The boy’s attachment to Robert seemed to relax the kids around us and lower their suspicions. The fact that we had freed them from their cells also helped.
Somehow the two of us managed to get the kids rounded up and moving toward the stairs. Rigged by whatever Robert had done to the security, the gates by the stairs were both open now, so I led the way down the stairwell.
A quick stop at the armory left the weapon racks there empty of the remaining weapons and ammunition, all stuffed into my equipment storage and nearly filling it to the brim.
I felt like the Pied Piper as I led the procession of children out of the prison and through the courthouse.
When I reached the front desk, Brian stared at the kids with a shocked expression. “Where did all of these kids come from?”
“Your alien friends were holding them in the jail,” I replied.
“What? No, that’s impos—” The officer’s jaw clamped shut as children continued to stream into the hall, and their very presence confronted the man’s denial.
Soon, well over one hundred kids filled the lobby and the crowd finally slowed as Robert pushed his way through them to reach the desk where I stood waiting. As the gunsmith worked through the mass of children, I saw a pair of faces I recognized.
The Thomas kids had survived.
I felt a sense of relief, as if a weight I hadn’t even realized I carried had been lifted. Zeke was long gone, but his kids were still here.
Robert stepped between the two kids and me as he approached, still carrying his grandson protectively, and I saw Brian blink in recognition at the gunsmith.
“Robert, I haven’t seen you in weeks. Do you know what the hell is going on?” Brian asked. “Where did all of these kids come from?”
“Those alien jagoffs had me in a slave collar,” Robert spat. “They locked up Mickey here with the other kids to keep me cooperative. They were planning to ship most of these kids off world as slaves and breeding stock for a black-market network.”
“There’s no way all these kids were in the prison,” Brian said. “There were too many prisoners here, even after the riot on the first day.”
“There are no prisoners left,” Robert said with a shudder. “The aliens ate them first.”
Brian stood still for a moment as he wrestled with the information, but I felt the weight of time press down on me once more. I had no idea how long the battle in the city might continue, and I wanted the kids long gone before any survivors returned.
“We need to get these kids out of here,” I said. “Open the gate, Brian. I don’t care what you decide to do after we leave.”
The officer pressed a control on the desk, and the front gates swung open outside the glass front doors of the building. Night had fallen outside and shrouded the parking lot beyond the gates in darkness.
“Come with us, Brian,” Robert said quietly. “You’re a good man, and the kids are going to need more good people looking out for them. I have a place where we can go, but I could use your help.”
The officer looked over the kids and seemed to come to a decision. Brian nodded to Robert and removed the badge from his chest. He placed the silver shield on the desk, his hand lingering on the badge for a moment, then he stepped out from behind the counter as he pulled his rifle from his Inventory.
“What about you?” Robert asked, looking at me.
“No, there’s going to be fallout from this.” I shook my head. “If questions start getting asked, far too many groups will be looking for me. It’s best that I give them a second trail to follow. I’ll play bait to draw attention away from wherever you’re going.”
Robert nodded in understanding. He opened his mouth, about to say something else, but I held up a hand to stop him.
“Don’t tell me where,” I said. “If the worst happens, it’s best I don’t know.”
The old man looked at me seriously for a moment then held out his hand. “Thanks. For getting that damn collar off my neck and freeing all of us. “
I shook the man’s gnarled hand and waved away the gratitude.
I was no hero to be lauded. Even now, people were likely dying in the city because of my actions. I’d had ulterior motives for almost everything I’d done. But I wouldn’t say it. Not here, and not now with young men and women packing the courthouse lobby.
There was nothing left to say, so I turned away to open the front door. I held it to let Robert lead the first of the kids out of the building. They hurried after him without complaint and streamed out quietly, two or three at a time. Several whispered their thanks to me as they left.
When the first of the older teenagers filed past me, I stopped the blond girl with an upraised hand and held out one of the refurbished police rifles I had looted when I cleaned out the armory. Her expression of surprise shifted to one of determination before she grabbed the weapon and the matching box of ammunition, which disappeared into her Inventory.
The rest of the looted rifles, I handed out amongst the other upper-class high school students. The monsters of the dungeon world wouldn’t care that they were kids. At least this way they might have a chance to defend themselves.
I just hoped Robert wouldn’t be too upset if he realized where the rest of his armory had gone.
Gabrielle and Jordan Thomas nodded to me respectfully when they walked out of the building, clearly recognizing me from our previous encounter. I jerked my head to the side after I handed them weapons, and the two split off to stand beside me as more children streamed out of the building.
I kept one foot in front of the door to hold it open and turned toward the pair as I summoned Zeke’s Warhammer from my Inventory. With one hand just below the massive head and the other at the base, I held the weapon toward the two youngsters.
“This was your father’s,” I said. “He would have wanted you to have it. With everything going on, I forgot to give it to you the last time we met.”
The teenagers looked at each other, unable to speak, and Jordan nodded to his sister. Gabrielle stepped forward and lifted the weighty weapon from my palms. Though she struggled to lift the Warhammer, the determined look on her face made it clear she would do anything but let the weapon fall to the ground.
Even if she was nowhere near the Strength levels required to wield the hammer effectively.
Jordan brushed his hand over the weapon. The pair worked together to hold it up while they inspected it. After they struggled for a moment, the Warhammer disappeared into the girl’s Inventory.
“Thank you,” Gabrielle choked out. Emotion filled her voice, preventing the young woman from speaking further.
“This means so much to us,” Jordan said. “We’ve lost everything, but now we have something of dad’s.” The young man breathed deeply, reining in his emotions. “Thank you.”
I nodded, finally feeling my debt to Zeke fulfilled, despite completing the man’s Quest long ago.
The Thomas kids thanked me again before they hurried off to catch up with the last of the children who had left the building. As Gabrielle and Jordan stepped beyond the gate surrounding the complex, a notification blinked for my attention, but I ignored it for now.
Brian brought up the rear of the group, and I let the doors close behind us as I walked with him to the gate.
“Good luck,” Brian said over his shoulder as he continued to follow the group.
“You too,” I replied.
The sharpshooter pulled a rifle from his Inventory before jogging to join the tail end of the straggling line of rescued youth. The disorganized troop snaked away through the parking lot. Those in the lead had already turned to follow Second Avenue and I lost sight of them soon after in the nighttime shadows that shrouded the city.
Once they were all gone, I summoned my bike from my Inventory and mounted it. Throttling up, I drove west to circle the block before I swung around onto the Boulevard of the Allies. The road climbed along the side of the incline here, and I slowed to a stop after the road leveled off.
/>
Only a few lights glittered in the darkness through the Southside Flats on the far side of the Monongahela River, but the view remained scenic as the moon rose higher in the early evening sky.
With no one in view, I finally had the chance to acknowledge the blinking notifications in the corner of my vision that demanded my attention.
Quest Complete!
You have successfully located and freed the children kidnapped by the Krym’parke slavers.
25,000 Credits and 20,000 XP Awarded.
-800 reputation with Goldmiser Cartel*
-1000 reputation with Krym’parke affiliated factions*
The asterisk after the final lines caught my attention and a linked notification appeared when I examined those messages more closely.
* These reputation changes are held in abeyance for 347 Galactic Standard Days. Should a member of the noted faction report evidence of your involvement to their faction leadership within the abeyance period, the reputation loss with that faction will be fully applied.
Apparently, if I stayed under the radar for the better part of a year, and no other evidence came to light, I might not end up as hunted as I thought. Still, it would be best not to stick around to find out.
Level Up! * 2
You have reached Level 19 as a Relentless Huntsman. Stat Points automatically distributed. You have 4 Free Attributes and 1 Class Skill Point to distribute.
A successful quest completion and two levels. Not bad for an evening’s work.
I decided to hold off on distributing the points for now. Unfortunately, my night was far from over. To put distance between the kids who would be going into hiding and me, I planned to drive well beyond the city limits along Interstate 376.
Fortunately, between my regular Inventory space and the specialized equipment storage of Right Tool for the Job, I had plenty of gear and supplies for a trip through the wilderness.
Maybe if I killed enough monsters and grew strong enough, someday I’d come back and see if any of the Krym’parke had survived the battle with the goblins.
I took one last look at the city, struck by the feeling that I wouldn’t be back any time soon.
Less than two weeks ago, I’d been a simple bail bondsman with a damaged body and a broken mind. I pursued lawbreakers through the city to distract myself from the struggle my life had become.
The System changed everything.
The Mana that flowed through the world had restored my physique to prime condition and bestowed literal superpowers. The struggle for survival continued, but it was different now that I had superhuman abilities, laser pistols, and magic. And a railgun.
My nightmares had seemed diminished lately too. The fact that I could finally sleep through the night without waking up in a cold sweat, especially as little as I had been sleeping lately, was almost worth the cost of the worldwide calamity.
At least to me.
While not everyone would agree, the monsters spawned by the System were tangible foes I could fight, and I looked forward to growing stronger as I continued to face off against the challenges of this new Dungeon World.
I’d lingered here long enough. The time had come, and I needed to move on.
My bike roared back to life, and I leaned low over the handlebars as I throttled up.
Asphalt disappeared beneath my tires, and I shot down the street. The ramp for 376 East veered off to the right, and I swept down it onto the wider highway below.
I settled into the comfortable seat of the motorcycle, knowing it would be a long night of driving.
And there were miles to go before I could sleep.
Epilogue
An image wavered in the shimmering pool of crystal-clear water at the center of a raised and elegantly carved granite basin. Chiseled into the stonework were armored hunters mounted on horseback, armed with spears and bows, followed snarling hounds as they pursued dainty, humanoid figures through the sculpted trees.
An image hung suspended within the rippling liquid that filled the cauldron. First the brown-haired man with the scarred face slumbered in the reclined driver’s seat of an ungainly rectangular vehicle, a four-wheeled contraption with a combustion engine. The scar tissue that marred him disappeared under the collar of the man’s shirt, evidence that the damage continued farther down along that side of his body.
The image wavered and showed the man in a running gunfight with another human in white coveralls. A moment later, the liquid swirled to reveal that the man now fought a giant bear before flames filled the pool and the vision shifted to another scene.
The man stood behind the vehicle this time, and he quickly spun around with a weapon raised before the pool wavered again.
Each time the waters within the basin rippled, the man appeared, usually locked in combat against another foe.
Monsters, men, and even a jabberwock.
The viewers watched in silence until the vision faded. Their last glimpse of the human showed him astride a two-wheeled vehicle, looking out over a city as night fell upon it.
“This? This is to be the next member of the Hunt?” an imperious voice demanded of the swirling pool.
“Your Majesty, the Mana formations on the new Dungeon World are not yet stable,” replied the Seer who tightly held the edges of the basin. Her hands still glowed from the powers she channeled through the stone and into the waters within.
A silvery crown set with deep blue sapphires reflected the pool’s light from the brow of the authoritative ruler. She sniffed, her expression a haughty sneer, before turning away from the Seer and her vision.
“I am not impressed,” the queen said as she walked away.
A cloaked figure stepped out of the shadowy recesses that edged the room and opened the heavy wooden door. Light streamed through the doorway into the darkened room, but distorted around the cloaked figure, leaving him shrouded in umbral gloom despite the open door’s illumination.
Outside the door, guards in silvery plate armor waited stoically in formation.
“Shall I have the affront to our people removed, my queen?” said the cloaked figure.
The crowned figure sniffed again disgustedly then paused. “No. Let the System play its games. Not even the Questors dare thwart the System’s will for long.” She stepped into the doorway and looked back at the hidden figure. “If he proves unworthy, then you may release the hounds.”
The woman stepped out of the room and into the center of the guards’ formation. The troop immediately marched smartly down the hall, their crisp steps matched to the pace of their monarch.
The cloaked figure grinned after them, the whites of his sharply pointed teeth the only feature visible in his otherwise hooded face. He closed the door and turned back to the Seer.
“Show me this human again…”
###
The adventures of Hal will continue
in
Dungeon World Drifters
In the meantime, keep reading for the short “Hunting Monsters,”
first published in
The System Apocalypse Short Story Anthology Volume 1
Glossary
Relentless Huntsman Skill Tree
Hal’s Skills
Hinder (Level 2)
Effect: All physical movement by a designated target within 15 feet is significantly impaired for 1 minute.
Cost: 40 Stamina + 20 Mana.
Keen Senses (Level 1)
The user is more in tune with their body and more accurately interprets information gained from their surroundings. This manifests in the user as increases to vision, audition, gustation, olfaction, tactition, and proprioception. Mana regeneration reduced by 5 Mana per minute permanently.
On the Hunt (Level 3)
The Relentless Huntsman has a reduced System presence and increased ability to disguise their visible titles, class, level, and stats. Effectiveness is based on the user’s Skill level and Charisma. Mana regeneration reduced by 15 Mana per minute permanently.
&nbs
p; Meat Locker (Level 1)
Effect: The Relentless Huntsman now has access to an extra-dimensional storage location of 20 cubic feet. Only deceased bounty targets or slain creatures may be added to this location and must be touched to be willed inside. Mana regeneration reduced by 5 Mana per minute permanently.
The Right Tool for the Job (Level 1)
Effect: The Relentless Huntsman now has access to an extra-dimensional storage location of 5 cubic feet. Items stored must be touched to be willed in and may only include weapons, armor, equipment, or supplies owned by the Relentless Huntsman. Any qualifying System-recognized item can be placed or removed from this inventory location if space allows. Cost: 5 Mana per item.
Greater Observation (Level 1)
Effect: User may now detect System creatures up to 50 meters away and is provided an analysis of the subject upon detection. Increased Skill levels may reveal additional System information not normally available. Depending on comparative overall level and Skills in effect, the target of focused Observation may know that the user has gained some level of information. Mana regeneration reduced by 5 Mana per minute permanently.
Rend (Level 1)
Effect: Physical weapon attacks that cause health damage apply a bleed effect, causing the target to bleed for 15 damage over 15 seconds. This effect can be stacked if the health damage occurs at a different location on the target.
Cost: 10 Stamina.
Implacable Endurance (Level 1)
Effect: Reduces Stamina cost for physical exertion and activated physical abilities by 25%. Does not stack with other Stamina reduction skills. Mana regeneration reduced by 5 Mana per minute permanently.
Spells
Minor Healing (I)
Effect: Heals 20 Health per casting.
Target must be in contact during healing. Cooldown 60 seconds.
Fist Full of Credits: A New Apocalyptic LitRPG Series (System Apocalypse - Relentless Book 1) Page 40
