May my Faith be strengthened
May Resilience and Strength be granted to me
May I not fear the Enemy of the Human Race
May I be worthy of the Glory of my Ancestors
"Book of Hope"
Prayer of the Human Warrior
I had no strength left, but a notification pinged. My vital energy reserve shifted from 5 to 6. I sighed and forced myself to finish every last crumb. Still, the gauge didn't fill any further. But I knew this was a cumulative process. After all, the simplest way to build energy was through food. Just not this kind…
I woke to noise beyond the door. I felt rested enough, still weak, but at least my head had cleared a bit. I even managed to climb off the cot and, steadying myself against the wall, shuffle to the door and crack it open.
Outside, I saw several small wooden houses with straw roofs. On a packed-dirt clearing—likely the village square—people were arguing loudly. I already knew the elder, but the three figures standing beside him caught my eye.
Dressed in what looked like leather armor, they were armed. Two carried spears, while the one slightly ahead, probably their leader, had a real sword slung across his back. He was currently raising his voice at the elder, who was trying to justify himself.
I listened in.
"So, Boar, the deadline hasn't even come yet! There's still two months left. The harvest won't ripen for another month. We're still eating last year's stores."
"Well, we're here to help you finish them," the newcomer guffawed.
"But we've got it all planned out. We won't make it ourselves otherwise!"
"Nox, quit yapping. There's game in the forest—you'll survive somehow."
"But this isn't what we agreed with Wolf!" the old man protested again, only to catch a sharp slap across the face that dropped him to one knee.
"You think I'm here on my own? The boss himself gave the order! You don't negotiate with Wolf—he takes what he needs. Got it?!"
"Got it," Nox nodded, clutching his cheek.
"That's that, then. Let's head to the storehouse. Keep whining, and a slap won't be the end of it!"
The leader marched off with Nox toward a long, single-story building—presumably the storage shed. The two others whispered to each other briefly before splitting off in different directions. One of them grabbed my caretaker by the arm and dragged her… toward me. I shut the door and hobbled back to the bed, closing the inner door to my room along the way. Listening intently, I heard the front door slam open.
"Please, don't—I beg you!" Doe pleaded.
"Come on, what's the big deal? First time or something?"
"I'm begging you, please! I don't want this!"
"Well, I do," came the voice. "Stop playing hard to get—strip."
"No!"
"Here, let me help you."
A slap rang out, followed by a woman's cry and the sound of tearing fabric.
What the hell was going on here?!
I glanced around. On a small table nearby sat a clean bowl and a wooden fork. Without overthinking it, I grabbed the fork and shuffled toward the commotion. Opening the door, I saw exactly what I'd expected: the girl, whimpering in terror, pinned chest-down against the table. Her skirt was hiked up, and the stranger was fumbling between his legs, freeing himself from his trousers.
"Step away from her, you filth!"
Back in the day, the sound of my voice alone made people shrink, knowing that tone meant trouble. Now, though, it came out more like a sheep's bleat. I couldn't even shout properly.
The man turned, still holding Doe.
"What's this? Some half-dead runt?"
"Get out!" I said clearly.
He glanced at his spear leaning against the wall, then back at me, apparently deciding he could handle me without it. I'd have thought the same, seeing a guy barely standing, clinging to the doorframe for support. My legs were trembling.
"Haven't seen you around before. You new?" He frowned for a moment. "Eh, doesn't matter. Too cocky for your own good—time to teach you a lesson."
He loosened his grip, and Doe tried to break free, earning a hard smack across the face.
"Stay down, I said! This won't take long."
He sauntered toward me to make good on his threat.
I frantically checked my body. All my combat skills were still there—just not the strength to back them up. And, predictably, all enhancements were offline without a connection to the Central Core. Looked like I'd get one shot.
I kept the fork hidden behind my back. As he approached, I took two shaky steps backward, raising my free hand as if to shield myself.
It worked. A grin spread across the savage's face.
"Scared now?" he laughed. "Who's the filth here?"
He reached out leisurely, clamping his hand around my throat and squeezing, staring into my eyes. Was he seriously trying to strangle me?
I flailed my free hand, and he caught it as expected, twisting my wrist. Now both his hands were occupied. The jagged wooden fork plunged straight into his left eye. With all my strength, I drove it deeper into his brain. A scream froze in his open mouth, never escaping as the fork pierced through. His hands went limp, and he crashed to the floor with a thud.
Energy reserve replenished: 10/1000
That was new. Since when did killing humans refill the storage? Probably since whenever it was that humans got tied into this System—a very strange, very alien System I didn't understand.
My energy still hovered in the red zone, capped at 100. I still felt like a walking corpse, but at least my arms and legs stopped shaking.
"What have you done?" Doe's voice carried more fear now than when she'd been fighting off her attacker.
"Saved you, idiot," I grumbled, surprised by her reaction.
"The Raiders won't let this slide. We're all dead!" She buried her face in her hands, on the verge of sobbing.
I couldn't help but smile.
"We'll see about that."
I stepped to the doorframe, picked up the stranger's spear, and weighed it in my hand, testing its balance. The balance was awful, as was the spear itself. Wooden shaft, metal tip—no iron banding to protect the wood from a sword's cut. Iron must be scarce around here.
I cracked the door open to assess the situation. The leader had disappeared into the barn with the elder, while the second patrolman was drinking from a bottle someone had brought him. Perfect—one rapist, one drunk. I gauged the distance. By the time I hobbled over with the spear, he'd yell, the sword guy would rush out, and this one looked sturdy enough to handle himself.
"Doe, come here," I called to the girl.
She was trembling with silent sobs but dropped her hands from her face.
"I need your help."
She wiped her tears and reluctantly obeyed, standing and stepping closer.
"You know that second guy?" I nodded toward the door crack.
"Yeah, I do."
"Call him over. Tell him this one—" I gestured at the corpse—"is in trouble. Say he's sick or something. Just don't shout too loud. I don't want their boss to hear."
She stared at me, blinking. She didn't seem too bright.
"I. Need. Your. Help," I said slowly. "Do it. Or they'll kill you all right now."
That seemed to work. She reached for the door. A thought hit me.
"Wait! Sorry," I muttered, yanking at the front of her dress and tearing it down to her navel. "It's already ruined anyway."
Her body looked far better than her hands and face. Hard labor must age people fast around here. I'd pegged her for over thirty, but now she didn't even seem twenty-five.
"Go," I nodded.
She opened the door and called out:
"Sax, something's wrong with Squab! I think it's his heart."
Sax tossed the bottle aside, frowned, and strode over quickly, muttering something disapproving under his breath. I caught bits like:
"Eat less, you pervert."
The girl slipped back inside, and I pulled her close, using her as a shield.
Sax stepped in. As he passed us, he spotted his buddy's body on the floor.
"What the—" he started.
His armor was flimsy, but my spear wasn't exactly a masterpiece either. I aimed for his chin, hoping to pierce his neck and brain. But unlike his hefty pal, this guy was quicker. He jerked aside and shouted.
Still, I got what I wanted—blood sprayed from a torn artery, and shock filled his eyes. He clutched the wound, opened his mouth, and bellowed:
"Danger!"
My second thrust couldn't pierce his armor fast enough. The tip sank halfway into his chest, near the heart, mostly from its own weight, and stuck. I shoved him, freeing the spear. Sax stumbled back two steps, tripped over a stool, and sprawled on the floor. Blood pulsed out of him in spurts.
I collapsed onto his chest with my knees, driven more by exhaustion than intent, gripping the spear with both hands and slamming it down into the unprotected hollow beneath his Adam's apple. He twitched twice and went still.
Energy reserve: 24/1000
Still too low. I stood and handed the bloodied spear to the trembling Doe.
"I need your help again. Stand by the door and try to hit their leader in the back," I said firmly, locking eyes with the terrified girl. I had to be crystal clear. I couldn't do this alone right now. "You probably won't kill him, but you might nick him. The second you strike, drop to the floor and roll aside, no matter what happens. Got it?"
She was in shock but nodded and took the spear.
"Here, behind the door," I positioned her, pulling the inward-opening door nearly shut to conceal her. I grabbed the dead man's spear and circled the table so it stood between me and the entrance.
Heavy footsteps approached, and the leader peered inside. Sword in hand, eyes wary, he was fully primed for a fight. Clearly a more seasoned warrior than his cronies. He took in both corpses with a single glance and fixed his stare on me.
"Who the hell are you, freak?!" he roared.
"Come closer and find out," I grinned.
One powerful leap forward, and he swung his sword. He didn't bother circling the table, aiming to reach me over it. I lurched back—the blade missed my throat by a centimeter—and with all my strength, I kicked the table, flipping it. It didn't hit him hard enough to stun, but it forced him back two steps—right to where Doe stood trembling. Now it was up to her. If she didn't step up, I was done for.
She didn't let me down. With a squeal, she burst from her hiding spot and jabbed the spear forward clumsily. Beginner's luck—she hit a joint, piercing the Raider leader's sword arm. But, overwhelmed by fear or her own bravery, she completely forgot my next instruction. She just froze, hands over her face.
The leader spun and slammed a brutal kick into her stomach. She flew back, hit the wall, and slid down quietly. My turn not to miss. I'd mastered every weapon humanity ever devised—and most of the Aliens' too—including thrown ones.
This sorry spear was hardly built for throwing, but I made it work. Windup! Arm energy, torso twist, plus a push off the wall for extra force.
The spear struck true, burying itself in the enemy's liver. He roared even louder this time, dropping to one knee, clutching the spear and trying to yank it out. That only worsened the pain and bleeding. Idiot—who does that?
I hobbled forward. No weapons were in reach, so I grabbed the stool and brought it down on his head with all I had.
Neither the stool nor his skull shattered, but he toppled sideways. I picked up his sword and approached the writhing savage. No fear in his eyes—just hatred.
"You're a dead man, freak. You're dead!"
"Maybe," I smiled. "But not before you."
I swung. He instinctively raised his arm. The sword was garbage, and I lacked strength. Instead of a severed limb, I got another howl of pain. At least the arm was out of commission. The next strike hit its mark.
Energy reserve: 50/1000
The System chimed in promptly.
I examined the sword. A shoddy homemade job by an amateur smith. Footsteps clattered outside. I checked myself. Yeah, I could probably take out one or two more now. That'd boost my energy some.
I stepped onto the porch. Naked, blood-streaked, sword in hand.
The villagers recoiled from me like I was a leper. Only the elder let out a wail of despair:
"What have you done, stranger?!"
At least no one rushed me. Some shrieked in terror, some women sobbed, others cursed.
I smirked and went back inside, kneeling beside the softly whimpering Doe.
"It's okay, sweetheart, it's okay," I said quietly. "Let me see."
I gently pried her hands from her stomach and inspected it. The kick had landed below her ribs. She'd bruise, but nothing serious.
"You're a very brave girl," I smiled. "I'm proud of you."
The whimpering stopped. Two big eyes locked onto me. She wasn't ugly, but she was far from my ideal of feminine beauty. Her features were too broad, her nose too large. The only striking thing about her was her eyes—big, brown, and gorgeous.
I carefully reached out and patted her shoulder.
"We did it, sweetheart, we did it. Get up."
Two hours later, the village was a kicked anthill. Everyone was running around, gathering things. I sat on a bench, wiping the sword blade dry with a rag. The weapon was awful, but it was a weapon. It had to be kept in order. Otherwise, its owner might not be in the next fight. And since that owner was now me, I wasn't about to let that happen.
The elder and his son sidled up to me cautiously. It was almost funny watching two burly guys—Dog easily outweighed me by half—eye me like scared kids.
"What do you want?" I tossed out.
"What have you done?!" the elder started, loud and a bit hysterical.
"Hold it!" I barked. "Lower your tone and report."
The old man faltered, even muttering:
"Sorry."
"Who were they? And what's all this fuss?"
"They were Raiders from Wolf's gang. They control this whole area."
"They came for food?"
"Yeah, we've got a deal with them. But this time, they showed up way ahead of schedule."
"Why didn't anyone stand up for Doe?" I frowned.
Astonishingly, the old man didn't even flinch—just shrugged.
"What for? She's got no husband. They'd have had their fun and left."
"Had their fun and left?" I narrowed my eyes. "That's how things work here?"
The elder caught something in my gaze, took two steps back, dropped his eyes to the ground, and started babbling quickly.
"You don't get it, stranger. That's how it is. They're Raiders! They'll slaughter our whole village now!"
I glanced at the bustling villagers. Some lingered nearby, eavesdropping. In their eyes, I saw irritation, confusion… and raw, animal panic.
Out of place, but I smiled. They reminded me of a herd of sheep, bunched up in terror, staring at the shepherd for orders.
"I see you've got two dozen able-bodied men here. How many in the Raiders' gang?"
"I don't know exactly, but over a hundred."
I sighed. With fighters like these, you couldn't wage a war. Though I'd give it a shot. But that's me!
"And where's everyone rushing off to?"
"We've got to leave. Get out of the area. Or they'll kill us all."
"Why slaughter the whole herd?" I frowned. "Over one lousy sheep?"
"I don't follow you, stranger."
"Why wipe everyone out if you're feeding them?"
"Well, it's… the way things work, you know? No one can touch a Raider, or the rest stop being afraid."
I shook my head.
"People like you will never stop being afraid."
A thought hit me suddenly—one that had nagged at me since waking but got pushed aside by the chaos.
"Tell me, oh less-than-honored one, where the hell are we, anyway?"