A technomancer's journey in an apocalyptic world

Chapter 118: The Siege of New Hope (part-2)

"Ileana.", as a familiar voice came to her ears, blood and guts covered Ileana dashed and hugged her mother as if her life depended on it, while her parents even her twin fretted over her.

Finally Marcel held her daughter's face in his hands as he spoke, "Ileana what happened? Please tell us."

With a deep sigh, Ileana began to speak as her mind wandered off to the happenings of the evening and the night, the first of the many battles that she had and will continue to participate in, in the future.

A few hours ago, it was nearing evening and Ryan was chatting happily with his new friend that he had made.

"Ah, how I miss the 'Call of Battle', the new War Pass came out and the new season would begin as well, I had downloaded the update but did not get chance play."

"Oh you missed the fun then Ryan, it was wonderful the new guns are great though I was only able to use them in the Battle Royal mode but the new Legendary is game breaking I fear it would have been nerfed soon with some hot fix."

Ryan sighed as he spoke, "Now I really wish I was able to play it."

Shamir nodded as he continued, "It was great what rank did you achieve last season?"

"I was able to reach Legendary-I and you?"

Shamir grinned as he replied to him, "I was able to reach Legendary-V."

"That's cool the weapon skin on reaching that level looked cool."

Shamir sighed as he spoke, "It looked cool but at the same time sometimes it would make the game lag while reloading."

Ryan winced as he spoke, "Ouch, and that is a severe negative point against the skin, and they did not fix it."

Shamir sighed as he spoke, "There was fix along with the new update for it, now it is much better though."

"At least they think about us unlike others who release games full of bugs and every fixes for the bugs you have to buy."

As Shamir gave a solemn nod as one of their listeners scoffed as she spoke, "Can you boys please stop talking about that game."

Shamir gave a teasing grin towards the person as he spoke, "That is reaching coming from a streamer."

Ravenna huffed as she tucked a strand of her hair as she began to speak, "I streamed base building types mostly I was never too much invested in that genre."

Ryan smiled at her as she spoke, "But I have seen a few of your streams where you have played such games and you were amazing."

Ravenna smiled at Ryan as she spoke, "Have you given the thought of becoming a streamer?"

Ryan gave a nod as he spoke with a sigh, "I did but I was supposed to go to the US for higher studies, and as such I had no plan to start streaming for a long time."

Ravenna nodded but before anyone could say anything one of Ciara's subordinates appeared as she spoke, "Ryan you needed on the wall."

Ryan gave a small nod as he spoke, "Well then I will leave it to your capable hands."

Shamir gave a nod and fist bummed with Ryan as he spoke, "Leave it to me on my honor as a gamer I promise I will slaughter them."

A sentiment that most of the people present shared, and Ryan quickly left towards the top of the wall to meet up with his adopted mother.

Ciara looked at Ryan as she voiced out her concern, "Are you sure you should let the control of those auto cannons stay in the hands of those people, it is their first day in the militia they not been trained."

Ryan waved off her concern as he spoke, "There is nothing to worry about, most people of this age group are gamers, to them the cannon controls are nothing more than another console that they can use, not to mention a few of them are professionals and it also freed a few more helping hands who know how to handle a gun."

Ciara simply sighed as she looked in the distance while Ryan was beckoned by her fellow apostles for a small last meeting.

Ryan sat across Xuelong as he spoke, "So how have you planned to fight the horde."

Ryan looked confused as he spoke, "Please elaborate what you are asking."

"I mean that we have our circles that can boost our allies, so what Ylerias and I have decided is to move continuously."

Ryan nodded as he spoke, "That is an excellent idea one that I have no problem following but since the creatures are attracted to our blood we have to be careful so that we do not make the horde a bit scattered, not to mention if we move too fast then we might not be able to lend our help to others and on that matter what does your circles do?"

Ylerias smiled as she spoke, "My first circle provides boost to range weapon users from simply increase in range to damage increase."

"And mine heals others as long as they are kill enemy using melee attacks or when they are drenched in the freshly spilled blood of my enemies .", Xuelong chimed in with a rather happy smile that sent a shiver down their spine.

"But that also sometimes sends you and your group into frenzy.", and as Ylerias pointed a flaw in her circle Xuelong pouted.

Xuelong pouted as Ryan could not help but ask out loud, "Sister Xuelong I hope you are going to jump down the wall and fight."

Xuelong smirked at him as she spoke, "Of course not Ryan, did you really think you are the one with multiple weapons, of course we have as well but you have only witnessed to the one we prefer the most."

Ylerias gave a nod as Ryan spoke with a huff, "And here I thought only I was special."

Xuelong let loose a bark of laughter before she spoke, "Ryan you are special because of the variety of weapons you have, as you seem to have four."

A confused Rya could not help but speak out loud, "Four?"

Ylerias smiled back at him as she spoke, "Of course four, the sword, and then the smaller and larger gun and of course the gauntlet if from what I have learned you used it to defend yourself and kill your enemy."

Ryan's eyes widen as he spoke with a huff, "You are right in a way I can use that gauntlet to kill others."

Xuelong frowned as she spoke, "How?"

Ryan smiled back at her as he spoke, "You have seen how I create things", as Xuelong nodded Ryan's smile increased as he continued to speak, "now just thing what would happen if a large block of concrete suddenly appeared inside a creature."

Xuelong frowned in deep thought before she spoke with barely concealed excitement, "It would appear out of the creature tearing it apart."

Ryan was taken aback at her excitement he still remembered the agonizing death of the wolf but the way Xuelong acted really made him question her sanity.

The sun had set a long time ago, and Ryan sat quietly while looking up towards the sky, the sky that was lit by a myriad of stars the glittered like uncountable diamonds in the sky, his eyes were then drawn toward the moon that looked a bit bigger since that faithful day.

"Ryan what are thinking?"

Jessica's voice brought him out of his musings as he spoke with a small smile on his face, "Nothing just watching the stars, and from the position of the moon it is well past midnight."

"You always liked watching the stars."

Ryan nodded as he spoke with a yawn, "I do and the sky is so clear now a day though those constellations most of them are unknown to me, and few looked as if they have been flipped."

Jessica's frown deepened as she spoke, "I see."

"One day I will reach those stars."

A small smile appeared on her face as she spoke, "I am sure you will Ryan."

"Ryan there is something I wish to ask you but it had slipped my minds."

Ryan gave a small nod as Xuelong continued, "Those things that you planted on the ground what are they?"

"Ah, they are something called landmines, they are extremely dangerous."

"How do they work?"

"You step on them and they would explode."

"I see we have something similar as well but with magic, traps that explode if you step on them."

"I see."

A few more minutes later a cry of alarm was heard informing everyone about the arrival of the horde, seeing the size and the terrible beasts present Ryan could not help but feel a shiver run down his spine as he felt their blood lust.

"So many."

He felt a hand on his shoulder and as he turned Ryan faced Ciara who had a grim look on her face as she spoke, "It is good to feel fear but it is not good to be ruled by fear, I am here with you and I will support you so there is no need to doubt about yourself."

"Ryan before the battle begins we have to seek blessings from our Gods.", Ryan send a questioning look towards her Ylerias continued, "Just follow our lead."

As Ryan gave a hesitant nod Ylerias closed her eyes as she raised her bow high up in the air as she shouted out, "I, Ylerias Luvenari, the apostle of the one who is the ultimate Huntress the one who bathes the world with light during the darkest of nights, I call upon my Goddess, Goddess Oena, Goddess of the Hunt and Moon, I pray for blessings so that my hunt be true and my arrows always find their mark."

She touched her bow on her forehead for a brief second before lowering it as Xuelong now began to speak out loud with her gigantic sword held high up, "I, Xuelong Victorum, the apostle of the one who blows the horn of War and trumpet of Victory, I call upon my God, God of War and Victory, God Vahjim to bless us so that we triumph over our foes."

As soon as she finished she lowered her sword before touching her forehead to it with her eyes closed before she looked up sending an expecting look towards Ryan.

'Is that what Mr. Bald felt when he chased after that group on a taxi, the group that were shouting praises for their God while firing guns and sitting on top of the bonnet of the running car with sword in hand, is that what he felt when he joined in their shouts, I will never know.'

Ryan took a deep breath as he raised his sword as shouted out, "I, Ryan von Ruinesca, the apostle of the one who forged the beginning and struck down as the end, the creator the destroy, I call upon my God, God of Creation and Destruction to bless us so that I can destroy my enemies and forge a new path."

And then mimicking the actions of the other two he touched the flat side of his sword with his forehead while his eyes were closed.

As he opened his eyes Ryan was suddenly startled as the group that was with Xuelong and Ylerias were on their knees as they shouted out praises for their respective Gods, while to Ryan it looked like her fellow apostles were giving a sermon, but what drew Ryan's attention was the fact that the moonlight seemed to coalesce around.

"I am not kneeling in front of you."

A voice drew Ryan's attention as he spoke with a shrug, "I do not expect you to, Michalina."

"Though I believe we can make some noise for you, my son."

As Ryan looked towards Ciara, his mother gave him a grin as she shouted out, "Wolves howl!!!!"

Her order caused the soldiers of her regiment to mimic the howling of wolves, and as they let out loud howls it startled those who have never seen them acting as such.

A small smile broke on Ryan's face at the support the Black Wolves showed to him, he was happy to be with his family.

The smile did not last long as a large guttural roar came to his ears, a roar that surpassed anything he had ever heard as he could not ask out loud, "What is it?"

Xuelong looked towards the direction of the sound as she spoke out loud with her eyes open wide, "I thought it was the wolf that was leading but roar it is something different something stronger."

Ylerias, on the other hand, grimaced as she spoke, "I recognize that roar and it is not something good, we are going to take some sever losses today even if we win."

"What is it Sister Ylerias?"

Ylerias turned towards Ryan as she answered him amidst the cacophony of various howls, snarls and hisses as the horde charged towards the wall.

Meanwhile, back in Fort Genesis people were bored, restless and a few of them anxious since they had been brought inside the fort and their restlessness increased even more as the time passed by and slowly most of them had fallen asleep when suddenly a large roar awoke them startling and then it followed by roar of various animals.

"What was that roar?"

"Why are there so many animals roaring?"

"Oh God do not tell me it is my beast tide."

The person's words were like pouring oil in a flame only to be controlled as one of the people shouted out as he pointed out towards the wall which seemed to lit up as various loud explosive noises came to their ears.

Eleanora gripped her husband's arms as if it were her only lifeline as she spoke in a voice filled with fear, "Ryan and Ileana are over there are they not? What are we going to do?"

Marcel kept looking at the distance as he whispered in a defeated tone, "I do not know."