Classes

Peasant: 1XP

Warrior I: 3XP

The morning quickly passed, and Clyde found himself stationed on the outer wall. He watches as Aithne leaves the town in a carriage, riding alongside Alistair and a group of her dedicated soldiers on horseback. He had been told that they would be attacked shortly after Aithne's departure, and the butterflies in his stomach were fluttering, filling him with anxiety.

He looks around and notices many of the people manning the wall were citizens of the town, only they were fully geared and ready for battle. Clyde, curious, activates his analysis to get a better idea of who he was working with.

To his surprise, every single person had a class, and full kits at that.

Looks like Meri was right.

As Clyde is absorbed in learning the stats of the townspeople, a woman with long, silver hair approaches him. Her head is almost swallowed by her giant witch's hat, and two large, gorgeously embellished bags hang from her sides.

“I’m tired,” she groans, resting a hand on her hip.

Clyde, upon seeing her silver hair, asks, “aren’t you a little too old to be up here?”

Spoiler :

The woman gasps as she turns around, appearing to be absolutely mortified. “TOO OLD?!!” she squawks. “I’m only 50!”

As she turns, her beauty catches Clyde off guard, “Are you really 50?! You certainly don’t look like it!” Clyde gawks in astonishment.

Clyde’s words immediately won back the woman’s favor, and she sniggers. “Sure am! I belong to a certain noble bloodline blessed with beauty," she says proudly while running her fingers through her hair.

Clyde simply looks at her, and says nothing, leading to an uncomfortable silence- disbelief still shows plainly on his face.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten who I am?” the woman asks dryly with raised brows. “I almost gave you a job as a tailor- remember?"

Clyde's face changes from one of confusion to understanding. "Oh, you're the tailor. And almost? You bluntly denied me, even with Airi’s help.” Clyde looked closely at her and he didn’t recognize her at all, even with the new information. Certainly he would remember such a beautiful, aged woman.

"My name is Avery Taylor," She says, tipping her hat to him. "I'm sorry that I couldn't give you a job back then. Though, from how Garson talks about you, I should have."

“Couldn’t? Well, you certainly tried to give Airi a job…”

Avery chuckles. “True, but that’s because she is adorable.”

“I see,” Clyde replies half-heartedly. He looks out to the tree lines with a faraway stare, his thoughts on the upcoming battle.

Avery smiles softly, noticing Clyde’s apprehension. "How about, if we win, I make you a new gambison? That one under your mail looks absolutely terrible.”

"If we win?” Clyde asks through a voice break.

"Oh, we will,” Avery says, her voice stone-cold and confident as she cracks a sinister smile. “Our enemies are going to be walking into their graves." Clyde could tell she didn’t have a hint of fear or doubt.

It wasn't long before horns blew and a few soldiers rode to the outer gate on horseback. They appeared to be Lazlo’s messengers.

"Surrender, and we shall let you live!" one cried out.

Hayden approaches Avery from behind and shuffles her hat about her head. "Go ahead! Have some fun."

“With pleasure,” she says, fixing her hat before grabbing her staff.

Clyde studies Avery’s staff as she readies her attack. It was simple: made out of three pieces of wood twisted together. At the top, the wood formed a basket with netting.

Compared to other fantasy media, staves are completely different in this world. Instead they closely resemble lacrosse sticks, both in size and shape. They mimic the appearance of fantasy staves, but they have to be functional as their primary purpose is to launch a wooden ball, imbued with magic at enemies.

Avery pulls a matte-black spell ball out of her bag, and places it inside the pocket of her staff as she recites her incantation, “Singularity."

With this, the dark ball in her staff begins to charge, becoming utterly hueless. As it charges, light bends around it, appearing as if she was holding a miniature black hole.

(Singularity - Engulfing: The target that is hit dies and is cursed; ignores enchantments and armor. When a weapon is hit, it is destroyed. When a shield is hit, it is destroyed.)

She jumps on top of the wall, and recites the incantation, "Echo," before speaking out.

"We raise the black flag,” Avery says, her voice now echoing through the valley, reaching every single being within a mile radius. “We give no quarter and will gladly take your life if you attack us. You have been warned!"

"Are you mad?!” the soldier on horseback shouted. “We have you outnumbered, 50 to 1. Open the gate, now!"

“Shut it, you lapdog!” Avery yells, as she winds her staff back to attack. She launches the ball, which hurtles directly toward Laszlo's lackey.

That is the most powerful spell ball in the game, Clyde thinks to himself as the ball flies through the air. Not only that, she’s also using barrage.

(Barrage - The incantation for all spell balls becomes the spell ball’s name. The mage cannot pick up used spell balls or use any other magic/abilities, or else this effect ends.)

The ball hits the messenger dead in the chest before he even has time to react. From it, a black vortex grows out enough to completely engulf the man and suck him inside. As the man was pulled in, something small shimmered in his place. Clyde observes carefully as a marble-like ball is expelled from the black void, before the magic completely vanishes, returning to the matte ball.

Spoiler :

The other soldier quickly dismounts to pick up the marble, leaving the large magic ball behind, before remounting and leaving, knowing that a bloody battle was to come.

“What was that ball he took?” Clyde asks Avery.

“That is his core. Unfortunately, Singularity can’t swallow that; though, the rest of his body was ripped to shreds when it pulled him in.” She gives a laugh at the man’s unfortunate demise.

“Can he even be resurrected like that?” Clyde wonders aloud.

“Yes, since it’s technically his body. However, they’d have to remove Curse first. I doubt they will, if they plan on attacking in the next 20 minutes.”

(Cursed - The player is immune to life and spirit magic.)

Hayden hoists a black flag, and turns to address those poised to protect Rosttir.

“Everyone, get ready for a quick retreat after their assault starts. We will hold the outer wall for three minutes, and not a second longer. Retreat to the carriages as soon as I give the command. Do not continue to fight! Throw down your arms, if you must."

Avery nudges Clyde with a smile on her face. "We are going to kill so many of them!"

Holy shit. This woman is a psychopath.

After a short reprieve, Clyde sees the soldiers returning, and the assault officially begins. They march together in stationed lines, with the healers and casters in the back alongside the archers. Since Analyze was still active, he could see the attack classes of Laszlo's men.

Most of them are peasants?

Spoiler :

The skepticism he had felt when Meri mentioned that everyone in the town were soldiers had immediately disappeared, as not a single person had the peasant class in their ranks, but almost all of their enemies did.

Peasant

HP: 1

MP: 10

AP: 12

Melee: All

Shields: All

Range: All

~

As their assault began, the soldiers rushed toward the gate with a battering ram. The soldiers protected it as it slammed into the gate, and when one of the holders would fall, another would take their place. It was clear that their primary objective was to break through the wooden gate.

Leonidas started shooting first as soon as the soldiers were in his line of sight. Once his defense began, he never stopped barraging Laszlo’s men. And as he shot, Hayden was yelling commands. The enemy soldiers were being killed left and right, but their bodies were just dragged to the back line, so priests could resurrect and throw back the fodder.

Clyde could tell that the wall was far too large to protect with only 30 soldiers, yet they were defending it quite well. Despite the number disadvantage, not a single comrade had fallen.

Are we actually going to win? He chuckled to himself a little.

As he thought this, he glanced at Avery, who was chucking spell balls with her staff at the enemy troops climbing the wall on ladders. She had become a demon fixated on her kills.

Yet her rampage would end quickly.

A stray arrow ricochets off the stone wall near where she stood, lodging itself deep into her knee. She winces from the pain as she hunches over, dropping her staff to brace herself.

At that moment, Clyde could hear the roaring command coming from Hayden: “RETREAT!”

As Clyde looks around, he sees that everyone anticipated the retreat, and readily responded to the command. Everyone, except Avery, who was now on her knees reaching for her staff.

"Fuck!" he curses, running back to her, quickly plucking her off the ground.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Avery protests.

"Sorry!" Clyde apologizes as he bolts toward the edge of the wall.

He jumps down and lands in a pile of hay, momentarily dropping Avery before slinging her over his shoulder and dashing toward the nearest carriage. He feels the weight of Avery and the urgency of the situation. He can hear the pounding of the battering ram on the gate door. He knows that every second counts, and he must hurry before the gate is breached.

As they reach the carriage, he heaves Avery inside before climbing in himself. The gate begins to break, and soldiers flood in, shooting their crossbows at the carriages. Leonidas shoots his gun into the air- the signal for the driver to take off. They retreat back to the estate.

After settling in the carriage, Clyde takes off his helmet, and places it on the floor. Avery, seething, hits Clyde on top of the head with her staff. “WHAT WERE YOU DOING BOY!”

“You have an arrow in your knee!” Clyde says with concern through scrunched brows.

Avery hits him again, harder. “I have teleport, you stupid bastard. I could have killed at least two more!”

Clyde grabs at his now aching head, confused by the scolding he received. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

As the carriage makes its way back to the estate, Clyde hangs his head in shame, feeling foolish for not realizing Avery's ability from the get-go. Of course she would have teleport. Even I did when I played mage.. He remains silent for the rest of the short ride, not daring to speak up and risk further embarrassment.

Hayden gives a slight pat on Clyde’s shoulder. "Don't be too hard on yourself, Clyde. Your intentions were good, and that's all that matters. Avery is a seasoned veteran, and tougher than iron. Don’t feel bad." He then proceeds to tend to Avery's injury once the carriage approaches the gates, skillfully pulling out the arrow and casting Heal Injury to mend her wound.

Avery nods, still upset, but visibly more calm. She gives Clyde a stern, yet understanding look. "Clyde, it's alright,” she says softly. “Next time, just give me a chance to retreat before you try to save me like I'm some damsel in distress..."

As they enter through the estate gates, Clyde can see that just about every citizen of Rosttir is armed and ready to fight. They quickly close the gate behind them, and as Clyde looks around at the fortifications, it dawns on him that the estate is actually more of a castle than a mansion. It had higher and thicker walls compared to the outer ones that protected the town. The gate was made of metal, and could easily withstand a battering ram.

He scans the property, looking at the 250 people ready to protect the estate, compared to the small number of 30 that defended the outer walls. The 500 soldiers that began the assault no longer felt like a threat, in such a defensible position.

He watches as Avery, Leonidas, Catherine, and Mia climb the stairs to the top of the wall, but as he moves to follow, Hayden stops him.

"You're staying down here, bud," he says with a reassuring nod.

"Range classes, get to the top of the walls,” Hayden yells. “Martial classes, get ready to storm outside the gate. As soon as that gate opens, we will fight, kill, and slaughter every enemy that has entered our home!"

~

As Lazlo and his army march into town, he leaves a small detachment behind at the outer gate. "Make sure the gate is reinforced as much as possible. I don't want a single enemy to escape. I had planned to show mercy and make them all slaves, but I think I'll just take the women this time," he says with a laugh.

Upon reaching the center of town, he turns to Maverick.

"How many men did we lose in the first assault, Maverick?"

Maverick bows his head respectfully. "15 men, sir. Our healers are exhausted, but as soon as they regain their mana, we'll launch an assault on the castle."

Lazlo surveys the gate, taking in the destruction wrought by the battle. He turns to Maverick once more. "Not bad for a siege on the gate. How many soldiers do they have in their castle? Surely it's more than the 30 that were defending the outer wall?"

"Our estimates put their numbers at 50. Aithne took half of her company to retrieve her daughter, and left the other here. But we should be able to break through their defenses by nightfall. Though, our expected losses will be high as they hold the defensible position."

Lazlo nods. "Excellent. Send in the mercenaries first- I’d rather not have to pay them. Then send the slaves before my guard."

Maverick bows. "Of course, sir."

~

Just as Maverick had said, the assault began shortly after the healers regained their mana. As the soldiers lined up in front of the walls, the martial fighters on the inside lined up near the gate, waiting for their orders.

Clyde watches Avery and Leonidas fight fiercely on the wall from below. Catherine, Mia, and a few others assist in reloading Leonidas' muskets, barely able to keep up with his rapid rate of fire.

Clyde spies Catherine. He can tell she is deeply uneasy about participating in this battle. However, everyone who was able to help was doing all that they could. Only the small children and bedridden were in the great hall for protection. The rest were fighting to protect their homes and people.

While Clyde nervously stands by the gate, as commanded, Garson steps up behind him, wearing plate armor with mail underneath. He flips open his visor on his helmet and offers Clyde an encouraging smile.

"Don't worry. I was scared during my first battle, too. But this should be a slaughter. As soon as the gate goes up, they will be retreating. Clyde, cut the cowards down- they would do the same to you." Garson then moves to the front of the line, pushing people out of the way to be the first out.

Unfortunately, Garson’s words did not resonate with Clyde; in fact, they only served to heighten his anxiety. But he didn’t have time for that, especially when he noticed Hayden coming from the back.

“Clyde, I have a task for you,” Hayden says, his hands shaking. “Go ring the bell on the tower, quickly. We need to signal to Aithne that the battle has started.”

Without hesitation, Clyde sprints to the tower. As he reaches the top of the ladder, he rings the bell: seven deep and loud tolls sound out into the distance.

Letting go of the bell rope, Clyde then gazes down at the raging battle below. Men are trying to climb up ladders, but they are swiftly pushed back down by the defenders. They are battering the gate, but it isn't even making a dent. The estate was a fortress of strength, one that they couldn't simply force their way through like the outer gate. It was like a sturdy shield that a warrior could hide behind. Clyde was grateful for its protection.

But his heart skips a beat. He hears a scream from the direction of Catherine and Mia, grabbing his complete attention. He quickly rushes to that side of the tower to spot Catherine and Mia standing behind Leonidas. Clyde analyzes the aggressor's status quickly: a rogue has flanked them, with two more behind him. He could tell that his friends were in danger.

He looks down from the tower to the top of the wall. It was a steep drop, but he didn’t wait long- he made his choice to jump.

As Clyde falls, he sees the rogue draw back knives to throw. He hurls them toward Leonidas just as Clyde lands in front of him, using his shield to thwart the attack. The impact with the ground causes no broken bones, despite triggering a searing pain to shoot through Clyde’s feet and up his legs. But, the hud flashes.

-2HP

"Out of my way, boy,” the rogue sneers. “That's my mark."

Clyde heaves his spear at the rogue with all his might, yet the rogue doesn’t even bother to block or deflect. The spear hits him square in the chest, and simply falls to the ground as he sniggers.

“Boy, warriors can’t imbue mana into a spear to throw.” He steps into Clyde’s range. “It’s painfully clear you are a novice.”

Clyde draws his sword and makes a swift swing at the rogue, who dodges nimbly and circles around Clyde- his eyes are glued to Leonidas. He chucks a single knife at his intended mark, but Catherine steps in the way, and blocks the knife with her arm. It roots in between the bones, making Catherine cry out.

A wave of anger washes over Clyde at the sight of Catherine’s pain.

"You BASTARD!" he howls with all the air in his lungs. His mind is clear as he follows up with, "I taunt thee, I taunt thee, I taunt thee."

The rogue snaps his sight back on Clyde, his eyes catching sight of the blood running down Catherine’s arm just before she hides it with her body.

With a sudden blast, Leonidas takes out one of the rogues guarding the leader’s rear, while Avery approaches and unleashes a spell ball that freezes the other in place.

The taunted rogue shrugs nonchalantly. "Next time, Brimstone, I will cut your neck." With that promise, the rogue slips off the wall and falls to the ground.

Lenoadis quickly grabs a loaded boomstick, and aims it toward his landing place and fires.

The rogue steps into the shadows upon landing, narrowly missing the bullet that passes through his incorporeal state.

(Shadow Step - The player becomes incorporeal and may take up to 40 steps. The player may end the state, by saying “I step out of the shadows.” x2)

“Dammit!” Leonidas shouts. “Keep reloading!” he commands, reaching for his last loaded boomstick.

Mia glances over at Catherine, her concern evident on her face, but Avery quickly steps in and takes hold of her hands.

"Mia, this is the heat of battle. Now is not the time. You cannot allow yourself to be consumed by fear. Keep reloading your father's boomstick- we need you to support him," she says with a serious urgency in her voice.

Avery turns to Clyde. "Well done, Clyde! But stay close to Leonadis. Your HP is gone and your armor is almost depleted. Focus on protecting him and helping Catherine. We are counting on you.” She gives him a wink.

“I don’t understand. I’m-”

Words fail him as he looks at his status.

0HP

2AP

"What? But I had 12 earlier- where did they go?!"

He looks down and sees puny needles poking out of his armor. How could such small things remove armor? He pulls out the needles while approaching Catherine.

He gingerly grabs her arm to examine the knife wound. There is no blood. Where is the blood?

In its place is a silvery white liquid, the same viscosity as blood. Clyde feels a knot form in his stomach as he realizes something is not right.

"Catherine, are you okay?" he asks, concerned.

Catherine smiles at him warmly. "Yes, I'm fine, Clyde," she says, placing her hand on his.

Clyde guides Catherine down to sit before pulling a first-aid kit from his bag. He carefully pulls out the knife, setting it down beside him to grab the bandages.

The sight of her cut flesh makes him incredibly uneasy: just a sickly white and gray mess. Clyde feels color blind while looking at it, and quickly moves to bandage it to keep his focus on the battle.

Avery approaches the rogue she had frozen, her eyes scanning his body for any weaknesses. She spots gaps in his armor on the nape of his neck and on his side. Smiling, she walks behind him, and with a devilish glint in her eye, pulls out her two daggers. She pushes both into the man through the gaps in his armor, but they are met with resistance. She begins counting aloud with fierce concentration.

“...57, 58, 59, 60.”

As she reaches the final count, the frozen state ends, releasing the resistance. The daggers sink effortlessly into the rogue's neck and side with deadly precision, and he falls to the ground- his body lifeless and still. An easy kill for Avery.

A freshly bandaged Catherine resumes loading for Leonidas, though her movements are slower and more deliberate due to her injury. Clyde knows she wouldn’t dare ask for a heal, as the mana to heal such an injury could be better used to save another’s life down the line.

Clyde looks away from her briefly. Just focus, Clyde. Focus.

A stillness takes hold of the mansion as Aithne's words ring out all around, mimicking the same echo that Avery's voice had earlier.

"Begin the black parade."

"Open the gate and attack!" Hayden shouts with fiery valor.