Chapter 42: The Corvus Commandos (Patreon)

Sleep eluded me at first when we got back to the apartment. Hugo and I had encountered more bodies left out on the streets before we’d gotten to the elevator. Some stabbed or mutilated with blades, while others further along looking like they’d been torn apart.

It was clear that the monsters either knew that the curfew was coming or had been teleported into town by the System. They’d arrived too quickly for it to have been anything else.

I didn’t feel bad about the people I’d killed outside of the bar. They’d tried to kill me first and so I defended myself. But those other bodies? The ones that looked like they were killed while fleeing? Those affected me, with their faces frozen in a final moment of terror.

I didn’t understand what was to be gained by doing this to people other than sadistic pleasure or that these people’s lives were being wasted as props to motivate the rest of us. All of it sickened me, and so I tossed and turned until sleep finally came.

When I woke up the next morning, Hugo wasn’t there. Normally, he’d still be asleep on his pillow or trying to get the TV to work. I checked the kitchen incase he was trying to get food, but he wasn’t there either.

[Lucas to Hugo: Hey, where are you?]

[Error. Chat messages cannot be passed between floors.]

My eyes widened. He’s gone down without me to hunt solo. What if he’s gotten hurt again? In a panic, I equipped my swords and knives and rushed to the elevator. If Hugo’s gone off hunting alone, then who knows what could have happened? The System won’t even tell me if he’s alive or not. I hope he hasn’t done something crazy.

I went into the menu and checked his stats to see if they could tell me anything.

Name: Hugo

Race: Corvus (Class F)

Class: Psychopomp Level 11

Currency: 257 coins

Strength: 15 > 30 (+15)

Vitality: 30 > 45 (+15)

Intelligence: 140 > 172 (+32)

Constitution: 25 > 35 (+10)

Dexterity: 35

Perception: 20

Willpower: 92 > 100 (+8)

Free points remaining: 0

Looks like he’s leveled up and gotten his willpower up to 100 as well as buffing some of his lesser stats like strength and vitality. It didn’t prove anything though. He could have spent those points last night after killing the goblins. What if he really is dead, and the System is just forcing me to carry around his final stats?

My stomach twisted. I almost felt like I was going to be sick. I tried not to think about it as the elevator doors opened up to the clock tower. It seemed like the best place to start since it would give me a view of the whole town.

I went to the large circular window and looked out. It appeared that the people in town could be broken into three groups. The first was a mass of people on the outskirts of town that going back and forth. They were clearly working on something, though from this distance I couldn’t tell what it was. The second group was a large line of people starting at the town square by the golden elevator. I watched as it opened and a single person went inside on their own while a group waited for their turn. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that the System had unlocked it for the next floor. But it did mean that my lead over the rest of the tower residents was diminishing fast.

I needed to find something else to advance. I wasn’t ready to hit the next floor via the stairs yet. On floor 98, there was one tentacle of the void spawn. On floor 97, there were two. I’m guessing the next floor down has the rest of the creature and I wasn’t ready for a head on fight with it yet. No, I’d have to look elsewhere for experience, but maybe the church can help.

The third group were those simply passing through or purchasing equipment before going back into the forest. That was something else to consider. Much of it was unexplored wilderness and since this is considered a foundational floor we’re meant to return to, then there were likely higher level threats out there worth considering.

I took a deep breath and tried Hugo on party chat again.

[Lucas to Hugo: Hey, are you okay?]

[Hugo: Yep. I’m in the bell house at the top of the clock tower.]

[Lucas Hudson: It’s called a belfry.]

I went up the stairs to find a curious sight. Sheets of paper evenly lined the ground and Hugo stood perched on the ledge.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

[Hugo: Shhh. Just wait.]

I was about to tell him not to shush me when another crow landed on the ledge beside Hugo. There were a couple of seeds next to it. As soon as the crow bent down to eat one, Hugo lashed out with his beak and broke the bird's neck. The body rolled onto the papered floor.

“Hugo, what the…?”

He hopped down, pecked the dead crow, and said, “arise!”

A ghost crow climbed out of its body and then dissipated. Hugo pecked the dead crow again and made the body disappear by looting it.

“You’re finally able to add another spirit summon. But are you sure it’s worth using on a bird?” I asked.

“Not just one,” he replied. “Look behind you.”

I turned and saw six phantasmal crows sitting on the ledge behind me.

“Meet the Corvus Commandos,” he said. “I came up with the idea when thinking about some of the crappy loot I’d gotten in that loot box. You know the bird seed and stuff? Well, I decided to put it to use.”

I stared at the one ghost crow on the end who didn’t look like the others. “Is that why one of them is wearing the miniature top hat and monocle you got?”

“That’s Koff,” he said, sounding pleased. “He’s their leader.”

“I thought you were supposed to be their leader?”

He shrugged. “I’m like a general, and he’s the sergeant in charge of his squad.”

I squinted at the bird and then had a thought. “Wait, how did you get the top hat and monocle on him? Can you turn items into ghost items now?”

Hugo awkwardly glanced to the left, where a pile of black feathers and blood sat on the floor.

“It’s not important,” he muttered.

I had to fight to keep a straight face as I imagined him wrestling with the bird to put those items on the other crow before killing him. Instead, I told him how impressed I was with the idea. These could be used not just as weapons, but as spies or decoys. I told him what I thought, but I also had concerns about his other spirit summons, which soured his demeanor a little.

“They haven’t recovered yet but it's still too early to tell,” he said. “Putting it into percentages based on my feelings, it’s like Archer’s at 70% health while Norris is at 5%. I hope they do get better though. I know it hasn’t been that long, but I’ve gotten attached to them.”

Yeah, I know the feeling.