Chapter 11

The Blockade

Lt. Kino was sitting in his office when the door opened and a tall figure entered the room wearing black suit and tie.

“Ho ho ho. My dear brother, please do come in.” Lt. Kino said.

But before Lt. Kino was able to finish his sentence, the man was already on the chair. He unbuttoned his suit and sat down.

“Oh my, by all means, please sit down.” Lt. Kino said sarcastically.

The man looked around the office before fixing his eyes to Lt. Kino. “Hmm. Ordinary.”

Lt. Kino laughed. “Yes, I like to keep it that way.”

Knock* knock*

The tension broke when someone knocked the door.

“Lt. Kino, this is Jeehan, I have the recorded videos you asked.”

“Come in.” Lt. Kino ordered.

When Jeehan entered the room, she was surprised at Lt. Kino’s guest.

“Uhm.. I’m sorry, I didn’t know, y-you have--.” Jeehan faltered.

Lt. Kino held out his palm to her and she approached Lt. Kino’s desk and handed the laptop she was holding.

“Beautiful as ever, young Jeehan.” The guest said.

Jeehan bowed. “Thank you, Mr. Senator.”

“Have you made up your mind about my proposition, Jeehan?” The Senator said. “Quit working with my sorry excuse of a lazy brother and come work for me.”

“I am honored that you think highly of me, Mr. Senator. But, I think I have to refuse your offer, I am sorry.” Jeehan bowed.

The Senator sighed. “Very well, you are always welcome in my division. We are always in need of talented soldier like yourself.”

"Thank you, Mr. Senator"

“I’m sure you didn’t come here to recruit my staff. Did you, Saito?” Lt. Kino smiled.

Senator Saito sighed. “We have information of Russian troops marching into one our city in the Northwest region.”

“Fifty thousand strong, wasn’t it?” Lt. Kino asked.

“You were lazy and now you’re getting sloppy too, my younger brother.” Sen. Saito said. “Fifteen-thousand Russian soldiers, fifteen thousand Mercenaries, ten thousand users and another ten thousand NPC soldiers, all combat ready.”

“Ha ha ha. You’re living up to your expectations, next Prime Minister.” Lt. Kino said.

“Your division, what’s it called? Spectrabull or something, only answers to the Prime Minister. When I become the Prime Minister, you will answer to me, Kino.” Sen. Saito mocked.

“Oh, I am looking forward to that.” Lt. Kino said in his sarcastic voice.

“Don’t be. Anyways, I am here to give you a mission. The current prime minister asked me to personally tell you that your Division, as of today, is now on active duty.”

“So that old geezer finally decided to forgive us.” Lt. Kino said.

“Officially, I am against it. There’s a high chance one of your members may betray us again.” Sen. Saito said. “So, get your lazy ass back to work, my dear brother and watched your members carefully.”

“What’s the mission.” Lt. Kino asked.

“Do what you do best, brother.” Senator Saito stood up, buttoned his suit and turned to Jeehan. “Make sure he doesn’t slack off.”

Jeehan nodded, as Senator Saito exited the room.

“Jeehan, I want you to call seven and eight and tell them to meet me at the usual place.” Lt. Kino ordered.

“Yes, sir.” Jeehand answered.

***

“These things, the walking corpses, appear at night and from out of nowhere?” I asked. I dropped the milady this time for I wanted to win her favor rather than to annoy her.

“Yes they were animated dead, but they were originally the people of this town.” Isshan said.

“What do we need to do then to lift the curse?” I asked.

“I-I have to recite an incantation.” Isshan said while trying to hide her worried face.

I sighed. “Let me guess, this incantation needs to be recited at the middle of the night or something.”

“Uh-Yes.” She gave me a surprised look. “Also, at the middle of the town, the town square.”

Urgh. Duh doy. Of course I know that, else you would have recited it here.

“How long it would take you to recite the spell?” I asked.

“I will need an hour.”

“And no one has to bother you while you are doing the incantations?”

She nodded. “When I start, the corpses will turned all of their attention to me and they will try to interrupt the process.”

I nodded. “Then we have to ask your father for some help.”

She turned his gaze away from me. “It will be too late. If the curse hasn’t lifted tomorrow, its effect will be permanent.”

Are you freaking kidding me? It took me almost a week to come here, even if the tribesman rode a horse it would at least take them two days.

“Why didn’t you asked him before?” I asked.

Isshan looked down. “He told me that he wouldn’t risk the safety of our people to settle the problems of the other races."

“That’s why you left.” I said. So their tribe belongs to one of the hidden races. No wonder their skin color is different. I should ask her more about this after the quest is finished.

She nodded and her unbelievably beautiful long eye lashes seems to flutter whenever she nods.

I looked to Borin, the town’s mayor. “Do you have a map of this town?”

“Yes. Here.” He took a scroll from his bag.

“Were they strong?” I asked while looking to the map.

“A bit yeah, but they were slow.” Borin answered.

“And there's a lot of them.” Kren answered.

I looked again to Borin. “What was the town population before the curse?”

“Around fourteen hundred, excluding young adventurers like you.” He answered.

“There weren’t that many adventurers who visits this town anyway.” Threbo said.

“Are they drawn to the sounds, as usual?” I asked.

“As usual? Are there other towns suffering from the same curses.” Kren asked.

Damn those zombie novels. “What I mean was monsters were attracted to sounds right?”

They seemed to take it. I would rather not explain to these NPC’s that there is a world beyond Lost Earth. That they were just a product of mankind’s imagination and thirst for violence.

“You guys should get some sleep, we have a lot of work to do tomorrow.”

For D-rank quest, this one is hard. I’ll have to make do with what I have then.

We were all in the same room and they started to prepare their sleeping areas. I am not yet sleepy so I decided to look into the map once more and come up with a better plan.

Isshan shifted her body and now facing me.

“Thank you for helping us, Cripple.” She said.

I looked at her and saw her lips curved. It was a subtle smile.

I turned away and looked at the map again. “It’s no problem, Lady Isshan. I promised your father I’ll bring you back alive.”

“Isshan, just Isshan.” She said then turned her body facing the wall.

The A.I system of this game is top notch. For a second there, I somehow felt her emotion. The relief and happiness that someone was helping the town beside her and a tinge of sadness.

When I had memorized the map, every nook and crannies, I logged out of the game.

***

DUNGEON CLEARED!

“Another boring dungeon.” Van sighed.

“Yeah, compared to the Minotaur Dungeon, this is too easy.” John said approvingly.

“Off to the next dungeon then. Where’s the nearest dungeon here, Ken?” Ari asked.

Ken took something from his bag. “According to Intelligence Division, the nearest one was south of here."

“What kind of monsters lies in there?” Ari asked.

“You know, its Academy’s policy to not reveal any information about dungeons, except its location to the cadets.” Ken answered.

“Why?” Ari asked.

Ken sighed. “To train us on how to adapt to any kind of situations.”

Ari turned to Van. “Did you know that Van?”

“Of course, I know that.” Van said while trying to put on airs. But the truth was, Van had no idea such rule existed.

“Ari, let’s head first in the nearest town. Our equipment need some repairs.” Joan said.

“Ok, to the nearest town then.” Ari said then turned to Ken.

Ken looked again to his map. “There’s a town called Murika south of this mountain range.”

“Ok let’s go there.” Ari said.

***

When the sun peeked on Murika town, I told them my plan to form a blockade around the town square. The town square have four roads connected to it. Luckily, the houses were close to each other that makes defending the square a bit easy.

“Grab anything you can, tables, chairs, cabinets, doors, as long as it is heavy bring it in to the town square.” I said. “And hurry!”

When they were gone, I grabbed on one of the merchant carts. It took me a while to pull it to the west road. When Isshan saw what I just did, she also grabbed one of the carts and she pulled it easily.

I was surprised and thought those skinny caramel-like arms sure pack a punch.

“A-ah, put it here and knock it down.” I pointed the space next to the cart I just pulled. “If you don’t mind can you also pull the other one and put it there.” I said while pointing at the southern road.

“Okay.” She answered happily.

Each road were roughly five meters wide and two carts placed side by side in a diagonal position were enough to block the road leaving only a space for two people to fit through. Borin and the others torn down the doors in different houses and grabbed some chairs and tables and brought it in the square.

“Get some more, this is not enough.” I said.

While they were ransacking the house. Isshan and I stacked the chairs, doors and tables atop the knocked carts. I told Isshan to leave some gap in the west blockade.

“Why didn’t you keep the barricade straight and simple? Instead of placing them like that.” Borin asked.

I was shocked not because he sneaked behind our backs but to the level of reasoning this NPCs are capable of.

“Feel free to do that in the remaining roads. This blockade is where we will face the full force of the walking corpses.” I said.

“Why are you leaving a space here?” Borin asked while pointing at the right side of the blockade.

“That would be our entrance to the town’s square” I said. That was a lie, but it would be very hard to explain to him what I’d really planned.

“Are you saying we will not wait for them to come here?” Borin asked.

“Of course not. I’ll answer all your questions after we’re done finishing all the blockade.” I said. “But right now, we need more chairs and tables, grab a cabinet if you can. Also grab blankets and curtains.

Borin didn’t say anything and turned his back on us.

“Wait Mr. Borin. I am sorry for being hard.” I said. “By the way, what were you guys used to light your lamps?” I asked.

“Oh- You didn’t have to, I am grateful that you are helping us.” Borin said. “Do you mean Littor seed oil?”

“I don’t what that is. Is it highly flammable?”

“Yes, very.” Borin answered.

“Then, bring me a lot of those.” I said.

He nodded.

The western blockade comprised of chairs, doors, carts, tables and stood more than two meters high. The way the blockade was stacked if viewed from the top was like a trapezoid, where its shorter base was on the right side, and there was a gap where one or two person can fit easily.

After hours of spending a lot of time strengthening the western blockade. I went to where the others are. The northern blockade towered less than two meters and not as thick as the western blockade.

“Seal it now, Mr. Kren.” I said.

Kren then lifted the midsize table and placed it on the gap. After the Northern blockade was sealed I went to southern road where I had appointed Mayor Borin in charge to form a blockade. The southern blockade was a bit higher than northern one, but not as high as the blockade Isshan and I made.

“Let’s finish it, Mr. Borin.” I said.

After we properly sealed the northern blockade, Mr. Borin gave me 10 bottles of littor seed oil. I gave Mr. Borin one bottle of Littor seed oil and told him to pour it into the blockade.

“Eh? Are we supposed to set this blockade in fire?” he asked.

“Yes, as a last resort.” I answered.

I went to check on the eastern gate and Mr. Threbo was still stacking some wood planks on it.

“I think that’s enough, Mr. Threbo. Here take this.” I said as I gave him the bottle of Littor seed oil.

“What’s this?” He asked.

“Littor seed oil. Pour it in your blockade.” I said.

He frowned. He probably mistook what I said as [/i]‘what have you done is rubbish, burn it’. [/i]

“If the blockade wasn’t able to hold the walking corpses, burn it as a last resort.” I said.

He nodded then sprayed the litter seed oil to his blockade. After that, I went to Mr. Kren and gave him another bottle and instructed him to do the same.

It was late afternoon when everyone was finished and we gathered around at the center of the town square.

“Where will you recite the incantation?” I asked to Isshan.

She pointed at the center, on it was a two concentric elevated circular stone platform and a statue of Birek atop on it. “I need to be as close as possible to the statue.” She said.

I nodded.

“Weapons, we need weapons.” I said.

“We have spears and swords we stole in the smithy.” Mr. Borin said.

“Leave them here.” I said.

Then there’s only one thing left. I need to lure the d-deads into the western side of the t own.

“Let’s go.” I said.

“Wait, are we not gonna stay here?” Kren asked.

“Nope.” I said then walked away.

I led them into a two story house. It was the last house near the western gate.

“Barricade the windows only.” I said.

I brought out some of the food I stored in my bag and sat down in the floor.

“Come on, let’s eat. We are going to need all of our strength later.” I said.

Satiety increased by 46%

Strength +7

Vitality+7

Agility +7

Dexterity +7

HP regeneration increased by 1%

MP regeneration increased by 0.4%

Effects and bonuses lasts for a day

I stood. “Stay here for a while and don’t barricade the door.”

“Oy-oy, where are you going?” Kren said.

Isshan looked at me and gave me a worried face.

“There’s some things I need to do for us to succeed.” I said then looked to Isshan. “I’ll be back.”

“Are you sure that’s wise? The sun is about to set any minute now.” Mr. Borin asked.

I looked at him. “It’s not, but it is necessary. Keep the door close at all times and be quiet, if you heard three knocks, open it.”

I went to the Church. It was located at the western section of the town, near to the house where I left Isshan. When daytime was over I set on fire one of the house near the church with the help of litter seed oil.

I can now hear the distant groans and moans of d-deads from the distance. The fire grew stronger but not strong enough to engulf the entire house. I quickly entered into the church and set up the barricade we removed earlier from the door. I placed the barricade in a way that it can only hold at least a hundred of d-deads. I want the door to fail but only after thousands of d-deads had gathered around the church.

I climb the stairs to where the bell was located. I pulled the rope and loud metallic bang stab my ears. I pulled it again and again. I wanted to draw all the d-deads into the church, that’s why I set up the western blockade to be thicker and higher than any of the blockade.

*Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*

Though, a bit muffled, the groans and the constant beating of the door was getting stronger. I pulled the rope again to ring the bell.

“Come and eat me!” I shouted inside the church then rang the bell again but probably I am the only one who heard it.

Isshan needed to recite the incantations at the middle of the night and that means I still have two hours to run away from this church. I can hear the door creaking below and probably about to break. I pulled the rope so many times before running to the cellar where Merchant Kren and I used to enter the church.

"Thud*

The door broke down and hundreds of d-deads swarmed inside.

“Huh, I didn’t know you guys were that religious.” I said to the d-deads.

I ran and then quickly opened the cellar door and climb down. I turned left in the ill-lit tunnel and when I am about to reach the dark part of the tunnel, I held out my left hand to reach the wall. If I keep touching the wall using my left hand, I’ll end up to house we used to enter the tunnel before.

“Ouch.” I yelled.

My toe stubbed in one of the footstep of the stair. I climbed the stair while trying to feel my way around in the darkness. My head hit the cellar door and I pushed it upwards. The house was still the same before we left it and It was located at the eastern side of the town near the town square. I slowly opened the door and looked to my surroundings if there are d-deads nearby.

When I was sure there was none, I stepped out. I can’t go through the blockade so I have to walk around the town square. But, as luck would have it, some of the d-deads who were on their way to the church noticed me and turned their attention to me.

I don’t have much time to lose them so I ran towards the house where I left Isshan. As I run, several d-deads are now following me. When I reached the house, I knocked three times and the door opened.

I quickly let myself in.

“Help me barricade this door!” I shouted.

***Back to the present***

Where to now, young traveler?” asked Borin.

“Follow me.” I said.

We walked in the roof carefully and silently towards the town’ square. When we had reached the house adjacent to the town square, Mr. Threbo jumped and all of a sudden Isshan followed him. Mr. Borin and I looked at each other and I gave him a slight nod. Then, he jumped.

It was now 11:40 in Lost Earth time. Twenty more minutes to go before we faced hundreds of d-deads. Isshan stood near the statue and prepared herself.

“Mr. Borin, you will guard the southern blockade.” I said. “And the northern blockade, I’ll leave it up to you Mr. Threbo.”

“Hold on, how about the eastern gate? Who will guard it?” Mr. Borin asked.

“Leave it be. Majority of the walking corpses will be on the west blockade and the rest will either be in north or south blockade.” I answered.

I went to Issan. “Focus on the incantation and no matter what you hear or happened do not stop.”

She nodded then I went to the stack of chairs I set up earlier near the statue and lit it.

“Regna terrae, cantata Deo, psallite Cernunnos” Isshan said.

Time remaining 5 9: 5 2 before the ritual ends.

Regna terrae, cantate Deo, psallite Domino

Kingdoms of Earth, sing to God, praises to the Lord

qui fertis ascendit super caelum

that you carry above the sky

caeli ad Orientem

of heaven to the east.

Ecce dabit voci suae vocem virtutis,

Behold, he sends forth his own voice, the voice of virtue

tribuite virtutem deo

Attribute the virtue to God.

I drew my sword and waited for the d-deads to swarm in the western blockade. I still have five bottles of littor seed oil which I converted into a Molotov cocktail. Five minutes had just passed and two d-deads entered the west blockade thru the gap.

I stab the first one in the head and decapitated the other. As I dispose the two d-deas, the groans were getting louder, especially in the west side of the town.

“They’re here.” I said. “Always talk to me when something strange is happening, Mr. threbo and Mr. Borin.” I shouted.

I peeked in the gap and there were hundreds of d-deads coming towards the west blockade. The plan worked, huh. The groans and the wailing was getting stronger every minute. Isshan continued reciting her spell and I braced myself for the incoming wave of d-deads.

Isshan:

Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus

We exorcise you, every impure spirit

omnis demonio potestas, omnis incursio

every demonic power, every incursion

infernalis adversarii, omnis legio,

of the infernal adversary, every legion

omnis congregatio et secta diabolica.

every congregation and diabolical sect.

Ergo draco maledicte

Thus cursed demon

“How many on your side, Mr. Borin?” I asked.

“Around twenty.” He answered.

“Mr. Threbo?” I shouted.

“The same.”

And when the brunt of hundreds d-deads hit my blockade, I thought it was going to cave in, but it didn’t. I waited in the gap for one or two d-deads that will surely slip in. I stab them in the head and neck, since I can’t swing my sword in this tight gap. Corpses were now dropping and starting to pile up in the gap. I backed up a little whenever I killed four or five d-deads.

I don’t want the pile of corpses to completely block the gap, rather I want it to be high enough to slow them down. They kept coming and I kept stabbing. I lost count when I was out of the gap in the blockade.

The purpose of the gap was a release. The same as pressure relief valve in boilers or the tiny hole in the pressure cooker. Think of the d-deads as the steam and the cover as the blockade. If hundreds of d-deads all pushed into the blockade, it wouldn’t last for an hour. But if we let a gap in the blockade small enough for one or two d-deads to slip in, the brunt of the d-deads pushing on the blockade will be reduced considerably.

You have leveled up!

You have leveled up!

And also, I can get a lot of experience from killing the d-deads, instead of waiting for them in the other side of the blockade.

Time remaining 3 0 : 2 4 until the ritual ends.

Corpses were now piling up too inside the blockade. D-deads were still entering through the gap continuously. I may have been overestimated myself. I thought. For I am getting tired, I’d probably killed hundreds of them already.

“Mr. Borin and Mr. Threbo, your situation?” I asked

“South blockade can hold.” Mr. Borin answered.

“No problem here either.” Mr. Threbo answered.

“Come help me here. Grab your spears.” I shouted.

I felt and heard the blockade compressed due to the continuous pushing of the d-deads. The blockade may not be able to hold for another ten minutes, if this continues.

Mr. Borin and Mr. Threbo came to me with their spears.

“What the –?” Mr. Borin said as he saw the mountain of corpses.

“Deal with them for a while.” I pointed to the d-deads entering through the gap.

I grabbed one of the Molotov cocktail I prepared and lit the cloth. I threw it so hard passed the blockade. This will buy us some time hopefully. I thought. I threw another one but I didn’t see the flame when it landed, but the thick smoke emerging past the blockade told me, the d-deads were burning.

The blockade was creaking and started to move. Some of the tables were falling towards us. I grab a torch and climb the blockade. I lit one of the cocktail and threw it to the d-deads near the blockade. Flame rose but the d-deads didn’t screamed in pain but they were distracted.

I threw another cocktail and climbed down. When I reached the ground, I noticed the d-deads were climbing up past the northern blockade.

“Burn your blockade, now, go go!” I shouted.

Surprised, Borin and Threbo looked into their blockade and their eyes widen in horror. The d-deads were climbing up and crawling atop their blockade. They quickly grab a torch and run towards their blockade.

I dealt with the d-deads that entered into the gap. Flame started to rose in my blockade because of the burning d-deads. I expected this to happen, more like a time controlled fire, but I did not expected it to be that fast.

Flame was spreading too fast in my blockade, because I doused it earlier with littor seed oil. I looked at Isshan and she was still reciting her incantations. I threw the last of my cocktail into the gap.

I was startled, when I saw one of the d-deads burning and rushing towards me, its face was melting and dripping into the ground. Woah, that one was scary. But before it can reach me, it fell on its knees.

The fire halt their progress, but there were still burning d-deads managed to slip through the gap. I stabbed one of them and kicked it so hard back to the blockade.

The fire was starting to weakened. I looked again to Isshan to see if she was finished but what I saw was a d-dead coming at her that must’ve slipped through in the eastern blockade.

“Oh shit.” I shouted and ran towards Isshan.

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Hello guys another chapter is out, I hope there won't be many mistakes this time. Thank you again for supporting me until now. To those who rated, followed and commented on my FF, Thank you very much, it's what kept me going.

By the way guys, have you check out the map section? if not, do yourself a favor and check it out.