School was a useless place to Duncan.
The subject they taught Duncan already knew from prior studying. The friends he made ended up being fake so he saw no reason to interact with his peers. There wasn't enough incentive for him to even attend with the exception of getting his high school diploma in order to avoid having to pay for and take classes just obtain something he could have gotten for free.

Duncan sat in class as he observed the board, looking to test dates, the subjects that would be on the test as well as assignment he would need to complete and turn in when he felt his phone vibrate.

It is rude to pull out your phone in class so Duncan ignored it for the time being and waited till the bell rang to check on what notification he had received.

AI: Edmond has detected something via Sonar transmissions. There are multiple objects heading toward the Den, several smaller objects and one large flying object.

 

Duncan took this information to mind and he headed off toward his next class, even if his Den was in danger he was still a member of society and thus had his obligations to attend and participate in school, no matter how urgent things were in the game, it was only just a game.

Duncan slide his phone away as he walked toward his next class.

___________________________________________________

Charlotte Longbottom glanced at the screen as the pings just kept coming closer and closer.

The sound was making him anxious and he was glad that he just so happened to be nearby when the alerts started to come in. The location he was presently at was similar to a monitoring room. Screens upon screens were stacked on the wall as monitoring the surroundings. Some of them had cameras to every room in the facility while a few more had circles with a line circling inside of it, showing multiple dots approaching from the south.

There was no emergency alarm that he could pull to alert everyone of the threat but from what the calculations and scales he made, they had at most a day before whatever these dots are invaded the compound.

"Its only a game, I don't have to worry about it." Charlotte muttered to himself. Oh how naïve he was. "Lets hope the Den Master is taking this seriously... I don't want to die, screw everyone else!"

Charlotte quietly closed the door, he even stuffed some pads in the cracks to further soundproof it before heading toward the storage area to grab a few rations.

"I'll have to hide this somewhere they wouldn't find it." Charlotte thought to himself. "It was only insurance if things went south... Maybe I can convince someone to guard me, it would be a two person job and at most we can find another settlement to bunk at."

Charlotte thought back to his own apocalypse, with the abundant jungle and the hidden horrors that laid within it. "Its not that place... outside is plains and forest with mountains... there is no jungle beast to slaughter us... ha ha" Charlotte nervously laughed and he want on his way. He had to find another ally... but who would he entrust his future with?

Charlotte had to be quick about it.

---

Astrid MacLouden stretched as she took in the morning air. Nothing like a good breeze to start the day off, especially in the stuffy bunker. Astrid looked toward the two figures who were also outside in the early morning.  One of the Maine Coons were wandering around, laying about in the morning sun while a girl who Astrid learned was named Yukari practiced some shooting with the makeshift sling she had fashioned. 

"Beautiful day!" Astrid called to Yukari who promptly ignored her in favor of getting more shots in at the tree nearby the bunker entrance. 

"Alright, ignore me! That's fine!" Astrid called, peeved that her greeting fell upon deft ears and she glanced around at the surroundings. Plains, a few trees dotted the area before converging in the distance to form a forest. In the other direction the landscape ascended to form a large mountain range. 

"Hmm... Kellan would have told me the composition and how fertile the lands are... I wonder what can grow?" Astrid asked herself and the pattering of footsteps turned her attention back to the entrance of the Den where she saw a familiar figure walking out toward her.

"Nora!" She grinned, hugging her sister tightly as Nora responded in kind. A bulky bag on her back and a small axe hanging from the side. 

"Where are you going?" Astrid asked and Nora smirked. "Charlotte and I are going to gather some samples... more like he is, I'm his guard in case something happens... we don't know what the apocalypse of this world is since the Den Master never did tell us... best be prepared though."  Nora motioned toward the axe.

"Best of luck to you sister!" Astrid hugged Nora again and she patted her on the back as if to tell her to get going. Something that Charlotte obviously wanted done since he coughed for them to hurry up.

"You the same Sis!" Nora exclaimed and with a wave the two of them were off.

Astrid headed inside after a brisk workout and went to the training room. Inside of it she saw two minotaurs and a lizardman... a lizardwoman?  Astrid wasn't sure, she never had any of the two species in her Den. 

"What are we training today?" Astrid asked and the trio looked toward her. 

"Hand to Hand, we got the basics so we should be able to cement them and then move into stances." Waila the minotaur explained.

"Have you taught before?" Astrid asked and Waila nodded. "I was an instructor alongside my brother in our village... Now I am here so I will instruct you." 

"When it comes to axes, my sister and I can instruct you all... so until then thanks for the training!" Astrid told the group.

Osvall the minotaur nodded his head in appreciation and Nast the Lizardmen gave a toothy grin. 

"Let the training begin!"  

---

The bell range signaling for class to end, After five periods in the day it was finally his turn for lunch. Duncan grabbed his bag and headed toward his usual spot where he pulled open and extracted from the interiors of his bag a smaller box which he popped open to grab his sandwich. Taking a bite to get a taste of the savory honey he opened his phone to see several notifications flashing on his screen.

Alert! Unidentified Object is within 12 hours of your Den.

Alert! Unidentified Object is within 7  hours of your Den.

Alert! Unidentified Object is within 3 Hours of your Den!

New Discovery! Nora Maclouden and Charlotte Longbottom have discovered Brunswick!  For this feat you gain +20 points.

Alert! Unidentified Object is near your Den!

Duncan flipped open his phone to see a large looming … cloud? near his den. It looked to be a cloud for the base of the object but it was what was on top of it that confused him. It looked to be some sort of city and spiraling around it were thirteen smaller subsections. As Duncan took in the sight of the object a voice started to announce itself from the city. 

Welcome Viewers, to the 1st game of the season! Today we have found a little settlement that can offer some entertainment for us in this magnificent city of ours. Who do you think will partake in today's hunt? And who will come out on top!

The air erupted from the magnitude of cheers that came from the city, the spiraling of the thirteen subsections seemed to accelerate as if they were part of a wheel that had just been spun. Suddenly from the wheel, four of the subsections popped out in each of the cardinal directions. 

To the North, A hut, wooden with several shelves and racks outside that appeared to be drying meat. 

To the East, A temple that sat atop of a misty mountain. Light that appeared to imitate stars shown brightly around it.

To the South, A graveyard with an immaculate crypt. 

To the West, a Shinto Shrine, lanterns adorning the place as it twinkled in the evening sky. 

For our four entries have been locked! Now to introduce those partaking in today's hunt! To the North we have the platinum lady herself, the queen who hunts alone! Huntress! To the East is everyone's favorite seer. To see the future and to strike when the stars align! It's Oracle! To the South, To reap what others have sown. He calls when your bell strikes none! Give it up for Reaper! To the West, it is her time to play, a time to be off duty and out of her mother's eye. Round of applause for Inari!

From the four subsections figures started to appear. 

From the cabin the doors opened to reveal a figure, a being that appeared to be made of platinum, her helm  liked those of winged Valkyries her armor tightly fixed to her skin. On her back were several spears made of the same materials as her, and in her hand was another. 

To the East, the temple doors opened to show a figure in long-flowing robes, her eyes glowing as they whizzed around in her sockets, a green mist surrounding her. In her hands was a book, flipping rapidly back and forth. 

To the South, the crypt opened to reveal a robed figure in black, their bony hands gripped a large scythe. The hood covered their face but from within a chilling darkness could be felt.

To the West, a girl with black and white hair bounded down the steps in her shrine maiden outfit, in her hands was a lantern as if it was to guide her way, behind her flowed several tails as they swished back and forth. 

With that, we give the prey a good ten minutes to prepare, what will they do? Will they run? Will they fight? Who will obtain the most points? Place your bets oh place your bets! You have ten minutes to place your bets!

From the center cloud, several drop pods dropped down and crashed into the forest below revealing several people coming out in a daze. 

Duncan eyed the four beings that were loitering around as a projection of a timer started to countdown much to the crowd's delight as their roaring deafened the skies. 

Duncan quickly turned his attention to the his Den and looked at their viability. He could hunker them down in the bunker, but there was a chance that the four aliens would target the den and break it apart. There was also a chance he could go out and rescue the survivors who dropped from the drop pods. Duncan looked over his defenses only to note that none of the active defense systems were actually working... or that he had any at all. 

The cheapest defensive system was around 1000 points, and even then he might not have the infrastructure to support it. It also seemed pointless to target the alien beings as three of the four of them appeared to be able to attack from a range. Against his survivors who had no means of fighting from a distance he could do nothing but sit in his base. 

Speaking of his survivors, Duncan noticed that two of them were a distance away from the calamity that had befallen his base and he zoomed to see that they were hunkered down in a town, a town named Brunswick. 

"If I get wiped here, at least the two of them were elsewhere." Duncan sighed. At least he had some leftovers that he could work with. Duncan watched as the timer kept on counting down as he ordered all of his survivors to hunker in the bunker. 

"The people from the dropships could be additional personal that can increase the amount of work that can be done but for now let us see what the four aliens are capable of."  Duncan observed the ten people scrambling in all directions, courtesy of Edmond's Sonar ability, as he zoomed in their active area. 

Looks like the settlement has decided to hunker down and prepare their defenses. Who will take a crack at the base first? Will it be Reaper? Will it be Inari? Will it be Oracle? Or will it be Huntress? As for the prey that has been let loose, will they claim their freedom or will they fall victim to the hunt? Who will claim first blood! The odds of first blood is in favor to Huntress with the bets showing a vast majority of 6/10 with Reaper being the next at 2/10 and Inari and Oracle claiming the least each with 1/10 odds.  And with the ten minute mark approaching, the Hunters are rearing to go!

An alarm blared followed by the cheers of the crowd as the four beings moved. Huntress jumped into the trees below, her platinum body shimmering as if going camouflaged, Reaper followed suit by fading away as if going invisible. In contrast to the two disappearing, Oracle sat down and started to speak as if chanting, the alien language booming as the stars around her temple grew brighter. Inari on the other hand skipped daintily into the forest and swung her lantern around, wisps following her joyous progression. 

Duncan watched helplessly as the hunt began. 

---

Author Notes here. Sederance here. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Exams are now, and then I am free! for like half a month till my internship starts so now is a good time as any to say this will be updating more frequently for a bit... until I am swamped again lol. 
Another thing that happened is that I got a new schedule at work... and I have more shifts XD, I cry. 

In other news, how will Duncan fight these aliens? Will he have to use his gacha? also if this base was large, its because its an upgraded base, a common base is like four rooms and a large central area each with minimal capabilities. I know in the original he had one extra large room, a generator room, and three empty small rooms... and this current base is just one grade higher.  Talk about fairness. 

Leave your thoughts and suggestions below, what do you believe will happen? I should stop rambling and post the next chapter shouldn't I? 

Peace yall, - (Fake) Author Sederance