As the trains rumbled into the Champaign main rail yard, Xander breathed a momentary sigh of relief. Their luck was holding out, and the mainline tracks were clear for once. Around them, abandoned trains stood like silent sentinels, as if to judge the expedition for passing them by. The team had expected a fight, but they were slipping through the heart of Champaign without a major confrontation. Xander grew more anxious with each passing block as he waited for the other shoe to drop.

"Clear so far," Harvey said. His warhammer was strapped to his back, but his hand lingered near it as if sensing the calm wouldn't last.

Jo nodded, her gaze scanning the yard ahead, but she didn't speak. Her face showed the weight of the day, and perhaps much more, but she stayed close to Xander.

As the trains began their slow turn from east to south, Gary's voice rang out from his elevated position on one boxcar car further back. "Heads up! We've got company, and it's not friendly."

Xander's heart sank as he followed his line-of-sight back to the west. There it was, the other shoe, and it was a nice heavy boot. Two distinct columns of undead patrols marched through the ruins several blocks away. Though they were distant, the threat was obvious. Each patrol moved with purpose, led by a hulking giant undead. It was a grotesque creature towering over the skeletal soldiers and zombies that flanked them. Similar to the giant they had faced early in the expedition, but this one was more of an oversized zombie amalgamation. They were all moving to intercept the trains.

"Another group on the east side!" Gary called out again.

"Three patrols?" Harvey said, squinting at the distant figures. "That's not a coincidence. One at a time, maybe, but three different patrols all spotting us simultaneously?"

"They're several blocks away," Xander said. "But they're coming toward us. They're trying to cut us off."

"It looks like they're moving in sync. Like something is calling the shots behind the scenes and directing troop movements." Gary said.

Jo stepped forward, her hand on the hilt of her sword. "We have to move faster."

Harvey shook his head. "The trains can't go much faster, not through this part of the city. Too many turns, too much debris. If we push it, we could derail."

Xander cursed under his breath. The tracks were empty, but speed wasn't on their side. He could see the undead patrols closing in, their movements sluggish but relentless. The giants were the real problem. There was no way they could engage those monsters and keep the trains moving. One of those giants could quickly derail the train.

"Gary, what's the count?" Xander called out, his eyes still on the patrols.

"I can't get an exact number," Gary replied. "But there's probably a handful in each patrol. Those giants, though… won't be easy to deal with. Look similar to what we saw in Seymour in terms of size!"

Xander clenched his jaw. The trains were too slow, and while they had dealt with more minor threats, this was entirely different. They had only minutes before the undead would intercept them.

"We're not stopping the trains," Harvey said firmly, as if reading Xander's mind.

Xander nodded. "But we can't outrun them either."

Jo stepped closer to place her hand on Xander's. "Then it's time we enact the plan, like we discussed. If we delay them, the trains can reach the city's southern edge. However, instead of leapfrogging, both teams will have to jump the train."

Xander looked at her, running the plan through his mind. It was risky, but it might be the only option. "A delaying defense."

"My guys will take one patrol, and you take the other. Meet in the middle at the third," Harvey said. "Gary's guys stay with the trains to push the trains through to safety."

Xander's mouth twitched with grim acceptance. "You take east, we'll take west."

"I will not argue with you right now, but when we get back to Starlight, we're going to have a nice long talk about why your team is always taking the heavy lift," Harvey replied.

"Buy the first two rounds, and it's a deal," Xander laughed before calling to Zoey, "Zoey! Grab Kane and Ford. We're jumping the train!"

"You got it!" Zoey said, "You heard the boss. Shake a leg; there's loot, danger, and maybe even a distressed prince to be saved!"

"There's a prince?" Ford called back, confused.

"No, you idiot, it was a joke. You know what, never mind, get your butt hustling," Zoey said, shaking her head at the naivete of the healer.

Both teams of adventurers quickly poured off the sides of the trains. They were momentarily regrouping as Harvey glanced back at the trains, watching them crawl through the twisted rail yard. "Once we clear these patrols, we'll signal the trains to slow so we can catch up. You'll have to fall back fast, and I don't want to leave anyone behind."

"We won't," Xander said firmly, but the doubt gnawed at him. The patrols were closing in, their giant leaders moving with terrifying purpose.

Harvey clapped him on the shoulder. "Good luck."

"You too," Xander responded before jerking his head to the rest of his team to move out.

Xander's boots made a crunching noise as he ran across the heavily cracked pavement, the sharp clink of his armor echoing through the still night air. Ahead, the pale light of the full moon illuminated the ruined city, casting long shadows over burnt-out cars and a shattered bus half-embedded in the street. His hands gripped his spear as he glanced back toward the plodding train. If those undead reached it, all hope for the Starlight Oasis would vanish.

No pressure, he thought grimly.

"Harvey's team is already moving," Zoey said, crouching beside him with her bow half drawn, ready to engage the first monster that came into view. Her voice was a thin whisper against the breeze that carried the scent of decay. "We need to move fast."

Xander's gaze swept over the battlefield, his pulse quickening as the first patrol came into view. Half-dozen zombies, skeletal archers, and towering over them all, an undead giant lumbering forward with ominous intent. And beyond them, barely visible in the distance, the third patrol continued its relentless advance. They had little time.

"That other patrol is closing in. We take this one down quickly, or we're toast," he said. "Kane, take point. Jo, with me."

Kane grunted in acknowledgment, raising his shield as he strode forward. The clattering bones of the undead echoed off the surrounding ruins as they moved in. Jo was at his side, sword drawn, her face pale but determined. He could see the strain in her eyes. They held the same darkness that had haunted her since her capture by the Cult of the Simulation. Xander hadn't asked, but he knew. The longer she kept it bottled up, the worse she was getting; the weight of unspoken trauma seemed to cling to her movements.

Not that his trauma was any better, though he was working on it and had opened up to her. Still, he couldn't afford to lose her, not like Alex.

"Give it all you got. Let's make this quick," Xander barked.

The undead clashed with them, skeletal archers releasing a volley of arrows that clinked off Kane's shield. Xander speared through a zombie's rotting chest, triggering his crusader's verdict. The impact rattled his arms as the monster screeched and slumped to the ground. Kane swung his sword in a wide arc, scattering the bones of a skeleton as Ford muttered a healing prayer, light shimmering around the group.

But then, amidst the chaos, Jo's sword slipped from her grip as a zombie intercepted one of her swings early with its arm instead of the sword's intended target. It was a complete fluke, but it left Jo momentarily defenseless.

Xander saw it out of the corner of his eye. The glint of metal as her weapon skittered across the pavement. She froze, eyes wide, as a zombie lurched toward her, arms outstretched. For a heartbeat, the team faltered. Despite all the battles they had been in together, they were all just regular people trying to survive the cataclysm, not trained soldiers. Seeing their comrade in such a dire predicament made them hesitate.

"No!" Xander shouted, springing forward, but Jo moved first.

With a furious scream, she slammed her gauntleted fist into the zombie's face, cracking bone and flesh alike. The creature's head snapped back, and she dove for her sword, scooping it up in a single, fluid motion. Xander let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, but the tension in the air remained. They couldn't afford mistakes like that.

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"Stay focused!" Xander ordered, spearing another zombie in the throat.

Jo didn't look back, her sword cutting through the remaining undead with a fierce, almost desperate energy. But he could see it in her eyes. Flashes of her captivity, of the undead experiments she'd barely escaped. And in the heat of the fight, a part of him knew she wasn't the only one haunted by the past. Every single one of them had their own story they hadn't told yet of those first few days.

His mind flickered to Alex. His lifeless body crumpling in his arms. He wouldn't make that mistake again. He couldn't.

The undead giant let out a deafening roar, swinging its massive fist toward them. Kane was there, shield raised, but the blow still sent him staggering back. Xander dropped his spear in favor of his warpick. While the spear was his better weapon, he needed something that could deliver a crushing blow. He lunged forward, his warpick flashing as he struck the giant's exposed ribs. The bone cracked, but the giant didn't falter.

"Ford!" Xander called.

The cleric raised his mace, the holy light gathering in his palm before he unleashed it in a brilliant holy bolt, the force of it shattering the giant's skull in a spray of bone and dust.

The battlefield felt as if it paused for a moment, Xander's chest heaving as he surveyed the wreckage of the patrol. His team stood, bloodied but victorious, though barely so. Jo wiped her blade on her sleeve, her eyes distant as she caught his gaze.

And then, from behind the ruins, the unmistakable sound of undead moans and rattling bones mixed with heavy foot falls drawing nearer.

The third patrol was closing in. Xander's heart pounded. There was no time to rest. No time to think.

"We're not done yet," he said. "Regroup!"

Xander's heart raced as the third patrol came into full view. The sheer number of undead was far more than he'd expected. There were waves of zombies and skeletons, their shambling forms blotting out the moonlit street. But worse than their numbers was the monstrosity leading them.

[Analyze] The Dreadclad Revenant | Level: 16 Boss | Status: Hostile | Class: Fighter/Cleric

It towered above the horde, a foot taller than Xander, its massive, horned form wrapped in black plate armor. Chains rattled and dragged behind it, their sound chilling in the deathly still night. The green flames licking at the edges of its monstrous sword cast a sickly glow across its face. A grotesque mask of blackened flesh, split by jagged teeth that jutted from its mouth. The thing's eyes gleamed as if savoring the destruction it was about to unleash.

"Oh shit," Xander said. His mind reeled at what he was seeing. This was no ordinary battle. They were staring down into a nightmare.

Ford, wide-eyed, trembled beside him. "What is that thing?"

"The kind of thing that ruins days," Xander answered grimly. He looked at Kane, who held his shield in front of him, face set in grim determination. "Get ready."

Kane nodded, stepping forward to take the brunt of the coming attack, but Xander could already see the cracks forming in their defenses. The last battle had beaten them up, and now they faced an even greater storm.

"We're not getting out of this clean," Jo said, coming up beside him.

He glanced at her, unspoken words passed between them. "Just stay close."

The Revenant raised its sword, green flames sparking from the blade as the horde surged forward. Skeletons clattered across the pavement, their bones creaking as they advanced, while the zombies lumbered closer, groaning with hunger. The smell of rot filled the air, thick and choking.

Xander shouted. "Zoey, keep them off our flanks!"

Zoey gave a tight nod, her bow already drawn, frost-tipped arrows nocked and ready. "Just another Tuesday, huh?"

"Pretty sure it's Monday," Jo chuckled tightly as she added to the dark humor.

The first wave of skeletons slammed into Kane's shield. He grunted under the force of it, his sword swinging in broad arcs, cutting through bone and sinew. Jo danced beside him, her sword flashing as she parried a skeletal sword strike before driving her blade into the ribs of a zombie that stumbled too close.

Xander moved in beside Jo, his spear thrusting into a zombie's chest. It staggered back, gurgling as it collapsed, but another one took its place almost immediately. Their numbers felt endless, an unrelenting tide. His mind was already calculating the odds. The math was clear, they would not last long at this rate.

"More incoming!" Zoey called from the rear, firing more arrows into the advancing ranks. The frost on her arrows exploded on impact into icy shards, freezing the limbs of the undead in jagged icicles, but it wasn't enough to slow the sheer number of enemies.

The Revenant was still behind the horde, watching them with cold malice, as if it was in no hurry to join the fray. Xander knew it was only a matter of time before it entered the fight, and when it did, their chances would drop even further.

"Kane!" Xander yelled. "Hold them here!"

Kane's shield slammed into the ground, taking the full weight of the skeletons pressing forward. For a moment, it looked like he might hold them off. Then, with a sickening crunch, the Revenant strode forward, forcing its own out of its way, its fiery sword raised high. It brought the blade down with crushing force, and Kane barely had time to move his head out of the way of the extended blade.

The impact shattered Kane's shield, sending shards of metal flying. Kane staggered back, his eyes wide with shock. "Uh, guys. Help!" he called, his voice cracking with the realization that he was royally screwed.

Xander's heart pounded in his chest. Kane's lack of a shield left them completely exposed. "Fall back, ten paces!" he shouted. "Regroup, now!"

Jo grabbed Kane by the arm, dragging him back before the skeletons could overwhelm him. Xander moved to cover them, his spear flashing in quick, precise strikes as he forced the undead back. But it was getting harder. The pressure was building, and the Revenant was closing in.

Then, in the distance, Xander saw movement from a side street. It was Harvey's team racing to the rescue.

Relief flooded him for a moment. Harvey, Wyatt, and the rest of their battered group were rushing toward them, but it didn't take long to see the truth. They were barely standing. Dents and scorches marred Harvey's armor, and his warhammer hung limply in his hand. A crack marred Wyatt's shield, and their two companions, equally battered, limped forward on their remaining strength.

But they had made it. And for a moment, Xander dared to hope.

"About time, Harvey!" Zoey shouted, sending another arrow into the horde. "Cutting it close, aren't we?"

Harvey didn't respond with his usual bravado. Just a grim nod as he swung his Warhammer into the nearest zombie, crushing its head with a sickening squelch. They had fought their own battle to get here, which had clearly taken a toll.

The truth dawned on Xander, quickly extinguishing his hope: even with Harvey's team, they were outmatched. The Dreadclad Revenant had barely moved, watching them with cold, calculating eyes. And then, with deliberate, slow steps, it approached again.

One of Harvey's fighters, whose name Xander couldn't remember in the chaos of battle, rushed forward, desperate to prove his worth. His sword swung wide, catching the side of a skeleton, but before he could react, the Revenant was upon him.

The Dreadclad Revenant moved with terrifying speed. It raised its flaming sword and drove it through the man's chest. The man gasped, his eyes wide with shock and pain as the green flames consumed him. He coughed, blood spilling from his mouth, his voice a broken sob. "H-help… me…"

Xander watched in horror as the Revenant, with cruel deliberation, dragged its sword upward, bisecting the man's body. As the flames consumed him, the guard's scream ended, and his body fell in two burning pieces onto the cracked pavement.

The scene was so brutal, so visceral, that Xander couldn't move for a moment. It was Alex all over again. The helplessness, the failure. I can't… I can't let this happen again.

"We need to take it down," Jo shouted, her voice cutting through his haze of horror. "Get your shit together, Xander!"

He snapped back to reality, his grip tightening on his spear. I won't lose them. Not Jo, not Zoey, not Kane. Not again.

"I'll kill you!" Xander shouted, his voice that of pure primal rage as he charged forward.

The Dreadclad Revenant turned its gaze on him, green flames reflecting in its dead eyes. It swung its sword in a wide arc, and Xander barely ducked in time, the blade whistling past his head. His spear lashed out, striking the Revenant in the side, but the armor deflected the blow. The Revenant pressed the attack, undeterred, its chains clanking behind it as it brought its sword down again, this time aiming for Xander's body.

Xander parried the strike with his spear, but the force of the blow sent him staggering back. His arms ached from the impact, and the flames licked dangerously close to his face. He was running out of time. Running out of options.

"Ford!" Xander yelled just as the Revenant backhanded Xander, sending him flying.

Ford, trembling and exhausted, raised his hand and called upon the last of his healing magic. A warm light enveloped the party, sealing their wounds just enough to keep them in the fight.

Xander took a deep breath, pulling himself back to his feet. The Revenant advanced on him; it was clearly done playing around and sought to end Xander's life.

With a last surge of strength, Xander slide beneath the Revenant's next swing and thrust his spear upward. The spear's point drove into the Revenant's mouth, piercing through the back of its skull with a sickening crunch. The crossbar of the spear lodged itself in the creature's jaw, pulling its twisted face into a grotesque grin as its eyes went dim.

The Dreadclad Revenant let out a low, hissing sound before collapsing to the ground, its chains rattling one last time as the green flames flickered and died.

Looking around, Xander took in the rest of the battlefield. He was in no shape to continue, but now wasn't the time to take a break. Thankfully, only the skeletal giant remained, and it was already falling to Harvey and Jo's attacks.

Midwest Regional Announcement: The Dreadclad Revenant, Commander of the Undead Legion, is dead!

With the fall of this fearsome specter, the regional portion of the active world event has progressed to the next phase! The Undead General has made its presence known. Seek it out and destroy it to end the world event in the region. However, the General waits for no one and is now actively moving about the region.

Prepare yourselves and find it before its forces find you!

With the announcement came a bright green pillar of flame emanating from the west, followed by a deafening boom that rattled what few windows remained in the nearby ruins. For a moment, Xander thought he even heard faint, ominous music playing.

Shaking off the music as a figment of his imagination brought on by the boom, he turned to everyone else. "Grab what loot you can and let's hustle up. It's obvious that the green flame pillar is where the General is located, and that's a bit too close for my comfort. We need to catch up to the train."

"Should we bring back Sean's body?" Zoey asked, looking at the slain man.

Harvey bent down to grab a wedding ring from the man's corpse. "I have his wedding ring; we'll take it with us. Unfortunately, we can't take his body with us, no matter how much I'd like to."

"Uh, guys. I think we have a problem!" Kane called from his position on the far side of the street. He was looking off toward where the pillar of flame had appeared. "There is a large army of undead a couple of blocks over. They're moving right toward where the trains went."

"What the hell!?" Xander exclaimed. "Our luck can't be that bad, can it?"

"All evidence to the contrary. Everyone go, go now," Harvey said, pushing himself to a jog. The entire group was worn out and had nothing to give, but they had to get ahead of the undead army. "Run!"

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