was too common for the town of Waterbrook as Jenifer made her way over to the town hall. There were guards posted up around the building with horns in case the killer would use one of the children as a weapon again.

All of the unwanted babies were kept there. Some of the women would come check on them if they felt the need. The mothers that were involved in the raging incident were different on how they coped with the kids born from that night. Harrison’s daughters had participated leaving him to fume over the men they slept with. Her two sons Henry and Jacob weren’t innocent in it. Patrick and she found their boy Henry with Lisa. It wasn’t that they were too young for it, but they kept it a secret from their parents for years.

Henry had moved out to a home of his own to the west side away from Harrison as he kept Lisa for himself. The two parties didn’t get along together and that stretched Patrick’s friendship with him thin. Patrick was still the mayor, but that didn’t mean anything to the town as the hell they lived in continued. For a time, Harrison and others followed him as they tried anything to leave. That was until the reset happened when they were in the woods making camp. It was the first time it happened making the rest of the town wonder if being in the woods brought them back. They found this wasn’t true, because if one was caught outside after the stroke of midnight, then they would appear in their bed fully awake with the sun poking out over the mountains.

Jenifer was reaching the door when Wilkinson opened it. He wasn’t the same after Sara disappeared the night he left town. He spoke at length with Brock and his friend big John, but all they had to say was she just disappeared. No one knew why her death was permanent, but the cult of chains firmly believes that if one wanted the final death, then one had to beg it from the man himself. Jenifer tried to stay away from Marry and the rest of them. All that brought was more death and no one else wanted to worship the thing that kept killing them.

The room was filled with weeping babies. The older children were trying to help calm them down. Wilkinson didn’t say a word as he went back to his office. Patrick learned the fate of Sara and left the office to him, since he stopped acting as mayor for the hamlet. The house where Wilkinson lost his wife and daughter just didn’t feel like home anymore.

Jim’s bastard he had with Gwen, it wasn’t mutual, was one of the oldest there. Her name was Chance named by Jenifer in hopes that Gwen would give the child that same thing, was putting the younger ones at the table. The town hall now had long rows of them with chairs that varied. The sight of the children helped Jenifer in her hell of a life just by being there, not all of them were loved or even shown kindness by their parents.

Chance was nicked name Char by her mother, when she stopped by. The times she did was too few in between as the years went by. She was close to turning 16, making her the oldest child born from the disaster that occurred. Char had her mother’s looks with long blond hair; she was short for her age, which she got from her grandfather. Harrison would visit but wouldn’t stay long from the sickening thought of where all the kids came from.

Jenifer knew all of this and was getting ready for her birthday; it was tonight and the idea of the kid being alone was something she wouldn’t stand for. Everyone that was part of the town seemed to think they were immortal, so having this poor kid be all alone for the rest of eternity was saddening for Jenifer.

“Are you ready for the killing hour? I think your mother was going to make an appearance to help transition you from town hall to one of the new homes that was built for you and the other kids. It’s not that long till happy hour is over.” Jenifer said, worriedly. Happy hour for the town was at noon, where everyone was awake and had the rest of the day to celebrate before the killing hour hit, when the man in chains would show up.

Chance didn’t blink at that line. “It’s already my birthday? I thought I still had a few more months before I turned 16.” All the kids had learned what would happen to them when they turned 16, after the stories Clair, Jacob and Trish had told. When they timed out of the System’s non control, they would be subjected to the pain all the adults had to face. The children already had to come with terms being used as weapons and shields by the killer, the thought of being tortured was far worst and was treated not as a joy but as a curse when they aged up. Some of the kids that didn’t know better thought of it as the day they would get a class, but those kids were soon told what it meant by the older kids.

Jenifer quick on picking up on the child’s fear tied to help smooth those worries away, “NO, its not like that. You’ll get a class that will help protect you from man in chains. You can stay at my house tonight.” She said.

The door of the town hall opened with a loud bang, showing Gwen. The three daughters of Harrison looked nearly identical now but for a few things. Lisa had a short haircut, more in the pixy hair style. She was also the taller of the three. Clair wore her hair in two ponytails and was the second tallest. Gwen wore her hair down; it came to her waist, and she was the shortest of the three.

“Go figure, your already have plans for my kid before I even show up.” Gwen said. She held a cross bow on her back with bolts in a quiver at her side. She was dressed up in full black leather armor now compliments of Brock continuing his craft. She had the archery skill and helped out with keeping the goblins back on their side of the forest. The goblins had grown considerably since the beginning of the killing had started. Now their numbers were in the thousands with no sign of them slowing down with there population. The entire southern mountain was there home now.

“You hardly ever show up to see her! What am I supposed to do? Sit back and let the unwanted kids suffer alone?” Jenifer said angerly now.

“It’s not that I didn’t want to see her but was busy keeping the town safe! Her safe! What ideas have you put in her head while I’ve been gone?” Gwen marched up into Jenifer’s face while she was giving her explanation.

Gwen’s class might have been archery, but Jenifer was a bard, who had over 24 years to get good at her craft. Without speaking a word, she started to make a rhythmic beat with her foot putting a little of her will into it. The Mp drain was laughable as she put the spell to sooth Gwen. She tried to do this to the killer, but he always disappeared from her when she started, showing up right behind her slicing her throat, putting Jenifer out of the fight. Most of the fighters or she should say defenders, thought of her class as little more than a bar drinking gift.

“I don’t need your pub tricks to sooth me down. I’m just here to collect my daughter and move her into my house.” Gwen reached for her daughter Chance’s hand to take her away from the town hall.

“And what will you do with her when she moves into your home? YOU live on the south side of the town where the most frequent goblin attacks occur. Do you really want her to be subjected to that?” Jenifer also took ahold of Chance’s hand, making a tug of war out of it.

Char for her part was being pulled on by two people with their strength well above the norm. “I can speak for myself!” the shout sounded to all the onlookers. The words stopped Gwen and Jenifer from their contest. The two of them stopped and let go of Chance as she continued. “As much as you have done for me, I would like to go with my mother. I appreciate everything you have done for me and the rest of the hall, but I just want to spend my time with my mother.” Gwen had a look of gloating about her face but was quickly token away by Char’s next words. “If things don’t work out, I can always come to your home Jen.”

Jenifer for her part didn’t gloat about Chance’s choice, instead she had a hurt feeling from them, but she kept it bottled up from view. “I respect your choice, and if anything happens” She looked over at Gwen “Then I would happily let you stay at my home with me and my son. Patrick might not show up for a while till the reset happens, but he shouldn’t mind too much either.” Jenifer said.

“Ok, thank you mother Jen!” Chance reached over to her and gave the woman the biggest hug she could. Gwen scowled at the words but didn’t say anything.

“Be good for your mother and try not to get hurt while you’re with her.” Jenifer intoned after the hug broke off.

Gwen grabbed her daughter and marched out of the hall telling Jennifer that she had nothing to fear.

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The way back to her mother’s home was brief with the horse she had; the horses Patrick kept had given birth to the vast majority of them in town. The only problem was it took them a while to grow and if they died then they wouldn’t respawn. This should have been the first indicator for the towns people, but they took it as they weren’t human so could die like the wildlife. Harrison’s dogs and chicken were just the few animals that stayed around. The rest that was born stayed dead.

When Gwen and her daughter chance reached the outskirts of the town, they dismounted and headed toward the house by the small wall. The men and women station on the wall made up half the town, Gwen was the head scout and Jacob was in charge of infantry. The men all slept in the barrack located to the opposite side of Gwen and the girls. They rotated shifts out so eyes could be on the wall at all times. Right now, those same eyes were staring at Gwen and her daughter.

“Now Char, I want you to understand something. This wall here is what keeps out the goblins, along with the trench and our arrows but you must listen. If you go beyond the wall, you can and will be captured, the goblins like to take human women back to their caves where they molest them till the reset happens. A few of the women here have already encountered this, that’s why there are so few of them now here on the wall.” Gwen’s face was serious.

“Whatever you do, DO NOT GO OVER THE WALL! There hasn’t been a breech since the earlier days so you shouldn’t worry about them coming over but just in case, I’m going to train you how to defend yourself.” She went into the housing pulling out leather, a bow and quiver. Tossing them over to her daughter, Gwen had Char dress in them over her cloths while the rest of the wall watched with amusement.

“The targets are off to the side facing the wall so there wont be any problem of you shooting towards the town, any arrow that goes over we just assume is lost. We have a limited number of arrows so if you go past your regulated 50, I’ll teach you how to make more.” She was helping Chance put on the leather greaves before they made their way over to the target dummies.

“What happens if I don’t lose any arrows?” Chance asked as they walked.

“That would be a miracle and I would still show you how to make arrows. Being an archer requires you to learn that skill. When the statis shows up it will tell you what your best suited for but knowing how to shoot a bow should be taught to everyone.”

That’s how Chance spent the rest of her birthday, learning to shoot arrows at stationary target.

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Patrick was roaming the through the east mountains, the reset had taken place just this morning and he would spend the rest of three days looking for a way out of this god forsaken hell. He spent most of his time alone now, he would briefly check in but that was to few in between. He occasionally met the killer out her but that would just mean he had to take a longer time looking through the area. He had his horse Bucks with him as he made these journeys. His sheet had more than grown from the start of this whole thing.

Patrick

Class: n/a

Level: 0

Hp 450/ Stam 440/ Mp 300,

-Hp regen 45 per hour

-Stam regen 44 per minute

-Mp regen 30 per hour

Vit 45/ End 44/ Str 42

Agi 35/ Percep 15/ React 30

Will 25/ Intell 25/ Wisdom 30

Skills-Tracking lv.25, Pole arm proficiency adept lv. 2 polearm’s do an additional 12% damage, Mapping lv. 24, horse back riding lv. 14, Archery proficiency apprentice lv. 9, hand combat adept lv. 9 hand to hand does additional 19% damage, Leadership lv. 8

Abilities-All fathers rage: all stats are (3x)

Body strength lv 32

Body end lv 34

Body vit lv 34

Body agi lv 30

Body react lv 20

Body intell lv 15

Body wisdom lv 21

Body will lv 20

He was about to give up on them ever getting out, the towns people said they no longer cared about leaving but he knew that wasn’t true. This was the last place he would check again, if he didn’t find anything then he would call it quits and go back to town. Maybe even patch up a few relationships while he was at it.

Patrick, not finding anything new made his way back towards the town of Waterbrook preparing to take on some of the responsibility he had left. The skill horseback riding made the trip much faster than it would otherwise. At 14% faster than without the skill he should be back before night fell, making it a more somber ride than what he would have liked.

When he got there, it would be the number one worst night of his life. The future would forever be changed with the events that occurred in the hamlet of Waterbrook, or what they would soon call the city of Waterbrook.