Gacha Leveling

Chapter 23 – Red Moon

They all woke up the next day with a huge commotion at the courtyard of the settlement. The gate that was opened for 50 years, closed without warning leaving everyone inside stranded.Matthew sat down on bench, while Michael and Paula went to talk with the other adventurers and workers who were there. Matthew had his hands on his face, hunched down on himself and trembling.

Vanessa sat beside him, putting her arm around his shoulder.

"It’s all right kid. We have plenty of water and food. We have a well and the forest has plenty of fruits and animals for us to hunt. We’ll be ok until they find a way to rescue us."

"I’m cursed, aren’t I?" Matthew said scared.

"What do you mean?"

"First my odd unique skill, then the dungeon fluctuation, then Hell... Now this..." He said with a sad laugh.

"You got unlucky, kid." Vanessa comforted him. "But it does not mean you’re cursed."

"I should just give up being an adventurer."

"If you truly think so. But these things happen more often than you realize. It’s not always in the media and it’s not all talked about on the internet. Remember what I told you? Having in mind your goal and why you started is important to keep a clear head forward. Adventuring is very draining." As Matthew didn’t say anything, Vanessa asked: "Why did you come here this time?"

"My sister. I was about to quit, but my sister convinced me to go forward."

"Wasn’t she against it?"

"Yes. But after I came back to hell she said she realized that she wanted to help people." Matthew smiled. "She said she was going to be an adventurer idol. She wants to heal people with singing."

"That’s..." Vanessa found herself at a loss of words. "Odd? But it’s as good motive as any."

, there wasn’t much he could do. Then he turned the TV and picked a random movie from a thin selection that the device had recorded in itself.

About halfway through the movie, he noticed that the usual blue light that pierced the windows was now bright red. He walked towards the window and saw that the whole place was lit red.

Looking up, he saw that the moon had changed color. It now looked like it was painted in blood.

On the distance, he heard a loud howling. Then gunfire to the east. Then to west and north. Only south was protected as the settlement was built against a steep side of a mountain.

This was bad. He armed himself, put on his protective vest. But got scared to leave the room. What if he lost control and hurt the others?

It was then that a scream for help came from downstairs. He rushed down and found that a red wolf just broke the door down and was growling at a scared receptionist who tried to hide behind a couch.

Matthew shot at the wolf, but his bullets weren’t strong enough to pierce its Vitality. Then he charged forward using his shield to protect himself from the beast’s claws. In the same movement, he hit the wolf with his shoulder creating enough space to put his gun forward at point blank and fire multiple times killing the beast then and there.

The receptionist thanked him repeatedly. He told her to go upstairs and lock herself in a room and went to see how thing were outside.

Few wolves got in the settlement, but were being subdued by adventures who were in the courtyard.

Not sure what to do. He rushed to help cull the ones the got in and save the civilians.

Trading his gun for his machete, so he wouldn’t hit other people, he approached one of the wolves from behind who was in a standstill with another adventurer and heavily hacked its hind legs. This created the opportunity for the adventurer to stab it with his spear right between the eyes.

"Thanks kid." He said and explained that the wolves suddenly got violent and a horde from the forest was charging the settlement. The north wall failed and some got in, but they were holding it now.

Matthew got a chill down his spine. He rushed north. Vanessa and the others were there. If it failed, they might be hurt. Praying for their safety, he headed forward.