Chapter 46: Operation Schoolyard Rescue (3)
Fifty Rift-Sprites surged forward, screeching like banshees and drooling like rabid dogs. Reidar’s Bone Militia rushed to the front and formed a defensive line.
"Stay calm! Everything is under control!"
Reidar fought this number of monsters many times in the past, with just the Rift-Sprite Squad. Now he had a group of humans, Malcolm and his guys, and fifteen summoned creatures on his side.
The only difference this time was that he wouldn’t have to kite them around. There was no way he was going to lose. The problem was that now he wasn’t the only one risking his life. The others were too.
<I must keep them alive.>
"Stone Sprites on the left!" Kate nocked an arrow. "Wind variants coming up the center!"
The first wave crashed against the Bone Militia.
[Summoned Skeleton strikes Ember Rift-Sprite for 67 bludgeoning damage.]
[Wind Rift-Sprite strikes Summoned Skeleton for 45 wind damage.]
Reidar’s summoned Rift-Sprites unleashed their attacks. Fire and water projectiles arced over the skeletal line, smashing into the enemy ranks.
[Summoned Ember Rift-Sprite strikes Stone Rift-Sprite for 112 fire damage.]
[Stone Rift-Sprite defeated.]
[Malcolm’s iron mace strikes a weakened Stone Rift-Sprite for 18 physical damage.]
[Rift-Sprite Defeated.]
"Martinez, take the right flank! James, back up the center!" Reidar couldn’t help but notice how smoothly Malcolm’s commands flowed, like he’d been doing this his whole life.
<I guess it makes sense; he was in the army before.> Then he turned to Martinez. The woman’s name was Sarah Martinez, but she was not to be confused with Sarah from Reidar’s group.
The two couldn’t be more different. Sarah Finch was a fine girl, while Martinez looked like an ox.
She swung her iron sword and rushed forward, ducking under a stone bullet before driving her blade deep into an Aqua Sprite’s side. With her there were other people that Malcolm personally appointed to the spear group Reidar was currently leading.
James was a stocky man in his thirties with scarred hands. Based on what the others said, he was a construction worker, and an unlucky one at that since he often injured himself.
He swung his iron hammer in wide arcs. The weapon connected with a satisfying crunch against a Wind Sprite’s skull.
[James’s iron hammer strikes Wind Rift-Sprite for 56 bludgeoning damage.]
[Wind Rift-Sprite defeated.]
[James Thompson has gained 27 C.L.A.S.P. Points.]
Everyone was doing their utmost best, but Kate’s was particularly impressive. If one didn’t know she had never used a bow in her life, they would have thought she was a professional.
<She must have gotten the proficiency.>
Reidar didn’t know if that had happened during the fight or if she already had it. After all, he had never seen her fight before that day.
[Kate’s arrow strikes Ember Rift-Sprite for 41 piercing damage.]
[Wind Rift-Sprite defeated.]
Reidar’s Bone Militia held the line while his summoned sprites picked off targets.
The skeletons’ immunity to pain made them perfect shock troops. They fought until their bones shattered, buying precious time for the humans to strike, and getting replaced when they were not good anymore to fight.
Reidar raised his Rift-Sprite Conductor and channeled a Wind Blade. The crescent of compressed air sliced through two sprites simultaneously.
[CRITICAL! Your Wind Blade strikes Stone Rift-Sprite for 198 wind damage.]
[Stone Rift-Sprite defeated.]
[You have gained 5 C.L.A.S.P. Points.]
[You have gained 5 C.L.A.S.P. Points.]
[Your Wind Blade strikes Stone Rift-Sprite for 134 Wind Damage.]
George and Frank pushed forward, slicing through the sprites’ brittle skin. Sarah and Mike stayed back, finishing injured creatures with quick jabs of their blades.
"There are too many!"
More sprites poured from side alleys and collapsed buildings. The initial fifty had grown to seventy, then eighty. They swarmed like angry hornets, their chittering reaching a fever pitch.
Martinez dodged as three Ember Sprites closed in, and the flames from their attacks licked the ground where she’d been. Her sword flared out, slicing one across its throat.
[Iron sword strikes Ember Rift-Sprite for 45 slashing damage.]
[Ember Rift-Sprite defeated.]
[31 C.L.A.S.P. Points gained.]
The notification that followed almost made her stumble.
[LEVEL UP! You have reached Level 5.]
[You have gained 0.5 attribute points to distribute.]
[New system function unlocked: Party.]
Kate’s arrow pierced an Aqua Sprite’s eye socket. The creature collapsed, its death triggering her own advancement.
[Aqua Rift-Sprite defeated.]
[23 C.L.A.S.P. Points gained.]
[LEVEL UP! You have reached Level 5.]
[You have gained 0.5 attribute points to distribute.]
[New system function unlocked: Party.]
James Thompson brought his hammer down on a Wind Sprite’s skull.
[Wind Rift-Sprite defeated.]
[29 C.L.A.S.P. Points gained.]
[LEVEL UP! You have reached Level 5.]
[You have gained 0.5 attribute points to distribute.]
[New system function unlocked: Party.]
"Three more got to level five!" Malcolm said between swings of his iron mace. "Reidar, add them to the party!"
Reidar’s mind raced through the party interface while keeping his summoned creatures.
[PARTY INVITATION SENT]
Invitation sent to: Kate Morrison (Level 5)
Party Leader: Reidar Miller (Level 14)
Current Party Size: 2
Invitation Status: Pending
Kate’s notification appeared mid-draw. She released the arrow and shouted, "Accept!"
[PARTY INVITATION ACCEPTED]
Welcome to the party. Kate Morrison
Two more invitations followed in rapid succession.
[PARTY INVITATION SENT]
Invitation sent to: Sarah Martinez (Level 5)
[PARTY INVITATION SENT]
Invitation sent to: James Thompson (Level 5)
Both accepted the invitation without hesitation. The party interface updated, showing five health bars in Reidar’s side vision.
Party Status Updated:
Party Leader: Reidar Miller (Level 14)
Party Members: Malcolm Straiss (Level 5), Kate Morrison (Level 5), Sarah Martinez (Level 5), James Thompson (Level 5)
Current Party Size: 5
Adding them helped quite a lot. Instantly, their perception of the battlefield changed. Small health bars appeared over the new party members.
Green lines connected them, and the overlay suggested optimal positioning.
Now Reidar didn’t have to hold back as much. With four others in his party, they’d all get stronger whenever he took down a monster.
That was exactly what he did. He killed at least 10 Rift-Sprites, making the others get their C.L.A.S.P. fill and reducing the number of monsters quite a bit. Enough that the pressure on the rest of the group eased.
A Stone Sprite lunged at Sarah Martinez. Three attacks converged on it simultaneously: Kate’s arrow, James’s hammer, and a fire bolt from Reidar’s Ember rift-sprite.
[Stone Rift-Sprite defeated.]
[Ember Rift-Sprite defeated.]
[Aqua Rift-Sprite defeated.]
[Wind Rift-Sprite defeated.]