Garrett explained how they can get allies for their squad to bolster their numbers and strength and the squad began to think about who to save up for.
After a good 10 minutes of back and forth talking they all suggested to go for the weaker summons first to gain members and help train them up from there. If not then the stat gems they can earn will be used to the point of abuse to aid their allies stats to be on their level.
Garrett chuckles in agreement at the idea of "maliciously abusing" his store system and they head on to face their next challenge.
The police station.
Garrett checked the contents of the store and was shocked to see a new item.
It was a stat gem worth 5 stat points for the related stat. And it was priced at 1,00 points. At least the system scaled it well.
He checked why he would go with the 5 point gems instead of the base 1 point gems since it is more cost effective.
Then he gasps as he sees a notification from the store management.
The 1 point stat gems will be discontinued once they have sold out in store. We are sorry for this inconvenience and hope you will enjoy the plentiful supply of the 5 point stat gems going forward!
Garrett chuckles softly to himself at the managements plan. They were cutting off supply more than probably the reason he was buying the single point stat gems so often. People who had also unlocked the store were hoarding gems and giving them to other survivors to ensure they had the strongest units and people under them.
It it has become a race. Who can stock up on the new gems faster once the old ones were sold out.
Checking his store Garrett sees each single point stat gems for each stat is down to only 11 left to buy of each. Basically they will be out once he has 5,500 points. And to get the same boost of around 10 points to each stat would require 2 of each new 5 point gem.
Which makes the cost skyrocket from 5,000 to 10,000 for the same boost.
Yep. He will need to become a dungeon diver expert going forward.
They reach the police station during his musings and they check to see quite a few zombies are wandering around the outside and inside lobby of the place. Especially with the doors having been blasted off their hinges by gunfire given the amount of bullet holes they see.
He scans and listens in to see and hear what can be understood. He sees many zombies snacking on other survivors who came here hoping for safety. He also sees quite a few zombie cops with their guns or batons still in hand. And what makes him think this won't be so easy is seeing a fully armored SWAT zombie with shield still held and his neck all bloody from a zombie that managed to claw and bite its way to his neck.
He hums as he looks to the building near them and clicks his tongue gently to his squad mates to avoid detection from the zombie platoon at the police station.
Listening up he does some military hand signs to let them know the plan.
He motions to Hicks and Marina with their sniper rifle and assault rifle respectively and points to the roof near them. Telling them through the hand signs to cover them as they enter the building. They both nod and head up.
He then turns to Mboto and Tomoe telling them to be ready with knife and pistol combo melee. And to have shotguns ready should the situation go FUBAR.
Both nod and fall in behind their colonel.
Soon he waits for the zombies to spread a bit more before he hears a hoot from Hicks to signal they were in position. He sees and watches the zombies begin to gather from the hoot and signals them to launch the opening assualt.
Hicks and Marina follows that order quickly and in the next thirty seconds drop almost 40 zombies form accurate head shots and shredding their skulls from sniper fire and the short three bullet bursts from a semi auto rifle.
Their shots are quick to eliminate the average zombie fighter. Leaving just the biggest bad guy who is withstanding their shots thanks to his SWAT helmet. He roars out and begins to rush towards where Hicks and Marina are camped on the building. Immediately Garrett is there with both Tomoe and Mboto to intercept. The Zombie swings its Riot shield at them but Mboto with his strength kicks it back, and makes the arm break in the opposite direction than the natural elbow bend. Tomoe follows up with a sweeping leg kick that shatters its knee using its own knee guard as the leverage to act as a hammer from the force of her kick. Then Garrett follows up by drawing his iron sword and swinging it with deadly accuracy to the zombies neck. He cleaves the head from its shoulders and watches it roll away to splat against an armored car.
Grinning Garrett is about to sheathe the sword when Tomoe screams out, "DUCK COLONEL!"
He listens and barely ducks in time to feel the air above his head go WHOOSH as a heavy riot shield flies over his head with the lower half of an arm still in the hand holds. He turns and readies his sword again only to gape in bewilderment at that he is seeing.
The SWAT zombie had a trick up its sleeve. The neck stump seems to have grown a bit outward and now had a large eye on its elongated stump and was blinking at him with a demonic eye glowing orange and a large bone blade having been formed from the wrecked arm. And the broken knee seems to have been hastily healed over by growing a bone plate over it to force it straight,
All in all it looked like a very messed up pirate zombie with bone weapons and armor that a normal person wouldn't think of putting on. he sees an emergency notification alert come on, WARNING! Alpha mutant zombie detected! Not within parameters of the systems expectations! Player will receive large rewards for killing this unexplained mutant variant that is three weeks early! Kill and receive 5,000 points, +3 to all stat points, and coupon for 50% one weapon or armor from any store tab! Good luck!
Garrett grits his teeth and yells out, "Mboto! Tomoe! Flanking maneuvers! Marina! Hicks! Aim for joints! We have no idea where the hell this things kill center is now! Take note of where it takes the most damage and relay it to us! We need to finish this quickly before reinforcements hear the gunfire and come checking! Understood Marines?!"
He hears a loud, "Aye aye sir!" And Mboto and Tomoe dash to the flanks of the mutant while Hicks and Marina reload and refocus on their designated areas to shoot. Garrett grabs his knife and goes dual wield with iron sword and iron knife from his recent purchase, hoping to god that they will deal enough damage and won't break from a boss level looking enemy.
With a roar the mutant rushes at Garrett first. But as it takes its first few steps towards him, the gunfire from Marina and Hicks lash out and shred its right arm. The arm falls off making the mutant become distracted and glare at the snipers. But this chance was just what the trio fo melee fighters needed. They rush in and begin to use close range pistol shots and knife slashes all over. For Garrett himself he manages to do a 15 sword combo that lands every hit and cut right through the kevlar armor of the SWAT team. The mutant roars out in anger as it suddenly has 40 new holes in its body and at least 37 new slashes. It swings its large bone blade and nearly takes the head off of Tomoe who manages to duck.
Mboto and Tomoe fall back while Garrett counters its swing with his sword. He fully expects the iron sword to crack or chip. But thankfully true to form for a dragon quest weapon, it doesn't even dent. it does creak though. Garrett manages to stand his ground by holding on with his full body weight and every muscle in his body working together. He grunts and then roars out, "Finish it!"
At his order bullets shred a good chunk of the mutants right side and even shred through its bone blade. Leaving the 5ft long blade now barely 2ft long and covered in cracks and holes.
Garrett manages to push the now heavily damage arm and mutant off and goes for a cleave. He starts from the head that hisses at him before cutting the mutant from head to toe in half.
It gurgles before falling into two pieces and slumping to the ground on either side of Garrett.
He wipes some sweat off his brow while his squad celebrates.
But as he does so he gets the notification for a successful hunt and all the rewards he was promised.
He sees the coupon appear in his hand and feels his body adjust to the killing of the mutant and the bonus stats he gained. He was excited for the points as he got 300 for killing a mutant and then the 5000 on top of that. Making him have enough for his remaining 11 1 stat point gem bulk purchase.
He eyes his stats while his squad turns to the police station. Knowing they will be busy for the rest of the day to secure the supplies inside it.
His body was feeling powerful as his muscles and mind harden and clear up to feel more effective than before. He grins as he enters the station with Mboto and Tomoe at his side. Ready for any other surprises in store for them.
Current stats of Garret Grimsborne:
Str- 43 +3 +11 = 57
Agi- 36 +3 +11 = 50
Sta- 39 +3 +3 (Mutant) +11 = 56
Int- 32 +3 +11 = 46
Sense- 34 +3 +11 = 48
Store points - 0