Double-Blind: A Modern LITRPG

Chapter 241

Miles picked off two more of the massive ravens with comfortable ease, scattering the remnants of the flock.

With some negotiation, Miles had spent the last few weeks paying off his bounty in service of Nychta, eliminating what she considered to be Minor Pests from her realm. Thatd been a revelation to both of us at the time, that the deities that interfered with day-to-day life within the dome had realms of their own. Pocket dimensions that reflected their preferred environment. As a result, hed been out of play for most of the month. And as the one who got him into that mess to begin with, I aided him as Myrddin to the best of my ability.

Thought you punched out. I said, maybe a little too casually.

Sorry to disappoint. Miles squinted, and fired off another arrow into the forest. There was a resulting squeal and thump of something heavy hitting the ground. But reports of my death were greatly exaggerated.

Any idea what were dealing with? I asked.

Necromancy. What else?

Id noticed the similarities, and hoped I was wrong. One-hundred percent?

Theyre dropping human cores, so yeah. But this is a cut above the usual shit. Miles squinted. For one, theyre less single-minded than Im used to seeing. Capable of retreating and rethinking their approach. He pulled back his bowstring and fired. I felt the wind from the arrow as it slammed into the heart of a pieced together bear wearing a womans face, knocking it flat. And I could be imagining it, but Im pretty sure theyre feeling out sight lines. We need to split. Now.

That was all the prompting I needed. I hopped into the drivers seat as Miles popped the trunk, hopping into the back as I started the car and stepped on the gas. He left the trunk open, giving himself wide clearance to fire from.

What tipped you off? Miles asked. In the rearview, I saw him reach up to grab a rear seat to steady himself as I spun the wheel, careening around a turn.

Huh?

Got your message seconds before the fighting started.

That presented a grim timeline, taken altogether. I thought quickly, trying to come up with something hed accept. Before I could answer, something in my face gave it away.

Miles expression darkened. It wasnt a coincidence. Theyre here for you. Came at you first, blew things up when it didnt stick.

Not me. Her. I angled myself so Iris couldnt read the words. First monster we encountered beelined for Iris and wasnt exactly pulling its punches.

Miles blinked. Youre joking.

Do I strike you as someone with a sense of humor?

No. A puzzlement grew in Miles expression. That doesnt make any sense.

It was difficult to overstate the value of what my sister brought to the table. Shed helped numerous other regions with rebuilding efforts since shed awakened to her ability. Some of that was diplomacy, other times it was simply spontaneous, out of the kindness of her heart. While healers and crafters existed, they were in the severe minority, with most User abilities centering on destruction in some form or another.

Piss anyone off lately? Miles asked, letting the question hang.

More people than you realize, but no one who knows me as Matt.

No. I said aloud, before I realized what he was implying. My hands tightened on the steering wheel. You think someones targeting her to get to me?

Could be trying to make some sort of example of you or piss you off as a distraction.

Why?!

Dunno. Regardless, theyre idiots. Because theres no unringing that bell. A tiredness permeated his expression.

Escalation. I said, coldly.

Miles shook his head. Again, I really hope Im wrong. Theres enough dark shit going around without people carteling the loved ones of region leadersAhead, twelve oclock!

The Priuspreviously pushing forty on the crowded city roadcame to a shrieking halt. I slammed against the wheel, pain radiating through my body as the horn sounded a keening wail.

Painstakingly, I pushed myself back, and the honking ceased. A trickle of blood dripped down my forehead. The hood came loose in the impact and was bent straight up, blocking any visual of what Id hit. Despite keeping an eye on the road, I hadnt seen it. I glanced back at Iris. You okay?

My sister was wincing in the rear seat, an abrasion and the beginning of a bruise starting where the seat belt had bit into her shoulder. She nodded.

Behind her, Miles was already gone.

Where the hell

My question was answered with the sound of whining metal, increasing in volume. A bloody hand gripped the hood, fingertips denting the metal as it was torn free.

Not bloody. Skinned.

The creature before me looked like Frankenstein's flayed minotaur, stitched together from countless bodies, human and animal. Its sharp teeth and open-cavity nose were lopsided, and it drew breath in rasping gasps, fogging the windshield. It left red smears wherever it touched.

Found you. It said, voice a low rumble.

Iris screamed.

I slammed on the gas with every intention of running it over. It clung on instead, face twisted into a rictus of anger as I swung the wheel to the right, taking it clear off the road and through an alley, pumping the gas. There wasnt an outlet to the other side, just a sheer brick wall that we smashed into, pinning it against the wall with the vibration of crumbling brick. The minotaur grunted. Slowly it reached down and grabbed the bottom of the car, arms bulging as the front wheels lost purchase. It smiled wide, its half-melted face the stuff of nightmares.

Seemingly from nowhere, a black hand gripped its shoulder, the person it belonged to dancing away as ice raced up the minotaurs body, freezing it in place. It roared and writhed, trying to break the ice as it accumulated despite its limited mobility. For a moment, it looked like it might succeed.

Then an arrow took it in the side of the head. Its unfrozen parts slumped, leaving it half-rag dolled, half-standing as the ice encased it.

Sae was only half in disguise after she got the call. Shed managed the sunglasses, and the augmenting armor that smoothed her curves made her upper half look relatively normal, but merging into her torso were legs with too many joints that bent the wrong way. Black chitin covered her from legs to jaw.

She bent down next to the drivers side window, staring at us through dark round sunglasses. You good, Iris? Helpline?

Yeah. I said, unbuckling my seatbelt and wincing from the impact. Before, this much would have probably been enough to put me under. But a couple weeks ago Id finally buckled and raised my Toughness stat.

Thanks for the assist. Needed to hit it with something big, but couldnt risk missing. Miles jogged over.

Beside the car, Sae twisted around to stare at him, her expression standoffish. Lucky I was nearby. Or maybe not, since I live here. Got to wonder, what were you doing in the area, Miles?

The usual. Heard something big was going down and found myself loitering nearby. Wasnt what I expected. Miles said, stopping a few paces from her. If her appearance put him off, he didnt show it. Now can we get him to safety or do you want to stand around sticking fingers in each other's faces?

Sae ignored him and lowered her voice so only I could hear. Geminis on their way. Nothing from Numbers but its early.

Its the middle of the day.

For him thats early. Probably sleeping off a hangover. Orders?

I immediately understood. Gemini referred to the system-titled Gemini mages, Astrid and Astria. Numbers was Max, an Estranged Officer class capable of estimating probability of an endeavor within a certain range that Id poached from Rodericks Lodge. Numbers, Gemini, and Sae formed the entirety of my strike team. Myrddins strike team.

Sae accepted that, though her expression seemed to indicate that she thought my continued caginess with the strike team was unwise. At the beginning, Id started out intending to hide my Ordinator persona from everyone. That had proved next to impossible rather quickly, and Id looped in Sae and a handful of others, which had helped. Sae would probably prefer it if I brought all the members of the strike team into a room and took my mask off. But there were already too many people in the know.

I skimmed my messages. Grit and Ire had gotten held up due to a massive outbreak of fighting on one of the center throughways.

Roads are in a bad way so vehicles are out. I called over to Miles, who took that as his cue to finally come closer. Any ideas?

Miles rubbed his chin. Id normally suggest taking this vertical with the flight charms, but

The ravens. I said.

Yeah. Conspicuously absent overhead since we culled the herd. Still tempted to try it. Probably would, if we werent transporting a potential target.

Then were SOL and on foot.

Its what, eight blocks from here? Thats a lazy Sunday morning walk. Miles smiled, radiating confidence that read as false. He was trying to keep morale up, but something about this situation had unsettled him.

There was a resonant crack of breaking ice.