[D'sP] Wave Time - Chapter 425

It didn’t happen right away. Ace was kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. A worry at the back of his mind as spring arrives and planting begins.

Then, a response finally happens. Someone delved too far and too greedily into the wilds. They riled up nature and beasts, causing an event that Ace and Jim had been preparing for in the background for quite some time.

All things considered, it was small, but there was now a beast wave bearing down on Wolf’s Rest. At least the idiots who riled up the mess had been far enough away, that the town was warned a couple hours ahead of its arrival. Enough time that Jim could nip out and back with a count.

It seems there was barely enough for the guild to officially call it a beast wave with a bit over a thousand beasts. Why a thousand? Jim wasn’t sure, that’s just what one of the system provided guild receptionists informed him.

On the bright side, that means all guild members who take part will receive rewards and the guild will provide them from their universal stock. Not that Jim wouldn’t have put up his own money to provide rewards if needed. Just that this way people have a chance to get things they need without knowing they needed it.

Outside of town, the usual tent strewn merchant gathering is a mess. Not from tents and abandoned camps. No, people had been quite effective at clearing out. Rather, in their haste to either get up river or behind the walls, system enhanced strength caused a good bit of damage to the ground as people underestimated themselves.

Jim stands on the outermost wall, back to the forest. “We are lucky!

“Don’t groan at me. A beast wave is an inevitability. Even planets that manage to stretch a city across the entire surface, from the highest heights to the deepest depths will end up suffering from them. Whether it is a ravenous horde of rats boiling up from some forgotten corner or monsters coming down from space itself, drawn by the sheer quantity of life to be found.

“We, thankfully, are dealing with the most basic sort of beast wave. A mix of monsters stampeding out of a wild forest. And yes, be thankful! If the records my guild has given me access to are true, a single species wave is so much worse. As it is, there is one powerful beast some idiot riled up who is forcing weaker monsters to charge at us.

“They’re tired, we haven’t actually planted the fields between here and the forest, and there are fewer monsters than normal because they’re stay at home parents right now. No joke, if you think a monster is bad, wait until you have to deal with a mama monster. And so, whatever is driving this wave forward won’t have forced the issue.”

This wasn’t the most rousing speech, but it got the point across. Besides, it had been a year now and people were a lot more used to the realities of the world. People weren’t going to leave because of a few monsters.

Though it probably helped that they already had decent walls. Even if they weren’t as good of a defense as they might have been before the system. Their presence and mental support for the townsfolk was quite high. Nevermind the fact that they were currently magic-less walls that most of the coming wave can climb over.

Jim isn’t actually too worried about this aspect, though. From his quick bit of scouting, there doesn’t appear to be any burrowing monsters involved. Those likely having escaped being recruited through said ability. Which meant the sturdy rock and dirt berm style wall wouldn’t be easily destroyed.

He has nothing against a proper stroke brick wall, but a wide pile of dirt and stone isn’t going to be shoved over. Besides, if the wall does get damaged, an earth mage will be able to easily fix the damage even during the fight. After all, it isn’t like it is precision work.

All the while, down in the dungeon, Ally and Doyle finish up what they’re currently working on so they can watch without distractions. Well, mostly without distractions. Even with a beast wave coming, there are still people delving. Though for the first time in a long while, it is mostly people who don’t belong to Jim’s guild.

And Doyle doesn’t want to disparage them or anything, but most of them suck. Even most of the people who farm the sixth floor are a part of the guild for the better odds. Those who haven’t joined are mostly the newest or have outside obligations, mostly related to religion.

Which was odd to both Doyle and Ally. Except this moment actually gave them a bit of insight, if accidentally. Outside while waiting in line for the dungeon, they catch a conversation between two groups.

This was mostly because of how shifty they were about. It wasn’t quite teens sharing an elaborate fist bump levels of greeting and they weren’t quite at the paranoia level of those same teens while handing off their mags behind the school building. Nevertheless, fancy hand signs and a clear pass phrase, combined with someone in each group always glancing around didn’t do them any favors.

Leader of the first group, “Praise the darkness that will consume the light. Yada, yada, yada. Anyway, drops still suck right now. Maybe the guild isn’t lying about them magically being able to increase drop odds? I thought they were mostly blowing smoke about that.”

Leader of the second group, “Not like we can join at the moment. Even those goody two-shoes aren’t all allowed to do so. I figure this won’t be a problem once the world opens up more, but for the moment I can’t exactly join and keep my power and standing.”

The first leader shrugs, “I almost did join up! Good thing the system warned me it would break my vow. I guess it makes sense that the adventurers guild would have a divine level of middle management. It would be almost inevitable for some members to end up at that level of power.”

The second leader nods, “I’m sure this is only a problem because we’re siloed away. The oath is likely just reacting to officially joining any other group with a godly member.”

They keep chatting after that, but Ally and Doyle turn away since they found out what they wanted.

Ally shakes her head, ‘Well, sucks to be them. Guess I should have expected that. What deities and similar are preying on the newly integrated and their ignorance aren’t going to miss a trick like that.

‘The wave is near so I’ll explain this quickly. Most religions allow you to join organizations that are at least neutral to your personal “higher” being. This is because basically every organization worth joining has at least a deity somewhere in their org chart.

‘Instead, those guys swore an oath that forbids joining any group with that going on that isn’t their own. It won’t matter much in the short term, but out in the wider universe they aren’t going to be able to join reputable banks, the best schools, or really any place worth joining with reach beyond a single planet.’

Doyle, ‘Huh, that does suck. Question though. I know deities can go multiversal. Are the deities in the guild that they’re talking about from outside this universe?’

Ally shrugs, ‘Not exactly important, but I can get your interest in the subject. Though boringly, the answer is most likely no. The Guild is set up so a deity joining or someone becoming a deity isn’t a cheap way to escape to another dimension. Otherwise, when a universe becomes close to dying, every deity that hasn’t already managed to set themselves up elsewhere would flood them.

‘Anyway, the city’s first beast wave should be here any minute! Just look at those trees in the distance wave. That cloud of dust and dirt being kicked up! It might not have more than the base amount needed for a wave, but that certainly doesn’t make it weak.’

Doyle turns his attention to the main screen Ally had set up. Now, most of the time, the blue screens they use are all the same. Doyle doesn’t care about the size and with Ally being a fairy, this means they’re quite small.

That was not the case for this blue screen. In fact, you could hardly tell it is a blue screen. Stretches across most of a wall with the live view pushed to the very edges. This sort of thing isn’t normally required, except unlike the controlled environment that is the dungeon, the beast wave was going to crash against the city wall and spread out.

Then the beast wave reaches the edge of Doyle’s territory. There is a flicker of hesitation. Not from fear, but rather desire, and then the wave grows wilder. Ally nods, ‘It seems they sense something from you. Ace’s back-up plan should work.’

Doyle, ‘Backup plan?’

Ally shrugs, ‘Same as it ever was. If things get too rough, they’ll let some through to us.’

Doyle, ‘Huh, yeah, fair enough. Not the first time, and it would help me. Though I very much doubt they’ll need to. Maybe they’ll let something through for me. That or a flyer? Eh, I’ll take what I can get.’

Ally nods, ‘Ace and Jim alone can take the wave from what I can see. About the only wrinkle is whatever the big bad is. So, let’s just wait a second to see what that is.’

The two turn their attention to the back of the pack as it rushes into Doyle’s territory. A thousand monsters isn’t that many and soon, nothing. Ally frowns, ‘It wasn’t there.’

Doyle, ‘Wait for it.’

The forest stills. The monster all passed by. Then one final beast prowls through.

Ally, ‘Huh, I don’t think Leopards are native to this sort of area.’

Doyle shakes his core, ‘Nope, not particularly native. Maybe it was from some zoo? Or does the system also redistribute animals when it puts everything back together?’

Ally, ‘As with most things in life, it’s a gray area. For the most part, it just puts stuff back. Except the world is bigger now and so there is a little redistributing done. Also, the system tends to spring animals in captivity to give them a fair chance.’

Doyle, ‘How’s that work with fish?’

Ally shrugs, ‘Well, that’s the thing. When it springs them, such as from a zoo or aquarium, it also places them in an appropriate location close by. Tropical fish aren’t just tossed on the ground or a nearby freshwater river. And the same should, in theory, be true for the leopard. If I had to guess, it was a leopard born in captivity and so, at least on a personal level, adapted to the region.’

Doyle, ‘Huh.’

Ally nods, ‘Yep.’

All the while the people on the town’s wall stand their ground. The monsters charge at them, clawing their way up the wall as the people above hack at them to send them back down. Not that there aren’t losses on the town’s side.

Some monsters have ranged options such as quills. Though none of them survive too long. Those guarding the wall were quick to target them down with ranged attacks of their own.

Still, that wasn’t the biggest threat to those guarding the wall. Instead, that would be the smaller monsters. It is easy enough for those in the wall to knockback leaping deer and clawing wolves. Rather, it is the sneaky foxes and rat packs that reach the top.

A few people end up dead to these unnoticed attackers. Though this doesn’t last long as Jim bellows over the din to warn them. Still, even knowing the threat, it doesn’t mean people stop being injured. None of them have truly trained to target monsters so much shorter than themselves. It gets to where entire sections of the wall willingly tanking some fire damage as mages burn out the rats with ground hugging fire.

Tough Vines - Chapter 424

Inconclusive - Chapter 426