PenguinKills
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Chapter 86 - Unrealized Strength
🕑 Added 2024-07-22 20:01:25 +0000 UTC"That's a lot more than 100," Austin said from beside me in the bushes.
"No shit, Sherlock. I can count." I retorted.
We had arrived at the camp less than an hour ago and were taking the time to scout before attacking. I didn't trust Tracy's information fully. Plus scouting out the camp was good practice.
I wouldn't always have detailed reports like I did now, even if I didn't trust said reports. According to Tracy, the highest level here was level 35 and was the one in charge of the pylon originally, before the Mindbreaker took over.
What was supposed to be 100 foes turned out to be double that. It would seem that all of the minions the Mindbreaker had wandering outside the camps came back for wave days.
Which was today.
I had thought that right after a wave was the best time to attack since it would be when the camp was most vulnerable. Turns out that wasn't the case.
I didn't know when the camp would split up and return to the normal garrison, but I didn't feel like waiting. 100, 200, it didn't much matter in the long run. There was a limit to my endurance and ability to fight, but I hadn't found it yet.
And it certainly wasn't only 200. I would treat it as just another wave. Except this wave had defenses... and skills... and tactics better than beasts.
I was told that their tactics were rudimentary and that they lost a lot of their ability after being converted to thralls, but they were still ahead of beasts.
All together, I wasn't too concerned. I was higher level than everyone in the camp and none of them had a Law, according to Tracy.
I was inclined to believe that part. If the people here had a Law they would have put up a better fight against the Mindbreaker. Sure, they might have still lost but if that was the case they weren't that powerful to begin with.
"What's the plan, Stan," Austin rhymed.
A part of me wanted to say that now wasn't the time for jokes, but I refrained. It was a small return to normal that I didn't want to tarnish it. Austin and I had never been the type to be ultra-serious. It just wasn't our nature.
I had been forced to abandon that and become more serious while leading the camp, but with only the two of us here, it was nice to shrug off that weight.
Looking at the camp brought up some feelings I would have rather left buried. Saying I wanted revenge was one thing, actually doing it was different. Even though it wasn't really people I would be killing, they still looked like people.
Austin sensed my hesitation and said, "Think of them like zombies. You wouldn't hesitate to kill a zombie, right?"
I knew he was right, but I couldn't help it. My Dad had specifically warned me of the slippery slope I now walked. If I justified killing these people, I could just as easily justify something else. Soon enough, I would justify wholesale slaughter.
This was a new world. I needed to let go of past morality and build a new one. I hadn't given it much thought yet and it was something I would have to do. Sooner rather than later.
What ended those feelings was that whatever morals or code of honor I came up with would all justify what I was doing now. They attacked my family. Lethal force was acceptable.
"Well, first, we have to get in. We can't do anything from outside the walls." I said with newfound conviction.
Austin eyed me but only nodded without mentioning anything.
"How are we going to do that? From what I remember the walls are enchanted to be unclimbable." Austin's vision slowly concentrated on the gate. The gate made of only wood. "Do you think you can...?"
I followed his line of sight to the gate, "I'm not sure. I haven't tried before."
"You're a lot stronger now," He said like stating that fact made it possible.
I took a second to think about it. With a full boost from [Avalanche] and [Fury] I would have over 700 strength. Add [Heavy Blow] and [Frostbite] layered on my hammer, it should be possible.
I had tested the strength of the gates before but it had been a while since our camp had wooden walls. At the time, they seemed sturdy and I couldn't have smashed it. Also at the time, I was half my current level.
This wasn't the first wooden wall that the wolves of Wave 10 got through, they were the upgraded ones. Even upgraded, they were still only wood.
"The only way to know is to try," I said with a slight chuckle.
The idea of smashing through was extremely enticing. It spoke to the boy in me that liked seeing things destroyed.
I had kept my boost on the way here with the occasional javelin throw and beast in our path so I didn't have to wait to build it up.
"If we run fast enough the siege weapons will be completely useless," Austin added.
With our speed, a full sprint would be impossible to keep up with while aiming the hunky things. It would take them out of the picture completely.
"What about the spells the defenders will throw? It isn't like they won't see us." I questioned.
"I doubt they will be able to harm you under your ice and I can handle my own." He said.
With our plan made, I readied to get up. Austin moved to follow.
"I thought you were going to wait here? What if I fail?" I asked. If I failed to make an opening, we would both be sitting ducks.
"I don't think you realize how ridiculously strong you are. I wouldn't be surprised if you could smash a hole through the wall, let alone the gate." He said with a slight chuckle. He stated it like it was obvious.
I wasn't so sure. The wall was thick and was enchanted against specifically what I was going to do. Well, he could do what he wanted. I wasn't his Mother.
[Frost Armor] worked to freeze around me as I readied for battle. I had dismissed the skill while waiting so I could see better. Plus, a giant ice sculpture with frost steaming off of it wasn't exactly stealthy.
Without any need to wait any longer. I sprinted toward the gate.
Austin's agility let him keep up with me somewhat, but he had to use a skill to do it. My stats were too high otherwise.
As I ran, I couldn't help but think about if it didn't work. I knew I was strong, but this was a store-bought wall enchanted specifically against what I was trying to do.
The monsters of the wave could only get through after hundreds of them clawed at it and I was but one man. I would give it the good ole college try though.
After we left our tree line cover, we were seen quickly. It wasn't like we were trying to hide, we were charging straight at them.
An alarm of some sort was sounded and the wall began to fill with bodies. The tree line we came from was only a few hundred yards away and they wouldn't have enough time to fully man the wall before we reached the gate.
The people already on the wall began to launch spells at us when we got into range. Fireballs, earth spikes, and other elemental attacks flew down at us as we raced toward them.
I didn't bother to dodge and watched as they bounced off my armor or splashed ineffectually against it. Fireballs were useless and barely did anything and Earth Spikes were only slightly more effective.
The weight behind them alone would stagger a lesser man.
I wasn't a lesser man.
The sheer number was the only reason my ice began to crack. The amount of mana I was being bombarded with wasn't small. A slight use of [Ice Manipulation] and a hint of my Law was enough to stop that from happening.
I had designed the Ice armor to crack when hit with blunt force which was the main reason the weak attacks managed to do it. As the ice cracked, the blunt force spread out along the cracking ice and dispersed around me. Rather than the force transferring to what was under it, me.
It was designed after the ceramic body armor plates. The way they worked was similar and where I got the idea from.
I could have left the cracks there and the skill would have worked to refreeze them, but I decided against it. I wanted to be as protected as I could be. It wouldn't do to neglect it and get hurt by something unexpected.
Without the ability to see behind me, I expected Austin to be racing around trying to dodge everything while I just bull-dozed through. It was enough to bring a slight smile to my face.
The thought of him jumping around like a monkey trying not to get hit was quite funny. The thought of him using me as a human shield was less funny.
As the distance shortened, the number of attacks we were under only increased. More people manned the wall and their aim was significantly better the closer we were.
A catapult bolder was launched at one point but it soared over our heads before landing ineffectually a hundred feet behind us. Another wasn't launched before we made it to the wall.
The attacks started to build up and strain even my armor, strengthened as it was. I actually had to use my full Law. I had only used light touches before to save it for later.
Strengthening my entire armor was still strenuous on my mind for extended periods of time.
With my full Law to bear, the attacks were ignorable once again. I had tried to ramp up my defense according to the strain I felt but it was harder than I anticipated.
Ignoring the magic flying my way, I focused solely on the gate. It was getting closer and I made to prepare. [Fury] activated and my speed went up a notch.
[Heavy Blow] and [Frostbite] layered on my hammer and [Ice Manipulation] worked to strengthen it.
Just with that alone, 6 skills were active. [Frost Armor], [Avalanche], and [Fury] weren't a constant strain to keep active but the rest were.
I began my swing and poured everything I had into it. For a brief moment, I pulled on my Law to empower every bit of ice around me. The armor and hammer began to glow from the power.
Everything I had went into my swing.
As soon as I was in range, I set my feet and began. I dug into the earth with my legs to gain leverage. I twisted my hips like I was trying to hit a home run. I flexed every muscle in my body to add to the power.
I poured all the mana I could into [Heavy Blow]. I even tried to speed the hammer up using [Ice Manipulation].
All of it added together for my most powerful attack. An attack aimed right at the gate.
The attack landed and everything happened so fast I couldn't keep up with my eyes.
The gates just disappeared. One second they were there, the next, gone.
My hammer exploded in my hands after the attack landed. Wooden splinters and ice shards were sent flying into the camp, spraying anyone close enough with the gate-turned projectile.
I stood in the gateway of the once intact gate with only the bottom half of the handle of my hammer in my hands.
I was stunned.
It shouldn't have been that easy.
The attacks briefly stopped as if they were just as surprised as I was. The only person unfazed was Austin and he didn't miss a step as he ran through the broken gateway around me.
As soon as he was inside, he started attacking with abandon. Light beams shot out in between spear thrusts that claimed lives every time they landed.
He used the brief surprise of the gate utterly exploding to his advantage and worked to kill as many as possible.
The nearest enemies to me had splinters of wood and shards of ice sticking out of them that turned them into wanna-be porcupines.
Blood was leaking out of them from the wounds but they seemed unfazed by the pain.
The only thing I was thinking as the battle started was my hammer was gone.
I really liked that hammer too.
~~AN~~
There will be another chapter later today with the rest of the fight. It was too long to put into one chapter and it wasn't my intention to have you guys wait a whole day for the other half.
Comments
Alexander C Hyde
It was a small return to normal (and)that I didn't want to tarnish it.
James Faulkner
Hilarious lol, Tftc!
Demonlord
Thanks for the nice chapter π I wonder what Tracy is thinking right now when/if she sees his battle powersπ€£π€£ 1 man deleting the gate in a single blowπ€£π€£ Also I'm sad his hammer broke. I hope he'll make another more sturdy one soon (and maybe even upgrade his law. The alien tutor mentioned that Chris was on the edge of upgrading his law) It's really badass πππ
