Chapter 32- Conspiracies

Arthur stood in the middle of a clearing. It had once been the home of the wolf pack he’d recently exterminated. With him were Rachel, Frank and Mira, all of them standing awkwardly in the unfamiliar environment. City kids, the lot of them.

Frank had brought a wickedly sharp machete with him and Mira and Rachel both carried state-of-the-art modern hunting bows. Firearms that still had an effect on higher levelled beasts were almost impossible to come by nowadays, most of them having been monopolised by the government and the rich, and the rest stolen and looted on the first day of humanity's return to Earth. No one cared that using them slowed levelling speed if it kept them safe.

Whether or not the ladies could use their respective weapons, however, was a different question altogether and would be left unknown until the group encountered their first monster.

“So you all know what the plan is, don't you,” Arthur asked for the umpteenth time.

He couldn’t help it; something told him that things might go very wrong today and it had Mira’s name written all over it. The problem woman in question just moaned.

“You’ve told us so many times already.”

Rachel, who was thankfully taking this outing much more seriously, nodded her head gravely and repeated his commands in parrot fashion like he was some sort of drill sergeant. It was surprisingly cute, what with the cycling helmet she had on.

“Yes, stand back until you’ve knocked the monster unconscious with your water bubble skill you’ve told us about, wait for your signal and then move in for the kill. Use the bows minimally and try to get up close and personal for the kill.”

Arthur smiled at the woman, glad that at least someone was taking this seriously. But then again, Rachel again had to. Any old monster in the forest could probably kill her easily with how weak the healer was, and the responsibility to keep her safe weighed heavily on Arthur.

He doubted Mira would wait around to help anyone if the situation got truly dangerous, which left the duty of their safety on his shoulders. Arthur hadn’t replaced his broken axe for this short adventure, preferring to now use his bare hands in combat now that his strength was so high instead of a weapon he was unfamiliar with. It also helped that he’d practised Muay Thai for years, but if things went according to plan, he wouldn’t have to get physical.

"And can anyone tell me why we want to get up close and personal instead of relying on ranged weaponry? You guys know this stuff better than me."

It was Mira that answered his question this time, surprisingly.

"The general consensus right now is that combat between individuals brings their very souls into a contest. Using your own skills and ability in the fight means a larger portion of your defeated opponent's potential is added onto your own. Relying on mechanical weaponry makes the combat impersonal and thus greatly reduces the amount of potential you gain from a fight. At least, those are the rules that apply to the pre-system weaponry we have access to right now. That could all change in the future, but for now, the government is advising that we learn to rely on our skills."

Arthur nodded his head in gratitude. Mira's explanation was as concise as it was informative. He'd also read the published article she was quoting- heck, everyone had- but it served as a great refresher. A lot of things still didn't make sense to him and he still had a lot of questions but it was a start.

For starters, who had deduced all of this information? Perhaps he was being paranoid, but Arthur was a little suspicious of how smoothly Earth had adapted to the system's arrival. Sure there'd been a fair bit of tragedy over the past few days but on a whole, humanity was doing far better than expected.

Did the people in charge already know about the system's imminent arrival? And the way it fits in so easily with our human sensibilities. A game-like system that almost everyone understands and can adapt to. And all those system apocalypse stories that had been getting popular just recently.

It smelt fishy. Maybe he was seeing conspiracies where none existed, but Arthur felt that it was too coincidental. Perhaps the system wasn't in a game-like form because humans could relate to it better but rather, humanity's culture and society had been influenced and created in such a way as to facilitate an easier transition.

Nah, man I'm reaching here. I've got too much time on my hands.

But still, Arthur wasn't the first to have come up with such a theory. Forums across the internet were exploding with titles like 'They walk amongst us,' and 'We are not alone.'

'RESIST THE INDOCTRINATED SLAVERY' was his personal favourite. It just seemed so very... normal.

“It’s weird, you know,” Frank said, interrupting his inner monologue. “I’m surprised that no monsters have taken up residence near this lake. It's a perfect spot to make a home.”

Arthur smiled involuntarily when he heard that, deciding to not reveal the part he’d played in the monster’s avoidance of this place. One of the strongest wolf packs in the area suddenly dying would most certainly warn other predators to be weary of the lake.

But Arthur's current plan was counting on the fact that no matter how high a beast had levelled yet, they would still need the most important liquid of life. They would still need to drink water. The fact that he still had a system-supported skill to help him manipulate the liquid was just an added bonus.

That was why he had decided to stay and wait by the lake, the largest water source around, for his prey to come to him instead of going out to hunt them. A perfect ambush point. This method was easier, and also posed significantly less risk to the other members of his group as they wouldn't have to follow him through a dangerous forest but instead remain within his sight at all times. And it was easier.

It was the thought process behind his actions, but Arthur knew from experience that things were rarely ever so simple. What was that famous quote again? No plan survives first contact with the enemy. Or something along those lines. And life's a bitch.

Well, as strong as Arthur was now, he knew he hardly needed a plan to fight the majority of the monsters in this forest, but it was always better to be on the safe side. Especially when he was responsible for the lives of two vulnerable people. Mira could take care of herself as far as he was concerned.

The group had been waiting for ten minutes already, and it took another fifteen for the first monster to show up. So quiet was its approach in fact, that Arthur didn't even register its presence till it was standing on the bank of the lake. It seemed like a deer-cat hybrid of sorts, with great antlers sparkling with electricity and the clawed paws of a carnivore instead of the hooves the former plant eater should have possessed. Like most monsters Arthur had seen so far, there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for its particular evolution. Maybe so it looked badass?

The electricity crackling between the rack on its head told Arthur that the monster had a lightning affinity, which was, unfortunately, a terrible matchup for the water magic he’d be using to take it down. But after identifying the beast, he didn't think he’d have any trouble dealing with it.

Elemental deer level 37 - This beast possesses devastating long-range attacks and has a high damage output compared to its weaker defences. Its deadly claws also make it a deadly combatant in melee range.

Good thing I'm a fucking tank.