《Target 75 (System Orphans: Claire, Book 2)》 Prologue - One Hundred He probably doesn¡¯t even remember us. Not that it matters. ***** Skulking from one shadow to the next, I followed his path as he walked through the city''s remains. Honed steps, dark clothing, and stealth-related Skills ensured I wasn¡¯t noticed as I trailed behind him. The man¡¯s name was George. A simple name for a simple man. I hadn¡¯t known George firsthand, but I wasn¡¯t going to recognize everyone on the list. One hundred names. One hundred targets. I¡¯d been young back then. I, or should I say ¡®we,¡¯ couldn¡¯t have been expected to keep track of every piece of scum that crossed our path. Let alone the ones that hid behind desks, unable to even look at what they¡¯d signed up for. No, I couldn¡¯t remember George, but if there was anything I could trust in this new world, it was the System. The System hadn¡¯t lied to me yet. George stopped to talk to one of the goons on the street. Some idiot in a beanie and run-down coat, probably handing him some of the money he¡¯d made for the week. George seemed like a connected guy as he walked from shop to shop, chatting and talking with the owners as they closed for the day. I¡¯d only hung around this part of the city a couple of times, but I knew most were crooked in one way or another. Still, most folks were trying to get by. And sometimes, that meant doing things you didn¡¯t want to do to make it to the next day. I couldn¡¯t say the same, but who was I to judge. My day-to-day involved either killing people or waiting to kill people. Finally, George was getting ready to leave as he left the street and walked back to his building. I could¡¯ve waited for longer, but I wasn¡¯t complaining as the night got darker and the streets became barer. George must¡¯ve thought he was untouchable. He walked with a purpose, shoulders back and head held high as if no one would dare try to jump or rob him. Like he was the most powerful man on these streets. Skills could do that to a man, I guess. Make them think they were invincible, that is. I kept following at a safe distance until I noticed George walking down one of the side streets. Picking up the pace and noticing no one else around, I decided this was the best time to strike. Jumping up and onto the nearest roof, I ran directly above where George would be walking. George was still there as I scaled the brick wall, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. Closing in on the ground but still invisible in the darkness of the shadows around me, George stopped and waved his head to the left and right. ¡°Whoever you are, let¡¯s fucking go! I haven¡¯t got all night,¡± he yelled, darting his eyes, trying to find me. By his expression, I knew he still couldn¡¯t tell where I was, but it looked like his paranoia in his previous life had earned him a Skill good enough to notice he was being followed. I contemplated trying again later, but I¡¯d waited long enough already. Another day wasn¡¯t going to help when I didn¡¯t even know what Skill he had. No, George may not have been on my personal kill list, but his death meant one more step towards finding the others. The quest didn¡¯t let me skip names, after all. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. So, too bad for George, but tonight was his turn to die. ***** I threw a dagger towards George. I jumped down as the first dagger plummeted towards him and threw a second directly behind the first. Each dagger didn¡¯t pack much of a punch individually, but each was fast and sharp enough to alert George of my intention as I raced down the wall. Stealth discarded; I threw daggers as I raced to meet George on the ground. A couple of daggers pierced his skin, proving he wasn¡¯t as untouchable as he thought. Most were swatted away as his hands became encased in a hard glowing substance like the boxing gloves of the past. George kept most of his body safe as he leaped away from my raining knives. Still, I hadn¡¯t expected to kill him with thrown daggers, and I was now close enough to strike him up close. He was target 43, after all ¨C George wasn¡¯t going to make this easy. Faster than George could react, I was on the ground, my legs quaking from the quick descent, as I slashed the knife into his thigh. ¡°Fuck!¡± George cried out, feeling the cool breeze on his now bloody and exposed leg. A fist struck out towards me, but I was already behind him, another dagger stuck in the small of his back. Another dagger appeared in my hand as I drove the one in my left hand into his hip. We traded blows up close as he swung around and I dodged his glowing fists. All the while, my daggers ate away at his skin and clothes, his swings wide enough to keep me at a distance, but not fast enough to land. Near screaming in rage, George spun around and tried to grab hold me, but I jumped out of his reach. George was already riddled with holes, some of the daggers still sticking out of him as he realized this was a losing battle. To George¡¯s credit, he could take a hit. Understanding the odds were stacked against him, George finally stopped swinging as he fell to the ground. There, he got his first real glimpse of me amidst the alley''s darkness. In complete black wrapping and with my face covered by a white mask, I knew I probably looked terrifying to George¡¯s disoriented brain. The man knew he was about to die as his blood glistened off his clothes and the one remaining dagger I still held. I manifested a second. The dagger appeared in my left hand, identical to the one in my right. He deserved to see his killer before he died. Stalking towards him, George fumbled to hit his wrist where he had a bracelet with two small baubles. Worrying that he might use them to escape, I threw my daggers, unwilling to lose him when I was already so close. Fuck, I really need to find a better way to stop them from running away. I thought, hoping I wouldn¡¯t be forced to track George down again. The daggers hit their mark, piercing his hand, but they weren¡¯t fast enough to stop him as the baubles cracked and broke on the ground. Two large dogs appeared in front of his failing body, but I was just glad to see it wasn¡¯t a way for him to escape. George didn¡¯t see it, but I was smiling behind my mask. ¡°Get that bastard!¡± George cried, pointing towards me as he slowly stood up and turned to run away. The mutated dogs charged immediately, following their master¡¯s commands. Bulkier than I was and with teeth the size of my daggers, the dogs were George¡¯s trump card in a bad situation. Still, George wasn¡¯t the only one with other tricks to play. ¡®Grim Haste¡¯. The world around me blurred as the dogs took slow steps. Unwilling to risk them getting loose, I turned the daggers in my hands and jumped. A couple precise cuts and a kick to the ground was all it took. I dropped the Skill, the bodies of both dogs lying on the floor beside me. And in the aftermath of the Skill, I only felt slightly exhausted as my path to George was now open and I watched him try to escape. George¡¯s back was to me as he slowly limped towards the other end of the alley. A proud man, George was above screaming for help, but his complete trust in the dogs also made him unprepared for the daggers crashing down into his back. Falling into him like a thunderous crash, his body slammed into the dirt, and George breathed his last breath. I spared a glance at George but quickly climbed back up to the roofs around me. Some might have tried to loot his body, but that wasn¡¯t my goal. I didn¡¯t want people in the neighborhood to think a thief was going around randomly killing people. No, when the City found George, they¡¯d realize this had been targeted. That George had likely gotten in over his head for the last time, that he¡¯d crossed the wrong person, and that person had finally taken their revenge. And as my Quest updated, they would be partially right. George wasn¡¯t on my personal list, but he was complicit, just like the rest of them. And sure, he probably wouldn¡¯t have remembered me. Or any of us. I¡¯d forget about George just as easily. Not that it matters ¨C he¡¯s dead. *****
Quest Updated!
Avenge the other orphans ¨C Kill everyone who actively participated in the program.
Target # 43 terminated.
Targets Killed: 43
Targets Remaining: 57
Next Target Available after ¡®Dungeon duty¡¯ quest is complete.
Chapter 1 - Hello ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Claire!¡± Claire said, stepping in front of the boy crying the loudest. ¡°What,¡± the boy answered weakly. The others in the van turned their heads towards the overly enthusiastic red headed girl. She didn¡¯t mind their glares, pausing and staring at the boy. ¡°Well, what¡¯s your name?¡± She pointed. ¡°It¡¯s sort of your turn. I¡¯m Claire¡­¡± She waited. ¡°John,¡± he whispered, looking up at Claire. ¡°I¡¯m John.¡± ¡°John, John, John, there. I¡¯ve said it three times, so I¡¯ll never forget it. Not ever,¡± she forced a smile, ¡°I lost my mommy too. We don¡¯t have to worry anymore, though, they promised we¡¯d be safe now.¡± I climbed into my window and passed out almost immediately as my head hit the pillow. ***** ¡°Claire, get up now! Claire!¡± Chen banged on the door. She could walk in, it was her place after all, but she¡¯d always tried to give me my space. And as I looked down, blood still on my clothes and still in my ¡®secret outfit,¡¯ I was grateful she¡¯d let me sleep in. She¡¯d probably already seen my gear many times before and assumed that the blood was from monsters, but I appreciated her not bringing it up either way. ¡°Now, Claire! I will not miss gardening with the ladies because you stayed up all night,¡± she banged on the door again. ¡°I¡¯m coming!¡± I yelled, trying to will away the massive headache. I hated mornings. Like with a passion. Chen knows that, but here we are. Standing up, I took off my dark and bloody clothes and changed into my bulkier normal-people clothes. An apocalypse happens and people still look at you funny if you¡¯re covered in blood. Sure, there¡¯s guys who spent the cash to get better protection, but ten years in and people are still in denial. How do you explain this, assholes?
Claire Platt
Class: N/A
Integrated Energy: 23,024
Mana: 230/230
Skills (Unspent Points ¨C 0):
Manifest Dagger (E) ¨C 4 / 25
Improved Physique 3 (E) ¨C 2 / 25
Poisonous (D) ¨C 1 / 75
Hide (F) ¨C 5 / 10
Grim Haste (C) ¨C 5 / 200
Active Quests:
Avenge the other orphans: Kill everyone who actively participated in the program.
Dungeon duty: Defeat four dungeons to unlock next target.
Confirming that a new active quest was there, I finished putting on the rest of my regular clothes and opened the door¡­ where I almost walked straight into an annoyed Chen standing on the other side about to knock again. Part of me wanted to close the door just to annoy her more, but I shrugged past her instead. ¡°Did you get any sleep?¡± Chen turned as I walked past, jumping into Mom mode. She wasn¡¯t my mom, but by God did she try to be sometimes. ¡°Did you make anything to eat?¡± Hungry, I ignored her questions and prayed to the System that she¡¯d made chive pancakes. Portable and delicious, they were spectacular. Chen was many things. A bad-ass Asian woman. A small business owner. An apocalypse survivor. A solid partner to bring with you into a white Ranked dungeon. But above all those things, she was a stellar cook. So good that the system even gave her ¡®Cooking¡¯. Most called it a useless Skill, but they hadn¡¯t tried her chive pancakes. Or her orange chicken. Wow. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. She may not be mom, but damn can Chen cook. ¡°There¡¯s something on the stove, eat it quick. Because of you we¡¯re leaving late, so don¡¯t be surprised when the leeches are there waiting,¡± she said, following behind me down the stairs. ¡°Oh joy,¡± I said, racing down. And praise the System, Chen¡¯s chive pancakes were waiting for me on the stove. Maybe today wasn¡¯t going to be all bad. ***** Ten years, billions of people dead, cities ruined, literal monsters, superhuman abilities, and still (!) these assholes show up every damn day to protest in front of the dungeons. Honestly, a lot has pissed me off about the system, but the protestors are probably top five. Scratch that, definitely top three. And though Chen called them leeches, I honestly think that was doing leeches a disservice. The nearest dungeon was about twenty minutes walking from Chen¡¯s. We could¡¯ve gone to another one, but this one was familiar. And familiar meant safe. Plus, there was no limit on the number of times you could go through this dungeon per month. Some dungeons had a limit. And as soon as people found that out, groups started hoarding those for themselves. If a dungeon had a limit, that likely meant the rewards were better. More integrated energy if you defeated it, more chances to have something good drop, higher difficulty, and maybe more. The whole system was a mystery, so who knew what else we could get. Chen didn¡¯t want to aggravate any of those groups, and I didn¡¯t want to be on their radar either, so we stuck to dungeons that they didn¡¯t care about. The ones that anyone could go into, that didn¡¯t have a limit, and were close enough that we could walk to and still make it back in time for her gardening with the ladies. We turned the corner, and a swarm of protestors slithered their way around the street leading up to the dungeon. ¡°You¡¯re dooming humans!¡± ¡°The aliens will protect us!¡± ¡°Get out of our city, freaks!¡± ¡°Leave the dungeons alone and they¡¯ll leave us alone!¡± ¡°The screens are a LIE!¡± What kept me from throwing a bunch of daggers into the crowd is still a mystery. It wasn¡¯t Chen, since she hated them even more than I did. Scared of what they didn¡¯t know, they¡¯d blocked out years of anguish and somehow found this to be the answer. When humans hadn¡¯t known how to deal with the System and it¡¯s weird messages, monsters started hunting them like prey and thousands died in this city alone. On top of the billions that died in the initial wave around the world. And somehow, they thought us, the people helping to stop that from happening again, were the issue. Absolute idiots. The whole lot of them. ¡°Just keep walking,¡± I whispered, half to myself and half to Chen as I saw her gripping the bat in her hand. I couldn¡¯t give her any of the daggers I created, but I¡¯d offered to help pay for another weapon over the years. She always refused. A bat was effective enough in this dungeon, but people were getting the hang of this System stuff. And that meant there were better options. Expensive options, but still options. And though Chen wasn¡¯t eager to face a yellow dungeon anytime soon, a bat wasn¡¯t going to cut it forever. I¡¯d convince her eventually, but not today. It was too early in the morning for that. ¡°What¡¯re they going to do if a monster appears? ¡®Protest¡¯ it to death? I swear that guy has Skills in ¡®Report Writing¡¯,¡± she said, pointing towards one of the idiots jumping up and down with a sign that said ¡®Faith alone will get us through this¡¯. I chuckled and walked through the street, ignoring the protesters on each side of our path. Like antelope hiding from a lion, at least they knew to stay out of our way. ***** The dungeons all looked similar, pillars of light that shot up out of the ground like beacons to those brave or foolish enough to step inside. And though they didn¡¯t reach the sky, they were impossible to miss from a block or two away. Some even reached higher than the tallest skyscrapers. When they¡¯d first arrived with the System, they¡¯d been different colours, but I couldn¡¯t remember. I had a lot going on at the time. After the System changed a second time, mainly the stark white pillars remained. Chen and I stepped inside, phasing through the gleaming white side of the tower and appearing in a dark room. And as if the protestors hadn¡¯t been bad enough, I was annoyed to see who we¡¯d be grouping with for the day. No wonder Chen was in a rush this morning; we had people waiting. ¡°Claire!¡± Brett exclaimed as we appeared in the staging area. ¡°Really, Chen?¡± I turned and looked at my middle-aged roommate. ¡°I like the kid, sue me,¡± she shrugged, ¡°You and him on a team make sure we make it through the dungeon alive,¡± she said, walking towards Brett¡¯s friend Gill. ¡°Be nice, Claire. And I mean late night after a successful dungeon dive nice, not early morning covered in blood and hangry Claire nice.¡± I sighed, annoyed that she couldn¡¯t have at least told me. There was only one way out of the staging area and I didn¡¯t even bother trying to escape as Bret reached me and started talking. ¡°I¡¯m so happy to see you! I can¡¯t believe we¡¯ll be going into the dungeon together again. These older people expect us to carry them through the dungeons because we got the extra blessing, but it¡¯s still tough, you know? Guys, we¡¯re not even 18 yet, cut us some slack. Right? ¡°What am I saying, of course you don¡¯t know, you¡¯re crazy strong. I always feel so much safer when I¡¯m in there with you,¡± Brett rambled. ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with,¡± I said, walking past Brett and towards the other two. ¡°So, I was wondering,¡± Brett started again. Oh God, I thought, and I must¡¯ve made a face because Brett immediately started to backtrack. Brett laughed. ¡°No, no, nothing like that. I was just wondering again if you¡¯d tell me your other Skills. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re so strong. At least the Rank for your ¡®Improved Physique¡¯. Like we both have the same Skill and yet I feel like you could kill me in a second.¡± I could. ¡°No, Brett. For the hundredth time, I¡¯m not telling you my Skills or their Ranks.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re a team! The more we discuss, the better off we¡¯ll be!¡± ¡°Talk to the city leaders, not me. Maybe they¡¯ll have some useful information to share. I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Those people? As if they even know I exist. And besides, I have you right here, why would I go bother them? It¡¯s just that¡­ I feel like¡­¡± he pondered as he tried to come up with a different reason to pester me again, ¡°¡­we should be sticking together because we¡¯re from the Blessed Generation. Like- ¡° I stopped walking and glared at Brett. ¡°Brett, I¡¯m going to say this one last time and you¡¯re going to stop bothering me about it. No. And there¡¯s nothing about our generation that¡¯s Blessed. Don¡¯t lump me in with that stupid name. I¡¯m not blessed, and neither are you, don¡¯t buy into that bullshit.¡± I stormed off towards Chen and Gill. They¡¯d picked up a fifth for our team, thankfully, and looked ready to go. All dungeons only allowed teams of five or less. At least all the ones I¡¯d ever been into. I could do this dungeon alone, but Chen needed the Integrated Energy. And enough credits for a better weapon. I¡¯d do the other dungeons for the week alone, but I needed to make sure she would be fine if I ever had to leave. Whenever the quest decided that would be. Brett ambled to the group, noticeably quieter as the others prepared their weapons. Then, confirming that our group was ready, Chen announced that the countdown was starting. I sighed, eager to get this over with. Chapter 2 - Insurance Policy ¡°It¡¯s just like gym class!¡± Claire said, breathing heavy as John and Rhett collapsed on the ground. Both boys looked exhausted. Some boys collapsed beside them, but most left for the cafeteria. ¡°Don¡¯t you miss home, Claire?¡± Rhett asked. ¡°I miss my mom, and home a bit, but mostly mom. But Mom would want me to be brave. Plus, I¡¯ve got you both now, right? And we¡¯re in this together,¡± Claire smiled wide. John glanced at Rhett then smirked, ¡°Absolutely.¡± ¡°Help, it¡¯s got my leg!¡± Brett squealed. His leg was barely even bleeding, mind you. Blessed my ass. Hands that burst into fire and somehow, he couldn¡¯t handle a couple rats. The fifth member whose name I couldn¡¯t bother learning came and kicked the giant rat away from Brett¡¯s leg. Brett stopped screaming and he stood up quick enough to dodge the next rat that came running towards the group. Gill jumped to catch the rat and held it down onto the ground as Chen bashed it with her bat, while the other guy cut into it with his knife. ¡°Does the redhead ever help?¡± The fifth member asked, huffing from the effort. I¡¯d probably met them before. I couldn¡¯t remember their name though. Tam? Tim? Jim? Other than Chen, I didn¡¯t really make an effort to learn these people¡¯s names. ¡°She¡¯s our insurance policy, focus on yourself Trevor,¡± Chen said, tapping her bat on the floor to get rid of some of the blood. The giant rat disappeared as Gill and Brett went to finish the last rat in the room. Trevor? Where did I get Jim from? ¡°He¡¯s right, you know,¡± Chen stepped back and whispered to me. ¡°You could help a little bit.¡± I¡¯d been standing in a corner of the room, watching to make sure they were never really in any trouble. And in this dungeon, I didn¡¯t expect they ever would be. ¡°I¡¯m watching out. Brett was fine. And besides, this way you all get more Integrated Energy. I need you stronger, Chen.¡± ¡°As you¡¯ve said,¡± Chen sighed. ¡°But what if I want to make sure you¡¯re safe? I¡¯m old. Even if the System gave me an extra pep in my step, I won¡¯t be around for much longer. And if something were to happen to me¡­¡± Chen looked down, trailing off. ¡°I¡¯d be fine,¡± I said, stepping away from the wall. ¡°And you¡¯ll be fine too. Sure, I¡¯ll help so we get a bit further in. If it gets tough though, hide or stay close to me.¡± ¡°Yeah, thanks,¡± Chen said, snapping out of it and lifting the bat over her right shoulder. I nudged her left shoulder forward and led us towards the group. They¡¯d waited for us. ¡°Woo! You¡¯re going to see some cool shit now Trevor!¡± Brett exclaimed as Gill wrapped a bandage around his leg. Again, no blood to be seen, but¡­ you know what, never mind. ¡°Let¡¯s head to the next room,¡± I said, walking out of the building and towards the next group of buildings. I heard the others following behind, and Gill even stepped ahead of me to try and be at the front. He didn¡¯t need to do that. In fact, he definitely didn¡¯t have the Skills to warrant taking the front over me. But I still appreciated the minor gesture. Maybe I¡¯ll remember Gill¡¯s name from now on too. ***** This dungeon was predictable. Dark buildings were lit up by dim moonlight cascading down from the sky. Each building had a couple windows, but most looked like storefronts you¡¯d see walking along any major road. The city leaders guessed that dungeons mimicked the area they manifested in. We couldn¡¯t know that for sure, but it seemed like a good guess looking at the brick shops lining the artificial road under our feet. The eerily similar street signs also helped¡­ Each shop held monsters for us to fight, which made the encounters easy enough to predict ¨C open a door and kill or be killed. Of course, other than the Quest, nothing in the System was ever reliable. One building might have one giant rat, while another might have twenty. And though the rats weren¡¯t a big deal for me, for someone like Chen or Brett, the right swarm meant death. For every dozen buildings where the rats were confined, another would have a hole in the back for some monsters to get out and roam more freely. Which meant we always had to watch our back, just like any dungeon. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Plus, bosses were supposedly a thing. This wasn¡¯t the group to fight a boss. Hell, I¡¯d never even seen a boss. You¡¯d hear stories, and people would claim they were verified by City Hall, but people lied, and the city post-System was even less dependable than Brett¡¯s fighting abilities. Maybe after I killed a boss, I¡¯d start believing more of those stories. Until then, I had quests to finish and people to kill. Walking through the street, the silence of the dungeon was almost nice. The lights from the stores even made them seem inviting, if not for the monsters waiting to kill us when we went inside. Gill walked up to the next storefront and paused to look back at the team. I checked also, just to make sure Chen was ready. She held her bat at the ready, while Brett¡¯s hands were already aflame. I didn¡¯t know Trevor¡¯s Skills, but he held on dearly to that kitchen knife as we waited for Gill to open the door. Old me would¡¯ve asked him to compare knives. ¡°Opening the door, get ready!¡± Gill yelled, pulling me out of that trainwreck of a thought. I created a dagger in each hand. Gill opened the door, and we immediately heard the screeching of rats. I didn¡¯t wait for any to run out as I ran past Gill, a couple rats, and burst into the room. Ten rats waited for me inside as one ran past me and Gill yelled for me to be careful. One knife plunged into the back of a rat jumping towards me. I left it in the rat¡¯s back and created another one in my left hand. I jumped off the wall and towards a clump of rats huddled together. Throwing both daggers into the group, I created another two daggers and sliced into the closest rat before the rest of the group caught up. Running around the room, I killed six of the rats before the rest of the group even got inside the building and killed their second. Brett and Gill worked on a pair of rats on one side, while Trevor and Chen worked together to bash a single rat on the other side of the room. I watched to make sure they were okay and kicked the last escaping rat back into the building for them to finish off. Dismissing the daggers, the blood from the rats fell to the ground, where most of it dissipated along with the rats body. I walked out of the building and waited for the others outside. Leaning against the front of the shop¡¯s wall, I almost looked forward to entering the next dungeon by myself. It took me away from my main quest, but I liked the silence of some dungeons. The rewards were usually crap in these frequently travelled dungeons, especially compared to what I got from my main quest, but the solitude was nice, at least. The silence got me thinking about the quest and my kill against Target 43 the previous night. I knew the System was using me. I didn¡¯t know why, but I¡¯d made the decision to take this quest a long time ago. And if my quest was still there, I didn¡¯t care if I was being used, since the System was keeping it¡¯s end of the deal. ¡°See Trevor isn¡¯t she amazing! I have ¡®Improved Physique¡¯ too, but I can¡¯t move close to as fast as her! Like what? Claire, you¡¯re a beast!¡± Brett said, completely ruining any silence I might¡¯ve been enjoying. I started walking to the next building. ***** ¡°We¡¯ve got five minutes left,¡± Chen announced. As leader, she received the dungeon messages. Each dungeon had a timer for how long you could stay inside before we were kicked back out to the staging area. Some dungeons were an hour, some ten, most in town were five. That we did know, since the city leaders kept track of the known dungeons in the area, and the information trickled down through the gossiping masses. ¡°Okay, I say we go for one more store. The redhead is making this easy,¡± Trevor said. I¡¯m going to stab him. I glared at Chen instead. Thankfully, she noticed, ¡°Keep calling her ¡®the redhead¡¯ and I have a feeling you¡¯ll be the next one she sticks a dagger into.¡± Trevor looked ready to speak again but remained silent when he glanced over at me and started walking to the next store. Chen shrugged and followed him. ¡°Let us go first, Trevor,¡± Gill said, pushing to the front again. ¡°I¡¯m pooped, are we sure we can¡¯t just call it?¡± Brett asked. ¡°My mana is super low.¡± ¡°Just this last one,¡± Trevor said. ¡°C¡¯mon big boy, open the door.¡± Gill looked back at Chen. She didn¡¯t object, so he stepped towards the door as we all prepared for what might come out. And as soon as he opened the door, I knew we¡¯d made a mistake. The door opened and dozens of rats came rushing out. We stepped away from the door as Gill shook and hit the wave of rats rushing out of the store. His Skill made his skin tougher, so he didn¡¯t look hurt, but he was already overrun by the time I ran forward and started killing rats. Rats kept pouring out as fast as I killed them. And by the time I made enough room for Gill, I looked back to see Chen and Brett doing their best to keep the dozen that¡¯d gotten past me at bay. I left Gill and rushed back towards Chen, throwing dagger after dagger towards the rats. My aim wasn¡¯t perfect, nor did this kill the rats immediately, but¡­ fuck! Why hadn¡¯t I stayed beside Chen! I reached Chen as she swung her bat in all directions. I immediately slashed into any rat that was near her as Brett screamed and frantically waved his fire-coated hands, burning and singing any rat that got too close. ¡°Can we run away?¡± Chen panted and waved her bat haphazardly, obviously tired from the constant stream of rats circling around us. ¡°How much time do we have?¡± I asked. Running wasn¡¯t a bad idea, but I couldn¡¯t help anyone if I couldn¡¯t reach them. Chen was safer now that I¡¯d gotten to her in time, enough rats dead and disappearing around us that she was now resting on her bat. Brett¡¯s ¡®Improved Physique¡¯ kept him active and helping. And though he was bleeding this time, he looked to be okay. Gill¡¯s tougher skin had helped him get back to us as he punched and kicked his way through the rats. And Trevor was¡­ Damn it, I couldn¡¯t see Trevor. I looked around, letting a rat get a bit too close before stabbing my dagger into it¡¯s side. I turned to the side and addressed Chen, ¡°where¡¯s Trevor?¡± Chen looked around. ¡°Trevor?!¡± She yelled, looking around frantically. ¡°Gill, do you see Trevor?¡± I looked around and couldn¡¯t see him. Had he run away in the chaos? Had he been killed and disappeared? No, humans didn¡¯t disappear when they died. The dungeon system made sure we could see our dead. Could I use ¡®Grim Haste¡¯ to look for him? ¡°Five seconds, get ready,¡± Chen yelled. No time. No time. I killed a couple final rats as the timer ticked down.
Times Up: Returning to the Dungeon entrance
I closed my eyes and felt the pull of being transported from the dungeon back to the staging area. The dungeon completion message appeared, but that wasn¡¯t the first thing I noticed. No, the first thing I noticed was the woman whose shrill scream filled the room. At this point, you¡¯d think people would be used to the dead. Still, I guess it was shocking for some. Especially when a dead body appears out of nowhere with parts of it¡¯s face chewed off. I guess Trevor had tried to run away. Chapter 3 - You were supposed to ¡°They said we would be like superheroes. That those voices we heard in our heads give everyone abilities when we turn 12. The adults already have them, but they¡¯re crud because they weren¡¯t ready. They said they¡¯re going to try and help us unlock the best ones! Apparently, the voice said kids are the future,¡± Rhett beamed. ¡°I can be a superhero?¡± John mumbled. ¡°Yeah, all of us! They asked me questions and said they¡¯d decide based on my answers which type of power might be best. I-¡° Rhett said, interrupted as another adult entered the room. ¡°Claire, please join us down the hall,¡± the man announced as another kid joined their group. Claire jumped out of her seat, looking back and forth between the man and her friends as they urged her to hear the good news. She was going to be a superhero! Others rushed over to Trevor¡¯s body while I walked away and sat on one of the benches to check my messages.
Quest Updated!
Dungeon duty: Defeat four dungeons to unlock next target.
Dungeon runs completed: 1
Dungeons remaining: 3
Calculating Rewards¡­
Rewards:
System Credits: 20
Internal Energy: 15 (30)
Rat Meat x 2
Notice: Internal Energy halved due to related quest.
Pretty standard rewards, I thought, dismissing both windows. I¡¯ll get Chen to sell the rat meat since neither of us like the taste. There are more than enough other options now; the city leaders had finally gotten their shit together. No more scavenging from house to house looking for cans. I¡¯d expected more credits, but I guess I really didn¡¯t help much in the beginning. To some, they were valuable, but the System hadn¡¯t given many ways to use them, so most just held onto them or used them to trade for other System rewards. The markets were a bit of a mess, where some clearly abstained from using system credits, while others didn¡¯t take anything but the credits. The Integrated Energy was typical; I earned less because I¡¯d get more when I completed the quest anyways. And though this dungeon was predictable, safe, that also gave us less rewards overall. Oh well, I¡¯ll get more when I do the next dungeon by myself. I should probably say bye to Chen at least before I get going. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I heard someone say while I mused over the dungeon rewards. I looked up to see Brett standing in front of me and glaring down. His hands were clenched, and it looked like he was ready to throw a punch as he waited for me to answer. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Fuck. That. I really wasn¡¯t in the mood to deal with Brett right now. Five hours was more than enough, and I had another dungeon to get to. ¡°Not now Brett, leave me alone,¡± I said, moving to walk past him. He grabbed my arm, ¡°Not now?¡± ¡°Let go of my arm, Brett,¡± I said. A dagger appeared in my right hand. I felt his hand shaking. He didn¡¯t let go. If I feel even the slightest bit of heat, this dagger is going right into his throat. Others were watching us now, but I didn¡¯t care. I hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. Brett was the one being a dick. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Chen ran up beside us. ¡°She let him die. She let Trevor die in there,¡± Brett said, not letting go. ¡°I am no one¡¯s babysitter. He ran off and none of us could find him.¡± ¡°You were supposed to be our insurance policy. And here you are sitting around like his death meant nothing!¡± There¡¯s that insurance policy bullshit again¡­ ¡°You can¡¯t put that on me. You started with the exact same Skill I did,¡± doing my best to keep my anger in check as I glared at Brett, ¡°and news flash, I just met the guy. He died today and someone else will die next week. Why do I care if another guy who I didn¡¯t know dies? Now let go of me or I¡¯m taking your hand off for you.¡± ¡°Claire, that¡¯s enough,¡± Chen said. ¡°Tell him to let go of me then!¡± I shrieked, exhausted and angry at the whole situation. ¡°Brett, let go of Claire,¡± Chen said, and grabbed hold of his arm. ¡°It wasn¡¯t her fault that Trevor died. We all looked for him, but he obviously ran off without us. We were careless at the end. We were rushing since our time was almost up.¡± Chen turned away from me and looked at Brett. A moment passed and I gripped my dagger tighter. For a moment I wondered if Chen would need to find a new regular for her delves¡­ but eventually he let go. I gave Chen a final glance, then stalked off towards the exit. The room had a few others in it, but most were standing around where Trevor had fallen. ¡°You were supposed to protect us,¡± I heard Brett mumble as I reached the exit. I almost turned back to yell at him again but decided against it. I¡¯d dealt with enough for the day. Besides, my Skills were never meant to protect anyone. ***** Five hours later and for some reason the leeching protesters were still outside. I ran as soon as I got out of the dungeon and that seemed to dissuade any of them from stopping me as they blathered on like idiots. I started jogging towards one of my favourite dungeons on the south side of the city near the water as I contemplated how Brett had reacted. How angry he was, but how sad he looked. Chen¡¯s sad eyes as she told him to let go. Chen understood why I couldn¡¯t care, right? I¡¯d never told her what happened, about the quest, but she knew I had more important things to worry about then one more dead guy. I¡¯d never even met him before today. Why was Trevor any different? I reached the street nearest to the dungeon¡­but then I kept running. And at this point I wasn¡¯t even paying attention to where I was going as Brett, Trevor, and Chen each took up space in my thoughts. Thinking of them got me thinking about others though. And then my mind went to darker places as I kept running through the streets, trying to distract my mind enough to stop. Just stop. But the thoughts didn¡¯t stop and inevitably I was thinking about Rhett and John. At that point, Brett, Trevor, and Chen didn¡¯t matter much anymore as I thought about my two best friends. So, I ran faster, willing their faces to leave me alone. To stop haunting me. I just wanted to run. Far away. So, I kept running through the city until my heart pounded and my lungs hurt. And then I kept going. I kept going until it was dark and the thought of going into any dungeon was no longer on my mind. I kept running until Trevor¡¯s body didn¡¯t show up when I closed my eyes anymore. I kept running until Brett¡¯s face didn¡¯t make me want to scream. I kept running until Rhett and John¡¯s smiling faces stopped popping into my head. I kept running until Mom¡¯s¡­. I stopped running. I never felt lost in this city. I¡¯d roamed aimlessly enough times that most places were familiar in one way or another. I felt myself coming out of my daze. I¡¯d run in circles for hours and had a long way to go if I planned to find my way back to Chen¡¯s tonight. Mom¡¯s face stuck in my head as I started my walk back to Chen¡¯s. She¡¯d taught me to be kind, but I always wondered how she would¡¯ve handled this whole new world if she had my Skills. No, the System wouldn¡¯t have given her any of the same Skills. She was genuinely caring and thoughtful. Not like me. She would¡¯ve gotten something boring like ¡®Cleaning¡¯ or something ethereal like ¡®Angelic embrace¡¯. Part of me was happy she didn¡¯t need to deal with the world like it was now. The death. The corruption. She was too good for it all. That¡¯s why I needed to keep Brett at arm¡¯s length. Why Chen couldn¡¯t know everything about me. Why Trevor¡¯s dead body couldn¡¯t be more than a passing thought. They couldn¡¯t see the old Claire. The Claire my mom had raised. The one she¡¯d saved. The kind Claire. Kind Claire couldn¡¯t complete the quest. Kind Claire couldn¡¯t look at Trevor¡¯s chewed on body without blinking. Kind Claire couldn¡¯t kill the people on her list. Kind Claire couldn¡¯t avenge her friends. Kind Claire would never make it in this new world. Kind Claire died when she got thrown away like trash. March 1 Amazon Release! Hey everybody, Hope you''re all doing well! First off, book 2 has been outlined and I''ve written a few chapters. My main focus has been on marketing and editing Book 1, but please know that I haven''t given up on telling the story :). As a result of the work we''ve been doing, book 1 is set to release on March 1st! https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B0BTRTMXCQ I wanted you all to know that there were 16000 revisions made by my editor, but the general storyline has remained the same. So, that means you do not need to read the amazon version if you do not wish to do so. My editor''s goal was to make sure the writing is more active and grammatically correct, while mine was on clarifying components that you all had comments on during the royal road release (e.g. making the stupid decision a little bit less stupid by: clarifying what is being wagered and making sure Claire doesn''t go inside with untested Skills). The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. I enjoyed the first version, but going over your work with a fine-toothed comb is always an enlightening process haha. My plea to you all: if you can, I would be immensely grateful to anyone who could leave a review on amazon. Reviews help, a lot! As such, if any of you enjoyed the book, I would love for you to add a review prior to the release on March 1st. If you don''t feel comfortable doing so, no problem, but thank you to anyone who can. I hope to have news for you all about book 2 mid-year. Until then, wish me luck on the release, and have a great rest of your month! Thank you! J.J. Book 2 - Chapter 0 - Prologue Welcome back, asshole. He shuffled towards the enormous building with his eyes on the ground. His plodding steps echoed against the rough concrete and sounded as loud as a car backfiring against the silent street. My target was a wide man whose shadow stretched from one side of the street to the other as he passed from one lamppost to the next. The few people still out kept their distance, often on their way to do something just as immoral as Oscar. Nothing good ever happened after 2am. The stray thought flickered through my mind. Most of my kills happened late into the night, so I wasn¡¯t so sure. I doubt Oscar would¡¯ve agreed either. No, Oscar seemed like a man that thrived in the darkness as he approached the door of the tall building ¨C a series of storage units all packed into one large multi-storied building. The concept of a storage unit was weird to me. Not because I¡¯d never had much to call my own, but because most people were scraping for everything they could. The world had ended for so many, and yet these people had so many things that they needed extra space to store it all. The fucking gall. I¡¯d been following Oscar for a day. Ideally, I would¡¯ve liked to follow him for longer, but my life had changed ever since we burned down Chen¡¯s house. I¡¯d made a commitment to the City Hall. Commitment or not, though, nothing superseded the quest. I¡¯d lost everything when the world ended, and in its place, I¡¯d received the quest. The quest was my lifeline. And no one could take that away. Not Milly. Not Chen. Not Norman. No one. I¡¯d agreed to work with City Hall, for now, which meant I had even less time for targets. For people like Oscar. Target sixty. Another man about to die.
Avenge the other orphans: Kill everyone who actively participated in the program.
Target 60: Oscar Imon
I¡¯d started the hunt last night, and wouldn¡¯t you know it, Oscar was at this very same storage centre when the quest directed me to him. He definitely slept here. And honestly, it wasn¡¯t an awful idea. From what I¡¯d checked out, each unit could be locked and closed. Sure, it wasn¡¯t likely to be the most comfortable, but I¡¯d seen worse places to live in the city. Oscar left and returned several times through the day. I¡¯d follow him, of course, as he took me on his own tour of the city, passing through markets, parks, and sleazy areas as he met with other assholes. Oscar didn¡¯t stand out as an awful guy. A fat man, he took up a lot of space as he navigated the sidewalk, but his crooked smile and jolly face was almost delightful. Even as he spoke with the people in the market, his roaring laugh kept people engaged and interested in hearing more about the delightful fat man. Often he¡¯d use this opportunity to pick up an extra piece when they looked away, but that was just Oscar. Funny, fat, handsy. Oscar. And so, he stomped to the building, looking back to see if anyone had followed him as he unlocked the front door and stepped inside. A large sack was on his back from all the things he¡¯d purchased. Mostly food and meat, Oscar had money to spare as he bought out some of the best the market had to offer of both monster and regular meat. I still hadn¡¯t figured out why, but he¡¯d bought the same thing every time he went out, going to a different market and grabbing whatever they had that could fit into his large sack. Like a deranged Santa with a big sack of meat on his back, it added to his allure, for some. ¡®Overlooked¡¯ made following after him almost too easy as I jumped off the building, racing to it¡¯s side and keeping out of sight. Slipping into the dark building, I was happy to find they hadn¡¯t fixed the lights in the building. Moving swiftly down a level, I waited around the corner to hear Oscar opening his storage unit. The creaking of the door as it rolled up caused a large noise through the halls as he once again looked left and right. My mask was on already, and I already knew he was alone as I waited to rush towards him. As soon as he walked¡­into¡­the¡­ storage¡­ And I was off. Rushing towards his storage room, Oscar had stepped inside and was getting ready to close the door when I turned on ¡®Grim Haste¡¯ to catch him before he could close it. I reached the door and turned into the room to see Oscar¡¯s eyes bulge as the huge sack of meat fell from his hand and my daggers plunged towards his chest. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. But despite moving faster than Oscar¡¯s face could react, his body seemed to move on its own as a mound of flesh burst out of his shirt, extending towards me and smashing into my two daggers. The two daggers were pushed back by the hard flesh as the skin kept extending and I was thrown back towards the adjacent storage unit. My back hit metal grating and I felt the tough metal dent and as I lost the air in my lungs. Sliding down the metal grating, I heard Oscar groan and looked up to see that the meat had fallen out of the sack. ¡°Fuck! Now you¡¯ve spoiled it!¡± he complained as he noticed the meat on the ground. Weirder still was the pound of flesh sticking out of his chest. As I watched, the flesh contorted and shrunk as it pulled back into Oscar¡¯s body. His fat wriggled and waved as his body reoriented itself from the abrupt change. And somehow, if only by a little bit, Oscar looked a bit smaller. I stood up and multiple daggers circled around me as I prepared to attack Oscar again. I¡¯d been seen and there was no going back now. Oscar looked towards me and looked ravenous as he kicked some meat at his feet and started stomping in my direction. Again, his fat rolled and waved as it moved from his stomach towards his hand. The skin expanded and his hand changed as the fingers got larger and expanded in size. I threw two daggers and sent the others flying towards Oscar, then jumped to the side to create a bit of distance. Oscar blocked his face with his giant mitten of a hand and continued to growl as he moved slowly towards me. Oscar took up half the space in the narrow hallway with his large frame, but I continued to send daggers towards him, sure that none would miss. Each one was swatted away as he stopped walking and used his massive hand to block instead. I sent new daggers, but this time chased after them with ¡®Grim Haste¡¯ as I swept to his right while his hand blocked his face. Now facing his back, I created new daggers with ¡®Hidden Daggers¡¯ and attempted to stick them into his back again. And this time I got slightly further, as Oscar was too slow to match my speed. But just like the last time, as soon as my daggers touched his skin, the fat and muscle beneath expanded outwards and threw me back. I was thrown back again, this time into the open hallway as I righted myself and stood up again. Comically, Oscar turned around and had mounds of flesh ejecting from him in multiple places as he looked down at me again. The flesh sticking out of the shirt at his back retracted again, and I noticed another time that his body was shrinking. ¡°I¡¯d still be hungry after eating you. You¡¯re way too tiny,¡± he chuckled, stomping towards me again, ¡°I¡¯ll have to try another couple markets tomorrow.¡± I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m having trouble killing this guy. I chastised myself again, looking up at the massive man slowly walking towards me as he smiled, no worry on his face. I stood up again, already tired of this fucking fight. I¡¯d learned a lot since my fight against target fifty. And as I looked up at Oscar, I was embarrassed at myself for having to use some of it. Smoke-like shadows started to fall away from my wrists as I made two new daggers. Like ethereal bandages, the darkness fell slightly below my hands and also wrapped around the handle of my dagger. All the while, ¡®Poisonous¡¯ wrapped around each dagger and a green glint melded with the pitch black of the shadows. Daggers spun around me and each one took on the same dark glow as I matched Oscar¡¯s speed and walked towards him. Oscar¡¯s smile was gone now as he saw my demeanour change. Spinning daggers of green and black now moved with my every step as shadows left a trail in my wake. I was using a lot of Skills, and Oscar wasn¡¯t worth the effort, but I was on a deadline and I¡¯d already been humiliated enough. I pushed off the ground and leaped towards Oscar again, speeding towards him as I raced along the metal grating to my left. Daggers flew towards him, but this time he couldn¡¯t just swat them away as two dug deeper into his flesh. Oscar cried out and flailed his arm from side to side as he attempted to dislodge the daggers. And as he panicked, I reached the side of his neck. Instead of plunging this time, I slashed my daggers into his side. And just like the last time, his skin shot out to try and push me away, but I kicked off his arm and landed behind his back. Daggers continued to swirl around both of us as I danced around Oscar, slashing as quickly as I could as I injected him with ¡®Poisonous¡¯. And all the while, his body reacted swiftly to the attacks, trying it¡¯s best to push me away, but with ¡®Grim Haste¡¯ I made sure to move away from the place of attack near instantaneously. I was like a cyclone of death as daggers littered Oscar¡¯s body and his very skin changed in front of my eyes, his body got smaller by the second as each action ate away at his flesh. Two minutes passed and Oscar was waving a hand to try and reach me again, but this time his hand was smaller than ever and though he was still tall, his body was a third of the size. The musty building was only made to smell even worse at whatever Oscar was expelling and the poison that had mixed with his blood. Oscar growled at me like a half-starved dog a final time before falling flat on his face. His body hitting the floor made a clapping sound as the now-loose skin slapped into the tile floor and Oscar went unconscious. I didn¡¯t receive the notification of his death, so I got rid of some Skills and relied on ¡®Apprentice¡¯s Physique¡¯ as I stuck a dagger in his back. His body didn¡¯t even react this time as Oscar laid unmoving on the floor, blood and other fluids all around us and on the walls from our fight. And then, as I thought to stick the dagger straight into his temple, the notification finally appeared.
Quest Updated!
Avenge the other orphans ¨C Kill everyone who actively participated in the program.
Target # 60 terminated.
Targets Killed: 60
Targets Remaining: 40
Next Target Available after ¡®Dungeon duty¡¯ quest is complete.
***** Out of curiosity, I went back to check on Oscar¡¯s unit to see what he¡¯d been coming back to every night. Stepping over the meat, I crept inside and the stench was even more pungent than Oscar as I instantly wished that my mask had scent masking abilities. The unit went back far, only the best for Oscar, as I looked for the source of the smell. Stepping over his arguably too small bed, and pushing aside a large dresser blocking the back, I finally found what I¡¯d been smelling. Mounds of half-rotten and partially eaten meat were kept in a corner of the room, but worse yet were the bones mixed in with the meat. I couldn¡¯t be sure, but not all the bones looked like they came from animals. That thought was almost confirmed as I scanned the other side of the room and found two teenage boys cowering in the opposite corner. As if the last couple months hadn¡¯t been complicated enough. Book 2 - Interlude – Athena’s Bronze Statue ¡°See Alexander, he¡¯s still asleep and it¡¯s almost noon. You need to talk to your son because I¡¯m tired of being the bad guy here. He¡¯s twenty-three years old for God¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°What do you expect me to say that we haven¡¯t already Penelope?¡± Her husband answered. His fist rubbed against his right eye as he felt a headache coming. ¡°Get him to take his life seriously! He can¡¯t live in our basement polishing these gosh darn sculptures the rest of his life,¡± the woman grabbed one of the smaller statues and started to wave it around. ¡°Look at this thing, I swear I see a different one every time I come down here. Where is he getting the money to keep making them?¡± A young man, Arie Ganas, jumped out of his mattress as he heard her fumble around with the statue. ¡°Careful with that,¡± Arie said, and grabbed the statue of Dionysus out of his mother¡¯s hand, ¡°you keep giving me shit, but one day these statues are going to make us all rich.¡± ¡°Language, Arie!¡± his mother exclaimed. Alexander put his hand on his wife¡¯s shoulder and slowly stepped in front of her, ¡°Arie, your goals are lofty, and we know you¡¯ve always been ambitious, but what harm is there in getting a job?¡± ¡°I have a job,¡± Arie said, grabbing a pair of pants to put on. ¡°Yes, but working in a paint shop isn¡¯t going to help pay off your debts. We see the letters; we hear the phone calls. We won¡¯t be around forever, and we want to see you set yourself up for success,¡± Alexander continued. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I get it. I just don¡¯t buy into all this corporate bs. Sitting behind a computer all day. Performance reviews. Office Politics. Celebrating the two weeks of vacation and hoarding them like they¡¯re gold. That¡¯s you guys, not me.¡± ¡°That corporate b.s. is what paid for art school,¡± Penelope stated, ¡°It¡¯s what let us go home to visit Greece whenever we wanted. That corporate b.s. adds stability to your life so you can do the things you want to do, like sculpt and do art. ¡°I swear it¡¯s those kids from the art school that got this crud into your head. Those rich kids have never had to work a day in their lives, and now you think that¡¯s a reasonable way to live,¡± she finished. ¡°Okay, I hear you both, I¡¯m going to go now.¡± ¡°Arie, we¡¯re trying to talk to you,¡± his dad said. ¡°And we talked,¡± Arie answered, ¡°But I¡¯ve gotta get to that job. You know, the useless one that¡¯s just there to supplement my unimportant goals.¡± ¡°I never said that.¡± Arie ducked past his dad and reached his mom on the stairs. ¡°We just hate seeing your life fall apart like this, Arie,¡± his mom said as she teared up, ¡°I can¡¯t keep watching you throw away your life. No one should need to declare bankruptcy in their early twenties. Where did I go wrong? What can I do to help you? I just want you to be happy¡­¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I know, mom, but happiness is different for everybody,¡± Arie sighed and grabbed his mom¡¯s shoulders, ¡°You want me to be happy by buying into ideas that don¡¯t match my own, but wearing a noose around my neck and sitting down for half the day sounds like a death sentence.¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t keep living like this.¡± ¡°And I won¡¯t. But I refuse to not have fun in this life. I refuse to let my freedom slip away because I¡¯m worried about things like my future. So the way I see it, we have two options. One, you let me figure it out and deal with the consequences as they come. Or two, you force your own ideals on me. With one, I¡¯m free to make it work or fail, but either way I did it on my own terms, and with the other I¡¯m miserable.¡± ¡°No one wants you to be miserable, Arie,¡± his dad jumped in. ¡°Then freedom it is,¡± he gave a thumbs up to his dad, ¡°Which is always my favourite option. ¡°Bye mom and dad.¡± ***** Arie didn¡¯t have a job at a paint store. Not anymore, anyways. That¡¯d fallen through a couple weeks ago when he came to another shift hung over. As it turned out, artistic shills were just as bad as corporate ones, and ¡®a workplace is not your personal hang out spot¡¯. ¡°Holy shit, that is beautiful, Arie,¡± the young woman complimented, pointing at Arie¡¯s latest art piece. His largest piece of art to date, he¡¯d finished the bust last week and was now working on her head. ¡°Is it someone I¡¯d know?¡± ¡°Thanks, it¡¯s the Goddess Athena,¡± Arie said. The cast had come out clean, but her braided hair had a bunch of small details that needed to be worked out. And if he was being honest, the real-life human was making it a bit hard to concentrate on his work. ¡°Another one, eh. You really love those Greek Gods and Goddesses,¡± she laughed, ¡°How long does this one take to do? I was planning to go get an early lunch and though you might want to join.¡± ¡°The wax mold takes the longest, but I¡¯ve actually still got a lot left to polish. It could take the whole day and then I still have a lot more to do after that. Not today.¡± ¡°Your loss¡­¡± she winked and left the studio. While hard to resist, Arie really wanted to get back to fixing his cast after dealing with his parents that morning. The woman, Sharon, was the owner of his shared workspace. An artist herself, they¡¯d met at the paint store and hit it off. A free space to keep working was worth a couple interruptions a day. The next couple of hours passed as Arie set to working on his latest bronze statue. Another ohmage to Greek figures, this statue was of Athena. The personification of righteousness, Athena was beautiful, and Arie knew he needed to make everything about her look perfect. In fact, all of Arie¡¯s sculptures were of Greek Gods and Goddesses. A series of groups given the autonomy to rule over their domains and with the freedom to act as they chose, Arie saw nothing more perfect than their existence. And with each statue, Arie hoped to commemorate a small part of what made them perfect. It didn¡¯t pay anything, yet, but that was because people lacked vision. These statues had been made for a thousand years, and the most valuable would be preserved for another thousand years to come. And he was going to be one of the people whose name stood alongside them in museums. Soon. Arie was going to go down in history for his bronze statues. He¡¯d pay off his debts. He¡¯d move out of his parents house. He¡¯d buy a studio of his own. He¡¯d be free. Arie continued grinding and sanding away at the head of Athena when a message appeared in front of his eyes. A voice started to speak in his ears and for the next few minutes Arie¡¯s life changed. Not for the worse, however, like so many. To Arie he saw a path to the freedom he¡¯d always longed for. A path where people got to live how they chose. A path of freedom. ***** Humans. We have been watching you for a long time. The System has realized that your integration cannot wait any longer. Please know that this is not an invasion. The voice you are hearing is that of a herald, disclosing the System¡¯s purpose so you are better prepared for what is to come. All humans over the age of twelve are seeing and hearing this message, so that no one is left unaware. With the pleasantries aside, let us begin. Book 2 - Chapter 1 - Delegate I kill people. A name appears and I act without questioning it. The quest is always right. These people were once part of something terrible and I am now the villain in their stories. But villain or not, I couldn¡¯t leave these two in the back of that storage unit. ¡°He¡¯s dead, you can leave,¡± I said, leaving my voice at a near whisper and sticking to the shadows of the unit. The boys weren¡¯t shackled, but whatever Oscar was doing had been enough to keep them stuck in place. I sighed, tempering my voice a bit. They were scared and I was a dark figure covered in blood with a white mask covering my face. For all I knew, they¡¯d heard or seen parts of fight. ¡°Guys,¡± I said, still quiet but softer this time, ¡°I¡¯m not here to hurt you, but I also can¡¯t take you with me. All I know is that you can¡¯t stay here. Who knows what other people are staying here or were with Oscar. You need to leave.¡± One boy looked at the other for confidence as they stayed huddled together in their corner. But the more I spoke, the more their shivering stopped as they realized I wasn¡¯t there to do them harm. It took a couple minutes of waiting, but the first boy stood up, prompting the second boy to do the same. He stepped away from the wall and I walked out into the moon-lit hallway as well, looking back to see that they were following behind. ¡°Do you have somewhere to go or someone waiting for you?¡± I asked. The first boy looked no older than me. And though the one at the front was a bit pudgier, the bruising and dirt along their bodies made it clear that they¡¯d been heavily mistreated. The older boy shook his head, but looked more resolute in his answers as we walked outside and he saw Oscar face planted on the floor. ¡°The exit is that way,¡± I pointed, ¡°But I recommend waiting until the sun comes up to walk around in this area. You should be able to leave through the front door. Do you know anything about the city?¡± ¡°Yes, we were staying in the ¨C ¡° the boy started to answer. ¡°No, I don¡¯t need to know the details. If you need help, go to the City Hall. I¡¯ve heard they have places for orphans and kids to be safe. Wait a couple hours towards the front of the building, then head there. They should keep you safe.¡± The boy seemed eager to ask more questions, but I didn¡¯t hear them as I jogged to the exit. I made sure the door could be opened, then ran out into the fresher air. Away from the boys. Away from my latest target. And away from another thing that could distract me from the quest. ***** I quickly found my backpack and changed out of the black clothes and mask. The fluff of the large sweater felt heavenly as I crept out of the skin-tight clothing. My mind kept thinking back to the orphaned boys in the storage unit, but I pushed those thoughts away. There were people out there willing to help and save the weak and helpless. That wasn¡¯t me. I had enough of my own trauma to worry about. I stuffed the clothes into my pack and quickly jogged back towards what I was calling my hideaway house. An abandoned house near the City Hall where I could leave my backpack, I¡¯d realized the place was vital after some people at City Hall started trying to make their way into my provided room. Now, the dorms at City Hall weren¡¯t some five-star hotel with maids coming to clean our rooms every day, but I¡¯d been taken aback by the lack of privacy. They¡¯d come to check if I was okay, but it was too easy. They¡¯d been told off several times, but I couldn¡¯t risk being found out by another straying eye while I was off battling a dungeon. So, I chose to keep my mask in another place altogether, picking it up before every target kill. Now it was just a race against the sun as I tried to sneak in before people started their day. Oscar had taken longer than expected and I almost didn¡¯t make it back in time, as I passed by several market clerks readying for the day and people started to litter the streets. Thankfully, it was still only the earliest of crowds and I rounded to the back of the house, checking and seeing only one person on a bike turning the corner. The windows were poorly boarded, while the brick was worn and weathered. Inside had been made near inhabitable by the scores of people that had made their way through the building in search for easy food and shelter. Since it was so close to downtown, it had been an easy place to scavenge, but no one lived there now as people focused on more habitable housing for all the displaced people. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Walking to the back of the house, the rising sun was a bit of a pain, but I jogged to the side of the rotting deck and moved aside some of the latticed wood to expose my hiding spot. Other than a few rats that had once called this place home, I felt confident no one would go looking underneath the deck. Placing my bag inside and making sure everything was covered up again, I hopped over a fence in the back and made my way towards City Hall. It wasn¡¯t home, but it was the closest real shower and the best sleeping option I had, for now. ***** The city hall was the same as it¡¯d been all those months ago when I¡¯d first come here with Chen. The ¡®TORONTO¡¯ sign was still toppled over, and someone had even gotten to the second ¡®O¡¯, leaving only three letters behind. The city of ¡®TOT¡¯ had a nice ring to it. I walked up the stairs and wasn¡¯t even surprised to see the leeches complaining to guards at the front of the building already. They¡¯d recently changed the rules, asking the ¡®protesters¡¯ to stay outside the front of the building behind a barricade. They were an eye sore for those trying to make their way inside, but at least they were out of the way. Compromises. In fact, ever since moving in, I was learning every day that running a city after the System was a balancing act. I rarely saw Milly anymore, as she was always busy putting out one fire or another. Even Norman was a busy man, rarely joining teams to go dungeon diving or doing their challenge dungeons with them, but there were often other things to do in a city of¡­ millions? The prospect of millions still living in Tot seemed unlikely, but with the number of people arriving from other cities all the time, I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if we¡¯d surpassed a million again. Still, I might not have seen Norman or Milly as often, but that didn¡¯t mean they didn¡¯t keep me busy. Placed on several dungeon teams to determine ¡®compatibility,¡¯ I was often out fighting dungeons daily. Plus, I sometimes trained and sparred with a few of those teammates. Again, to create comradery with my possible teammates. Supposedly. It was all I could bear, and more than once I¡¯d almost gone back on my agreements altogether. Chen kept herself busy, but those were the times I needed her the most. Often it meant calming me down after one of the idiot teammates said something stupid or tried to press too hard. Hence the compromise. I compromised by not sticking a dagger in their eye socket whenever they asked me about my life before City Hall. They compromised by keeping their distance. And while my role in it all was complicated and frustrating, Milly often assured me that they had bigger plans for me. Plans that she said I wasn¡¯t ready to hear yet, whenever she pulled herself away from paperwork and running a city. I exhaled and felt the fire in my throat leave with it. I could feel my face turning hot and my mind going hazy as I let my frustrations take over. The ever-busy main lobby calmed me some. Preparing to take on another day of refugees and lost souls, everyone in that room was there to help. And though I didn¡¯t love being part of their process, I couldn¡¯t fault Milly or the rest of the City leaders for trying to recover. I¡¯d gone through the front door hoping to see Milly, and got lucky as I saw her huddled with a group of people beside one of the main counters. I walked over to our benevolent City Owner and stood to the side as I waited for them to stop their chat. That didn¡¯t take long as Milly smiled, then said goodbye and good luck to the group. I rushed to her side after. ¡°Claire,¡± she said, noticing me, even as she already had her head into her next set of papers. ¡°Amelia,¡± I answered. She hated being called that. Milly stopped walking and looked up at me, ¡°I¡¯m busy, Claire. Someone attacked one of the north-east markets over the weekend and we¡¯ve got to go start investigating. What do you need?¡± ¡°Any news on those plans of yours? I feel like I¡¯ve kept up my side of the bargain so far,¡± I said, staring down at her. ¡°You¡¯ve been doing the same thing as before, Clare: fighting dungeons. Now you¡¯re just doing it with teams of our choosing. While it¡¯s appreciated, you know that isn¡¯t the bulk of our bargain. When I have more details to share, I will, but Norman believes you¡¯re not ready yet.¡± She started walking again. I followed after her, not done yet. ¡°When will that be?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t say soon but know that I want it to happen soon. Norman believes you aren¡¯t ready yet.¡± ¡°Ready for what? How the fuck can I know if I¡¯m ready if you don¡¯t tell me what for!¡± I answered, tired and frustrated by the circular statements. Milly stopped again, looking both at me and the people around us now watching our conversation. ¡°Claire, he¡¯s looking for you to stop being so selfish. Multiple different teams, and despite all our efforts, you don¡¯t seem to work well with most of them. Prove to Norman that you can work with others and he¡¯ll likely believe you¡¯re ready. I want your help, but I can¡¯t do this alone. I need you to try, Claire. Without that small measure of effort, you¡¯re left taking on those white ranked dungeons. Which is a waste for both the city and for our teams.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask to work with any of those people.¡± I muttered, but Milly ignored me. ¡°I¡¯ve answered your question, can I please go now, Claire? I truly am very busy.¡± ¡°Fine, one last thing,¡± I started to whisper, ¡°I was out west last night and I came across a couple of boys stuck in a storage unit. I told them to find their way to City Hall, but it¡¯s a far walk. If you leave quick enough, you might catch them. It was Apple storage up Dundas past Dufferin mall. The front door is red, and they were in unit 143. They¡¯re probably not there anymore, but who knows what else you¡¯ll find¡­¡± Milly was paying closer attention now. ¡°And can you tell me what or who else we might expect to find?¡± She asked, pointedly. At least she had the grace to whisper this time. ¡°I didn¡¯t check the other storage units; you should take a look just in case. Quick, quick, Milly, they¡¯ve probably already started walking and who knows what type of people might find them at this time of day.¡± I started walking towards the stairs to my room. I heard Milly huff behind me, likely happy to help but annoyed at another thing to add to the list. I probably wasn¡¯t helping her attitude much either. Milly didn¡¯t follow me as she called over an aid and added another task for her team. Milly was a good person, I¡¯d seen that firsthand. My standards weren¡¯t high, but I knew she¡¯d take care of it properly. And with that, I can now sleep. Book 2 is out today on Amazon - please help spread the word! Hello! Book 2 releases today on Amazon, and I anticipate crickets lol. If you are able, and if you read book 2, please add your review on Amazon. It helps and I would be eternally grateful! Sorry for using a chapter this way. I hope you all have a great week, J.J. Here''s the sales pitch for anyone who wants to check out the edited version, with link:
Target 75 releases TODAY on
Don''t be Distracted. Trust the Quest. Kill your Target.
The second book in this post-apocalyptic & LitRPG assassin fantasy continues where the first left off as Claire continues her quest to kill 100 targets... but this time, other forces are at play as Target 75 begins to fight back against a city harbouring Claire. In book 2, we see how Claire''s actions start to affect the city around her and how she is forced to feel even more ostracized.
Does she keep killing if it means innocent people¡¯s lives are at stake?
Will she buck the Quest rules if it means killing the targets quicker?
What and who else is she willing to lose for revenge?
Through it all, the book continues to pump out a ton of action, new abilities, more dungeons, more targets, and a badass assassin named Claire. With a high rating for book 1 and fantastic feedback for book 2 already, check out the series today!
PLUS book 1 is only 99c this week!
Thanks to anyone who checks it out :)
Quick update - Im still around :) Hello! Someone sent me a private message and I thought you all deserved an update as well - sorry it''s taken me so long! First off, yes, I''m still working on Claire. Book 3 was already meant to be out on KU, but I missed my self-imposed deadline. I''m writing book 3, but it''s very slow going - I''m on chapter 18/19. Further to Claire, I don''t know if I''ll post book 3 on RR. I haven''t decided yet, and I need to focus on finishing the book first. As you''ll have seen, the book didn''t do well financially, but I''m chugging along because I believe in the story. Book 2 comes out on Audio sometime this summer, actually - I''ll lose more money overall, but I really love Claire and her story. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. With that said, two major things have slowed down writing for Claire. First, my wife had a baby (and we''re about to have a second in July!). Babies take up a lot of time, apparently haha. Second, I needed to make some money so I wrote the beginning of my third series ''Don''t Combust''. It isn''t releasable yet, but I''m also funding a comic/webcomic for it. Episode 1 of that comic can actually be found on Kickstarter right now: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jjthornbooks/dont-combust-the-comic-series-episode-1?ref=9oijk4 Anyways, sorry again for the major delays. Lots of life stuff. I hope you get to read and enjoy Claire book 3 one day soon :). J.J.