Surviving the Simulation: The Grand Crusade

Tolono inched closer as the refugees step ate up the railroad track between it. Like Philo, Tolono was a haunting portrait of destruction, with charred buildings and streets littered with debris. Occasionally, small animals raced across the open spaces, seeking cover.

Xander signaled for the group to stop and gather in front of a small hardware store next to one of the multitude of antique stores that occupied every small town in the Midwest. "We don't plan on lingering here," he said firmly. "We'll stay on the edges of the village. However, we're going to search for any useful supplies in these buildings quickly. Gather what useful items you can find, and stay alert. We move on as soon as we can."

As the group dispersed to search the ruins, a palpable tension hung in the air. The refugees whispered among themselves, their fear and exhaustion clear. Lucy, who had been quiet for most of the morning, was now moving among the group, her voice low and conspiratorial.

Gary approached Xander, his expression grim. "Lucy's been stirring up trouble again," he whispered. "I've overheard her talking to some others, planting seeds of doubt."

Xander sighed, glancing over to where Lucy was talking animatedly to a small group of refugees. "We're turning south from here; Champaign is due north. I could just let whoever wants to go to Champaign with her leave right now."

"You know that would be a death sentence. As much as you'd like to be rid of Lucy, I don't think you're that hard of a man."

Xander stepped back, leaning against the wall of the antique store. Lucy looked up just then, catching his eye. Her smile was slight and cold, like she thought she'd already won.

"Thing is," Xander said, "she's not just a loudmouth. She's got direction. Too much for someone who showed up out of nowhere a couple days ago with no clue about the Simulation being real. Most of the others are still figuring out how to check their status sheet. She talks like she's read the Data Forge twice."

Gary frowned. "You think she's a plant?"

"I think she's a problem," Xander said. "And problems like that usually get people killed."

"Jo, do me a favor. Lucy and a couple of the people she's been talking to are getting ready to head down that alley. Can you go check up on them? The last thing we need is for her to get hurt and become even more of a pain than she already is." Xander motioned with his head toward the alley.

"I'm on it. Zoey, can you update Xander on that other thing while I'm going?" Jo replied, heading off toward the direction of the alley before Zoey could respond.

"Find out anything interesting?" Xander commented to Zoey as his eyes followed Jo.

"Eh, I found the supplies, or at least the supply bags, anyway, more perplexing than anything."

"Just the bags?"

"Just the bags. Whoever took them had to have had them with them as we walked. I'm not sure how we missed someone carrying around missing supplies. It just makes little sense with how hyper-aware the guards are," Zoey said.

"Spatial Inventory. It's the only thing I can think of," Xander said.

"Someone has an item like my survival belt," he continued, reaching down to place one hand on the two-pouched survival belt that hung on his thigh. He received it as a quest reward; it had a spatial inventory system that stored items placed in its pouches within a pocket dimension.

Xander's belt wouldn't have an opening big enough for the supplies, but he noticed that almost every refugee and a good number of the guards had what looked like traditional backpacks. Any of those could be a magic item with an opening large enough to hold the supplies.

"Well, we could search everyone and find out who has a magic backpack," Gary said.

"No, I don't want to traumatize the refugees any more than they already are. Plus, I don't think spatial inventory items are scarce. My belt is, but only because it's not a regular backpack but a copy of something I used when I was bushcraft camping. The quest reward seemed to consider the equipment I already had in place." Xander explained.

"Don't forget, you're talking about people that didn't understand the basics of the simulation. I doubt any of these people have a pot to piss in, let alone a damn magical backpack." Gary frowned.

"You're right. I just still don't like turning this into an inquisition. I'm also not a fan of wait-and-see because seeing normally involves everything blowing up in your face, but let's play it cool for now." Xander said.

"I'm with Xander, still too many unknowns here just to get draconian. Still, at the very least, we have someone in our midst who is not what they are trying to pretend to be. We just don't know if that's someone with ill intent or just trying to hide," Zoey concluded.

Just then, a high-pitched scream echoed from the alley. Jo appeared at the ally's mouth, calling out, her voice tinged with alarm. "Xander, over here!" before darting back down the alley.

Xander, Zoey, and Gary hurried over to where Jo stood. At her feet were two fresh bodies stripped of any usable gear.

The scene was a gruesome testament to the ferocity of the battle that had taken place. The two male bodies lay sprawled in the dirt, their armor battered and destroyed, left behind because it was now wholly unusable. Blood stained the surrounding ground, creating dark, sticky patches that had seeped into the earth.

The bodies bore the unmistakable signs of a brutal and sudden ambush. One man's face showed shock and terror, his wide-open eyes staring sightlessly at the sky. His hands were still gripping his sword, though it lay broken beside him, indicating he had tried to defend himself. The second man lay a few feet away; his body twisted at an unnatural angle, his shield splintered and useless.

"They've been dead for less than a day," Zoey said, her voice tight. "The real question is who or what that did this still around?"

Xander knelt beside the bodies, examining the scene while fighting the rising bile in his stomach from the stench of death filling his nose. Someone clearly surprised the men, but whatever it was also had an overwhelming amount of strength to shatter armor and weapons. These men never stood a chance.

"Whatever did this was brutal and almost feral in its attack," Xander said, pushing himself off the ground.

His expression was dark. Gary gripped his sword tightly in its sheath, scanning the rooftops of the surrounding buildings. The event clearly shook him. "This is bad. We need to get out of here now."

Xander nodded, his mind racing. "Everyone, gather up! We're moving out immediately!"

As the group quickly regrouped, Xander noticed Lucy whispering to a few refugees between sobs, their faces drawn with uncertainty and horror. He knew she was planting doubts, trying to undermine their unity. But there was no time to address it now.

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"Stay close and stay alert," Xander commanded. "We head for Starlight. No more delays."

The group moved out, tension hanging heavy in the air. As they walked through the burnt-out town, Xander closely watched Lucy, knowing she was a ticking time bomb. The sight of the dead bodies had rattled everyone, and he couldn't afford any more distractions.

Gary fell in step beside him. "How deep in the shit do you think we are?"

"Three feet high and rising," Xander quipped. "Whatever did that was fast and powerful."

"Knowing our luck, we're going to have to deal with it."

"You didn't just say that, did you? Gary, you never tempt the Simulation; it's tempting fate, or in this case AI," Zoey hissed as she reached over to knock on the wood of a broken bench nearby.

Mear, seconds after the last knock of Zoey's hand on the wood, the wall of a nearby building exploded outward with a deafening roar, sending chunks of debris and a thick cloud of dust billowing into the street. Bricks and shards of wood flew in all directions, clattering across the pavement and pelting everyone nearby. The force of the blast sent refugees scrambling for cover, their shouts of alarm mingling with the groan of collapsing masonry.

"Dammit, Gary!" Zoey admonished, pulling her bow off her back and readying one of her deadly frost arrows.

As the dust settled, a hulking silhouette emerged from the wreckage. The figure towered over the debris, its massive frame becoming more apparent. With a guttural growl, it stepped forward, its skin a mottled gray-green and covered in patches of rough, warty texture. Jagged tusks jutted from its snarling, drooling mouth.

[Analyze] Hulking Troll | Level: 6 | Status: Hostile | Class: Monstrosity

"Troll!" Ryan screamed as he tried to crab walk backward from where he had fallen. Scrambling to get as far away from the troll as possible.

The troll's huge hands, each as large as a human torso, gripped a crude, oversized club fashioned from a metal lamp pole. Bits of rubble and wood still clung to its body, but it shook them off with a disdainful snarl, scanning the street with a predatory gaze.

With speed that belied its size, the troll dashed several steps toward the nearest person. It was one refugee Xander had met during the impromptu training class the night before. The troll scooped the screaming man up in its hand, the refugee desperately trying to beat on the hand, holding him in vain.

The troll severed the man's head from his body before anyone could react. Dropping the headless corpse to the ground, the beast turned to look for its next victim.

The refugees and adventurers froze, momentarily stunned by the sudden graphic death of a member of their group. Several people were audibly crying and vomiting nearby.

Xander rushed to the front of the group, having quickly recovered his wits, and drew his hammer, "Everyone, get ready!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the shock. "We have to bring it down before it causes more damage!"

"I swear if this thing is immune to frost, I'm going to lose my shit," Zoey said under her breath as she stood next to Xander. The arrow lept from her bow, landing with a solid thunk into the troll's bulbous head.

The troll roared in response, its voice a deep, resonant bellow that echoed through the desolate streets of Tolono. It swung its club, smashing the remnants of the wall further and sending a fresh wave of debris scattering. The ground trembled beneath its massive feet as it advanced, each step a thunderous impact.

Zoey notched another arrow and took aim at the creature's eye. "It's immune to frost! This is bullshit! We need to bring it down fast! Aim for its vulnerable spots!"

"It's a troll; it doesn't have any vulnerable spots. If this is like trolls as we know them, it regenerates fast and is vulnerable to fire," Xander replied.

Zoey's arrow hit the troll's groin, eliciting another roar, this time more of agony and pain than anger and rage. Glaring at Zoey as it dropped its makeshift weapon to hold its wounded area, hatred burned in its eyes.

"Every guy has a vulnerable spot," Zoey said as she flipped the troll the bird. "Now, I think it's time I run because that got its attention."

Gary and Jo took up the vacated flanking positions next to Xander, weapons at the ready, while Zoey moved further down the street opposite the direction the refugees had fled. As the troll lumbered closer, Xander blocked its way, its attention firmly on Zoey.

"Why is it moving so much slower?" Gary asked nervously.

"Zoey hit it with frost; even if it's immune to the damage, it still has a slowing effect. Now head in the game," Xander grunted as he dodged its lamp pole club's brute overhead smash attack.

"Keep it away from the refugees! It's got a hard-on for you, Zoey. Keep moving," Xander shouted, positioning himself between the troll and the rest of the group.

Again, the troll swung its massive club with a furious grunt, aiming to clear its path toward Zoey. Xander dodged the initial swing, the club smashing into the ground with enough force to send debris flying. He counterattacked, cracking the troll's knee, causing it to bend at an unnatural angle. Still, the wounds he inflicted knitted themselves back together, popping the destroyed knee back in place almost immediately.

Gary moved in from the side, his sword slicing deep into the troll's thick hide. "We need to slow it down! Aim for the joints!" he yelled over the battle's noise.

Xander rolled his eyes as he followed the trolling to press the attack. "Just did that. Its healing rate is insane."

Despite the onslaught, the troll's focus remained on Zoey. It let out another thunderous roar and barreled forward, its immense strength plowing through any obstacles. Xander and Gary lunged at its legs, trying to hamstring it, but the beast's sheer power and rapid healing made it nearly impossible.

Her breaths coming in ragged gasps, Zoey glanced over her shoulder and saw the troll closing the distance. Desperation gave her speed, but she couldn't keep this up forever.

"Xander, it's not stopping!" Jo cried, launching a flurry of blade strikes.

Xander gritted his teeth, his mind racing. "Guys, we need to cripple it long enough to think of something else. Jo, see if you can find anything flammable in the debris."

The troll's next swing came dangerously close to Xander, the club whistling past his ear. He retaliated with a powerful thrust of the head of his hammer to the troll's knee in a thrusting motion, momentarily buckling the joint again. Gary drove his sword into the other leg, twisting the blade to maximize the damage.

The troll stumbled, falling to one knee, but its regeneration was relentless. It roared in frustration, lashing out with its free hand and catching Gary with a glancing blow that sent him sprawling.

Meanwhile, Jo frantically scanned the street for anything usable against the troll's regeneration. What she found gave her a wicked grin. A block further down the street, a somewhat intact quick oil change garage stood.

"Xander, over here!" she shouted.

Xander saw what she was pointing to and nodded. "Zoey, help me get the troll over there! Jo, get ready to light it up!"

Gary, recovering from the blow, picked up his sword and moved back to Xander's side. Together, they continued assaulting the troll while Zoey drew it toward the garage. The beast, enraged and single-minded, followed her, its eyes still flicking toward Xander and Gary every few seconds as it alternated trying to sweep them out of its path and get close enough to Zoey to exact its revenge for the cheap shot she had inflicted on it.

As they neared the building, Zoey dashed into one of the open bay doors and out the outside. As the troll entered the building, Jo tipped over several nearby barrels of oil, coating the floor in the slippery and flammable substance. Xander and Gary worked in unison, slashing at the troll's legs, causing it to stumble and fall into the service pit in the middle of the bay.

"Now, Jo!" Xander yelled.

"Looks like you're in a slippery situation. Let me give you a light so you can see better," Jo taunted the troll as it thrashed about to remove itself from the pit before tossing the makeshift torch she had constructed out of oily rags and a broom handle.

The torch flew into the pit, its flames licking at the troll and the surrounding oil. A flame ignited into a roaring fire as the oil-soaked pit turned deadly conflagration. The pit went up in flames, and the fire quickly spread to the troll, its regenerating flesh no match for the intense heat. The troll let out a deafening roar of pain and rage, thrashing wildly as the flames consumed it.

With the troll incapacitated by the fire, Xander turned to Zoey, who had stopped running and was watching the scene with wide eyes. "Zoey, get back to the group! We'll finish this here!"

Zoey nodded, relief flooding her exhausted features as she hurried back toward the refugees. The troll's roars weakened, and its regeneration finally could not keep up with the relentless assault of the flames.

Xander, Gary, and Jo stood their ground, trying to catch their breath. They watched as the fire consumed the troll, ensuring that it wouldn't rise again.

"All I want is a hot meal and a bath. This was supposed to be a quick and painless trip back to Starlight," Xander said half-jokingly as he watched the still-burning troll corpse.

"I hear what you're saying, but many people are happy you got involved back in Philo. My boys and me included," Gary replied before flopping to the ground outside the garage to lie on his back, exhausted.

"Oh! I got a level out of that!" Gary said, sitting upright with a burst of energy.

"Calm down there, Mr. Powerleveler. Let's get everyone rounded up, and then we can assess injuries and whatnot before taking a breather," Xander said, offering his hand out to Gary to pull him back to his feet.

"Ok, you're the boss," Gary said, though the reluctance in his voice didn't quite match the words. He stood a little straighter, the weariness in his shoulders giving way to something that looked a lot like pride. Xander didn't need to read minds to guess what that meant. Gary was happy about his second chance and intended to make the most of it.