Kagawa & Assistance

January 12th, 2022

***

They walked through the night, taking small naps every other hour. By sunrise, they were well into Kagawa Prefecture, and things didn't look good.

There were signs of distress present everywhere as they traveled. Small towns and villages had been obliterated. The buildings and homes were shattered, with debris scattered on the ground like puzzle pieces.

Reed had stopped at several of them, saying they should check for survivors. It was a fruitless endeavor, but Richter obliged anyways. His sense already told him the reality.

It was also apparent why Wesley never heard back from Kagawa. Nearly every structure related to communication had been toppled. Could mere monsters be intelligent enough to identify them? The group shuddered at the thought of it.

Continuing on their way, the five felt uneasy, following along the path of whatever caused this destruction.

"Anyone else concerned that whatever caused this is heading in the same direction as our destination?" Reed asked.

"Yes," three uttered in unison.

Richter just clicked his tongue.

"I guess. But it also makes me relieved. If all we have to deal with is one big monster, we'll be done before tomorrow."

The crew crested a hill, finally laying eyes on the city containing valuable infrastructure.

"Well," Brent said. "Looks like we're shit out of luck."

And he was right.

The city, even from afar, was in ruins. Smoke billowed out from burning buildings and makeshift camps. Several screams echoed out, lighting a fire within their bodies. They broke into a jog, eager to save someone who could explain the situation.

***

Once inside the city, Richter spread his sense, finding several auras worth investigating. One of which was being pursued by monsters. He had made up his mind, shouting to the others.

"This way! Two blocks down on the left!"

He took off, far ahead of the pack. As he got closer, his sense got clearer. Richter could see that the man was being chased by tall purple goblins. They were lean, resembling the personal guards that Dru had.

Richter turned the corner, catching the eyes of all six goblins. The man took this chance to bolt past him with no signs of slowing down. Guess he had no issues dumping the goblins onto someone else. Of course, they wouldn't get any answers if he ran away.

Richter smiled internally, seeing Rio teleport to knock him out. He turned his attention back to the goblins. They all seemed proficient, armed with short swords in various stances.

It was what he needed. A perfect opportunity to test Sunder in close combat. He grinned viciously, his bloodlust seeping out over the goblins.

Further back, Reed stood next to Koga, Rio, and Brent. All four were watching.

"Shouldn't we pitch in? He's severely outnumbered."

Koga shook his head.

"No. Isn't it weird to you? He shows no apprehension about his disadvantage. I can't think of a single person who would fearlessly fight six at once."

Brent frowned, feeling a bit bad about it.

"So you guys don't know much about him? I got the impression that you all had a history with him."

Rio, Koga, and Reed looked at each other.

'We do...' they thought.

Rio spoke up, perhaps owning the most insight into his capability.

"Just keep watching. You'll see the difference between us."

Richter gripped his blade, grinning at the lead goblin. The six monsters spread themselves out evenly, planning to overwhelm him. Though this only provided more opportunities.

Mana whipped through his body-

[Sunder – 5%]

-it was time to experiment with Sunder's 'other' common use.

[Mana Surge – 10%]

He flexed his shoulder, slicing right through the sphere. Highly volatile propellent spilled out from within, given direction by his swing.

Richter's grin grew wider as a generated spark became the catalyst for the released propellent – blasting forth as a small jet of flame.

It overwhelmed two goblins, the pair releasing stifled groans as their top halves melted.

In just a few seconds, they were reduced to nothing more than legs — falling over onto the asphalt roads.

-Was he charging that skill from the start?"

"No, He 'just' decided to use it. His activation time is incredibly fast."

Rio's eyes narrowed, enviously scanning his body.

'One day, I'll figure you out.'

Meanwhile, the other four goblins looked terrible. Where did this human come from?

"What should we do Captain?" one spoke.

"We've accomplished enough. RETREAT!"

They turned tail and ran, dashing down a narrow alley.

A sad turn of events for Richter, but his body only grew hotter. He felt his mana running rampant, reaching new speeds. He couldn't keep it bottled up for much longer.

[Mana Surge – 10%]

He appeared at the end of the alley, staring at their backs. It wasn't anything special, just another cluster of targets to blow up.

But he wanted to grow–

His tanned skin turned blue as mana floated up to the surface.

–He wanted to reexperience the joy of progress he chased throughout his childhood.

Behind him, the group saw the changes occurring. They raised their eyebrows.

"What in the hell is he doing?"

Rio was the most confused as she watched his mana circuit.

'Is he-'

[Chain Cast: Sunder (20%) --> Mana Surge (40%)]

His mana fired out, nearly escaping her perception altogether.

Richter batted the Orb away as it appeared, removing any delay. It soared through the alley, catching up with the goblins.

But as it approached the halfway point, his intuition started acting up.

Meanwhile, the captain grimaced, noticing the projectile. They were so close to escaping the narrow space.

But his sentience wasn't just for show.

Suddenly, in the depths of his mind, a silly idea formed. One that could result in his complete annihilation, but that was acceptable if his subordinates survived.

He came to a standstill, spun around, and planted his legs, tensing his upper body.

By now, Richter's intuition was yelling at him. He didn't want to believe it. But before his very eyes-

Blue wisps began to float from the captain's body, he brought forth all the mana he could muster and braced for the right moment...

'Uh oh.' Richter thought.

The time was now.

He swung with all his might, colliding with the Orb. After a brief clash, his sword cleaved through it, redirecting the released propellent.

From far away, Richter barely made out the outline of a spark, slowly floating toward the volatile liquid.

'Oh shit.'

"DODGE!" he yelled and threw himself sideways onto the ground.

Rio teleported while Koga, Reed, and Brent hit the deck.

A bright blue flame passed over them, scorching their backs.

By now, the captain had turned back to flee. Disappearing outside of his sense.

Richter stood up gently, popping his last healing potion to repair the severe burns. He staggered over to the others.

"Well, at least we've got a survivor." he mused.

"We almost didn't. What kind of shit skill can be turned against you?" Reed growled.

"It was a valuable learning experience. You should be more cautious yourselves. One of your skills could end up the same way."

Rio teleported back, rubbing her forehead. She got a headache from trying to study his mana circuit earlier.

"We have any way to wake this guy up?"

Brent pointed to a caved-in convenience store.

"Might be some cold drinks in there we can pour on him."

So the group walked over, picking their way through the rubble. Koga managed to find a broken cooler with several water bottles below room temperature.

He grabbed three and walked back to the survivor.

"Ahh!" the man bolted upright, looking around in shock.

They let Koga handle the talking.

"Relax, you are safe for the moment. I'm Koga, and these are my friends. We're trying to figure out what's going on in Kagawa. Can you tell us anything?"

The man came to his senses, his knees weak as he stood up.

"Thank you for your help. And yes, I can tell you a little."

The group led him to the edge of the city, a slightly safer spot to converse.

"First, four major dungeons spawned inside the city. One in the power station, one in the city hall, one by the stream south of here, and one in the residential area. This happened four days ago. Initially, some people tried their luck in these dungeons but never came out.

"The city folk thought we needed to level more, so the next day they came back stronger, and some more went in. But they didn't come out either. This happened again the next day too. After that, they taped off the four dungeons until further notice. Saying they were too dangerous. But around two o'clock this morning, goblins started pouring out of the dungeons in the city-

The man took a drink of water, his voice growing raspy.

"- Caught unprepared, people were slaughtered, buildings were razed, and it's been a bloody battle ever since. A handful of capable fighters have been doing their best to defend, but who knows if they're alive anymore. If not for them, the whole place would be occupied by goblins."

He took another drink.

"That's all I know. I have no idea why it happened, but I'm leaving as soon as possible."

Richter stepped forward curious.

"Did the dungeons not have a recommended level?"

"I don't know much about that stuff sir. But I never heard anyone mention that term."

Rio jumped in as well.

"If the four dungeons are responsible for the city, then do you know anything about all of the villages and towns that are destroyed on the route here?"

"Not a clue miss, I wasn't even aware of that."

The group turned to each other, sharing a complicated look.

"Thanks for your help. Be safe on your travels."

Koga sent him away with a couple more drinks and snacks from the store.

The group instinctively turned to Richter.

"So, what's the plan?"

"Well obviously, we need to go after the dungeons."

"Shouldn't we take care of the patrolling goblins first? Maybe look for more survivors?"

"If you want to then go for it. I'll take the dungeons on my own if needed. But if the goblins are still pouring out, then the best thing to do is clear all four as fast as possible."

"We could also divide and conquer, try to clear them even faster," Brent mentioned.

"Ha! And it means faster leveling right?"

Brent blushed slightly and nodded.

Meanwhile, Reed and Koga looked a little uncomfortable at the prospect. Rio was also conflicted with the idea.

"I don't mind splitting up... But not by myself. I'll pair with Koga and Reed."

"I'll go alone."

"Naturally, so will I."

This meant that one dungeon would be left over, but three at once is still better.

Being unfamiliar with the city meant they didn't know the layout. They drew straws, which determined the order of who claimed a dungeon.

Richter was still caught up on the captain from earlier. He desperately wanted to fight that guy.

After a quick break to fill up on junk food, the five began their journey through the city, scouring for their first dungeon.

***