Body Cultivation Hurts - Chapter 4

A long tunnel blinked into existence before him. It was as simple as that. Its length shrank to nothing almost as soon as it appeared. Nathan felt the heat already. Even though the tunnel had shrunken, the area on the other side of it was a narrow hall made out of orange stone. After a second look, the stone wasn’t orange itself, but its light was.

He slowly stepped through the portal where a dry heat engulfed him. It left him licking his lips. He didn’t even notice the portal had disappeared until it was gone.

This was it. It was exactly as he remembered it.

He marched forward. The opening at the end of the hall became clear. There was a huge room beyond it with racks and an opening in the floor.

When he reached the end of the hall and stepped through it, he spotted movement. On either side were other people. They all looked disoriented. He wasn’t sure how many people were there in total. At least a couple dozen. Not everyone walked out of their tunnels at the same time either.

Some of the other challengers approached one another. A few were already talking. He had a job to do. He thought of his sister and parents who would have this as an option in a years’ time. He wondered if Kyle was already facing his trial. It was even possible that they were in the same one, but he doubted it. There were countless other trials almost identical to this, and each would be limited to about forty people.

He came to the rack in front of his tunnel and found a variety of weapons. There were those as small as stilettos and other large as pole weapons. There were only a couple midsize weapons like swords, clubs, and axes. He was eying the spear when a new wall of text appeared.

~

Welcome to the Points Trial.

Your objective is simple. There is a single path that passes above this river of magma. Cross it to reach the other side. There will be no railings or walls to keep you from falling over the edge, so take care. Also, watch out for the lesser zombies that are standing guard. They are slow but deadly. Reaching the other side alive is your primary objective.

Personalized Message – Since you were interested in earning 35,000 points, here are the basic requirements.

· Reach the other side while making sure another person arrives with you.

· Kill zombies instead of avoiding them to ensure a higher score.

· If you arrive without helping another person, then your point tally will be lower.

· For a higher point total, guarantee the success of more people.

Take any variety of weapons from the display. You will need them.

Note: If there is a specific kind of weapon you’d prefer, simply ask and it will be provided. An exception will be made for ranged or modern weaponry. Firearms are strictly prohibited.

~

Inwardly, he cheered. He’d spent an hour thinking this through. “Four hardwood bo-staffs that are six feet long. One katana with a belt and sheath.”

As the weapons appeared, he clapped his hands together and quickly fastened the katana before gathering three of the bo-staffs in a bundle and putting them on his left shoulder. He held another in his hand. Getting the balance just right with the bundle, he lazily held on to them by dropping his left arm over them.

He hurried over to the path, examining it. It was about ten yards wide. There was plenty of room for a group of people, but if it got too crowded it could turn dangerous.

The number of people had grown to the maximum forty people. He was easily one of the youngest, but also amongst the best in shape at a glance.

Even before he’d been reborn, he wouldn’t have waited for one of the older guys to take the lead. Nathan’s father was ex-military, and his current profession was a private security consultant. What he did now wasn’t very exciting since he worked mostly on the business side of things, making it a desk job. However, his father had earned his more peaceful career. He’d taught Nathan that leadership wasn’t about titles or acting authoritative. It was just seeing what needed doing and getting it done. The best way to lead was often the simplest. Start doing and others would follow.

There was a lot more to long term management, but the first step was easy enough. He walked to the bridge and started walking. As he did, he called out instructions. “There are zombies crawling up on the sides of the bridge. If we run, we’ll be able to make it across before most of them are up. Making it without killing any zombies will net you 10,000 points, so if that’s what you’re going for, get going. If you want more, going as a group will net you more. For more than that, wait until we get to the end but don’t cross to the other side. Those of you that want to kill some zombies for extra points can then turn around and have at it. And by the way. Don’t bother trying to stab or slash the things to death if they are by the edge. They are slow and stupid, so just push them off.”

He then spun and faced the group for the first time. Some of them were ready to go, while others had no intention of listening to him. He gave them all his most sinister grin. “Let’s go!”

He ignored every objection, spun around, and placed his first bo-staff on the ground. He might not need it, but having a few extras laid out just in case cost him nothing except for lunging them along. “By the way, be careful not to trip over these or move them.”

There were even more objections, but he simply took off running. Despite the system preparing his body, he had yet to choose his path, so his abilities were still the same as before. One benefit of the Genetic Modification Fluid was that his fatigue had recovered. Holding onto something wouldn’t be a problem.

It was only about two hundred meters to reach the other side of the stone bridge, so it would all be over soon if they simply ran for it.

Within fifty meters from the start, a few people sprinted past him. He let them go, secretly wishing them luck. It really was easy points if you had good information.

Halfway down the pathway, he placed another bo-staff down and called out to warn those behind him it was there.

Zombies were starting to reach the top. Unsheathing his katana with one hand, he moved toward the side and just held it out as he ran. Some zombies were pulling themselves up, but most just had a handhold on the top of the bridge. It was the simplest thing in the world just to run his blade over their hands or wrists to send them plummeting off the edge. The bridge was about thirty meters up, so most of them that fell would die. They could also fall on others that were still on the ground floor.

He slowed when he was about two-thirds of the way there. He didn’t bother to clean his sword since he wouldn’t see it again after this as he sheathed it. Placing a third bo-staff down at the middle of the bridge, he took the last one in both hands and sped up again. This time, instead of just running his blade over the zombies at the edge, there were some coming to their feet. He used his momentum as much as any skill to push one zombie off the side after another.

The three or four players that had run on ahead had already reached the end. One awkward lengthy guy turned back, and took a stance with a sword and a shield. Nathan knew just from looking at him that he’d chosen a sword too big for him with his current strength. A short sword would’ve been better than the broadsword he had chosen.

Regardless, Nathan approved. The willingness to fight was often more important than skill. Especially here at the beginning.

As he pushed zombies off, he focused on his breathing. His pace hadn’t been a fast one from the beginning, and he wasn’t overexerting himself as he rid the platform bridge of zombies. They were now rising up all around them. Reaching the three-quarter mark, he spun around and called out to everyone to go ahead. They were already home free unless they went out of the way to do something stupid.

He hadn’t paid attention to who had followed him, but as he’d thought, the challengers had split up into two groups. The largest one had followed him and about ten had stayed behind and taken the slow and steady approach. Suffice it to say, the slower group was now fully engaging the enemy at about the halfway point.

Knowing full well what the system was looking for, Nathan retraced his steps, taking his time to push off every zombie that got in his way. It took so little effort if you just played it smart. It certainly helped that he’d grown so used to battle in his first life that his adrenalin had yet to spike. It was just a nice, humid run with the pools of magma far below.

Before he reached the remaining group, a bearded man with a near-mullet ran up from the way he had come. He suspected the mullet wasn’t on purpose but from the way his hair lazily grew. Seeing the man’s forearms compared to his build, he assumed he was probably in construction. It explained his endurance.

He nodded to the man who gave him a serious squint in response. Nathan wanted to laugh, but he didn’t. The guy wasn’t used to anything resembling combat. None of them were. The man smartly used small slashes with his battleaxe. It produced just enough impact to send the slow, clumsy zombies teetering off the side.

“Make way,” the man leading the slow and steady group cried.

Nathan understood why he did it. None of them knew each other, so how could they know what anyone else would do? Still, it annoyed him, but he didn’t bother to show it. Before they’d finished the seven odd zombies between them, there was a scream from the back of the group.

Slipping passed the zombies and dodging the group leader’s spear, Nathan darted around a huddle of people in the middle and raced to the back.

A zombie had grabbed a girl’s shoulder and a guy had placed himself between her and its other arm. Instead of simply using his sword to kill it, the man was using both hands to compete with its strength. He was just managing to keep its second hand from grabbing her, but it was a losing battle. There was a second zombie that Nathan couldn’t see just on the other side of the man. It seemed he couldn’t see it either, for as soon as it appeared it already had him in its grasp.

Nathan raced toward them, but the zombie’s teeth sunk into the man’s neck. “Forfeit, idiot,” he cried. There was absolutely no reason to die here.

Taking his bo-staff up like a javelin, he launched it into the zombies at the back of the group with no real aim except to slow them down. Unsheathing his sword, he thrust it straight into the zombie’s face.

The man fell with the dying zombie.

Forgetting him for the moment, Nathan wrenched his sword out and turned back to the girl who was getting ready to either be choked to death, have her face eaten, or both. He used his blade again and gutted it.

Her scream had turned to a horrified whine as its teeth neared her face. Just as they reached her, there was a sickening crunch as the zombie’s head was cleaved from the top to back. As it fell, she went with it.

Before she hit the floor, something caught her at the waist.

Nathan found himself playing tug of war with a dead zombie, as he pulled the girl back with one arm. Its grip finally gave way and she fell back to her rear.

He was in her face a second later, keeping an eye on her weapon to make sure she didn’t accidently stab him with it.

“If you can’t make it, then forfeit. Anyone willing to help you is too busy.” He hauled her to her feet and made sure she at least nodded before he turned back to the zombies.

They walked so slow that if their group was moving a little faster, they wouldn’t even be able to reach their rear line. Their current forward movement just wasn’t enough.

He considered how he’d handled the zombies with his sword and groaned. He was not a swordsman. He’d handled them before for fun or out of necessity, but the angles were just annoying. He’d used fist weapons like fist daggers in his last life, so giving it a good hook to the temple was his go to.

He sighed as he forced his breathing under control and began to swing to kill. Out of all the swords he’d used in the past, a katana was one of his favorites simply because it could be swung much like a baseball bat. His technique was superior to that, but real swordsman would make him look bad.

He hadn’t seen what happened exactly with the man who’d been taken down, but he was no longer there so Nathan assumed he had forfeited.

He slowly backstepped, making sure he stayed with the group, but lingered more than the rest of them. He killed the zombies that got close while using the slow pace to recover a little.

Almost tripping, he looked down to find his own bo-staff underfoot. Evading bodies with peripheral vision was far easier than the comparatively smaller object.

Slashing a zombie in the face to drive it back, he sheathed his sword again and picked up the staff. He really wasn’t much better with the staff than the katana, but it made for a much longer bat. And in all honesty, it worked better for knocking things aside than the katana did in most cases.

He kept a close eye on what was happening behind them. For one, he didn’t want to trip. He also didn’t trust their battle vision. It was common for even veteran soldiers to get tunnel vision and only see the fight happening right in front of them.

He spotted the girl that had been hurt. She hadn’t left and stood near the huddled group at the middle. Her arm dangled at her side. She gave him a grave look and a thankful nod. She didn’t look like she had any intention of leaving.

He wasn’t even sure if she could fight, but at least she was willing.

There was a lull in the battle near the rear even though there were still a few hundred zombies on the bridge heading in their direction.

Breathe.

It looked like they were getting close. Because a group had remained, the fair side of the bridge was almost completely clear of zombies.

A few minutes later, the last zombie between them and the exit fell. Nathan breathing was still under control, but he used every moment to recover as much as he could.

When he saw the others jog forward to join the group guarding the exit, he stopped moving.

He had no intention of stepping over the line to the exit.

“You coming?” The bearded man called as he struggled to catch his breath.

It was then a zombie a head taller than the rest come to its feet about thirty meters away.

Nathan turned back to the man, and called out, “I’m good.”

Then the rest of the zombies did something strange. They started to part down the middle. Seeing the larger zombie stagger toward them, Nathan headed in its direction.

“Is he an idiot?” Someone called.

The giant zombie reached full charge.

Nathan thought of his last battle of his first death. The most powerful humans in existence had been crushed like tinder beneath the foot. Demons had been responsible. A small amount of the same blood flowed through the veins of this monster.

He could batter the smaller ones aside fairly easy, but he knew it would be impossible with this big stomper. He’d faced this monster before. He’d grappled with guys much larger than he was in his first life and knew enough to know what he could and couldn’t do against superior weight.

This zombie wasn’t just larger, but its movements were far faster than the small ones. It was still slower than the average person. Its large strides were making up for what it lacked, however.

The zombie spread his arms wide to block all exits. Nathan had other plans. When they were about to collide, he controlled his approach. If he didn’t get this just right, it was going to hurt.

The zombie took one last step. Nathan dropped to the ground, sliding. He intercepted the monster’s rear leg before it could take its next stride. He was nearly sitting on the creature’s foot, when he twisted, executing a baseball slide takedown as explosively as he could. It wasn’t pretty. It would’ve been more accurate to say he gave it a fancy trip.

Nathan nearly bounced to his feet and spun. The monster’s foot had bit deep into his inner thigh, but it wasn’t debilitating. He watched as the thing staggered sideways, trying to stop itself from falling. It was heading straight for a mob of zombies lining the side of the platform. It looked like they would stop its momentum, but as slow creatures they couldn’t move fast enough to brace for impact. The collision came and they fell over backwards like a bunch of bowling pins and off the platform’s side.

To his delight, the large one lost his footing entirely, swan-diving in the most ungraceful manner possible only to follow them right off the edge.

Nathan let out something between a cackle and snort as he started to move.

The zombies were already closing in on him. He greeted them with a bo-staff to the face. He hadn’t come here just to complete the trial, but to slaughter every last one of them. He’d gotten 20,000 bonus points for facing off with some odd thousand demons with modern weapons. He’d get far more for facing off with these zombies with traditional ones.

After clearing the immediate area, he stepped back and caught his breath. The boss was already out of the way. Now he had to just take his time and not do anything stupid.

A few long moments later, a familiar voice called out from behind. “Mind if we join you?”

He found Mr. Mullet, the spear wielding leader of the slow and steady group, and surprisingly, the woman with the broken arm. He gave her a closer look. She was a little pudgy in the face, but had a strong build despite her short stature.

Seeing that he was looking at her, she responded. “I need the points.”

Giving her a sharp nod, he looked to the man that had called out. “The more, the merrier. There should be no penalties for us doing it together as long as every zombie dies.”

“You were going to kill the rest by yourself?” The woman asked.

“I’m going for maximum points.”

That seemed to be enough of an explanation for she didn’t respond.

“Just let us know where we can help,” Mr. Mullet said. “I’m Colin.”

“Nathan,” he replied.

“Dan,” the spear wielder said. He had a tight business cut with sharp eyes. He looked athletic, but average size.

“Natalie. People call me that, or Talie.”

“Colin, Dan, Natalie,” Nathan said warmly before glancing back to the advancing horde. “We’re mostly home free. There is only one boss, and he’s already dead, so now we just have to finish up. Nothing should go wrong as long as we don’t grow complacent.

“And I thought I asked an excessive amount of questions to the system,” Dan said in jest. “Sorry for not trusting you back there at the beginning.”

“Nothing to apologize for. It would’ve been strange if everyone did.”

“So how do you want to do this?”

“Four corners,” he pointed with his bo-staff. “Two of us up front and two in the back. Give each other plenty of room since we’ve never fought together to eliminate accidents. But this way you guys can take out anything that slips between us and keep an eye on our backs. If necessary, you can switch. I should be good up front until we’re finished, but I don’t plan on rushing either. Now, we just got to put in the work.”

And so the four of them started the slow trek down the length of the platform bridge as they slowly cleared it of the rest of the zombies. By the time they were finished, even Nathan was breathing hard.

They congratulated each other.

Stepping across the finish line, Nathan disappeared.