Earth Tactics Advance: Volume 1

by Scottie Futch

  "Too bad about you running out of ammo, though. I chose a close-up weapon because it was all I had at the time. It's worked wonders for me." Scott took out his Kaiser Blade and showed it to the girl.

  "Close-up weapons are better now?" she asked curiously.

  "Well, I don't know about better. You just don't need ammunition. I've started to see that guns are still good weapons, though." He glanced at his blade briefly then said, "I still prefer close weapons. Feels like the difference now is that close weapons are for trying to fight off tough single monsters. Firearms seem geared more toward killing lots of weak ones, or used in group battles to weaken approaching hordes."

  “Close-up weapons for tough monsters." She nodded once then started to repeat herself. "Close… Oh, I know!” She ran off toward the next room, and Scott followed. The house, rather a small mansion, was quite large. They had to go through several rooms to reach the place that she wanted to go.

  Scott looked around. “What is this? Some kind of museum.”

  “It’s my dad’s-”she used her fingers to make air quotes, “collection.” She took a breath and said. “He liked swords and things like that, even taught me proper fencing with live weapons.”

  Out of all of the weapons in the little family museum, there was a single one that she gravitated toward. It had a short blade that was wider near the point than near the base, and a black leather grip. Scott's recently acquired knowledge of blade weapons told him that it was of excellent quality.

  “This is the only thing in his whole collection that has actually been used in a fight. It’s a xiphos that my father had custom made by a professional swordsmith. The maker used high-end modern materials so that it would survive when dad wanted to play hoplite on the weekends,” she said.

  "So, he did like re-enactments?" asked Scott curiously.

  "Uh... no. I wouldn't call what he did a re-enactment," said the girl, softly.

  Scott looked at her curiously for a moment then his eyes slowly widened. A lot could be said about the implications of her statement.

  After a moment, she clarified something else. “The armor I’m wearing was his too, but it's not exactly ancient warrior gear.”

  She took her gas mask off, revealing long black hair and a pretty face, but eyes that were bloodshot. She had dark circles under her eyes denoting a lack of proper sleep. She stared at the sword in her hand then blinked twice. Tears brimmed along the edges of her eyes and then trickled down her cheeks.

  “What happened to him?” asked Scott gently.

  “I don’t know. He was out of the country on business. He ran a security firm,” she said.

  “Security firm…. Some kind of paramilitary thing?” asked Scott.

  “Yeah, something like that,” she said. “He taught me to defend myself.” She snorted then closed her eyes tight. “Some good it did.”

  “You’re alive, aren’t you? A lot of other people can’t say that,” he reminded her.

  “Yeah. I suppose,” she said in a non-committal manner.

  Scott reached out and gripped her shoulder. “Whatever he taught you worked. I’ll show you a few things too. You can survive this, and you might even see him again to thank him.”

  She blinked then looked up at him. “Are- Are you serious?”

  “He’s the sort of guy who trains to be a hoplite in modern America and runs a para-military security firm. He wouldn’t have died easily. Right?” asked Scott.

  “Right.” She nodded. It was obvious that she had begun to dare to believe his words.

  “I’m just a slacker who couldn't even prevent his girlfriend from turning lesbian on him. Yet, I’m kicking all kinds of ass. Think someone like your father wouldn’t be able to make it?" he asked her, a bright and silly smile on his face.

  She blinked then laughed slightly, the tears still fell but not so quickly now. “Yeah. You’re right.”

  “Good. Let’s get you properly prepared for ass kicking. Alright?” asked Scott.

  “OK.” She nodded once for emphasis then smiled a little more brightly.

  Scott gave her a systematic rundown of what he knew. She was already aware of how to check her status and how to view her item information. Her knowledge increased his estimate of her several fold compared to the group he dealt with earlier. Despite hiding in her home, she knew more than people who supposedly went out to fight the monsters.

  She started to ask questions, and Scott gave her what answers he could. It was not until she happened to check the status of her xiphos that she asked a question that Scott could not properly answer.

  "What do you mean? It shouldn't have stats," said Scott.

  She shrugged her shoulders then held up her blade. "Well, it does."

  He asked her to tell him what the stats were then blinked slowly. "Damn, that thing's actually a little better than my kaiser blade!"

  "Really?" she asked. "Why would it have stats at all though, if it was not part of the system?"

  "Who knows? I didn't invent the way the world works. I just work here," said Scott flippantly. Several thoughts occurred to him, however. One of which involved wanting to speak to her father about how he actually acquired the sword. It might have been just as he was told, but there were other possibilities.

  Remembering that he had fought a great deal that day, Scott decided to check his status. He grumbled slightly about the fact that he was still level ten. The fights throughout the day had not increased his level despite the fact that he had killed a boss monster. While he had not received a level-up notification, it would have been nice to just see his stats increase when he checked them.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Rosa.

  “Still at level ten. Leveling up is getting harder,” he said.

  “It’s hard to gain a level, huh?” she asked in a worried tone.

  “Well, for me it is. You could probably gain a few of them pretty easily if we went hunting for weak monsters,” said Scott.

  “Would you help me?” she asked him softly, a tremor in her voice.

  “Of course,” he said. “Let’s go now. It won’t be good to fight in the dark at your level.”

  She nodded and followed him out to the yard. Then nearly fell over when she saw the mini-bike from before slowly moving around in a circle out front. “What!”

  “Ah, that’s Harley. She’s my pet,” said Scott lightly.

  “Pet?” Rosa shook her head slowly back and forth.

  “Harley, have you sensed any monsters nearby?” asked Scott.

  “Affirmative, master. There are eighteen monsters of four separate species all within one mile of this structure. They have an average level of two.”

  “The bike talks… it’s not a radio?” asked Rosa.

  Scott smiled. “No. Not a radio.”

  “Harley, can you take us to the closest, weakest, monsters? You and Rosa need to train,” said Scott.

  “Affirmative, master. However, Harley will not be able to carry both of you or engage in combat in this form,” said the mini-bike.

  “You can change forms then, and we'll walk,” he instructed her.

  “Understood,” she said.

  “Change forms?” asked Rosa.

  Scott did not need to answer her as the pink mini-bike made a clicking noise then various parts started to shift. Soon, the bike became a robotic looking girl. Light shimmered around the robo-loli, and flesh appeared where only metal had been before. Soon, Harley stood before Rosa in all her leather jacket clad glory and loot master in hand.

  “Holy shit… a mini-bike terminator,” said Rosa, her eyes wide and her jaw slack.

  “Harley, meet Rosa. Rosa, this is my pet Harley,” said Scott while gesturing from one girl to the other.

  “Harley is pleased to meet you. Please be kind to master,” said the robo-loli.

  “L-likewise…” said Rosa her eyes wide and filled with confusion.

  They left the comfort of the gated mansion, and headed off to the field behind the house.
Rosa had her xiphos belted to her hip and her new loot master in her hands. Harley held the other loot master, while Scott wielded his kaiser blade. He would only act if either of them were in danger.

  It was not long before they came up on a group of the over-sized rats like the one that Scott had seen before during his trip through town. The creatures hissed angrily then bounded toward them. The customary blue field of light rose up around them, and the announcer called them all to battle.

  “Fire!” exclaimed Scott while gesturing with his hand.

  Harley did as instructed immediately. She spent her entire turn firing relentlessly on any rodent within range. Rosa's turn came last, but the rats had only managed to make a slight dent in the distance between them before her turn came around. She took a precious moment to steady her nerves then opened fire as well.

  Her stats were abysmal, straight level one. She was able to perform a single action, and fired off three shots in rapid succession to end her turn.

  Two of those rounds hit the closest rat. A thirty-three, and an eighteen floated up from the beast just before it squealed loudly and slumped over. The rats were pathetically weak and were downed quickly by arms fire.

  Another turn sequence began with Scott moving to position himself at a strategic location to draw the attention of the rodents. Harley moved to a slightly different firing position and took down two more rats.

  Just like before, Rosa proved to be too slow to act. Her turn came last, as the rats had superior agility and other factors that helped them along when compared to her. It did not matter, however. They could only take a few steps during their movement phase. Five of them broke off toward Scott, as he was the nearest prey.

  Three shots rang out and another rodent died. Rosa was doing her best with what she had to work with at the moment.

  Several turns passed as the rats and the hunters went about the business of battle. Each time Scott's group came into play three or four rats were slain. The group numbers dwindled rapidly. Soon only three rats remained by the time Rosa finished her most recent turn.

  Two of those rats were dangerously close to Harley. The third reached Scott just in time to launch the first rodent attack of the battle. The enraged little beast hurled itself toward Scott with deadly intent, only to be easily side-stepped. Scott's blade whipped around with lethal accuracy and brutal power that neatly cleaved the beast right down the center before it ever hit the ground. It was a sickening display, but effective.

  "Counter!" cried the announcer voice, while the customarily cheerful background music continue to pound away.

  The beasts were close enough now that Rosa was actually able to hit with all three shots. Another rat died, and the final one was left all alone for Harley to finish off when her turn came immediately afterward.

  “That was… intense.” said Rosa. “Are they actually dead?”

  “Yeah, seems so. Good job ladies. We should move on to the next group after a short rest. We need to restore out stamina so Harley can keep reloading when necessary.”

  "I never ran out, can we just reload now?" asked Rosa.

  "No, I doubt you have enough stamina to do that without being close to passing out afterwards. I'll just reload them for you, or Harley can do it. Once you girls gain a few levels, we'll head back. You need to train your stats before doing much else."

  "Right, you said that if I train my stats I can get more power when I level up..." said Rosa.

  Scott nodded to her. "At the moment you need a little cushion. At level one, our stats are ridiculously low. A stiff breeze can kill us. Get a few quick levels and it'll help a little, but I'd definitely spend time training stats before going too hard on the leveling."

  "Master. Harley does not gain power in that manner," said the robo-loli.

  "What do you mean— Nevermind, you told me on the way over, didn't you?" said Scott. "Let me know when you've gained a level or two. I'll congratulate you."

  “Thank you in advance for praising Harley, Master,” said the little girl before she led them onward. There was no loot for these creatures, sadly. They veered away from the bridge area and headed off toward a small wooded area. In the darkness of the wood, they faced several more rats in small groups, before Harley discovered a larger concentration of slightly stronger monsters.

  “There are eight goblins nearby, Master. Their average level is four.”

  “Perfect,” he said.

  “Hey, isn’t that too much!” exclaimed Rosa nervously.

  “We should be fine. You girls make sure you cover each other and try to aim at the same goblin. I’ll run in and fight them directly, since neither of you is likely to hurt me with friendly fire.”

  “What do you mean? We could shoot you by accident, you know,” asked Rosa.

  “I’ve been shot in the face with a shotgun and pelted with the ammo from those same weapons several times today. I’m fine,” said Scott. He pointed at her briefly then said. "Besides, you've already shot me a few times."

  Rosa did not look like she believed that it would be fine, but she did not speak of it again. He seemed to know what he was talking about so far, and she had already shot him. Old habits and beliefs died hard, however.

  The eight goblins were sitting around a campfire when the team slipped up on them. A large rat had been skewered and placed over the flame to cook.

  “Rat, rat… always rat. Why we not get something else?” asked the scrawniest goblin of the lot.

  “Shut up and eat, Greeok,” said the largest goblin. Why, he was nearly the size of a somewhat short man!

  Greeok started to backtalk his group leader but the sudden flare of green energy, and the loud cheerful cries of the announcer voice caught their attention. Unable to move for three full turns made by the entire attacking party, the goblins could do nothing but stare at each other in horror as the explosive roar of a madman echoed through the area.

  Scott came running into the small clearing and hacked at the closest of his opponents. The goblin tried to block with a rusty metal pipe the moment that he was free to do so, but the force of the blow that he received was enough that he was driven back. A large and bloody gash was torn in his forehead, even as he was stunned temporarily by the blow.

  The next attack included a lengthy side-step and hard strike to the side that the goblin was not fast enough to block. His arm was cleaved from his shoulder. Fifty of the beast's hit points flew away in an instant, but Scott was not nearly done. Another hard diagonal step put him directly behind the monster. His next strike slammed down through its skull like it was made of the softest of soft butters.

  Scott opted to stop his assault there and turned to face the other seven beasts. It was not over for them by a long shot, however, as the thunder of gunfire echoed through the area.

  Greeok's eyes signaled his fear and the onset of his untimely demise. His body was brutally penetrated by several rounds of ammunition. He gurgled quietly amid the fury of the one-sided battle and then fell lifeless to the ground.

  “Attack! We’re being attacked!” shrieked several goblins even though they were frozen in place.

  “Kill the bitches with the guns!” snarled the leader of the camp. He was a bit early with that order as the rules of war were clear. The opposing team had the advantage and at least three free turns. All they could do was try to defend during the instant before an attack.

  “Kill that bastard meat!” snarled one of the other goblins in the camp just before gunfire riddled his body. He was not slain like his sub-ordinate but there were several puncture wounds in his body that bled freely. Rosa had not leveled up yet, and her attacks were not as strong as Harley's.

  Scott jogged toward an uninjured goblin then swung his blade once more. He cleaved into his opponent’s face, just before three goblins attacked him in tandem from the side.

  "Special Counter-Assault: Goblin Tribe Unity!" cried the announcer voice.

  Surprised by the fact that they could move at all without the additi
on of a boss monster, Scott was unable to fend them off completely. He was well beyond these creatures. He did his best to avoid their attacks, but he was hit several times. However, they did little damage. The greatest victory on their part included a brief instance where the force of their blows knocked him off-balance. Had they been better equipped, or higher in level, the attack would have left Scott in serious danger.

  “Fire on the ones around me!” shouted Scott. His turn had been brought to a swift close the moment the goblin's counter-attack had been utilized.

  “Affirmative,” said Harley. She immediately switched targets.

  Rosa glanced at Harley, hesitantly. However, she saw a bullet bounce off of Scott’s armor and then closed her eyes. It was a stupid thing to do in a fight, but this was the first real combat situation that she had to survive that did not include running away. The rats had been easy kills. This was her true test.

  A three-round burst erupted out of Rosa’s weapon that peppered the back of one of the goblins. He did not die. Instead, he peered off to the side and half-turned toward her before the battle paralysis kicked in again.

  The final free turn came around. Sensing the possibility that these goblins might be dangerous to his team mates, Scott decided to activate his burning soul ability.

  Intent upon using his entire speed and movement in this turn, Scott dashed around behind the largest goblin and immediately launched a series of rapid strikes. The beast started to scream out in pain while turning his battered body toward his would-be killer.

  Scott did not give him time to finish his outcry. His blade slammed upward in a powerful rising strike that shattered the goblin’s jaw and knocked several teeth out of its ruined mouth. Scott finished the attack by thrusting his shoulder forward to knock the beast back and then whipped his blade around in a powerful horizontal arc that tore through its chest cavity and sheared through his heart and lungs. The goblin spat out blood then crumbled to the ground. Despite the brutality and number of strikes, Scott still had more than enough speed and movement to move on to the next target.

  Scott broke the goblin's ability to use their unity attack by killing another goblin with three quick strikes before his turn ended. Two goblins left in the fight, it was now Harley's turn.