The System

CH- 96: Chaos (X).

    The backpack loses momentum mid-flight as Tetsu advances to the front.

"I didn't see this one." Draugr recoils, adjusting his stance and lifting his sword to strike. A Rune on the sword's hilt pushes it higher, while another under the draugr's feet causes him to stumble forward. From a striking pose, the draugr transitions into an awkward face plant.

Adding insult to injury, the backpack somehow replaces the ground beneath him, and a firm kick to the butt sends him tumbling in.

"Less talk, more action," Tetsu snorts, sporting the backpack midair.

"You!" A lich points its staff, only to lose its staff, which the backpack promptly swallows. The lich flees with Tetsu now calling it out. "You!"

———<>|*|<>———

"The chest is closed," a scout informs Krovath.

"What? How?" He finds a cameraman filming from atop the closed chest, who had closed it seeking a better angle.

"Damn, they are... resourceful," Krovath mutters.

"Technician team, target all backpacks," Tarah orders, her hate palpable. "Apologies for the language," she adds, bowing to her king before focusing on shifting the battle's dynamics with strategic placements.

"We have orders to retreat," Lala informs the animated Horr'ers.

"What about them?" It gestures toward the castle.

"Without backup, we're just offering ourselves as free XP. We have orders," Lala explains.

"Why didn't you lead with that?" the Horr'er questions.

"What part of 'ordered' didn't you understand?" Lala hisses. 'These battle-crazed undead will be the death of me someday,' she grumbles to herself and commands the undead to fall back. "I need control over the corpse lords." She sends a telepathic signal to Mor. After some back-and-forth yelling, she gets permission.

"Follow my order," Lala raises another battle zone, her war lines superimposed over Tarah's.

"A strategist!" Tarah exclaims.

"Double classes? These undead have way too many tricks up their sleeves," Krovath clenches his fist, cracking the balcony railing. "War song." He activates a skill, and the castle hums to life.

———<>|*|<>———

"Our armies are moving too far away," the Prime Elementor and Ant Queen demanded answers from their second-in-command.

"The human," the commanders complained.

———<>|*|<>———

"CHEW!" Tetsu sneezed. "Cold? Mana-based? Nah..." He ignored the ominous sensation boiling in his gut, hoping such minute creatures never made it to their new world. Imagine conquering the world just to die of the common cold! Tetsu shuddered at the mere thought, even more so than the nasty ghoul he had to shove into the backpack.

———<>|*|<>———

"Why haven't we caught the human yet?"

Ant Queen demanded answers from General Ant, while Val made a similar, much harsher demand to Mor.

"He dead and CLAY..." Ant General yelled.

"He is dispersing our forces and has two armies backing him. I can't figure out his plan," Mor replied, burying his face into the crystal atop the staff, hoping to discern the human's secret pattern.