Chapter 45 - Aftermath

A heavy, somber silence had enveloped the camp. Only the sounds of work, such as muffled grunts and one or two calls for someone to come help lift something could be heard. The cries of the wounded and of those who had lost someone had died down. Only clipped mutters could be heard. There were no words needed. There were no words to describe the loss.

Joshua was talking with Elena and making sure she had everything she needed to tend to the wounded. She was crushing something with her makeshift pestle and mortar as she listened to Joshua.

Joshua had assigned as many helping hands as Elena could use. While the death toll was high, there was also a score of wounded people. When you added those to the people in shellshock or catatonic with grief, the functional working force of the camp had to work twice as hard.

There was a group of people on their knees ripping apart the jumpsuits taken from the fallen. They were making bandages.

Marie was among them. She gave Max a grim nod, to which he responded.

When Elena noticed Max her eyes welled with tears. Max gave her a sympathetic smile. She jumped on him, hugging him tightly.

“If you hadn’t been here,” she said through choked words. “There were so many. I… I… Thank you, Max.”

She let go.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Max said. He squeezed her once more on the shoulder.

She mustered a brave nod and turned back to Joshua. “Please send a group to find me the herbs. I’d go myself but…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Joshua said. His voice was steady and his expression calm. There was a similar anger to Max’s behind his eyes. Max could see it. “Walk with me, Max.”

They turned and Max followed Joshua, who strode along with long, determined steps. “I can never repay you. This attack was unlike any before.”

“You don’t need to repay me,” Max said. “I did what I’m here for.”

“That’s…” Joshua lost the steel of his voice for a beat. “I’m very glad you’re on my team. If you hadn’t been here, I think we would have all died.”

“How many did we lose?” Max asked.

“Twenty one people.”

Twenty one people. Twenty one people ripped away from their lives, forced to survive with scant nothing. Tired, hungry, aching. Brought into this world, and for what? Just to end up maimed to death.

Max knew he had done his absolute best in their defense. There was no scenario where nobody would have gotten killed. But it still stung him. It still angered him. He’d get stronger and he’d find out what had happened. And then he would make goddamn sure it would not happen again. He would protect everyone.

“I need to go out there,” Max said.

Joshua gave him a wary glance. “What if these beasts come again?”

“That’s what I need to go out to prevent. Whatever is causing this, we can’t let them have the time to prepare another attack.”

“You think this was an attack?”

“I’m almost certain.”

“The panthers have simply evolved,” Joshua said before they stopped in front of a group of people hanging their heads, doing nothing. “I think it's just a way for the aliens to speed up the game.”

“Maybe,” Max said quietly. “But that’s not the full story.”

Joshua instructed the group to first get some water for everyone with every pot, bucket and pan they could find and then go help people to process the panthers. They got up with empty eyes and slow steps. A [Psychiatrist] would have been great, and not just as a joke anymore. These people would have to find a way to deal with trauma.

Maverick was awake, but uncharacteristically quiet. He seemed to have at least some measure of tact, which Max could appreciate right now. This was no time for flippant quips.

The weapon stopped cycling Spiritual Energy, which it had been doing. He gave Max sort of a mental nod and went back to cycling. Max decided Maverick might not be all that bad after all.

Joshua and Max walked along and came to where the panthers were being processed. Some of the skilled [Laborers] were separating the meat, intestines, hides and bones, while [Artisans] came to collect and work those parts further.

Sid already had a large pot being prepared for cooking. His other arm was secured in a makeshift sling that was slightly covered with blood. It didn’t seem to slow him down, and he worked with a single arm with speed enough to make up for lack of another arm.

He seemed to be constantly cooking as far as Max had noticed. He had to. Regardless of them still having meat from the previous hunt, they could not let these resources go to waste. Max wondered if it would ever be possible to preserve meat for later use. He knew meat could be dried and salted, but salt was scarce so far.

Sid noticed them, wiped sweat off his face and gave them a tired little smile. Joshua and Max came closer.

“You holding up the fort, Sid?” Joshua asked.

“We got everything under control, chief,” Joshua said. “I got my pack of bros and sisters to sort this meat out. Will probably have to throw some of the intestines away.”

“Have some taken to the fishing spot. They could still work as bait.”

“You got it, chief,” Sid said. Then he turned to Max and nodded to him in appreciation. “You really saved our asses, bro. You got good timing.”

“That I do,” Max admitted. “I’m glad you’re okay, Sid.”

“Don’t worry about me, bro,” Sid said, about to turn back to his work. “I’ll cook you up a nice proper steak. On the house. Or the camp. Or whatever bro. But you got it!”

“Thanks Sid!”

Max and Joshua continued, as Joshua organized the camp, and Max assessed the damage and what he should do. Well it wasn’t so much as what he should do, but when he should leave.

He shouldn’t waste time. He didn’t have enough information. For all he knew the camp would be suffering an attack in the next few days. The other smaller attacks had happened in that span. But they’d only been tests of defense. This had been the real thing. It could have cost many resources to whatever entity was orchestrating the attack.

Leveled up Quartz-level Cultivator (lesser) to 12

+1 free attribute point

“Good job, Maverick,” Max muttered to himself. Joshua gave him a look, but Max just shook his head. He had talked about his Cultivation path with Joshua in scant detail, but now was not a time to get into it.

“So you’re off somewhere again?” Joshua asked with a tinge of hurt in his voice. “I could use you around here. For moral support if nothing else.”

“You’ll do just fine,” Max said. “I’m more useful to you and everyone else out there.”

“I suppose…”

“Besides, I’m not going far this time. Just to that forest over there to find out what’s going on. This could be a short trip.”

“I hope so,” Joshua said. “You’ll need supplies with you? Potions?

Max shook his head. “Keep them. You guys will need them here more than I will.”

They exchanged a few words before Max excused himself. Joshua was busy and he didn’t really need him there. Max decided he would go set up his hammock and get some sleep. Tomorrow could be a long day.

He would need to spend these free points from Cultivation and his massive stack of Cosmic Coins. Then he would get a good meal and leave first thing in the morning. Maybe a new boss had spawned. Whatever it was, Max would take care of it.