Apocalypse: Regression

Nick watched as Will pulled up with his giant SUV, driving out of the rift with Kaylee in the passenger seat like he was in an action movie. The large black vehicle skidded to a stop right in front of Nick and Seo-ah as the driver side window slid down.

“Hey, boss! You called? Sorry I wasn’t here sooner, but you know how relief efforts are.” Will called out the second the SUV came to a halt. “You wouldn’t even believe how much demand there was on the other side for anything that had four wheels and didn’t get a popped tire everytime it drove past some of the downed buildings. But don’t worry, I'm right here, ready to go. Vehicle is fully loaded: the glove compartment is packed with jerky, I restocked the Gold Guild’s Special Smoothie dispenser, and I got my movie ready to watch for when you guys are in the dungeon. Or . . . Wait, we’re in the dungeon already, aren’t we? Woah. This is my first time in one!”

“We’re technically in another realm, like Earth, so not really a dungeon,” Nick corrected Will as he opened the trunk to examine the supplies. Sure enough, Will really had packed everything Nick might normally want and then some. Nick double-checked the major items, noting the explosives, several hundred feet of reinforced rope, some compounds like instant coffee that Nick used to handle monsters, and a few dozen potions of each type that Topaz had likely made for the guild in the past and Will stocked. There was also a backup armory: five metal spears, two shields, two hammers, and two swords, and twenty sets of boots lined up and in two rows in the trunk ready to be grabbed.

“Thank God! He brought boots!” Topaz exclaimed as soon as her eyes landed on the assortment. She reached out right away and grabbed a pair.

“Yeah,” Will replied, grinning, “as soon as you guys went down to take a nap, Kaylee sent me the footage of the terrain, so I thought to stock up on these just in case you need them.

“Holy crap, these fit perfectly. How did you know my size?” Maria asked as she slid a pair onto her feet.

“Those will fit anyone. They’re a triple-layered, reinforced stretch material that adjusts to the user and comes with traction-enhancing soles. How much does Nick pay you to be able to afford gear like this just in case?” Reggie asked as he picked up two pairs, handing one to Christina and putting one on himself. “Should I be asking for a raise?”

“It’s all expensed man, just ask Kaylee for guild funds and fill out the paperwork,” Will laughed in reply to Reggie’s question.

“Keep me alive in this upcoming battle, and I’ll double the budget for your forge, no questions asked,” Nick said as he switched his Sandals of Hermes out for the new boots. Then, after so long with it, he donned the Crown of the Gallows. He hated the family association, but he had to admit: it felt right on his head, especially as he appreciated the stat increase.

Crown of the Gallows

Effects and Stats:

Universal Biome Adaptability:

+30% Movement speed in all environments

Stat Boosts:

+50 Constitution

+20 Magic

+20 Aura

Elemental Resistances:

+30% resistance to all elemental magic and effects

Leadership Aura:

Allies within a 50-foot radius gain a +15% boost to all stats.

Morale Boost: Allies are 20% less likely to succumb to fear or confusion effects.

Legacy Power:

Grants the wearer the ability to invoke the "Ancestral Resolve" skill once per year, providing a massive boost to all stats (+50%) for 300 seconds.

“Long live the king,” Reggie joked.

Then the group, new footwear equipped, turned their attention to Will’s ride. The SUV was easily over six feet in height and was covered bumper to bumper in matte black beast skin, which formed a rugged armor plating. According to Allen, who was already on top of the vehicle mounting a drone station for ViVi, the custom tires mounted on the sturdy wheels were able to transform seamlessly from sleek street tires to aggressive all-terrain treads to a unique design with metal spikes for aggressive traction on ice and snow, all with the flick of a switch. However, as big and impressive as the vehicle was, there was still one obvious issue.

“There is no way we’re all going to fit in there,” Maria pointed out as she watched the Walters run up to the vehicle first, open the doors, and start to pile in the back seat, cramming in like overly muscled sardines.

“We’ll make it,” Nick said, a little startled at the fact that, without sitting on top of each other or even double stacking, the Walters had all managed to cram into the back so tightly.

“Alright, who has shotgun with me?” Will asked as he watched Reggie sit on Christina’s lap, the two of them struggling to get the seatbelt to work. “And no lap sitting. I need clear rear-view visibility.”

“I got it!” Maria blurted out as she hopped in the front, a panicked look on her face, leaving an abandoned Topaz staring at her with a look of betrayal. Maria unapologetically slammed the door behind her, staring out the window at Topaz with a “forgive me this once” expression.

“Back seat it is,” Nick shrugged, opening the last remaining door for Topaz before sitting next to her. Seo-ah hopped in his lap, Topaz opting to lean on him instead of disturbing Christina and Reggie beside her.

“Welp, clown car dynamics aside, we should be good to go,” Will said with a sigh as he looked back, making sure he still had good visibility behind him, before checking in with Nick. “We good to go, boss?”

Nick rolled down the window to ask Kaylee, “Are you going to be okay managing things without us?”

“I got it. You can count on me. I won’t let you down,” she assured him, giving him a thumbs-up as she backed away from the vehicle and signaled the people at the wall to open the gate.

“She’s nice,” Seo-ah commented as they drove off, Nick looking back one more time to make sure all the cargo was sitting well despite the rough and bumpy ride.

Most of the drive was uneventful, a bonus to having ViVi mounted above the vehicle, where she would fly into the air periodically and scout for Will so he could avoid monsters or impassable terrain as they floored it to their destination.

———

"How much farther?" Topaz asked, breaking the silence of the journey. She adjusted in her seat, every single movement she made squishing Nick and Seo-ah against the window.

Nick's jaw clenched as he peered through the slightly fogging glass he was now pressed into, searching for any landmarks in the barren arctic wasteland. “Can’t really see from where we’re at, but there should be a crystal city on the mountain visible when we get close.”

As they pressed on, Nick's mind raced with possibilities. He had no idea what would be waiting for them when they got there, but he knew he had to do something. The issue was, he had at most a dozen people, and they had ten thousand times that number waiting for them. He had no idea how he was supposed to aid the Black Witch in battle, but he knew he had to try something.

“We’re getting near the spot the Black Witch’s soldiers told us to go,” Maria notified the others from her position in the front seat. She was the only one besides Will who could clearly see what was ahead of them.

“Are they anywhere to be seen?” Nick asked from the back, trying to look around Will and them to see out the dashboard, but struggling as he just ended up pressing into Topaz.

“No, nothing, but—” all of the sudden there was a loud beeping noise coming from a fancy console on the dash.

“Sorry, tech boy’s radar is going off like crazy,” Will said as slowed the SUV down to a crawl. “His drone is picking up like a hundred heat signatures around us.”

“Let me at the window,” Topaz told Nick as she smashed the button to roll the sheet of glass down. The blast of frigid air from outside temporarily numbed Nick’s senses as he watched Topaz summon her grenade launcher and poke the barrel out the window, much of the canister mechanism resting on Seo-ah’s raised lap.

“What are you going to do, shoot from here when we don’t even know what we’re up against? What if they are friendly troops?”

“If they were friendly, they wouldn’t be hiding. I’m middle seat; I can see the dash. They’re buried in the snow, so the moment you give the okay, I’m hiding us too,” Topaz said, looking up at him. “Can I?”

Nick sighed. “Fine. Do i—”

His words were muted by the sound of her grenade launcher firing off three rounds in rapid succession.

The shots left a heavy, thick chemical fog across the landscape that gave them as much cover as the enemies had.

“You know, I thought we were heading to where that witch’s knights were,” Reggie grumbled. “Why does this feel like a trap, bro?”

“We might not be the only ones who were lookin for them,” Nick told them. “Let’s not forget that this is a siege. There is a good chance the enemy is trying to find any remaining outside forces.”

Topaz sighed. “True, but . . . you think they’d have been able to run if they got caught, at least. Maybe notify us or—”

She suddenly went quiet as the mist from her canisters cleared up and she was able to recognize a contingent of friendly forces fighting for their lives in front of them. The nearly hundred and fifty knights were easily recognizable by their dark attire, and they were fighting off at least five times their number. The enemy consisted of arctic vulpes, smaller cubs, a giant arctic ursine, snow harpies, gulo gulo, and dire wolves. There was also a new monster they’d never seen before that looked like a large shrew with compact muscles and powerful claws, a massive white-and silver-furred snow lynx standing nearly six feet at the shoulder, and a massive arctic ursine leading the assault from the rear.

“That’s too many. I don’t think we can do much,” Maria said, fear in her voice.

Topaz climbed over Seo-ah until half her body was out the window, still holding onto her canister launcher.

“Keep me from falling!” Topaz yelled as she started unloading shot after shot into the monster group.

“Will, speed up. We need to flank them,” Nick ordered as he watched the beasts. “They’re not guarding their rear because they think they have the entire enemy force surrounded.”

Despite not looking organized at first, the monsters were actually moving and behaving like he’d have expected infantry units in the medieval times to act, their backs wide open in many cases as the four-legged creatures especially struggled to focus on anything but the prey in front of them.

The SUV tore through the snowy terrain, the engine's roar drowned out by the sound of battle ahead. Nick's gaze flickered between the armored knights and the advancing predators, a surge of adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Will reached over to remove a red cap on the dash before pressing the button underneath. A hidden compartment on the hood of the vehicle slid open, revealing a cluster of small gleaming orbs.

With practiced precision, Will maneuvered the SUV closer to the back of a large pack of hungry dire wolves pressing in on a contingent of knights. The wolves were so engrossed in the fight that they didn't notice the approaching vehicle until it was almost upon them.

Will launched the orbs towards the wolves, where they exploded in a burst of blinding light and deafening noise, disorienting the beasts. Bright flashes illuminated the snowy landscape as the dire wolves yelped in confusion. The knights let out a loud shout as they took advantage of the shift in the battle and struck out, cleaving into the pack of wolves.

As the wolves were trying to recover, Topaz coated them with three shots of sticky goo, soaking the monsters in the tarry substance before a fourth shot lit them ablaze, the acrid smell of burnt hair immediately striking at Nick’s nostrils.

From his seat in the back, Nick saw multiple rays of cold magic hit the knights. Following the trails of magic, he saw a group of husky-sized juvenile vulpes behind the enemy lines a hundred feet ahead and to the right, hidden by an illusionary mound of snow.

Nick did his best to yell over the sound of Topaz’s continuously firing canister, the loud noise from the battle, and the roar of the SUV’s engine. “Will! Take out those casters! A hundred feet, fifteen degrees to your right!”

"Hold on tight!" Will shouted, slamming down the accelerator and throwing the SUV into a controlled slide. "Brace for impact!"

The world outside became a blur of white and blue as Will fought to maintain control of the sliding vehicle.

The SUV plowed through the snow, sending sprays of frost and ice flying into the cold air. The monstrous creatures turned their attention towards the roaring vehicle, their eyes widening in surprise before contorting into snarls of anger as Will aimed for the center of the group of magic-casting creatures.

The impact was bone-jarring as the SUV smashed into the first, second, and then third vulpe, its large spiked tires crushing them as they went underneath the front bumper, the yelps ending as fast as they began as the monstrous SUV rolled over them like it was a demolition derby. Fur flew, claws raked desperately against the monster-skin-enhanced metal exterior, and roars of pain filled the air.

Just when it seemed like they might break through the enemy lines, routing many of the mages with a single SUV charge, a massive ursine brute lunged at the side of the vehicle, mauling the metal door underneath Topaz so hard that the impact alone caused the vehicle to skid sideways before coming to a sudden, jolting stop.

"Topaz!" Seo-ah cried out as she started reeling her friend back inside the vehicle.

As the SUV struggled to shift back into gear, the large ursine standing up on its back legs and readying to attack again, Nick heard the back hatch opening.

“Everyone out!” he shouted as he turned to see the Walters already jumping out the back.

“Never! I’m going down with the ship this time!” Will declared as Nick, last and slowest in the group due to his position underneath the two girls, was still leaving the vehicle.

“Just stay alive then!” Nick called out as he finished scrambling out of the SUV, equipping the Weight of Dedication from his inventory and stepping out into the chaos.

He hadn’t gotten a foot out of the vehicle before the SUV started to roll as the bear collided with it again, slamming its chest into it this time and knocking it over. Nick backed up quickly, hoping Will was okay inside but not having time to think about it because, the moment he was out of the vehicle, another ursine was looming over him.

The bear-like monstrosity, with claws that looked like they could rip through him as easily as a butcher’s knife through paper, opened its mouth and roared at Nick as it swung its paw down at him.

“Nick! Duck!” Topaz shouted from his right before there was a thump and a canister flew from her grenade launcher. The canister exploded in white gooey fluid that hit the ursine creature, covering its raised paw, chest, and half its head.

The paw tried to come down and crush Nick, but the goo acted like a combination of tar and rubber, stretching out and pulling against the monster’s movements enough to stop it from hitting Nick.

The bear quickly raised its other paw to strike, but Nick had been given the time he needed to pivot around the bound side of the creature, his spear stabbing as he moved.

The sharp speartip sparked as it hit thick rock fur but penetrated deep enough to hit flesh and elicit a grunt of pain from the creature as it came down from its hind legs.

The beast stumbled as it tried to balance on three legs, its right front paw was immobilized by the alchemical webbing.

Nick saw the opportunity for what it was and attacked the creature's left front paw, pouring his aura through the spear as he activated Straight Thrust. His spear practically hummed with power as it punched through the pivotal limb, fur tearing, flesh parting, bones snapping, and blood flying. Thanks to his Soulstealer’s Ring, Nick felt some of the creature’s lifeforce flow back through the spear and into him as he withdrew his weapon. Some of the pain from the crash instantly lessened.

The creature was not so lucky. Completely off balance with both front paws either broken or immobile, it fell forward, its snout crashing into the snow with a pained growl.

Before the full weight of the monster hit the ground, Nick leapt into the air to leapfrog off the side of the SUV and come down onto the back of the ursine, his spear’s weight shifted to the max. Between the cutting aura, Nick’s weight, and the spear’s enhanced mass, the spearhead punched through the creature’s rocky fur with a snap. The blade severed its spine, and the monster let out a half-muffled whimper before collapsing.

Turning to see how the others were faring, Nick saw three more dead ursines and half a dozen dead vulpes. Seo-ah, Maria, the Walters, and the others had been hard at work protecting the vehicle, but even after that short, momentary victory, he could already see hundreds of hungry eyes staring at them, their battle having just begun.