The silence that followed Elias's leaving was heavy and uncomfortable. "That fucking asshole just left like that without saying anything further other than ruining my peaceful life here..."
"...I didn't even have a chance to give one kick of an ass. Fuck! Fuck!! Fuck!!!" Greg starts crashing out in his mind because he didn't know where to start with the explaining to them all.
Greg could feel everyone looking at him, waiting for an answer he would rather not give. He had worked so hard to keep this part of his life separate, to be just Greg the blacksmith and not Greg the reincarnator.
"This is awkward... the look of their faces, and I'm here and can't even say a thing." Greg was about to break the silence, but Kael's the first one to do it.
"So," Kael finally said, breaking the silence. "Reincarnator, huh?"
"That's a thing?"
"Like when you die and then you come back to life as a second chance in another world. If I think about it, that sounded kind of cool because you really fixed all the mistakes you made in your previous world."
Greg let out a deep sigh and ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah. It's a thing, even though someone who's reincarnated really wanted to die and not continue life for the second time because life sometimes is unfair."
"Are you going to explain, or do we have to guess?" Denna asked, but her tone was more curious than frustrated.
Marina stepped forward and stood a little in front of Greg, probably without meaning to, as if to protect him. "Maybe we should deal with the problem at hand first."
"Don't you remember what Elias said about the monsters moving in?! There are some villages that need to be evacuated by us!"
"We can talk about this later." As always, Greg's ass was saved by Marina, but this time he didn't want to take it.
"No," Greg said softly. "They have a right to know. Especially since you've told me so much."
He looked at each one of them one by one. "But not here. We have to go, and I'll explain as we walk."
They packed their things and set out for the closest village, which Elias had said was in the displacement zone. Greg told them a short version of his story as they walked. About dying in his last life, the three gods who brought him back to life with a Blacksmith System, and how he wouldn't make weapons even though they wanted him to.
"So... one of your friends named Felix is one of these people who come back to life?" Ryn asked, and her analytical mind was already putting things together.
"Yes. Greg said, "It looks like there are two hundred and forty-seven of us spread out across the continent."
"Most people accepted the role that the gods gave them. I said no to mine, and Felix is probably still working on his."
"And what about Elias?" Denna asked.
"Clearly, he has embraced his darker side," Marina said in a dark voice. "From the look of it, he wants power at any cost."
Greg went on to say, "The system I use rates my creations based on how weird and original they are."
"That's why everything I make becomes a famous household item. The higher the rank, the sillier and more surprising it is."
"That makes so much sense," Kael said with a little laugh. "The frying pan, the dancing vest, and everything you created since you arrived in Ferndale."
Greg said, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," looking right at Marina. "I just wanted to be like everyone else. To not let this reincarnator thing define you."
"And of course, the most important part is that I don't want anyone to know who the real me is just because I want to enjoy a peaceful second life." Greg sighed.
"Maybe that's why you're always acting weird." Marina giggled.
Greg answered, "Excuse you."
Marina reached out and gave his hand a quick squeeze. "I get it."
"There are parts of us that we don't show to others." She looked at the other people. "This is just between us. We have to keep Greg's secret safe from anyone."
"Agreed," Denna said right away, and the others nodded.
"Even though I have so many questions," Ryn said. "The metaphysics alone—"
"Later, Ryn," Marina said. "We're almost there."
...
They reached the top of a hill and stopped as they saw the village below was already a mess as monsters came in from all sides, people ran, screamed, and tried to gather their things and children. Not a planned attack, but a flood of scared creatures all trying to get away from something worse behind them.
Kael said, "No fucking way...! That's a stampede."
"Stampede...? What's that?" Greg asked.
"I've only heard stories about Stampede. Hundreds of monsters were all moving together and destroying everything in their way."
"We need to help them all," Marina said as she was already moving. "Kael, begin moving people to the north. Denna, set up a defensive line at the east entrance. Ryn, try to cast some barrier spells."
"And Greg—"
"I'll do what I can," Greg said, already thinking of all the things he could do.
They broke up and went to their assigned spots. Greg had enough room to work in the village square, so he quickly took things out of his pack. He didn't have much, just his basic tools and some scrap metal, but he'd made legendary things out of less.
"System," he said in a low voice. "I need things that will help me protect this village."
"Anything's fine. I don't care how silly it is."
[Finally getting serious? Finally! Let's see what kind of trouble we can make when things go wrong.]
"Don't fucking say that, goddammit!" Greg knew that word was something that was similar to a raised red flag.
Greg began with what he had. He had a small anvil, some iron bars, and a broken plow blade that someone had left behind. His hands moved on their own, hammering and shaping while people ran by in a panic. He could hear the monsters getting closer and feel the ground shaking from how many there were.
The first thing he finished looked like a metal disc with strange symbols carved into it. He had been thinking about mines, area denial, and making something that could stop a charge.
[NEW ITEM MADE: Anvil Mine]
[Rank: SSS]
[Properties: When pressure is applied, it launches targets 50 feet into the air with precise, non-lethal force. It resets on its own. Monsters can't disarm it. ]
[Note: You made a landmine that doesn't kill anything.]
[The gods are confused but impressed.]
"Perfect," Greg said under his breath as he made more. He put them in a defensive circle around the village square and put up small flags to show the defenders where they were.
Then he took the broken plow and some chain links he had found in an old blacksmith shop. He thought about making barriers, buying time, and building earthworks.
[NEW ITEM MADE: Earthshaker Hoe]
[Rank: SSS]
[Properties: Each strike makes a wall of compressed earth that is 10 feet high. Walls stay up for 24 hours. Can make up to 50 walls before needing to rest.
[Note: You turned farming tools into weapons again.]
[This is becoming a habit.]
Greg gave it to the first guard he saw in the village. "Point to the ground where you want the walls to be built and then hit it."
"What...?" The guard was confused.
"Don't ask questions, just do it!"
The guard seemed confused but did what he was told. His first blow made a huge wall of earth that blocked the way from the east, this gave them a few extra seconds as the monster wave crashed against it.
"More!" Denna yelled from where she was.
"We need more walls!"