Surviving the Simulation: The Grand Crusade

The village of Tolono had seen better days. Significantly better days. Burned-out buildings, cars, and remains littered the street as the group picked its way toward the center of town. What wasn't to be found were monsters or survivors.

Xander watched the windows of buildings as the group continued their trek, hoping to see someone peeking out, waiting for the cavalry to arrive, but it was a wasted effort.

Based on what information stragglers that had come up from the south to the Starlight Oasis had said, the next town south was in a similar state as they were seeing in Tolono. Xander hated to jump to conclusions based on two data points, but it was certainly looking like the larger the population center, the harder hit it was in the opening minutes of the reboot. This revelation caused him to start down a dark path.

Jo was in an even larger town than Tolono, or the other town the stragglers had information on.

"Hey, it's game time. Focus on the current situation," Zoey whispered, nudging Xander with her elbow.

"Shit, sorry."

Xander mentally beat himself up for a moment as he picked up his scanning of the air while the group walked.

Situational awareness, idiot. Distractions are going to get you or someone else killed, he thought.

Then he came to a sudden stop and signaled everyone to drop low. He swore he had seen something for a moment in one of the second-story windows of a burned out bank. Not sure if it was his mind playing tricks on him or not, he sat crouched behind an overturned car, staring at the window. It wasn't over ten to fifteen seconds later, but he saw the movement again. It was clearly someone pulling the curtains slightly to the side to peer out. What wasn't clear was whether it was a survivor or monster.

"What did you see?" Harvey quietly asked as he moved to Xander's position, keeping as low of a profile as possible.

"There on the second-story window, third one from the left. I've seen it twice now. There's something looking out the window, checking the street now and then. What I can't tell is if it's a person or a monster," Xander replied. "Let Zoey, Alex, and I go up and check it out. The rest of the group should stay in the lobby in case there's trouble. Everyone going upstairs at the same time is going to be a lot of noise and leave very little space to move around. Sound good?"

With a quick nod, Harvey maneuvered back to his team and then, as a group moved to hug the wall closest to the bank, this would limit the chances of the group to being seen by whatever was looking out the window. Xander motioned to his team and, with a glance up at the widow, made a quiet dash for the building entrance. Once inside, Xander updated Zoey and Alex with what was going on, and the plan.

Alex took point as the trio head for the stairs. He hadn't made it to the first step when he pulled up short and motioned toward a crudely set up trap and trigger. Following the tripwire back to the actual trap, it was a simple deadfall trap designed to shower whomever walked under it with nails and other assorted debris. Unlike the traps that the group had encountered the previous day, this one appeared to be something an actual person would have set up rather than a Simulation spawned one.

Once clear of the stairs, the group traversed to a doorway at the end of the hallway that Xander had estimated was the correct room to match the window from outside. Having confirmed the door wasn't trapped or locked, Alex let Xander switch positions and then Xander quietly opened the door. Seeing nothing, he took one step before someone swung a baseball bat at his head.

Barely ducking in time, Xander lashed out with his fist to catch the attacker before they regrouped. Catching the attacker squarely in the face, they dropped to the floor from the impact of the blow.

"That's right, two shots. Him hitting you, you hitting the floor." Alex laughed at his own extremely old and obvious joke while stepping into the room.

The young man on the floor held his nose as he glared back up at Xander. "Dude, what the hell? I think you broke my nose!"

"Ed, be quiet! I haven't seen any monsters for a while, but they could be back any minute. Especially if you keep making so much noise," another young man by the window called in a harsh but low voice. "Take what you want, mister. We have nothing anyway, but get out of here before you get us caught like everyone else."

That last part caught Xander off guard. These boys sounded like they'd run into some dregs of humanity already, but it was that comment about getting captured that really caught his attention. Were others captured? But by whom? Other people or monsters? Given Xander's opening moments with humanity's finest right before the reboot, he was going to bank on it being people capturing other people, but he hoped he was wrong.

"Calm down, we're not here to hurt anyone. We're here to look for survivors and supplies," Xander said as he reached down to help the young man he had punched in the face moments earlier.

"No offense, mister, but we're not worried about you. There are way worse things out there than you," huffed the young man.

"Why don't you tell me about it? I've got friends downstairs and we might be able to do something about it. At the least, we can probably get you and your friend out of here and to someplace safer."

"Yeah, right? You'll get killed like the last folks that tried to help, more likely. Where is there anyplace safe right now?" the young man said, trying to put on a brave face.

It was clear these two boys had seen some horrors over the last twenty-four hours, but it was also clear they were scared out of their minds and trying to play the tough rebellious teen while simultaneously fighting back the urge to cry for their moms. Xander knew they had to get the back to the Starlight Oasis, or they were going to be a statistic in the Simulation's update tomorrow morning.

"Let's back up a moment. Why don't you guys take a beat, then tell us everything that's happened since the reboot. Then we can figure out what to do next, okay?" Xander said, taking a seat on a broken down couch along the wall, trying to appear relaxed so the boys would calm down. "Zoey, can you do me a favor and grab Harvey? Alex, any chance you can take a stroll up to the roof?"

The pair left the room, only to have Zoey come back moments later with Harvey in tow. Harvey had left the rest of the group downstairs, but they had spread out to monitor both the front and rear entrances. If anything nasty showed up, they were supposed to call for help, then hold the choke point until help arrived.

Sharing some of his rations, the boys took turns recounting everything that had happened over the course of the last day. The story they told regarding the reboot was similar to what Xander had experienced the previous day, but it certainly sounded as if there were not only more monsters, but stronger ones at that. According to the boys, there was a sizable group of people being held inside the police station in the village's downtown area. They didn't know for sure what the captured people were being used for, but they had an array of wild ideas ranging from forced labor to being held for food. Xander wasn't sure what he could believe of the boys' story, and a sideways glance from Harvey said he was thinking the same thing. Looking at Harvey, Xander jerked his head toward the door before getting up and stepping into the hallway.

"Well, that's certainly a story. I doubt all of its true but I would venture to say there are people in the police station. Now, are they forced labor, food, or something else? It's hard to say, and I'm not willing to bet on the truth," Xander said.

"Yeah, I'm with you. How about we send the two rogues out to scout ahead?"

"Alex is up on the roof. How about you give the rogue in your party a heads up and then have him grab Alex on his way out," Xander commented. "They can probably use the rooftops to get close enough for a bird's eye view without getting spotted."

Orders were relayed quickly, and within a few minutes, Alex and the other scout had disappeared into the distance, navigating the rooftops toward downtown. The rest of the group stayed behind, waiting with a tense sort of patience. Weapons were checked, potions rationed, and loose plans made in case things went sideways.

Roughly twenty minutes later, the two scouts returned, landing lightly on the edge of a nearby building before dropping back down to street level. Their expressions gave away the mixed results before they even spoke. There were people in the police station, but they weren't being held as prisoners. According to Alex, it looked like several civilians had tried to use the fortified building as a stronghold. The idea was solid and had held up to a point, but the location had drawn in a swarm of rodentia, which were now actively trying to break through the perimeter.

Alex wasn't entirely sure how many rodentia there were, but it was at least thirty and they ranged anywhere from level zero up to level six. Anything level five or six had a class, mainly fighters, rogues, and a couple of engineers. He couldn't be certain, but he also saw nothing that his analysis identified as a cleric, or that was dressed similarly to their earlier opponent.

That's where the good news ended though, because there was one level eight rodentia that appeared to be the leader. It was a good six inches taller than any of the other rodentia they'd seen so far and also appeared to be better equipped. Alex wasn't able to get close enough to analyze it but it appeared to be carrying a large two-handed sword.

"It's going to be tough, but those people inside will not last forever. I don't think the rats are going to get in, but I also don't think they're going to give up either. At some point, the people inside are going to get desperate and make a break for it right into the jaws of a meat grinder." Alex grimaced as a quest notification went out to everyone in the group.

Quest Notification! You have located a pocket of players who are in need of rescuing. Eliminate the blockading forces before they discover a method of removing the surviving players.
Difficulty: Medium
Reward: Variable depending on the number of players saved.

Accept Quest? Yes/No

"Quest or not, I'm assuming we're going to do this because it's the right thing to do. Even if the people inside turn out to be a bunch of asshats, they're still team human, right?" Zoey replied with a bit of a grin as everyone accepted the quest.

There was no way the group was going to take on that many combatants in a straight up fight, and they couldn't count on getting help from inside the police station once the encounter started. The only chance was to lure out smaller numbers or pick off a patrol. After a bit of back and forth amongst the group, they devised a plan to engage in guerrilla warfare, striking from the shadows and disappearing.

Leaving the boys in the bank, the group set up a few blocks east of the police station. They didn't have a direct line of sight to the station, but they had seen several rodentia that moved far enough away from the primary group.

Zoey had taken up position on the roof. Her job was twofold. She was to engage any rodentia she felt she could draw in without getting the entire primary force and to serve as a lookout in case things went terribly wrong. The rest of the team was at street level, hidden amongst the buildings and cars. The only exception was the group's main tank, as well as Harvey.

A shrill bird call from Zoey let the group know she was going to pull her first pack. Her arrow whizzed down the street, catching one of the higher level rodentia in the leg. It didn't do enough damage to take the creature down, but it certainly got its attention along with four of the lower level ones. The rodentia was an engineer, and it growled and pointed down the street toward where Harvey stood. As one, the pack charged down the street, intent on completely bowling over the tank and Harvey.

Springing from their hidden locations, the rest of the team burst into action when there were less than ten feet between the forces. The four lower-level rodentia crashed into the party, steel ringing out as the two groups traded blows. The engineer had pulled up short when it saw the ambush and took a crossbow off the sling on its back. Unlike a normal crossbow, this one appeared to have additional engineering to it as a container sitting under the body. Xander thought it resembled a repeating crossbow from many fantasy games and artworks.

A moment later, three bolts leapt at the team in rapid succession, proving his suspicions correct. The repeating crossbow appeared to have quite the recoil, or the engineer had a low strength. The first bolt drilled into the main tank's shield at waist level, while the second one caught the member of Harvey's team standing to the left of the tank in the shoulder. Finally, the third bolt flew over everyone's head.

Unlike the engineer, who had to be careful to avoid its own party, Zoey had a perfect vantage point from her rooftop perch down on the pitched battle. Seeing the engineer as the most immediate threat, she took careful aim and let loose her next shot, followed up quickly by another. The power of her bow drove the first arrow into the clavicle of the engineer, causing it to drop the crossbow as the arrow lodged against its scapula. The engineer screamed in pain just moments before Zoey's follow on shot landed in its brain, cutting the scream short.

With the principal threat eliminated, the remaining rodentia fell in short order.

Everyone agreed they would wait until they had cleared out the entire horde of rodentia before splitting the loot. The group was excited, though, as the engineer had dropped several interesting pieces.

Working their way around the police station counterclockwise, the group positioned themselves a block away and pull out rodentia in groups of two to five, then move to a new location once it became too hard to separate out the mob. Several minor injuries and bruises resulted from most fights, with two battles resulting in a more significant injury that required one of the precious few healing potions the group had. It wasn't until there was just under half of the mob of monsters left the group ran into a major issue.

The remaining groups of monsters were clustered tighter together. With the leader were two additional guards with fighter classes, flaking it on either side at the top of the stairs leading into the police station. At the base of the stairs was another group of six, then two groups of three monsters, each standing in the road. Xander and the main party hid just around the corner, and Zoey was again on a nearby rooftop. The plan was to pull in one pack of three, or at the most, both packs of three.

But the leader had noticed that its pack was getting smaller over time and therefore was keeping a closer eye on its soldiers instead of completely focusing on breaking down the police station door with its guards. Just as Zoey let her shot loose to pull in the next group, Murphy's Law choose that moment to provide some additional excitement to the group of adventurers.

The leader had turned away from the door to look back over his pack. While this caused almost all the remaining rodentia to look back up at the pack leader, it also was the downfall of the plan to only pull a smaller group. Zoey's arrow caught one of the level one rodentia square in the back, striking something of vital importance, so instead of causing its group to move down the street to investigate where the arrow had come from, it dropped the low level rodentia dead.

Right in full view of the pack leader.

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A terrible shriek echoed off the nearby buildings as the pack leader pointed toward the rooftop where Zoey was currently drawing another arrow, having realized that everything had just gone to shit.

"The entire pack is coming, but they're focused on me. Get ready!" Zoey called down, and she rapidly tried to get as many arrows as she could downrange. If she could slow down the advance, even a little, it would still be a massive help to the team on the ground.

As the pack turned the corner of the building, Zoey caught the lead rodentia in the knee, causing it to tumble into the group. A cascading effect followed as the rest of the pack either trampled their fallen companion or shifted to take a wider path. The distraction caused the pack to be out of position to properly defend against the ambush they had just run straight into. The ambushers took down several of the weaker rodents before they realized anything was wrong.

The minor victory was short-lived as the outcome of the fight was far from concluded. At the back of the fighting pack, the leaders activated an ability that appeared to invigorate the rest of their group. From there, the fight quickly turned against the adventures though as the rodentia reorganized and pressed forward with ferocity. The adventurers were losing ground and taking more injuries than they were giving out.

"Xander! We need that big rat dead! I can't get an analyze on it, but whatever it's doing its making the rest of these too strong for us to deal with it. We'll hold the line, you go kick that fucker in the nards," Alex hollered as he deftly parried and dodged attacks.

Xander had reached the same conclusion Alex had. The group was certainly back on their heels, and even though they were holding their own now, it was going to be a fight of attrition that was already stacked against them.

Xander gripped his spear and vaulted over a parked car to get behind the line of foot soldiers to the leader. His armored duster billowed behind him.

The pack leader, having seen Xander approaching, swung its massive battleaxe back and forth in anticipation, its cruel edges glinting ominously.

The clash of steel echoed as Xander thrust his spear forward, aiming for the pack leader's heart. The monster leader expertly sidestepped the attack, its tail snaking around Xander's ankle, tripping him. Xander stumbled, but his quick reflexes saved him from a devastating blow.

As Xander regained his footing, the pack leader swung its battleaxe in a wide arc while activating an ability, at the same time causing the blade edges to take on an angry red hue.

Xander raised his spear to block, but the force of the blow sent shock waves through his arms. The impact left a deep gash on Xander's left shoulder, the armored duster torn and stained with his blood.

In pain but undeterred, Xander retaliated with a series of swift thrusts, each aimed at exploiting the gaps in pack leader's monstrous armor.

The prehensile tail, however, proved a formidable opponent, lashing out unpredictably. In a moment of distraction, the tail coiled around Xander's spear, wrenching it from his grasp.

Now disarmed, Xander drew the mace from his belt, the weight of his injuries slowing his movements.

The pack leader seized the opportunity and lunged forward, landing a powerful blow with the flat of its battleaxe against Xander's chest.

The impact knocked the air out of Xander, leaving him gasping for breath.

Despite his injuries, Xander summoned the strength of his conviction to survive to find Jo at any cost. He dodged a follow-up attack, the prehensile tail narrowly missing his face, countering the swing with one of his own at the right arm of his attacker. The head of the mace connected with the weak spot in the armor between the creature's forearm and elbow, shattering bone with a resounding crack, followed by the sound of the steel battleaxe clattering to the road.

Not giving up his momentary advantage, Xander followed up the initial attack with a flurry of blows to the body and head of his foe. Dodging the claws of the pack leader's remaining working arm, Xander landed one final blow to the pack leader's head, causing its neck to twist at an odd angle before it crumpled in a heap. Without their leader and the buffs it had been providing to the rest of the group, the adventurers overtook the remaining rodentia, which fell one by one until none remained.

The battle had been won, but not without the ultimate cost. All the adventurers had drastic injuries to some extent, but the worst price was the loss of the tank from Harvey's team. He had stood against the initial rally by the rodentia after the ambush and was eventually overwhelmed. His sacrifice was as equally responsible for the rest of the team living as Xander's contributions. Harvey was visibly upset at the loss of his teammate, lashing out at Zoey for pulling in too many monsters and Xander for not eliminating the leader fast enough.

"Hey, take it down a notch! Harvey, I've only known you for a day and a half now, but I'd like to think we're friends with everything we've been through. I get you're upset, I really do. That being said, it's a shit hand we've been dealt. Everyone here has already lost so much, and the reality is we'll end up losing more before it's all said and done. So take a beat, take a short walk, and try to get your head back in the game before you say something that might have fallout you can't take back," Xander fumed. He understood Harvey's frustration. Still, he would not sit here and let him or Zoey be a punching bag.

"Everyone get bandaged up as best they can. We've got some healing potions left if anyone needs one. Then let's get our fallen friend taken care of. After that we'll loot and see if the survivors we just rescued are the sort of people worthy of the price we paid."

The group moved quickly but with a subdued focus, tending to wounds and giving the fallen tank a moment of respect before wrapping the body in one of the cleaner tarps they'd found nearby. Xander worked quietly beside Zoey as they began sorting through the loot, the task offering a welcome distraction from the weight pressing down on the group.

By the time fifteen minutes had passed, Harvey returned, visibly calmer than he had been when he stormed off. The two boys they had discovered earlier followed a few steps behind, their eyes wide and uncertain. Harvey made his way over to where Xander and Zoey continued dividing the party's haul, while the others finished tending to the tank's remains.

"Sorry I snapped. I know it wasn't your fault. I lost my temper there for a minute and took it out on you both. It's not an excuse, but I'll hope you'll accept it as an explanation and apology," Harvey told the pair.

"Its fine, Harvey. I meant it when I said I got it."

"Not going to lie, your words stung a bit, Harve, with everything we've already been through, but I'm with Xander. I get it," Zoey added.

"Okay, let's do loot and then go let our new friends know they can come out," Harvey said as a way of a subject change. "I don't think trying to divide up loot in front of them is going to go over well, so loot first, then knock on the door."

Given there being roughly fifty rodentia of various levels in the horde, the loot haul was pretty significant. Eight-hundred gold, a large amount of bandages, and a dozen healing potions were the standard sundries and split evenly amongst the group. Weapons and armor were mainly junk that the team decided they'd give it to the survivors in the police station to help get them back to the Starlight Oasis if they didn't have better. That left a handful of items of interest, such as the pack leader's battleaxe, the engineer's repeating crossbow, a bracelet, ring, and a leatherworker's tool kit. No one could identify the ring or bracelet, so Xander and his group ended up taking the ring, bracelet, and leatherworker's tool kit. The previous two items were due to them moving on to find other survivors who may identify the items and the leatherworker's kit out of necessity, as Xander had a four-inch slice in his quest reward armor. He was quite put out over it. The rest of the items would all go back with Harvey to the Starlight Oasis.

"Okay, let's go meet the neighbors," Xander commented as he climbed the stairs to the large metal door.

"Hey, open up inside. We took care of your rat problem out here," he called as he banged on the door.

It took several repeated attempts before someone finally slid back the bolthole in the door to get a look outside. Their eyes darting from side to side to see around Xander to make sure this wasn't some type of trick.

"Who are you?" demanded a deep voice on the other side of the door.

"Xander Kell and friends. We came up from the Starlight Oasis Truck Stop looking for supplies and survivors. We've established a safe zone under this new Simulation's rules," Xander calmly informed the man. Trying to stay as relaxed as possible, it was his hope the individual would pick up on the feeling and understand there was no immediate danger. "We found a pair of boys in the bank ruins, we're going to take them with us. You're welcome to come too."

"Two boys?" a woman's voice came from further back. "Is it Eddie? Eddie!"

"Mom! Mom, it's me! Mom!" an excited Ed screamed as he heard his mother's voice.

"Open the door. That's my boy out there. Get out of the way, damn it," came an equally excited voice from the other side of the door, along with the sound of a commotion, as someone tried to get to the door.

Quest Completion! Congratulations, you have successfully rescued twenty-two players. Look at you being the beacon of good and all that.

Rewards: Experience Points, Two Hundred and Twenty Gold, Leather Boots of Radiant Resolve.

Stepping off to the side, Xander let Harvey take the lead in the discussion as the door flew open and a middle-aged woman flew out to engulf the two boys in a hug resulting in the three collapsing into sobs. Meanwhile, large gentlemen dressed in police riot gear stepped out next. Seeing this as someone in charge, Harvey pulled them off to the side. Seeing that Xander didn't really want to be in on the discussion and Harvey would CliffsNotes anything important for him later, Xander took this as an opportunity to check his notification log and character sheet.

Level up! Congratulations, you are now level four. Go forth and defend the realms, mighty hunter. Warning: Due to the current level-zero protocols, class choice, and ability points are deferred until level five. Actions taken between levels one and five will contribute toward the available class selection.

+3 Spear Combat | Congratulations! You've mastered the fine art of poking things from a safe distance. Keep it up, and soon you'll be threading needles with your thrusts, or at least not missing entirely.

+4 Mace Combat | Congratulations! You've really gotten the hang of smashing things with a big stick. Precision? Who needs it when brute force gets the job done? Just try not to break everything you weren't supposed to hit.

+2 Analyze | Congratulations! Your keen eye for detail has sharpened, allowing you to assess enemies, objects, and situations with greater accuracy. Knowledge is power. Use it wisely to uncover hidden strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities.

+5 First Aid | Congratulations! Your medical skills have significantly improved, allowing you to treat wounds more efficiently. Whether stabilizing an ally in battle or tending to injuries after the fight, your expertise could mean the difference between life and death.

+3 Light Armor | Congratulations! You've learned how to take a hit and keep moving. At this rate, you might just survive long enough to regret your life choices. Keep dodging, and maybe you won't have to test how well that armor actually works.

+1 Leadership | Congratulations! Your ability to guide and inspire others has grown. People trust your judgment and look to you for direction in difficult situations. Use this influence wisely to strengthen your team and overcome challenges together.

Ability Learned: Disarm | Congratulations! While you disarmed your foe, let's be honest: it was mainly luck. Because of current level-zero protocols, we have suspended all active abilities until you reach level five.

Name: Xander Kell
Class: Commoner
Level: Four
Health: 75/80
Mana: 70/70

Stats
Strength: 4
Dexterity: 4
Intelligence: 6
Constitution: 4
Charisma: 5

Abilities
Taunt: Currently unavailable due to level-zero protocols
Disarm: Currently unavailable due to level-zero protocols

Skills
Spear Combat: 9
Mace Combat: 4
Thrown Spear: 1
First Aid: 6
Analyze: 5
Light Armor: 3
Leadership: 2

It all certainly looked like an impressive day's work to Xander, but there were still too many questions to say if his stats were good, bad, or middle of the road. For the hundredth time since the reboot, Xander silently wished for some sort of basic primer on what all of this meant. Years of playing video games gave him some sort of idea, but without knowing the crunchy math that the Simulation worked behind the scenes, the numbers were practically meaningless. He did have a different opinion about his new boots as he analyzed them while putting them on.

Leather Boots of Radiant Resolve
Quality: Uncommon.
Enchantments: Protection of Faith.
Description: These deep brown leather boots are perfect for a long cross-country hike as they are for a stroll down Main Street. While wearing these boots, the wearer will gain a protection of faith that will reduce dark magical damage by 5% and non-magical damage by 3%.

The percentage of damage reduction on dark magic and non-magical attacks was always welcome. Everybody bit of additional defense was just as good as any additional offense. Live longer or kill quicker. There was a sound argument for focusing on dealing as much as damage as possible, but Xander also liked the idea of being able to put up a formidable defense as well. Balance over a glass cannon or tank was always his play style in games. He hoped he wasn't making bad choices now that the stakes were higher.

"Gang, we're going to scavenge the rest of the town, then head back," Harvey informed everyone once he was done talking to the rescued survivors. "I'm thinking we'll hit up the grocery and pharmacy buildings. This will give us coverage on the rest of the town for any survivors. I don't want to do house to house searches with this many people already. Hopefully, the sizeable crowd will bring anyone else out that's still hiding."

"Alex, Zoey, and I are going to try to make it to Philo before it gets dark. I hadn't planned on spending this much time in Tolono. Even though it was the right thing to do, I'm antsy to get where we need to be," Xander said. "It's been great, Harvey, and we'll be back to the Starlight Oasis in the future."

"Thanks for all your help, guys. Do try and get back to the Oasis. I think we have a real opportunity to make something there, and it'll certainly need people like you three," Harvey said as the group started walking off.

"Xander, you thinking we walk the railroad tracks?" Alex asked as he adjusted his backpack on his shoulders.

"Yeah, as long as you both agree. The tracks are farther away from the roadway here so we should be able to avoid a lot of distractions. Harvey and his group should be able to pick up any stragglers looking for safety."

The group made good time as they headed out of town. They encountered a stray animal or single rodentia here and there, but no additional survivors or delays. Xander had to make a note to let Alex set the pace, because it didn't look like he had done much hiking in the past and certainly had done no hiking that required carrying an entire kit. He hadn't noticed the issue on the walk from the Oasis to Tolono, as the group was stopping frequently to check various cars abandoned along the roadway. Xander wanted to get as far as they could, but he also wasn't going to rush everyone; that's when mistakes happened and mistakes certainly were something that could get everyone killed.

Even walking at a slower pace than Xander normally would while backpack hiking, the group still made good time to Philo. The town used to be half the size of Tolono, but it looked like it hadn't suffered the same amount of damage, though signs of looting was evident. Unlike Tolono, there were absolutely no survivors to be found. Xander thought he caught glimpses of people in windows, but nobody responded when he called out. Instead of an exhaustive search, Zoey made a crude sign directing any survivors to where they could find shelter and relative safety back at the Oasis.

Moving on from Philo to the east, the sun was starring to set. Deciding to shelter for the evening instead of risking walking into another town, Alex quickly picked the lock on a random farm shed. They'd be able to make it into Sidney easily within the first hour the next day. As the sunset, there were still quite a few fires to be seen on the horizon, including a massive orange glow from the nearest major population center, Champaign-Urbana. Given there were so many fires, the group determined they would be okay setting a small campfire.

"Have you noticed that you're always the one taking on the leaders of what we're fighting?" Zoey asked Xander as she looked over the top of her coffee mug.

Xander laughed. "Maybe I'm the main character of the story.

"Seriously, though, that's kind of the role I've been playing. I'm not the guy with the shield holding the monsters where the rest of the group needs them, and you and Alex are focused on taking out those monsters as quickly as possible. My role is more fluid in the battle space. Maybe I'm tanking, maybe I'm doing what you and Alex are doing, but when things pop up during a fight that needs to be addressed immediately, then that's my job. That pack leader was buffing the rest of his pack. We needed to deal with that right away, but who is best able to take care of that?"

"I don't think any of us are the main characters here, so don't count on having plot armor," Alex added with a bit of mirth.

"Too true. Okay, topic change. Are you guys both level four? If so, then hopefully we'll make level five tomorrow. While we can't really plan, because there's no damn wiki, it also wouldn't hurt to voice what basic plans you both have. You guys should choose whatever you want, but we can make more informed decisions if we each know what the other is thinking," Xander said.

"You guys keep saying there is no wiki, but there are help files. Are you not using those?" Alex said, with a puzzled look on his face.

"Good luck really finding anything," Zoey fumed. "Most of the files are locked until you have some exposure that lets the Simulation know you have an actual reason for the help request. Then what files you have access to are so vague it's not even funny. I'm sure this was supposed to be to keep some of the mystery alive in the Simulation, but that was probably also based on what was taking place back when it was functioning properly. Every day people would have already known basic information or it would have been part of everybody's early education. This is like playing the game on survival hard mode with no rulebook."

Sharing what each of them thought, the trio had a pretty good idea of what the other would try to take class-wise. There would not be a lot of overlap at first glance, but until they found out what classes were available, it was all academic. Two things were clear, though. They were going to be lacking in terms of an actual tank and dedicated healer. Missing two pieces of the Holy Trinity was going to have to be something at the top of their list to address. Feeling the conversation wind down as exhaustion of yet another long day set in. The group set up a watch rotation for the night and agreed to get a fresh start first thing in the morning.