Battles in Vultan
Crusades are common occurrences in the world. In our world where monsters are everyday. People tend to believe in God nowadays despite the high-tech we have.
I’m conflicted mostly.
But when a War Priest raises a high-tech teleforce mace brimming with the holy radiance of god and smashing it on the head of a Vamp. You’d start thinking about God too.
God’s real. We think so at least.
So when someone calls for a Crusade. There are two types who’d come. The religious and the greedy ones.
Those who believe in God would bear their arms. Maybe their God will notice their sacrifice and nod at them graciously.
Then the honest ones, the greedy ones who are here to get the precious reward for participating in a bounty hunt. You don’t need a reason other than faith and greed to come to a crusade. It’s rare to find those who truly care.
Volunteer organizations have come to Vultan to support the crusade and it’s only permitted to go out of Vultan if you’ve been screened and tested by the Priests.
Our work here was to find the anomaly. The crusade of Vultan started with what humanity was the best off. Logistics and resources backed by humanity’s most powerful organization and it didn’t take long for checkpoints, outposts, and kill zones to be established.
The Node City of Vultan is big. But it’s small compared to Changye and it didn’t take a week for the walls to get built around the city.
The Otherside Bureau and The Church Union have quite the history. And most of their history was enduring the suffering of mankind and its continued survival.
Both organizations have rotten parts. You can’t deny some of its roots have decayed because of the actions of a few. But despite that, it’s still what safeguards mankind from the horrors that have come out of the darkness.
Having a history of fighting the unknown. Both organizations have understood what it would take for a regional commander to call for a crusade in a node city and with the information released to those who can help.
It didn’t take long for the Bureau to get to work. ‘Conquer through Perseverance’ was the credo of the Otherside Bureau and they who have conquered through world-ending scenarios knows it’s best for the OB to lock this place down.
I’d be more surprised if the Otherside Bureau grows careless and they have every right to be this cautious. The Shanghai Risk Event had taught the Bureau a hard lesson and that lesson is now engraved in the organization.
You can criticize the bureau for some of its mistakes. But if there is one thing you can compliment the OB for. It’s their ability to learn lessons. To adapt to the threat and keep the world going despite how shit things have become. It was either that or surrender to the nothingness and let them win. But humanity’s too selfish and too stubborn to die off.
Maybe it’s why we keep on fighting the monsters. Knowing too well what’s the cost of all the power we have right now.
Any good crusade starts with the inspection of its citizens. Every citizen in the database of the node-city was visited. Each freelancer and groups were ordered to comb the city for any potential pawns and ghouls.
The tactic is unsavory. Some of the citizens are dragged out of their locked homes to be scanned. Depending on the mercenary, it can end badly. The order alone injured civilians already and two deaths have been recorded. There are parts of the city-node going on a territorial dispute and syndicate members of the 14th Racoon are trying their best to repel the Crusaders.
They are holding out pretty well. They made use of the Baro as their base and many mercenaries have gone there to engage the 14th Racoons on urban warfare. It was a bad move on their part since now the TCU is calling them as monster sympathizers and had placed a bounty on their heads.
You go there and you’ll find them holding out. Some of the mercs fighting in the Crusade think the place is around the Baro while others have been turning every stone in this city.
It’s been a week since the crusade started and yet the Vamps were silent, evading the Crusaders from finding them. They were playing safe and are using their advantages.
These bloodsuckers are not dumb enough to take on the OB and the TCU head-on. It's not surprising for them, but it also makes the intelligence department question whether the Baro was one of the many traps they laid. Commander Alberts was testing the waters and honestly he was poking and prodding them.
The Church has their own methods while the Atropa Clan has their own. The problem here is the anomaly. We do not have forever and we can’t possibly wait for another week.
They aren’t looking for trouble. They abandoned arrogance for strategy and all their pride is focused on how to win. These beings have lived long enough to understand how humanity can harm them. Their supernatural strength might have given them an advantage back when humans only relied on blades and guns. But humanity has mutilated itself to be stronger.
An old fashioned vampire is strong and fast. But a chrome-junkie who has boosted reflexes, and reaction triggers can match one easily. Even if they can punch through concrete, someone who has vat-grown synthetic muscles and skeletal reinforcements can take on their punches easily.
Some of these vamps might have chromed themselves. But even they have realized a long time ago that those who are willing to fight them think they can win.
Graded Agents who can fight monsters. Augmented Humans who can’t be easily killed with one blow alone. They would have to hit their head so badly if they sincerely thought any direct confrontation would work out for now.
Letting the world know they have an anomaly and calling them to the ritual might be a bad move as well. But the Clans acting so secretly and not hitting back seems to me like they haven’t played their cards yet.
Our office was told not to get involved. We had helped light the fire of the Crusade, but it doesn’t mean we’ll have to go out there and risk our lives as well.
Many groups are already doing the work for us and I doubt Sato would appreciate it if we get killed trying to earn money. It may surprise you that not everyone has a hard on for fighting and it’s not cost-effective. Bullets don’t grow on trees and we sure aren’t wealthy enough to spend ammunition without worry.
It might be a crusade, but we’re not earning much from it if we use all our equipment until they aren’t working. Besides, it’s not like the plague in the lanes where we needed to contribute.
Things are different when you’re in special business. You get to flaunt around the permissions you got and make it clear you aren’t here as a combatant, but an intelligence officer who sorts out what the folks down there are reporting.
Our job isn’t to fight. We were more like detectives trying to find a clue leading to a suspect. Our suspect is still unknown and they are clever enough not to arrogantly show how they can beat us easily.
Vampires are one of the proudest of the supernaturals. They are a cultivated race of monsters who are quite fond of eugenics. You can’t be a vampire without the proper qualifications and their society has remained clear that only those who have the right capabilities and talents are brought in. The ones out in the open are just their Pawns and Ghouls working for the Vamps. The combat-hungry ones who are fond of fighting are the ones who usually make these armies under stronger vampires who are the brains.
So when these Vamps start being careful. It means the ritual they are doing has enough importance to cull their own pride and focus on winning.
It took a week to get another lead after the encounter in the Baro. And as expected we found places under the city-node that shouldn’t be in the maps. How they are able to build the complex labyrinth below the city is for the engineers to worry about.
The problem is the place itself is like a different biome. Another area inside a large cave system where the vamps are using their pawns to hold off the ones trying to infiltrate the underground area.
Templar Teams have been deploying their fireteams and the fight is going hard. Range weapons are the most common tool of any sentient being and even the Vamps use them and only go melee when they run out of ammunition. The gunfights happening in the city are getting wilder. With the discovery of the labyrinth most of the forces tried to enter the labyrinth only for everyone to encounter the forces outside of the city, the ones supporting the Vamps, attacking us.
It was a warlord who commanded a battalion and was clearly hired by the Vamps to divide the forces to the outskirts of the city.
Fighting in the open was stupid and outside all you can hear is the artillery and mortar firing. Squads of independent mercs fighting the warlord outside of the city and the fireteams of the Templars and the Otherside Bureau trying to penetrate the area and gain ground.
It was a battle that would be decided by time. If the Clans can hold out long enough to finish the ritual, then they win. We don’t know the specifics of the ritual truly. We thought it might just be to empower them by consuming life-forced filled blood, but it could be more. That’s what worries the leaders in the base.
Without any more substantial information. You could say we are firing at the dark, hoping to hit something.
I spent the week in the base. Listening to Kei make comments and observations about our situation. Honestly, Kei was starting to worry about the progress, but thankfully there are many people in this world who are true professionals.
People who can get things done. Behind all the fighting on the ground, from the gunfights and the battles are the battles the strong ones participate. It’s a place where people like Vaun are active and some of the strongest fighters of the Church are battling. If one of them can enter the base, then it would cause a bloodbath.
From what we’ve been hearing. There were many times a Graded Agent moved in to defend while some have started to move on their own, leading to new clues and information. Vaun’s job is to act as a deterrence. His presence alone acts as a safety net and with him around. We have the means to continue. Somewhere people like Vaun are fighting battles not any chrome-junkie or a vampire can participate.
So when a Graded Agent accompanied by a Paladin of the Church entered the room while bloodied and damaged. The room went cold and the only one who uttered a sound was the Regional Commander.
The Graded Agent took his time to heal up. Using the procedures and the enhancements done to his body to regenerate what he lost. The Paladin was glowing lightly, his wounds being tended by this radiant glow.
Commander Alberts listened to their reports. As we waited with bated breath on what had happened to cause them to be battered.
The Regional Commander was lost in thought. He spent a long time comprehending and turned toward us with an expression that garnered our full attention.
“Find the head and stop the ritual. It seems that we have underestimated the goals of our foes. We have little time left, my friends. Our enemy is planning to create their own God and if they succeed… then who knows what will happen to us?”
And our time has become sparse.
Battles in Vultan
Crusades are common occurrences in the world. In our world where monsters are everyday. People tend to believe in God nowadays despite the high-tech we have.
I’m conflicted mostly.
But when a War Priest raises a high-tech teleforce mace brimming with the holy radiance of god and smashing it on the head of a Vamp. You’d start thinking about God too.
God’s real. We think so at least.
So when someone calls for a Crusade. There are two types who’d come. The religious and the greedy ones.
Those who believe in God would bear their arms. Maybe their God will notice their sacrifice and nod at them graciously.
Then the honest ones, the greedy ones who are here to get the precious reward for participating in a bounty hunt. You don’t need a reason other than faith and greed to come to a crusade. It’s rare to find those who truly care.
Volunteer organizations have come to Vultan to support the crusade and it’s only permitted to go out of Vultan if you’ve been screened and tested by the Priests.
Our work here was to find the anomaly. The crusade of Vultan started with what humanity was the best off. Logistics and resources backed by humanity’s most powerful organization and it didn’t take long for checkpoints, outposts, and kill zones to be established.
The Node City of Vultan is big. But it’s small compared to Changye and it didn’t take a week for the walls to get built around the city.
The Otherside Bureau and The Church Union have quite the history. And most of their history was enduring the suffering of mankind and its continued survival.
Both organizations have rotten parts. You can’t deny some of its roots have decayed because of the actions of a few. But despite that, it’s still what safeguards mankind from the horrors that have come out of the darkness.
Having a history of fighting the unknown. Both organizations have understood what it would take for a regional commander to call for a crusade in a node city and with the information released to those who can help.
It didn’t take long for the Bureau to get to work. ‘Conquer through Perseverance’ was the credo of the Otherside Bureau and they who have conquered through world-ending scenarios knows it’s best for the OB to lock this place down.
I’d be more surprised if the Otherside Bureau grows careless and they have every right to be this cautious. The Shanghai Risk Event had taught the Bureau a hard lesson and that lesson is now engraved in the organization.
You can criticize the bureau for some of its mistakes. But if there is one thing you can compliment the OB for. It’s their ability to learn lessons. To adapt to the threat and keep the world going despite how shit things have become. It was either that or surrender to the nothingness and let them win. But humanity’s too selfish and too stubborn to die off.
Maybe it’s why we keep on fighting the monsters. Knowing too well what’s the cost of all the power we have right now.
Any good crusade starts with the inspection of its citizens. Every citizen in the database of the node-city was visited. Each freelancer and groups were ordered to comb the city for any potential pawns and ghouls.
The tactic is unsavory. Some of the citizens are dragged out of their locked homes to be scanned. Depending on the mercenary, it can end badly. The order alone injured civilians already and two deaths have been recorded. There are parts of the city-node going on a territorial dispute and syndicate members of the 14th Racoon are trying their best to repel the Crusaders.
They are holding out pretty well. They made use of the Baro as their base and many mercenaries have gone there to engage the 14th Racoons on urban warfare. It was a bad move on their part since now the TCU is calling them as monster sympathizers and had placed a bounty on their heads.
You go there and you’ll find them holding out. Some of the mercs fighting in the Crusade think the place is around the Baro while others have been turning every stone in this city.
It’s been a week since the crusade started and yet the Vamps were silent, evading the Crusaders from finding them. They were playing safe and are using their advantages.
These bloodsuckers are not dumb enough to take on the OB and the TCU head-on. It's not surprising for them, but it also makes the intelligence department question whether the Baro was one of the many traps they laid. Commander Alberts was testing the waters and honestly he was poking and prodding them.
The Church has their own methods while the Atropa Clan has their own. The problem here is the anomaly. We do not have forever and we can’t possibly wait for another week.
They aren’t looking for trouble. They abandoned arrogance for strategy and all their pride is focused on how to win. These beings have lived long enough to understand how humanity can harm them. Their supernatural strength might have given them an advantage back when humans only relied on blades and guns. But humanity has mutilated itself to be stronger.
An old fashioned vampire is strong and fast. But a chrome-junkie who has boosted reflexes, and reaction triggers can match one easily. Even if they can punch through concrete, someone who has vat-grown synthetic muscles and skeletal reinforcements can take on their punches easily.
Some of these vamps might have chromed themselves. But even they have realized a long time ago that those who are willing to fight them think they can win.
Graded Agents who can fight monsters. Augmented Humans who can’t be easily killed with one blow alone. They would have to hit their head so badly if they sincerely thought any direct confrontation would work out for now.
Letting the world know they have an anomaly and calling them to the ritual might be a bad move as well. But the Clans acting so secretly and not hitting back seems to me like they haven’t played their cards yet.
Our office was told not to get involved. We had helped light the fire of the Crusade, but it doesn’t mean we’ll have to go out there and risk our lives as well.
Many groups are already doing the work for us and I doubt Sato would appreciate it if we get killed trying to earn money. It may surprise you that not everyone has a hard on for fighting and it’s not cost-effective. Bullets don’t grow on trees and we sure aren’t wealthy enough to spend ammunition without worry.
It might be a crusade, but we’re not earning much from it if we use all our equipment until they aren’t working. Besides, it’s not like the plague in the lanes where we needed to contribute.
Things are different when you’re in special business. You get to flaunt around the permissions you got and make it clear you aren’t here as a combatant, but an intelligence officer who sorts out what the folks down there are reporting.
Our job isn’t to fight. We were more like detectives trying to find a clue leading to a suspect. Our suspect is still unknown and they are clever enough not to arrogantly show how they can beat us easily.
Vampires are one of the proudest of the supernaturals. They are a cultivated race of monsters who are quite fond of eugenics. You can’t be a vampire without the proper qualifications and their society has remained clear that only those who have the right capabilities and talents are brought in. The ones out in the open are just their Pawns and Ghouls working for the Vamps. The combat-hungry ones who are fond of fighting are the ones who usually make these armies under stronger vampires who are the brains.
So when these Vamps start being careful. It means the ritual they are doing has enough importance to cull their own pride and focus on winning.
It took a week to get another lead after the encounter in the Baro. And as expected we found places under the city-node that shouldn’t be in the maps. How they are able to build the complex labyrinth below the city is for the engineers to worry about.
The problem is the place itself is like a different biome. Another area inside a large cave system where the vamps are using their pawns to hold off the ones trying to infiltrate the underground area.
Templar Teams have been deploying their fireteams and the fight is going hard. Range weapons are the most common tool of any sentient being and even the Vamps use them and only go melee when they run out of ammunition. The gunfights happening in the city are getting wilder. With the discovery of the labyrinth most of the forces tried to enter the labyrinth only for everyone to encounter the forces outside of the city, the ones supporting the Vamps, attacking us.
It was a warlord who commanded a battalion and was clearly hired by the Vamps to divide the forces to the outskirts of the city.
Fighting in the open was stupid and outside all you can hear is the artillery and mortar firing. Squads of independent mercs fighting the warlord outside of the city and the fireteams of the Templars and the Otherside Bureau trying to penetrate the area and gain ground.
It was a battle that would be decided by time. If the Clans can hold out long enough to finish the ritual, then they win. We don’t know the specifics of the ritual truly. We thought it might just be to empower them by consuming life-forced filled blood, but it could be more. That’s what worries the leaders in the base.
Without any more substantial information. You could say we are firing at the dark, hoping to hit something.
I spent the week in the base. Listening to Kei make comments and observations about our situation. Honestly, Kei was starting to worry about the progress, but thankfully there are many people in this world who are true professionals.
People who can get things done. Behind all the fighting on the ground, from the gunfights and the battles are the battles the strong ones participate. It’s a place where people like Vaun are active and some of the strongest fighters of the Church are battling. If one of them can enter the base, then it would cause a bloodbath.
From what we’ve been hearing. There were many times a Graded Agent moved in to defend while some have started to move on their own, leading to new clues and information. Vaun’s job is to act as a deterrence. His presence alone acts as a safety net and with him around. We have the means to continue. Somewhere people like Vaun are fighting battles not any chrome-junkie or a vampire can participate.
So when a Graded Agent accompanied by a Paladin of the Church entered the room while bloodied and damaged. The room went cold and the only one who uttered a sound was the Regional Commander.
The Graded Agent took his time to heal up. Using the procedures and the enhancements done to his body to regenerate what he lost. The Paladin was glowing lightly, his wounds being tended by this radiant glow.
Commander Alberts listened to their reports. As we waited with bated breath on what had happened to cause them to be battered.
The Regional Commander was lost in thought. He spent a long time comprehending and turned toward us with an expression that garnered our full attention.
“Find the head and stop the ritual. It seems that we have underestimated the goals of our foes. We have little time left, my friends. Our enemy is planning to create their own God and if they succeed… then who knows what will happen to us?”
And our time has become sparse.
