Galactic Fist of Legend

by Scottie Futch

  Red Robe began to breathe heavily then took another step back. He grit his teeth then stepped back again. "Dammit..."

  The cat raised up her paw cutely then made a little pawing motion toward the giant abomination. She tilted her head to the side, closed her eyes, and sweetly said, "Me-ow."

  "Oh fuck this! I don't get paid enough to deal with this shit!" snarled Red Robe, his eyes wide, and his panic real.

  He quickly ordered an emergency evacuation and triggered the destruction sequence for his mecha. The giant zombie fell backwards and the chest cavity exploded open. The entire cockpit rocketed out then zoomed into the night sky. Red Robe fled as fast as his rocket assisted cockpit could allow him to flee.

  Princess watched the pilot zoom away then tilted her head lightly to the side. The remnant of the zombie mecha burst into flames as it was designed to do upon being defeated. The blinked owlishly then turned to her badly injured savior.

  She sniffed at him a little then tapped his shoulder with her nose. Scott was barely coherent at this point, but he was conscious enough to realize that a message screen had appeared before him.

  [Message]

  A completely ordinary cat wishes to be your friend. Do you accept?

  [Yes | No]

  [--]

  Scott accepted the ordinary cat's friendship just before he passed out. Princess tilted her head to the side then casually licked his shoulder. Not long after, the bleeding stopped completely.

  Princess made a smacking sound with her mouth then unleashed a happy kitty sigh. She then began to rub her face against Scott's cheek. Some might consider that a sign of kitty affection. Anyone who actually understood what a cat was all about, however, would know that action for exactly what it was. Princess was marking her territory.

  The cat nudged his ear with her nose then softly whispered, "Me-ow..." before a decidedly sultry and un-cat-like chuckle emanated from the adorable little thing. Kitty found a nice new toy.

  Chapter 18: Kitty, I'm Going Home

  It was difficult for Scott to determine the first sound he heard upon regaining consciousness. Was it the occasional rattle of metal, or the dull roar of a truck engine? Was it the strangely happy purring sound near his ear? In truth, the first sound he registered would never be known. The first sounds that he clearly understood, however, were the sounds of people talking.

  "So, you're saying he isn't infected?" asked a voice that Scott believed to be Jed.

  He did not have the strength, or the desire, to open his eyes at the moment. He could not be one hundred percent certain, but the voice did sound like the one he associated with the mustachioed sheriff.

  "I don't believe so. My gift did not cleanse the illness. If anything it seems more like he is dealing with the sort of thing that people at the church rehab center dealt with."

  "Rehab center... You saying he's going through withdrawals, father?" asked Jed.

  Scott was coherent enough to understand what they were saying, but he was too weak to communicate at the moment. He felt like he was made of lead. Pain lanced through his shoulder every time he so much as wiggled. It was hard to breathe, and his body could not decide whether it was burning hot or freezing cold.

  If he could find the strength to open his eyes, he would see that he was on the back of his black truck. The sheriff and the good father were with him, along with two others, and the cat that saved the day. Smug guy drove, while two other cars kept pace behind them.

  After the battle, the people at the mall acted quickly to secure both their future and the continued existence of their savior. A few hours before dawn, they made their way to the place shown on the security monitors. There they found Scott unconscious, a few dozen zombies milling about, but strangely uninterested in the fallen man.

  At first they had feared the worst, but once they dispatched the mini-horde it was determined that both Scott and his strange feline friend were still among the living. The cat refused to leave his side throughout the time when they loaded him on the back of the truck, and insisted on going with him.

  Once they were on the road, it was the better part of an hour before Scott began to regain coherence. The sky began to lighten as they left the main road at the good father's request. They turned off on a side-trail that started out flat, but soon began to rise high into the air at a steep incline.

  The incline was so steep that the cars began to have trouble moving forward due to their excessive weight. They were loaded down with people and supplies that would normally be best carried by twice as many vehicles.

  In the end, they made it up the steep mountain road just as the sun peaked up on the horizon. Scott's eyes cracked open not long after that, and just in time for the other members of the convoy to catch sight of their promised land.

  The entrance gate up front read, "The Evergreen Mountain Community welcomes you home."

  Once through the gate, people became busy. There was a lengthy drawbridge that spanned a large gap between the welcome area, and what appeared to be the actual place they needed to go.

  Several zombies staggered out of the nearby buildings, but they were easily handled by the group. The draw bridge controls were found, shortly. Thankfully the Evergreen Mountain community was one of the echo-progressive communities. The entire place was powered by windmills and solar panels.

  It took great effort on his part, but Scott managed to pull himself upward with his good arm. Propped against the tailgate of the truck, he watched as the small convoy drove across the bridge into their new home. They wasted no time in drawing the bridge back up, and then locking it down to prevent someone else from dropping it from the other side.

  The world outside was ugly, battered, and filled with the screams of the angry dead. Here, there was peace and a chance for something new.

  The group checked all of the houses in the first area, an even dozen, and then moved further into the small community. Half of the buildings beyond seemed to be incomplete. Evergreen Mountain was still under construction at the end of the world it seemed.

  No zombies were found in the area. It was a glorious find, and the sort of place that someone would have to have known was in the area in order to want to find it. Even the side-trail that led up the mountain was the sort of road that most people would have overlooked.

  His body shook with the effort that it took to reach his feet. It was an action made even more difficult since one of his arms did not work properly at the moment. Climbing down from the back of the truck took even more effort. He was left panting on the ground for a moment.

  Despite the exhaustion, he did not stay where he fell for long. He regained his feet and staggered forward slightly while using the side of the truck for leverage. Scott knew that once the people who sent him on this mission decreed that he was done, he would have only one minute to find his escape door and leave. In truth, this was a time period even more dangerous than battle. If he did not reach the door in time, he would die.

  Scott took in a ragged breath. Sweat poured down his face even as his body shivered in the cold. His vision faded in and out, and the top of his head itched fiercely. He did not know for certain what was wrong with him, but he looked forward to reaching that little glowing ball of light. He would be able to heal, rest, and take an actual week off from forced life or death missions.

  Princess hopped up onto the side of the truck and meowed at Scott. He glanced down at the little orange thing then leaned heavily against the truck for a moment so that he could pet her. "Good kitty."

  She purred loudly then lashed her tail. Her head butted against his palm lightly and she purred a little. Kitty did enjoy a bit of praise.

  "Look who's up!" called one of the people he never bothered to get to know. She was a pretty-ish blond woman whom Scott wanted to call her Mindy, but he would not do so out loud. He was not certain of the name at all.

  He nodded to her and offered a tired smile. She smiled back in response then pulled her head back inside the window. She ha
d called out to him from the second floor of what would probably be her new house. There were certainly enough houses in the area for everyone to get their preferred pick.

  As he staggered forward several other people popped their heads out of windows, or stepped out through nearby doors. Each of them spoke to him in a friendly manner, though some held fear in their eyes when they looked at him. Whether it was because of what he accomplished, or the fact that his staggering about looked a great deal like the way that a zombie moved, Scott could not be certain.

  Once he found the strength to leave the truck behind, Scott staggered over to a low fence that separated one of the houses from the main road in the area. He used it to balance himself while he continued to move forward. Princess hopped down from the truck and followed along at his side.

  They made their way slowly through the area and entered a small shopping center. Nothing particularly interesting happened until they passed by a clothing store. Princess made a strange gasping noise then meowed loudly.

  Scott glanced down in time to see her run off toward the display window. She sat down and stared up at what was showing on display. Curious about the odd little cat, Scott staggered over to her side. She looked up at him briefly then looked back to the display window. Her eyes widened and then began to sparkle and shimmer in a strange manner.

  Her human friend looked to her then to what was on display. "Shoes? You like shoes, kitty?"

  Princess meowed in a strangely breathless manner then made a weird noise that sounded suspiciously like a giggle. Scott shrugged in response then staggered over to the door and opened it. "Take a closer look."

  The kitty made the weird gasping noise once more then rushed into the store, her eyes practically ablaze. Scott leaned sideways and saw her in the display window not long after. Princess had her forepaws wrapped around a set of red stiletto heels. She nuzzled her little kitty cheek against the bright red shoes while happy little purring noises echoed through the still open door.

  After a brief moment, she gasped once more then dropped the red shoes. She immediately glommed onto a grey pair of fuzzy boots and began her hug and cuddle routine once more.

  "Cat really likes shoes..." muttered Scott.

  Princess completely ignored his presence from then on while she continued to hug various bits of foot wear. Once she even stuck her back left paw into a shiny black pump and tilted her head from side-to-side as though she were admiring the non-existent fit. The shoe was clearly too big for her, but she seemed content to pretend.

  Scott found something to prop the door open with so that the cat could get out when she was finished being an excited shoe shopper. "Who knows when they'll want me to head back?"

  Leaving the cat to daydream about shoes, or whatever she was doing, Scott staggered off further into the area. Eventually, he reached what would be the approximate center of town. There was a little commemorative fountain in the town square that had drawn the attention of several people. The clean, clear, water cascading down the fountain was a beautiful sight for the survivors. Many had never thought to see something like it again.

  Scott reached out and touched the concrete basin. It was a simple gesture, one that he had not intended to mean anything. Yet, the moment that he did so the world shifted to a black and white color scheme. A message screen popped up not long after.

  [Update]

  You have delivered the survivors to the agreed upon location. Will you designate the [Evergreen Mountain Community] as a hub-zone?

  [Yes | No]

  [--]

  Scott accepted the offer and a bright green light flared outward from the fountain. The light extended as far as the other side of the gap, and then just a little further than the welcome gate. All of the houses and the handful of shops in the little town were within the circumference of that field of green energy.

  [Update]

  The Evergreen Mountain Community is now officially recognized as a hub-zone.

  Civilization Level: 1

  Defense Rating: 22

  Economy: 0

  Population: 20

  Professionals: 2

  Commoners: 18

  Value: 0 EXP

  As the founder of the hub-zone you may choose to purchase it and acquire development rights. This exclusive purchasing opportunity will remain on record for thirty days. After thirty days exclusive purchasing rights will be lost. If exclusive rights are lost, anyone who operates within the system will be able to purchase the hub ownership rights at regular market value.

  Exclusive Cost: 5000 EXP [Buy]

  [--]

  Scott blinked slowly. He could buy the place? What about the people living there? He did not have the EXP to purchase it at the moment, but it was something to consider for the near future. The ability to have a hub-point in this world would be useful for future missions when he wanted to kill zombies for easy experience. Building up the place might also keep assholes like the red robed guy out of there.

  "Guess I could talk to Jed and Father Harrison when I come back. Though, it will probably cost a lot of EXP to build the place up." Would he get anything out of building up the place? There had to be a purpose to it that would lead to some benefit for him personally.

  Scott rubbed the bridge of his nose, and then massaged his eyes through his closed eyelids. His headache was becoming worse. He did not want to take anything for it unless he absolutely had to do so. Once he headed back to his home point, he would completely heal. Taking medication now would leave him with fewer restorative items for future missions.

  Once the world returned to normal, the gathered people acted as though nothing happened. They had not seen the light show that occurred moments before.

  It was not long before a familiar door appeared before Scott. The door of light, unlike the previous light show, was not lost on the public. Scott staggered toward it while several people gasped and cried out.

  The timer ticked down as he did his best to reach safety. Just before he entered the doorway, Scott called out, "I'll be back soon."

  Inside his home, Scott visibly relaxed. Safe for the first time in days, he allowed the realization that he had successfully completed his mission to wash over him for a moment. "I made it."

  It had been touch-and-go there for a while. He only survived due to using his brain, and the help granted by a little cat with a serious shoe fetish. Even his ultimate arrival at the hub-point was due to the survivors coming to rescue him after the battle.

  Scott staggered slowly over to the glowing ball of light. He gazed at it silently for a moment then offered it a tired smile. A loud sigh of relief escaped his lips as the healing forces did their work.

  His shoulder regrew in the space of a few seconds. The ailments listed in his injuries and ailments window showed that he'd developed acute withdrawal symptoms due to toxic overload. There was indeed a drawback to using the garden powers. Once the power wore off, his body would be racked with ailments and weakness for a time.

  "Restoration cost me more this time that it did when I lost both feet and contracted zombi-itis..." muttered Scott. It might have been cheaper to just take a restorative or two first. Still, it was nice to be whole and healthy once more.

  Now came the fun part. How much had he earned during his little story mission! Scott's eyes lit up with child-like glee as the screen appeared. This was the best part of the story for him! The part where the handsome hero gets paid for all the shit he'd been forced to go through.

  [Mission Score]

  You have completed your first story mission. Congratulations!

  After much trial, error, and dedicated focus on general ass-kickery, you have successfully completed the task set before you. Due to the fact that you went the extra mile and uncovered the roots of a dark secret, the difficulty level of your story mission increased to the maximum difficulty for the mission's current level of difficulty. You will be compensated accordingly.

  Grade: S [Due to increased difficulty]

&
nbsp; Base Reward: 400 EXP

  Grade Bonus: X10

  Total: 4000 EXP

  Elimination Bonus: 1122 EXP

  [Settings Bonus]

  [Beginning of a Legend: During your initial insertion period you chose to unlock a warp zone to [Imperial Garden]. Your actions alerted the forces that conspired to ruin that world that the powers that be had sent someone into the area. Due to the increased difficulty caused by that awareness, battle between the nominal forces of good and evil for the sake of the world began. The locals witnessed that battle and saw evil flee into the night.

  Grade: S [Due to Difficulty Increase]

  Route Bonus: 4000 EXP

  Special Bonus[1]: You defeated a powerful opponent! [With the help of a small cat.]

  Bonus: 5000 EXP

  Total: 9000

  [Entertainment Bonus]

  You proved to be highly entertaining on several occasions. This reduces the annoyance of our people as they wait for your race to fail their challenges and become our property.

  Entertainment Grade: S [Due to Difficulty Increase]

  Entertainment Bonus: 4000 EXP

  Fan Following: You have acquired new fans. Once you have 100 fans, you will be granted a one percent bonus to all EXP earned. Each additional 100 fans will increase your EXP by one percent as well.

  Fans: (370)

  Fan-Base Bonus: 543.66

  Total EXP Earned: 18665.66

  [—]

  "I don't even know where to start." He earned enough EXP in that one story mission to allow him to live for over six months, though he would be an absolute fool to spend it on his daily life purchase needs. No matter what he chose to do in the future, he'd come to the conclusion that story mode missions were the way to develop real power in this game.