Sworded Affair

Chapter 30: Freshman

Is that all? Emma thought, rather disappointed as the base came into view, no longer hidden by the tower’s shadow as Sir Bearington brought her nearer.

Emma’s uncharitable reaction was understandable, given that the entire base looked rather ramshackle: an uneven mix of tents, shipping containers and a single log cabin dead center, where presumably the business of command was undertaken. All of this was surrounded by sections of barbed wire and patrolled by two fire-teams, walking the perimeter clockwise without pause.

[It's acceptable, for something put up in just a few days. Nothing compared to the city before, capable of hosting over a hundred thousand souls, but not a bad effort overall. This camp could host a hundred in reasonable comfort, or nearly twice that in much poorer conditions.]

If you say so, Emma replied skeptically, but put the matter aside; the conditions didn’t matter much to her anyway, given she had no intention of staying around when there was a Dungeon to conquer.

Up ahead, the APC halted by a gap in the barbed wire as the nearest patrol hurried over, rifles at the ready. Greetings were exchanged between gunner and patrol, filled with jargon Emma didn’t understand, but ultimately the men inside the APC disembarked and her dad walked out under his own power, guided by the medic towards a solitary tent in red and white. As she directed Sir Bearington to follow, for a moment it seemed as though the patrol would bar her way, but they ultimately parted before her, allowing her to follow her Dad towards what she recognized as a Red Cross tent. A handful of men could be seen milling about between duties; they too stepped to the side, none of them particularly keen to get up close and personal with a bear.

“Stay here,” Emma instructed Sir Bearington as she dismounted, entering the tent without further delay.

Immediately, her sense of smell was assailed by the thick odor of antiseptics, conjuring up unpleasant memories of her own stays in hospital. Heading a bit further inside, she soon spotted the medic from the APC speaking with three of his peers, her Dad lying in a hospital bed. The medic was pointing to sections of Dad’s arm whilst an orderly took handwritten notes, and a third man provided another injection of morphine to dull the pain. Once he was done, the last man present broke out the needle and thread, beginning the delicate process of sewing the bite wounds shut.

“What’s the outlook?” Emma asked the first medic as he headed her way, looking to return to his unit after handing his patient off.

“There were a lot of teeth involved, but thankfully none that went very deep,” The medic replied confidently. “The shift here will keep him overnight, make sure he doesn’t develop an infection, but after that he should be fine to rest up in the main camp. It’ll take anywhere between a week or two for the wounds to heal, the stitches should dissolve on their own a month after that. There will be scarring, and he won’t be able to use that arm for anything heavy while it heals, but he should recover fully without any loss of motion or sensitivity, assuming he follows doctor’s orders.”

“All that from a single bite wound,” Emma shook her head, glancing down at her own armored gauntlet. “Humans truly are such fragile creatures.”

“It is what it is,” The medic shrugged, before a thought occurred to him. “Do you need a checkup as well, while you’re here?”

Emma shook her head, already heading back to the tent's entrance. Now that she knew her Dad was safe and would receive the proper care, she had plenty to occupy her time with. Climbing back onto Sir Bearington, Emma nudged him in the direction of the tower, wanting to do some reconnaissance of the second Dungeon she’d encountered thus far. They'd made it most of the way to the barbed wire barrier when a bullet flew over her head.

“Stop right there!” Yelled a man Emma recognized from the APC, having replaced his destroyed rifle with another of the same make and model.

[Moron - Level 1]

“I thought you were smarter than this,” Emma sighed, not bothering to make any small talk. “Any last words?”

“Get on the ground and put your hands on your head,” The oblivious soldier demanded, drawing murmurs of confusion from the onlookers, most of whom hadn’t seen their previous exchange. “You’re not close enough to block my shot this time! Surrender peacefully and submit for trial-”

“Oversoul,” Emma spoke clearly for the benefit of the crowd, as her body vanished, taking possession of a human being for the first time.

The difference between human and bird was immediately apparent, as the soldier’s will pushed back, trying to drive Emma out from his body. Sadly for him, Emma was made of sterner stuff than that and her soul was empowered by all she’d experienced since the apocalypse. It proved trivial to retain full control, long enough to place the barrel of the soldier’s shiny new rifle under his chin, and pull the trigger.

[5 EXP gained.]

“I’m not sure how much you’ve all seen of the new era so far,” Emma elaborated as she returned to the corporeal world, to find most of the audience staring at her in shock and horror.

"But things are different now, and many assumptions that held true across most of the modern era no longer apply; the supremacy of firearms being a good example. This man tried to shoot me on the way here; I stopped him and warned that his next attempt would be his last. I made good on that warning just now, and as it just so happens, I have another warning to give.

Anyone who targets myself, my mount or my father will die. If any actual harm comes to the latter, I will raze this entire base to the ground and leave no survivors. Try and take him as a hostage, and I’ll show you there are far worse fates than mere death. Well, what are you waiting for? Scatter, and spread the word.”

Sir Bearington helpfully roared, breaking the audience from their stupor as they went to do Emma’s bidding, making her ultimatum clear to everyone that mattered. This was the most logical course of action; after all, Emma had neither the time nor the inclination to hover at her father’s bedside whilst he recovered. This way, the base’s residents themselves would be incentivized to treat him as a VIP and secure his safety.

“Now that the distraction is taken care of, time for the real challenge.” Emma murmured, nudging Sir Bearington with her foot to get him moving once more.

[Quest obtained!

Cum Laude

Objective: Reach the 10th floor of Scholomance

Reward: ???, Save Point, Quest: Magna Cum Laude]

—

Stats page so far

Emma Knight - Level 5 Revenant

Race: Undead {LOCKED}

Alignment: True Neutral

Anima: 300

EXP: 815/840

Abilities

Summon Unholy Sword {Epitaph} (Cost: 50% current Anima)

Oversoul: Become intangible and possess the body of a living target. Only works on those with a lower level than the user, with effectiveness varying based on willpower.

Traits

Arcanivore: Enemies restore Anima when wounded or slain.

Wolf, Ram and Heart: All attacks imbued with Death magic, significantly increasing damage dealt.

Circle of Life: Increased affinity with animals. Decreased affinity with humans.

Inventory

Tea Kit (Holy Tea, Kettle, Teacups, Matches)

Companions

Sir Bearington (Bear - Level 4)

Add-Ons

Music Player: Most of YouTube’s hits, all in your head.

Fast Travel

Academia Mortalis

Main Quests

404 - Answers Not Found

Objective: Discover the cause of the mana surge that brought about the Apocalypse

Reward: ???

Blood Borne

Objective: Find your Mother

Reward: ???

Cum Laude

Objective: Reach the 10th floor of Scholomance

Reward: ???, Save Point, Quest: Magna Cum Laude