Chapter 10: Preparing the Trap (2)

The smell of gasoline filled the air.

<I’m done.> He backed away from the pumps and returned to the store.

<Now the missing part…>

His improvised weapon had served him well, but the mop handle showed serious wear. Dents and scratches covered the metal surface. Against tougher opponents, it might fail entirely.

Reidar searched the station for better weapons. Behind the counter, he found a display rack for automotive tools. The rack itself was metal, about six feet long with a pointed end where it had been anchored to the floor.

He used the hammer to bend and shape the metal. The work was hard without proper tools, but after spending some time on it, he did it. He then wrapped one end with cloth torn from his shirt to create a grip. The other end was sharpened using the concrete floor as an abrasive surface.

The finished weapon resembled a crude spear. It lacked the craftsmanship of a real spear, but the point was sharp enough to pierce skin and flesh, and with his increased strength, there shouldn’t be problems. The reach would keep him away from their claws. He was not sure about skills.

—« Improvised Spear »—

Rarity: [Poor]

Type: Two-Handed Spear

Damage: 15-22 Piercing

Attack Speed: Slow

Durability: [35 / 35]

[ Special Properties ]

Extended Reach: Provides a longer attack range than most melee weapons.

Thrusting Attacks: Capable of focused thrusting attacks.

[ Acquisition Data ]

Source: Basic Crafting.

Level Requirement: 0

—[«END»]—

<The damage output exceeds the mop handle, and the piercing damage type should be more effective against armored opponents.>

Not that he was going to face them. At least not now. What was important was that the spear had to be enough to kill the Rift-Sprites.

Reidar tested the weapon. <It isn’t that light, but the added weight should increase the damage dealt.>

The sun was beginning to set, and doing this without the right visibility was dangerous, so he had to be quick.

[1 hour remaining.]

He double-checked his preparations. Fuel leaked from the damaged pumps. Flammable materials were distributed throughout the store. He had fashioned a torch from a mop handle and gasoline-soaked rags. When the time came, he could ignite the entire station from a safe distance.

The plan was simple in concept but dangerous in execution. Lure as many sprites as possible to the gas station. Light the torch and throw it onto the fuel tracks.

<Let’s hope things will go well…>

His First Killer title might trigger a few times. Each sprite he killed gave him a tiny chance—just half a percent—to pick up one of their skills. With enough of them, he might learn how to throw stone bullets or water spheres himself. On top of that, he’d get more C.L.A.S.P.S. with every kill. He could even level up and finish that quest along the way.

Reidar gripped his new spear and walked toward the station’s exit. Through the foliage, he could see the highway in the distance.

The chittering grew louder as he got closer to the edge. He crouched behind the same oak tree where he had first seen the swarm.

Rift-sprites covered the asphalt like a living carpet. They moved in clusters, feeding on corpses and fighting each other over choice pieces. The strongest sprites claimed the largest bodies, while weaker ones scavenged scraps.

Those things were not just ugly, but they were vicious too. There were no longer human bodies around, since they likely ate them all, but those things were still killing and eating each other. That, of course, made it so that their level increased. In fact, some of the monsters were even level 6 and 7 at that point.

<Two levels in two hours? What the hell are the sprites made of, drugs?>

Reidar studied the terrain between the highway and the gas station. A direct path would take him through open ground, where the sprites could surround him. He needed a route that would funnel them into a controlled chase.

The forest would serve that purpose. The problem was the gas station itself, since it was a large open area.

<At least they are slow…>

<If I lure the swarm into the trees, their numbers will work against them. The narrow spaces between trunks should prevent them from attacking all at once, and I should be able to escape then.>

Though, that was not going to be a problem since he wouldn’t stay there for long.

The plan required perfect timing. He had to keep enough distance to avoid their attacks while staying close enough to keep their attention. Too far, and they might lose interest. Too close, and they would kill him.

Reidar traced the route in his mind. From the highway edge, he would run through the forest parallel to the road for about half a mile. Then he would cut toward the gas station through a section where the trees thinned.

The sprites would follow the same path, bunching together as they passed the obstacles.

When they reached the gas station, he would just need to reap the benefits.

<Who knows, maybe I will be able to get strong enough to kill them without resorting to these tricks.>

Reidar gripped his spear tighter and stepped out from behind the oak tree. He walked to the forest edge, where the sprites could see him. The nearest creatures were about fifty meters away.

He took a deep breath and shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Hey! Over here!”

Thousands of grotesque heads snapped toward his voice in a disjointed, unnatural unison.

The air itself seemed to vibrate with their collective hunger, a low-frequency hum that resonated in Reidar’s chest. Eyes, glowing embers of fire, frigid ice, and jagged earth, glued on him.

The chittering faltered for a split second before erupting into a deafening roar.

Reidar’s blood ran cold.

Then they moved.

The creatures surged toward him like a torrent. Hundreds of legs scrambled across asphalt and concrete as they rushed towards him.

“FUCK!”

Reidar turned and ran into the forest.

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