Chapter 11: Chapter 11

There was a lot of planning and thought that went into planning and starting an expedition, Jerik would soon come to learn. He’d expected quite a few things when he’d first accepted the responsibility of forming and leading a platoon. First and foremost had been the attention and prestige that came with the role. That expectation, at least, had been born out and revealed to be very true. He enjoyed the fact that more people seemed to know his name in Zenken now, and he was able to find more favorable trade deals, even if it came at the cost of having to have conversations when he’d much prefer to be alone with himself or with Morgan.

What he hadn’t expected, of course, was the sheer amount of administrative work. He had a good analytical mind, as did all people with sociopathy. He could keep all kind of figures and numbers in his mind at all times, and he could multitask like a professional. But keeping track of the people at the same time? Not a fucking chance. It was hard enough to keep track of his own equipment and manage the money of everything.

Thankfully, he had someone with him who was not only good at taking care of these things, but seemed to enjoy it over training or other such tedious things. Morgan had noticed him struggling to pore over stacks of papers related to purchases, sales, and expenses. She’d taken pity on him and offered to help out, to which he’d gratefully accepted. In what seemed like no time at all, she’d completed the paperwork that had been piled up, and could be seen the very next day casually lounging about as before. Morgan never seemed to put any actual effort into the things she did, he reflected. Yet she never seemed to fail at anything.

Jerik still had a lot of work to do on the administration end of things. He kept the platoon to its strict training regime, working them hard every day until they started to become what he needed in order to obtain his goal; a small but highly skilled force of soldiers armed with weapons and able to react to any type of situation they faced. In spite of his general disinterest of other people, Jerik couldn’t help but feel a little proud at how far they’d come over the past month.

One month. That was all the time he’d felt comfortable putting towards their training. To tell the truth, he hadn’t had to teach them much. After two years in Menora, they were already somewhat adept at the combat and systems that the world contained. They’d just lacked that edge to their movements, thinking, and overall tactics that would transform them from average to excellent. Now, looking over them all, he couldn’t deny that they were excellent. They’d completed every task he could give them, and more. He’d selected his officers from their numbers, and they were ready.

First, there was his own squad, the Command. Consisting of himself, Katrina, Benji, and Morgan, they were well-equipped for fast action, to give support to any other squad that found themselves in a situation that they couldn’t handle. Katrina and Benji were both already trained as shock troops, meaning that they had the stamina, reflexes, and critical thinking skills that allowed them to clear large obstacles quickly. Morgan provided the information and provided transport on top of supporting with her magic. And of course, Jerik kept an eye on things overall, and engaged high-value targets from a distance.

Nicholas was in charge of his own squadron now as well, with fourteen people under his direct command. They were all specialized for front-line action, with a few combat medics and support mages to sustain them. They were all members who showed excellent stamina, able to sustain heavy conditions for longer periods of time than most. Nicholas himself was the most resilient. It was hard to match him to image of the naive, fresh-faced kid that had joined them only a month prior.

Jack, the sniper who’d helped Nicholas complete his cover training so quickly, was also in charge of a squad of his own. It was considerably smaller, only five members total. They were all equipped with Superior-Class sniper rifles and camouflage gear, and had been picked for their keen sight. They were the recon of the platoon. They were also able to provide long-rage damage and support. The front line held the monsters off while Jack’s platoon picked them off from a safe distance with ease.

The final, and arguably most important of the squads, was lead by a Magik specialist he’d hired through Janitos. Apart from leading the efforts of the research crew, she was also a fearsome mage that even Morgan acknowledged. The three mages that followed her, also members of the research crew, helped a great deal with bombardment via spells and solving any traps or puzzles that they might come across during their missions.

All together, a good platoon. It was a lot smaller than most of the others that people had formed. Really more of a strike force in size, but Jerik was okay with that. It was cheaper to supply gear to a smaller force, after all, and he cut a lot of costs that would be prescribed to a massive platoon like the Iron Order had been. And since the Iron Order had been cut to pieces, they were officially the largest force in Zenken. Jerik liked to think that fact helped maintain the peace that had been created in the city. It made for a nice change of pace, being able to walk the streets without being on guard and expecting trouble at every turn.

But it couldn’t last forever. Eventually, they all knew that they’d have to set out on their first true expedition to hunt some of the tougher monsters, and take steps to clear the badlands of the worst challenges. Their goal wasn’t to clear the badlands by themselves. That would take thousands of people under one common goal, numbers that just weren’t feasible for any normal platoon. So instead, Jerik had opted for a more direct course. It would be hard work, but it was the most efficient route.

Information gleaned near the beginning, when everyone had first been summoned to the world, showed that the rough whereabout for Kan-Menora’s lair was in the Dark Mountains, a massive expanse of peaks and valleys that ringed around the western edge of the continent of Menora. He was the ultimate raid, undefeated in all time. Only one group had gotten close to victory. That had, of course, been the Golden Dawn, the group that Magnus had sabotaged towards the end of the fight, gaining him his notoriety.

Before they took on Kan-Menora, there were a few monsters that had to be taken out first. They were his Cardinals, truly nasty beasts that occupied other parts of the continent, ruling their own, smaller kingdoms of monsters, with armies to match. Jerik would have much preferred to ignore them and head straight for the final boss, but the Cardinals each held one piece of the key needed to access Kan-Menora’s lair. So they had to be taken down too.

So, their first mission had finally come. Properly trained and geared up, they had to journey away from Zenken for their first truly long expedition. Their goal was relatively simple. Go to the Burrows, and set up a permanent outpost. Skilled builders and engineers would follow behind them, and it was their job to clear out any monsters that lived there, as well as any they’d encounter along the way. They’d prepared, both physically and mentally. Now it was time to set out.

Jerik stood at the western gate of Zenken, watching as his platoon filed out of the city past him. Hundreds of other people had gathered to watch the procession leave, cheering and wishing them well. The Smoke Brigade’s soldiers had grinned proudly, holding their heads high as they received the support of everyone else. Even Jerik felt a little giddy at the farewell crowd, wishing them to return victorious and still strong. 

“They’re confident,” Morgan pointed out.

Jerik turned to look at her, having to lift his chin slightly to do so. “That’s a good thing. If they can’t muster the stamina to do something simple as establish this outpost, we’re fucked for the rest of it.”

She inclined her head slightly in agreement, but said nothing else on the topic. It was Katrina who spoke next. “Well, it is simple, as you said. Shouldn’t prove too difficult.”

“Let’s hope you’re not jinxing that,” Jerik said, a grim smile spreading across his face.

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“We don’t believe in jinxes,” Benji replied brightly, stepping out of the column of marching to join them. She’d stepped away to double-check the supplies at Jerik’s request. “If you account for everything, then you can’t be surprised, so jinxes have no power.”

“You can’t account for everything,” Jerik said at once.

“Maybe you can’t,” Katrina said, putting a little emphasis on you, “But our plans always contain contingencies for unexpected encounters.”

“But you’re used to fighting against other people.”

She shrugged diffidently. “So are you.”

“In Menora, yes. But I was a gamer before I was a sniper. I know my way around a raid.”

“Have you taken part in one of the raids of Menora before?” Benji asked, bumping her shoulder against his. “Or are you just assuming that you can learn and master anything?”

“I’ve taken part in plenty,” Jerik said defensively, scowling at her. And it was perfectly true. Before he’d taken contracts to kill people for points, he’d spent his time bouncing between different raid teams. They all appreciated a high-geared sniper to provide support, and had taken him on without question. He never had any strict loyalty to those groups, but he’d done his part, and done it well in exchange for a specific item he wanted from the raid. It was how he’d been able to get the gear he needed.

“Well, either way,” he said, continuing away from that subject. “It’s a simple run. We just have to clear out the Burrows. Easy work for this group.”

“Easy work,” Katrina repeated. He couldn’t tell what her thoughts on the topic were. She could have been agreeing or disagreeing, and he didn’t know. He’d likely never understand the tall, powerfully built woman. Thankfully, her younger sister was easier to communicate with. And speak of the devil, Benji was tapping him lightly on the shoulder to get his attention.

“Right, sorry,” he told her, turning to face her. “How we looking?”

“We’re more than prepared,” she reported crisply. “All the supplies are stowed away, and the civvies are sticking close.”

“Smart,” he said. “Make sure they know not to stay too close to the front lines. We can’t spare the time to watch out for them and fight at the same time.”

“What, did you think this is my first time?” She asked, winking slyly at him, then laughed as his face grew stony, as it always did whenever someone was flirty at or around him. “Well, I guess we should get moving then.”

They waited until the last cluster of people passed them, then fell in at the rear of the column. They’d be slow, but the first leg of the journey had to be done on foot. Jerik quickly broke away from the group once they were properly free of Zenken, breaking into a light jog and aiming for a nearby hill. He’d be providing oversight throughout the entire journey, scanning the horizons for major threats, just as an added precaution. It was nice to get back to what he knew best, he thought, reaching his first outlook spot of many, and pulling the bolt on Paragon to load a round.

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