Infinite Lives

Bryan was sitting on a log near the campfire on watch while the others slept.

So we have six early warning systems in place, a rough map Erran made…

And Trainer has got him to get a fair bit stronger.

Bryan looked around and stoked the fire before standing up and stretching.

Best wake them up.

Bryan walked over and shook Len using his foot until he grumbled. He then walked over and did the same to Erran.

“Urghh, guess I’m pretty enough without more sleep,” Len said before chuckling to himself.

Once they were all awake and eating breakfast, two loud dings could be heard from Bryan’s bag.

“Oh, is that one of the villages?” Erran asked.

Bryan pulled out the map, looked at it before speaking,

“Yes, village two to the east of us,” Bryan stated.

“That is cool. You made the spell tell you which village or direction?” Erran asked.

That would be wasteful for Mana.

“No, the receiver in my bag dings a certain number of times based on which village rang its bell,” Bryan said before pointing to the map and continuing.

“I simply gave each village we installed one in a number based on the order I installed them… so now I know which needs us,” Bryan said.

Len just stared at them both while Erran scratched his head.

“I do not understand how you figured that out… but if it works, that’s good,” Erran said.

Len shrugged and yawned before speaking, “It is too early for a lecture.”

“Pack up the camp; we are heading there now,” Bryan said before standing and starting to pack things into his bag.

Erran helped pack; Len sighed but joined them.

Once they had packed up, they made their way through the forest and towards the village.

Hopefully one of the things we do triggers the feeling I am looking for.

They kept walking until reaching a clearing where they saw large boars running around the walls of the village.

“I will go for the largest; you two go for the others!” Bryan shouted.

Len ran off to the left, firing arrows as he went; Erran pulled out his sword and shield and engaged one of the smaller boars.

Bryan unsheathed his sword and walked straight towards the largest boar.

Physical Enhancement.

Bryan darted for the boar. As he approached, it spun its head towards him; he dove backwards to avoid the tusks.

The boar snorted before charging at Bryan with all of its force.

Bryan stood still as it approached, holding his sword to the side.

Blink.

Bryan appeared to the left, and as the boar passed, the sword sliced down its side. The boar slid across the ground and squealed. He walked over to it and thrust his sword into the chest, and the boar went still.

Bryan darted towards the closest boar and, catching it unawares, thrust his sword through its side.

He checked around and saw Len standing on the back of one boar, shooting arrows at the others nearby while the one he was on tried futilely to buck him off.

Erran had one dead boar near him while he was slashing at another as it ran past him.

Bryan walked through the gate into the village and looked around.

No villagers outside, but around five boars inside the walls.

Bryan dashed towards one, sliced down at it, while aiming his hand at another and fired a Rock Shot, which impaled it.

Two began charging at him. Bryan aimed both hands at the ground and used Air Bolt to launch himself upward, and as they ran below him, fired a Rock Shot in each of their backs.

Once Bryan landed, he ran towards the last boar, jumped and sunk his sword into its back.

Bryan removed his sword and quickly moved it side to side to clean off the blood before looking around again.

Pretty sure that is all of them.

After a few moments, Len and Erran walked through the gate.

Len was laughing at Erran, who was visibly sweating.

“I mean, you are so worn out; it shouldn’t have been that hard,” Len said before laughing more.

“That is not exactly fair; you are a higher level, and Bryan is still training me… plus I got another level during that!” Erran replied.

Well, yes. Trainer means he will level up faster due to the boost I have.

“Well, that may be true, but sweating that much is not graceful,” Len said.

Erran scowled at Len before turning to Bryan and speaking, “Come on, tell him I did well. Though I do not understand how you cut through things like butter.”

It is several reasons.

“You have improved considerably; you could likely take up to three bandits now,” Bryan stated.

Hearing this, Len laughed harder while slapping his thigh.

“As for me, it’s a combination of my strength and the fact that my sword is black steel,” Bryan said.

Erran smiled and thanked Bryan.

“See, all you need is a better sword now, Erran,” Len said with a coy smile.

Before Erran could reply, Bryan spoke,

“And to be physically stronger.”

Hearing this, Len laughed harder until the villagers began emerging from their houses, and he adopted a serious look.

One of the villagers approached them and spoke.

“Thank you so much; we were not sure the bell would work.”

That is an illogical assumption… though seeing them all alive…I felt a tiny something…

“I told you it would; another issue arises: make sure to ring it,” Bryan stated.

“Ok, we don’t have much other than food to give you,” The villager responded.

Nothing they have would benefit my goal.

“Reward is not relevant; I will butcher some boars to take and leave some for you,” Bryan said before immediately turning and starting to cut up a boar.

Once Bryan had collected meat and put it in his bag, they made their way towards another village.

“Why do you think Bryan is so … what’s the word for doing things with no reward?” Erran asked Len.

“Altruistic, but I don’t know if it is that simple…” Len said.

Erran scratched his head while they walked and responded, “What do you mean?”

“It is hard to figure out what he wants… obviously helping people, but rather than charity, I think refusing rewards is more about him not seeing value in them,” Len said, looking serious.

He is quite accurate.

Erran smiled and spoke, “I mean, isn’t that ‘altruism’?”

Len rubbed Erran’s head and replied, “Not quite. Be thankful he can tolerate things with little value; otherwise, we’d have left you behind.”

Len then burst out laughing, while Erran scowled at him and replied, “You’re a dick.”

Install another early warning system and then wait and see what happens. Seems like a good plan.

They got to another village; Erran explained the purpose, and Bryan installed the etching tablet and Mana orb.

Bryan’s bag dinged four times; he pulled out the map, and they set off from the village towards the one in trouble.

After a while, they arrived in a clearing and saw smoke rising from behind the walls.

A fire, surprised they rang for this.

Once they got closer, they entered through the gate and could see a barn fully ablaze, with villagers running and throwing buckets of water at the buildings near it.

Smart, at the very least, it makes it harder for it to spread.

“If you have a way to put this out… please help,” one villager exclaimed before she ran off to fill a bucket again.

“Len and Erran, you help the villagers and tend to any wounded while I deal with the fire,” Bryan said.

Bryan walked over to the fire, held out both hands and concentrated.

Water Bolt.

Large streams of water shot from both hands towards the fire, the water hitting the building and turning into steam.

After a while, the fire grew smaller until it was out and the building was black and smoking.

Turning around, the villagers had stopped and were in the centre clapping for him.

Why are they clapping… this was a simplistic task.

Bryan joined Len and Erran in the centre of the village.

“Thank you. We are not sure if the fire was accidental or not, but by the time we saw it was too late for us to stop,” said a villager before he bowed.

No feeling for doing this…

Bryan lightly sighed before he responded, “You are welcome. We will leave now and go set up camp.”

“You are welcome to stay with us tonight if you wish?” the villager said.

Bryan shook his head before he spoke, “No thanks.”

He then turned and walked out of the village gate and waited for Len and Erran to join him.

A while later, after leaving, they went into the forest and set up camp.

Bryan lit a fire, and Erran began cooking with some of the boar meat.

“That was a good day, two dings, and we managed to help both; definitely better than wandering and hoping people need help,” Erran said with a smile.

Len smiled and responded, “Oh, you hope people are in trouble so you can feel heroic by helping them?”

The point is to aid people… so them being in trouble is needed.

Erran dropped the ladle into the pot before stumbling over his words, “No, that is not what I meant… dick …I don’t want them to be in trouble.”

Len laughed intensely before he spoke, “You are too easy sometimes; it’s our job to help. Don’t worry so much.”

The fire one didn’t produce the feeling; ideally, something tomorrow does.

Erran scowled at Len before turning to Bryan and speaking,

“I am sorry I dropped the ladle into the stew.”

Bryan looked over, lifted a hand and concentrated.

Subtle Manipulation.

The ladle slowly lifted out of the stew, and Erran grabbed the handle before wiping it with his shirt.

“Do you know a spell for everything?” Erran asked.

Not literally everything, no…

“Most things, though it is often a waste of Mana if the task is easier with your hands,” Bryan stated before sitting down and leaning against a log.

After a short while, Erran handed bowls of stew to each of them.

Bryan ate a spoonful of the stew before pausing.

This is underseasoned as usual.

Bryan put a hand into his bag and pulled out a pouch, opened the pouch and sprinkled some of the contents into his bowl of stew.

“What are you adding to the food?” Erran asked.

“Dried garlic,” Bryan stated.

Erran’s eyes widened before he spoke, “You have to be joking; I put several cloves in the stew.”

I don’t believe you did.

“I don’t taste any in it,” Bryan said.

Len laughed, spitting out some stew before he spoke, “He has killed his taste buds; you should know this, Erran… let him enjoy his garlic with a hint of stew.”

Len laughed harder before he continued eating.

My taste buds work perfectly fine… he just didn’t use any garlic.

After they all ate, two of them went to sleep while one remained on watch.

They awoke to five dings from Bryan’s bag.

“No time for breakfast; we pack up and go,” Bryan stated.

They packed up the camp into Bryan’s shoulder bag and set off towards the village.

After a while of travel, they arrived at the clearing near the village.

Some smoke and sounds of shouting…

As they approached the gate, they could see the villagers lined up in the centre of town with bandits holding them at sword point.

Bryan quietly spoke to Len and Erran, “I will sneak in and assess what is best to do; if I attack, you should as well.”

They both nodded in response.

Concealment.

Bryan snuck through the gate and stood next to a house.

Enhance Senses.

“Look, no one is coming to save you, so tell us where the valuables are,” said one of the bandits.

“Yeah, and you will pay us to protect you from other bandits in the future,” said another.

“We don’t have any valuables; I don’t know what to offer you,” pleaded a villager.

Bryan walked back through the gate and stood behind Len and Erran.

Dispel.

With a shimmer, Bryan became visible again.

“There are five bandits holding villagers hostage, and some others wandering around looking for things to steal,” Bryan stated.

Bryan paused before continuing, “Len, we should both aim to take out those with hostages as quickly as possible, and Erran can help with the clean-up.”

“I know you can do that, but it doesn’t make it less creepy when you just appear behind us… but your plan is good,” Len said.

Len positioned himself on the left side of the gate.

Physical Enhancement.

Bryan unsheathed his sword, dashed through the gate and went straight for one of the bandits near the hostages.

He swung his sword, slashing the throat of one and quickly thrust his sword to the other side, impaling another.

Without stopping, he dashed forward towards another and hit him with the hilt of his sword, sending him into the palisade walls with enough force to crack two logs.

Bryan quickly looked around to see the others near the hostages had arrows in their necks.

Erran has engaged two of them… I will wait by the hostages and see how he handles himself.

Erran kicked one bandit in the chest before he parried a sword swing from the other.

Not bad. When handling more than one, you must be decisive.

He used the opportunity to launch a flurry of swings at the one closest, knocking the sword from the bandit’s hands, he slashed across his chest.

Before Erran could celebrate, the one he kicked was attacking from the side, forcing Erran to try to parry the blow.

Don’t get excited; it isn’t over.

Erran took steps back while parrying successive blows, parried a downswing with an upward motion and used the momentum to uppercut the bandit with his free hand.

The bandit stumbled back before Erran thrust his sword into the bandit’s chest.

Seems he was listening to what I have been teaching him… good.

They helped the villagers up, put out the fire and distributed health potions before meeting by the gate.

Hmm, a little something again.

Erran was smiling brightly when he spoke, “Your fighting technique is odd, very unlike what the guild teaches… but I beat two alone.”

Bryan nodded before responding, “Your footwork was a bit sloppy, and you missed a few opportunities. But it’s a vast improvement from where you were.”

Len laughed before speaking, “I think that is Bryan’s attempt at saying you did well.”

That is what I said.

“Thank you, I’m mostly just glad I am not a total burden anymore,” Erran said.

They began walking deeper into the forest to set up a camp.

“Oh, if we are not careful, Erran may try to take over the position of the strongest in the party,” Len said before laughing again.

Illogical; that is unlikely to occur.

“Oh, shut it, Len,” Erran said, lightly smiling.

“Mighty sassy for someone who can only recently defend himself,” Len said before smiling back.

Four dings rang from Bryan’s bag, interrupting them.

Another chance is good.

“No time for camp; we head straight to the next one,” Bryan stated.

He checked the map, found village four, and they set off in its direction.

As they approached the clearing, black smoke was visible.

Hopefully not just another fire.

They rushed over to the gate and entered to see several villagers lying on the floor, covered in blood and two houses on fire.

Bryan rushed over and checked the bodies; only one was still alive.

He made the villager drink a health potion before putting out the fires with Water Bolt.

Len, Erran and Bryan gathered in the centre as some villagers came out of the houses.

It is hard to tell what happened here.

“What happened here exactly?” Bryan asked.

A shaky villager approached them and spoke,

“I was hiding in the hole below the house… but I heard what happened.”

The man took a deep breath as he looked at the people on the floor before continuing,

“It was some bandits; they didn’t ask for money. The others called the leader Gregor the Butcher.”

The villager had tears in his eyes when he continued, “They set fire to houses to distract us, and grabbed four people… they killed anyone who tried to stop them.”

The villager knelt over a woman and began crying into her blouse.

Hmm, not typical bandit behaviour to not seek money…

Bryan gestured to Len and Erran to follow him as he walked through the gate.

“We should track them down and rescue those taken,” Bryan said.

With a nod, Len crouched down and inspected the floor for a while before stating that they went north.

The three of them followed the tracks for thirty minutes before reaching the top of a hill.

Stepping onto the crest, Bryan looked around.

Four corpses… laid out on rocks…

As the three of them got closer, Erran stopped and began throwing up.

Bryan walked closer and inspected one of the bodies.

Multiple stab wounds, but none are fatal… skin mostly removed… various broken bones forced into unnatural poses…

None of this was necessary… why did he intentionally drag out the killing… for what purpose…

Bryan stood back up and walked over to Len, who was comforting Erran.

“There isn’t anything we can do as they are dead, but to avoid this going forward, we should try to place our camp as close to equidistant from the villages as we can get,” Bryan said.

It should reduce our response time further…