Apocalypse Reset: My Crab Can Heal the World! - Chapter 55

Chapter 55: The Counterattack Begins
Early in the afternoon, Eldrie is found. Tied to a tree, bound, blindfolded, and gagged – but he’s still alive.

Barns and Underhill find him around the same time, about a mile out of the village in the jungle. The police force had been combing the entire town as well as the beachside village. Maria and the others searched the castle area.

Barns approaches Eldrie slowly, not sure if this is a trap or not. He undoes his gag and his blindfold but doesn’t untie him from the tree – not yet.

As soon as Eldrie can see again, he immediately starts shouting incomprehensibly. Barns smacks him across the face and holds him by both shoulders.

“Calm down!” Barns commands. Eldrie snaps back to the present moment, his incoherent panic fading into something more sensible.

“Adon!” Eldrie cries, shaking in his restraints. “Adon was here, he took Yunie!”

To Barns, it’s like the world stops in that moment. Could he even believe Eldrie?

…Did he have a reason not to believe Eldrie?

Barns blinks several times in frustration, looking to Underhill and hoping the shady merchant has some idea of what to do next.

Underhill taps the ground twice with his gilded cane. “Adon, eh? That’s one of them vampire twins you’ve all been going on about?”

“Yes!” Eldrie shakes, his eyes red. “H-He left me here to give you a message. He’ll k-kill Yunie if you don’t go to Ordella.” Eldrie stumbles over the words. He’s been strapped to this tree all night. Left here as a warning.

Barns is quaking with anger. One of his own was kidnapped right from the middle of Dimartino. He would not stand for this.

Barns unsheathes his sword and cuts the ropes binding Eldrie, who falls over onto his face, sobbing.

“Underhill. I want every capable and willing fighter at Dimartino Castle in one hour. We’re going to Ordella.”

Barns walks off to make his own preparations, but there’s somewhere he has to stop first.

As he makes his way back to the castle, he reports to the Adventurer Guild. A frazzled Roscoe is still there, trying to handle the daily operations as best as he can.

“Roscoe,” Barns says immediately upon entering. There are several Adventurers sitting around at the wooden tables, and they all turn to Barns as he enters.

“I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Roscoe. Your sister is alive, but she’s been captured by the enemy. I’m heading out right now to save her.”

Barns turns to the rest of the Adventurers in the room. “And I’d like all of your help!” he says. “Yunie is one of our own. She runs this place! Our society wouldn’t be what it is today without Yunie. None of us would have jobs, either,” he adds in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“So the Adventurer Guild owes it to Yunie – we will head to Ordella and get her back!”

After finishing up business, there are two others he needs to talk to directly – Clancy and Maria. He finds Maria first, but she looks like she’s already prepping for a journey.

“I’m going to the Pale Court,” she says quietly.

“Maria. We have to stick together right now.”

“And that’s exactly what I mean to do, Barns,” she snaps. “I know Osmond went there. He must have found something out. I’ll rendezvous with him and then catch up with you in Ordella.”

Barns grits his teeth. “We shouldn’t be splitting up right now,” he protests. “This is exactly what the vampires would want.”

“Priority one will always be myself,” Maria reminds him. “And priority two is usually Osmond. I care a hell of a lot more for him than Yunie, so excuse me if he’s the one I’m most concerned about.”

Barns takes a deep breath, trying not to let his emotions boil over. “Fine, Maria. Do as you must.”

His last stop is Clancy, who he finds scuttling around the hallway on the second floor. He appears to be admiring a large portrait of the former king and queen.

“NEED CRAB PAINTING.”

Barns looks quickly at the picture, but he doesn’t have time right now to indulge Clancy’s antics.

“Listen, King. We have an emergency. Yunie’s been kidnapped and taken to Ordella. I know it’s short notice, but we have to attack the town today. Now.”

Clancy pivots toward Barns and stares at him blankly for a moment. The wise crab can read the intensity of emotion on Barns’ face, and he realizes the gravity of their plight.

“KILL TIME!”

Clancy raises his pincers valiantly. He was all-in too.

Barns and Clancy head to the front of the castle, where Adventurers and police have already begun to gather.

Barns curses the timing of this whole situation. Osmond and Maria are occupied. They still don’t know how to kill Master Vampires. Barns is underleveled, and he hasn’t figured out how to use ‘Claws of Death’ yet. He finds that no matter how he looks at it, they are disadvantaged on all fronts – but they had to press on. He absolutely refused to leave Yunie alone to her fate at the hands of the vampires.

If she dies, he’ll get a pop-up informing him that his resurrection count has dropped. That knowledge gives Barns the strength to carry onward with their mission. She could be saved. If they brought the combined might of Dimartino down on the vampires, they have a chance.

‘I just hope Osmond figured something out about killing them,” he mumbles to himself. ‘And that he makes it to us in time.’

Once the end of the hour draws near, Barns makes his way to the front of the gathered crowd. Well over a hundred warriors have assembled to participate in the siege of Ordella, but there’s one soldier he has to turn away.

“Roscoe. No.” Barns’ voice is authoritative and cold. The young teen raises a fist in protest.

“It’s my sister we’re saving!”

“I don’t care. You don’t have any battle experience.”

“But you’ll be there, legendary hero! Won’t you keep me safe like you will with big sis!?”

Barns feels a tightness in his chest. The self-doubt that plagued him when he fought Eldrie climbs into his throat and makes it hard to reply.

“Roscoe. Someone needs to stand behind and protect this town while we’re gone. The vampires could be planning a trap.”

Barns takes a deep breath and unclips the sword, Crashing Wave, from his belt. He hands the powerful blade to Roscoe.

“If anything happens, point the sword at the enemy and pull the trigger, okay?” Barns looks sternly into Roscoe’s eyes. “I am leaving the kingdom of Dimartino in your hands, Roscoe. Be strong. Not just for me, but for Yunie.”

His words inspire the boy, who clutches the blue sword with all his strength. “Yes, Master Barnacles!” he says with utmost determination. “I won’t let you down!”

On that note, Barns walks away from the boy and back to the front of his assembled fighters. He raises the Silver Rake into the air, and allows the claws to retract, holding the glistening silver in the air. Everyone’s attention fixes on him.

“This is our moment!” Barns shouts over the crowd. “This is the true test of the people of Dimartino! One of our own has been taken from our kingdom. If we do not rise up to fight, then what are we? This kingdom stands for every single human who draws breath today. We fly defiantly in the face of the apocalypse!”

Barns takes a deep breath and continues his speech. “In the old world, people were killed with no regard. Vampires, Demons, and monsters had their way with humanity. But I swear on everything, that world is over! Let’s go show those vampires what humanity is capable of!”

The entire crowd roars in agreement, each one forming the crab salute in unison. Barns salutes them back, caught up in the moment.

Clancy scuttles up next to Barns, and the hero leaps onto the crab’s shell, pumping his fist into the air one final time.

“Our counterattack begins now!”