By 9:45 a.m., and three spawn groups later, I had my answer. Yeah, I could handle them. One MANA BLAST, two levels up from MANA BALL, covered a bigger area with more damage, taking out the Kobolds and hurting the Goblins. A second blast finished the Goblins.
Using only MANA BOLTs, I could now drop a Kobold with one hit, but Goblins still took two or three. My MANA SHIELDs were strong enough to hold them without any breakouts if I got them up in time.
It might have been like shooting fish in a barrel, but until something bigger showed up, I could farm them a few times a day and earn shields. 100 Copper Shields, or one Silver Moon, per group of six. Selling drops added another half Moon on average.
The only problem was the shrinking number of uncovered spawn sites. Joan Avers, Henry’s assistant, told me Captain Park planned to send each of his people to cover two spawns a day, maybe more. She said he’d even scheduled himself for two this afternoon. She didn’t mention what class he’d taken, but my opinion of him went up a notch.
At that point, I was home, sitting at my computer with a cup of coffee, trying to get a first read-through done on the manuscript. That was when a JOIN PARTY message from Megan popped up. I joined the party with Ryan and Megan.
[Ryan:] [PARTY] [Will! Help! Get the hell out here now. There’s a new spawn! Meg and I can’t do it alone!]
[William of Brinsford:] [PARTY] [WTF!!! New spawn. On my way.] I nearly slammed my cup down, coffee sloshing, but thankfully not on the keyboard.
Fast walking to the living room, I slung my sword and baldric over my shoulder and grabbed my, cane, and hat. If I was going to fight, I’d do it in style. I cast my newest Level 8 spell, MANA ARMOR, so I wouldn’t waste time suiting up.
Outside, I saw three LIGHTNING SHIELDs boxing in a Goblin and three Kobolds, same as yesterday’s spawn pattern. Ryan and Meg were the only ones out front on the sidewalk.
“See it. Shit! I’m boxing them…blast them down!” I shouted, throwing up three MANA SHIELDs outside Ryan’s LIGHTNING SHIELDs. Two quick MANA BALLS and a LIGHTNING BOLT later, they were down.
Ryan and Megan were fine physically, but they looked exhausted. Ryan from the effort of holding the shields, Meg from worrying about him. She’d only needed to HEAL him once before he got the SHIELDs up.
“Will, thank you,” Ryan said, catching his breath. “I was almost out of MANA. That last shot… I was running on fumes.”
I clapped him on the shoulder. “You did great. They were hurting when I took over. If your shields held long enough, you’d have dropped them all. Mine don’t do damage like yours… they’re just tougher.”
“Will, what would we have done without you?” Megan asked, her eyes still a little wide. “We’re just two old folks…if you hadn’t been home, they might have killed us.”
“They might have,” I admitted, “but you two proved you’ve got a fighting chance.”
A thought hit me. “Have I given you two MANA BATTERIES yet?”
“What are those?” Meg asked.
“One-use or rechargeable batteries. You activate them, and they give you stored MANA. Ryan, if you take TRANSFER MANA when you get your next spell pick, you’ll be able to recharge your own. It has to be a Mage, not a Healer, so Meg can’t help. If I remember, I’ll make you a few today. Two each would be best since you’re usually the first to see a spawn.”
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They both looked less stressed.
“Also, Ryan, keep one of the swords and learn the basics. If you run out of MANA, it can keep you alive. A sheath knife too, if you’ve got one. Even a cheap one works, and you can use it in your off hand.”
“I know what you mean,” Ryan said as Meg started looting. “I’ve got a couple that’ll work for now, but I’ll look funny walking around with a sword.”
“People will get used to seeing game weapons, like they got used to open carry. You can also put it in your INVENTORY, as long as it’s a game item. Or buy them at the SYSTEM STORE. It’s where the old K-Mart was. It’s open now.”
I glanced up at the clouds drifting over the neighborhood, the breeze carrying the last faint stench of electric fried Goblin away.
We said our goodbyes, and I headed inside, wondering what else I should be doing now…and which type of work, besides making batteries for the Whitfords, needed me most.
***
I quickly finished four 20-point rechargeable MANA BATTERIES for the Whitfords. Besides that, I monitored guild chat, replied to a few messages, and handled a couple of coordination pings. It was far better than phone calls or email, even Discord. Someone mentioned they were setting up a guild Discord channel, but for now, the in-game system worked fine.
Then a message from Blaze hit, and I knew my plans for a quiet afternoon were toast.
[Blaze:] [William of Brinsford] [Will. Got news for you. We need you at the Eddington Convention Center. Dress for the occasion.]
[William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [Do I have to? I just finished stuff for the Whitfords and was hoping to edit between spawns.]
[Blaze:] [William of Brinsford] [Yeah. You do. I’ll tell them you’ll be here in 30. Not sure I can stall much longer. I really need you here for moral support.]
“Moral support? That’s an interesting way of not saying something to get me moving.”
[William of Brinsford:] [Blaze] [I’ll get there as quick as I can. About 30.]
[Blaze:] [William of Brinsford] [OK. Look for a soldier holding a parking spot near the side entrance. He’ll guide you in. See ya soon.]
“If they’re saving me a parking spot, I’d better move.”
I grabbed one of Blaze’s protein bars, and headed to the bedroom. I geared up, cape and cane included, dropped off the batteries at the Whitfords, and taught them how to use and recharge them. Somehow, I still made it in just over 25 minutes.
A soldier stood guard over a prime spot two spaces from the door, motioning me in as I pulled up. I wasn’t going to argue about an armed escort and good parking.
“This way, Mr. Brinsford,” he said once I got out, and put my sword and hat in place. The breeze was just strong enough to move my cape as I followed him toward the entrance. Two more armed guards flanked the door, opening it for us just like in the movies. I tried not to let my ego swell…but it did.
Inside, the right half of the hall was full of tables, people working on laptops, regular computers with multiple monitors. Army uniforms mixed with university faculty and students who wore everything between a three-piece suit to shorts and a t-shirt. There was more of the latter. They were analyzing data, eyes flicking between screens, the hum of conversation undercut by the occasional clatter of a dropped pen or the hiss of a coffee urn.
The left side had screens hanging in an arc, showing maps, graphs, and columns of data. One screen displayed the outside of the SYSTEM STORE, another a wooded area I didn’t recognize.
Near the door to a conference room, Blaze stood waiting with Matt on her right, Captain Park and Harry Sakraney on her left.
“OK,” I said, adjusting my hat, “what’s with all the pomp and circumstance?”
“I’ve got good news!” Blaze beamed. “The agency made the office here official. It’s now an FBI Residency, and I’m the Resident in Charge!” Her face was lit up, happier than I’d seen since she became a party member. “It’s temporary, but for as long as this emergency continues. That’s what Matt told me.”
“Don’t worry,” Matt said. “She won’t be stuck behind a desk. We need her in the field, interfacing with you and Eddington. Her game level and connections,” he added, looking straight at me when he said connections, “made her the perfect fit. I’ll be back every week or two, depending on how this develops.”
“Got it.” I gave Blaze a nod. “I bet she has you to thank for making sure she can still be part of our party.” Matt looked a bit embarrassed, but didn’t quite blush.
“And I bet I didn’t need an armed guard holding my parking space just to hear about Blaze’s promotion.”
Ray Stevens - "Along Came Jones" (Live on Andy Williams Show, 1969)
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