I reincarnated in game

22 The Confrontation

The following morning, while Hugh and Judi were having breakfast at the inn, Hugh said, “I have no idea where my mother lived while she was here in Riah and don’t know where I should bury her ashes.  I would like to find a nice, peaceful spot for her final resting place.  Do you have any ideas?” 

“Well, the last time I was through here, I came across a small lake near the other side of town.  It was mostly surrounded by trees and grass and is fairly quiet.  I didn’t see a lot of people around so there would be less chance of someone accidentally disturbing the site.  I could show you the place I am talking about after breakfast if you wish,” Judi replied.

“That sounds good.  We can ask the tavern keeper to provide us with some sandwiches and can make a day of it,” Hugh responded.  Neither of them paid any notice as the man who had been having breakfast at the next table, stood up, left a coin for the establishment in payment of his meal, and then left in the direction of the rooms upstairs.  He made his way down the hall to the room at the end and opened the door.  Bob was waiting inside, seated on the footlocker.

“They are heading to the lake on the far side of town.  They were going to take some lunch … ” the man reported.

Bob cut him off in mid-sentence.  “Good.  Go get the boys and tell them we will meet them at the lake.  Tell them to be quick about it or they won’t get paid.”

With their sandwiches in hand, Hugh and Judi left for the other side of town.  It was a very pleasant, sunny day so they took their time and did a little sightseeing along the way; Judi acted as the guide.  As they arrived at the shore of the little lake, Hugh turned to Judi, saying, “You were so right.  This is the perfect spot.  My mother would definitely approve!”

As they stood there, surveying the peaceful scene, they heard footsteps behind them.  They turned.  They saw Bob walking with six others, down the small pathway they had just traversed.  Moments later, a dozen more men, six on each side of the path, joined up with Bob.  “Well, hello again,” Bob said with a smirk.  “I bet you didn’t expect to see me here, but there is a little matter of some unfinished business from the last time we met.  You see, I didn’t really appreciate how you and that woman embarrassed me in front of my men and the town guards.  This will be payback.  After I kill you, I am going to have my way with your friend!”       

Hugh knew this was trouble; their backs were to the lake and their only exit was cut off.  He quickly surveyed the epithets of the men with Bob and saw they were all Level 15 Thugs.  He drew his sword, and with his free hand, nudged Judi behind him so that he was between her and Bob.  Reaching into the small pouch at his waist, Hugh palmed one of his distraction crystals and dropped it behind him.  As it activated, the growls filled the air, growing in intensity.  The men on each side of the path paused momentarily, looking for the source of the noise.  The men standing with Bob only smiled.

Bob responded quietly, “Not this time!”  He reached into the pouch he carried and withdrew the black ball; he tossed it to the ground between him and Hugh.  The ball shattered.  A shock wave of dark energy emanated from the point of impact and spread quickly over the area.  The growls from the crystal ceased, nullified by the dark energy.      

Hugh recognized that the situation was dire.  He took a step towards Bob.  Judi pulled her knife from its sheath and prepared for the attack which she knew was imminent.  The six men, who had been standing with Bob, moved forward to intercept Hugh’s attack on their leader.  The remaining men closed in around the pair on all sides.  Hugh swung his sword towards the nearest combatant who successfully avoided the attack.  When he gathered himself for the next parry, he felt a sharp pain that radiated from his back and through his body.  “Ahhhhh !” he screamed in agony.  He looked down.  The point of a sword protruded from his chest.  He crumpled to the ground, wheezing.  His breathing became more difficult with each attempted intake of air.  Blood spurted from his mouth. 

Judi screamed! 

Hugh’s vision blurred.  He reached towards Judi.  He saw only shadows as the men moved in, disarming her.  He could hear her continued cries for help.  With his remaining energy, he tried to crawl towards her.  His strength failed him; he collapsed to the ground. 

Hugh did an introspection; he saw that he was just a few experience points shy from leveling up; his health was at five percent, and falling.

Just as his health bar was approaching zero, his body sensed a slow, powerful, pulsing in the ground beneath him.  He strained to open his eyes.  He thought he saw, or maybe, only sensed, a shimmering glow just a few inches away from him ... was this the system showing him a new element to absorb?  With every ounce of willpower left in his body, he struggled to stretch his hand towards it.  His hand was in mid-air as the darkness closed in on him.     

Hugh’s arm fell; limp and lifeless … the tips of his fingers just brushed the ethereal glow.

White energy exuded from the ground and traveled up his fingers, as he laid there bleeding out from of his wounds. 

All of a sudden Hugh’s eyes shot open.  A blood-curdling yell escaped his lips.  His pupils were completely white; glowing with the power he had absorbed.

Everyone stopped in their tracks; they looked back towards the source of the outcry …

“What the f**k!” exclaimed Bob.

Hugh, with the sword still sticking out of his back, stood up; white light shining out of his eyes and arcing around his body.  It focused on the point of the sword which was jutting out of the front of his chest.  Before their eyes, they witnessed the sword being pushed back along the wound track; it fell down at Hugh’s back. 

Six men, who had been restraining Judi, charged toward Hugh with their blades drawn.  A brilliant, white aura appeared behind him as he stretched out his arms.  A bolt of light shot from each hand, hitting the two groups simultaneously, they disintegrated into ash which blew past Judi and the remaining combatants. 

In unison, the hired thugs still standing, charged towards Hugh, leaving only Bob to restrain Judi.  They all plunged their swords into his body; the weapons stuck in Hugh’s flesh.  When the men tried to retract their words, they couldn’t budge them.  The energy glowed.  It crept up the blades, into the handles, then into the hands of the attackers.  The men were quickly turned to ash. 

Hugh walked slowly towards where Bob stood with Judi. 

Bob was the only one left of his team.  He let out a yell and then drew his sword, charging towards his nemesis.  He rammed his weapon into Hugh’s head; the sword bit into the skull, then couldn’t be removed. 

“Why won’t you die?” screamed Bob.

Hugh glowing eyes locked on Bob’s as the latter continued to try to extricate his weapon.   When he realized that his efforts were futile,  Bob released his grip on the handle and turned to run.  A sphere encompassed the two adversaries. 

Judi looked on. 

Suddenly Bob’s body was flung out of the ball of light, hitting a nearby rock which cracked from the impact.  The aura around Hugh subsided; the swords that were stuck in his body fell, clattering to the ground.  When the light surrounding Hugh had completely faded and receded from his body, Judi ran to him.

“You’re alive!” Judi exclaimed in disbelief; she noticed that all his wounds were now completely healed.

“I am!” Hugh responded, mirroring the same disbelief.  He looked inward.  He saw that he had jumped up a few levels and was now at Level Eighteen with the additional attribute points.  

The happy reunion was cut short as coughs and the sound of ragged breathing interrupted them.  The two friends walked over to Bob’s broken body; wisps of smoke rose from his clothes, the aftereffect of the energy which had discharged from Hugh.

“You may think you have won, but you haven’t,” said Bob, with a weak smile.  Coughing up blood, he managed to continue, “My other team was sent to rob and kill your dwarf friends.  In fact, they are probably already dead!”  

Hugh locked eyes with Bob, then drove the point of his sword through his enemy’s heart. 

The realization of Bob’s final statement dawned on Hugh and Judi who looked at each other.  A worried expression grew on their faces.  Together, they exclaimed, “Matthew and Kenneth!”

Based on Bob’s utterance, they knew their friends were in critical danger.  They needed to hurry back to have any hope of making sure they were safe … however, Hugh still needed to take care of a little business before they could depart.  He walked to a nearby tree and used the tip of his sword to dig a small hole.  He quickly buried his mom’s urn and reverently repacked the dirt around it.  He laid his hands on top of the freshly dug earth and said, “Be at peace mom.  I will always remember you and try to live a good life.”

Hugh and Judi ran back into town towards the tavern where they were staying.  “Bob and his men got here before us; he had to have some way of getting here faster than walking,” Judi surmised aloud, as they walked into inn.  She went to the counter where the owner stood.  “There was a guy staying here; his name was Bob … Did he have a horse?  Or, perhaps a wagon?”  She questioned.  Hugh waited behind her.

 The owner checked his ledger and said, “Yes he rented space for a wagon.  It is out back in the stable … Why do you ask?”  Hugh and Judi said nothing; they just turned and raced towards the outbuilding.  “You can’t take someone else’s property!” The innkeeper shouted after them.

As they got to the door at the back of the inn, Judi turned and said over her shoulder, “He won’t be needing it anymore!”

Hugh added, “I hope he paid for his room in advance because if he didn’t, it might be a little difficult to collect it now!”

Judi and Hugh found Bob’s stolen steam wagon parked exactly where the owner had stated.  They jumped on, then sped off as fast as the wagon could go; back towards Halea.  It was early afternoon; the trip would take about a day.  They would have to travel through the night; at least it would be relatively safe on the wagon, more so than if they were walking.    

There was one question weighing heavily on their minds … would they be in time?