Chapter 34 – Infestation
Chapter 34 – Infestation
Tyler stood frozen for a moment, watching in disbelief as the swarm of cockroaches crawled through the gaps in the town’s defences. The air was filled with shrill screeches, and the ground seemed to ripple beneath the marching tide of insects. A nearby NPC shouted, “The walls have been breached! Immediately evacuate the area and return to a safe place as soon as possible!”
He knew immediately that the place where he stood—surrounded by water and unstable planks—was no good for fighting. His combat relied on rapid footwork and tactical movement, not being bogged down by waterlogged wood and marshy terrain.
“Hey idiot! What are you doing? Slacking off? Follow me!” Tyler barked as he ran towards the centre of the town, aiming to reach solid ground.
But Milo didn’t follow. “No! We have to help the citizens evacuate first!”
Tyler glanced over his shoulder, irritated. “That’s useless! These mud huts aren’t going to hold out against that swarm. Even the palisade walls couldn’t stop them. What are a few chunks of dried mud going to do?”
Milo didn’t respond. He kept guiding elderly and young hybrids toward the safer parts of the mainland. Tyler grunted and turned away. “Whatever. I don’t need you.”
As he reached open ground, Tyler unsheathed his twinswords and charged headfirst into the swarm. His blades sliced cleanly through the cockroaches, each strike earning him small bursts of experience.
[+2 XP]
[+2 XP]
[+2 XP]
The XP messages blurred in his vision as he kept slashing. Cockroach guts and shells flew in every direction. The creatures were weak individually, and Tyler’s swords made short work of them—but they just kept coming. More and more poured through the gaps in the walls and alleyways.
He was barely thinking now. His breath was heavy, shoulders burning, muscles aching—but still he fought. He didn’t notice it at first, but something was wrong. Each step became harder to take. The weight of his weapons felt doubled. His swings began to slow.
He thought it was just fatigue. He’d been fighting non-stop, after all.
But something inside him churned. His heart pounded harder than usual, his vision slightly blurred at the edges.
Still, he pressed on.
Slash.
Parry.
Dodge.
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[+2 XP]
[+2 XP]
Another one down. Then another. But despite all his efforts, it felt like nothing was changing. The swarm was still massive. And he was slowing down. His legs ached with every movement.
Then he stumbled.
“Tyler! Move away from the swarm! You’re getting poisoned! It’s some kind of slow-acting curse!” Milo shouted again, more urgently.
“Huh?” Tyler grunted. He couldn’t hear properly. His ears rang, drowned in the screeching of the swarm and his own rapid heartbeat. Or maybe… maybe his senses were starting to fail him. He couldn’t tell what Milo was trying to say.
His body screamed at him to stop. His sword slipped in his grip. Sweat poured from his forehead. His chest felt like it was caving in.
Again, Milo shouted something, but it sounded distant, muffled. The only words Tyler could catch were ‘status’ and ‘check.’
Panting, on the verge of collapse, he finally heeded Milo’s plea and opened his interface with shaking hands.
[Player: Tyler] [Level: 76]
[Status: Affected by [Curse of Weakening] — All stats reduced by 50%. Mental and physical exhaustion.]
[Debuff Duration: 00:14:25]
His eyes widened. The curse. He hadn’t even noticed it in the flood of XP notifications. A normal debuff shouldn’t last more than 15 seconds—but this… this was stacked, repeatedly, compounding without his notice.
He staggered back, retreating into a narrow alleyway, nearly collapsing beside a barrel.
“Milo… can you protect me for fifteen minutes? I can’t… I can’t fight like this.”
Milo turned to him, wide-eyed. “The great Tyler asking me for help?”
“Cut it. I’ve got a plan. Just buy me some time.”
Milo gave a short, reassuring nod. “Don’t worry. As your companion, it’s my duty to protect your back. You can rely on me more.”
“Idiot. Trying to sound all heroic…”
He leaned against the wall, watching as Milo worked—freezing cockroaches with [Freeze Core], then shattering them with clean sword strikes. The alleyway was narrow—barely enough space for three people to stand shoulder to shoulder—and Milo used that to his advantage. He funnelled the swarm into tight groups, facing only what he could manage. It was a smart, calculated strategy—far more efficient than Tyler’s brute force.
Suddenly, a crash. A portion of the mud-brick wall behind them crumbled, and another wave of cockroaches burst through. Tyler, even weakened, sprang into action, cutting through them with gritted teeth.
“Even with my stats halved, I’m still stronger than you,” he muttered, barely able to lift his sword.
Together, they held the alley, swinging and freezing, buying time.
[Debuff Duration: 00:00:01]
[Debuff Duration: 00:00:00]
A surge of energy filled Tyler as the debuff vanished. His limbs lightened. His breath calmed.
“Okay, now we’re talking,” he grinned, equipping his storm wizard hat. “Milo—it’s time for the fireworks.”
He raised a hand and fired a [Fireball] into the heart of the swarm. The explosion rocked the square. Cockroach bodies flew in every direction, charred and smoking.
Then another.
And another.
[+2 XP] [+2 XP] [+2 XP]
The flames began to spread, licking up old logs, discarded crates, and benches. Tyler remembered the strategy he’d used against Gorrum—it was all about the terrain.
Soon, the fires roared across the battleground. Milo corralled swarms into the fire zones with well-placed [Freeze Core] shots, forcing them into the inferno.
The mud huts remained intact—miraculously untouched. The blaze lit up the swampy night like a festival of flame.
But it wasn’t enough.
They moved through alley after alley, clearing wave after wave. But every street they passed brought more skittering feet.
Tyler finally climbed onto a crate for higher visibility.
In the main plaza, the ground rippled.
[Enemies Identified: Cockroach Swarm, Level 20 x108]
[Enemies Identified: Cockroach Swarm, Level 20 x109]
[Enemies Identified: Cockroach Swarm, Level 20 x110]
His jaw dropped. “What the hell? Why are their numbers increasing?!”