The Ultimate Regressor System

Chapter 48: Outside The Fortress

Dawn crept in eventually, gray light slipping through the window slit. Lucas hadn’t moved. His hands still trembled faintly, the adrenaline’s ghost refusing to fade. Whatever this mark meant, it wasn’t over. Sooner or later, he would be taken away to run for his life away from an ancient terror.

Lucas trudged down the dimly lit corridor toward the main hall, each step feeling like pounds of weight were strapped to them.

The morning light filtered through the narrow windows doing little to chase away the shadows clinging to his mind. His eyes burned from lack of sleep, heavy-lidded and barely able to focus on one thing.

Every muscle in his body ached with a deep, phantom fatigue—the kind that no amount of rest could erase after a night spent replaying the Reaper’s pursuit.

The graze on his side was gone, healed by whatever twisted mercy the system offered, but the memory of that crimson blade lingered like a scar...

He rubbed a hand over his face, trying to shake off the sluggishness. The faction base felt deceptively peaceful this morning. Distant voices echoed from the hall ahead—survivors chatting in low tones, the clatter of breakfast preparations and the rest. After yesterday’s influx of Mor’s people and the activation of the Guard Relic, the place buzzed with a fragile sort of hope.

However, for Lucas, it all felt distant, muffled by the weight of his personal nightmares.

"Lucas?"

Eleanor’s voice cut through his mind fog as he stepped into the hall. She stood near one of the long tables, a steaming mug in her hands and her expression shifting from focused to concerned in an instant.

Her brows furrowed, and she set the mug down quickly, crossing the space toward him.

"You look like hell," she said softly, reaching out to touch his arm. "Did you even sleep? After everything yesterday..."

Lucas managed a weak smile, waving her off gently. "I’m fine, Elle. Really. Just... rough night. Didn’t mean to worry you with it."

Mark, lounging against the table with a half eaten ration bar, let out a loud snort. He grinned, that easy humor cutting through the tension like it always did.

"Rough night? Buddy, you look like you ran a marathon with beasts chasing you. What, did you decide midnight sprints were better than actual sleep?" He chuckled. "I told you the training yard’s open if you wanna tire yourself out properly, not whatever routine you’ve got going."

Lucas chuckled despite himself, the sound rough and tired. He shot Mark a mock glare as he dropped into a chair across from him. "Hehh... Very funny. If I wanted a run, I’d have dragged you along for company. At least then I’d have someone to trip and leave behind as bait."

Mark grinned. "Touche"

Eleanor’s concern didn’t fully fade, but she let out a small laugh, settling into the seat beside Lucas. She studied him for a long moment, her gaze searching. "Seriously, though. If something’s wrong..."

"I’ll let you know." He said, completing the sentence for her. "I got it, thanks."

"Anyway..." Mark said, sitting up, "Let’s focus on what we can control. Those beasts aren’t going to wait for the princess to catch up on her beauty sleep."

The three of them fell into a natural rhythm, the hall gradually emptying as others went about morning duties.

A few of Mor’s survivors nodded respectfully as they passed—grateful faces still etched with exhaustion from their own ordeals.

The faction now numbered over a hundred and twenty, a patchwork family bound by survival and the thin veil of the Relic’s protection.

"Alright," Eleanor said after a moment, pulling a rough map of the surrounding area onto the table. It was hand-drawn on scavenged paper, marked with the fortress walls, the courtyard, and the hazy outlines of the city beyond the barrier.

"We need to talk strategy. The breach has changed everything. Beasts aren’t just temporary invaders anymore. They’re here permanently, crossing over from the Edge."

Mark leaned forward, his usual humorous demeanor shifting to seriousness. "Yeah. That Bora horde was no joke. We got lucky the Relic kicked in when it did. But if more come—and they will, we can’t just stay down forever. At this rate, we’ll be running out of rations in a few days."

Lucas nodded slowly, tracing a finger along the map’s edge. His mind flashed briefly to the Reaper’s scythe tearing through trees, but he pushed it aside.

"Our abilities... they’re not what they were during the first Edgewalk. Weakened, inconsistent.... unreliable even."

A pause. "We have to account for that. No more relying heavily on abilities to bail us out. For now at least.. It’s back to basics... coordination, flanking, hit and run if we have to."

They talked for nearly an hour, the conversation weaving through practical details and grim realities.

Eleanor thought for a moment. "The Relic protects the zone, but we don’t know how much it can actually take. Those five Bora still pacing outside... what if they’re just the start for something bigger..."

Mark nodded. "We’ve got scrap from the city runs. Reinforce the outer walls with spikes or something, maybe some pit traps just inside the fortress. Lure them in and pick them off."

Lucas added. "But we gotta be smart—Bora are pack hunters. One goes down, the rest frenzy."

He learnt that the hard way "Mark, Eleanor. You’re skills are probably better than mine. My system is too glitched out to trust. You two take them together. I’ll... handle what I can." He flexed his hand, a faint spark of [Ignition] appearing on it. The system’s games were escalating, so it made sense they changed their approach too.

Eleanor pointed at the map— the space was a field outside the fortress . "We need to thin the numbers proactively."

"Proactive sounds risky," Mark countered, though he was nodding. "But sitting ducks is worse. We can’t risk the people’s lives..."

The meeting stretched as they hashed out contingencies and by the time the sun had climbed higher, casting warmer light across the hall, the map was covered in new notations. The air felt charged with purpose, the tree of them finally formulating something close to a plan."

Eleanor leaned back finally, exhaling a long breath. She glanced between them, her eyes lingering on Lucas with that quiet concern again before hardening into resolve. "We can’t keep waiting for them to come to us. The barrier won’t let it.... Those five Bora outside... they’re a constant threat, probing the barrier. If we take too long to come up with something, they might find weaknesses. We move to hunt them down today..."

Mark raised an eyebrow. "Today? You sure? Lucas looks like he might fall over if he sneezes wrong."

Lucas straightened, forcing energy into his posture. "I’m good. Adrenaline’s a hell of a drug. I’ll be fine as long as there aren’t any strong gusts of wind."

She nodded, standing. "Alright then, we move."

The group rose together, the weight of leadership settling on Eleanor’s shoulders as they made their way outside.

Eleanor paused at the doorway, She looked out toward the gate, where faint impacts still echoed distantly. "Five Bora. We end this today. For the zone and for everyone here."

Saying that, they stepped outside towards the gate and Lucas steeled himself for what was to come...