The Systemic Lands (Dark Progressive LITRPG)

"I am done with slimes," Frank muttered. We had finished our fourth day of hunting. We earned 80, 72, 70, and then 68 crystals each over the past four days. The reason for the decrease was just that we moved slower in the forest and took longer breaks. The lack of urgency didn't help the farming speed either. I couldn't force the others to go faster, because that was an order they wouldn't follow long-term.

This meant fewer slimes overall. Still, I wasn't upset. My body was in severe pain, my feet were killing me, and I wanted to puke constantly, but I was alive. The fat was burning off me. At least, I felt lighter each day. My body was the furnace, and my fat was the fuel.

This feeling made me consider balancing my upgrades. It had become a bigger and bigger thought over the last couple of days. I know I had initially focused on Body, but the more I thought about it the bigger the risk there was.

If there was a monster with a mental attack, I needed the Mind upgrades to probably survive that. Also, there might be skills or abilities that required multiple stats. I was still committed to focusing on Body for now, but I might not push it to 100 before reconsidering other stats.

"I was thinking we should purchase the Store upgrade. It would bring people a lot of hope and let us see new options," Jim suggested.

I just smiled at that while internally, I was screaming.

"Maybe get some more people as well," Jesus suggested.

These idiots wanted to give up our biggest advantage. I was screaming in my mind at their stupidity. They wouldn't even have made it this far if it wasn't for me.

"Sure, that sounds like a good idea. We can upgrade the store and then recruit one person each tomorrow. What do you think Frank?" I asked. Might as well get ahead of the idea and scoop credit where I could. Also, one person each would limit any one person from bringing in a larger group, drowning out my control.

"Whatever. This is all stupid and pointless," he muttered. He was increasingly becoming a downer. Jim had fallen into Jesus's sphere of influence. They were focused more on working with others outside of our small group while Frank became more insular and depressed.

We all began settling down for the night. I did the same thing I did every night, using my pack full of crystals as a pillow. This time I oriented myself more toward the group, so I could slightly open my eyes and see them all. I also paid attention to where they had placed their clubs and packs.

If I wanted to make a move, this was my last chance. After this, there would be way too many people around. Even with three other people, I had never killed anyone before. It was easy to think of something like this, but much harder to go through with it.

If I was going to make my move tonight, the first to go had to be Jesus. He had too many ideas and was physically the fittest. After that, I would target Frank and then Jim last. The main thing was to strike quickly and not hesitate.

Laying there in the dark, I kept my breathing steady. The last time I had stayed up I had paid attention to how people's breathing had changed when they fell asleep. I didn't know how my breathing changed, but I made a change, anyway. As my mind was in turmoil, I felt my eyes grow heavy. I kept going back and forth, not knowing the path I wanted to take.

Killing my teammates wasn't simple or easy. I liked these people, and I knew them. But I was weak and fat. When there was a power struggle, not if, when, I needed to be stronger in order to survive. But teammates could watch my back, and building new relationships would be even more challenging.

Dammit, I didn't know what to do!

Jesus was still awake which was odd, and his breathing was slightly uneven. He probably never practiced meditation or paid attention to his breathing. I slightly opened my left eye. After thirty breaths, I switched to my right eye. Adrenaline was keeping me awake.

He really was taking a long time to go to sleep, or he had the same idea I did. I thought about acting first, but it would be risky. We both probably wanted a clean sweep, but a stalemate helped him out more.

I kept waiting and my breathing steady in the sleep pattern I had developed. I could only hope he didn't notice the difference. No one had mentioned me snoring from all the physical exhaustion I was under.

Finally, I heard movement. I saw a shadow stand up. It was Jesus. He made his way over to Frank who liked to sleep leaning against the wall. His pack was off to his side. I saw Jesus pick up his pack and move it to the far side of the room before going for Jim's pack.

He had made the first move. I couldn't let him steal everything. That would be a disaster. A pure spike of rage welled up inside of me, right through my heart.

This person, who I had allowed to join us was backstabbing me. ME! It was hypocritical, but I didn't care about that. My breathing grew uneven, and both my eyes were wide open, but he didn't notice thankfully.

His back was to me. Act!

I got to my feet as quietly as possible and picked up my club. I quickly lined up my angle and swung. The club hit Jesus' head with a crack, and he collapsed on top of Jim. He wasn't moving as far as I could tell.

Now that I was forced to commit to this path, I wouldn't hesitate and went all the way. Damn you, Jesus. The only thing worse than what I was doing and about to do, was gimping out halfway.

I rushed over to Frank who was stirring. I swung and my club hit his head and slammed it into the wall. He let out a weak shout but didn't collapse. I swung again and the front of his face completely shattered.

I turned back to Jesus' body and Jim who was trapped under him. "What is going on!? Michael! Jesus! Frank! Help!" Jim called out. I stepped over him and swung at his head like I was swinging at a slime.

"Ah!" He let out a cry. I swung twice more and ended his suffering. To make sure Jesus was dead, I swung and hit him in the head three more times. I stumbled away from the corpses, my back hitting the wall.

I dropped the club and slowly slid down onto my butt. It was over. Tears rolled down my face. I hated myself, I hated Jesus for putting me in this situation, and I hated this stupid fake world.

"AHHHHH!" I let out a shout and a sob.

There was so much to hate, I couldn't put it into words. I just sat there in the dark crying. People said that killing was either too hard or too easy. They were right and wrong. It was easy to do, and it was hard emotionally.

There was something viscerally different about reading about someone dying and actually killing someone with a club. The splatter of blood, Jim's frightened cries. I could only be grateful it was dark, so it was hard to make out all the gore.

I knew I shouldn't waste water and salt by crying but I didn't care. There in the room with three corpses, I just sat. It was done and hesitating any more would be disrespectful to the people I had sacrificed on the altar of my fear.

The decision to kill Frank after killing Jesus was a conscious one. My mind leapt to the legal distinction between murder and manslaughter. Not that issue mattered anymore here.

I went and gathered all the packs where Jesus had initially put Frank's pack. I then went back and began beating in each of their heads, to make sure each of them was truly dead. I hadn't heard them move or make noise but I had read and watched enough media to know if they still have their head, they aren't dead.

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It was horrifying to do that. When I was finished, it was something I never wanted to do again. Looking at the mess I had made, I felt sick to my stomach. This was terrible.

Jesus was a thief, and I didn't see that coming. I guess he wasn't ruthless enough, or aware of my inner turmoil up to the point he acted and forced me to act. I was going to live instead of him and not let anyone drag me down. I didn't want to think about Frank and Jim. I felt sad, tired, and a bunch of other feelings I had trouble describing.

I had considered just killing Jesus, but that would lead to finger-pointing and the other two raising their guard against me. It was just too risky and the benefit from taking them out was too much. No one knew about our group except a couple of night watchers and with the drama I was hoping the plaza to erupt into, I doubted they would even consider me that much.

Still, it was a conscious decision, and I would not delude myself. I might lie to other people, but I wouldn't lie to myself. Jim and Frank's deaths had both been murders and I was profiting off their deaths.

I took Frank's watch and then loaded all the crystals into my pack. We had no remaining fruit. I picked up Jim's club and left mine behind. It was too bloody and would draw unwanted attention. I had some blood splatter on my clothes, but my pants were black and my sweater a dark blue. So, any stains shouldn't be too visible in the dark.

The worst was on my sneakers, but it wasn't that bad. The stains from trekking in the forest made them dirty already. Some blood splatter wouldn't immediately be spotted. I used Jim's pant leg to wipe my face and hands.

There was no mirror to check my face, unfortunately, and my beard was really annoying me. I rubbed my face; it was like a forest of black weeds, quickly growing in all directions. At least I wasn't injured. That had been a big concern. It was the middle of the night and time to act. I put on the heavy pack, loaded down with crystals, and made my way towards the plaza.

I was still high-strung, and I wanted to get this done as quickly as possible since I planned to rest for a while and think over my future plans.

I was extra careful when I reached the plaza, taking a look around first. No one was out, so they had probably retreated to the nearby buildings. I saw a couple of bodies and lots of blood. They hadn't vanished so at least one person was still around. I waited in the darkness, looking for any kind of movement, but saw and heard nothing.

My adrenaline from the earlier fight was crashing, but I was patient. There was no sound either. I didn't think everyone was dead or had fled. Information was the sticking point. I needed more information.

Time to act. I walked out into the plaza, not running, but not moving slowly either. I kept scanning the area in front of me and listening for any other footsteps. There was nothing. This made me more afraid than killing my teammates. The unknown was terrifying, but I wasn't about to turn back.

To steal a poker reference, I was pot committed now with how much I had invested into this course of action. Hesitating or turning back was far worse than continuing forward or not moving at all. Confidence was key. Steady steps, back straight, turning my head slightly to scan the area, and an easily visible club in my hand. Well, as visible as possible in the starry night at least.

I made it to the pillars and quickly placed my pack onto one pillar.

The first thing I chose after cashing in my points was a restoration for 153 points. With the 1 point I had remaining from last time, this put me at 5,648 points.

I upgraded Body 24 times, to put it at 25 upgrades. I felt something shift in my body. My breathing was easier, my weight felt less, and I felt more physically fit. That left me with 1,268 points. After a moment of hesitation, I put another upgrade into the other four areas, leaving me with 258 points. Upgrades now cost 265 points which was annoying but expected.

I purchased two clubs and then loaded up on food. The shop accepted my attempt at using the watermelon rind as a container. I bought water and gulped it all, feeling refreshed. A regeneration might hydrate me, but it wasn't the same as having something to drink. I loaded up my entire pack with fruit. After all my purchases I was down to 158 points.

Taking a look around again, noting that there was no movement still. I guess everyone was resting off the most recent fight and savoring their last moments alive. I put on my pack and began making my way out of the plaza.

That was when three beat-up men stepped out of the shadows. There was blood splatter on their clothing and two of them had bruised faces. This was unfortunate.

"I suggest you hand over the food or else."

I had a club in each hand. I had no skill at dual wielding. I only bought two so I could stay away from the plaza for a longer period of time, due to the slime juice degrading them.

"Alright." I moved my right club to my left hand and took off my pack and set it down on the ground. "I don't want a fight." I set a club down on the ground as well. I turned my body, so my right side was facing them and kept a club in my left hand next to my leg, not easily visible with how dark it was. The three advanced as I took a step back. They quickly gathered around my pack, while only keeping a partial eye on me in their naked greed.

"Holy shit-"

I stepped forward and swung. I hit the man closest to me in the head. He immediately collapsed on the ground. I didn't spare him a glace and swung again. The leader who had spoken before got up his bat, but I had put my entire weight into the blow.

I could feel the power and ease of movement from my upgrades. With the recent restoration I was at my peak and these men were at the bottom, barely getting enough food and water to survive.

That was why he didn't have enough strength behind his block. My attack pushed through his defense. I struck him in the shoulder and he let out a cry of pain. It was tempting to back up, but I needed to press forward. Seize the advantage!

I batted aside the half-strength blow from the third man and jabbed my club forward. It smacked into his face, and he let out a cry as he stumbled back. The leader came back in and swung at me.

I stepped back out of range; the club whooshing right in front of me. Too close. I stepped forward and swung an overhead strike. He deflected the blow slightly, but I still hit his shoulder. He let out a cry as his arm fell to his side.

His shoulder was probably broken. I swung again at his bad side. He fell on his butt, and I missed. I backed up, so he didn't grapple my legs. My pack was just off to the side along with the unmoving form of the first man I had struck.

I put on my pack and picked up my spare club. The two men were hesitant to come after me and kept their distance. There was no way I could easily catch them. That would just draw in more people. My shoulders ached from all the swinging. I made my way back to the pillars quickly while looking out for other threats.

I spent 33 points on a restoration, leaving me with 125 points left. More than worth it. I then began making my way out of the plaza. The two men had left, and I increased my pace. Just as I exited the plaza onto the street back towards the slimes, I checked behind me.

The two men from before and four new ones were headed for me. One of them was huge. Easily a foot taller than me. I didn't want to tangle with them. I began a light jog.

"Get him!" I heard one of them shout. I quickly increased my speed from a light jog to a full sprint. My breathing was a lot easier with all the upgrades and recent restoration, but I was still fat and had a heavy pack. I couldn't leave my pack behind, since I wouldn't make it long without food.

I picked the building where I had left my dead teammates and rushed in there. I went up to the second floor, and the corpses were still there. The people chasing me all rushed in, with no thought of leaving someone outside. The buildings only had a single door, so they probably weren't thinking too hard about me escaping another way.

I leapt out the second-floor window bending my legs when I landed. I landed safely and let out a huff of air. I had been careful to keep a tight grip on both clubs. I then ran some more as I heard shouts from the building. They had probably found the bodies, and that hesitation was the time I needed to escape.

I rushed down the street and took a slight turn on the path to the gate. I kept up a fast walk after that and managed my breathing.

There was one advantage to being fat. If the upgrades were a percent improvement of the base, then I had a larger base because of having to shift my fat ass around. It was like someone half my weight carrying another one of themselves, so they had to be strong. I was just carrying around my fat normally.

So, any improvement would have a much bigger impact, at least that was my reasoning. I would take the wins I could, even if I wasn't sure about them.

I checked behind me, but there was no pursuit. I had lost the people chasing me. They might head in this direction, but after their injuries and lack of food, they were probably close to their final moments. The big risk was them ambushing me at the gate, aka the tunnel leading through the wall and out of this stone city.

I preferred to think of it as a gate since gates were chokepoints in and out of cities in my mind. Even though it was more like a tunnel, it felt like a gate to me.

If they followed my direction, they would find the gate. They probably wouldn't leave the city, since they hadn't already, but would wait to ambush me. It was a clear chokepoint. Well, they might also wait in the plaza, but they had seen the amount of food I had. Desperate people do desperate things.

They knew I could outlast them which meant they had to chase me. They might go into the forest if they were desperate enough, but that would be better for me. Well, a day off to recover and rest didn't sound that bad.

It was annoying that I would have people chasing after me but it was something that I had expected. At least the desperate state of the plaza people was confirmed, which was what I had expected. The people at the plaza were growing desperate and would be dead from starvation soon. Even if they found the blue slimes, having the energy and equipment to kill them safely, and then return seemed like a stretch.

The real question was, when would new people show up? That would change the dynamics if there were earlier survivors who were desperate, but I wasn't too concerned. I had gotten past the biggest hurdle.

I could almost feel future me giving current me a dope slap on the back of the head at that thought.