13-15 - fics I read

Main Content

Archive of Our OwnArchive of Our OwnHi, TheBrimmedHat!PostLog Out

FandomsBrowseSearchAboutWork Search

tip: words:100

Actions

Entire Work ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Chapter Index Bookmark Mark for Later Comments Share Download

Work Header

Rating:

Not Rated

Archive Warning:

Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Fandoms:

Characters:

Tanya von DegurechaffThea MarshallZac

Additional Tags:

Crossovers & Fandom FusionsStrong Female CharactersPost-ApocalypseLitRPG

Language:

English

Stats:

Published:2026-07-30Updated:2026-10-07Words:225,086Chapters:48/?Comments:427Kudos:434Bookmarks:87Hits:16,931

Tanya's Defiance of the Fall

Failninjaninja

Chapter 13

Chapter Text

Special thanks to @Massgamer for proofreading help!

Chapter 13

We made it to the Town, then through their Teleporter Array, and finally into a room with several individuals waiting for us; several heavily armed soldiers and three people of note.

The first ended up being Deputy Secretary of Defense, Thomas Fischer. He stepped forward as we came out of the receiving Array and extended his hand. The man wore a dark suit with a silk silver tie. He had the air of a cultivator and I could tell he couldn't be too low a Level, but he also wasn't on the Ladder, unless he opted to go under a pseudonym. I took his hand and he squeezed my own, but not with an excessive amount of pressure.

"Ms. Degurechaff, on behalf of the New World Government, welcome to New Washington. I am Thomas Fischer, and currently the head of the temporary council that runs this place. This is General Hank Wyland, head of our Armed Forces, and this is Julia Lombard of the Cultivator Special Branch."

Hank was in his fifties and wore his uniform well. It was even ironed. Julia was plain-faced and looked like she would have fit right in as an office worker. I put her as at least five years older than Sophia.

"Thank you… is it Secretary Fischer, or Council Member Fischer?"

"Please, just Thomas, or even Tom if you prefer," he said with the easy style of a professional politician.

"As you wish, Thomas. Then please, call me Tanya. The rest of my group will be coming in shortly, and they are eager to learn anything they can about their friends and family. As the largest collection of allied Human settlements, at least to my knowledge, can you be of some assistance?"

He nodded. "Naturally. If you could come this way, I'll have Julia's assistants work with them. Ah, and if you could have Zhou Jei join us as well when he arrives?"

It was clear he wished to talk with the people who mattered most, the rankers. The way the System concentrated power, the reality was that if you had Titles and Levels over others, you could slaughter quite a few people, even if you were completely outnumbered. My Salamander Group was probably an exception. Equipped with my gear and used to working together, I think we could handle people a good deal stronger than we were. At least, I hoped that was the case.

Probably not against that freak at the top of the Ladder!

We entered a conference room that had working lights, air conditioning, and laptops. I was impressed.

"You have electricity?"

"Yes, we have set up a collection of solar panels, and have some diesel generators. The internet as we know it is gone, but we do have an intranet for internal communication within New Washington," Julia explained. "We've also been experimenting with using Cosmic Energy to power electronic devices, however that is still touch-and-go for now as this has led to damaging them. Testing is still ongoing, but we are confident we will make additional progress soon."

Zhou seemed pleased with their efficiency and progress. Adults yearn for their spreadsheets just as the children yearned for the mines, I mentally joked as Julia briefly explained how they were trying to get a working replicatable process started.

Thomas and Julia gave us the rundown of the situation at what I hoped was to the best of their knowledge. There was no government save for them. There were other alliances that seemed to be forming, but nothing concrete. They were attempting to map everything as they went and certain patterns were coming to light, but it was still impossible to determine where specific landmasses went to.

"We were lucky that we had two battalions of the Army that got randomized here and that there has been no Incursion to deal with," Julia explained.

"And the Incursions are the biggest threat," Thomas explained. "That is why we want you and your group to join the NWG. We've made contact with other powerful cultivators and groups of cultivators, but there is hesitancy among the strong to stop being a big fish in a little pond. But if they view it as inevitable…"

"No," I said this bluntly, but without any vitriol. Still, Hank looked angry, but Thomas took it in stride.

"May I ask why?"

"You are too new. I have no idea how effective you will be, what your policies are, or if you are truly the only game in town. That said, I am interested in trade, and I'm even more interested in potentially selling my services as both a mercenary and an Enchanter."

Thomas drummed his fingers on the table for a moment.

"One-year contract for a vast supply of Nexus Crystals, some unique treasures we've discovered, and a generous salary of Nexus Coins."

Zhou gave half laugh, half cough.

"The world is still in flux. I can't agree to something like that. I was more interested in extremely short-term work, such as working as part of a strike team to defeat an Incursion or helping handle a difficult Quest. Though, depending on how much you are actually offering, I might be persuaded to stay longer, but a year is far too much. The Salamander Group will retain its autonomy." I gestured with my hand. "Trade and specific Enchanting requests I am amenable to. From weapons that will strike harder and deeper than others, to one-use items that are perfect for lower leveled individuals to use as security devices, I have a lot to offer."

"I am sure you do, Tanya. Hmm," he paused to think. "Why don't we examine your wares, you name a price, and we can discuss it. In the meantime, we can provide room and board with many amenities you have no doubt missed. We can draft a few assignments and contracts for your group while you get settled in."

I eagerly opened up my stupidly large Cosmos Sack and pulled out my Cosmic Energy leaching weapons.

"These weapons are potent. There are Spirit Tools and Quest rewards that might exceed them, but there won't be many of them. These are more durable than regular weapons, they never lose their edge, and most importantly, they can cut the hide of mutated beasts far more readily. There is a slight drawback that I must share in the interests of full disclosure. There is a roughly 1% Cosmic Energy leakage that instead has a portion refunded to the person who crafted the Enchantment, myself. While the use of these weapons does benefit me, it also requires me to Disenchant magical beasts and use Cosmic Energy to forge them, so they do carry a price tag."

I pulled out some armor as well. "These have no such drawback, but they are ideal for lower level cultivators. Able to withstand almost any punishment a Level 20 or lower beast can dish out; they are the ultimate defense for safe leveling. I also can be commissioned for specific on-request defensive treasures. Need something to help resist heat? I can do that. Need boots that let you literally walk on water, again, the Salamander Group can provide."

Hank looked intrigued. Julia smiled, but Thomas didn't seem all that impressed.

"We'll look through your examples and then quote you a price. We will be fair, but resources are not unlimited."

"That's all I ask. That, and your assistance with finding my family."

***

"Thoughts?" Thomas Fischer asked Julia and Hank after Tanya and her people were seen to her luxurious rooms. They had hoped she would be eager to join from the start, but if that wasn't the case, they had plans to win her and her group over with what they had to offer.

"She isn't very patriotic, and Zhou probably views this as an American institution more than a global one. We found his information; he was a Chinese executive. Highly ranked in his industry, which means he had to be a party faithful," Hank said gruffly.

"That's in the past," Julia said dismissively. "The Undead Incursion is massive, and identified parts of 'New Asia' were hit hard. There is no more Chinese government, as best as we can tell."

"Good," the old general replied.

"She does care for her family," Thomas said. "That might be a good lever."

Julia paused. "She will be grateful if we assist, but if we try to do something… less than ethical, I don't think it will go well. We have all her interactions since coming through the Teleportation Array on camera, so we'll draw up a full psych profile for her, but as best as we can tell, she's utterly unafraid of being here. The way she described her Enchanter abilities is going to make her incredibly versatile, and from both an attribute and Cosmic Energy density perspective, she could probably box every cultivator we have with ease. Zhou is also a danger, as he is probably much better equipped than someone of his rank on the Ladder. We do not want to make them our enemies."

"Understood. Chicago was one of the places that was diced up worse than most areas, right?"

Julia grimaced. "Yes sir. The System really did a number on the city. We know of at least six slices, and two of those were already fully overrun. I've already sent word to send teams to look for her family members."

"She wants a short-term contract, right?" Hank asked rhetorically. "And we need some muscle if we are going to keep the Teleportation Array set to private. Why not hire her Salamander Group as our second layer of security? She can do her enchanting thing or cultivate outside of Station Two while being on standby if something seriously hostile comes through. We can also use her for that auction you want to hold."

Julia nodded. "If we pay her well, maybe even some E-grade Nexus Crystals, she'll likely be willing to stay for a bit. Get her used to having hot showers, electronic books, a secure roof overhead, and she might just stay on as a mercenary in perpetuity. Tanya and Zhou are also willing to get their hands dirty, even volunteering to try to be part of an organized force against the Incursions. Pay her well and she'll stay."

Thomas slowly thought through his other options. None of them had as much upside as this. For some people, you needed to play hardball; for others, you just needed to play it straight. Julia was given her position because she was a cultivator and knew how to navigate people. He'd trust her judgment, at least until they could get a proper profile on the young Enchanter.

She's also just a kid. Nineteen? Very strange how cavalier she is about going on the deadliest of tasks while also choosing a more supportive role for a Class.

His viable options were limited, so he finally agreed.

"Do it then. Everything above board. No high-pressure tactics or threats to her family, or the family of the other members of the Salamander Group. She'll be watched, but that's it. Offer her generous terms, get her to stay here even if we have to break the bank."

"Yes sir," Julia said with a smile. "We'll offer the contract for Teleportation Array security first. If General Wyland approves of the weapons, we'll also look to buy a large stockpile."

Thomas stood up. He wished he had more time for meetings and governing, but as the face of the NWG, he needed to become a powerful ranker as well. Teams were corralling and wounding suitable foes for him to personally dispatch. The Cosmic Energy gains were less when others helped, but as long as he did the most damage, he would get the largest chunk. Leveling up this way was quick, but even when doing so, it still took hours of daily work. He had best get started if he wanted to project strength by the time the auction arrived.

***

"How the heck are you ahead of me? You are going to hit Level 25 despite not doing any fighting!" Zoey complained to Sofia as they both relaxed in their medicinal baths.

The curly-haired woman next to her laughed. "I did do some 'hunting' with Zhou, of sorts."

Zoey groaned. "Why do I think I'm going to hate you even more after that explanation?"

Sofia knew Zoey didn't 'hate' her by any stretch. Zoey was closest to Sofia out of everyone in the Salamander Group. They were both of similar age and had gone through hell together. Kim was older than they were and just saw life differently. The Ishiate were friendly enough, Zoey seemed to really enjoy speaking with them, but she was more like a curious student asking about their world than a true friendship.

Perhaps in time. I think she was just fascinated by their way of life before the merger.

"Zhou figured the easiest way for me to level up without completely relying on Nexus Crystals is to kill enemies slightly above my Level with Tanya's fire knives. With his stats, he can easily corral a few in the NWG hunting grounds and line them up for easy kills. Since he doesn't cause them any significant damage, I get the bulk of the Cosmic Energy."

"You have Zhou simping for you? Zhou?"

Sofia giggled. "I wish, though I am sure to reward him for his efforts."

"He did give me some of his 'Tanya Enchanting' time so I could get enough of her fire knives…"

Zoey grumbled and ranted a bit, so Sofia ducked her head under the herb-filled waters. Tanya was paying her crew with Enchanting time. Some hours each week, they could each make requests. Their leader felt that she shouldn't micromanage what sort of Enchanted gear they got. Did they want a better weapon? Better armor? A defensive treasure? Boots for travel on difficult surfaces? There were several choices, but the harder the Enchantment the more it took to make.

Zhou had donated his own share for the last week so Sofia could make progress toward her Class. And now, probably later that night when she absorbed the energy of another Nexus Crystal, she would finally get to pick her Class. She would be one of the last, with only Zoey and Jared not having reached Level 25 yet.

"What Class are you even hoping for?" Zoey asked.

"Enchanting seems fun, but that's almost certainly not going to be an option. Scribe, Alchemist, or Inscriber don't seem too bad. I'd like to be useful, but I'm not going to be too picky. Now that I know the NWG exists, there's always a fallback option of just staying in New Washington."

Zoey bit her lip. "You'd really leave us?"

"If I had to. I don't have any desire to get into fights, you know that. But… I don't intend to leave if I'm not made to do that. Tanya says we'll be going on assignment at some point. If that involves launching attacks from a Town with an active Teleporter Array, well, that should be safe enough and I can hang back there while you all do your thing. But if it is more than that, or I'm very close to the frontlines, I'll bow out if Tanya allows me. I'm always going to be grateful to her for saving us, but I'm not going to die for her."

Mollified, they continued their soak. When Sofia returned to her Nexus Crystal absorption she felt the Cosmic Energy swirl around her as she advanced to the next Level. She was now Level 25, and there was an Uncommon Class available that seemed to suit her just perfectly.

[Courtesan – F Grade, Uncommon. Support Class. Provide pleasure to others and they will be empowered. Upgradeable.]

Sofia enjoyed her time with Zhou and had even had a few tumbles in the sheets with Will, though he wasn't as wealthy as Zhou so he couldn't afford her often. Her prices had gone up as it required more and more Nexus Crystals to be used to improve her Level. The old, silly saying from before the merger was that 'if you found something you loved doing, you wouldn't have to work a day in your life' rang in her head.

Plus, if her suspicion was correct, she didn't need to actually work all day to gain the necessary Experience to level up like a crafter did. She could be wrong, but she didn't think so. Sofia also considered that there may even be Class elements here that would make such things even more enjoyable, making it even more mutually satisfying.

It would also allow her to give back in a unique way. Tanya improved people's combat prowess via her ability to improve their belongings. Sofia, meanwhile, could give some sort of likely temporary buff that would work alongside the Enchantments. Between the two of them, they could probably make someone several Levels lower fight like they were much stronger.

Here we go…

She confirmed her selection, and received a Title for her troubles along with her Class.

***

I had briefly gained the third spot on the Human Ladder, eclipsing Thea Marshall, but she had taken her spot back while I focused on Enchanting. Even with the Genesis Crafter and the 10% bonus to Cosmic Energy gain for doing my Class function, it was slow going compared to killing monsters. Though that too depended on what I was fighting, which made me wonder just how Super Brother Man was doing it.

The System didn't reward much Cosmic Energy for slaughtering things weaker than you. It rewarded you far more for fighting things of a higher level like truly absurdly dangerous beasts like the Wyvern Queen, who was at least twenty-plus levels higher than she was when she fought it. Where was he finding such powerful and plentiful prey?

Maybe farming a powerful Incursion?

I had no idea, but I knew I could be leveling faster than I was currently doing Enchanting, but I stuck with it for a few reasons. For one, they were paying me, and generously too. Not just in Nexus Coins, but also in some E-grade Nexus Crystals that could level up people lower than me and Zhou a whole level in just an hour of absorbing the Cosmic Energy. They had also provided large swathes of valuable information that they had gleaned from Information Crystals from several Towns.

The information improved my nightly medicinal baths and I could feel my body becoming… purer? I wasn't sure what the word was, but my internal pathways were becoming more efficient. The information also gave me an even wider understanding of the different Class options people had found. There were a whole host of classes like Farmer, Blacksmith, Merchant, Administrator, Scribe, Teacher, Builder, Jeweler, and Inscriber that rounded out many non-combat roles. Among more combat-oriented Classes there were even more.

Poison Mistress, Hypnotist, Geomancer, Duelist, Fated Arrow, Undead Hunter, and Pyromancer were all fascinating Classes. I realized that I also had holes in my own protection that I needed to fill. Fortunately, the NWG was helpful in providing me with the parts of higher level beasts killed in hunting parties, so I was able to make some additional unique defenses.

From the eyes of a mutated high-level owl, I had made contacts that allowed me to see things using night vision, pierced through some illusions, and identify when someone was obscuring their true form. However, I knew that, like so many things within the System, it depended on Cosmic Energy and Level. My Contacts of Seeing, as I called them, would not confer immunity to most illusions or positively identify people hiding their features through Skills like [Thousand Faces] or some similar abilities unless the contacts were more powerful than their target.

Power wasn't only based on Level. It made a difference what material I used in the crafting process. Things that I hypothesized also mattered were the target's attributes, their own tier of the Skills, which could range from Low to Peak depending on their usage, and other treasures they might have that further boosted their abilities.

Which made it a new arms race, but one that it would be foolish to solely focus on. Instead, I'd take some basic protection and move on. The next area I saw as a concern was surprise attacks. I had incredible senses, but that didn't mean someone with high stealth Skills or incredibly long-ranged Skill attacks couldn't get the drop on me. Using [Temporary Enchantment] to summon a protective barrier would do me no good if I got attacked before I knew to summon it.

I ended up creating a one-use permanent amulet. That is to say, until it triggered, it would last forever, but once it was triggered, it was over and done with. The defensive treasure was also something the NWG couldn't get enough of as every one of their leaders wanted one. I had to be careful with it, as I didn't want it to trigger when it wasn't needed, so the activation conditions were highly specific to work underneath the normal protective barriers I could summon. It basically would trigger only at a millimeter from my flesh and use a surge of Cosmic Energy to shape a defensive shell.

This allowed my armor, which was thicker than a millimeter, to still function without the trigger going off. Putting the proper parameters in place for my own Protection Amulet was more fine-tuned than the ones I sold to the NWG. Impact damage I felt I could weather wouldn't be triggered, but energy, poison, and anything that pierced or cut skin would go ahead and instantly trigger it. This was a trade-off, as a bludgeoning hit to my stomach I could endure wasn't the same as one to my trachea, but the more conditionals placed on my Enchantment the less power it had to stop the attacks.

Because the truth was that, sadly, this wasn't invincibility. A strong enough attack could shatter the defensive measure if it was powerful enough and carry onward, though hopefully with less intensity. As an added frustration, the setup was too complex for [Temporary Enchantment] to make, so after it triggered I couldn't just reapply it in battle on a temporary basis.

With the existence of poison and potentially airborne toxins that had been in some of the NWG reports against the Undead, I had chosen to spend some of the Nexus Coin income I was receiving on a new skill. [Lasting Breath] was a skill that allowed me to transmute Cosmic Energy into oxygen. While in effect, I stopped breathing and suffered none of the impairments of not doing so. The Skill actually did complex things to mimic what the body did naturally, but it was fairly simple for me to use. The fractal was centered on my throat and I realized that there probably was limited room for fractals to be engraved on the body. Fortunately, the Information Crystals made clear you could always replace a Skill.

You would lose it, as well as the coin you spent purchasing it, but it wasn't taking up a slot forever.

My short-term contracts with the NWG were very lucrative. Both in what I was selling to them, and in my guard duty role. I'd only had to intervene with threats twice, and both times it was some rampaging Zhix that had come through the Teleportation Array. They were one of the active threats that the NWG was focused on.

The NWG was most concerned about them and the Undead. The Undead were particularly dangerous because as they killed, more zombies would be raised. Countless millions were already zombies as they feasted on the vast populations of New Asia. They were spreading out omnidirectionally and defeating such a force was considered impossible for the time being.

We just need to kill their leader. That won't remove the zombies, but it would stop reinforcements from whatever homeworld they hail from. But they are right in the fact that there are easier targets to deal with for now.

It came as something of a shock to learn that there were Human Incursions as well. One would actually prove to be a tempting first or second target when the NWG was ready to move. They were slavers and had aggressively expanded, but their power and scope were minuscule compared to the Undead.

Thomas had said that after the auction they were doing they would begin seriously planning to hit several targets, and I was ready for it. It wasn't that I wanted to fight, as I wasn't insane like the battle maniacs that followed me, but I did want to gain some Levels faster than I was currently. I had no desire to slip in the rankings and put into jeopardy the chance to get additional unique Titles for being the first to accomplish certain things.

In between seemingly endless amounts of Enchanting commissions I had practiced a bit with my new Class Skill. [Suppression] allowed me to either focus on a single item or provide a much weaker effect on an entire area. I could strip, temporarily, the magical nature of an item, or in the case of an area, weaken what items normally did. Through several tests I found I could easily shut down my one-use and simply made fire knives. My Peak F-grade leather armor, with the added benefit of fire resistance, was only downgraded to somewhere around Middle tier, so the effect wasn't something I felt could change the course of most battles.

I could only keep one [Suppression] effect ongoing, but the mana drain wasn't too bad and I didn't have to devote any concentration on it. When I wanted the effect to end, I could just will it to happen. I hadn't yet had a chance to try it on mutated beasts to see if it would work on magical creatures as well as items, but I would do so when I worked a bit further through my backlog.

My time was precious, but I found something else that helped. I didn't need to sleep nearly as much anymore. I wasn't sure if this was due to my Level or my Vitality, or perhaps my body improving and getting closer to E-grade thanks to the baths, but I could get by on only a few hours of sleep and feel no fatigue or exhaustion, giving me much more time to work every day.

At least nothing about my daily tasks is too dangerous. Just atrociously tedious.

Actions

↑ Top ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Bookmark Comments (9)

Kudos

Runner314, Constantine9119, HiddenPuppeteer, Nicomiel, RANE_Erasmus, CypherThreeAU, Humunkulus987654321, Neko_Tamo, HanadaMB, Taffylicious, JustLetMeSleep_24681, IDreamofDragons, kamikazipvh, Vonbek, amicable_animal, Gendaris, RememberToHaveFun, Lurk_9, Seyiel, GreatGodofFire12, Sturmelefant, Archiveous, HXFL502, InvaderNio, Wolfkidds, USS_Iowa_BB61, Mitch_H, WasabiRafael, WinterMonths1, Apperatus, FCVanillaICE, Elfiria, Psionic_Simian, AnantasDejavu, ZhaneSilverman, pixelpandemonium, mchen96, Vmmph, utopia012, Momotomacolyte, eggyeggygoo, meechum12, cranberrySummer, MythicalMelon, Erik_Bloodaxe, mc2rpg, Imacrazyllama, NotAProblem, Sun_Zelretch, GroMM, and 133 more users as well as 251 guests left kudos on this work!

Comments

Post Comment

Comment as TheBrimmedHat

Plain text with limited HTML ?

Comment

10000 characters left

Footer

Customize

Default

Low Vision Default

Reversi

Snow Blue

About the Archive

Site Map

Diversity Statement

Content Policy

DMCA & TIDA Policies

Site Status

Policy Questions & Abuse Reports

Technical Support & Feedback

Donate or Volunteer

Development

otwarchive v1.8.0.3

Known Issues

GPL-2.0-or-later by the OTWMain Content

Archive of Our OwnArchive of Our OwnHi, TheBrimmedHat!PostLog Out

FandomsBrowseSearchAboutWork Search

tip: arthur merlin words>1000 sort:hits

Actions

Entire Work ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Chapter Index Bookmark Mark for Later Comments Share Download

Work Header

Rating:

Not Rated

Archive Warning:

Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Fandoms:

Characters:

Tanya von DegurechaffThea MarshallZac

Additional Tags:

Crossovers & Fandom FusionsStrong Female CharactersPost-ApocalypseLitRPG

Language:

English

Stats:

Published:2026-07-30Updated:2026-10-07Words:225,086Chapters:48/?Comments:427Kudos:434Bookmarks:87Hits:16,931

Tanya's Defiance of the Fall

Failninjaninja

Chapter 14

Chapter Text

Special thank you to @Massgamer for their editing assistance!

Chapter 14

Zac Atwood had gone through the Teleportation Array and then been held at gunpoint until Julia Lombard, the 'cultivator liaison of the New World Government', arrived. He wasn't seriously worried about the army men and their guns, but it had been rude.

Since they had shown discourtesy to him, he decided to make things a bit even. He scanned the group with [Eye of Discernment] and found the army guys were only Level 15 on average. The two warriors not equipped with guns that had arrived with Julia were Level 29 and 30, while Julia in her pantsuit was Level 28. The stronger group sensed the scan and began to go for their weapons before Julia hastily signaled them not to.

Julia tried to calm things down and explained how dangerous individuals used the Teleportation Array, including a few misfortune events with the Zhix.

"Zhix?" Zac asked.

"It's what the government and the System calls the insectoid beings, while the Ishiate are the beastmen. May I ask who you are and what force you belong to?" she continued.

"Port Atwood," Zac simply said, not deigning to hide the name of his Town. They had no method to get there, and he didn't have any plans to hide its existence from the government in any case. He actually was interested in some cooperation with them as long as they didn't get too greedy for control. He already had scheming Demons to worry about, and didn't want to add any more headaches to the mix until his position was completely solidified.

He also advised them that his name was Monk, as he didn't want anyone to know his true identity, since he feared that might put his family in danger. After giving them that information Julia asked who ran it and he lied that it was ruled by a council and that since they were isolated by the ocean and couldn't find any Humans by foot, they had built a Teleportation Array.

"My job is to scout out the situation and gather intelligence."

"I see. I am sure there are many things you are curious about. Sharing information and creating a support system to restore order is the goal of the government, after all," Julia said as she motioned Zac to follow her.

Zac felt that a government wasn't likely that benign to just do all this work from the goodness of their hearts. People of the Multiverse first and foremost cared about their own empowerment, and in some cases, their clans or factions. Ogras often said that a freely outstretched hand usually hid some barbs, but Zac still followed the liaison, curious about what she wanted to talk about.

They left the building housing the Array and Zac realized he was in the middle of a large compound. There were even manned turrets at the edges of the perimeter that he saw. Those weapons might actually have the possibility of even harming him where the lesser guns the army men carried wouldn't be able to.

As they entered a large office building of stone and glass, he found himself in a large, high-ceiling lobby. However, after taking only a few steps, Zac felt a prickling sensation from his newly acquired Skill. Someone was using a Mental Skill on him. Without hesitation, he took a small rock from his pocket and chucked it like a bullet toward where he sensed the intrusion came from.

The stone hurtled at almost supersonic speed toward a young woman who inconspicuously stood next to a pillar. She tried to hide behind the pillar, but her speed was nowhere fast enough to dodge a strike from Zac. The stone did not punch through her like he would have expected, instead it slammed into her belly with a thud and she doubled over, losing some recently consumed food.

Now in a potentially dangerous combat situation, he quickly drank in the details of the rest of the lobby and those in it. There were over a dozen people, some in army camo, while others were in modern-day office clothes. There were three exceptions, however. A woman in a bear cloak with her hood up and two members of the Ishiate race were in one corner with a table setup. There were beakers, a pot, etching tools, and various pieces of equipment on the table.

As soon as the woman doubled over, the woman in the bear cloak sped forward, almost as quickly as Zac could move. His eyes widened as a blood-red blade leaped from her sheath.

"That girl just used a Mental Attack on me, so I reacted on instinct," Zac quickly said, his hand on [Verun's Bite].

One Ishiate had drawn two knives and the other had an arrow notched on his bow. The blond-haired woman before him was wielding a weapon that gave off the same sense as his own.

"You could have killed her!" the swordswoman said furiously, blue eyes locking onto his own without flinching.

"Wait!" Julia shouted as others, slower on the draw, started to take out their weapons.

Despite Julia's protests, one of the men who had just now drawn his weapon charged forward, only to be intercepted by the woman with the bear cloak who used her free hand to grab his wrist and twist it so his sword fell to the ground.

"Julia is in charge of the outreach program to other cultivators through the Cultivator Special Branch. And she told you to wait."

The soldier looked shocked, then he fearfully nodded and was released.

Several people were muttering angrily as they helped the wounded, but still living, girl to her feet. The armor she was wearing must be High-grade for it to have not been pulped by a rock hurled at someone with nearly 300 Strength.

"Everyone calm down! If there needs to be any fighting, my branch and the Salamander Group will handle it. Back to your posts."

The army men and office workers alike obeyed. The blond sheathed her sword.

"Your instincts are liable to kill someone. If that rock had struck her face, she would have died. Allowances can be made for the System fucking with everyone, but the next time you pull a stunt like that, you're dead."

Julia sighed. "Please, no threats."

Zac squared up and noticed that the woman who had confronted him was young, despite her height. Probably only a few years older than the sixteen year-old cutoff to even be a cultivator, at most. He didn't want to bully people weaker than him, but he was tired after the months of slaughter.

"She learned a valuable lesson. You don't go scanning people like that. Doing so is liable to get you killed out in the Multiverse."

The woman nodded. "Julia is the liaison, so no more threats." She turned to Julia. "Do you want me to accompany you for the discussions?"

Julia shook her head. "No, he clearly didn't come here for a fight. Stand down and I'll take it from here."

Without a further word she returned to the table with the two Ishiates. Zac watched her go. There was something about her that made him wary in a way that the entire room hadn't made him feel. It stayed on his mind, even as Julia began telling him about the New World Government. It only slipped out of pressing importance when he learned that they had mapped out where his home was. A lead on his family far outweighed the importance of a confident cultivator with a Spirit Tool for a weapon.

***

The NWG couldn't decide if 'Monk' was Super Brother Man or not, but there was a very good chance he was. A fight between the two of us would have been disastrous for everyone else around us. Julia's bodyguards were below Level 30, as were Doral and Shella. They each had one of my amulets, so hopefully they wouldn't have been killed in one blow, but who knows what kind of strength someone like that could muster.

I was far more confident in my own abilities in a fight, but the sharp Level difference would have left me at a disadvantage. How much of one, I couldn't say, because I had a lot of quick tricks that could distract someone before summoning a potent Dao empowered Fireball. I had deliberately not begun using that Skill when he attacked Debra for using an Investigative Skill so he would think I was more of a close-combat fighter instead of a magic user.

He had left and I was somewhat eager to get on with the task of closing Incursions. I hated the fact that I might be in danger of slipping onto fifth place on the Ladder.

Probably why the System even set up the Ladder in the first place. It's there to push people to keep advancing.

Speaking of advancing, I was extremely proud that everyone in the Salamander Group was now at least Level 25 and had their own Classes. Though some of those Classes were… interesting. I was still… uncertain if I wanted to take advantage of the buff that Sofia could provide with the Courtesan Class. The stunning woman had only grown more attractive since unlocking the Class, but years of ingrained corporate culture told me that sleeping with my underlings was wrong.

It was certainly tempting, especially given the potential advantages. She hadn't finished her Class Quests to unlock all her starting Skills yet, but she already had the core functionality. A night with her would yield a bonus to Cosmic Energy gains the following day. At this stage, it was not a lot, but any advantage was ideal. As she… improved and unlocked more parts of her Class, I wondered if the gain in partaking would be too enticing to resist.

For the cultivators, the Salamander Group now had the following:

Zhou – Blood Lance

Kim – Warrior

Will – Stonecrusher

Toby – Warrior

Shella – Alchemist

Dorel – Inscriber

There were fewer mortals in the Salamander Group, but they consisted of:

Zoey – Swordsman

Sofia – Courtesan

Jared – Warrior

I found Toby and Jared following Kim's path to be more of a weakness than a strength, but they hadn't really had access to any great Class options. Still, they were all coming along very well, and with their Enchanted gear, I felt confident they could handle people and beasts levels above them.

I was still ambivalent on the idea of recruiting more people for the Salamander Group. My [Leader of Men] Quest was still ongoing, but Zhou thought having a larger force would allow for it to make quicker progression. My concern was about security, as well as reputation. I currently knew I could trust the people I had and I was keenly aware of each one's capabilities. If I let the Salamander Group grow larger, how long until I wouldn't be able to say the same?

Quantity would always have a quality of its own, but in the Multiverse, there were now limits to that adage. It also wouldn't be practical to spend even more time Enchanting gear for more recruits compared to selling it to the NWG. There was still time to figure out the shape of things, so I set that line of thinking aside and thought more about the progress other individuals in the Salamander Group were making.

I was no longer the only one with a Dao Seed. Zhou had his Dao Seed of Sharpness for a while now, but Kim had also obtained the Dao Seed of Sanctuary. Shella had a strange one. The Dao Seed of Timing. Not Time, but Timing. Given her Class was about creating brews and pills, and some of the processes required specific timing, I supposed it made sense, but I was deeply curious as to what other applications such a Dao Seed could be put to.

I was of course hungry to unlock more understanding of the Dao. By applying my Dao Seeds to my Enchanting, I could produce some unique effects. I imagine the Dao Seed of Timing could produce far more sophisticated timing conditionals.

Not like I don't have enough things to focus on!

It was interesting to see what an Alchemist could do. Shella was still early on in her journey with the Class, having only unlocked one Class Skill, but already she could begin making useful pills with her concoctions. It was mostly minor things for now, but it held genuine promise. For now she was stuck with pills that could cleanse poison, provide sustenance, and keep people alert even without rest. However, Shella had already said that she knew how to make other pills, they just required specific ingredients they currently didn't have.

Probably the most exciting part of it all was that we had successfully tested Enchanting ingredients prior to Shella using them, and it had a noticeable effect. The [Antidote Pills] worked a few seconds faster when the constituent parts of its creation had my Enchantment and the Dao Seed of Volition channeled through them. While this was an absurd waste of my time to do it on [Antidote Pills], it did open up the possibility of so many other uses to me.

When she eventually was able to make things like [Constitution Pills] and [Healing Pills], we could make real magic happen.

Meanwhile, Dorel was still getting the hang of how his Inscriber Class functioned. In a way, it was similar to Enchanting, but more rigid. However, it also allowed for the creation of Arrays and Formations that the NWG had started reporting the Incursions were using. It was possible that I could one day Enchant Arrays, but I currently didn't have the knowledge, or perhaps an as-yet-undiscovered Class Skill, to do so.

As long as one of us has it. From the Information Crystals the NWG has provided, every sizable Town or City will eventually have a whole host of Arrays. I would really like to see how much I can push their designs. Most likely the low-hanging fruit has already been invented, but people could seriously lack creativity at times.

Julia knocked on the door of my workshop and I called out for her to enter.

"A new list of commissions."

I scanned it and frowned. They really seemed to love the defensive treasures and fire knives. How dull. I should probably raise my prices for these simple items, just to keep myself from dying of boredom.

I saw a note at the bottom of the list as well.

"I'm glad the wyvern eggs were approved to be added to the auction list, but what's this about you taking a 20% cut? That seems excessive."

Julia had the grace to blush. "Well, we are doing a lot of the work in paying for Teleportation Arrays, as well as using the military to help secure Outpost-to-Town Quests. Where else would you sell them?"

She made a good point, and they were already spending a vast fortune on my services.

"Fifteen percent. I'm sure someone out there has a Beast Tamer Class, they were mentioned in the Information Crystals."

"I'll have to get back with you on that…" I gave her a look, "but I'm sure it will be fine."

I bet it will. I have an effective monopoly on Enchanting for the moment. They will do a lot to keep me happy.

***

Edwin had reached Level 25 and unlocked his Class. Fighting the Ratmen wasn't particularly challenging, especially when Nigel had provided him with the Nexus Coins to purchase the Skill [Ice Shards]. He always went out to fight with bodyguards who were there to ensure he could finish off Ratmen in small groups and were ready to pull him back if an overwhelming tide appeared.

That happened sometimes as the individual Ratmen were typically not too dangerous. It was their numbers that were disconcerting. They couldn't stand up to Billy, but the big man would get tired after bashing rats down non-stop for almost a full day. Casualties never seemed to bother the Ratmen at all.

He wondered if Nigel had been disappointed that he hadn't unlocked the same Class that his daughter had. His options seemed limited and based on his past experiences. He could have chosen Acolyte, but fighting wasn't something he wanted to do. Being able to protect himself was a boon, but he wanted to help people. The mortals who didn't have their own squad of cultivators protecting them were not able to Level-up easily without great risk. While most people above Level 10 simply no longer grew sick or had issues with general health, everyone below that and all children below the age of sixteen still needed medical care, and outside of Edwin, there simply was no one in Billyville that could provide it.

He had unlocked the Scribe Class, but based on the limited description shown it didn't seem like it would help much. It was with great reluctance that he ended up choosing an Uncommon Class called 'Charnel Savior'.

The description had been simple. 'Rescue those who can be saved from the bloodiest battlefields.' His hope was that it provided some Class Skills that could be of use as a doctor or healer.

The frustration he now had was that those Class Skills were behind Class Quests that were not all that easy to accomplish. He had hoped that after hitting Level 25 he could scale back from combat, instead focusing on seeing regular patients and coming up with ways to help children.

The children are the future of humanity, but if a baby is born today, how are they ever supposed to survive in this world for sixteen years without being able to cultivate? I don't have vaccines to give them. I don't even have reliable antibiotics in case of infection.

Childhood mortality had been very high for most of human history until modern medicine and infrastructure prevented so many unnecessary deaths. In this new world there were magical cures for things, but the cost was prohibitive, and even worse, sometimes they caused problems of their own. Edwin had learned that taking too many of the Multiverse's pills introduced toxicity into the internal pathways. Cultivators and higher level mortals could tolerate it, but one child had gone into a seizure when a too-strong healing pill had been used to try to bring down an elevated fever. There were no simple solutions with the resources at hand.

There was some hope on the horizon, though. A New World Government had formed and Nigel had gone to investigate it after Billy had paid to create a Teleportation Array. The reality of the war against the Ratmen was that while they felt reasonably secure Billyville would not be overrun, making progress to closing the Incursion seemed impossible. The Ratmen had defenses that included nasty traps, poisonous clouds, Arrays that could withstand immense punishment, and a seemingly never-ending amount of bodies to throw at them whenever Billy grew too close to their Incursion Beacon.

While most residents hoped for aid in fighting, Edwin was hoping they still had some infrastructure in place so life-saving drugs and medicines could be created for the children. To Edwin's surprise, a smiling Nigel approached him shortly after returning.

"Edwin, my good man, I have wonderful news! Do you have any patients you need to see immediately? If not? Come, come, you must go with me to New Washington. Your daughter, Tanya, is there!"

For a moment, Edwin simply stared at him in shock. He snapped out of his stupor as his heart soared with relief and joy. He didn't have any critical cases currently, so he quickly made himself ready to go through the Teleportation Array. There was a cost in Nexus Coins to use it, but it wasn't substantial. The strange non-physical currency was another oddity of this new world, but he had a large amount after killing so many Ratmen.

Tanya was waiting for him, along with several men in military uniforms who had guns. In the instant before rushing over to her, he took in her appearance. Her face looked surprisingly more youthful than he remembered. Her body was encased in armor and a great cloak of bear fur. She had a sword sheathed at her waist and a presence that made it clear she was formidable.

But to him, she was still just his baby girl. Tanya's stoic expression melted the moment they came together in a hug. Tears were in his eyes as he whispered into her.

"Oh god, Tanya, I'm so happy you're safe. I've checked the Ladder every day multiple times just to make sure you were still alive."

Her voice warbled a bit. "Dad," she half laughed and half choked, "I missed you. And I didn't have you on the Ladder to check on. I've cursed the System every day because I thought you all might be…"

Edwin felt the familiar strain of sorrow over his wife hit home.

"Are you okay? I know you are thriving. You always did overcome every challenge you come across, but how are you handling everything? The… fighting. The killing, the inhumanity of everything."

He was babbling, not very father-like, but he wanted to quickly assess her mental state before giving her the news she deserved to know.

Tanya wiped away some wetness from her eyes. "I'm doing well. The way some people behave is disgusting, but we deal with the world as it is, not the way we want it to be. I'm good at what I do, as you can see on the Ladder. I've got people to watch my back and I'm doing something meaningful to help humanity as a whole with my Enchanting."

That's good. That's really good.

He wanted to hear everything about her experiences, but he owed it to her to tell her about Melissa. Edwin asked if they could speak more privately, without soldiers meandering around, and Tanya quickly took him to another room. He was shocked that they had electricity and, apparently, working computers and cameras.

"Tanya, I… we, don't, well, I don't have any news about Julia. She wasn't with us when the Fall took place. I'm hoping she ended up in the Tutorial, but I just don't know."

Tanya nodded. "Based on the timing of when it happened and how Chicago got split apart so badly, I assumed you weren't with her. But we'll find her… if she's alive."

"About your Mother…" Edwin's voice choked and Tanya's eyes blazed. His little girl had always picked up things quickly. Even before the words came out, she knew where he was going.

Edwin had not been sure how his daughter would react. Grief was processed in many different ways. Some people immediately went into denial. Some people took it stoically and focused on getting information, wanting to know every detail of what happened. Others completely fell apart and wept.

For Tanya, it had taken on the form of fury.

Actions

↑ Top ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Bookmark Comments (10)

Kudos

Comments

Post Comment

Comment as TheBrimmedHat

Plain text with limited HTML ?

Comment

10000 characters left

Footer

Customize

Default

Low Vision Default

Reversi

Snow Blue

About the Archive

Site Map

Diversity Statement

Content Policy

DMCA & TIDA Policies

Site Status

Policy Questions & Abuse Reports

Technical Support & Feedback

Donate or Volunteer

Development

otwarchive v1.8.0.3

Known Issues

GPL-2.0-or-later by the OTWMain Content

Archive of Our OwnArchive of Our OwnHi, TheBrimmedHat!PostLog Out

FandomsBrowseSearchAboutWork Search

tip: austen words:10000-50000 sort:title

Actions

Entire Work ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Chapter Index Bookmark Mark for Later Comments Share Download

Work Header

Rating:

Not Rated

Archive Warning:

Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Fandoms:

Characters:

Tanya von DegurechaffThea MarshallZac

Additional Tags:

Crossovers & Fandom FusionsStrong Female CharactersPost-ApocalypseLitRPG

Language:

English

Stats:

Published:2026-07-30Updated:2026-10-07Words:225,086Chapters:48/?Comments:427Kudos:434Bookmarks:87Hits:16,931

Tanya's Defiance of the Fall

Failninjaninja

Chapter 15

Chapter Text

Special thanks to @Massgamer for their proofreading help!

Chapter 15

Zhou had felt he had grown to know Tanya well. However, much of that certainty had flown after she had given terse commands to rouse the Salamander Group and prepare to fight against a Ratmen Incursion in ten minutes. He had started to ask questions, but she had snapped at him to get to it while she explained to the NWG she was off to fight.

"What's going on?" Kim asked.

"I'm not sure," he answered honestly when Julia approached.

"She reunited with her father. Unfortunately, he had some bad news to share about her mother. Billyville has been protecting Edwin Degurechaff ever since, and it appears as if she wants to repay the favor," Julia said with uncertainty.

Billyville was not a bad place, but it was clearly no NWG headquarters. The moment they arrived, Tanya headed directly for the Incursion Beacon.

"Tanya, what is the plan?"

"Destroy them," she said flatly.

This wasn't like Tanya at all. That she was grieving and emotionally unstable was obvious, but Zhou was hesitant to even make an issue of it. For if she was truly unstable, it would be very easy to be accidentally killed if she lost control.

All of the Salamander Group had come, but the two Ishiates had joined Sofia in remaining behind and securing lodgings for their mercenary group. As they cleared the settlement, Tanya broke into an all-out sprint, even faster than when they normally travelled, and far faster than the others could keep up with.

"Don't arrive at the battlefield exhausted. Stay at this speed," he ordered them as Tanya rushed ahead.

Explosions could be heard well before they finally made it to the battlefield.

And all of it was on fire. Bright flames forced Zhou to shield his eyes as he searched for any ground that wasn't on fire to fight on.

He worked alongside Will in slaying the Ratmen who skittered and leapt at them, though it was hard to tell if they were actively trying to fight or if they were only doing so because they were in their way as they tried to escape the flames. Most were half as tall as a human, but they had great jumping ability. His own reflexes were too refined for the first wave, his spear skewering several in one strike and then he slammed the rat kebab against others attempting to overwhelm Will.

Will, meanwhile, swung his sledgehammer around in a low arc, killing multiple Ratmen at the same time. Zhou saw Zoey on their flank spin away from one leaping attack while slashing, spilling out the Ratman's intestines as she dodged. Kim slew with sword and massive shield alike. The Enchanted hunk of metal was an effective weapon on its own as she used it to easily shatter bones.

As for Tanya, she was still far ahead as tens of thousands of Ratmen swarmed her. He lost sight of her, but they passed multiple mounds of dead Ratmen as they pushed forward, some burned, some chopped in half, and others shriveled up as if all moisture had been drained from them.

Not long after, a huge figure and several fighters from Billyville had come up behind them.

"Billy confused! Why start without Billy?"

A bespeckled man came behind him and sought out Zhou during a lull in the fighting. Tanya's father was behind him, looking worried.

"My name is Nigel, a pleasure. May I ask why you charged out here without support? The NWG was very complimentary of the Salamander Group's professionalism."

Tanya's father sighed. "I told you… she's not thinking clearly." Edwin begged, "Please, just support her, I can't lose my daughter after finding her so soon!"

"Mama always said you have to help others. Billy help!"

Despite his clear lack in mental faculties, Zhou was impressed by the size and ferocity of Billy. He wondered if the Class he had chosen increased his physical stature as Billy stood well over two meters tall, and everything that got close to him quickly died.

"Be sure to stay clear of that club," he told Kim told them. "His backswing might accidently kill someone."

Zhou lowered his voice slightly and apologized to Nigel.

"This behavior is abnormal, but she is carving a path through them."

Nigel glanced at the Incursion Beacon in the distance. "You don't understand. As many Ratmen as you think there are, there are always more. And as she draws closer to the Beacon, they'll spring their traps. The air will be filled with poisonous mist, much larger breeds of these Ratmen will attack, and their Arrays will be used to slow her, block her path, and unleash countless attacks. You must get her to retreat so we can plan out a proper strategy!"

As if we could even reach her. She's cutting a path through them, but more come from the flanks to cut us off.

"I don't have any means of communicating with her other than speaking to her directly. We'll simply have to do what we can," Zhou promised.

He leapt back into the fight using [Lancing Charge], the second Class Skill he had unlocked. It allowed his body to move much faster in a straight line when he activated it. His Enchanted spear made quick work of several Ratmen as he pushed forward with the help of the rest of the Salamander Group.

***

Kim was wearied to the bone. They had been fighting for hours. At first, they had managed to make progress, but the wall of bodies and more Ratmen appearing from tunnels had forced them to halt. It wasn't even that they were difficult to kill; it was that they never let up! She slashed, stabbed, and bashed, but there never seemed to be an end to them.

She cut another leaping Ratman down and flicked a nervous glance at the Ladder. Tanya was still there.

Alive… somehow.

Kim worried that she might be unconscious or wounded, but a quick check at the Contribution Ladder still had her racking up points like it was nothing. She wasn't going to do the math in the middle of a damn battle, but she was fairly sure her Contribution standing showed that she had more Ratmen kills than all the rest of the Salamander Group combined.

"Look out!" she called out as she saw a massive, at least for a Ratman, enemy emerge from one of the burrowed tunnels. It was wielding a scythe that radiated power and it slashed directly at Jared. Jared's blade had gotten caught in the ribcage of a Ratman, and he was too slow to get his blade up to parry against the swiftly moving weapon.

A flash of energy exploded outwards as Tanya's defensive treasure triggered. The shielding slowed and deflected the killing blow, but the backlash still sent Jared tumbling away. He was up just in time as four more Ratmen swarmed him. Kim, meanwhile, understood the threat they were facing and charged forward, smashing down three Ratmen between her and her target.

The scythe came up again and she ducked the sweeping blow instead of risking a block. She stabbed up at the Ratman, who chittered in pain as she drew blood. Unlike the other Ratmen, this one must have very high Endurance, as her thrust didn't get past more than the upper layer of skin and muscle.

First blood, though! Oorah!

It wasn't as easy to get in another blow as the Ratman was highly skilled at using his weapon to block and strike back. The corrosive energies of the weapon had overwhelmed the defenses of Kim's Enchanted Shield, even when she empowered it with the Dao Seed of Sanctuary, when she risked blocking with it once. The lump of metal was still useful to bash away other Ratmen, but she didn't dare try to block the scythe with it again.

Kim was having her doubts about winning the fight when her boys lent her a hand. They signaled what they were going to do and Kim grinned as they shoved away their own enemies and drew out their fire knives. From two directions, Toby and Jared slashed the air and struck the big Ratman with arcs of flame. The damned monster was way too tough to be killed by such an attack, but it did distract it and Kim took full advantage of that.

Her blade didn't stab its torso this time, but instead stabbed down into a foot, ripped it back out, and slashed into the Ratman's neck. The creature fumbled with a pouch at its side for a [Healing Pill], but Kim would be damned if she let him. Not letting up for a moment and still right next to him, she bashed the pill out of his hand and then slashed at the one hand that still held the scythe. The Ratman's cumulative blood loss slowed it down and after another two strikes it finally stopped moving. The scythe promised to be incredible loot, but before she could even think to grab it, a half-dozen more Ratmen launched furious leaps at her.

Fuck! How much longer can we keep this up?

***

I laughed as I squeezed the head of the Ratman to pulp beneath my fingers and then threw the shards of bony gristle from his skull into oncoming attackers. My Strength was not as impressive as Monk's had been, but these creatures were weak. Pathetic. Trash.

[Crimson Siphon] had been imbued with the Dao of Volition, almost by instinct, and was ranging in a wide arc ten to twenty meters at a time around me, cutting down and drinking the blood of these vermin. The red pulsing glow of the sword provided more illumination than the four moons above. I wanted to burn my enemies, but I was only able to conjure Fireballs every few minutes. I would have completely tapped out by this point had it not been for the slaughter my Spirit Tool was conducting.

I used a variety of weapons at times, but there was something comforting, something pleasing about using my own hands to rip these things apart. I was positively caked with the filth of the battlefield, but I didn't care. I still had more killing to do.

A System prompt popped before my eyes and I squashed it before even reading it.

"FUCK YOU!" I screamed as I used a fallen sword to cut eight Ratmen down in the time it took me to scream at the skies.

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT! I WAS HAPPY!"

An explosion of green gas enveloped me and I quickly used [Lasting Breath]. This wasn't the first time they had tried this trick, but it annoyed me greatly. I didn't have much Cosmic Energy to spare, and I really wanted to incinerate more rats.

Everything had been perfect. I was rich. Comfortable. Safe. Happy. Everything was fine until the Multiverse showed up. I raged at Being X for putting me into a third life and making me think everything was going perfectly before yanking the rug out from under me. No… wait, I wasn't even sure it was Being X behind all this and not some other reality-altering being that stylized itself as the System.

Fuck him anyway!

My mother was annoying at times, but she loved me. She listened. She was enthusiastic and helped me achieve the financial security I desired, even when it meant listening to a nine-year-old talk about tech stocks. And now she was dead. Because of a stupid, rogue AI that didn't know the meaning of the term efficiency!

I'll tear you apart! If it's the last thing I'll do, I'll rip you down and remake the Multiverse.

Three rats pinned my arms as another tried to gnaw me through my armor. I kicked one away like a football and then shook the rest off with my superior Strength. Three hooded Ratmen appeared and lightning crackled in their palms. I had been busy with the Ratmen swarming me, so I didn't even see them, and blasts of lightning streaked through the air before I had time to use any Cosmic Energy to put up a Temporary Enchantment.

The blasts triggered my protective amulet and the one-use item saved me from serious harm. I directed [Crimson Siphon] at them and then danced behind several other Ratmen trying to kill me, using their bodies as shields by crouching low.

A flash of energies made my Spirit Tool rebound from the Ratmen magic users, and I used [Temporary Enchantment] on a rock to make it explosive and hurled it at their feet. The explosion detonated and severely burned one of them, but the two others weathered it. In return, a spear crunched into my ribs. It couldn't stab through my armor, but it drove me from my feet.

My physical exhaustion was beginning to mount as dozens more rats tried to pile on me as I kicked them off me and sprang to my feet, trying to dodge attacks from all directions.

I am not going to die here.

I felt a vision overtake me as fresh energy began coursing through my body. I was channeling a Dao Seed… but not one that I previously had. Slightly confused, but not caring over much, I let the Vitality surge through me as I rushed the two remaining magic users. I put up a magic barrier as [Crimson Siphon] drank the blood of one of the larger Ratmen and the lightning strikes shattered across it.

And then I was on them.

A fire knife appeared in my hand and I used it point blank on the face of one. I then used the expended knife as just a regular one and stabbed it into their chest. My strike was good, but the wearer had at least High-quality armor and the no-longer magical blade shattered. Lightning struck me and I felt my heart stutter as electricity fury caused tremors to wrack my body. Three rats slashed and stabbed at me. My face began to bleed, but the other strikes couldn't pierce my armor.

[Crimson Siphon] swung back around and the last Ratman sorcerer tried to duck, but he just wasn't fast enough and his decapitated head fell to the ground. I dropped a low-powered Fireball at my feet, clearing the immediate Ratmen around. I stuffed down [Healing Pills] and slowly felt the cuts on my face start to close.

"IS THAT IT?! IS THAT ALL THE CHALLENGE YOU CAN MUSTER?"

***

Zhou wrestled with Edwin, trying not to harm him in the process.

"No, I'm not leaving her!"

"It's almost dawn, and she's still fighting, but we can't. We've already used all the [Stimulant Pills] our Alchemist has made, and even with them, we have no more energy. And we have casualties. Jared and Zoey are hurt and can't fight anymore. We must pull back."

"Unhand me!" Edwin roared, trying to force the stronger but very exhausted Zhou to let him down.

"I am sorry, but I will not let you die on my watch. Your daughter has already lost her mother and this is the result. What do you think she'll do to me if you are hurt?"

"She can't do anything if she dies! I've been here fighting with you; I know what these Ratmen can do. No one person can handle all of them, otherwise Billy would have done so by now!"

Zhou looked towards one of the few people still fighting, Billy. The man was wounded dozens of times over, but he was still wearily knocking away any Ratman who came close to him. There was a sense of the endless tide of Ratmen finally thinning, but now there were hardly any fighters left standing on the battlefield.

With a grunt, he forced Edwin's hand behind his back and began to frog-march him with Kim's help back to Billyville.

"Your daughter is crazy strong," Kim said tiredly. "Put your trust in her."

Billy finally retreated himself at Nigel's urging. Tanya was alone on the battlefield now. Zhou could only shake his head at the missteps he had taken. Surely there could have been some way to appeal to her that could have worked. She was a very logical and precise person, but he hadn't tried for fear of rousing her anger.

The business with Edwin worried him. If Tanya did survive, would she be upset at him for manhandling her father? If she was in a proper state of mind, she would probably thank him, but if she was as she is now…

He shuddered.

"Look!" Jared cried out. "The Beacon! It's gone!"

Zhou could only stare in utter shock. The madwoman had actually done it. A second Incursion had been closed by her hand.

***

I was mortified.

I had acted like a completely irrational idiot. I had let emotions get the better of me. After my exhausting battle and successful slaying of the Ratman Incursion Leader, I had almost perished before making it back to Billyville, such were my wounds and overexertion. To make matters more humiliating, my father had a unique Skill from his Class that could mend my exhaustion while another person worked a [Minor Healing] Skill.

Sobbing like a fucking baby. Get a hold of yourself!

And yet… burying my face in my dad's chest as he used [Expeditious Recovery] and sobbing had seemed the only right thing to do. That some stranger who was also healing me with a Skill had seen it all just made me want to take out a shovel and dig my own grave. I hadn't felt this ashamed since the Empire made me do that photoshoot in a dress.

Eventually I finally slept, and when I woke I apologized to Zhou.

"You are still young, Tanya. Thrust into such a situation before you even turned twenty. Learn from it and grow."

I saved face and accepted his rationale, even though it was bullshit. I wasn't nineteen. I had lived for over three decades in my first life and over a decade in my second. I was, by my accounting, older than he was.

I have no excuse. I will need to make amends.

I frowned. My actions were irrational, but the more I thought about it, the fury and then overwhelming grief was only partially my fault. Such a reaction was extreme for someone who had seen so much death in their second life. The difference must be the modifications to my body thanks to the System and my efforts to improve my race to E-grade. My body was just completely out of whack and affecting my normal sensible and rational self. I still had to take responsibility, but it did mollify me a bit that uncontrolled sobbing had a physical cause. I assumed, well, hoped, that things would even out when I managed to fully upgrade to E-grade.

I would address the Salamander Group first. I bowed before them, echoes of my first life influencing me.

"I acted poorly as a leader. You have my apologies for risking your lives in a hasty, emotionally driven reaction. Nonetheless, you acquitted yourself well. The Nexus Coins I gained from slaughtering the Ratmen and the bonus for killing the Incursion Leader will be distributed to you all evenly as a token of my remorse. If any wish to leave the Salamander Group over my actions, I understand."

Kim shook her head. "Nah, you are stuck with us!"

The others laughed and I felt a smile come to my face as they reassured me they all wanted to be there.

Damn battle maniacs, but they are my battle maniacs.

I talked with my father next.

"I'm sorry about the way I acted. I… I lost it a bit."

He hugged me. It felt good, but I broke away.

"I… I heard you nearly got yourself killed trying to go after me. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have put you and Zhou in such an impossible situation."

My father sighed. "You're too old to be put into timeout, and I hope you never do something like that again, but you are capable and brave. Your actions have saved many lives, even if they were a bit short-sighted. Be proud of that."

After seeing me turn into a crybaby, he was buttering me up with compliments just to try to rebuild my esteem, but it wasn't necessary. It was the System's fault, and my efforts to improve my body. Nonetheless, I enjoyed having someone so unabashedly in my corner. And besides, what harm would it do to pretend his efforts were working?

"Thanks, Dad. That means a lot. I think I'm making a difference out there with the Salamander Group. Both by Enchanting things that help people stay alive… and in closing the Incursions. I know you didn't go to the Tutorial, but the Pixies there made it clear they test newly integrated worlds with Incursions. And many worlds either have their native inhabitants slaughtered, or have them pressed into slave labor."

Or so we think based on the Tutorial. And some of the Information Crystals from multiple sources also implied such.

He gave me a look. "You've always done your own thing, Tanya, so you don't need to break it to me easily. You intend to continue doing what you are doing."

I nodded. "Yes. Once the last Incursion is closed I can relax a bit more, just focus on my crafting, and maybe take on more of an administrative role for the Salamander Group, but for now I need to be out there."

"Logical as always. I want to do whatever I can to keep you safe, so I'll of course be joining as a new recruit."

I blinked.

"Uh…"

I didn't want to say. I wanted my dad around me, but I didn't want to put him at risk…

I have the Dao Seed of Volition. I am a champion of free will. I cannot deny him a spot and be true to my beliefs. I really wish he had picked a crafting class! His role as a battlefield medic means he primarily gains Cosmic Energy from fighting. Argh!

"We'll be glad to have you. Don't tell the others, but I'll make sure you get the best defensive items I can Enchant," I said with a smile.

"Fair enough," he laughed.

We talked some more and then I finally went ahead and looked at my Status Screen and saw what the earlier prompts had been all about.

Apparently I had gained a Dao Seed during my Ratmen slaughter. I could only vaguely recall angrily screaming and dismissing any System prompts during the event.

[Dao Seed of Fury – Early. Vitality +10, Strength +5]

This really did not help me much. Vitality was nice, since it affected how quickly I healed and how much stamina I had. But primarily I preferred Wisdom, Intelligence, and Dexterity. Heck, even Endurance would be better as I'd rather just resist taking damage as opposed to recovering faster.

Then again… it proved really useful in the battle against the Ratmen.

That battle had pushed me to the edge and I almost certainly would have died without my Spirit Tool. Well, maybe I would have come back to my senses and retreated, but who's to say? The bottom line was the only reason I still had Cosmic Energy to use to throw Fireballs, summon my barriers, and stay alive was due to the steady trickle of [Crimson Siphon] harvesting all the spilt blood of my foes. That I could send it dancing about my enemies without my direct control was a huge boon as well, though I was fairly certain it wasn't quite as lethal compared to when I had it in my hands.

It was an interesting tradeoff that might make me consider picking up a second weapon, one for me to wield personally while my Spirit Tool did its thing. Though with it being able to reap Cosmic Energy, I was also in a better position to continue using Fireball and Temporary Enchantment for far longer. Like with everything, I did have to be realistic. [Crimson Siphon] only functioned when it was able to consume blood, and that seemed to only work if it caused something to bleed, and only was able to really charge up if the enemy was dead. If I fought, say, the Undead Empire, then I suspected I would have a lot less fun.

In addition to another Dao Seed, I had picked up another Title.

One Against Many: Fight against 500 warriors of the same tier and survive. Endurance +10.

Beyond that, I also scored pretty high on the Contribution Ladder to close the Incursion. Billy was still miles ahead, but he had been mashing the Ratmen for months. Either way, it was enough to let me pick up some herbs that I would be giving to our budding Alchemist, a Low-grade Dexterity Attribute Fruit for myself, and a couple of weaker leveling-pills for the Salamander Group. I could take them as well, but they honestly weren't worth it.

I also had a stupid amount of gear from the Ratmen I killed. Like with the Ogre Incursion, their leader had a rather hefty Cosmos Sack. There really wasn't anything too wildly amazing within it, but there was an E-grade spear that I was tempted to try to Disenchant, but given my prior lack of success, it might be better in Zhou's hands. There were extra cultivation manuals, Nexus Crystals, and a bizarre amount of rat art. Like a really, really bizarre amount of it. Several paintings and sculptures depicted erotic scenes that were kind of disturbing. I had no idea if they would even be worth anything, but after the one-hundred years of System-mandated obscurity of their planet, they might be worth something in the broader Multiverse.

If the NWG wants to take it off my hands, that will be fine. I'm not going to worry about an F-grade furry art collection when by that time I'll be comfortably an E-grade or the Earth will have been taken over. Either way, not a good investment.

The final item that I received from the System, not from the Cosmos Sack of the Ratman leader, was a [Tower of Eternity] token. There had been a vague reference in the Ogre-looted Information Crystals about how it was important to have a 'strong foundation' before attempting the [Tower of Eternity], which seemed to imply it would be dangerous. I'd make it a high priority to learn more about exactly what that place was all about. The upcoming NWG-sponsored auction promised to bring lots of people together, and hopefully some people had uncovered an Information Crystal on the subject.

Actions

↑ Top ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Bookmark Comments (8)

Kudos

Comments

Post Comment

Comment as TheBrimmedHat

Plain text with limited HTML ?

Comment

10000 characters left

Footer

Customize

Default

Low Vision Default

Reversi

Snow Blue

About the Archive

Site Map

Diversity Statement

Content Policy

DMCA & TIDA Policies

Site Status

Policy Questions & Abuse Reports

Technical Support & Feedback

Donate or Volunteer

Development

otwarchive v1.8.0.3

Known Issues

GPL-2.0-or-later by the OTW

Chapter 1610 - 13-15