Surviving the Simulation: The Grand Crusade

The first wave hit like a tide of bones and rot. Skeletal arms reached from the treeline, clawing at the earth as they surged forward, drawn by the pulsing green glow of the carved runes. Xander moved to intercept, Cat's Sight piercing the gloom with unnatural clarity. He didn't hesitate. His blade found gaps between ribs and clavicles, slicing through undead forms with mechanical efficiency. He measured each strike, making it brutal and final.

To his left, Zoey fired with the cold precision of someone born to hunt. Her arrows hummed through the air, splintering skulls mid-charge. Behind her, Gray bellowed as he brought his mace down like a wrecking ball, shattering ribcages and dropping undead by the handful. Jo stayed tight to Xander's right flank, moving with smooth, lethal rhythm, her blade dancing in tight arcs that bled momentum from the enemy advance.

Gary barked, "Form up! Protect the refugees! We can't let them break through!"

The undead didn't scream. They didn't speak. They pressed forward with mindless hunger, a machine of bone and shadow. Xander ducked a rusted scythe, stepped in, and crushed a skull with a sideways strike. One dropped. Three more pushed in. The perimeter bent but didn't break. Bodies fell, bones cracked underfoot, but the line held.

Somewhere behind him, a scream rose. Xander turned just enough to spot Lucy at the edge of the camp, frozen in place. She gripped a dented frying pan with both hands, her face locked into a caricature of fear. Wide eyes. Trembling shoulders. Her knees buckled just slightly, as if staged. But her gaze wasn't erratic like the truly terrified. Her gaze was focused. Watching something beyond the fight.

Something about her didn't sit right. The kind of wrong that set his instincts on edge. He couldn't name it, not yet, but it lodged in the back of his mind like a shard of glass. He turned back to the fight without a word, jaw set tight. Now wasn't the time to get distracted about what intrigue may run in the background when there are more immediate concerns of monsters trying to kill him. Still, he made a mental note of the observation for later contemplation.

"Hold the line!" Xander shouted, rallying his comrades. "We can't let them overrun us!"

Another wave hit. Bone snapped beneath boots. A half-rotted corpse lunged low. Xander buried his blade in its throat and shoved it back into the melee. Jo covered his blind side, slashing down a crawler trying to flank them. Zoey had climbed onto an overturned supply crate, firing down into the densest packs. Her arrows sparked with elemental charge now, frost dancing across ribcages.

The group fought with everything they had, the night filled with the sounds of battle. The clash of weapons, the groans of the undead, and the cries of the living. Slowly, the tide turned as the undead stopped spawning. The combined efforts of the guards, adventurers, and even some of the braver refugees thinned the ranks of the undead.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the last of the undead fell. The glowing symbols flickered and died, leaving the camp in an eerie silence. The air was thick with the smell of death and the sweat of exhausted fighters.

But Xander didn't relax. He cast one more glance toward Lucy. She had lowered her pan, her eyes scanning the aftermath like a field commander counting losses. Not afraid. Not even relieved. Just… calculating.

He filed it away. No time to unravel it now. But later? Later he'd dig into that wrongness, and if he was right, she wouldn't see it coming.

Quest Update! You have dismantled the enemy troops. Their death rattles have summoned their commander. Prepare yourselves!

The portal tore open with a crack that didn't echo. It sank into the air like rot into cloth. A wind swept through the clearing, killing the last warmth of the campfires. Xander turned toward it as the runes along the treeline flared one last time, then guttered out like dying embers.

The skeletal knight emerged through the green void astride a rotting warhorse, its hooves crunching over bone and debris with a slow, deliberate rhythm. The creature wore corroded armor, warped by time and heat, each plate fused into the next like a tomb that had grown around its occupant. Where its eyes should have been, only sockets remained lit from within by a dull, hateful glow.

Refugees froze. A woman dropped the pot she'd been clutching. A boy tried to run, but Gary's hand yanked him back into cover. Someone whispered a prayer. Someone else was trying not to cry, but failing. The knight said nothing as it scanned the camp, its skull swiveling slow and precise, more like a machine than a man. Then its gaze landed on Xander.

It drew its longsword, the blade long and blackened, etched with runes that flickered in the same sickly hue as the portal. At its hip hung a lantern, old and ironbound, its glass fogged with a dull green haze. It pulsed once as the sword cleared its sheath. Xander's stomach twisted, though he couldn't say why. The thing wasn't just ornament, it was watching, waiting.

The knight raised its head. "Death," it hissed. The sound slid through the clearing like ice over skin, and silence followed in its wake.

[Analyze] Skeletal Knight | Level: 7 Elite | Status: Hostile | Class: Dark Paladin

Xander gripped his hammerpick tightly, the weight of everything pressing down on him. "Everyone, focus on the horse! We take it down, and the knight loses its advantage!"

Zoey nocked an arrow, her eyes narrowing as she aimed at the horse. "On it, Xander!"

"Let's crush this bone bag!" Gary growled to bolster his men's morale.

The knight charged forward, his undead horse's hooves thundering across the ground. Zoey's arrow flew true, striking the horse in the shoulder, but doing little to slow his advance.

As the skeletal knight closed in, Xander called upon his Crusader ability, Judgmental Strike. His hammer glowed with holy energy, and he focused on the undead horse. With a fierce battle cry, he unleashed the strike, a blast of divine light erupting from his weapon.

The holy energy struck the undead horse with explosive force, causing it to rear back and scream in agony. The light seared through its decayed flesh, and with a final, desperate whinny, the horse collapsed to the ground, its bones disintegrating into dust.

The impact of the blow threw the skeletal knight from his mount, sending him crashing to the ground. It struggled to its feet, its dark eye sockets seeping smoke as it opened its mouth in a silent scream of rage.

Xander stepped forward, rolling his shoulders, hammer still glowing with the remnants of his holy strike. "I'm no saint, but I'm about to give you a deeply moving religious experience."

The knight swung his sword, a blade forged of dark, corrupted metal. Xander parried the strike, the clash of their weapons sounding like a bell had rung through the clearing. The rest of the group moved to flank the knight, attacking from all sides.

Despite their combined efforts, the knight fought with relentless fury, its swings wild but powerful. He knocked Jo back with a brutal strike and nearly decapitated Gary with a swift counterattack. But Xander and his companions pressed on, their determination unwavering, chipping away at the knight's defenses.

In a final, desperate move, the knight raised its lantern, channeling its sinister power. The surrounding air crackled with dark energy as it prepared to unleash a devastating spell.

"Focus on the lantern! It's the source of his power!"

Zoey loosed another arrow, this one striking the artifact directly and causing it to shatter in the knight's hands. It screamed in fury and pain as the dark energy engulfed its hand.

Xander seized the moment, lunging forward and driving the pick end of his hammer sword into the knight's head. Holy light flared from the wound, and the knight's skeletal form fell. With a final, defiant hiss, the skeletal knight clattered to the ground, his armor collapsing into a heap.

Xander stood over the remains of the knight, his chest heaving with exhaustion. He looked at his companions, each battered but alive. "We did it," he said, his voice filled with relief. It's over."

Gary approached, his face grim but relieved. "We made it. Barely."

Graveyard Shift

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Quest Completion! Congratulations, you have successfully completed the event zone and driven back the undead menace.
Rewards: Experience Points, Fifty Gold, Tome of Sacred Knowledge

Xander nodded slowly, his mind already spinning with what the glowing runes had revealed. "Those symbols… they marked us. This wasn't random. It was a trigger."

Gary wiped grime from his face, eyes scanning the camp. "We've got some serious injuries, but nobody is critical. Somehow, we didn't lose anyone. Half my guards are barely standing, though, and maybe a quarter of the refugees are hurt."

Jo joined them. "We need to figure out what started this. We can't afford a repeat."

"Agreed," Zoey said as she crouched to retrieve an arrow shaft from a corpse. "But until we know more, staying here might be the worst move. We need to get moving."

Xander didn't love it. They were worn thin, and night travel was risky at the best of times, but waiting until daylight wasn't an option. "Pack up. We break camp and put distance between us and this site. I'll handle healing while you get the others moving."

The order set things in motion, though not quietly. Some moved with urgency, others with hesitation. Someone groaned about the cold. Another tripped over the half-collapsed edge of a tent. Tension clung to the camp like smoke.

Near the edge of the group, Lucy's voice floated out, just loud enough to be heard, just quiet enough to seem like it wasn't meant for attention. "Moving now makes little sense. We're tired, we're exposed. Feels like we're trading one risk for another."

She said it like a passing thought, but it worked. A few heads turned. Someone muttered agreement. No one confronted her, and Jo didn't seem to hear it, but the ripple had started. Xander clocked it, tucked the moment away with the others. Nothing blatant, nothing actionable. But Lucy always knew how to say the right thing, just loud enough to stir the pot.

He took one last glance at the now-dormant runes carved into the trees. They looked dead, but he didn't trust that meant anything. The rules of the Simulation were still a massive unknown, and ignorance was a dangerous handicap.

As others packed or limped or stood staring at the tree line, Xander sat by the fire's dying light and pulled the Tome of Sacred Knowledge from his pack. He hadn't had the space to focus on it during the fight, but now, with adrenaline fading and the camp in motion, he finally took the moment.

The leather binding was cracked but solid, marked with a symbol he didn't recognize. It was a shield cradling a blooming lotus, embossed with striking precision. A faint warmth lingered beneath his fingers that was more than residual heat from the fire. The fire's glow had faded, but the Tome seemed to carry its own kind of light.

Tome of Sacred Knowledge
Quality: Uncommon
Description: Grants the bearer lost teachings of the Sacred Path. Wisdom once held by the ancient Paladins. Inspires leadership, spiritual protection, and the rebuilding of order through justice and service. Effects are permanent but intangible. Cannot be resold, copied, or forgotten.

Attached to the tome's spine was a finely linked golden chain designed to be durable and elegant. Xander realized it was meant to secure the tome to his hip, ensuring it wouldn't interfere with his movements or combat. He fastened the chain to his belt, letting the tome hang comfortably at his side. It felt like a natural extension of his gear, both practical and symbolic.

Seeing Xander's intently studying the tome, Gary wandered over and sat beside him. "That's quite a find," he remarked, nodding towards the tome. "What do you make of it?"

"To be honest, I have no idea. I would have said skill book, but the description differs from any other skill book I've seen so far," Xander admitted, still tracing the symbol with his fingers. "The design is intricate. But I've never seen this symbol before. A shield and a lotus. Do you recognize it? It feels... important."

Gary shook his head. "No, can't say I do. Strange combination, but there must be a reason for it."

He opened the tome, revealing pages filled with flourishing script and detailed illustrations. Although the text was in an unfamiliar language, the illustrations showed scenes of healing, protection, and knowledge. There were diagrams of herbs and rituals that appeared to be meditation, all centered on mental well-being.

"It's a repository of knowledge," Xander snorted, flipping through the pages. "as the name suggests. But there's more to it. It almost looks like a self-help book... everything is about preserving the mind and spirit. Almost like it's trying to safeguard something within us."

Gary looked intrigued. "Could be a guide to maintaining our sanity in this crazy world. You'd think that the Simulation would want its players mentally healthy."

Xander closed the tome. "Whatever it is, it's ours now. And we'll eventually figure out the symbol's origins. For now, we get this show on the road."

"Everyone is ready to go, and it is going to be dawn in a couple hours. We should be good to go," Gary replied as he went to stand.

The predawn light cast a faint, reddish yellow glow over the landscape as the refugees broke camp, their spirits weary but resolute after the night's harrowing battle. The air was crisp, the chill of the early morning serving as a brisket wake-up in place of a hot cup of coffee. Xander moved among the group, ensuring everyone was ready to continue their journey.

"We're heading out," he called softly, his voice steady and reassuring. "Our next stop is Tolono. It's another burned-out town, but we'll move quickly and stay alert."

The group formed into a loose column, the refugees huddling together for warmth and comfort. Xander took lead, with one of Gary's men out on point. Jo and Zoey walked behind him, holding a quiet conversation while their eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.

The group moved in silence along the rails, a loose line of refugees and guards stretching behind them. The sun hadn't quite cleared the horizon yet, but the first colors of dawn bled into the sky brushing away the night. Gravel shifted beneath their boots, the crunch of stone and the distant calls of waking birds the only sounds that marked their passing.

Xander walked point, eyes on the horizon. The rhythm of movement gave him something to focus on, something to hold, and he clung to it like a lifeline. Keep walking. Keep scanning. Keep one step ahead.

Jo's footsteps grew louder as she caught up beside him. She didn't speak at first, just matched his pace, arms folded tight, eyes scanning the treeline. After a minute, she broke the silence.

"Do you think Tolono's going to be another Philo?"

Xander didn't answer right away. His jaw worked slightly, but his gaze never shifted from the tracks ahead.

"Hard to say," he said. "Last time Zoey and I passed through, it wasn't much better. Fires had taken most of it. Survivors hid in the police station, with Rodentia swarming them."

Jo gave a quiet snort, not quite amusement. "Yeah, well, the rats are gone now. From what Zoey says, made sure of that."

"Doesn't mean the place got any better," Xander said, voice flat. "No safezones. Just another skeleton of a town."

She didn't let the silence grow too long.

"You've been quieter since Saint Joseph."

Xander's eyes narrowed slightly. "I've been busy."

"You've been avoiding," Jo replied softly. "You think if you stay focused enough, keep moving fast enough, you won't have to sit with it."

Xander exhaled slowly. "I'm trying to keep people alive. That takes priority."

"It does," she said. "But you're not a machine, Xander. You keep carrying this alone, it's going to break something important."

He glanced at her briefly, then looked away again. "It already did."

Jo's tone softened, but her pace didn't waver. "You blame yourself for Alex."

"Victor isn't here at the moment, so I don't have the luxury of blaming anyone else."

They walked in silence after that. Jo didn't push further. She didn't need to. The truth had already landed.

Up ahead, the tracks disappeared into the morning fog, swallowed by the rising mist and the burned-out ruins that lay beyond. Whatever waited in Tolono, it would be just one more mile in the long crawl forward.

Glancing back, Xander noticed Zoey was nowhere to be seen. "Where did Zoey take off to?"

"She and I were talking. "If the runes aren't related to the missing supplies and whatever's tracking us, that's still an open mystery," Jo whispered to avoid being overheard.

"Agreed, but that doesn't answer my original question."

"She dropped back to check our trail," Jo said. "Nothing obvious, but there's a pattern to the way we've been hit if you remove the undead event from the equation. Like something's expecting us."

Xander didn't answer right away. He tracked a buzzard circling high above the tree line, then turned his attention back to the path ahead.

"Could be someone still working for Victor," she continued. "Or it could be something closer. Someone who's been with us longer than we realize."

He felt that one land. She didn't name anyone, but the implication sat heavy in the air. He didn't have to look behind them to know who she meant, Lucy. One too many calculated glances passed off as fear made him think she was much more than just an angry, scared Karen.

"Let's not jump to conclusions," he said finally. "But yeah. Both are possibilities."

Hate was a strong word for Xander, as it was one he used little in his thinking. However, since the debacle at the Saint Joseph's safezone, he was constantly being brought back to that moment in his mind. The more he dwelled on Victor, the hotter it stoked his inner rage and need for vengeance. He may have played a part in Alex's death, but ultimately, it was at the hands of Victor's group. They took ultimate responsibility, and they would pay the price.

"Hey, you still with me? You zoned out there for a moment," Jo said, nudging Xander, the tone of concern in her voice from earlier returning.

"Yeah, sorry. Just got lost in my mind there for a second, thinking about the Victor and Alex."

"I'm still here if you want to talk."

"Thanks Jo. Yes, we'll talk. I've got some questions for you as well. How you handled Lucy was a new twist on things for you. But let's put a pin on that discussion until Starlight. I don't want to get distracted out here if we are being followed by the Victor or worse, stumble into another event zone." Xander commented as he tried to look happy and relaxed, for Jo's sake. He appreciated her concern, but it would have to wait until later. He'd already gotten enough people killed by not being at the top of his game, he thought.

Jo nodded, her expression determined. "We'll make it through this. Just remember faced with adversity, it's you and me against the world. Together, we can overcome any obstacle. But that's us together, not you doing the lone tortured hero play."

"Yes, dear." Xander replied with a smirk, knowing that it would tease Jo just a touch, as she hated that phrase. She called it passive relationship participation.

The predawn light gave way to the full presences of the sun coming over the horizon, casting long shadows from the remnants of trees and structures that dotted the landscape. Another beautiful day in the apocalypse, Xander mused.

The village of Tolono slowly came into sight. Even from a distance, the sight of the devastation was a sobering reminder of the apocalypse that had ravaged the world just weeks before. Burned-out husks of buildings loomed in the distance, skeletal remains of what were once homes and businesses.

"Will we sleep inside tonight?" a small voice asked from the middle of the group. Xander didn't have the heart to answer.