"There are containers fixed to his body," Craig said, looking through his scope at the approaching enemy. "They look like iron chests that have been fastened in place with hooks that bite into its flesh. There are dozens of them."
"Definitely an elite of some sort," Pete confirmed. "Might have explosives or something else that does area-of-effect damage?"
The distant figure roared as it barreled through the river, cheers still rising from the rebels on the far shore. Watching the huge figure shift its bulk at such speed was mesmerizing. Even through waist-high water, it still moved with shocking speed, metal chests clanging like tinkling bells as it moved.
The Corporation soldiers fired on the huge brute, but most of the shots were deflected off the metal chests or simply sank into the creature's blubbery flesh without causing it the least bit of discomfort.
[Pete] They need some heavier guns or rockets or something.
[Craig] I will remind you again, Pete. This is not real. It will do no good to search for logic in this encounter, and you would do well to remember that, in actual fact, we are fighting on the wrong side of this battle.
Pete nodded. The little goblin was right, of course. This whole scenario was twisting his mind in knots, and he kept finding himself trying to find ways to help the Company Troops win. That was the whole point of this farcical game, he supposed, but no matter how clearly he recognized that it was all a propaganda trick, he couldn't stop himself from mentally investing in the war they were fighting.
As the huge, blubbery ogre barreled its way into the front ranks of Company soldiers, several of the large metal shields were knocked up into the air like bowling pins. The metal plates crashed through groups of soldiers, battering a bloody path until they finally came to rest while the surrounding troops looked in fear and confusion at the chest-laden enemy suddenly in their midst.
>> ELITE ENEMY: Moneybags
REBEL DESIGNATION: Quartermaster of the Rebellion
>> DESCRIPTION: An ogre of questionable hygiene and even more questionable accounting practices, Moneybags is a vile creature that specializes in hoarding relics and fixing them to his body by any means possible. While the relics he hoards are of no practical value to the monstrous creature, Moneybags is convinced that if he can only acquire a sufficiently high number of relics, he will achieve the status of ultimate perfection.
Perfection, in this instance, seems to be a preponderance of sagging flesh flaps, swollen boils, and large pustules caused by the crude hooks, nails, and chains the demented creature uses to fix relics to his flesh.
>> KILL REWARD: Any player who slays this creature will have access to its relics, for a price. Relics are non-refundable; however, they can be traded with other players.
>> ATTACK ABILITIES:
+| Chest Clash: Moneybags uses two solid metal chests attached to chains to batter his foes without mercy.
+| Relic Snatch: Moneybags flings one of his empty chests at the enemy and tries to scoop the target into the chest to secure it as a relic. Players may suffer bludgeoning damage and may become ensnared if they are caught by the chest (movement speed reduced to zero; all attack damage increased by 50%).
+| Cashflow Slam: Moneybags leaps into the air and body-slams a target, causing significant impact damage and limited area-of-effect damage within a ten-foot range surrounding the impact point.
+| Hoarder's Curse: Moneybags blathers a savage curse in his own (largely made-up) language, causing mild disorientation to all enemies within earshot and temporarily freezing all financial assets.
>> DEFENSIVE ABILITIES:
+| Blubber Buffer: Layers of lard and reinforced belly chests grant significant physical protection.
+| Panic Hoarder Mode: When below 25% health, Moneybags clutches at his chests protectively, gaining temporary damage reduction.
Pete pointed his combat blade at the hulking enemy. "That's our kiosk then."
"It seems so," Craig agreed as they began moving toward the ogre. "Any ideas how we're going to bring it down?"
Pete grinned. "I was hoping you might be able to shoot it through the head and save me the trouble of getting my hands dirty."
"I will do my best."
Moneybags was still barreling through the confused ranks of Company soldiers, though the hulking figure was beginning to slow a little. As Pete and Craig approached, the troops continued their attempts to bring the ogre down, but their attacks were largely ineffectual. It swung two large chests on the ends of chains that were held in each hand. Each time the flail-like weapons struck the troops, several hobgoblins were battered into a bloody mess, or their smaller goblin counterparts were pulped or sent flying through the air.
The sheer size of the brute was intimidating enough, but the way it swung its flails around made getting anywhere close to the ogre an exercise in stupidity. Pete was considering this fact as he and Craig approached the circular clearing that had opened up around Moneybags as the nearby soldiers backed away, keen to stay clear of the lethal swinging chests.
A nearby goblin turned to see Pete and Craig rushing toward the melee and immediately started yelling and pointing, drawing attention from the other soldiers nearby.
"Captain Vault Breaker! Surely you will save us from this foe?!"
Other soldiers began taking up similar chants, shouting the name Vault Breaker over and over again as Pete slowed to a walk, turning and frowning back at Craig.
>> RANK UPGRADE: Captain
Congratulations, you have risen to the rank of Captain within the Tongsly Belch Company Militia. As such, you will be able to issue commands to all troops below your rank.
[Craig] Congratulations. It seems I have been elevated to First Lieutenant rank myself.
[Pete] Seems like we can use the troops to fight for us then.
[Craig] Perhaps so.
"Come, Vault Breaker," said the goblin soldier who had spoken up first. The little creature walked up alongside Pete, holding him by the arm and pointing at Moneybags as if Pete was too dim to see the giant ogre himself. "The creature harbors relics that may help you lead our fight," the goblin said with an intensity that bordered on manic.
For a moment, Pete thought he'd suddenly been transported into a low-budget melodrama. As the goblin went on, however, he realized that this was much more like meeting a genuine NPC in a game; a character that appeared at precisely the right place and time and offered way too much convenient information.
"Perhaps," the goblin went on, "if you position our remaining forces in the right way, you might be able to slay the beast and reap its rewards."
Pete couldn't help but chuckle as he saw the earnest expression in the figure's eyes.
"You're laying it on a bit thick there, dude, but I get your meaning."
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
The goblin stared up at Pete expectantly, not blinking and not reacting in any way to his comment. A moment later, a new HUD option appeared at the top right of Pete's display, showing two troop icons with the number ten beneath each. The first icon looked like a standard hobgoblin trooper, while the second, smaller icon looked like a goblin. As he mentally hovered over each icon, several additional command options became available.
>> TROOP ACTIONS
+| Attack (range or melee)
+| Defend (key objective or Vault Breaker)
+| Distract enemy
It looked like he could combine different types of troops and split them into unique groups which would be represented by their own individual icon and which could be given a passive command, which would operate all the time, or an active command, which would compel each group to a specific action.
>> TROOP STANCES
+| Passive (attack only when provoked)
+| Aggressive (attack any enemy within range)
+| Chickenshit (defend Vault Breaker but do not otherwise attack)
"You seeing this?" Pete asked.
Craig nodded. "Yes. The same icons are visible to me, but it looks like only you can issue direct commands."
As he spoke, Pete noticed a third icon appear in the shape of a goblin but with a golden coin above the icon. Pete mentally clicked the icon.
>> Lieutenant Cragmire [Craig] Gaul
>> COMMAND OPTIONS:
+| Speed boost
+| Accuracy boost
+| Critical damage boost
+| Survivability boost
Pete read out the options to Craig, watching out of one eye as the ogre continued to swing its chest weapons around and Company troops periodically attempted to fight back.
"I would suggest a critical damage boost at this stage," Craig suggested. "If I stay at range, I can largely avoid harm, and my accuracy is already quite good."
Pete selected the critical damage boost option, and a small bullseye symbol appeared just below the lieutenant icon. Pete then arranged the twenty troops under his command into two groups, with a mix of hobgoblin and goblin soldiers in each group. He set them all to a passive stance to ensure that they didn't get distracted and go wandering off and then saw that it was possible to position the new squads anywhere within sight—an ability that was indicated by a hovering red marker that appeared in the center of his vision when he thought about troop positions.
It was a lot to take in, and Pete was conscious of the fact that time was a factor in this game. What he had originally taken to be a very simple troop command mechanic quickly revealed itself to be far more nuanced than he'd first thought, with the ability to select primary weapons for each soldier under his command and individual stats and buffs that looked like they could be amassed for soldiers who gained combat experience and survived the process.
Clearing his mind, Pete sent the first squad to the right of the hulking ogre and the second squad to the rear left-hand side of the brute. The two squads were automatically designated Alpha and Beta and were indicated in real terms by a squad symbol hovering in the air above the group.
"Do we attack, Captain?" the goblin NPC asked. "If we put down this creature, there's every chance you will be able to loot relics from those chests."
The goblin was hovering beside Pete, eyes unblinking, clearly waiting for a command. The soldier wasn't part of either of Pete's assigned squads, so he guessed that, when he gave the order to attack, the Company soldiers that weren't directly under his command would just generally attack where they could.
"Do we attack, Captain?" the goblin repeated.
Pete nodded. "Yeah. We attack."
The goblin turned around, shouting the word 'attack' as the gathered troops surged toward the ogre. What followed was a series of devastating attacks where Moneybags obliterated the Company troops, carving through them with ease as they fired their guns ineffectively and tried unsuccessfully to get close to the brute.
Pete watched with interest, ensuring that his own squads were far enough away so that they didn't get caught in the battle. There was a pattern to the way Moneybags attacked, and Pete could see that it would be possible to get in close, provided he approached at the right part of the ogre's attack sequence. Even if he could get in close to the ogre's back, Pete had no idea how effective attacks with his combat knife would be.
[Pete] We go for the head. Blind it and then start taking it apart piece by piece.
[Craig] Agreed. I will position myself with a clear line of sight and concentrate fire on the beast's head.
While the Company soldiers continued their attack, dying pointlessly, Pete took two hobgoblins out of his Alpha and Beta squads and redirected them toward Craig. He looked around for one of the metal shields the soldiers had been using earlier in the battle but couldn't see any at hand.
[Pete] I'll try to give you some cover and get you up where you've got a clear shot.
The hobgoblins moved into position just in front of where Craig was standing. At Pete's mental order, one of the brutes hunched down on all fours, while the other stood facing directly in front of the first, providing a hobgoblin structure that Craig could climb. The little goblin understood immediately and stepped up onto the back of the first hobgoblin, resting the barrel of his rifle on the shoulder of the still-standing second hobgoblin.
Pete reminded himself that the troops weren't real. They were just fabricated constructions, like everything else in this mini-game. That didn't stop him from ordering the standing hobgoblin to hold a hand up to his right ear so that the brute wouldn't go deaf the moment Craig started firing.
[Pete] You good?
[Craig] Yes. This will be adequate. I will attempt to take out the creature's eyes first.
Pete nodded as the goblin NPC, who had spoken earlier, came rushing back, a look of concern heavy across his face.
"The enemy is too strong, Captain. We are unable to take it down. You will need to find another means of killing the enemy."
The goblin turned to face the ogre, who was spinning slowly around, its now-bloody chest flails gripped tightly in its fleshy hands. The brute didn't appear to have suffered any real damage, but it seemed content to stand menacingly from the center of the death circle it had made.
Pete looked down at the NPC goblin.
"Guess your part's done now, huh?"
The goblin did not reply but simply stared in terror at the huge ogre. Pete shook his head, walking through the crowd of Company survivors that were now arrayed in a circle surrounding the ogre.
[Pete] I'll hit it from the rear and maybe try to take out its arms if I can.
[Craig] Understood. I will begin shooting when you give the order.
Once Pete had repositioned himself behind the ogre, he took stock of the position of his two squads and made sure they were all using projectile weaponry. He ordered the first group forward, and the four troops walked into the circle together, crouching low as the ogre turned to face them.
[Pete] Shoot!
The crack and whine of Craig's rifle split the air as the ogre shuddered and then roared. Pete sent the alpha squad on a strafing run across the front of the ogre's vision, drawing the brute's attention as it swung its flails in deadly horizontal arcs. At the same time, Pete ran forward, blade in hand, aiming for the flabby, pale flesh at the ogre's rear.
He had the second group begin firing from their position on the ogre's left side as he drew close to the enemy. Craig continued to fire again and again, with his efforts rewarded by gouts of green blood that spurted from the ogre's head and splashed down its body and onto the ground.
Before Pete reached the brute, however, it jumped into the air, driving itself thirty feet up and causing the ground beneath to shudder momentarily as it did so. For a pregnant moment, Pete watched as the hulking form floated toward Craig. Instead of crushing into the goblin sharpshooter, however, the ogre landed with a sickening thud right on top of alpha squad, crushing all four members of the group in a devastating blow.
Blood and viscera squirted from beneath the ogre's massive feet as it crushed the hapless soldiers. At the moment of impact, the squad symbol on Pete's display flashed violent red and then turned dull gray as the lives of all four squad members were snuffed out.
This left the ogre now dangerously close to Craig and further away from Pete, who was sprinting to close the distance. Alpha squad had been turned into paste, and Pete was forced to send beta squad into the fray, having them fire constantly in the hope of distracting the brute and turning its attention away from Craig.
Sensing the danger, Craig stopped firing. The little goblin ducked down behind the hobgoblin standing in front of him, hoping that this would shield him from the ogre's attention. Fortunately, the plan worked, and Moneybags turned around and faced the squad of soldiers peppering it from the other side of the circle.
Unfortunately, this meant that Pete had to shift his trajectory, sending him skirting around the edge of the circle so as to avoid the ogre's gaze as much as possible. Dark black eyes fixed on beta squad as Pete ordered them to keep firing but back away into the surrounding circle of soldiers, in the hope that they would take the brunt of the damage that was surely to follow.
Meanwhile, Craig was forced to reposition himself. He jumped down off the hobgoblin and started running. Fortunately, both hobgoblins accompanied the sharpshooter as he moved to a more advantageous position, seemingly tied to Craig after Pete had assigned them to the little goblin.
Moneybags swung his chest flails at beta squad, clipping one of the goblin troops with the corner of a chest and sending the poor creature tumbling through the air and thudding against a nearby hobgoblin. Blood ran from the little goblin's nose as it struggled to its feet, an angry smirk across its face, one eye badly bruised to the point of being closed.
The squad continued to fire and run, drawing the ogre's attention while Pete finally narrowed his approach and darted toward the enemy from the rear. He timed his first strike to when the ogre's right arm swung backward, preparing for another swing of the flail. Instead of stabbing the brute in the back as Pete had first planned, he raised the elongated combat blade and brought it down in a two-handed strike against the ogre's wrist.
The blade bit into flesh, and a spray of green blood gushed from the wound. But the blade stuck fast when it hit bone, wedging in place as the ogre continued to swing his flail. Unwilling to let go of his combat knife, Pete clung two-handed to the weapon as he was swung around in front of Moneybags, dangling beneath the brute's arm, his boots dragging along the ground.
At the moment Pete passed in front of the brute's black eyes, he caught an expression of bewilderment on the ogre's face. Blood sprayed across Pete's face, showering the ground as the huge arm swung. As the swing reached its endpoint, it halted suddenly, and Pete's combat blade was wrenched free, sending him hurtling to the ground, where he rolled and came up into a fighting crouch, mercifully without stabbing himself.
Pete hunched down, bloody knife in his right hand, staring up at the enraged ogre as Moneybags considered the strange little figure that had wounded its right arm. This wasn't the plan. Pete had hoped to attack the brute from behind while beta squad kept its attention and Craig piled on damage from range. Instead, it seemed that Pete himself had become the distraction; a fact he was now keenly aware of, given that the ogre had clearly decided to focus all of its attention on pulverizing him with both flails.
"Damn it," he said, sprinting to the right as Moneybags roared in anger.