*3 Days Later 7:25*
🎶No One Like You - Scorpions🎶
Things are not going well.
The Artemis familia is a hunting familia that takes jobs on the surface. Meaning their nomadic lifestyle is not suited for training proper techniques. Yes they have unit cohesion, but that starts to fall apart as soon as someone is injured. Some if not most of their kit is in need of repairs or needs to be discarded outright.
They have no specialized support staff to maintain their kit and health. No specialized blacksmiths, potioneers, or healers. For the most part they are generalists, but that isn't doing them any favours.
The unit build up is a hodgepodge of spearmen, swordsmen, and archers. No mounted units and sure as hell not enough armour between them to outfit one person properly. Not only that their standard is all over the place. Their basic training is practically non-existent.
Normally, I wouldn't be too concerned, but Lady Artemis requested my aid in scouting the ruins. I agreed, one thing led to another and now I am critiquing her familia. Many look like they ate something sour, while others are downright hostile. I mean I would be too if someone shit on my unit like that. I wasn't doing it to be mean, I just told them what I saw in front of me and what I see around Orario all the time. The difference is huge.
"...After this expedition, I would recommend you head over to Orario for a reality check. You can train and develop your abilities in the dungeon and find new skilled members for your familia. You can also stock up on proper supplies and gear rather than making do with sub-par kit." With that, I finished my dressing down of the Artemis familia.
"Very opiniated aren't you?" Said one girl.
"Am I wrong?" I asked.
...
Thankfully that shut her up.
I went back to maintaining my own kit. This let them see the difference in quality and facilities a new adventurer has access to. Some looked down at their own kit and were quite disheartened. Some bitch spoke up and went on a rant about feelings and cherishing gifts from her familia.
"First of all, facts don't care about feelings. Second, your kit, while perfectly fine when new, has degraded over time due to the conditions you find yourself in on a regular basis. The lack of access you face as a nomadic familia is a hinderance to your general well being and survivability. Third, as mentioned before your lack of unit cohesion means than if one of you falls, the rest of the familia is a risk.
Maybe what you've been doing until now has worked well, but there will be cases when everything goes wrong. From what I see, you are not prepared to handle them."
After my scathing remarks, I moved to my prototype jetbike, "coming?" I asked over my shoulder.
"Yes, give me a moment" answered Artemis.
This prototype was basically a two-seat version of my first jetbike. Made taking members of the familia on sorties easier. I would use my magic to exterminate some of the smaller scorpions coming out from the ruins. We could get within 50 meters of the ruins. Turns out that these fuckers can jump.
Today the number of scorpions in the surrounding area was significantly larger. I really didn't care when I was simply testing my weapons, but the number of scorpions in a given area were increasing. We had marked several positions where it was easy to spot and count their numbers. On average I think there is a 4% increase everyday.
What we do know, is that there is a monster inside the ruins that can keep spawning these smaller black scorpions.
In the 'Book of Monsters' there was a section of ancient monsters, from there we concluded that the monster was Antares.
'Scorpions are basically smaller and venomous lobsters. These are quite a bit bigger. Can I boil or steam them? Well let's try it out.'
*****12:20*****
Turns out you can steam them. Kill them from asphyxiation. Burn them. Exsanguination works as well, but not recommended as the scorpions are always in groups and you don't have time to play around with them. I did all this from my bike so I was safer
I tried to discover the minimum energy required for the kill. In all honesty, it was a trivial amount. Looking back on it, I really don't know why I did that. It helped pass the the time, so I suppose it was entertainment.
The best method is to funnel the vermin into a kill box and use area of effect spells to decimate the masses. If one analyzes the situation carefully, it's not the individual monsters that are the problem. The problem is that they come in hordes of at least fifty scorpions. Each one takes 3-10 seconds to kill. The corpse remains in the way for 10-120 seconds, sometimes it remains, that is the "drop."
The Artemis familia isn't equipped to efficiently handle these numbers. Not only that, they will have to fight whatever is in the ruins. Because whatever it is, it's underground. Guess what that means? Ambushes and being crushed by numbers. There will be an attack from behind.
I have proposed letting be destroy the ruins from a distance, but apparently preserving history of the mortals and spirits is a noble endeavor. Well so is staying alive bitch.
Due to my need for excelia, took on the responsibility of exterminating the black scorpions on the outside of the ruins. One or twenty-three spells may have hit various parts of the ruins wiping out hidden nests of scorpions.
The easiest method was to use water and lightning spells to drown, electrocute or possibly cook alive the scorpions. What happened to them depended on where they were in relation to where my attack landed.
I could have my golems go forth and exterminate a large portion of the scorpions, but I think I'll let the girls play soldier. They need a wake up call. It is unfortunate that some of will die in the process, but that's war.
Cypher was eating up all the monster cores he could. For him this was heaven. At least someone's having fun. I just have more busy-work to do. It's just maintaining my kit and rations. Ever since Artemis found out about my use of runic magic, I been making support items for the familia. Grenades mostly, but enchanting a few spears, swords and daggers wasn't really too much of a hassle. I just wonder what Hermes will think of this fiasco when he gets word of it. Or when Artemis inevitably comes to Orario.
I just need to know when the raid is going to take place. That way I can place my golems at a sufficient distance around the perimeter in order to prevent monster escapes.
*****The next day, dawn*****
So the raid is underway. I just used fire based spells to eliminate monsters while lighting up the path ahead.
I would've appreciated more of a heads up, but it's not my mission therefore not my call. I honestly don't mind thinning the herd a little bit. The hunters are going to have a hard enough time as it is, I just eased their way to their destination.
My roll was quite effectively with the rear guard and support. Keep the smaller scorpions from attacking their rear, and evacuating their wounded and dead. Well that was for later, I told them I would clear a path to the main gates and breach, before I went to join the rear of the formation.
At least they took my suggestion and went into the breach in staggered columns. I know they will go back to what they usually do, but this will keep them alive possibly a minute longer, a minute they wouldn't have otherwise.
I expect everything to go wrong, and prepare accordingly.
I flew on ahead with Cypher. I had a few hours to prepare the ground. The gnomes we dispatched in the perimeter. The drones were providing overwatch. There are only two UAV drones for now. Unarmed. As these are a test. One is a rotorcraft, the other is a propeller driven aeroplane. Both operate at different altitudes. They both relay images and information to my HUD and MAP.
'I really should buy a supercomputer or something to make the System's job easier. I really don't want to overstress it for menial tasks.'
[Little did he know of the consequences of such thoughtful actions]
[System's Machine Spirit: 🤗😇]
🎶Rock You Like A Hurricane - Scorpions🎶
I did a few passes over the ruins, then I started blasting. Love the smell of napalm in the morning. By the time the Artemis familia got into position, "scorched earth" took on a whole new meaning. The entirety of the ruins was ablaze. Cypher was on the ground, chasing down some injured scorpions, and having the time of his life. While I was basically a human flamethrower. Going all out regularly in the zombie world was a good exercise. I can now keep up my spells for hours if needed.
But that is not my role for this operation.
The hunters were smart, even though I was rear-guard and support, I was kept at the head of their formation, I told them I prefer a five to ten metre gap all around me. They were more than happy to oblige. I really didn't plan on betraying them or anything, but I understand. I wouldn't trust just anybody in a combat situation.
So right now I'm basically the pivot between the main force and the rear. For this excursion, I'm in my Will of The 300 armour and kit. With my Goliath cloak over top of it. I really don't want to broadcast my money.
*****12:45*****
Well that was a clusterfuck.
The monster Antares can absorb divine energies. We discovered that when Artemis got a bit too close and Antares simply ignored everything else to target her. She used some divine attack but it was absorbed by the monster.
Rethusa made the call to get Artemis to the back lines to act as support. Some hunters in the rear guard switched with her. I was at the entrance to the cavern under the main castle. Keeping the smaller pests from interfering with the operation.
Antares really went balls to the wall, my golems, Cypher and I had been taking care of the scorpions for the last five hours. It was starting to annoy me quite a bit. And I took out my annoyance on Antares. I launched projectile and penetration spells at the fucker. I do not know why the thing didn't stop moving a few hours ago. Was it because of the divinity it absorbed?
Well the aftermath was grim, could've been much worse. 23 casualties, 18 wounded, 5 dead.
As we left the ruins, I cast several fire trap runes. Along with a Solar Flare rune in the chamber Antares was in.
Time to bury the dead.
I always hated funerals.