Tower Defense Part Two

Hendrix froze up after seeing what Guide said.

'What do you mean by the have changed?' Hendrix thought while feeling his heart tighten, and his blood vessels contact. Before frowning, hoping the rule changes won't make the assessment even more difficult.

[Your kills will still count towards the score, but the enemies will not stop shooting out while a hundred fully capable are on the field. Instead, a hundred more will shoot out every hour.]

[And I'm only talking about the regular ones, as twenty-five Mender and Rampart variants will also join the ordinary group.]

'Based on their names, I'm guessing the Rampart Variant is sturdier, and the Mender Variants heal others?' Hendrix thought while tilting his head to the side and staring at the sky blankly.

[Yes, however, Menders can heal injuries with objects inside.]

'Well, that ruins my first plan.' Hendrix thought before sighing and sitting on the ground with his legs crisscrossed, and covering his face with his hands, sighing once more.

{Hendrix, are you alright?}

'I wish Ackalon. However, if I fail this assessment, I'll lose all my rewards.' Hendrix thought before gritting his teeth and falsely smiling.

{Please don't work too hard. I worry about your well-being.}

'I shouldn't back down, Ackalon. After all, as long as no people are around me, the secret of my abilities is safe to use.' Hendrix sighed before steepling his fingers and furrowing his brow.

{Guide how long does Hendrix have before the second rounds combat phase begins?}

[He has four days to rest]

{I'm not able to bring him into my realm, why is this?}

[Because you are not strong enough to bypass the restrictions. And when you become that strong, it would be detrimental to take Hendrix into your realm anyway forcefully.]

{You know I hate situations like this. Especially since they prevent me from comforting and nurturing Hendrix.}

[It's not up to me, but Oculus]

{...}

'I'll rest for a while. However, I need to continue fighting soon.' Hendrix thought, deciding his next course of action.

[Noted]

{Hendrix, I wish I could leave my realm and protect you in the real world. You faced enough, and I don't want you to lose what's left of your personality.}

[Well, Kendra is why you are like this, Hendrix.]

Hendrix froze up seeing her name, and he began shivering while his heartbeat doubled and he began sweating even though he wasn't hot. Additionally, he felt his feet and arms go weak as he fell to the floor.

{Guide, shut up! Look what you did! Don't remind Hendrix of this. He already has his curses which torment him!}

[I'm sorry for my words.]

'S-Start the fight after I return to my fortifications.' Hendrix stuttered shakily before getting up and waddling back using his cane, holding back screams of terror from images of his memories popping into his head occasionally.

{Hendrix can't forget his memories! Guide, don't trigger them!}

[Why are you so angry with me?]

{You heard me earlier! Don't say anything about Kendra! Hendrix is already beyond repair. Don't break him further, damn it! I'm trying to keep his mind and soul state from deteriorating further!

His personality is already fractured, and pieces are gone forever! So please don't make it even worse!}

[...I apologize for my transgressions. I'll do my best not to talk about that topic again.]

{Good, now let's find Hendrix.}

After Ackalons scroll form teleported from the battleground to the fortifications, she floated next to Hendrix.

{Hendrix, are you okay?}

Hendrix stayed silent for a moment before sighing as he started gearing up with a new set of equipment.

'No, I'm not okay, but that's for another time. Guide start the second round.' Hendrix ordered

[Acknowledged]

[Combat Stage has begun]

As Guide's proclamation ended, the wall of bones shot out all the needles inside its holes before they dilated and extended outward, shooting a hundred regular bone balls. Afterward, they shot out twenty-five variants. Thirteen Ramparts and twelve Menders.

The Ramparts were twice as tall and wide as normal Bone Abominations, while Menders were half the size.

'I think I'm going attempt a sneaking strategy since I'm so small, and I can't kill the variants with so many Menders." Hendrix thought before sighing deeply, recognizing the increase in difficulty.

[Good luck]

{Hendrix, please be careful}

'I can't promise that.' Hendrix thought before he ran to an opening and began firing needles at the holes in the Wall of Bones. However, he only successfully shot into five holes before the next wave of a hundred and twenty-five varmints sprung into action.

After shooting fifteen more holes, three extra waves followed the second wave's example as they all ran towards Hendrix's base. They finally broke through the defenses in the ditch and the door.

'It's time to use my various rooms to my advantage.' Hendrix thought before shooting another needle at the Wall of Bones.

{Hendrix, be careful}

'I'll be careful as I can, Ackalon.' Hendrix thought before hearing and hiding behind a crate and lowering his breathing.

A group of Bone Abominations walked through the hallway, all making sounds in inhuman ways. Their bone tentacles stayed still as they began to search the premise for Hendrix.

However, a Rampart Variant approached where Hendrix sat and picked up a broken target. Additionally, it wrapped its bone tentacles around the target and felt it before it brought the target to the others.

{They are intelligent?! Are you serious, Oculus!?}

A faint laughter sounded down the hallway after Ackalons scroll form wrote that. However, the laughter drew the bone abominations away.

Hendrix took this opportunity and got up and aimed his needle at the twenty-first hole. However, just as he was about to shoot, footsteps running down the hall sounded.

'Crap.' Hendrix thought quickly, shooting the hole the best he could before hiding behind the crate. While he shivered a bit from the memories, trying to push them back.

However, his shot was for nothing, as it missed its target.

'This is going to take a long time. I'm still mortal.' Hendrix thought before sighing more and holding his hands over his head.

Hendrix spent a hundred years evading elimination while slowly but steadily shooting more holes in the Wall of Bones while hiding in many different rooms throughout the duration. Additionally, he made sure to eat, drink, sleep, and do other things needed to survive while hiding like a rat did in the sewers.

Eventually, he shot all the holes but one.

And this caused a change behind the Wall of Bones, as a gigantic bone abomination variant flew up from behind it. It had seven bone tentacles where each limb should be, each completely covered in barbs. And eight pairs of bone tentacles lining its back. However, each of these had elongated flat bones resembling a wing. However, they looked like a mix between honeycomb and Swiss cheese in nature.

It had a single-face tentacle on its forehead, which had a sizeable beak-like shape. And a big face-like thing behind it, where three insect-like eyes are all looking out and observing its surroundings. While underneath it lay three gigantic bone tentacles covered in long spikes.

'Is that the Harbinger?!' Hendrix thought, his heart rate quickening and his body shaking as his expression turned pale.

[You are correct]

'Why is it here!? Isn't it supposed to appear in the third round?! Do I have to fight it?!' Hendrix thought before sighing.

[No, you don't. However, you won't like what it's going to do.]

"Chaa! Hoowa! Hoowa!" Harbinger yelled as it pointed all six of its left arm tentacles at Hendrix's fortifications while Its three eyes contracted while it flew in the air. However, its voice sent a wave of energy that attacked bones.

"Agh!" Hendrix yelled, falling to the ground as his body felt like it was splitting open. He fell to the ground before curling up while continuing to shriek. After about ten seconds, the pain went away.

Soon after, a gigantic group of Bone Abominations started being shot out of the wall of bones rapidly until a thousand ran towards Hendrix's base.

However, Hendrix lay on the ground for close to a minute before getting up, shivering a bit before looking outside and his face turning pale.

"Why Oculus?!" Hendrix complained after seeing the horde coming towards him. Afterward, he hurriedly grabbed a needle, pulled it back on the tiny bow upon his hand, and fired it at the final hole.

Sadly Hendrix's shot failed, and the Bone Abomination horde continued approaching.

His expression changed back to normal as he continued trying to shoot into the last hole. However, a Bone Abomination, already within the structure, saw him in the room and impaled him through the armor and his back and his stomach.

[You have taken 5 points of damage]

"Agh...?!" Hendrix yelled in pain before looking down at his abdomen in shock as viscera and blood spilled from both sides of the hole. He quickly moved his hands below the wound, feeling a strip of his flesh fall onto them.

{Hendrix!}

The Bone Abomination flung Hendrix at the wall, snapping his spine before walking towards him with its bone tentacles all moving in contradictory angles.

Hendrix lay on the ground momentarily before sighing and gritting his teeth.