The Connected System

Loch put distance between himself and those following. He could feel his Spirit reserves going down with the repeated use of Windstep. It was a great movement Ability in combat, covering a good distance in seconds, but it wasn’t as efficient over longer distances. It was still better than running, but multiple jumps were taxing on his body and Spirit.

And it seemed to use more with each successive Step.

The fields were across the road, a torn up parking lot and down a short hill. The land sloped up beyond what had been a large soccer field, leading to baseball diamonds and more soccer fields. They hadn’t gone to the upper fields yet.

Loch landed at the top of the slope, pausing to adjust his direction. He could see the group running across the field, joined now by the someday-farmers. It looked to be the hunters that had gone out looking for food.

They were being chased by a large pack of what looked to be giant cats. About a dozen. Bobcats in basic shape, just much larger. Not quite horse size, but close. Too far to use Evaluate, Loch Activated Windstep again.

He appeared at the bottom of the hill. Another step took him onto the field. A third brought him right into the middle of the fleeing group. He could see two men supporting another one, blood staining the man’s clothes. One of the hunters pulled up short, almost running into Loch. He held up an arm, slowing the man, looking past at the monsters that were rapidly closing the distance. Now close enough to Evaluate. They gave off an aura of being weaker, maybe around Harper’s Level.

FOREST LYNXIA

“Keep going,” he yelled at the men, focusing on the one he’d stopped. “The healers should be in the gym. Have Darren send some guards.”

“Yessir,” the man said, running off and not looking back.

Loch Activated Bulwark, the green shield appearing on his left arm. He waited for the Bobcats to get closer. One in the front looked to be a little larger. The Alpha. When they got close enough, Loch held Onyx horizontally to the side. He swept the axe in a wide arc in front of him, Activating Thunderclap.

A pressure wave swept out from the axe, slamming into the charging cats. They were all knocked off their feet, sent tumbling or pushed back. A couple were slow to get up, others jumping immediately to their feet. Loch knew they’d all been injured.

Only the larger one hadn’t been knocked off its feet. It had been pushed back a couple of feet, large paws digging into the ground, but it had stayed up. It glared at Loch, growling low.

He Activated Offensive Stance and Aura Of Attack.

Harper appeared out of the shadows around the cats, tonfas stabbing into the side of one as she used its body to vault over it, slashing at another.

“I got the Alpha,” he shouted, seeing a silver streak in the shape of a spear slam into another of the cats.

Loch knew he could take out most of the cats pretty easily, but the others were arriving. The Lynxia weren’t a threat for Harper and the others. They could be a bit of a challenge, but it was Experience the group could use. He might have even left the Alpha to them, staying back just in case they needed help, but he figured he was there and Evaluate told him the monster would give him some Experience.

FOREST LYNXIA ALPHA

Windstep brought him right in front of the monster, its head level with his. He twisted to the side, dodging a large paw with long claws. Onyx glowed with the power of Cleave, the axe sweeping down. The Alpha leapt to the side, Onyx barely connecting. It cut into the hide drawing blood. The strike wouldn’t have done much damage except for the Ability’s additional damage. The Alpha staggered under the blow, hissing.

Loch took a quick glance around, making sure everyone else was okay. They were all engaging the bobcats, one or two each. Arrows stuck out of the hides of a couple cats, signs that the Archer Bobby had joined the fight. Bolts of silver energy blasted into a cat, followed by an ink black one attacking. The Lynxia’s claws slashed at the black cat, ripping through the inky substance.

A blond man was there as well. It took Loch a couple seconds to realize who the unfamiliar man was. Randy Sager. Was that his name? One of the newcomers. The man was a fighter, but used his bare hands. He was punching at a bobcat, ducking and dodging, using his forearms to block attacks.

Why had he joined the fight?

It was a good way to earn some points with the community.

The concern is was it genuine or had Roger put him up to it?

A question for after the fight, Loch thought as he used his energy shield to block a swipe by the Alpha. The beast was strong, pushing against Loch. He took a step back, swinging Onyx, scoring a glancing hit. The cat jumped back, taking the pressure off his shield arm.

Loch swung again, pushing the large cat further back. It was the size of a horse, weighed like one and had the strength of one.

It hissed at Loch, batting at him. He caught the paw on his shield, swinging Onyx in a short swipe, catching the Alpha’s leg. It growled in pain, snatching the leg back, drops of blood flying through the air. Loch didn’t give it the space, charging ahead, swinging.

The cat tried to swipe at Onyx to bat it away, Loch pulled the weapon down, the paw sailing just over. He couldn’t get a good swing in with the axe head, instead rotating the weapon and Activating Bash. He didn’t use the hammer head often, but this close in, he didn’t need to swing it as hard or long. A short jab worked. The glowing head slammed into the Alpha’s chest.

Bone cracked, breaking.

The cat faltered, stunned.

Loch slammed into it, coming in low and lifting. He wasn’t sure if his new Strength would be enough to lift the giant cat.

It was.

Barely.

He wrapped his arms around the thick chest of the cat, feeling the paws trying to reach at him. The cat tried to bite at him. It fought being lifted. Loch pushed, feeling the weight pressing down on him. His feet started to slip but he kept pushing.

The belly was exposed, perfect opportunity for a critical strike, but Loch couldn’t do anything about it. Luckily, he hadn’t planned on it.

Harper appeared in the deep shadows under the Alpha. Both tonfas stabbed up, cutting deep into the cat’s soft underbelly. She pulled her arms apart, slicing through bone, muscle and flesh. Lightning crackled around the wounds, the smell of burnt fur drifting into the air. Blood and things Loch didn’t want to think about fell onto the ground. Harper disappeared.

Loch shifted his feet, pushing the dying cat off to the side.

It fell, paws kicking futilely at the air as its blood and parts leaked out.

Picking Onyx back up, Loch moved around the body, the eyes of the cat watching him. They were filled with rage and tiredness. The Alpha knew it was dying. With one swing, Loch ended its life.

YOU HAVE SLAIN FOREST LYNXIA ALPHA

He dismissed the notification, along with the others. The multi-colored sparks of Spirit drifted up from the dead Alpha, joining the swirling mass of Spirit from the other Lynxia. Strands of Spirit flew into his body, the largest from the Alpha. Because of his Thunderclap, Loch had damaged most of the pack. He received Spirit from all that he had damaged.

As he felt his Core fill, Loch wondered if his attack had cost the others Spirit.

“Someone run back and get Jeff,” he said, looking at the pile of cat corpses. It didn’t look like a single one had escaped. “He can skin them for the hides.”

“On it,” Bobby yelled from a hundred feet or so away.

Loch wondered how he had heard. Loch hadn’t shouted. Ed Turner had said that Bobby had some kind of far sight Ability, maybe that related to hearing?

He hoped one of the hunters would return with Jeff. Loch wanted to know where they had run across the Lynxia pack. There had to be more of them in the woods.

Other monsters as well.

He noticed Randy standing apart from the others, looking down at his hands. They were covered in blood stained wraps. Loch walked over to him.

“Randy, right?”

The man nodded.

Loch held out his hand. Randy held his up to show the drying blood.

“Being covered in blood is pretty normal lately,” Loch chuckled.

“Seems that way,” Randy said, shaking Loch’s hand.

He had a fairly local New England accent. Maybe from Vermont or Western Massachusetts?

“Thanks for the help.”

Randy looked around at the others, then down at the cat at his feet. The monster was a mess. Loch wasn’t sure Jeff would be able to salvage the hide, it was that badly beaten. It had been pulped, not looking like a single bone was still intact. The face was barely recognizable, the long teeth broken and some knocked out.

“Not like you guys needed it. I barely managed to take on one and everyone else dealt with multiple.”

“But you helped,” Loch said. “Just rushed in and helped. You didn’t know any of us, just got here.”

“You took us in,” Randy said. “Felt like I had to. I guess I’m part of the community now, need to do my part.”

Loch liked him. Randy seemed pretty straight forward. A good guy.

Not like Roger.

Or that Theodore.

There was just something off about that one.

Loch was about to ask Randy about the people he’d traveled with when a new notification flashed into his vision. Judging by the blank and unfocused stares of the others, they were seeing it too.

GREETINGS ADAPTED AND CONNECTED OF EARTH. WITH YOUR PLANET’S CONNECTION THREE WEEKS AGO, YOU WERE ADAPTED TO THRIVE AND SURVIVE ON YOUR NEW WORLD. WITH CLANS BEING FORMED, OVER ONE THOUSAND PEOPLE REACHING LEVEL TEN AND OVER THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND REACHING LEVEL FIVE, EARTH’S RANKING BOARD HAS BEEN INITIATED FOR BOTH INDIVIDUAL CONNECTED AND CLANS.

Loch read the words again before they faded.

Ranking board?

“What the hell,” he growled.