Chapter 324

Outskirts of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine, 6:52 AM the next day

Although there weren’t any working rails near our destination, some had been added by the administration itself. They wanted people to come. It was clear from the moment we stepped outside that Hernigan, the administrator in charge of this area, was ecstatic to have such a playground.

Tents and shacks were haphazardly placed around the train station in a way that made it clear that there had been little oversight. People in all types of clothes and equipment were running this way and that, shouting wildly as the sounds of roaring fire came from the distance.

“It kind of sounds like they’re under siege,” Mercury remarked as he looked around. We received a few strange glances, but everyone was too busy with their own job to stop and ask who we were. “We should help, right?”

“Don’t worry, this is just the morning culling,” I replied as I started leading him to the front lines. “It happens every day to keep the mushrooms from getting too out of hand.”

“You didn’t mention that.” The ninja gave me a look. “You really like surprising us with things, don’t you?”

I grinned at him. While I had been mostly truthful about what we would be facing here, which was mutated wildlife, I had left out something crucial. Just to keep him on his toes. It was harmless, anyway.

We crested over a hill to see Chernobyl in the morning light, and his eyes widened. “That… is a lot of fungus.”

The landscape had been absolutely overtaken by mushrooms. Each one varied wildly in size, ranging from some as small as my pinky toe to others as large as the Angel Express’ engine. One massive cap hovered high above the reactors inside the power plant, though it seemed to have conformed to an unseen barrier. It was rectangular instead of round.

Even though they were different sizes, they all had one thing in common. The mushrooms were corpse gray all the way through except for a few pustules full of some glowing blue liquid. These growths were more prominent on the larger ones, and I could see the vile concoctions sloshing around inside.

Between the field of mushrooms and us were teams of people destroying the encroaching fungus through whatever means necessary. The majority of them used fire, whether through magic or technology, but that wasn’t all. Some used ice to freeze them solid while others turned the soil underneath into shredders in order to break them down.

No one, however, approached any closer than ten feet. There was a hard line in the ground as they worked that they stayed behind no matter what.

<<<>>>

[[Daily Scenario: Impede the Chernoshrooms]]

Good morning, Cher-no-byl!

Today’s looking to be another wonderfully sunny day with a high of 11 Celsius and a low of 4. It appears as though the wolf pack is strangely active today, especially on the east side, so if you’re working out there, be careful!

As per the usual, the radioactive Chernoshrooms are getting out of control and they need to be culled before they take over even more of the land. Yesterday was a fantastic day where you reclaimed roughly 40% more than the mushrooms took even with the attacks, and that was some fantastic progress.

At this rate, you may be able to reach the power plant without having to worry about radiation in another two or so months!

Keep up the good work, defenders!

Objective: Push the Chernoshrooms back to the indicated line.

Reward: +2,000 points.

<<<>>>

“Radioactive mushrooms,” I reiterated once I saw Mercury swipe away the new quest. “They’re very potent, and they spend all night clawing back any ground that they lost the day previously. Or try to, at least; it sounds like the defenders had a really good day yesterday.”

“We did, yes,” came a stern voice from behind. He spoke in English and we turned to regard him.

Taras Kravchuk looked every bit as stern as his voice, but it didn’t help his case that he was as tall as Kayla was and we looked down at his waxed head. He had on a crumpled black suit and tie that would buff the stats that would help him do his job as the lead logistics manager of the operation. His gray eyes took us in before he started reading a screen in front of him.

“Hello,” I greeted with a wave, but I was ignored.

“Anthony Franklin and Leonard Oswald,” he recited from the text box he was reading.

“I go by Mercury Moonslayer, actually,” the ninja interjected, raising his hand.

“Noted. Warmind and Mystic Ninja,” Taras continued before his eyes snapped to me as he reached into his pocket. “Quite a few player kills on you, Mr. Franklin, and even a Patron kill. I wasn’t even aware that was possible.”

“It’s a big world out there,” I replied with a shrug.

“So it seems. Are you someone we should be worried about?” He gave me a critical look, one that clearly told me that he would not be putting up with any nonsense today. “And be warned, I do have a lie detection skill. The truth, if you will.”

“You and your people have absolutely nothing to worry about from me,” I told him honestly. “I don’t go around killing people for fun.”

The manager stared at the space in front of him before nodding and swiping through his menu. He was satisfied with my answer. His eyes widened in surprise and he blinked before wiping the morning bleariness from them, as if he had just seen something he hadn’t expected.

Without hesitation, he reached out to shake our hands. We returned the gesture without hesitation. “I’m Taras Kravchuk, and I’m in charge of this whole operation,” he introduced. “I apologize if I caused you trouble, but most of the people who come through here aren’t fit to fight the good fight. Not the way we need, anyway.”

“You saw our stats, didn’t you?” Mercury asked with a smirk. “Or our MVPs? I’m not actually sure what you can see as a… whatever you are. Kind of feels like an invasion of privacy.”

“Special Operations Manager,” he stated as he straightened his tie. “Not a very flashy title, but it gets the job done. I can see where you’re coming from, but it’s also my job. Not only do I have to run this show, but I have to keep out tourists who think visiting interesting places before they get mauled to death by monsters is the best way to spend their apocalypse.”

“It is a pretty fair way of coping with all the ways things are happening even if most people prefer to stay in places that are familiar and comfortable,” I said. “Could do less with the mauled by monsters bit, though.”

“I suppose,” Taras replied, though it didn’t seem like he agreed at all. “What can I do for you two?”

“We’re here to destroy the thing turning Chernobyl into, well, this,” I answered, motioning towards the mushroom.

That answer caught him off guard, and he filled the pause by adjusting his tie. “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?”

“We’re going to help solve your mushroom problem,” I repeated.

Taras licked his lips nervously. “With respect, you two are certainly more powerful in terms of stats than anyone else here,” he started slowly. “But there’s a lot going on that you don’t know about. If you’d like to join the front line, that would be great. It would give you time to see what you’re dealing with while helping us out, and you’d get a feel for how bad of an idea that is.”

I was about to reply when I noticed someone coming for the manager.

“May I have a moment, Taras?” an older woman wearing black robes and wielding a clipboard asked in Ukrainian. “We have word back from the scouts from the east.”

“Do you mind waiting for a time?” he asked us.

“Not at all,” I answered with a wave of my hand.

“Go right ahead, Marichka,” Taras told the woman as he switched back to his native language.

“The wolf pack seems to have grown again since the last time we fought them,” the mage said, looking down to read from her report. “There are now six alphas, up from two after we halved their numbers before. We’re counting at least forty regular wolves as well, though it’s hard to tell. The mushrooms growing on them have increased, so they’re all blending in with each other. So far they’ve mostly kept to the fungus, but a few have probed our defenses.”

I listened but didn’t say anything. Mercury shifted beside me to get a little closer. “Sounds a bit intense, doesn’t it?” he asked in a hushed tone.

“You can’t even understand them,” I whispered back.

“No, but I can hear her tone,” he said. “What’s going on?”

Turning, I nodded towards the power plant. “It’s the fungus, or the Chernoshrooms as the administrator calls it,” I answered though I still kept my voice down. “Not only is it radioactive, but it’s parasitic as well. It’s taken over the wildlife that wanders in or are put there to replenish their ranks. All it cares about is spreading further, but Taras and the defenders here have actually been doing a really great job holding them back. He’s the real deal.”

“Damn. So what happens if a wolf gets loose and just starts booking it?” Mercury asked, looking back at where the front line was burning the mushrooms.

“They can’t live without the radiation,” I explained, gesturing towards the giant mushroom cap over the power plant. “They start to break up and the fungus doesn’t take hold. There were plenty of worries about that early on, but it’s not that way. Yet, at least.”

The ninja frowned. “That’ll change?”

“The administrator’s gotta pump up the difficulty somehow,” I said, rolling my eyes. “So far things have been at a stalemate with our side having a slight advantage, which was scratched and clawed out after a month of recruiting new members so this wouldn’t get out of hand. It’ll last for a bit, and then things will start getting harder until—”

<<<>>>

[[Patron Message]]

Ant, the administrator is making his appearance.

<<<>>>

I immediately cut myself off and tensed up as I looked around. Hernigan didn’t show up in my awareness aura, but I did find him directly behind me when I turned. It took a lot of effort to not scowl.

This administrator was two feet tall and looked like a small human with his feet stuck inside a fluffy cloud. His eyes were white lights and his hands were held behind his back. All in all, he was dressed up like a little monk. I didn’t like the grin he wore when he looked down on me.

“The Antagonist,” came his high-pitched, almost childish voice. “I come after seeing people speak with thin air, expecting to find a glitch, and the biggest one of them all has delivered themselves to me. What a surprise to see you here.”

“Administrator Hernigan?” Taras asked, taking a step forward. “To what do we owe the honor?”

“Don’t give him any of that,” I said without turning my head. “There’s no honor here.”

The manager bristled. “That is most untrue. He has been nothing but helpful since we first started our mission of freeing Chernobyl. We have only done as well as we have because of his excellent rewards.”

“Yeah, we’ll see how that tune changes,” I replied as I crossed my arms. “Yeah. I’m the one you call the Antagonist. What of it?”

Hernigan’s grin became even wider, passing well into uncanny valley territory. “No need to be hostile. This works out for everyone present who matters.”

“So, just yourself, then?” I challenged, raising an eyebrow.

“And you, if you survive,” he said with a giggle.

Taras hesitantly took another step forward. His aura had been about as relaxed as one could expect before, but now he was starting to tense. “Administrator Hernigan, what do you mean?”

“Taras,” Marichka said as she looked back down at her clipboard. “The reports have changed. The wolves are retreating back into the power plant.”

He turned to face her. “They’re backing off?”

The robed woman started lifting the papers on her clipboard one by one. “Along with the boars to the west and bears in the north,” she confirmed. “They’re all retreating.”

“What’s the game, Hernigan?” I asked after I processed the conversation.

“Now that the one who has caused us so many problems is here, I don’t have to play nice anymore,” he answered giddily. “After all, if it’s to kill the Antagonist, nobody will blame me if I just… nudge things forward by a year or so.”

“Administrator, what are you talking about?” Taras demanded, and Mercury had to put a hand on his chest to keep him from approaching.

Hernigan didn’t answer verbally, but we all got the message.

<<<>>>

[[Daily Scenario Complete!]]

Congratulations, you pushed back the Chernoshrooms. We are now accelerating into phase 4.

Reward: 2,000 points.

[[Urgent Scenario Quest: The Reactor Bosses Awaken]]

Something has stirred up the attention of the slumbering monsters deep in the Chernoshroom forest. Each one is a massive, oversized version of the beasties you’ve been fighting so far. They have just woken up, and they know about your resistance keeping their home from spreading.

These bosses are walking reactors capable of spreading Chernoshrooms with nothing but their footsteps. Their release will cause the disaster to spread at an alarming rate, and they must be stopped at any cost.

And, a proper thank you to the Antagonist, who made this leap in difficulty possible. I was starting to grow bored, and this is exactly what the system ordered. Good luck!

Objective: Kill the four reactor bosses.

Reward: +12,000 points.

Optional Reward: +10,000 points for each player who strikes a killing blow on a reactor boss.

<<<>>>

“I should kill you where you float,” I growled. Despite my tone, I had my emotions under control.

This event was still doable, but I wanted to see his response to a threat on his life. If the Dealer had managed to cover things up or not.

Hernigan laughed. “Please, like you’re capable of that. What do you think you are, some mutant treasure hunter fool?”

His words surprised me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

The administrator waved a dismissive hand. “Nothing of importance to you, trust me. Enjoy the scenario! I look forward to seeing you get overrun.”

With another laugh, Hernigan was gone.

The front lines exploded with shouts, but one encapsulated the situation succinctly.

“All the monsters are getting ready to charge!”

“Sara?” I asked, looking up.

<<<>>>

[[Patron Quest: Protect the Front Lines!]]

The Dealer hasn’t gotten back to me yet. I was hoping you might be able to take out Hernigan the same way you had Seraphim, but it looks like we lost the opportunity. I’ll try to reach him again soon.

For now, though, you need to make sure these people get to safety. No one here except you and Mercury are prepared for this level of danger. Take out the oncoming horde of monsters and prepare for the reactor bosses. Have everyone else burn through the corpses as quickly as possible so that there’s less mass for the final fight.

I’ll give you another quest once you see the first reactor boss.

Objective: Save as many lives as possible during the Siege of Chernobyl.

Reward: +1,000 points for everyone still alive in the area.

<<<>>>

“Taras, you need to pull your people back,” I told him even as I started walking towards the front line.

“Are you crazy?” he asked, falling in on my right after Mercury took up position on my left. “If we move the front line back, then that’s it. Everything’s over!”

“Nah, it won’t be,” the ninja said confidently. “This is the Warmonger we’re talking about. If he says you can pull your people back, then you can. Success is guaranteed.”

“As though I’m…” Taras trailed off as his eyes scanned a text box. “… Truth?”

“Always love how much faith you have in me, man,” I chuckled before clasping the manager on his shoulder. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s just temporary. They’re going to need to destroy the remains of everything we leave behind. That’ll make the third phase easier.”

“Third phase?” he asked, eyes wide as he scanned the front line.

“First is a blitzkrieg, then the reactor bosses, and then the Chernoshroom,” I informed him. “Now, we don’t have a lot of time, so do me a favor and get these people back, will you?”

“I… I…” he stammered. This escalated far quicker than he had ever thought possible, and I felt for him.

“Thanks, man. You’re saving a lot of lives right now,” I told him honestly before jogging forward, leaving him behind. Mercury was right there beside me. “I’ll take care of the waves. Keep an eye out for the bosses, okay?”

“Sure thing, Warmonger,” he answered easily.

A few people tried to stop us from crossing the lines, but no one could reach us. My Force Fields kept them at bay. Ahead of us was the invading horde.

Wolves, bears, boars, elk, foxes, cats, and even a few bison and horses, all covered in Chernoshrooms, were running from the power plant. Some were faster than others, leaving the pack behind, but all had become dangerous monsters that could tear through a person with ease. Several alphas were littered throughout, with an alpha brown bear towering over the rest.

“Potions,” I said, retrieving my own Poisoner’s Safeguard from my inventory and drinking it. Tasted like tea made from oranges. It wasn't bad, though.

Mercury downed his but frowned at the flavor. “Oranges. Ugh.”

With a smile, I stopped and cracked my knuckles. “You know, I don’t get to fight huge hordes like this very often. I usually enjoy getting into the thick of things, taking them down one by one. Feel the thrill of the fight.”

“I can see it,” Mercury replied with a nod. “If you’re going to do that, shouldn’t I join in?”

“Normally, but I’m not doing that this time,” I answered. “After everything that’s gone on recently, it’s about time I start playing things safe.”

“Oh, yeah?” he asked, checking the Princess as he waited, anticipation in his aura.

Holding up my hand, I summoned four saw blades consisting of the brass metal feathers that Ash plucked from the wings of Leo’s Vessel overlapped with my own. On top of being incredibly durable, they also had a slight holy property to them. Not enough to make them named objects, but effective nonetheless. I Lifted all of them and had them hover in front of us.

“Yeah,” I confirmed. “That doesn’t mean I’m not going to flex, though. Have I ever told you my favorite part about my Construct ability?”

“That you basically get to do whatever you want?” he guessed.

I gave him a savage smile as I put my hands together finger to finger. “The ability says the items have to be under 75% of my mass. I’m not the biggest dude out there, but it doesn’t give me a maximum size and that is ripe for exploitation.”

Pulling my hands apart, I dramatically Constructed four lines of razor wire that became longer and longer. When my arms were fully outstretched, they shot out in either direction, continuing to lengthen until they had to be at least a hundred yards in length. They floated like a barrier in front of us along with the feathered saw blades, and I pointed forward.

“Let the massacre begin,” I said, mostly for Mercury’s benefit as that was the kind of thing he liked. I saw the chills go down his aura as he became more giddy.

The razor wires went first followed by the feathered saw blades, which I Pushed and Spun. Chernoshrooms were effortlessly cut by the one closest to the ground as they sped towards the battlefield. The lead monsters, a pair of fungus-covered alpha wolves howled as best they could with whatever vocal cords they had left. They attempted to aggressively bite into my Constructs.

My offensive wall didn’t stop for a moment. Four lines of razor wires cleanly sliced the two alphas neatly in four different places before continuing forward without losing momentum. That part was easy enough.

The rest of the horde slammed into my fence. Blood and fungus flew everywhere as more of the beasts tried to attack the encroaching Constructs, but they fared just as well as their frontrunners. Each one mindlessly threw themselves forward to their death.

There would be a point where I could not Push them any longer, but I hadn’t reached that point yet. I used the feathered saw blades to take out the sturdier threats. That Chernoshroom alpha bear was definitely going to be too tough for the wires.

Even when I slowed down, forced back, they continued to throw themselves at the shredder. Their own strength might have given them some ground, but it also cut them open and caused them to bleed.

“Holy…” Mercury whispered as he watched the carnage.

I simply stood there, watching and waiting before releasing my Constructs and reforming them. They were Pushed forward, regaining momentum as the process started all over again.

For the first time in a long time, I fought a safe battle from a distance. I went to war like a Warmind should, just in case there were some tricks up Hernigan’s sleeve.