We came upon a group of terrified Dark Faction farmers. We didn’t touch them or even take the radio helmet from their senior member. We wanted them to alert our enemies.
“Now someone will notice us! Let's keep going!”
We flew deeper into enemy territory, leaving more scorched earth for all to see. We managed to destroy another couple fields, then torch a lumber warehouse and farm vehicle garage. We were totally unimpeded for forty minutes. I even began to worry we weren’t doing enough damage to warrant attention. But finally, the enemy responded:
“Gnat, behind us!” Anya and Imran shouted in unison.
A huge metal vehicle somewhere between an antigrav and airplane blocked out the sun, then dove down at us with its huge cannons ready to fire.
Sio-Mi-Dori. Dark Faction shock-landing antigrav.
Danger Sense skill increased to level twelve!
On my order, Zheltov darted aside and increased speed, leaving a whole field of bright explosions behind us. The flying machine passed over us and turned around for a second approach. I got an idea that was either brilliant, or idiotic, but I decided it was worth a try:
“Dmitry, get ready to stop and turn off all electronics as quickly as possible. On my order. We’re gonna try to catch them by surprise!”
The single most distinguishing feature of people with military experience is that, when they hear an order, they do not question or dispute it. Even though he clearly didn’t understand my idea, the pilot gave a short nod. I placed my scanner on my knee and readied a geological analyzer. Meanwhile, the enemy shock-landing antigrav finished its turn, came at us from behind and quickly caught up. Three, two, one...
“Now!!!”
Our starship braked so suddenly it nearly flipped over. Thankfully, I was ready for it, otherwise I'd never have managed to keep hold of the scanner. As soon as the instrument panel went dim, I activated the antenna. It gave a click and... the enemy antigrav hovering above us lost control and started spiraling downward then crashed into the ground just five hundred feet away!!!
Danger Sense skill increased to level thirteen!
Scanning skill increased to level thirty-seven!
You have reached level thirty-three!
You have received three skill points!
You have reached level thirty-four!
You have received three skill points! (total points accumulated: six)
You have reached level thirty-five!
You have received three skill points! (total points accumulated: nine)
Wow... I wiped the sweat off my face. We had barely made it. Just before the laser cannons turned us to dust, my scanner’s EMP deactivated them. As a bonus, it also shut the ships engine down and all other electronics. My plan worked! And I leveled up three times!
“Imran, go check the crashed antigrav. If there’s anyone alive, show no mercy. Those are our sworn enemies! Well, first take everything of value, then kill them.”
The Gladiator bared his teeth predatorily, took out his fearsome sickle and made it to the fallen craft in two long bounds.
* * *
We found a tall tower and started digging in. Not far from an airfield, it was probably either for dispatching or meteorology, but it didn’t look like anything on earth. After taking down the Sio-Mi-Dori, we were unable to get Zheltov’s antigrav to work. Dmitry spent a long time poking around but was forced to admit it was a serious issue and couldn’t be repaired in field conditions. The pilot then pulled all the electronics and wire from his beloved and, just to make sure, shot through all the antigrav “pancakes.”
That cast a long shadow on our raid, but we were all still alive, which meant we could keep fighting and aid to our faction. So, weighed down with plunder from the downed aircraft, we reached the tower and got inside. If there had been any enemies here before, they managed to leave it before we arrived.
The main advantage the tower, which is largely why we chose it as a temporary base, was the forest of antennas on top of it. It was clearly sending and retransmitting signals, so we were hoping to jam the Dark Faction’s communications. What was more, Zheltov promised he could use them to contact our faction.
“We have to barricade the door!” Imran said, dragging heavy boxes of equipment in front of them.
The four of us pushed boxes and all the furniture we found up against the doors. Now it wouldn’t be quite so easy to get into the tower because the windows were pretty high up.
Strength increased to 13.
Woah! Even the game algorithms thought this was hard work. And so, having more or less blocked the doors, we went up to the top floor. While my friends were figuring out all the technology and handing out weapons captured from the enemy ship, I looked out over enemy territory.
I was most interested in an industrial facility a few miles to the east. It was a large building with huge gas tanks and tall distillation columns. Most likely, it was a gas refinery or petrochemical plant. Another window gave a view over the Dark Faction military airport, though there were no aircraft there. And finally, two miles to the north, there was a massive squat fortress up on a hill. Clearly this was the node’s main base.
“Gnat, communications are online,” Dmitry Zheltov reported. “You can connect your radio with this plug. Put it in and go to channel twenty-five — that's the one our faction uses for urgent messages.”
I thanked the pilot and set up my radio.
“Attention! This is Gnat, number fourteen-seventy! We have occupied a high vantage point on Dark Faction territory and can spot for long-range heavy artillery. Possible targets: the main fort of the Golden Plain node, a Dark Faction military airport and a petrochemical plant.”
Fame increased to 31.
In reply, I got distorted fuzz but, not long after, an unfamiliar voice said:
“You’ve lost your mind, Gnat...”
But he was immediately interrupted by the familiar voice of our faction leader:
“Cut the crap! This is Radugin. Gnat, turn to channel eighteen and give coordinates to our 152-mm howitzer batteries in the Yellow Mountains. Priority target: enemy fort! Don’t waste your time on the plant and airport, they’ll stop working automatically on if we can destroy the base! And even if we can’t fully destroy the fortress, we might be able to bring that node down from level three to two. Then, our enemies will only be able to have five-hundred twenty-two people in the game, which will weaken their assault. Good luck!”
* * *
The first group of explosions were very compact, but six hundred feet away from the enemy fortress. I told the artillery they missed and gave adjusted coordinates. The stone and tower fragments that flew up into the air a minute later confirmed that we got it right this time.
Targeting skill increased to level nine!
Targeting skill increased to level ten!
Targeting skill increased to level eleven!
Eagle Eye skill increased to level thirty-nine!
The battery made another few successful volleys, but I didn’t notice much serious damage to the massive sturdy fortress. And then, despite Radugin’s order, I ordered one of the cannons to fire on the petrochemical plant. And it went off with a bang! Where it once stood, a fountain of flame shot up hundreds of feet into the air. One of the gas tanks took off like a rocket, leaving a trail of fire behind it. The next hit turned the factory into hell on earth.
Targeting skill increased to level twelve!
You have reached level thirty-six!
You have received three skill points! (total points accumulated: twelve)
But then, our one-sided game came to an end. The tower shuddered from a nearby explosion. Glass shattered, and Imran’s voice rang out in alarm:
“Dark Faction infantry! Lots of infantry! They’re coming from the airport in armored vehicles! They're unloading! More on the way!”
“Don’t let them reach the doors! Use grenades!”
Our tower shook again, and the comms link with the howitzer batte
ry was broken. While Zheltov tried to fix it, I went down a floor and carefully approached the window. Well, well! “Lot of infantry.” Imran had put that very lightly. There were at least a crapload of them, if not to use an even more vulgar term! I roughly estimated the number of enemies at around three hundred. But that was good. It meant we had their attention.
Danger Sense skill increased to level fourteen!
A moment after I moved my head away from the window, a few bright flashes came through it. Then Imran’s voice rang out in sorrow:
“Anya is dead!!!”
Our beautiful and brave medic was lying on the floor with her head shot through, still squeezing the plundered laser rifle in her hands.
“She’ll respawn in fifteen minutes on the base alive and well,” I reassured the Gladiator and, one after the other, lobbed two fragmentation grenades out the window. I heard banging on the blocked door below, and I wanted to slow them down a bit.
You have reached level thirty-seven!
You have received three skill points! (total points accumulated: fifteen)
The response flew in almost instantly. A few grenades came through our broken windows. First a fragmentation grenade. I took shelter behind a fallen metal cabinet. One small bit of shrapnel did hit me in the left wrist, though. Then a smoke grenade...
Medium Armor skill increased to level twenty-three.
Danger Sense skill increased to level fifteen!
That’s not any old smoke smoke!!! I changed my jacket and kevlar vest to my light spacesuit before I mentally realized what I was doing or why. And just in the nick of time! The room quickly filled with acrid gray smoke. Imran clenched his throat with both hands and started writhing on the floor. But I had no way of helping him. Five seconds later, my Dagestani friend was on his way to respawn. Before he was gone for good, I realized my Gladiator buddy had hit level twenty-three. Imran went up five whole levels during this raid. What a warrior!
I heard another deafening explosion in the room. Shrapnel ricocheted off the walls with a shrill whistle. Taking advantage of a brief pause, I ran up the stairs, already hearing dozens of boots clomping up the stairs. The enemy had made it through our barricade. I emptied my Krechet’s clip, forcing the enemy to take cover. I even hit a few times. Then, I threw down three of the grenades I got from the shock antigrav. They were flashbangs, so I didn’t kill anyone and just slowed them down.
On the top floor, taking cover behind some broken equipment in the corner, all splashed with blood and caked in cement dust, Dmitry Zheltov was pulling at wires with quivering hands. He was even holding a wire in his teeth. When I appeared, he first grabbed for a grenade, but recognized me and got back to work. The starship pilot’s life bar was down in the red. My last ally had less than a quarter of his hitpoints left.
“Gnat, we’ll have comms back online in just a couple seconds... Alright, we’re up and running! You can use the radio. You got a first aid kit?”
I shook my head no and pointed Dmitry to the stairway, indicating that enemies were close at hand. I stuck the plug back into my radio, took a deep sigh and loudly declared:
“This is Gnat, number one thousand four hundred seventy! The enemy is in the building. There are more than three hundred enemies in my immediate vicinity! Fire on my position! Coordinates...” I opened the map and started distinctly reading out my coordinates, but another voice interrupted me.
“Stop! This is a Leng’s order to immediately cease fire! There is a Geckho starship in the combat zone! God forbid we accidentally shoot it down. It would take a lifetime to pay that off!”
Fame increased to 32.
That was the last thing I needed... Who the hell was this?! Zheltov gave a long burst from his fully-auto, gunning down the enemies as they came up to our floor. Then he took another bullet and jumped back, setting his automatic down. Then, my only ally left alive tied a tourniquet above his elbow and reached for the pin of his grenade. I also took out my last remaining grenade and mentally prepared to die.
“Gnat, can you hear me?” The voice clanging out on the radio belonged to our diplomat Ivan Lozovsky beyond a shadow of a doubt. “Those Geckho came for you. It’s the Shiamiru. I sent them your coordinates. We’ve reached a cease-fire with the Dark Faction. They are removing their soldiers from the Eastern Swamp and officially recognizing our rights to the node. We agreed to stop shelling on the Golden Plain and recognizing their sovereignty there. There is a one-hundred-step-radius around the comms tower you are inside that has been officially declared a safe zone until the end of the day. Kosta Dykhsh is on his way there to personally guarantee your safety.”
Fame increased to 33.
You have reached level thirty-eight!
You have received three skill points! (total points accumulated: eighteen)
I shook my head skeptically. Not about the level-up, of course. That happened automatically based on the game algorithms, so I had no doubt. But a ceasefire with the Dark Faction... that was just too good to be true. Especially considering the alarming note from Gerd Tamara. So, I didn’t believe Ivan Lozovsky and even thought the traitorous diplomat may have been trying to trick me to leave the tower right into enemy hands.
But some time passed, and we were not attacked. The shots died down. Dmitry Zheltov, not hiding his astonishment, confirmed that the enemy was vacating the tower. And the sound of overdriven thrusters outside could only be one thing. The Shiamiru was landing. My arms stretched out all on their own, reaching for something sturdy before the starship crash landed on the ground.
“Gnat, you there?” the voice of Captain Uraz Tukhsh rang out in my helmet earpiece. I recognized it and was unbelievably happy!
So, everything Ivan Lozovsky said was true?! I mentally apologized to the diplomat for my mistrust and confirmed in Geckho that I was inside the tower and was coming right out.
“There’s so much smoke! Everything is burning and exploding... Somehow, I’m not surprised. Gnat, did you break something again?” Uline Tar couldn’t hold back a quip.
The sound of the thrusters changed tone and went quiet. The shuttle landed smoothly. I extended a hand to Zheltov and helped him to his feet. Together, supporting one another under the arm, we went down the stairs, stepping over the bodies of our vanquished foes.
There were quite a lot of living Dark Faction soldiers, but they were all far away from the tower, having formed a huge circle. The Shiamiru had landed inside of it. There was a second circle directly around the ship formed by austere Geckho troops.
“Is that... a starship? A real one?” A flame of interest lit up in the eyes of my badly wounded companion. Just a second before, he could barely drag his feet, but now he was walking almost normally.
“Yes, it's a starship,” I answered calmly, pretending I wasn’t impressed. “Let’s go, I’ll talk with the captain about you. First, I cannot leave you alone surrounded by enemies. Second, you're a Starship Pilot by profession, and the whole crew will be clambering to take you on board. You’ll see.”
I headed right for the captain. I was afraid of having to negotiate, but the conversation was very short:
“Tell your friend to come on board. He can be my co-pilot. First for one flight, then we’ll see.”
Still in disbelief, the denigrated Starship Pilot was finally going to work in a genuine starship. The huge Uline Tar walked up to me, squeezed me and said:
“Gnat, I’m happy to see you! Your Listener’s suit is ready and waiting. They even charged the battery. But first give me back the Annihilator!”
We made the trade and I became the happy owner of a matte black armor suit. I checked the requirements and the excitement made my heartbeat pickup! I was just barely too low. My Medium Armor skill was now at twenty-three, but it needed to be forty. But if I put my free points there, I’d have enough. I’d even have one left over. Not wasting time, I invested seventeen points into the Medium Armor skill and donned the dark-colored energy suit.
Fame increased to 34
.
Attention!!! Your character has attained significant fame and authority and has now been assigned the rank Gerd. You have received eight stat points.
Attention!!! Your character now has the Authority parameter. Current value: negative eight.
Attention!!! You may change class from Prospector to Listener.
I fell out of time for a second, too swallowed up by the messages before my eyes and the surge of thoughts that followed. I was a Gerd, someone who had proven themselves and stood out from the crowd! And I could change class. I couldn’t find a description of the Listener class, but I was intending to eventually figure out the advantages of the rare, and perhaps entirely unique class.
I was brought back to reality by a slap on the shoulder from Uline:
“Accept my congratulations, Gerd Gnat! But with all due respect, get into the ship, it's time for us to take off.”
The Shiamiru’s thrusters were already grumbling, so I hurried inside. In the doorway, I turned back and took one last look at the many Dark Faction soldiers standing in the distance. I saw among them Leng Thumor-Anhu La-Fin. The fearsome mage somehow sensed that I was looking at him and gave me a slight bow. I acknowledged the authoritative mage in kind.
The ship had already started and was quickly gaining speed when my radio squawked out. It was Ivan Lozovsky:
“Gnat, be honest, are you ever coming back? Will you fly off on adventures forever?”
I laughed in reply and answered with all the honesty I could muster:
“The faction won’t get rid of me that easy! Our planet won’t be kept safe much longer, so this is no time for goofing off. I’ll be back! Don’t you doubt it!”
End of Book One
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Countdown (Reality Benders Book #1) LitRPG Series Page 32
