System Overload Read online

  “Weaver, come here,” Gameknight said. He had to be quick … any time now.

  “You kids stay out of the way,” one of the NPCs said. “This battle is for the adults. You little boys can’t do anything helpful here.”

  “Weaver, don’t listen to him and come here!” Gameknight shouted. “I have something that I need you to do.”

  The elder glared at Gameknight999, but he didn’t care. They had to act fast, or a lot of NPCs were going to lose their lives in this battle.

  Weaver dashed up the steps and stood at Gameknight’s side. The other warriors cast angry glances toward the User-that-is-not-a-user, but he ignored them and just whispered into the young boy’s ear.

  “You think all of you can do this?” Gameknight asked.

  Weaver looked down at his friends that were clustered around the village’s well, then glanced back up to Gameknight999.

  “No problem,” the young boy replied, then took off running, his bright yellow smock a blur as he dashed down the steps.

  He sprinted straight to the other kids and whispered something to them. The other adolescents listened intently, then nodded to Gameknight999. They took off running through the village, collecting what was needed.

  “You know they can’t help in this battle,” Smithy said quietly to Gameknight. “They are too small and will only get in the way.”

  “I’ve learned not to judge people by their size, and rather, judge them by their courage,” the User-that-is-not-a-user replied. “A smart villager once told me, ‘Deeds do not make the hero; the fears they—’”

  Before he could finish the statement, one of the villagers cried out.

  “Here they come!”

  The monsters stopped, just out of bow range, all except for the first wave of creepers. They crossed the grassy field quickly, their downturned mouths snarling as they approached the wall.

  “Open fire!” Smithy yelled.

  But before any of the archers could shoot, the blazes launched fireballs at the creepers. When the flaming balls of death struck them, they instantly started their detonation process, glowing brighter and brighter as they hissed.

  “Shoot them!” Gameknight shouted.

  He released an arrow, then fired again and again, but his shots didn’t stop the ignition process. The creepers moved forward and continued to glow brighter and brighter until …

  BOOM! … BOOM! … BOOM!

  The first wave of creepers exploded, one after the other. Fortunately, the blazes had lit them too soon and they hadn’t reached the village walls yet. Gameknight knew they would not make that mistake a second time.

  “The next time, the creepers will destroy the walls,” Gameknight said to Smithy. “The arrows should have stopped them from igniting, but didn’t, for some reason.”

  “What? The all-knowing First-User doesn’t know what happened?” Fencer mocked.

  “Fencer, not now!” Smithy snapped, then turned back to Gameknight999. “What do you think they will do next?”

  “They’ll probably send all the rest of the creepers in the next wave, but they’ll wait before igniting them,” Gameknight said. “This time, the creepers will make it to the walls. And once those are destroyed, you can be sure more monsters will come storming out of the forest and walk right into the village.”

  “We have to do something!” Fencer yelled.

  Just then, the young NPCs, lead by Weaver, came running back into the courtyard. They were each carrying multiple buckets and dipped them into the well, filling each with cool water.

  Gameknight smiled.

  “What?” Smithy asked. “You have an idea?”

  “Yep,” he replied. “When it’s time, have everyone focus their arrows on the blazes. We’ll take care of the creepers.”

  “We … who’s ‘we’?” Smithy asked.

  But Gameknight didn’t reply. Running down to the steps, he moved to the cluster of youths and spoke quietly to them. Each of them nodded their heads, though the User-that-is-not-a-user could see fear in their eyes. This was dangerous, but the element of surprise would give them the advantage.

  “OK, let’s do it,” Gameknight said as he accepted a bucket of water from one of the boys.

  He put the pail into his inventory and moved to the doors, the rest of the kids fast on his heels.

  “All of you ready?” Gameknight asked.

  They nodded their blocky heads.

  “OK … let’s go.”

  Quickly, he opened the door that barred the monsters’ entrance to the village and let all the kids slip outside the walls. Gameknight then stepped out and closed the door behind him.

  “What are you doing?” Fencer shouted.

  “Get back in here!” Cobbler cried. “You’re just a bunch of kids.”

  “Spread out and hold the line!” Gameknight shouted to the young NPCs. “Nobody runs and everyone waits until I give the word … understood?”

  The kids turned and looked at the User-that-is-not-a-user and nodded.

  “OK, here they come.”

  All the remaining creepers moved forward, but this time, the blazes held their fire until they had moved past the crater formed by the last set of explosive monsters. The blazes then opened fire, launching their flaming balls onto the creepers igniting them all. Gameknight could hear them hissing as they began to glow bright and come near. The creatures snarled, shuffling their feet faster and charging toward the line of young defenders. But none of the NPCs drew a sword. They just held their ground and waited.

  COMING SOON:

  THE GREAT ZOMBIE INVASION: THE BIRTH OF HEROBRINE BOOK ONE