Chapter 15 - Body Parts

Blood flowed from Elena's thigh as the shanks embedded in her leg crumbled to ash, their owners vanquished. Trev hurried to her side, supporting her as she limped over to a nearby bench. Her face contorted with pain, but he could tell she was trying to hide it. Elena was the kind of person who would claim to be fine even if she were on the brink of death. Without a word, Trev unzipped his bag and retrieved the medical supplies he had scavenged from the elderly woman's house. With practised efficiency, he stemmed the bleeding and patched up her wounds. However, he knew they would need fresh bandages in a few hours. Due to Trev's occupation he was an expert at first aid, and with a police officer to ask if he wasn't sure, they were not short on medical training.

"Thank you Trev, I appreciate the aid," smiled Elena.

"It is my pleasure. You did an amazing job, I can see why you are an assassin, your skill and determination is of the highest calibre," replied Trev, his admiration evident in his voice.

Elena blushed and for the first time since she had met Trev, she had nothing to say. Trev turned to Emilee, who had been standing by, offering assistance whenever possible.

"Emilee, you were incredible too! Your control over those ice balls was truly impressive," he praised.

"Thank you," Emilee murmured, her cheeks tinged with a blush.

Although Trev was not an expert on women, he knew compliments and flattery do wonders for their confidence and determination. Trev knew first hand if they were to survive, he needed companions confident in their abilities. Back home, Trev was a national paintball champion at the age of sixteen, and at one point he and his team had won the championship three years running, beating out even the trained military groups and veterans of the sport. In paintball, teamwork, quick thinking, and confidence were essential qualities that translated seamlessly into their current dire situation. He had to nurture these qualities within his team if they were to prevail.

With the immediate crisis addressed, Trev surveyed his surroundings. Something caught his attention—a peculiarity amidst the piles of ash that littered the courtyard. Among the goblins' ashes were intact body parts, including the chieftain's skull, still impaled on Elena's blade. Why hadn't these parts turned to ash like the rest? The cuts appeared clean and deliberate, rather than the result of a battle. Could it be that these parts had only partially disintegrated, leaving behind full, intact pieces? He thought back to a game he had played called "Creature Hunter", where the aim was to bring down big creatures and salvage them for parts. In that game you could cut off body parts mid-fight and it would give you extra parts towards your total at the end. Did this follow that model?

Trev and Emilee began kicking piles of ash and taking their contents, leaving the chieftain to last. From most of the piles, they retrieved either a copper coin or a mana crystal. However, three of the piles contained rare drops. In the end, they amassed sixty-seven copper coins, ten mana crystals, two goblin shanks, and a goblin heart preserved in a glass jar. Trev added the coins to their collective stash, taking charge of all their funds, while Emilee received the goblin shanks as backup melee weapons. Additionally, Trev kept the goblin heart safely stowed in his bag, who knew what it would be used for? The body parts were also gathered, but they only decided to keep one goblin arm, to see what they could do with it. Disappointingly, looting the chieftain's remains yielded a mere thirty additional copper coins. Nonetheless, the group had gained three-quarters of a level from the encounter, bringing them closer to the next level.

"Now, what shall we do? You can't continue walking in your current state," Trev addressed Elena, concern etched on his face.

Elena scanned the surroundings, searching for a viable solution.

"Is there anything we can use? Maybe a bike or something?"

"Let me take a look," Trev offered.

The paved area where they found themselves served as a gap between apartment blocks. Several cars surrounded them, but their electronic systems had been fried and their batteries exploded. Trev sought a purely mechanical mode of transportation. As he circled the square, his eyes caught a glimmer of reflected sunlight. It was a bicycle, albeit one intended for a child. Nevertheless, it appeared large enough to provide Elena with some support. Trev retrieved the bike and wheeled it over to Elena, who beamed with gratitude.

"Perfect! Now you can push me," she giggled, clearly amused by the arrangement.

And thus, Trev found himself tasked with the duty of pushing Elena. As they continued their journey toward the city centre, following the path of the river, Elena sat on the bike, her injured leg propped up on the crossbar for support, while Trev pushed from behind. This arrangement worked well on flat terrain but proved arduous on upward inclines. Surprisingly they were not attacked by any more creatures. A few times goblins would come out, only to run off when Elena showed them her sword. Had word of her prowess spread so quickly?

As they rounded a subtle bend in the river, the city centre sprawled before them. The group paused, momentarily captivated by the sight of the central landmarks of the old city. It was still morning, but the sun had almost reached its zenith. The city sparkled as the rare clear day allowed its full beauty to be revealed. It was too bad that the horrors of the dropship had been unleashed upon it.

Suddenly, whilst observing its beauty, as if an eclipse was taking place, the city centre plunged into darkness. Dread welled up within Trev as he lifted his gaze. He knew what was coming, yet he refused to accept it. It was almost the worst-case scenario—a dropship descended from the sky, its spike poised to pierce the earth. As they watched the familiar scenario unfold, the ship touched down in the river, directly in their path. Once it had finished ascending, Trev noticed something different about this ship—it had three doors. One opened into the water, another extended a gangplank to the land, and the last loomed high above in the air. All three doors opened, revealing the deep black abyss that was prominent even from this distance. The silence was deafening, until suddenly a cacophony of roars and screeches erupted as numerous flying creatures emerged from the highest door, large land creatures from the middle door, and an array of aquatic beasts from the lower entrance. This was the makings of an area they would not be able to traverse quite yet. A high level zone.