Chapter 44: Operation Schoolyard Rescue (1)
Fifty survivors, plus the ten Malcolm was with, mostly young adults and older teens armed with weapons they bought from Keth’Moran, stood alongside Reidar’s core group outside the store during the early hours of the following day, when the sun was still low and the sky was orange.
In total, there were around seventy people assembled. It was a small army.
George gripped Marie’s hand, and then she went back to the entrance to see the group go. She was the only nurse around there, and she couldn’t risk dying. Who would heal the survivors if she died?
The group shifted uneasily, their new weapons from Keth’Moran clutched tight. Even George and the others held theirs.
Their gear wasn’t much better than what they’d had before, but it was still an upgrade. They didn’t have enough survival points for anything really good, so they went with the cheapest and most decent option. Plain iron swords with no special powers.
They basically got to the same level of strength as the others in Three Lakes.
<Hopefully today’s stunt will give everyone an opportunity to grow.>
Reidar didn’t like his power-leveling role, as it was just stunting his own growth. The problem was that he wanted to at least have a place to come back to if his wife and son turned out to be dead. Making it so there was a place here to return to was the best thing he could do.
Reidar turned to the entire group. "You know well where the school is," he said. "In the east, and between us and the kids, there are thousands of monsters."
That made everyone’s faces grim.
"Yet we are not going to let the kids die. We’ll take Main Street first, then cut through the industrial area and pass the residential one. After that, there’s a flooded section right before the school." He stopped for a moment.
"Remember, stay close to your designated group leader, and most importantly, stick to the plan."
Of course, everyone had been briefed about the plan by Malcolm and Kate. Reidar didn’t have to do much; he just needed to clear a path.
Then, Malcolm and the other 9 joining him approached Reidar.
While the other 50 people would need to stay behind the spearing group and would hence follow the plan, Malcolm had been smart enough to leave command of their group to Reidar.
"Follow Reidar’s directions to the letter," Malcolm said to the others. "All of you," he turned to the larger group. "Even if someone from his group tells you something different, ignore it. Stick to the order you receive from Reidar. If you get separated, retreat to the marked locations or head back to the secured buildings."
"Invite me to the party," he then said to Reidar.
—[PARTY INVITATION SENT]—
Invitation sent to: Malcolm Straiss (Level 5)
Party Leader: Reidar Miller (Level 14)
Current Party Size: 1
Invitation Status: Pending
Special Benefits Active:
Shared C.L.A.S.P. Points distribution
Enhanced communication range
Note: Party members will receive proportional C.L.A.S.P. Points based on contribution level. Party leader keeps loot distribution rights unless modified by prior agreement.
—[END]—
[PARTY INVITATION RECEIVED]
From: Reidar Miller (Level 14)
Accept/Decline
Malcolm’s eyes widened as the notification appeared in his eyes. "Accept," Malcolm said.
—[PARTY INVITATION ACCEPTED]—
Welcome to the party. Malcolm Straiss
Party Status Updated:
Party Leader: Reidar Miller (Level 14)
Party Members: Malcolm Straiss (Level 5)
Current Party Size: 2
Party Benefits Now Active:
C.L.A.S.P. Points sharing enabled
Health status visibility enabled
Resource sharing protocols activated
Party Leader Note: Reidar Miller can now invite additional members and modify party settings.
—[END]—
Malcolm blinked as a small health bar appeared in the corner showing Reidar’s health, and a tactical overlay showed optimal positioning relative to his party leader.
"This is..." Malcolm paused. "This is going to be useful."
Reidar then checked his quests.
—[«QUESTS»]—
—[QUEST: Operation Schoolyard Rescue]—
Goal: Rescue all 50 survivors trapped at Three Lakes Middle School.
Progress: 0/50 Survivors Evacuated
Time Limit: 72 hours
Reward: 12,000 C.L.A.S.P. Points, 6,800 Survival Points, Title—"Guardian of the Innocent," Skill Book: [Group Rally], Settlement Creator Token (Malcolm Straiss Unique reward)
Special Conditions:
Rescue operation must maintain at least a 90% survivor success rate (45+ survivors).
Route security must be maintained for the full evacuation duration.
Description: Fifty survivors—mostly kids between eleven and thirteen—have been stuck in Three Lakes Middle School for twelve days now. A huge Rift-Sprite nest, with over a thousand of those things crawling around, has taken over the playground and the surrounding area. They’re all levels one through ten, way too much for anyone under-leveled to handle. Food’s almost gone, too. They’ve got two or three days left before the kids start getting sick from hunger.
The mission would need to be done in stages: first, securing a path out through the industrial and residential zones. Then, taking out the monsters guarding the school and clearing a way inside. Finally, getting everyone out safely.
Warning: Mission failure will cause certain death for all trapped survivors. The Rift-Sprite nest continues growing daily. Delaying this operation beyond 72 hours will make future rescue attempts impossible due to the increased monster numbers.
—[Nest Eradication]—
Quest Type: Chain Quest
Goal: Eliminate the Rift-Sprite breeding nest at Three Lakes Middle School.
Progress: 0/1 breeding nest destroyed
Time Limit: 96 hours (Can be completed during or after the primary rescue mission)
Reward: 4,500 C.L.A.S.P. Points, 3,200 Survival Points, Nest Core Materials (Rare Crafting Components)
Special Conditions:
Must destroy the central breeding chamber completely
Eliminate all Elite Rift-Sprites (Level 8+)
Description: The Rift-Sprite breeding nest at Three Lakes Middle School represents a threat that extends far beyond the immediate Three Lakes area. If left intact, the nest will continue expanding, eventually overwhelming the entire eastern sector of Three Lakes, threatening Malcolm’s settlement, and possibly going beyond Three Lakes town. Complete eradication requires destroying the central breeding chamber and eliminating the Elite variants that coordinate nest growth.
Successful completion will secure Three Lakes’ eastern area, eliminate the primary source of roaming sprite patrols, and provide materials for settlement fortification.
Chain Quest Bonus: Completing this quest with Operation Schoolyard Rescue grants additional rewards and unlocks follow-up settlement development quests.
—[Strategic Alliance Development]—
Goal: Help advance 10 Three Lakes survivors to Level 5 or higher during the rescue operation.
Progress: 0/10 Defenders Advanced
Time Limit: Complete during Operation Schoolyard Rescue
Reward: 2,400 C.L.A.S.P. Points, 1,800 Survival Points, Settlement Reputation: Three Lakes (Honored).
Special Conditions:
Must be completed simultaneously with Operation Schoolyard Rescue
Defenders must gain levels through combat participation.
All 10 defenders must survive the operation.
Description: The Guardian System has identified Three Lakes as an important settlement for regional stability. Malcolm Reed’s request to strengthen his core defenders aligns with System priorities for building secure survivor strongholds. By making sure key survivors reach an adequate combat proficiency, the long-term survival prospects of 500+ civilians will be significantly improved.
Tactical Requirements:
Allow designated Three Lakes fighters to deliver killing blows to wounded Rift-Sprites
Provide guidance during combat
Ensure defender survival
Designated Defenders:
Malcolm Reed (Current: Level 5, Target: Level 6+)
Kate Morrison (Current: Level 4, Target: Level 5+)
David Chen (Current: Level 4, Target: Level 5+)
Sarah Martinez (Current: Level 4, Target: Level 6+)
James Thompson (Current: Level 4, Target: Level 5+)
Lisa Rodriguez (Current: Level 4, Target: Level 5+)
Michael O’Connor (Current: Level 4, Target: Level 6+)
Amanda Foster (Current: Level 4, Target: Level 5+)
Robert Kim (Current: Level 4, Target: Level 5+)
Jessica Walker (Current: Level 4, Target: Level 5+)
System Analysis: Stronger Three Lakes defenses will increase regional stability.
Note: Completion of this quest unlocks advanced settlement mechanics.
—[END]—
Reidar knew Keth’Moran issued a quest to save the 50 kids trapped, which was accompanied by the one to kill the Behemoth. He didn’t expect Malcolm’s request to actually turn into a quest.
It was true what they said. The system really gave out quests for special situations. That Malcolm’s request turned into a quest also meant that, in the future, it would be people issuing quests.
The group started moving out, a wave of people pushing through the ruins of the city.
Reidar took the lead.