Ben planted his butt in the driver's seat and opened the upgrade menu.

  He wanted to save his skill points for later, but going up against human opponents made him feel like something could go wrong. There was no telling what weapons they would have at their disposal and whether or not they had things similar to what Le’Vieux had used to burn those creatures to ash and destroy that tunnel.

  With lives at stake, he couldn't take risks and needed to be prepared. Thus, he clicked all the remaining level-one upgrades.

  [Armor Plating Mk.1 is now unlocked.]

  [Off-Road Tires is now unlocked.]

  [Fuel Efficiency Mk.1 is now unlocked.]

  [Vehicle Valkyrie is now level 2.]

  ***

  Vehicle: Valkyrie Level 2

  ***

  Bull Bar Mk.2: An improvement in effectiveness and protection compared to the Mk.1 variant. This bar also adds other contact points, such as spikes and hinges, to increase the damage inflicted when running enemies over. Cost: 2SP or 20GP

  Armor Plating Mk.2: Reinforce your vehicle's body with thicker armor. It will allow your vehicle to sustain more damage before depreciating condition. Armor Rating: +50. Cost: 2SP or 20GP

  Off-Road Drivetrain: All areas of the drivetrain are fortified to improve performance in off-road applications. It also decreases the rate at which your vehicle condition is lost when used regularly. Cost: 3SP or 30GP

  Spatial Storage Mk.1: Create a dimensional space in the back of your vehicle to store your belongings and passengers. This space can be accessed via a small terminal added to the vehicle's side or the system's quick access menu (Range 100M). When using the dimensional space, it is recommended that the user leave their vehicle in a safe place away from danger. Space: 10M^3. Cost: 5SP or 50GP

  ***

  Ben scratched his head as the gleaming magic particles started modifying the van. But Ben's thoughts were on the newly available upgrades, which seemed way better than the previous ones. The one that caught his eye was the spatial storage. With its space, he could store a lot of stuff there. His eyes started watering when he realized how expensive they were.

  Ben let out a sigh of frustration. The ceiling for each level was getting higher, and he knew it would be harder to level up. He needed to be smart about where he spent his skill points and instead needed to look for a way to make some money so he could use gold to buy the upgrades.

  There was much to do and not enough time to do it. After the rescue mission, he needed to return to his quest to discover what happened to Alfred and his knights.

  Har interrupted Ben's thoughts by knocking on the passenger-side window. Once Har was in, he pointed to the trail from where they had entered the village. “Go there and turn so you’re moving away from the checkpoint.”

  The journey there mostly consisted of a trail nearly overgrown with grass across the riverbank. It would have been hard to follow if it hadn't been for the tracks carved out by years of cart use. Har had said the mine once moved over a hundred ore carts daily in its heyday.

  When the landscape started to get hillier, the trail went inland, weaving between the hills and snaking up the difficult inclines. It almost resembled the trail to the proving grounds, minus the claustrophobic tunnels and cliff roads. He thought the van would lose traction at some points, but the tire upgrade worked wonders. He also noticed that the van used less fuel.

  A moment of realization slapped Ben in the face. He felt silly about not purchasing the tire and fuel upgrades earlier.

  I guess you learn from your mistakes. I should think about things more clearly next time.

  After half an hour, they arrived at a bend around a large hill.

  “Turn into there and stop.” Har pointed to an area of the track where the slope started. “If you get any closer, they will hear it, and we’ll lose our advantage of surprise. We’ll hike to the top and look at what’s happening before going in.”

  Ben raised an eyebrow and nodded. He didn't expect that thinking from a simple courier like Har and wondered if there was more to him than what met the eye. Once they were at the top, they dropped into a prone position and crawled to the peak of the verge.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  The camp was in a clearing beside the rubble-filled mine entrance, where the remains of old stone chimneys were scattered. Half a dozen tents rested in the clearing, and a few guards sat on logs, warming themselves by a campfire, drinking, and celebrating their victory. Nearby, a few horses and carts appeared to be filled with supplies.

  Har scoffed. “Look at them basking in their victory after stealing from us common folk. It makes me sick to my stomach that they prey on those weaker than them. If you look just by the mine entrance, there’s an old ore cage where they're keeping the village folk penned like chickens in a coop.”

  Ben turned to Har and shook his head. “I don't understand why they would kidnap everyone and keep them in a cage like that. What’s the point?”

  “They might be trying to use our people as slave labor to clear the rubble blocking access to the mine. Before it collapsed, Lord Blackrock had made a big deal about discovering some rich ore veins there. Days later, the tragedy happened, trapping the miners along with the guards.” He paused, taking his frustration out. “Poor Finn’s parents perished in there, and now his sisters are down there stuck in that cage.”

  “With the guards gone and the bloodhound problem, they moved in without resistance.” While staring at the camp, something caught his eye. A man appeared in full knight's armor and ordered some bandits around. His movements were not sloppy like the other but instead filled with confidence. “Is that a knight?” He asked.

  Har squinted, taking a closer look before his jaw dropped. “If I’ll be damned… That crest is Lord Sudfields. It must be one of his Knights.”

  Ben shrugged. “I’ve no idea who that is. I thought knights were supposed to protect people, not enslave them to do their bidding.”

  Har turned to Ben with a narrow gaze and shook his head. “As if you don't know. He’s one of the richest men in Meso and tried to buy the mine from Lord Blackrock many times.”

  Ben nodded. “I’m not from around here… He’s still set on that goal and is resorting to dirty tactics.”

  Har blew out a croaky sigh. “He’s using the bandits to make it look like he’s not involved. Once the mine entrance is cleared, he’ll dispose of our people, remove the bandits, and take over.”

  “I’m not going to let that happen.”

  “He has over a hundred men at arms and a small host of knights. That’s a battle I don't think we can win.”

  Ben nodded. “We’ll deal with that when the time comes. On to the matter at hand, I’ve counted around a dozen enemies, including the knight who could have combat abilities. If I’m not careful, they could overwhelm me, so I'll need help breaking them apart.”

  “What do you suggest?” Har asked.

  Ben had turned the van around to face the trail before switching it off again. The last thing he wanted was for the bandits to hear it and ruin his plan. His hand rested on the key as he heard a commotion from behind the hill’s slope before Har emerged, running for his life.

  Half a dozen bandits made the turn and stumbled in their strides as they noticed the van. By then, Ben had already started the engine and moved towards them. A few panicked and dropped their weapons as they all turned tail and sprinted back along the trail. The system showed them to be between levels three and four.

  Ben didn't like the idea of harming unarmed people, even if they committed despicable crimes against innocent people. He slowed down, steered to the side of them, and started clipping them one by one as he passed. It wasn't enough to kill them but seriously hinder their efforts if they continued their belligerence.

  [+60XP, +6MP]

  Ben continued down the track, driving past the mine entrance. When he reached the clearing, he ran over a few tents, ripping them from their anchors and causing them to blow away in the wind. The bandits had run across to the other side, forming a defensive line with the knight. Ben positioned the van so the driver's side faced them and rolled his window down.

  Ben stuck his arm out and pointed to the knight. “Are you in charge around here?”

  The knight snarled. “You don't know who you’re messing around with. If you value your life, I suggest you leave this place immediately.”

  Ben shook his head. “I’m afraid I can't do that. You and your friends here should pack your bags, head back to Sudfield, and tell him he can't have the mine. It belongs to the people of Robynhill.”

  “What, you think you can scare me with your metal box?”

  “I took out half your men with it, which was me taking it easy with them. The only reason I’m talking with you now is to give you all a chance to do the right thing and leave this place. I don't want to kill any of you, but I will do what it takes to save those people.”

  The knight laughed, “You can do whatever you want, but it won't be useful. I’ll destroy you, and then I’ll kill all these stupid peasants.”

  Ben sighed. “Don't say I never warned you. You have till I turn around to leave.” He rolled the window up and drove across the clearing, turning around and facing them head-on. He revved the engine a few times and lifted the clutch, causing dirt to be flung up on both sides momentarily before he shot ahead.

  The knight looked confident with his choice, but the men standing on either side appeared shaking in their boots. He raised his shield and poked his sword ahead before a crimson sphere, similar to Le’Vieux’s, appeared enveloping them all.

  Ben took a deep breath, knowing the impact would devastate himself and the van. His chest was heavy with the path he had been forced to take, but there was too much at stake to let them have their way.

  The moment Ben crashed into it, he was yanked forward. Instantly, the sphere shattered like glass before exploding into speckles of magical dust. The bandits, including the knight, were all hit with such force they were flung like spinning ragdolls a few meters away. Some splatters of blood had landed on the hood as Ben came to a stop.

  [+66XP, +6MP]

  Ben shifted into reverse and moved a dozen meters away. Most of the enemies had suffered broken bones and screamed in pain while the rest tried to crawl away. Ben knew they wouldn't be causing any more problems and instead shifted his attention to the knight, who stumbled to his feet using his bent sword for support.

  The disgraced knight entered a rage, shouting obscenities at the van. He looked around for his shield, found it broken, and bent on the ground before unsheathing a smaller blade on his belt. He turned to face the cage where the people were kept and stomped towards them with a limp.

  Oh no, you don't!

  As the knight almost reached the cage, Ben got to him and crashed into his armor with a loud metallic clang. The knight bounced off the ground like a ball before Ben slowly mounted one of his tires on his leg, causing the van to lift slightly from that side. Even from within, he could hear the reverberated screams.

  Rekindle Project