Chapter 22

  John

  "Where do you think you're going?" Jared sneered, wiping the remnants of whatever questionable snack he'd just inhaled from his scruffy goatee. His eyes tracked me with the kind of suspicion that came from having just enough authority to be dangerous and not enough intelligence to use it wisely.

  I measured my response carefully. "Jared, Matt assured everyone we're free to move around camp. I'm heading to the latrine." I kept my voice steady, neutral. No challenge, no submission. Just a man stating a fact.

  Jared squinted, clearly weighing whether to make an issue of it. "Yeah, well, Matt's not here, is he? And if I say you're not going anywhere..."

  "Then I'd respectfully remind you that Matt's rules apply to everyone, Jared. Including the people enforcing them." I held his gaze, not aggressive, but firm enough that pushing back would require more effort than he wanted to spend.

  His jaw worked for a moment before he grunted. "Fine. Be quick about it, and stay where I can see you."

  "Understood." I gave him a measured nod and turned away, keeping my pace deliberate and unhurried. Rushing would signal that I had somewhere to be. I walked slowly across the camp, feeling his gaze on the back of my neck the entire time. As I passed Darren, I barely nodded my head and blinked slowly, our prearranged signal that I needed a distraction. I counted to 150, waiting for Darren to spring into action.

  I continued at a steady pace, my senses on high alert. Darren's voice rose behind me, shouting something about stolen rations. Jared hesitated, his gaze flicking between me and the commotion, before he grunted and stomped off toward the argument.

  Perfect. I kept moving, resisting the urge to look back as I slipped away from the main camp area. The place had transformed over the past few days. It used to feel like a community, a fragile, tentative one, sure, but one that people were trying to build together. Now it felt more like a military camp, with Matt's crew prowling around, enforcing rules that seemed to change on a whim.

  I ran through the data I'd gathered over the last four days, organizing it the way I always did: people, patterns, priorities. Most of Matt's group had been on the fringes of society even before the tutorial began. A few of them carried weapons openly, always ready for a fight. People like Jared were the most predictable: loud, confrontational, eager for any excuse to assert dominance. That temperament had made them quick to violence when the tutorial started and, consequently, quick to level up. They'd ransacked other camps before finding ours, raiding and killing anyone who wouldn't submit. That was when they caught the attention of Leander, a local leader under the Patron Archelaus.

  Patrons appeared to be some kind of god or all powerful entity. There were several levels of powerful entities below a patron in something called a Pantheon and Leander was the lowest of these.

  Leander had given a few of Matt's group Minor Blessings in exchange for their allegiance. Blessings appeared to be something that signified allegiance to a patron. These blessings were given to Matt's group to try and increase the number of followers they could get to follow Archelaus. They had already converted a couple of the people from the camp.

  Additionally the blessings seemed to give a boost to Strength or Dexterity. It also solidified Matt's position as the leader, and anyone who resisted or tried to leave was "punished" to set an example.

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  I reached a small stand of trees just past the edge of the camp, where the ground sloped down toward the creek. Their bark was shot through with faintly glowing veins, and the leaves overhead filtered the twin suns' light into shifting patches of amber and violet. The trees provided some cover, but more importantly, they muffled sound. I glanced around to ensure no one was watching, then stepped behind the thickest trunk.

  I made a show of the reason I'd given for being here, keeping up appearances in case anyone was watching from camp. I waited, listening intently. Jared's voice was still faintly audible, arguing heatedly with Darren. Good. I needed at least a few more minutes.

  I touched my forefinger to my thumb and then stretched it back in the shape of an 'L' activating my Strategist's PDA. This interface allowed me to take notes, chart, graph and predict outcomes and probabilities. I'd been hiding some notes about the information I'd gleaned in a note labeled "Latrine Log."

  Day 5:

  Summary: We were raided this morning. Elara managed to kill their leader, a Level 18, before she was mortally wounded herself. A man named Matt took over and promised a "peaceful coexistence." We lost several members, and those still here are keeping their heads down. Matt's men are watching us too closely.

  Notes:

  The camp is split into two groups: those who are too scared to fight back and those who are trying to leave or resist.

  Raider levels are significantly higher than ours. I've identified at least one at Level 14, and Matt himself appears to be around Level 12. The rest range between 10 and 12. Even without their leader, they outclass everyone here.

  Maura, Felix, Darren and Jackie missing.

  Casualties: Elara, Billy, Franklin and Louis

  Darren has returned. He appears to know Jared.

  Matt keeps asking about my class boosts and how his group can take advantage of the buffs.

  Day 6:

  Summary: Matt's group formally took control. I told him I'd only allow them to sign the charter of Galene if they promised they wouldn't hurt anyone.

  Notes:

  Jared is in charge of ration distribution, likely to keep him loyal.

  Matt's men keep disappearing for hours at a time. I suspect they're meeting someone outside of camp, but I haven't confirmed it.

  Darren tried approaching me twice when we're alone. I don't trust him. He seems like he fits in too well with Matt's group.

  Corwin is acting like he's a swordsman but is using any excuse to get out of sight so he can practice his mage abilities. They don't view a one armed man as a threat at all so he's able to get away with a lot.

  Something is stalking the camp at night. Twice now I've heard laughter from just beyond the tree line, high and thin, like nothing human. Whatever was out there during the raid, the thing with the grin, it's still here. Even Matt's men are rattled. Jared posted double sentries after the second night, but no one's seen it. They just hear it.

  Day 7:

  Summary: A young man named Colin challenged Matt's authority. Hunger and fear have people turning on each other. Colin disappeared. Matt claims he left Galene. Maura called on Elara's phone. She and Felix are alive, trapped in a dungeon. Warned them about the blessings and told them not to come back without help. Agreed to check in daily at 4 PM.

  Notes:

  Jackie still missing.

  Darren finally got me aside and told me that he saw what Matt did to Colin. He claims he's not with them and is willing to do anything to help get them out of camp.

  Food has become increasingly scarce. Matt's crew haven't been hunting. They mostly stick to bullying around the rest of the camp.

  The Level 14, a man named Garrison, seems to be Matt's enforcer for anything Jared can't handle. He's the real threat.

  Day 8 (Today):

  Summary: Matt's behavior is becoming more erratic. He's openly threatening anyone who questions him, and rations have been cut again. Jared mentioned "preparations" being almost complete. I believe they have found another camp to raid.

  Notes:

  Camp morale is at an all-time low. The people following Matt are just happy to feel safe and fed, but there's tension brewing.

  Mrs. Alcott was seen this morning leaving Matt's tent. She looks much happier. She got double rations at lunch.

  The laughter came again last night, closer than before. Three of Matt's sentries abandoned their post. Garrison had to drag them back. Whatever that thing is, it's feeding on the fear in this camp, and there's no shortage of it.

  I grimaced as I read through the last note. Matt was playing some kind of game, and he was close to making his next move. Whatever he had planned, I could almost guarantee people were going to get hurt.

  I pulled Elara's phone out of my pocket, the one I'd recovered from her belongings during the chaos of the raid, and held my breath as the clock ticked from 3:59 to 4:00.

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