Homestead Survival

<12 August 2024, ????, ????>
[The Unwanted God]
The Unwanted God watched as the minions that assembled prepared to embark on a short trip through a portal. The skill that he had blessed his Harbinger with was truly a work of art.

When the Mark was triggered, it held several effects, one active and three passive.

The passives were what made it so maniacal. The Unwanted God went over the skill in his mind.

"Depending on its grade, this skill starts with a base of not less than five, and not more than twenty. For every hit taken by the one who applies the Mark from the one to whom it is applied, a portion of the power from the strike is transferred into additional power for the activation of the active feature. Those granted this skill lose all other skills and are unable to gain new skills. It truly is beautiful." He grumbled to himself. Then he went over the listed effects.

"Passive One: Those who are marked have accelerated aggression responses to those tagged in the System as [Corrupted]." The Unwanted God looked around at the hall he overlooked, thousands of creatures, all with the [Corrupted] tag, ran back and forth, wondering how many of them would get to go.

"Passive Two: Those who are tagged as [Corrupted] by the System do fifty percent less damage to those who are marked; this effect falls off after the activation of the active skill, or the death of the one who did the marking." The Unwanted God had not been happy when this passive was forced on his beloved skill by the System.

"Passive Three: Those who are marked shall be granted an amount of days equal to twice their level at the time of marking. After this amount of time has passed, or the one who marked them has died, the Active portion of this skill will trigger." The Unwanted God had originally wanted his skill to have a twenty-four-hour countdown until the active triggered, but the System, always trying to undo his plans, had changed his skill.

"And the Active: Upon the completion of the countdown of Passive Three, or the death of the one who did the marking. A portal shall open using the energy stored from blows given to the one who did the marking, as well as their own life force. This shall allow a limited number of creatures of an appropriate level through before closing." The Unwanted God had tried everything in his power to get the portal to allow more than the allotted number of creatures through, but it was not possible.

He turned and walked into a room where a servant waited, holding a large crystal that he had just replaced. He waved a hand, and the servant began to channel a skill through an implanted monster heart. The Crystal lit up with an image.

In the Crystal, the Unwanted God's Harbinger, a filthy goblin, was stepping ever so carefully up behind a female human. The Unwanted God grew excited. "Yes! Toss her over. Leave the male to wallow in his anguish and loss!"

The goblin was moving so slowly. As he watched, a strange humanoid entered the room where the Unwanted God waited. The Unwanted God looked up from the Crystal, "Ah, if it isn't the infamous Ardaan. What are you doing here? And showing none of the deference one of your station should show me?"

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"I am here at my lord's behest," The strange man Ardaan said, "I was asked to bring what you and my lord agreed on."

"They are here already?" The Unwanted God asked excitedly

"You even get a bonus." Ardaan said, "We were unable to [Corrupt] one of them as you requested. So instead, you get one that is higher level in addition to the uncorrupted one."

"What were they before?" The Unwanted God asked.

"Prisoners for various crimes." Ardaan said, "Now I will take my leave."

Ardaan turned to leave, and rage flared up in The Unwanted God. "Do not turn your back on me!"

Ardaan stopped and flared a skill that caused the servant holding the Crystal to take a stuttering step. "I promise you this, Durn. If you attempt to waylay me or hold me to some ridiculous sense of decorum, I will lay waste to this compound before you can kill me. You will be unable to play whatever game you might be playing because all of your minions and servants will be dead. Goodbye, Durn the Unwanted."

Ardaan turned and left. A warping of space moments later heralded his departure. Durn the Unwanted, The Unwanted God, God of Plague and Cannibals grumbled. But he knew that Ardaan had been right. He turned back to the Crystal that now showed the Harbinger roughly ten feet behind the female.

The female exclaimed, standing up, holding an aspected fruit bush of some kind. The Harbinger let out a sound as it leapt, and its hand touched the female, who disappeared. The Harbinger fell, and Durn got to watch for eleven seconds as the Harbinger flailed in the air before slamming into a rock.

Instantly, he knew how many he could send. "Two hundred and thirty, huh. I guess it will have to do."

He mentally selected the troops that he would send, and triggered his end of the Active portion of the Mark. Out in the hall, the minions that were not already gathered near the one who was marked suddenly vanished and reappeared on the mesa.

Durn looked to the screen, a sick smile forming on his face. "Time for the end of these upstart humans."

<12 August 2024, GRAND MESA OF SUMMER , A+>
[Theo and Julia]
The sea of text that listed the names and levels was overwhelming. Julia was slightly pale. "Theo, what do we do?"

"I mean, we knew it was a horde." Theo said, "And Crypt Keeper told us that we excel at dealing with groups."

"So we are just going to roll with it?" Julia asked.

"I mean, it's a little late to try and leave even if we wanted to," Theo said as they looked out across the field where all of the corrupted creatures stood. Several of them approached, including the massive one. Soon, there was an assemblage of text at one of the gaps Theo had left in the loosely stacked bricks.

{[Marked] Theodore Oskar Sorrenson, Level 06, B}
{Julia Brahmin, Level 06, B}
{[Corrupted] Angram Cloudborn, Level 11, S-}
{[Corrupted] Ban'Da Zzitz , Level 10, A+}
{[Corrupted] Woodsworn, Level 10, A-}
{[Corrupted] Krok Grom, Level 08, B+}
{[Corrupted] Sasharon, Level 07, B-}
{[Corrupted] Gribbles, Level 06, B-}

The massive one, apparently named Angram Cloudborn, stepped forward. The Ent, or at least what Theo and Julia thought would be called an Ent, waved a hand, and a message was displayed.

>Local Message: Universal Translation Active

"Greetings," Angram said, "I am Angram Cloudborn, one of the Storm Giants of Hasht'Intar. I am the commander of this army and the one who will be accepting your surrender. So come out from behind the Ward runes and let me kill you."

Theo and Julia looked at each other, and then they laughed. Angram did not seem happy about that. Theo pulled himself together and smiled, "Well, I have to say, at least you seem to have some semblance of manners."