The Systemic Lands

Chapter 26: Day 40 – Waste of Time

“Being the boss is exhausting. That was a good suggestion. Any others?” He took a sip of water.

“Nothing coming to mind. Is there really no one exploring new areas?” I asked. I was doing it, but I didn’t want to do it. Powerful people problems, I mentally sighed.

“Not that I have heard.” I let out a real sigh at that. “You need people?”

“I am fine by myself, but more people are always useful. It is risky out there. I can’t investigate that dungeon alone either. Anyone discover anything like classes or skills?”

“No. So a giant white slime?”

“It was clear and sparkled like stars at first. Once it was wounded by fire, the mental attack decreased, and it turned a milky white. But it really wasn’t easy to kill. With the blue slimes coming out of it, I will use up my weapon very quickly. Wish there was an inventory space or an easy way to carry things.”

“A mule. They are always good in rugged terrain. Had one on the farm I grew up on. Thing was as tough and stubborn as an old man. Now we are in this place and no mules.”

“I have been meaning to ask you, where are the guns? No one had one?”

“Anyone teleported didn’t have them when they were brought here.” I figured as much by their lack of appearance so far.

“So that rules out a lot of active-duty military,” I said.

“Yes. The capabilities of the people have been less than stellar.”

“There is something else, I need to bring up. The days are getting shorter. It is only a very small bit each day, but it is happening, I think. It is hard to measure. I only know so much math, working out the seasonality and if the time change is increasing, slowing down, or staying the same is beyond me.” Carlos just gave me a look and then put his face into his hands. I could hear a small groan escape him.

“That is not good.”

“No, it isn’t. If you find a person with a PhD in mathematics, physics, or astronomy they would be able to get a more accurate result. It is challenging since the days are a bit longer than 24 hours.”

“I noticed that. I will have my men ask around later on. It isn’t urgent?”

“For now, no. But there are two possibilities. First, there is seasonality, and it will get colder as the days get shorter. The temperature and weather have been unnaturally nice and unchanging. But there could be a sudden change when the seasons shift. Like a rainy season or winter.”

“The second possibility?”

“We are headed for eternal darkness. That would be a long way off, but I wouldn’t discount it. That is why someone needs to look at shadow length and do some math. Well not just some, a lot of complicated math.”

“Can’t you bring good news, like a beach resort, with beautiful women and cheap drinks,” Carlos said.

“I will let you know when I find that. No promises.” We sat there in silence sipping our water. I picked up a sliced cucumber. The sprinkling of salt was good. I needed to check that in the store. I kept forgetting since I viewed it as a luxury, but salt was needed to stay healthy.

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“Well, I am going to walk around a bit, I will be there for the arrival,” I got up and Carlos gave me a nod. I left the building and made my way to the plaza. I checked the store. Salt came in a tiny pouch and cost 100 points.

Well, that was a luxury for sure. I left the store and made my way to nearby building. I took a seat on the windowsill and began to work on cutting my hair with the bronze knife.

That was an easy way to tell new people from people who had been stuck here a while. How bad was their facial hair? I wasn’t going to say anything, but Evaline had some whiskers growing. Woman should not have mustaches, but personal beauty was way down the list of things people could focus on at the moment.

I think there was a way to pull out hair with thread, but I wasn’t sure. I was missing the internet and the easy answers it gave me to questions. Now I had even more questions and no easy way to get answers. I looked up at the sky with only the occasional white puffy cloud drifting through the air.

People could use a bath. I hadn’t said anything, but everyone was smelling a bit ripe. A good storm would clean everything off. Well, the people at least, since the trash disappeared.

As the day dragged on Carlos’ men gathered at the edge of the plaza. I noted that there were more shields and five people with bows this time. I slowly stood up and made my way down. The chair on top of a table was being set up.

Carlos began explaining his new policies to the people who had gathered, which was about a hundred people. I had a chair, but no table next to Carlos. I sat there with my eyes closed, listening in, but not that focused since it wasn’t anything new.

There was a silence as the time grew closer for the arrival. I checked my watches and opened my eyes. In an instant 250 people appeared in the plaza.

After a minute Carlos began his speech. This time there was a key difference. Everyone was informed that attempting to instigate an insurrection was punishable by death. One man was killed for interrupting.

I didn’t really care about what was happening until a specific question came up. “Who is that sitting next to you?” I had been considering something for a while. Might as well give it a shot now. Time to try and make team 2.0.

I opened an eye and looked at the older man. Then glanced at Carlos, he tilted his head towards me. “I am the only front liner. Don’t cause trouble here in the city and I won’t have to get involved. You don’t want me to get involved. If any of you pieces of chicken shit have steel balls, then you can stand here.” I gestured at a spot near me.

“Oh, most people who stand there will probably die, but if you live, well you might just amount to something useful around here.” Carlos gave me a look. “Might as try and make some more front liners. They will either die screaming as their blood leaves their bodies and their brains explode, or they will have steel balls.”

“Well, you got your answer, and you heard the offer from our front liner. Next.” I closed my eyes again and went back to enjoying the sun on my face.

“I got steel balls.” I opened an eye to see a slightly younger woman. She was wearing a shirt that said, ‘Blood for the Blood God!’ There was also a picture of a skull throne. She had a number of piercings. If I wanted to pick a twenty-year-old girl as a rebel, this was it.

“Alright. You can leave at any time. If you die, well you only have your own weakness to blame. Get a pack, club, and a bunch of fruit from the store. We will be going into hell in a bit.”

“Then what is this?”

“This. This is purgatory, the place before you enter heaven or hell. Unfortunately, there is no heaven to be found. Just death, pain, suffering, and death once you leave.”

“You said death twice,” she was giving me a look, like a person looks at a hobo on the street. A bit concerned with a dash of frustration.

“There is a lot of death. Last person I trained gave up when his brain started melting a bit.”

“His brain started melting.” She repeated what I had said like she didn’t believe me.

“A bit.” I could tell she was having a hard time telling if I was messing with her or if I was serious.

“I don’t lie, and I keep my promises. Well, go get the stuff I told you. Got to see if anyone else has steel balls besides you and me.” She walked away. I could sense people looking at me, then finally I got another bite.

“Hey, you promising adventure?”

“I promise nothing, except a chance to see if you have steel balls. Interested?”

“What will be doing?”

“You can quit at any time, but I don’t offer second chances. Once the fear sets in, you are worth nothing. We are going on a trip. You might die. You might live. Depends on you.”

“I am in.” I opened my eyes and looked at the slightly pudgy older man. “I understand risks. You don’t start your own company without taking risks.”

“Alright then. Go get a pack, club, and lots of fruit then come back here.”

“Got it.” He left and the rebel girl came back.

“So, me and that lump?” she asked.

“Yep. Doesn’t look like there is anyone else.”

“They say you ripped a man in half.”

“Probably cut one or two in half. Ripping is a bit hard.” She went back to that stare trying to tell if I was messing with her. I just gave her my crazy grin. Lump finally came back with his gear.

“Carlos, I am taking these two out. Will be back tomorrow for your men in the morning.”

“That is fine. Good luck out there.”

“Thanks. Alright, let’s go. If you can’t keep up, let me know.” I set off at a fast walk towards the blue slime forest.

“Welcome to training camp for the front line.”

“What exactly is the front line?” the man asked.

“The line of exploration. I am the only one to have come back alive so far. Well, my last trainee gave up after his brains melted a bit, so he survived, but no steel balls.” I shook my head.

“What about-“

“You don’t get to ask questions. Pay attention and learn. I'll explain things. You can ask questions about what I explain, but everything else put in some effort. You have to use your head here as much as your body. Either of you ever play D & D?” I asked.

“No.”

“Isn’t that a board game?” The man asked.

“Hopeless. Well at least the only options are death or improvement. We are going to fight blue slimes. Don’t let their juice get on you. It will melt your flesh and clothes. I knew a person it happened to, they killed themselves from the pain.”

“I will take out one, you can watch. Then we will rotate after that.”

“Slimes? What are slimes?” The girl asked.

“They are like large pills. A large exterior with liquid inside. They are slow and stupid. Easy first monsters to fight. Save your energy.” We made it to the gate and took a short break there.

After that we left the city and made our way into the blue slime forest. After a bit of walking, we came across our first slime. I showed the two how to kill it. “You will probably have to hit it multiple times. Don’t hit it in the same place, you will ruin your club. Rebel, you get the next one.”

“I have a name its-“

“You need to earn your name with me. Most likely you will give up and run back to the city. Why would I learn someone’s name who won’t matter?” She glared at me and moved forward. The Lump and I followed her.

We came across another slime. She managed to take it out and picked up the crystal. She then looked at me. “You kill it you keep it. Lump you're up next.”

We found two slimes and I took out the other one. Lump managed okay. “Alright, now we are going to pick up the pace. Keep up with me. Kill the slime, pick up the crystal and move forward. If you see the deadlands, don’t go in that direction. Let’s go.”

They followed me and we quickly got into a groove. Both of them were breathing really hard when it began to get dark. We had each killed 28 slimes. A small amount.

“Slow, very slow. Still you didn’t give up. Now we are going to set up camp.”

“Wait, camp?” the girl said. “We are sleeping out here?!”

“Of course. Or you can give up.”

“Have you slept out here before?” The man asked. I just grinned at him.

“This is stupid, why would we sleep out here when the city is close enough to walk back?” the girl complained. I just kept grinning.

“There has to be a point. You will protect us, right?”

“If you want to go back to the city, I will escort you. Do you want to return?” I asked both of them. There was a long stretch of silence.

“Screw this shit. I am out,” rebel girl said. I looked at the man and he looked very nervous.

“I…” He looked at me then at the girl and then the forest. “I want to go back as well.”

“Alright. No steel balls.” I shook my head and began walking back to the city. They followed me.

“What was the point of all this?” The girl asked.

“Do you think I can hold your hand if we go to a new area, if there is a new monster? You both don’t have courage to face the unknown, which means you aren’t frontliner material. Don’t bother saying you changed your mind. In this place, you rarely get a second chance if ever. I also don’t trust you to hold your ground in a fight.”

“But that is all fine. At least you found out now. Instead of later when your life blood pours out of your body,” I said. They were both quiet until we reached the city.

“Well good luck, kill slimes, pay taxes.” I then set off at a jog back towards the plaza, leaving them behind.