《The Eldritch Alchemist [LitRPG Apocalypse]》 Chapter 1 - [Vinzadir Koravin] Rain fell upon desert sand. Far to the west of the continent of Vairekhor, a storm had formed over the Demon Wastes for the first time in millennia. Only a dark ritual of great power could cause such a disruption in the natural world. A single castle sat in the center of this rain-drenched desert, and the sound of battle rang out for miles in all directions. Spells crashed into unsuspecting victims, blade crashed against blade, and the frantic staccato of rapid gunfire filled the air. Standing on the high castle walls above the battle, I was engaged in pitched combat against Primera, the Sorceress of Veltruse and First General of Octavians Army. We had fought before, and our current duel was going just as poorly for me as the last one. My revolver barked like a hound sent by the god of thunder, and the flash from the barrel periodically lit Primeras lithe elven form. In the space of a few seconds, I fired three bullets, emptying the cylinder of my first revolver. The first shot missed its mark, but the next two hit their targets and burrowed into Primeras hardened flesh. The Sorceresss nature made my bullets less effective than they should have been, but they still drew blood. Unlike her boss, Octavian, she was not completely immune to mortal weapons. Blood began to drip from Primeras mouth as she faltered backward. For a moment, I dared to hope that she would fall from the high wall, but she caught herself after a step. Oh my, Primera said in a voice dripping with Enchantment magic that I had long learned to resist. A malicious giggle escaped her mouth, providing a brief glimpse into the true monster underneath the surface. You should learn to respect your betters, boy! Primera pointed her staff toward me and shouted the incantation for her spell. It was a spell that I knew well. The many War Mages I had met on my travels used this spell frequently. My familiarity with the spell didnt mean it would hurt any less. Perur! I tried to dodge the coming attack, but I was not fast enough. Unlike my companion, Slader, I was never able to completely dodge such spells. A bolt of lightning shot out of Primeras staff and raked my flank. Tendrils of electricity arced across the leather armor I wore on my chest and the long black overcoat I wore over my shoulders. The attack almost knocked me off my feet, but I was able to remain standing with grit and willpower. My second revolver flew to my free hand, and I fired three more shots at Primera. She seemed to have finally tired of my projectiles piercing her skin, so she raised a hand, and a shimmering barrier of energy interposed itself between us. As the first two shots slammed into the barrier, I couldnt stop the malevolent smile from coloring my expression. The third shot of my second revolver struck Primeras shield, and the glittering elven magic motivating that barrier contorted like soft clay in the hands of an infant. She barely had enough time to notice that something was wrong before she was infected through the arcane link she shared with her spell. Her own body began to twist and crack as she began to scream. Primera fell to the ground, contorted by the magical backlash coursing through her body. She let out a shrill scream of pain like a dying animal and writhed wordlessly on the ground, trying to understand what had just happened. The glamour covering her whole body disappeared, and I could see the dark red skin and curled horns of her true form. I had known of her true form for a long time, but this was the first time I had seen it. Primera was a half-demon, the unholy offspring of an Incubus and a human woman. Such creatures were almost always evil, and I had found that a preliminary strike was usually called for when they were involved. What did you do to me!? Primera demanded as I replaced the cylinder of my first revolver with one that was fully loaded. That was a Mage-Hunter bullet. It twists magic until the latent mana present in the caster also begins to rebound. I learned from our last fight, and I knew that we had no chance against your organization in a fair fight. Too many powerful mages. An idea struck me, however, when you guys released the Spellblight back in Drazheim. What would happen if I put the Spellblight in a bullet? A look of terror and disgust covered Primeras face. With great effort, she rose to her feet and drew a scimitar. You infected me with the Spellblight? Ill kill you, Vinzadir Koravin!" In the time it took her to cross the distance between us, I holstered my second revolver and drew a razor-sharp dueling knife from my belt. Primera swung at me with all the force she could muster, but I easily parried the blow. In spite of my preference for firearms, I was still a Fighter. I wouldnt lose to a Mage in a hand-to-hand fight. Primeras close proximity to me made me grateful that I wasnt a Mage. The Spellblight coursing through her veins was contagious, and it would spread to any nearby spellcaster.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Three more shots punched into Primeras midsection, and she stumbled back. She faltered but would not fall, causing me to clench my teeth in frustration. My window to get into position was running out quickly, and I only had a few seconds left to kill her. My muscles tensed, and the release of lactic acid caused my body to burn as I activated my ability [Adrenaline Surge]. For a few seconds, my entire body entered a state of anaerobic strain. Three gunshots filled the air with such alacrity that they sounded like a single drawn-out bang. Three bullets struck Primera in the neck with almost pinpoint accuracy. Blood splattered into the masonry surrounding us, and she fell from the wall. The half-demons corpse fell more than thirty feet before disappearing into the dark shadow cast by that castle wall. I returned my empty revolver to its holster. With a sigh, I said, I just wish I was able to make more than two of these. From the bandolier around my belt, I withdrew a single cartridge made for a rifle. In my hand, I held the only Mage-Hunter round left in existence. It was our secret weapon against Octavian. Beneath the tall castle wall I stood upon, two mercenaries clashed against a man dressed in a white toga. The two mercenaries were my companions: Slader the wood elf Assassin and Elstine the half-elven Paladin. The man they fought was Octavian, the leader of the Lords of Desolation and devil from the deepest ring of the Seven Hells. Octavian had worn the skin of a human for so long that he had forgotten his original form. The Fifth General of the Lords of Desolation, Quintus, already laid dead on the steps leading up to Octavian. The silver flames still smoldering across his body told me that Elstine had slain him with the power of her god. Steadying my aim against a nearby parapet, I chambered the remaining Mage-Hunter round in my repeating rifle and leveled my sights on Octavians head wreathed in golden laurels. The three warriors clashed several times, but I did not see an opportunity to take my shot. My bullets had no chance of piercing Octavians skin. He was immune to all mundane weapons, but the magic blades held by Slader and Elstine would cut him just like anyone else. Despite this, I knew an opportunity would arise soon, so I waited there with my rifle pointed at the demon. With a sword held in each hand, Slader struck at Octavian, who dodged both attacks with the grace of a trained fighter. Octavian struck back at the wood elf with a rippling blade of energy. The blade cut through the stone beneath them like a hot knife through butter, and Slader was barely able to dodge the attack at the last second. Elstine charged forward and brought her greatsword down with great force. As that zweihander flew through the air, it ignited with radiant flame. The blow would have struck Octavians neck, but a shimmering field of energy appeared, causing the attack to crash to the ground harmlessly. There it was. My opportunity was revealed, and I wouldnt let this hard-bought opening pass by in vain. My finger smoothly pulled the trigger back, and my rifle fired. An enchanted iron bullet through the air, arcing for more than a hundred feet, striking Octavians barrier directly in the center. Hearing the bang of my rifle and seeing the disturbance in Octavians Shield, Elstine frantically retreated from the location of impact. A look of confusion passed over Octavians face a moment before his body began to twist and writhe. In an instant, Octavians true form was revealed: a tiger-headed demon with reversed hands. The rippling blade came apart at the seams, and Octavian was struck by the backlash. Before the demon was able to react or comprehend his present situation, Slader charged him. Screaming at the top of his lungs, Slader brought both of his swords into Octavians chest. The twin blades pierced deep into Octavians body, and something deep within the demon snapped. Slowly, Octavian began to crumble to dust, and he collapsed into a gray pile of undifferentiated ash. Slader let out a roar of victory, and I leaned back and let out a sigh of relief. It was real. It was finally over. Octavians host of demons fled in fear when they learnt that their leader had been slain, and a cheer went up among the allied forces of Vairekhor. Slowly, in an attempt to not exacerbate my existing wounds, I made my way off the castle wall and approached my two companions. Hell yeah! Slader shouted in joy. I cant believe we actually did it, Elstine said with tears in her eyes. Its real, I said with a smile. Hes dead. After a hundred years of war, well finally be able to see an era of peace. Slader grabbed both my and Elstines shoulders with his hands. His excitement was infectious, and I found myself grinning like an idiot. I think Ill call it there. Suddenly, I was no longer standing in the courtyard of a massive castle. I was sitting in the basement of an old academic building alongside three other college students. Where Slader had stood a moment before, there was Carlos, a computer science major and basketball fanatic. The thick aviators he wore everywhere did nothing to conceal the excitement he felt. Where Elstine had been a moment before, there was Elizabeth, a biology major and the only woman in the RPG club who would put up with the off-color jokes told by Carlos and myself. Though Elstine was a physically-imposing presence that stood at about the same height as Vinzadir and Slader, Liz was just barely five feet tall. I was no longer Vinzadir Koravin. Once more, I was Vincent Blackwell, third-year law student and man with an unfortunate penchant for Hawaiian shirts. In my defense, the designs were cool. Standing behind a thick paper DMs screen was John, a religious studies major and man who was tasked with corralling the chaos of our group. He was the one who had just spoken, pulling me back to reality. I tried to keep the disappointment out of my expression. The triumph of Vinzadir Koravin was over, and it would soon be time for me to return to my normal life. Chapter 2 - [Cheap Vodka] All right, John said. Thats it for this session. Did you see that!? Carlos shouted as he pumped one fist into the air. He was so shocked by the Anti-Mage bullet that I was able to [Backstab] him. You cant cut me with a magic lightsaber when youre dead, bitch! Carlos pointed his finger mockingly at the two-inch-tall miniature laying sideways on the game board. Octavians model had been knocked over to indicate that he had been slain. Those Spellblight bullets were a great idea, Vincent, Elizabeth said. How did you come up with that? I dont know, I said, scratching my cheek meekly. You got it from an anime, didnt you? Carlos said with a smile. I can neither confirm nor deny the veracity of that statement, I said, defaulting to lawyer-speak in my equivocation. Maybe you should wait until youre actually a lawyer before you start talking like a President, Elizabeth said. Speaking of which, John interjected, cutting our conversation short, Id like to run one more session to end the campaign. I want to run the next hundred years and see what your characters do with the rest of their lives. Rest of their lives Carlos trailed off. Thats a bit heavy, man. John shrugged. You guys have been adventuring for the past two years and killed every one of Vairekhors problems that cant be handled by the local militia. The world wont have to deal with another threat on your level for the next hundred years. Well, Vinzadir will be dead by then, Elizabeth said, looking at me with a mixture of sympathy and mockery. Damn elves, I said with a smile. You guys live too long. I guess youll just have to deal with my dozens of grandchildren. Dozens of gunslinger grandchildren, Carlos muttered with a smile. How horrifying. Elizabeth looked at the corner of the room, her eyes wistful. Elstine will probably settle down after a few years. Sure she will, Carlos said sarcastically. What do you mean by that? Liz shot back. All Im saying is we all saw how Elstines attempts to flirt with the Prince went, Carlos said with a smile. I believe it ended with the line, I like you as a friend. Elstine gets more action than both Slader and Vinzadir combined! Elizabeth responded without hesitation. Our campaign had been running for more than a semester before I realized that Liz could be just as crass as Carlos or me. Before that point, I had viewed her as one of the popular kids who was only a temporary visitor to our campaign. Much to my delight, under that polished exterior, she was just as imperfect and vulgar as the rest of us.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. And I suppose he goes to a different school? Carlos chuckled. John cleared his throat and spoke once more. We should figure out a good time to hold this session. Are you all free at the same time next week? Unfortunately, circumstances forced me to raise my hand and say, Sorry, but that wont work for me. Exams at the Law School start a week earlier than the others. I have my Workers Comp. Exam that Monday, and I really need to spend that whole weekend in the library. Thats fine, John said. Ill just put a form in the Discord, and everyone can fill out their schedule over the next two weeks. Works for me, Carlos said with a shrug. The four of us left the basement of Dey Hall on the northern campus of UNC. Im fairly certain we werent supposed to use those big empty classrooms for our RPG sessions, but nobody ever stopped us, and they didnt lock the doors to the building until the morning after we held our weekly meetings. Night had fallen hours before, and the quad next to Dey Hall was lit by more than a dozen bright streetlights. I followed Carlos onto one of the many brick walkways that crossed Polk Place, and Wilson Library loomed beside us. The librarys marble pillars and gargantuan dome seemed almost monstrous in the artificial lighting. Wilson had always seemed more to me like a castle than a library.
Sladers dark hood and leather armor concealed his form well in the darkness of night. Though the ascended torches cast us all in a bright orange glow, he melded into the darkness like a phantom. Perhaps it was the elven cloak he wore that allowed him to scatter light and conceal himself so well. Hey, guys. My roommates and I are throwing an end-of-term party at my place. You guys are welcome to come, Slader said with an uncharacteristically relaxed posture. I was Vinzadir once again. It was an inopportune time, so I closed my eyes tightly and slowly began to count. One two three.
When I opened my eyes, the long black cloak and leather armor was replaced with a Hawaiian shirt worn as a short-sleeve jacket, a graphic T-shirt, and plain jeans. I was Vincent. In my moment of confusion, Elizabeth responded, and I only caught the second half of her statement. ...be alcohol at the party? Of course, Carlos said, offended at her insinuation that he would throw a party without alcohol. Sure, Ill take some of your booze, Liz said. Cautiously, I said, Ill go if I can crash at your place overnight. You okay with the couch? Of course. What about you, John? Carlos asked. Sorry, but I need to get back and feed my animals. Ill see you guys next week, though. See you then, Carlos responded. After we said our goodbyes, John went east, and the rest of us went north. Carlos, Elizabeth, and I took my 2007 Honda Accord over to Carlos home about a mile to the north. With the slow-moving traffic endemic to the center of UNCs campus, walking probably would have been faster, but I had to move my car before it got towed. In less than an hour, I was sitting on a couch with a red solo cup filled with cheap vodka. Someone else might have found the accommodations offensive, but the cheap alcohol and cramped space of Carlos living room filled me with nostalgia. I wondered if that would be the last time I ever attended a college party. I was correct, of course, but not for the reason I thought. Within twenty-four hours of that moment, UNC would be destroyed, and the concept of colleges as I knew it would be changed forever. Chapter 3 - [Dungeon King] Elizabeth took a seat on the couch beside me. She held a mixed drink that, as far as I could tell, was a mixture of rum and cherry cola. Mixed drinks were never really my thing. My alcohol tolerance was so high that I didnt even bother drinking beer and wine anymore. Straight liquor typically did the job fast enough, and I didnt taste it after a few shots. Jesus! Liz exclaimed after smelling the antiseptic odor rising from my cup. What is that, straight vodka? Yep, I said, taking a sip to look cool. Though I tried my hardest to maintain a poker face, I grimaced hard as the vodka touched my tongue. I just drank the stuff; that doesnt mean I liked it. Liz laughed loudly at my discomfort. Devil woman. Feeling the need to get back at her, I said, Hey, are you even old enough to drink? Arent you twenty? What are you, a narc? Neither you nor I are cool enough to use terms like narc. Speak for yourself. Im super cool. No one who plays a level 18 Paladin in Dungeon King is cool. Carlos is cool, and he plays a level 18 Assassin. Hes the exception that proves the rule. What does that even mean? How does an exception prove a rule!? I dont know. Thats just a thing people say. Carlos appeared from the kitchen holding a red solo cup of his own. He pulled up a nearby chair and sat across from Liz and me. He said, So, hows it going? Liz grimaced and slapped me on the shoulder before saying, I havent had time to enjoy my drink with this guy talking my ear off. You initiated the conversation, I reminded her. Whatever. Did you want to say something, Carlos? Liz asked. Yeah. Not to be a buzzkill, but Ive been thinking about what John said earlier. What do you think Slader, Elstine, and Vinzadir will do now that Octavians dead? I mean, Sladers been killing people for money for more than a decade. How would someone like that acclimate to an era of peace? Also, what the Hell does era of peace even mean? I mean, surely there will still be theft and murder.
Hearing Sladers monologue lit a fire of inspiration in my stomach. I had, of course, put much thought into our new lives as normal citizens of Vairekhor.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Of course well have a place in the new era. We will be at the center of an industrial revolution, I said, gesturing meaningfully with my gloved hands. The technology used in cartridge firearms can be altered to serve as a form of locomotion, but thats not all. Hes doing the voice again, Elstine muttered. The poisons you created can be altered to create medicine, and the divine magic of Elstine can naturally be used for peaceful purposes. You see? Technological advancements made in a time of war can just as easily be used in times of peace. A sword can be reforged into a scythe. I looked around at the lamplit tavern and saw nearly a dozen young people in their late teens or early twenties standing around and drinking from mugs. Though I didnt recall the tavern, I knew that Slader had invited me there. Elstine was sitting in the booth next to me, and Slader sat on a stool nearby. Our Paladin had switched out of her plate armor into a thick white shirt and trousers, and Sladers hood was pulled back, revealing his pointed ears. That does make sense, I guess, Slader said in a strange accent. We could totally get disgustingly rich by selling the stuff we invented and investing the money we already have. I mean, you invented guns, right? I frowned at Sladers forgetfulness. I must have corrected him on this issue several times. Thats incorrect. I invented cartridge ammunition. Firearms have been around for hundreds of years. Right, right. Slader shrugged, clearly not listening. So, our plan is to start an industrial revolution in Vairekhor and retire with the money. Thats all well and good, Elstine said, bringing her mug to her lips and grimacing at the taste, but what are you going to do with the rest of your life? Excuse me? I asked, confused. We had just been talking about that. I mean you, Vincent. Youre the only one of us whos graduating. When youre a lawyer, what are you going to do next? I was Vinzadir, but we were out among other real people. One two three.
Suddenly, my arms were bare, and a floral-print Hawaiian shirt hung over my shoulders. I was in Carloss living room once more. I dont know, I said, buying myself time to re-adjust. I guess Ill start working for a private law firm and, in twenty years, pivot to a political career if the opportunity presents itself. All of what I said was a lie, but I didnt want Carlos and Elizabeth to worry about me. It would be a miracle if I could pass the background and medical check required to take the Bar Exam. Thats to say nothing of a political career. No one would ever vote for someone like me. Anyway, lets turn the conversation to a less heavy topic. We should give President Blackwell some room to breathe, Carlos said with a smile. That depends on what the definition of is is, I quoted, doing my best Bill Clinton voice. I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Carlos said, mimicking my voice and placing one hand in the air with his palm outward. Carlos and I exploded into laughter at the stupid joke, and Elizabeth glared at us over her cup. We spent the rest of the night talking about unimportant topics like the upcoming update to Dungeon King and the UNC Basketball team. Well, Carlos talked about the Basketball team. Elizabeth and I knew absolutely nothing about sports. After a few hours, Carlos and I walked Elizabeth home, and I soon found myself staring at the ceiling of Carloss living room through the fog of intoxication. The only people remaining in that room were Carlos and me, and I was content to stare at the ceiling and enjoy the numb feeling of sensory deprivation. All right, Carlos said, slurring his words. Im gonna go upstairs. You okay down here, Vincent? Absolutely, I said with a smile. Hey, it was a lot of fun. Thanks, man, Carlos said, and he began to stumble toward the stairs. I watched him disappear behind a wall, and the light above me flipped off. Within seconds, I was asleep. Chapter 4 - [System Integration] May 1st When I woke up on the day the world ended, the sun was high in the sky. I had to blink my eyes several times before the scene around me came into focus. The leather sofa beneath me smelled of vodka, and the lights were still off. Carlos must have still been asleep. Groaning in discomfort, I pulled myself to a seated position and leaned heavily against the cushion behind my back. My bones and muscles were sore due to my strange sleeping position, but I felt no nausea or dizziness. I silently thanked God that I very rarely suffered from hangovers. I was sitting on that alcohol-drenched leather sofa when it happened. [SYSTEM INTEGRATION IN THIRTY MINUTES] A large blue text box appeared in front of my eyes. When I swiveled my eyes from side to side, it flew through the air to keep its place in the center of my vision as if it was a physical object. I moved my eyes to make the blue text box collide with the sofa, but it stopped moving before it crashed. Curious, I move my hand forward to touch the blue box. Much to my shock, my hand actually made contact with the floating rectangle. It felt like the smooth wood of a clipboard. Clearly, I was hallucinating, though the typical markers of my hallucinations were not present. I was not wearing black gloves, and my silver watch was still fastened securely on my left wrist. I wasnt supposed to hallucinate at times like this. Shaking my head, I closed my eyes tightly. One two three. When I opened my eyes, the big blue text box was still there. It remained there for a few more seconds before it suddenly shrank in size like it was being minimized into another tab. Tab? What was I thinking!? I wasnt a computer. With fear and worry clouding my mind, I walked to my dark blue sedan parked out on the road in front of Carloss house. The cars lights flashed as I clicked the unlock button on my key fob, and I swung open the door leading to the passengers seat. I used the cars key to unlock the glovebox and looked inside. Inside of the glovebox, there was a small pill bottle marked Risperidone and a high-capacity handgun held in a small holster clipped to the interior. I quickly removed the bottle from the glovebox and popped a pill in my mouth. The pills wouldnt solve my problem in the short term, but the fact that I was suffering from a new hallucination meant that I should really get back on the medication. Sure, the side-effects were bad, but I was clearly losing my grasp on reality.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. I put the pill bottle in my pocket and locked the glovebox. It probably wouldnt be a good idea for me to flash a gun in the middle of a Chapel Hill suburb. As I looked around at the green pine trees around me, I sighed at the thought that my mental health was so clearly deteriorating. I must have been playing too many video games for my hallucinations to manifest in such a way. Leaning against my car, I thought about the hallucination. It was so life-like, and my usual technique to disperse the hallucination - which had never failed before - failed to end it. For my own edification, I took my phone out of my pocket and navigated to Reddit. I had little hope that the blue box was anything more than a hallucination, but I had to confirm that I was the only one who saw it. There was nothing on the front page, so I went to the search box and typed blue box. When I filtered the posts by most recent, the results shocked me. A minute before, someone had created a post that confirmed my suspicion. Did anyone else just see a blue textbox in real life? My breath caught in my throat as I scrolled down. With every passing second, another post was created, and dozens of comments were written. I wasnt the only one who saw the blue textbox. In fact, considering the multiple different languages in the replies, it seemed like everyone in the world saw that message. I began to take the message much more seriously. From the recesses of my mind, thousands of pages of LitRPGs and GameLit stories appeared. I recalled the subgenre name where such a message was sent to everyone in the world: System Apocalypse. The novelty of the situation forced me to rely on those stories for information. From what I could recall, System Integration could mean many things, but it was never good for the people of Earth. In those stories, the pre-existing power structures never survived, and billions of lives were always lost. Something was about to go very wrong. I couldnt even be sure that the Earth would still exist in thirty minutes, but I wanted to be prepared, at least. Checking my watch, I saw that it was 10:35 A.M. The message must have been sent at 10:30 A.M., and System Integration would occur at 11:00 A.M. I quickly got into the drivers seat and turned my car on. Certain that the worst would soon come to pass, I floored the accelerator and sped off toward the closest supermarket. There wasnt nearly enough time for me to get home in twenty-five minutes, and I had no particular desire to do so. As I drove, I sent several messages to Carlos, Elizabeth, and John through as many forms of media as I could manage. I pinged the Discord and called them all. Liz was the only one to respond to my call. What do you want? Liz said groggily once she picked up. Something is going to happen at eleven, I said. Youll probably be attacked by something. Arm yourself with whatever you can find. What!? Sorry, no time. If we lose communication, meet up at Carloss place. Leaving Liz with that disturbing message, I hung up. I really didnt have any time to talk. There was only fifteen minutes until 11:00 A.M., and I had just arrived at a supermarket on the edge of Chapel Hill. I got out of my car and began to carry out an age-old American tradition: panic buying. Chapter 5 - [Alchemist] When I came back to my car with a shopping cart laden with canned goods, a hand-cranked flashlight, a space heater, and dozens of other items that would be useful during a disaster. Though the cashier looked at me strangely as I put my goods on the check-out belt, I wasnt the only person panic buying. Two other people, both of which seemed to be college age, were also buying every canned good they could find. By the time the trunk of my car was full and my shopping car was returned, there were only five minutes left before eleven. I sped out of the supermarket parking lot with a compass and several large maps cluttering my dashboard. I made it about half of the way back to Carloss apartment before I realized that I wasnt going to make it. The silver watch sitting on my wrist said that I had less than sixty seconds before System Integration, so I pulled my car over onto the side of the highway. I clipped my holster to my belt, allowing my handgun to hang at my hip, and exited out of my car. If System Integration brought earthquakes or a significant change to the topography, I didnt want to be flying down the road at 60 mph when it happened. I stared hard at the face of my watch as the seconds hand slowly ticked up toward twelve. Ten seconds five seconds the hand reached twelve. I found myself holding my breath. A moment passed, and I didnt feel any different. Just when I thought nothing would happen, another blue textbox appeared. [SYSTEM INTEGRATION COMPLETE!] [WELCOME TO THE REVELATION SYSTEM] [WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOUR STATS?] Sure, I answered with confusion in my voice. I didnt see any visible interface, so I assumed it was asking for an audible input. Name: None Class: None Level: 1 MDC: N/A SDC: 12/12 Body: 12 Mind: 16
Name None
Class None
Level 1
MDC N/A
SDC 12/12
Body 12
Mind 16
An entire [Menu] clogged my vision. The textbox showing my stats only composed the top right of the [Menu], and the rest of my vision contained various other information. The left side of my vision showed a drop-down list of various options one would expect to find in an RPG. Inventory Skills Equipment Journal Status
Inventory
Skills
Equipment
Journal
Status
Before I could explore the [Menu], another message was overlaid over everything. [YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL 1] [WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHOOSE A CLASS?] Yes, I said, looking around at the highway around me. There was minimal chaos, but several other cars within view had pulled over. They were probably also dealing with the [Menu] that had suddenly been foisted upon them. [YOU MAY CHOOSE ONE OF FIVE CLASSES] [KNIGHT] [MAGE] [PRIEST] [THIEF] [ALCHEMIST] [WITH YOUR STATS, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU CHOOSE MAGE OR ALCHEMIST]If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. I cant make such an important decision without more information, I told the System. I couldnt be completely sure just how intelligent the System was, but I figured it would understand a simple request for more info. [WARNING: THE ENEMY WILL REACH YOU WITHIN FIVE MINUTES] [WHAT INFORMATION DO YOU WISH TO KNOW?] What is a Mage, and what is an Alchemist? [A MAGE IS A PURE SPELLCASTER WITH POWERFUL OFFENSIVE CAPABILITIES AND NEGLIGIBLE DEFENSIVE CAPABILITIES] [TO PUT IT SIMPLY, A MAGE CASTS SPELLS AND DOES LITTLE ELSE] [AN ALCHEMIST, ON THE OTHER HAND, IS A HALF-CASTER WITH THE ABILITY TO UTILIZE A CRAFTING SYSTEM IN ORDER TO CREATE POWERFUL ITEMS] [HOWEVER, AN ALCHEMIST MUST BE WITHIN HIS WORKSHOP IN ORDER TO USE THE CRAFTING SYSTEM] Okay, I understand, I said, getting the gist of it. Before I make a choice, can you walk me through my stats and any traits I might have that would affect my choice? [WARNING: THREE MINUTES REMAIN UNTIL CONFLICT] [HERE IS YOUR CHARACTER SHEET IN MORE DETAIL] The small stat block in the upper right-hand corner of the [Menu] expanded quickly, and a three-item drop-down list appeared under the [Body] item. Body: 12 Fortitude: 14 Power: 13 Agility: 9 Below those three items, another drop-down box had opened that showed my traits. Genius: +6 to [Mind]. Lunatic: Every day at Midnight, there is a 10% chance that [Mad Insight] will activate, and you will unlock a new spell or crafting item at random. Permanent Brain Injury: -2 to [Mind].
Genius +6 to [Mind]
Lunatic Every day at Midnight, there is a 10% chance that [Mad Insight] will activate, and you will unlock a new spell or crafting item at random
Permanent Brain Injury -2 to [Mind]
Gee, thanks game, I muttered to myself. It wasnt exactly politically correct to call people like me lunatics anymore. Though, the terminology did fit with the retro design aesthetic. It was strange, though. The [Lunatic] trait seemed to have no downsides, as far as I could tell. It was an incredibly useful trait to have. I supposed the downsides were obvious enough to not require explicit explanation. The hallucinations and fragile grasp on reality that I had been suffering from over the past five years was the detriment there. The brain injury trait surprised me, actually. That must have been from the car crash a few years ago. I was in a coma for a few days, but the doctors had told me that I had made a full recovery. Apparently, some of the damage was permanent. You know what they say; neurology is more of an art than a science. [WARNING: ONE MINUTE UNTIL CONFLICT] Yeah, yeah, I got it, I said quickly, waving away the blue box. I choose Alchemist. I figured that I might as well stick with what was familiar to me. In video games and tabletop RPGs, I always picked the engineer class if one was available. Plus, I was a sucker for crafting systems. [CONGRATULATIONS: YOU ARE NOW AN ALCHEMIST] In the top right of my [Menu], my stat block changed. Name: None Class: Alchemist Level: 1 MDC: N/A SDC: 12/12 Body: 12 Mind: 16 To the left of my [Menu], a new item appeared at the top of the drop-down list. Crafting Magic
Crafting
Inventory
Skills
Magic
Equipment
Journal
Status
I was just about to ask the System to explain to me what MDC and SDC meant, but my thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a cacophonous screech that came from the sky. The [Menu] closed once more as I looked up to see an orange comet streak through the sky. It passed just over my head and crashed a few hundred feet away. Through the dense foliage, I could see the orange fireball light up the forest. It was silent for a moment, but then I saw the trees bend as an invisible shockwave spread from the location of the crash. I barely had time to clamp my hands over my ears before a wave of force knocked me off my feet, and a deafening boom rattled my bones. The windows of my car all shattered simultaneously, and the anti-theft alarm went off as the shockwave caused it to shake. Painfully, I rose to my feet. The force of the blast was minimal, but my ears were still ringing. If I hadnt covered my ears, I would have certainly suffered permanent hearing damage. Just as I was thinking that nothing could have possibly survived that crash, another notification popped up in the center of my vision. [NEW QUEST, EMERGENCY BEACON: INVESTIGATE THE CRASH SITE AND SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS, +20 EXP]
NEW QUEST, EMERGENCY BEACON: INVESTIGATE THE CRASH SITE AND SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS, +20 EXP
With a deep sight, I unholstered my pistol and chambered a round. In those System Apocalypse stories, EXP was necessary for survival. I knew that this [Side Quest] would increase the amount of time before I could regroup with Carlos and Liz, but they would be better served if I was level 2 or level 3 when I reached them. To this day, Im still not sure if I made the right decision. Chapter 6 - [The Parasite] I moved toward the crash site with my pistol at low-ready. Though I felt like I was LARPing as a soldier, I was confident in my firearm proficiency. I knew the basics of gun safety, and dozens of hours at the range meant that my aim was decent. [WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHOOSE YOUR SPELLS?] A new textbox appeared in the center of my vision. I was really starting to feel a sense of passive-aggression from the System. It wasnt so subtle in its suggestions that I integrate into its mechanics quickly. I figured that the System was on my side, ultimately. For one reason or another, it wanted me to level up and gain power, and I had to be alive to do that. Sure. A long list of spells appeared in my vision. To most people, the list would have been overwhelming, but I understood the list like the back of my hand. The spell list was taken, almost word-for-word, from a game that I was very familiar with: Dungeon King. [PICK TWO CANTRIPS AND TWO 1ST-LEVEL SPELLS] I didnt even bother reading the entire textbox before I rattled off my answers. I had created so many first-level Mages in the wee hours of the morning that I could do it with my eyes closed. [Fire Arrow] and [Lightning Hand] for cantrips. [Magic Arrow] and [Aegis] for first-level spells. For the first of many times, a torrent of information entered my mind like a rushing stream. In an instant, I knew how to cast those spells. It wasnt much information, because spells of that level only required you to point at your target and shout the name of the spell. Though all first-level spells worked that way, I knew that I couldnt cast any other spells. Something in the System must have limited casting like that. At the bottom right of the [Menu], a new pop-up labeled [Spellslots] appeared. Two small boxes like the bubbles on a scantron appeared next to a small text box with "Level 1" written on it. A small pop up appeared in the center of my vision. Fire Arrow: Ranged spell attack that deals 1-10 MD upon contact. Lightning Hand: Melee spell attack that deals 1-8 MD upon contact. Magic Arrow: Fires three projectiles that automatically hit unless interrupted. Each projectile deals 1-4 MD upon contact. Aegis: Creates a barrier that completely covers the body and soaks up to 10 MD per spell level. This spell lasts for six seconds after casting, and it will block the [Magic Arrow] spell. There were certain differences between the Revelation System and Dungeon King, as I was starting to see. There was no mention of Defense Class, and [Aegis] seemed to grant temporary hit points instead of making it harder to hit the player.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. As I walked, I began to wonder how the System quantified my pistol. Would it function like Dungeon King where a pistol was only as strong as a crossbow, or would it deal more damage? I used the [Menu] to navigate to the [Equipment] page and saw the item at the top of the list. High-Capacity Pistol: This type of pistol is favored by law-enforcement and soldiers as a back-up weapon. It is quite effective against non-enhanced humans, but the System will soon make such weapons obsolete. Ranged weapon, deals 3-24 SD upon contact. I was really starting to wonder what SD and MD meant. All my spells dealt MD, but my gun dealt SD. What did those abbreviations mean? Standard Damage and Magic Damage? Why did I have no MDC, then? Would all spells instantly kill me? Just as I was about to ask the System another question, a loud noise echoed through the forest. It sounded like a tortured animal, like a gazelle or deer that had just been shot by an unskilled hunter. I raised my pistol a few degrees and moved toward the sound. Soon, I came upon the source of the sound. Lying on the ground was a large buck that was writhing in pain. Something had clamped onto its skull, and it was screaming in abject agony. The strange thing attached to its head resembled an octopus with dark gray tendrils and a single humanoid eye. Something about the creature deeply unsettled me. The creature moved as if it was completely unaffected by gravity, and it was clear that its tentacles were different from those of a normal octopus. I could tell that there was muscle and bone contained within those tentacles, and with each rapid movement, the bones cracked and shattered. The gray entitys very existence was unnatural, and it would certainly tear itself apart if it continued to move like that. The buck continued to scream as the creature bore into its eyes and ears. Within seconds, it had disappeared inside of the bucks skull. The gray entity immediately began to integrate the bucks skull, though it quickly became clear that the creature did not fully understand what the buck was supposed to look like. The flesh and bone of the buck sloughed off like it was in the final stages of leprosy and was soon replaced by a pure-black mass in an approximation of a buck. The bucks antlers fell to the ground with its scalp, leaving a shrunken black head that resembled that of a canine more than a deer. The animalistic screaming came to an eerie halt, and the strange gestalt entity that remained of the deer slowly shambled to its feet. The black orbs that comprised the creatures eyes turned to me as it began to move. I could hear the cracking of bone and the tearing of flesh as it began to stand. I snapped out of my reverie as the beast began to stand. It was so unnatural, so horrifying, that I was completely paralyzed in fear for several seconds. With my senses returned to me, I did the only thing I could think of. I began shooting. The first bullet struck the creature in the head, but it simply pinged off as if striking steel at an angle. The beast was completely unharmed by the attack. Not allowing the fear to slow my movements, I altered my aim and put two rounds into the deers midsection. It had just managed to stand, so the shot was quite easy. The bullets tore through the deer and destroyed many of the organs within. I knew that I must have hit its lungs or heart, but it continued to shamble toward me. I stepped back in fear and fired three more times at the shambling deer creature. My first shot went wide, but the next two pierced its body and tore apart its insides. The deer had made it halfway to me when the damage to its internal organs simply became too much, and it fell to the ground. I let out a sigh of relief and lowered my pistol just slightly. Even something like that would be killed by four shots to the body. Then, to my horror, the octopus-like entity began to detach itself from the failing body of its deer host. It wiggled and squirmed out of the deers empty eye socket, and suddenly began to shoot through the air toward me. Chapter 7 - [The Indomitable Human Spirit] Two shots flew from my gun. One struck the creature, but the bullet pinged off like before. Its flesh was obviously immune to such mundane weapons. Ae-! I began to chant the magic word, but the creature reached my skull before I could finish casting the spell. It latched onto my skull and began to search for an opening with its broken bones and torn muscles. I gripped it with both hands, allowing my gun to fall to the side, but I could do nothing to detach the entity or crush its tendrils. Despite its small size, it was far stronger than me. Terror filled my mind as I saw a tendril approach my left eye. There was nothing I could do as it slowly moved closer to my eye and then began to burrow into it. An apocalyptic pain wracked my body as it reached the soft flesh of my eyeball and continued burrowing as if it wasnt there. I fell to the ground, screaming in pain like the deer a moment before. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the destroyed husk of the buck and knew that the same would happen to me within seconds. Through it all, I experienced more than just pain. Once the creature was beyond my eye, my brain began to be assailed with images and barely-decipherable information. It was as if my mind was melding with the creature. I could see the creatures birth in the void between the furthest stars. It was borne of an entity that even it did not fully understand, an entity that could only be described as a god. The creature was tasked with hunting down and exterminating a group of lesser beings. The lesser beings had been fleeing from the elders for so long that even they were starting to become angry. The creature was the fifth of its kind to be sent on the mission to attack and destroy a planet that I recognized as Earth. The elders had a name for the creature, and the closest approximation we have would be Epsilon, the fifth child. Its mission was to take control of some entity on Earth and use the nascent System to kill those lesser beings. Epsilon was quite pleased that it had found a host with such a developed brain. All that extra gray matter would help it figure out the bodys locomotion even faster. My remaining eye shifted slightly, and I saw my handgun lying just a few inches away from my head. There was only one thing to do. I couldnt harm the entity, but I could harm its host. Gripping my pistol with enough force that my knuckles turned white, I placed the barrel against the side of my head. I had promised myself a long time ago that I would never allow my brain to die while my body lived. It was far better to die fully intact than to live on as a shambling zombie.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. I screamed as I resolved myself to death. My finger curled around the trigger. I only had a few more seconds. I felt my brain begin to darken and my sense of self weaken. Three breaths, then I would die as a human. Such a close-range shot would pop my skull like a grape. Nothing would be left for the creature to integrate. Good luck living with a new sunroof, fucker. One breath, two breaths. I began to squeeze the trigger. The pain stopped, and the darkness on the edge of my consciousness began to disappear. The fuzzy feeling that had begun to pervade all of my senses disappeared immediately, and I could feel the creature retreating. Give it back! I shouted at Epsilon as I rose to my feet with my gun still pointed at my head. Epsilon was still linked with my brain, so I knew it could understand me. Give it all back, or I swear Ill do it! I pulled back the hammer of my pistol to punctuate my point. Epsilon retreated further, and I could feel as all of my faculties were returned. Another significant change was that the images of cosmic elders and the void between the stars stopped being projected into my mind. System. Has my brain suffered any noticeable damage? [BEYOND THE PRE-EXISTING DAMAGE, I CANNOT FIND ANYTHING PRESENTLY] Okay, I said, letting out a sigh of relief. Somehow, Epsilon put everything back the way it was. Well, that wasnt exactly the case. I still couldnt see out of my left eye. Now, return sight to my left eye. Though I tried to speak this demand with equivalent vitriol, the anger had left my voice. Sight did not return to my eye. Do it! Nothing changed. I sighed and removed the gun from my head. Epsilon had seen into my mind. It knew that I cared far more about my mental capacity than the sight of one eye. The loss of depth perception wasnt worth dying over. In an instant, the pain and terror of the situation caught up to me. I fell onto my hands and knees and vomited violently upon the ground. Almost being infected by a Star Spawn was not a pleasant experience. With my hand pointedly still gripping my gun, I sat against a nearby tree and took my phone out of my pocket. The area around my left eye was the same pure black color as the deers head, like I had suffered the worlds worst black eye. Something approximating an eyeball sat within my eye socket, but it was just a black orb. I scanned the images that I witnessed when my mind connected with Epsilon. It took a few seconds, but I was able to parse the basics of how the creatures biology worked. The octopus I had seen wasnt Epsilons true body; it was just another host. The octopus was meant to decay in a few minutes while the Star Spawn looked for a new host. Epsilons true form was a parasite about the size of a thumbnail. A terrible question formed in my brain. Where had the octopus gone? There was no way it was still in my head. I would have felt it if that sinewy mush of shattered bone were still in my brain. Surely. I looked around and saw the inert form of the octopus lying on the ground. Good, Epsilon must have ejected that host body out through my eye socket when it realized that it wouldnt have enough space in my head. [NEW CLASS ACQUIRED: ELDRITCH ALCHEMIST] [NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: BYPASS LIMITATION] Chapter 8 - [Bypass Limitation] I had acquired a new class? Why? It didnt ask me if I wanted to change class. The change was automatic. Thinking about it, simply being attacked by a monster seemed like too small an event to warrant a class change. A thought occurred to me, and I struck my fist against the palm of my hand in realization. The System must have been created by those lesser beings that Epsilon was after, and they must have been on the lookout for anyone that was infected by such a creature. The System must have assumed that Epsilon had taken control of my whole body and thus marked me as a threat. The Eldritch signifier must have been a warning to the System higher-ups. I opened my [Menu] and once more checked my character sheet. Name: None Class: Eldritch Alchemist Level: 1 MDC: N/A SDC: 12/12 Body: 12 Mind: 16 To the left of my [Menu], I looked at my recently-changed drop-down list. Crafting Inventory Skills Magic Equipment Journal Status Thinking about the message saying that I had just acquired the [Bypass Limitation] skill, I decided to check the [Skills] page. Only three items were listed on this page. I clicked a button on the side of the page, and detailed descriptions of the items were presented. Bypass Limitation: Once per day, you can bypass one limitation on one skill for up to one minute. Creation (Limited): You can instantly deconstruct an applicable object into its raw material or transform a sufficient amount of raw material into any unlocked item on your [Crafting List] as long as you are within your [Workshop]. Spellcasting: You can cast any unlocked spell as long as you have the required materials and spell slots.
Bypass Limitation Once per day, you can bypass one limitation on one skill for up to one minute.
Creation (Limited) You can instantly deconstruct an applicable object into its raw material or transform a sufficient amount of raw material into any unlocked item on your [Crafting List] as long as you are within your [Workshop].
Spellcasting You can cast any unlocked spell as long as you have the required materials and spell slots.
In order to distract myself from the fact that Epsilon was essentially holding my skull together, I considered the skills on the page. The [Bypass Limitation] skill seemed like a tool explicitly made for rampant abuse. I remembered that, in Epsilons memories, there was a vague reference to a secret weapon that would allow it to gain immense power within the System, and [Bypass Limitation] was probably that weapon. [YOU HAVE A QUEST IN PROGRESS] [ARE YOU STILL ENGAGED IN QUEST: EMERGENCY BEACON]This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. Yes, I am! It just so happens that your quest almost killed me! After the events of the past few minutes, I was not in the mood to be polite. System Integration was fifteen minutes ago, and Ive already been infected with an alien parasite, so Im not moving from this spot until I understand exactly whats going on! [WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW?] Lets start with MD, SD, MDC, and SDC. [MEGA DAMAGE, STANDARD DAMAGE, MEGA DAMAGE CAPACITY, STANDARD DAMAGE CAPACITY] [ONE POINT OF MEGA DAMAGE IS EQUAL TO 100 POINTS OF STANDARD DAMAGE] I recalled the damage numbers on my [Spells] and [Equipment] pages. My guns damage was listed in SD, and my spells damage were listed in MD. You could have told me that earlier! Ive been carrying around this useless piece of junk like it could do anything! The minimum damage of a [Fire Arrow] is four times stronger than the maximum damage of my gun! When my anger subsided after a moment, the extent of the danger really began to sink in. If I misused my spells even slightly, I could deal enough damage to kill myself a hundred times over. Were the basic enemies of this world walking around dealing Mega Damage? I remembered how my bullets bounced off the octopus body harmlessly. That must have been the effect of its MDC. I jumped to my feet and began walking once again. I had to get back to Carlos and Liz as soon as possible. As far as I knew, someone could miss with a spell and blow up half of Chapel Hill. Suddenly, the alien in my eye seemed like the least of my problems. A goblin with a sword that deals Mega Damage could kill me and everyone Ive ever known. There was no time to waste. I had to find something that could protect myself and others from Mega Damage as soon as possible. Soon, I stumbled upon the crashed ship that must have carried Epsilon to the planet. It was surprisingly intact, even though the pine trees around it were completely vaporized, and it was located in the center of a deep crater. The ship was just barely big enough to hold a single human, but it must have been more than big enough for Epsilon and its original octopus host. I describe it as a ship, but it more closely resembled a large steel casket than any kind of navigable craft. Strange machinery could be seen inside the casket, but I had no clue how any entity could possibly interface with such an esoteric device. Nothing was inside the ship, but I assumed as much after running into the creature that was previously held within. [QUEST COMPLETE: +50 EXP]
QUEST COMPLETE: +50 EXP
[NEW MATERIAL FOUND: STARSTEEL]
NEW MATERIAL FOUND: STARSTEEL
The experience wasnt enough to get me to level 2, so the second message interested me far more than the first. Was Starsteel a material used to make Mega Damage weapons and armor? As an Alchemist, I could use such material to make the equipment that would be indispensable to survive the Revelation System. Curious about the Crafting System, I opened my [Menu] and went to the [Crafting] page. Countless silhouettes of weapons, armor, devices, and structures were arranged in ten rows marked from Tier I to Tier X. Each Tier was locked by the level of the creator. At level 1, I could make items of Tier I, but I would have to wait until level 10 before I could make items of Tier II. [YOU MAY UNLOCK UP TO THREE CONSTRUCTS OF YOUR CHOICE] Show me items in Tier I that can be created with Starsteel. [REMINDER: YOU ARE NOT CURRENTLY IN YOUR WORKSHOP] Just do it. The massive page of silhouettes was instantly reduced to a small list of five items. Based on the shape of the silhouettes, the items were: a pistol, a rifle, a sword, a knife, a watch, and a chestplate. The presence of the watch next to the weapons and armor seemed strange to me, so I highlighted its silhouette, and an item description appeared. Seeing the description, I smiled. It was exactly what I was looking for. Shield Generator: A shield with an MDC of 20 is projected from this wrist-mounted device. The Alchemist who creates this object can program it to activate at different times. The device regenerates at a rate of 1 MDC per minute, but it will require repair at a [Workshop] if it is reduced to 0 MDC.
Shield Generator A shield with an MDC of 20 is projected from this wrist-mounted device. The Alchemist who creates this object can program it to activate at different times. The device regenerates at a rate of 1 MDC per minute, but it will require repair at a [Workshop] if it is reduced to 0 MDC.
Chapter 9 - [Starsteel] With no hesitation, I clicked on the Shield Generator and chose the option to unlock that construct. In the drop-down list beside the entry on the Shield Generator, it listed a construction cost: 40 Starsteel. I was unsure of what constituted one unit of Starsteel, but I hoped that the large steel coffin contained enough of the material for me to craft what I wanted. While the [Crafting] page was already open, I looked through the other items available for me to unlock, and I decided to take the pistol and the knife. Laser Pistol (40 Starsteel): This is the Tier I MD pistol. Each battery pack contains thirty shots. Firing this pistol counts as a ranged weapon attack, and this weapon deals 1-6 MD upon contact. Battery packs can be recharged with any source of electricity and require 100 megajoules (MJ) to recharge. Additional battery packs can be constructed at the [Workshop] for 10 Starsteel. Utility Knife (20 Starsteel): This is a basic knife used by Alchemists to cleave MDC objects. When used in combat, the utility knife counts as a melee weapon and deals 1-4 MD upon contact. When dulled or otherwise damaged, the utility knife can be repaired at the [Workshop] for 1-5 Starsteel. Once these three items were unlocked, their silhouettes were replaced with fully-revealed images. The Shield Generator and Laser Pistol each had a sci-fi aesthetic that I would expect to see in a TV show with space travel and oddly-humanoid aliens, though the Utility Knife resembled a normal knife youd see in any toolshed. The Laser Pistol looked like, well, a laser pistol. It looked like a normal handgun but with a sleeker barrel and sweeping filigree designs that seemed to serve no mechanical function. The Shield Generator resembled a large, clunky watch. Where a watch face would typically be, however, it had a small computer screen. The image displayed a 20/20, so I figured the screen would automatically inform the wearer of the shields status. There were buttons on the outside of the watch screen, so I assumed the computer function of the Shield Generator was navigable. System. If I were within my [Workshop], could I deconstruct the ship into raw material? [AFFIRMATIVE] How does the deconstruction function of the [Creation] skill work? [YOU CAN INSTANTANEOUSLY DECONSTRUCT ANY OBJECT MADE ENTIRELY OF MDC MATERIAL] [EXAMPLE: STARSTEEL] So not anything, I muttered, slightly disappointed. I couldnt deconstruct objects like wood or normal steel, even if the [Workshop] requirement was met. Okay, I need to work fast to get everything done within a single minute, I whispered to myself, not expecting the System to respond. System. Activate my [Bypass Limitation] skill. Remove the [Workshop] requirement from [Creation] for sixty seconds. [BYPASS LIMITATION IS NOW ACTIVE]Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. [WELCOME TO YOUR WORKSHOP, UNNAMED USER!] Wires crossed, eh? I said with a smile. I took a step toward the smoldering ship that brought Epsilon to my planet and lightly touched it with the pad of my finger. Though the ship seemed completely undamaged, it was incredibly hot to the touch, so I only made contact for half a second. Deconstruct. Instantaneously, a spider-web of perfectly-spaced cracks formed in the hull of Epsilons ship, and it collapsed into a neat pile of square blocks. At a glance, I would say that the cubes were a bit less than an inch on each side. I suspected that, if I were to measure each side of each cube, I would find that they all have a length of exactly one centimeter. [STARSTEEL ACQUIRED: 121] That was a good amount. I could make the Laser Pistol, the Shield Generator, the Utility Knife, and two extra battery packs. I navigated to the Laser Pistol in the [Creation] page and found two options available: [Create] and [Upgrade]. Curious, I highlighted the [Upgrade] icon, and an explanation appeared. Upgrade: If you have a template item one Tier lower than the created item, you can overwrite the template item and use 20% less raw material. Right next to the [Upgrade] icon, an image of my pistol appeared next to a symbol that said Tier 0. Interesting. The System seemed to recognize my gun as a Tier 0 Pistol, so it could be upgraded to Tier I. I quickly decided that upgrading my pistol would be the best move. Against MDC monsters, my handgun would be less than useless. My index finger moved swiftly as I selected the button to upgrade my handgun. I felt as the grip on my gun shifted as it was replaced with a Laser Pistol, but I did not bother looking down to examine the gun. There was still more that had to be done, and I only had a few seconds. [-32 STARSTEEL] I navigated to the Shield Generator and saw as the [Create] and [Upgrade] functions appeared. An image of my watch appeared next to the [Upgrade] button. It was absolutely imperative that I create a Shield Generator before my next fight. Even the weakest monster or user of the Revelation System could kill me instantly if I didnt have it. I clicked the [Upgrade] button, and my watch suddenly became a little bit heavier. [-32 STARSTEEL] My eyes quickly flicked over to the pile of cubed steel, and I saw that about half of it was gone. I only had 57 Starsteel and twenty seconds left to work with. I opened a sub-menu in the Laser Pistol entry and mashed the [Create] button three times. [-10 STARSTEEL] [-10 STARSTEEL] [-10 STARSTEEL] With only a few seconds left, I navigated over to the Utility Knife entry and clicked the [Create] button. [-20 STARSTEEL] [YOU HAVE LEFT YOUR WORKSHOP, UNNAMED USER] Looking around at the fruits of my labor, I saw the strange futuristic pistol gripped in my hand and the clunky cyberwatch on my wrist. By my feet, a sheathed knife and three battery packs that looked eerily similar to handgun magazines laid. I picked the items up from the ground and absentmindedly tried to place the Laser Pistol in the holster at my hip. Much to my shock, the pistol fit perfectly despite its changed shape. I wondered if the [Creation] process changed the shape of the holster as well. I stuffed the battery packs and Utility Knife into my pocket before turning my mind toward other thoughts. Now that I was sufficiently armed and protected from stray MD attacks, how would I regroup with Liz and Carlos? Chapter 10 - [The International Space Station] [WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLACE THESE ITEMS INTO YOUR INVENTORY?] What? Yeah, sure. As I watched, the seven remaining cubes of Starsteel disappeared in a dull flash of light. I looked around quickly and searched my pockets for the cubes. [ITEMS ADDED TO INVENTORY: 7 STARSTEEL] I paused and thought about it for a second. The Starsteel was moved to my [Inventory], which probably functioned like the inventory of a video game. The items were no longer on my body, but I was sure I could reclaim them through my [Menu]. Deciding that I was ready to return to the campus and face whatever threats were present there, I sprinted back to my car. After brushing the shattered glass off my seat, I sat down and started the car once more. Despite its advanced age, my 2007 Honda Accord started without any issues. The air conditioner didnt work and the bumper was dented from a recent fender-bender, but it was incredibly reliable. I took my sedan back onto the highway and glanced at my character sheet out of the corner of my eye. Name: None Class: Eldritch Alchemist Level: 1 MDC: 20/20 SDC: 12/12 Body: 12 Mind: 16 [WOULD YOU LIKE TO SET YOUR NAME?] Without thinking about it too hard, I said the first name that popped into my head. Vinzadir. Name: Vinzadir
Name Vinzadir
Class Eldritch Alchemist
Level 1
MDC 20/20
SDC 12/12
Body 12
Mind 16
As I drove back toward central Chapel Hill, the scenes of carnage around me were not heartening. Within minutes, I passed by the flaming wreckage of several damaged cars. I had to slow down to 20 mph as I navigated around the destroyed vehicles. Based on the tire patterns and thoroughness of the damage, I could tell that they were destroyed with some kind of weapon. No collision would cause a car to crumple like tissue paper and explode in a fireball.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. With one hand still on the wheel, I opened my campaign groups Discord server and checked for any messages that had been posted in the past few minutes. A few new messages had been posted while I was in the forest with the crashed ship, and I read them with great interest. [Vin98: Something is going to happen at 11:00 A.M. Arm yourself with whatever you can find. Your lives are in danger.] 10:42 [Elizabeth/Elstine: What the hell was that, Vincent! This had better not be a prank.] 10:55 [Carlos/Slader: Not a prank Liz. You seeing this?] 11:05 [Elizabeth/Elstine: Yes? Unless weve all gone crazy. It keeps telling me to choose a class. It says there will be a conflict in ten minutes.] 11:08 [Carlos/Slader: You might want to choose quickly. Vincent was right, something is happening. YouTube is filled with videos of people being attacked by demons and orcs.] 11:10 [Carlos/Slader: The recording from the ISS shows a massive meteor shower over the entire world right now. Heres the link. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRPjKQtRXR8] 11:12 That was the last message sent on the Discord. I checked the time on my phone and saw that it was already 11:18. No one had sent a message in six minutes, and I feared for the worst. Not paying attention to the road, I wrote a message. [Vin98: Are you guys okay?] 11:18 After a few seconds of not getting an answer, I clicked on the link sent by Carlos. Immediately, I was brought to a 24-hour livestream of the International Space Station. As Carlos said, hundreds of bright asteroid trails streamed through the atmosphere. Many of them crashed into the ground, causing massive plumes of smoke to rise up, and others crashed into the water, causing large waves to rise. I barely noticed those meteors, however, because the screen was dominated by a single object falling down to Earth. Over the Atlantic Ocean, a metal object the size of a small continent was descending to the planet below. The top of the object resembled a landmass, though the bottom seemed closer to a gargantuan spaceship. My heart dropped as I realized everyone on the planet was doomed. An asteroid the size of a city was big enough to wipe out the dinosaurs. That thing falling down to Earth would be enough to vaporize everyone on the surface of the planet instantly. Perhaps that was the purpose of Mega Damage, I thought. With my Shield Generator, I could probably survive such an Earth-shattering blast. Even if I survived the explosion, however, such a collision would completely tear apart the atmosphere. I would be left in a vacuum without hope for survival. Looking at the continental starship, I realized something. I had seen it before. No, I hadnt seen it. Epsilon had, and the memories I saw when our minds connected featured such an object. I remembered vague references to a humanoid species afflicted with albinism. The elders hated that race the most. Was race the right word there? I couldnt be sure, because the symbolic representation of meaning used in Epsilons memories didnt perfectly translate over to English. The word tribe could also be used, but species would be incorrect. All of the lesser beings were from the same species. There were several other races that flitted to the surface when I recalled the first: one with horns, one with pointed ears, and one with an unnatural pigmentation. They all spent their adolescence on different planets, but they were still the same species. Now, they were coming to the blue marble, fleeing from the great elders in the sky. Those lesser beings thought that they could find a new ally in the hirsute round-eared denizens of Earth. The fools. The battery pack of my Laser Pistol hummed quietly as I flipped off the safety and pressed the barrel to my head. Stay out of my mind! I screamed. I dont care how subtle you are! I wont allow you to interfere with my thoughts! Chapter 11 - [Refusal of the Call] I held the weapon that felt like a toy in my hands to my temple and flipped down the sun visor to see myself in the mirror held within. The area around my left eye was still completely black and featureless, but I could see it move slightly as if trembling. A sound emanated from the parasite clamped to my skull that sounded like the worried growl of a dog. The skin of my eye flashed several different colors - neon green, bright yellow, dark red - before settling on pure white. Huh. Epsilon could change colors, apparently. Epsilon was trying to communicate with me, but I was having difficulty understanding what it was trying to say. After a moment, I realized the star childs intention behind its shifted color. It had turned white: the color of peace and the cessation of hostilities. It was strange that I didnt immediately understand Epsilons intention. If it was burrowing into my brain, our minds would be connected like before. Yet, this time, I could not feel the connection. Epsilon should have been bombarding me with strange images from its childhood, but I didnt see anything. What, then, caused my thoughts to take such a strange turn? Without realizing it, I had formed a hostile opinion of that albino humanoid race. That thought could only have been the result of malign and unacceptable influence from Epsilon. Could those thoughts have been remnants of the memories I received? Perhaps Epsilons influence on me was deeper than a mere sharing of memories. Our brains were physically connected, after all, and the brain is more than just a memory receptacle. In fact, I had probably influenced Epsilon just as much as it had influenced me. Its knowledge that white was the color of peace could only have originated from my mind. With a sigh, I returned the pistol to my holster and kept looking at the discolored splotch that had replaced my eye. Now that our minds were no longer connected, I was at an advantage in our little game of Mutually Assured Destruction. An element of uncertainty would make Epsilon less likely to push the envelope. Hey, Epsilon, I said, completely unsure if the creature would be able to understand me. It will make it easier for both of us if you could blend in to the rest of my face. Can you do that? To my shock, the area of pure white around my eye morphed and changed color. The skin changed color to match the rest, and the black orb took on the approximate look of a normal eye. The pupil and iris were an empty black, but I was progressing back toward normalcy. When I blinked, Epsilon mimicked the motion in my left eye. When I swiveled my right eye, however, the mimicked eye stayed in place. Evidently, Epsilon didnt have sufficient fine motor control to mimic that movement. Overall, the mimicry gave me the look of a man with a glass eye. Eh, Peter Falk made it work. I couldnt complain much about the visual, though the lack of depth perception and peripheral vision on my left side made things slightly more difficult.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. I flipped my sun visor up and started accelerating the car from where I had pulled over to the side of the road. Around the time that I had pulled the gun out, I realized that I would crash if I didnt pull over. My thoughts wandered back to the continental spaceship as I fished my phone from the area between my seat and the center console. In an attempt to reach my gun as fast as possible, I dropped my phone on the floor. Factoring in the speed of sound, the shockwave from the crashing ship would take about two hours to reach Chapel Hill. There was probably nothing I could do. At such a distance, the shockwave would be sufficient to destroy the city, the atmosphere, and most of the Earths crust below my feet. If there was any possible salvation, however, it would be found in the System. I reached central Chapel Hill before I could follow that train of thought any further. I approached from the east, so I passed through a few commercial areas before I hit the campus. Almost everywhere I looked, fires raged and buildings that I had passed hundreds of times before were destroyed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a group of monstrous bipedal creatures with the facial features of bats sprint toward a nearby CVS. I could hear the sound of terrified screaming coming from inside the store. [NEW ENEMY DISCOVERED: DILUVIAN] [NEW QUEST, ENDANGERED POPULACE: SAVE THE CIVILIANS, +50 EXP] Ignore. I gave the command to the System, and the notification quickly disappeared. Last time I took on a Side Quest, I lost an eye. I couldnt risk taking that kind of danger until I had formed my party. With my phone once more in hand, I quickly opened Discord and navigated back to my conversation with Carlos and Liz. [Vin98: Are you guys okay?] 11:18 [Elizabeth/Elstine: Yes. We met up by the Student Union.] 11:19 [Carlos/Slader: What about you, Vin? Half of the campus is already gone. Wed be dead already if not for this Revelation System, or whatever its called.] 11:21 [Carlos/Slader: @JFischer And, hey, John. If you see this, answer your damn phone! We havent been able to reach you.] 11:21 [Elizabeth/Elstine: John, Vincent. Please answer.] 11:26 [Vin98: Ill be at the Student Store in a minute. Where are you guys?] 11:27 [Elizabeth/Elstine: The Student Union. Can you get here through the underpass?] 11:27 There was an underpass that ran underground from the area near the Student Store to the Student Union. That route would provide the most concealment if I had to get from South Road to Carolina Union. [Vin98: Yeah. Ill take that route.] 11:28 [Carlos/Slader: Make sure to not die, Vin.] 11:28 My car pulled up to South Road, and I parked illegally on the side of the road. As I exited the car, I tried not to stare at the clock tower, which had partially collapsed. None of the nearby buildings were untouched. Everywhere I looked, massive human-sized holes had been torn in the structures as if someone had smashed a wrecking ball through them. This attacking force, whoever they were, seemed intent on destroying all of civilization down to the bedrock. Chapter 12 - [Level Up] Holding my laser pistol in one hand and my knife in the other, I entered the basement leading to the Carolina Union. Most of it was underground, and there was a fast food restaurant and several study rooms between me and the Union. It was a nice, quiet place that students could go to in between classes. Few people passed through that way because a nearby exterior walkway would serve the same purpose. Though this route would be slightly slower, it was less exposed. If a Diluvian or any other monster decided to take a shot at me, they would have to take it from a much closer range. I had always thought of that basement as a relaxing spot where many of my most cherished memories from college occurred. In that instant, however, the basement was a scene of carnage. The corpses of fleeing, terrified students littered the ground like termites in a fumigated room. Most of the bodies had clearly been torn apart with horrific force. It was as if speeding bullets the size of human arms had struck them. I tried to keep my nausea at bay and not think about the gore staining the carpeted floor as I walked forward.
In my hand, I held a pistol. Based on the white letters carved into black metal and the cylindrical mechanism for holding the ammunition, I knew that I was holding Dismas, my first revolver. I stood in a terrifying dungeon, and the ground was painted red with the blood of innocent people. I had not yet made contact with the monsters that could do such a thing, but the mind boggled at the depths of their depravity. No, I couldnt afford to hallucinate at a time like this. I was holding a gun in my hand, for Gods sake. If I misidentified a target, I could end up shooting an innocent person. The hallucination resisted, but I was able to pull myself back.
I was back in the basement, though my mind did not like it. The dungeon and basement of the Carolina Union were overlaid on top of one another in a clashing kaleidoscopic pattern of bright electric lights and dull torches. By dispelling the hallucination prematurely, I risked losing control of how they manifested in the future, but the situation was so fraught that I needed full control of my faculties. After just a few steps through the basement, I saw three Diluvians crouched down around a messy pile of ragged human meat. They shoveled sinewy meat into their bat-like maws with little concern for their surroundings. Despite their ravenous consumption, the Diluvians seemed painfully thin. Their skin was a light red like blood, which was pulled close to their body. It was as if they had too much muscle and not enough skin. I could count every rib in their rib cages, and I felt as though they would die of starvation without my intervention. I pointed my laser pistol at the group of Diluvians and started shooting. A painfully bright lance of red light shot out of my guns muzzle and struck one of the Diluvians in the head. When the lance contacted the creatures flesh, it split like a river traveling over mountainous ground, and the five weaker beams struck the wall behind it. For a moment, I was terrified that the lance of red light had dealt no damage. A moment later, however, I saw that a crater had formed in the side of the Diluvians head, and it glowed bright orange. The Diluvian attempted to turn its head in my direction, but the damage was too great, and it fell to the ground spasming in the throes of death. [DILUVIAN KILLED! +60 EXP, +60 CREDITS] I was struck by the lightness of the recoil. It was just heavy enough for me to know it was there but light enough that it didnt really alter my aim. If I didnt see the effectiveness of the gun with my own eyes, I would swear that I was firing a pistol meant for hunting squirrels and rabbits.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. The other two Diluvians got to their hooved feet and screeched at me like massive, angry bats, but their screams died in their throats. I killed them both in a flurry of red lances. Within seconds, both were lying on the ground, marked with several bright, smoldering craters. It was only when I was done firing that I realized my teeth were clenched. My teeth scraped against each other, and I could feel the anger surging through my body. I probably could have killed the two Diluvians with four shots total, but I ended up using eight shots in the laser pistol. I let out a single heavy breath that caught under my tongue and fluttered like an angry dogs growl. In that moment, I learned something about myself. When the time for violence came, my mind defaulted to rage. It was better than fear, I supposed. [DILUVIAN KILLED! +60 EXP, +60 CREDITS] [DILUVIAN KILLED! +20 EXP, +20 CREDITS] [LEVEL UP!] [WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHOOSE A NEW SPELL?] Take the [Sense Magic] spell, I commanded. Sense Magic: When cast, this spell allows you to detect the presence and location of magic within 30 feet. Various insights can be gleaned with this spell, and it lasts until the caster loses concentration or ten minutes pass, whichever comes first.
Sense Magic When cast, this spell allows you to detect the presence and location of magic within 30 feet. Various insights can be gleaned with this spell, and it lasts until the caster loses concentration or ten minutes pass, whichever comes first.
Name: Vinzadir Class: Eldritch Alchemist Level: 2 MDC: 20/20 SDC: 19/19
Name Vinzadir
Class Eldritch Alchemist
Level 2
MDC 20/20
SDC 19/19
[YOU MAY ADD +2 TO YOUR STATS] [WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO THAT NOW?] Sure, I said, taking cover behind a nearby pillar. I couldnt see any enemies nearby, but I never knew when they would suddenly pop out. Show me a full list of my stats. Body: 12 Fortitude: 14 Power: 11 Speed: 9 Mind: 16 Reason: 18 Perception: 15 Memory: 15
Body 12
Fortitude 14
Power 11
Speed 9
Mind 16
Reason 18
Perception 15
Memory 15
System. Break down the stats that fall under the [Mind] umbrella. [REASON IS USED BY MAGES AND ALCHEMISTS TO CAST SPELLS] [THIS STAT MEASURES ONES ABILITY TO THINK RATIONALLY AND SOLVE PROBLEMS] [PERCEPTION IS USED BY CLERICS TO CAST SPELLS] [THIS STAT MEASURES ONES ABILITY TO SEE THE PHYSICAL WORLD AND VIEW IDEAS IN UNIQUE WAYS] [MEMORY IS USED TO LEARN NEW SPELLS] [THIS STAT MEASURES ONES ABILITY TO LEARN, RETAIN, AND RECALL INFORMATION] The System put a much greater emphasis on the [Mind] stats connection to spellcasting than I would have expected. I suspected that it changed its explanation depending on who was asking. Because Im a spellcaster, the System thought to emphasize the mechanical effects those stats would have on me. Okay, Ive made a decision. Chapter 13 - [Sarcophagus] Increase my [Reason] by two points, I said. [THIS COMMAND CANNOT BE CARRIED OUT] Why not? [YOU HAVE ALREADY REACHED THE CURRENT HUMAN LIMIT FOR THE REASON STAT] In the game Dungeon King - which I was starting to realize bore a suspicious similarity to the Revelation System - the standard human limit for stats was twenty. Why was mine set at eighteen? After a moment, I realized that my limit was reduced by the brain injury. If not for that debuff, my [Reason] stat would have been twenty. Okay, I said, disappointed. Increase my [Memory] stat by two points. Mind: 16 Reason: 18 Perception: 15 Memory: 17 Noting that my [Mind] stat still sat at 16, I closed my [Menu]. The average of my mental stats would be 16.67, which should have rounded up. The System must have always rounded down the [Body] and [Mind] stats, I figured. There was one last change to my [Menu]. Beside the textbox that read Level One, there were now three unfilled check boxes. When I leveled up, I must have gained another spell slot. [EXP TO NEXT LEVEL: 238] I navigated over to the [Crafting] page and considered the large table of potential crafting blueprints. At the top of the page, the System informed me that I could unlock one more Tier I blueprint. In my mind at the time, everything was secondary to crafting progression. I had to find something in that table that would allow me to escape the inevitable shockwave. If I could even find some way to teleport to the other side of the planet, I could buy myself a few more hours. My position so close to the Atlantic Ocean cut down on my available time significantly. System. Are there any items in Tier I that would allow me to travel faster than the speed of sound? I asked, though I had little hope that my query would garner any valuable information. What was the chance that the first Tier of a crafting list would contain aircraft, teleporters, or spaceships? [AFFIRMATIVE] [THERE ARE 3 ITEMS THAT MATCH YOUR CRITERIA] Wow, three? I wasnt even expecting there to be a single one. As I looked, the crafting list was replaced with three silhouettes. I quickly hovered my cursor over the items and read their names.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Sarcophagus Starship: 200 Starsteel. Short-Jump Teleporter: 800 Starsteel, 1,500 Spiritwood, 950 Mithril. Naskal Airship (Primitive): 30,000 Spiritwood, 12,000 Mithril. Immediately, I recognized the Sarcophagus Starship. It was the same design as Epsilons ship. A spark of hope began to burn in my chest as I realized that creating the starship wouldnt be that difficult. If I could just find a source of Starsteel and set up my own Workshop within two hours, I would be able to escape the atmosphere in time. There was, however, the problem of the starships limited size. It could barely fit a single adult, and there certainly wasnt enough space inside to hold a significant amount of food, but that was a problem I would deal with after the immediate threat to my life was handled. I frantically clicked the button to unlock the blueprint for the Sarcophagus Starship, and the silhouette transformed into the silver casket that I had run into just a few minutes before. [NEW QUEST, REACH FOR THE STARS: CONSTRUCT A SARCOPHAGUS STARSHIP, +200 EXP] With hope in my heart and a goal in my mind, I continued walking toward the Carolina Union. Surely, someone there would know where I could find some Starsteel. After just a few steps, however, I turned a corner and saw two Diluvians standing in wait just a few feet away from me. They must have heard my earlier conflict and decided to wait in ambush. I was faster on the draw, and one of the two Diluvians caught two bolts to the chest. One of my shots deflected off the Diluvians chest. The scattered lances of red light struck a few nearby study cubicles, and they were instantly reduced to smoldering magma. I winced as the Diluvian fell to the ground dead and hoped that no one had been hiding inside of those cubicles. Before I could readjust to hit the other monster, it had closed to melee range. It slashed at me with massive, bleeding claws that moved at a speed impossible for a normal beast. A few inches before the claws struck the skull, a bright spherical shield of light appeared out of nowhere, and the Diluvian was pushed back. Thank God. My Shield Generator worked. As the Diluvian regained its balance, I took my opportunity. Two quick bolts struck the Diluvian in the chest, and it fell to the ground dead. [DILUVIAN KILLED! +60 EXP, +60 CREDITS] [DILUVIAN KILLED! +30 EXP, +30 CREDITS] [EXP TO NEXT LEVEL: 120] [TOTAL CREDITS: 230?] I wondered why the System had given me fewer EXP again but decided to deal with it later. Out of the side of my eye, I glanced down at the shield generator on my wrist. MDC: 16/20 The deafening sound of collapsing steel and concrete drew my attention away from my watch after a second. I looked fearfully toward the source of the sound and saw that a portion of the basement far to my right had collapsed completely. With my gun pointed toward the collapsed ceiling, I scanned the room for enemies. As I looked around, however, I saw that the collapse was not caused by an enemy presence but by my own ricocheting attacks. Many of the basements walls had been reduced to burning slag by my laser pistol, and the load-bearing pillars within had been compromised. I hadnt even targeted the walls intentionally, yet my brief fight with the Diluvians had almost caused the basement to collapse. The collateral damage of my gun alone caused more damage than a wrecking crew could possibly do over the course of several hours. At least I wasnt under the Carolina Union yet. I had caused a small portion of a rarely-used academic building to collapse underground, but I figured there would probably be no one hiding in there. The fleeing students would hide in the Union, most likely. Based on the exposed rebar and smoldering concrete, I realized that this portion of the basement would collapse if I used the laser pistol any more. I swiftly returned my gun to its holster and switched my knife to my off hand. The rest of my trip to the Carolina Union was thankfully short, and I reached the stairs leading up to the building without further incident. I returned my utility knife to its sheath as I walked up the stairs. The murmuring sound of fearful students gave me some hope. Despite the devastation and carnage, I finally had some evidence that there were other survivors. Chapter 14 - [The Carolina Union] When I was halfway up the staircase, I spotted two people - a middle-aged police officer and a female student - standing at the top. They saw me as well, and both jumped slightly at my sudden appearance. The police officer and student were standing at the top of the staircase, and a large metal divider was interposed between us. The metal barrier had a slight blue sheen, and I knew what it was before the System even told me. [NEW MATERIAL DISCOVERED: MITHRIL] The two people standing at the top of the staircase walked toward the barrier, and the weapons they were holding in their hands were revealed. The student held a shortbow in her hands, and an arrow was notched on the string. On the other hand, the police officer held a warhammer that he brandished like a baton. [NEW MATERIAL DISCOVERED: SPIRITWOOD] Seeing two people wield such archaic weapons in the Carolina Union made me want to laugh. The clashing aesthetic of the modern student union and the medieval weaponry made it seem like they were holding a renaissance faire. It was somewhat heartening, I thought, that the officer wasnt wielding his sidearm. He must have figured out that conventional firearms did not work on the Diluvians. Stop! In a voice replete with oft-brandished authority, the officer commanded me to halt. The tone caused me to freeze in place before I fully comprehended the word. Identify yourself! I cleared my throat to conceal the unease created by the officers shout. It would be improper for me to stutter and shake in front of a normal police officer when bat demons roamed the street and continent-sized starships crashed into the ocean. I calmed myself with the knowledge that I could probably beat both of them in a fight, if necessary. The two of them were wielding weapons they were clearly not familiar with, and my shield would be able to handle any punishment they could dish out. Im Vincent Blackwell, a student here, I said, raising my palms in a show of peace. Youre a bit old to be a student, the police officer said suspiciously. Old? I grit my teeth and bit off a sarcastic retort. Im twenty-five, sir. Im a student at the law school. Mm hmm, the police officer grunted. I see that youre carrying a firearm. Those dont work on the Diluvians, you know. This one does. I took the Alchemist class, and a class skill let me upgrade it. Now, do you mind if I walk up the stairs?This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Fine, but keep that weapon in its holster. I ascended the steps and found myself in the Carolina Union. A few dozen people had accumulated in the lobby of the Carolina Union. Many of them were huddled together in small, frightened groups, and others were pacing around while looking at their phones in slowly-dawning terror. They must have been checking the state of the rest of the world, looking for a place they could run that was safe. Some, perhaps, were checking on family and friends, though I could tell that their efforts were fruitless. It was slowly dawning upon them that this was not a localized event. No, the System Apocalypse was happening everywhere. On every one of the Earths countries, invaders from the Outer Realms were landing, and no one was safe. Looking around, I scanned the union, but I could not find Liz or Carlos. After a few seconds, however, I spotted a man I recognized. Sitting at a table in the center of the lobby, a man in a business casual suit with a muted blue tie and patches on the shoulders stared at the space a foot in front of his face. The man gestured frantically with his hand, and I knew he must have been navigating through his [Menu]. Professor Carlyle! I shouted to the man as I walked toward him. I recognized Professor Carlyle from the few times he had come to meet Liz after an RPG session. He was Elizabeths father, and he was a Professor of Philosophy who taught in one of the nearby academic buildings. I took a class of his as an undergraduate, though it was only an introductory class. Edward Carlyle looked up from his [Menu], which was invisible to me, and raised a hand in greeting. A sad smile creased his mouth as he said, Ah, Vincent. Its good to see that you made it here safely. Elizabeth told me you were on your way. Thank you. Hows the situation here? In the absence of any real authority, Im directing things at the moment, Professor Carlyle said. If you dont mind me asking, where did you get that weapon? He pointed to my laser pistol. I crafted it, I said quickly. Do you know where Carlos and Liz are? Oh, I see. You must have set up your Workshop elsewhere. Seeing my confusion, Professor Carlyle continued. I took the Alchemist class like I assume you did. Carlos and my daughter are standing guard at the northern entrance. Theyre the only ones who seem confident enough with the System to actually fight the monsters attacking us. Carlyle sighed deeply and looked around at the situation around him. You should go talk to them. Though, once youre done, you can come back here, and you can set up a Workshop in the union. I have most of the other Alchemists here crafting weapons for us all to use. If you can make more of these guns, that would be very helpful. As you can imagine, most of us are more comfortable with guns than swords. Professor Carlyle gestured down to a longsword that was sheathed at his hip. Based on the way he carried the weapon, it was clear that he was not used to it, but it was better than anything else. With that sword, at least he had a chance to harm the monsters we faced. Ill see what I can do, I said, lying through my teeth. Building the Sarcophagus Ship was at the forefront of my mind, and I had no intention of returning. Thank you for pointing me in their direction. I swiftly jogged toward the northern gate, and I soon ran into Carlos and Liz standing out in the open. Half a dozen Diluvians lay dead on the ground, and both of them seemed completely unharmed. Though Liz was unarmed, Carlos wielded a sword, and he shook the blood off its blade as I approached. It made sense that they would thrive in such an environment, considering the similarity between the Revelation System and Dungeon King. I felt slightly foolish for worrying as I walked toward them with a smile. Chapter 15 - [The End of the World] I pushed through the doors on the north side of the Carolina Union and walked up to my two friends. Davis Library was located just a few feet north of the Carolina Union, and there was a small corridor between the two. I had walked down that corridor many times when I walked to the law school, which was a few thousand feet to the east. The sight lines to the east and west were long, but approach from any other direction was blocked by the surrounding buildings. It was as good a place as any to regroup. After a moment of surprise upon seeing the door open, Carlos and Liz smiled widely at me. Carlos waved at me with his index and middle fingers, and Liz walked forward to hug me. I put my hands forward in a warding gesture and said in a frantic voice, Hold on for a second. Im wearing a shield generator, and it might activate if you get too close. Right, right, Liz said, taking a step back and looking away in embarrassment. You got here in one piece, Vincent, Carlos said with a toothy smile. Did you run into any monsters on the way here? Yeah, I said quickly. We had to get out of there and start looking for Starsteel as soon as possible. Thats impressive, man, Carlos said. Weve barely managed to survive this long even with all the people here. Most people who got caught out on their own probably got you know. Yeah, I do, I said with a sigh. In a voice filled with barely-suppressed emotion, Liz said, Is this really happening everywhere? Yeah, I said again. Elizabeths voice shook as she said, I tried calling my mother, my brothers, my old friends, anyone that I still had a method of contacting. N-none of them responded. Tears started to fall down her face. I-I think most people in the world are already dead. Could that be true? Could billions have already died? Though it seemed impossible, I knew in my heart that it was true. For all of mankinds technological and tactical progress, we had no weapons or skills that could possibly resist the onslaught. Our only chance at survival was the Revelation System, and most would not have the skill to make a functional build in time. I took my phone out of my pocket and checked the time. Jesus Christ, System Integration had only been an hour ago. Carlos leaned against the brick wall of Davis Library and took a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. With the skill of someone who had done it hundreds of times before, he lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. We sat there in silence for nearly half a minute as Carlos smoked and Liz covered her tear-filled eyes and tried to stop crying. At that moment, it finally sunk in. The world as we knew it was over. Our worlds political entities, modern conveniences, and social structures were gone and might never return.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Yet, I felt very little sadness. The world we lived in just an hour before had little for me. My family had been gone for nearly a decade, my prospects were immensely limited, and my chances of finding another group that would accept someone like me approached zero. The only people on the planet I cared about were in that city. The suffering of the rest of the world had very little to do with me. I spoke to break the long silence. Hey, Carlos. Hmm? Carlos grunted. His cigarette had almost burnt down to the filter. I thought you quit. Carlos laughed darkly, causing him to inhale some of the smoke. He coughed lightly and said, I did. This seems like just as good a time as any to restart bad habits. I mean, shit, we had to get the System where people are throwing around building-level attacks before level 5. Couldnt we have gotten the System that started with little kobolds wielding rusty spears? Speaking of the world being screwed, I said, using the opportunity to change topics to our most pressing issue, theres a continent-sized object currently falling toward the Atlantic Ocean. Carlos jerked his head back in shock and indignant rage while Liz let out a snort of self-effacing laughter. Of course there is! Carlos shouted down the corridor at the top of his lungs. So, what? Liz said with a crazed smile on her lips and heavy tears in her eyes. Are we just dead? Is that it? Whats the point of the System if were just going to get vaporized by an asteroid? Hey, its okay, I said, shooting my hands out. I just unlocked this thing called a Sarcophagus Ship in the crafting menu. I just have to make three of them and we can escape the planet before the blast reaches us. The Revelation System was created by humanoid aliens. They must have ships in orbit that we can meet up with. Confusion and worry appeared on Carloss face as he turned and looked me in the eye. I was very familiar with that look, and it was probably warranted. The stuff I was saying was absolutely insane. The Revelation System was created by aliens? How do you know that? I mean, it makes as much sense as anything else, but why aliens? Carlos asked. Honestly, I didnt have a good answer to that question. I knew that humanoid aliens were involved, but I didnt know why I said that the System was created by them. I just started talking, and that thought came to the forefront of my mind. That information must have come from Epsilon, I realized. The amount of information shared between me and the star child was immense, and it would take me a while to parse all of it. Somewhere in that massive packet of data was the knowledge that the lesser beings - the ones with pointed ears specifically - created the Revelation System. Its a long story, I said, deflecting. Are you okay? You havent had any hallucinations recently, right? Carlos asked in an attempt to subtly determine if everything I had just said was the result of a delusion. Im fine. Im not hallucinating, I said, lying. My condition was under control, but they couldnt understand the specifics of how I handled it. As long as my hallucinations were limited to Vinzadir and the world of Dungeon King, I would be fine. I wouldnt be a danger to myself or anyone else. This is all real. If you need proof, just look at my eye. Thats real. I stepped close, and Carlos noticed the imperfections in Epsilons mimicry. He flinched back and asked, What happened to you? I can explain while we walk, I said. Come on. Liz went into the Carolina Union to tell Professor Carlyle that we would be out looking for Starsteel. After a few minutes of me impatiently tapping my foot on the brick pathway and scanning our surroundings for Diluvians, Liz came back, and we began our search for the material necessary for our survival. Chapter 16 - [Knight and Priestess] We passed by the Pit, a large brick hole in the ground located near the center of campus. It was once a center of activity. Every time I had been there previously, it was filled with students going to class, people advertising clubs, or preachers denouncing the sinfulness of the modern world. The Pit was still filled with people, but they were all dead. What had once been a beacon of UNCs social life had been reduced to little more than a mass grave. There were more than a hundred people torn to shreds and intermingled inside of the Pit. The monsters must have dumped the bodies into the hole at some point during the carnage. I blinked, and the Pit was once more populated with smiling students talking to each other and enjoying the bright midday sun. The image of the Pit in my mind was so distinct from the scene in front of me that my mind interposed my memory on top of my vision. This hallucination was one I wasnt in a hurry to dispel. Liz looked like she was going to throw up when she saw the pile of corpses, and Carlos pointedly looked the other way. As we walked, I recounted the last hour to the other two. I explained my encounter with Epsilon and the flood of information that entered my brain when our minds were linked. And the continent-sized spaceship is piloted by the albino aliens? Carlos asked, trying to hide the doubt obvious in his voice. Yes, I muttered. I knew it sounded crazy, so I took my phone out of my pocket and started searching for something to provide evidence for my claim. I searched for any reference to landmasses or spaceships over the Atlantic Ocean. As I searched, Carlos continued to speak. So, whats the plan to find Starsteel? Lizs dad has been stuck with just Mithril and Spiritwood to make our weapons. Uh. I vocalized a long utterance to buy myself a second to finish the word I was typing into my phone. The Diluvians ships, of course. They ought to be made out of Starsteel just like Epsilons ship. We might be able to use them to get back into orbit. In case that doesnt work, I can just deconstruct a few and use the material to make some new ones. Ships? Liz asked. What do you mean? The Diluvians must have come down on Sarcophagus Ships. I saw the meteor trails on the ISS live stream. Sorry Vince, but thats not right, Carlos said. The monsters in town came through portals. Right, I may have been too hasty in my assumptions. After seeing Epsilons dramatic arrival on the planet, I had assumed incorrectly that every monster arrived on one of those ships. It made sense that the Diluvians didnt arrive via Sarcophagus Starship. I hadnt run into any craters in the ground on my way to campus. Carlos scrolled through his phone for a few seconds before finding something. He held the screen of his smart phone out for me and pressed the start button on a video. The video was taken on the northern quad near the Old Well. Once Carlos hit the start button and the video started shaking with the motion of the cameraman, a large circular rift in reality opened on the edge of the frame. When the camera changed angle to better view the gate, I could see the other side of the rift.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Dozens of Diluvians stood or crouched in a dimly lit room. For an instant, they seemed disinterested. When they noticed that the gate had opened, they were gripped with an instinctual drive to attack, and they immediately charged through. Within seconds, half a dozen nearby students were torn limb from limb. What caught my attention, however, was the opened rift in the background. With the bat-headed Diluvians removed, I could get a better look at the room they had just escaped from. It was barely distinguishable in the fidelity of Carloss phone, but I could see rows of metal bars line the rooms walls. A moment before the rift closed, I realized that the room was a prison cell. I was starting to comprehend the nature of what was happening. Something bigger than the Earth and humanity was going on. If not for the deadline hanging over my head like a sword poised to strike, I would have taken a few minutes to organize my thoughts and explain everything to Carlos and Liz. As it was, however, I only had the privilege to consider things in the short term. I returned my own phone to my pocket without checking the search results. The quest to prove my own sanity would have to wait for a moment. I see, I said with a sigh. We still need to find Starsteel, though. System. Do you know where we can find Starsteel? I certainly did not expect the System to give me a helpful answer, but I had no other leads. [AFFIRMATIVE]
AFFIRMATIVE
[A METEORITE OF PURE STARSTEEL CRASHED NEAR A BUILDING YOU KNOW AS PEABODY HALL]
A METEORITE OF PURE STARSTEEL CRASHED NEAR A BUILDING YOU KNOW AS PEABODY HALL
Wow. The System was a lot more helpful than I had expected it to be. Peabody Hall was only about two thousand feet away in a straight line. Theres some Starsteel by Peabody Hall, I told Carlos and Liz. We can just ask it where things are? Carlos said with a smile. System. Where is the nearest monster? After a moment of silence, Carlos spoke once more with a frown on his face. System. Are there any monsters between us and Peabody Hall? Carlos sighed. Okay. It cant find monsters. Good to know, I said. While we walk, we should go over our classes and levels to better plan for combat. Okay, Carlos said as we turned the corner and entered the southern quad, Polk Place. Wilson Library sat to our south, and Dey Hall was to our west. Ill start. I took the [Knight] class, and Im currently level 3. The most notable thing about the [Knight] class is this skill called [Draconic Integration], which converts your SDC to MDC. Everybody else gets the skill at level 5, and taking [Draconic Integration] at level 1 disallows you from ever casting a spell. I also have the skills [Battle Trance], which increases my combat skill for a minute. This skill recharges after an hour. My last skill is [Cleave], which I can use once every thirty seconds to empower one of my attacks. Shit, Liz swore after hearing Carlos explain everything he got from his class. I should have picked [Knight]. I had no idea that MDC would be such a big deal. Anyway, I picked the [Priestess] class, and Im level 3 right now. Beyond normal [Spellcasting] that Im sure you both understand, I also have the [Heal] skill, which allows me to heal someone when I touch them. At level 3, I got the [Prayer] skill, which gives me the option to buff other people as long as Im reciting a prayer. This is why Im holding this notebook. She gestured toward us with a small notebook that was marked with several lines of text. I looked up a bunch of prayers and wrote them here. Basically, my class hasnt been very helpful ever since I started. I still dont have any MDC, and I havent been able to heal anyone because the Diluvians kill anyone they touch instantly. I paused and considered her class for a second before coming to the obvious conclusion. It sounds like you should stay in the back and support Carlos. Thats what weve been doing, Carlos said, agreeing with my assessment. I explained the details of my own class, though I omitted any mention of my [Bypass Limitation] skill. I had already used it that day, so it wasnt useful at the time. By the time I was done explaining, we had almost reached Peabody Hall. Chapter 17 - [Sens Company] We turned a corner and saw a group of Diluvians crowded in a group and feasting upon a pile of corpses. They were about a hundred feet away when we saw them. Carlos and I were able to quietly backtrack and return to cover before any of them could spot us. Luckily for us, they didnt seem to have superhuman senses. One last thing, Vince, Carlos whispered. What name did you put into the System? Why do you ask? I want to send you a [Party] request, and I can only do that if I know your name. I sighed, not wanting to tell Carlos that I had entered the name of my Dungeon King character. His request was rational, so I answered him truthfully. Vinzadir. Carlos covered his mouth with his hand to stifle a laugh. Though Liz did a better job of controlling herself, I could tell that she was also on the verge of laughing. Yeah, whats so funny, jackass? No, no, Carlos said, trying his hardest not to laugh at my statement. Im not making fun of you. Its just that we all had the exact same idea. He gestured to himself and Liz. Excuse me? Youll see in a second. Carlos made a few quick gestures in the space in front of his face, and two new notifications popped up in front of my eyes. [NEW FRIEND REQUEST: SLADER] [NEW PARTY REQUEST: SENS COMPANY]
NEW PARTY REQUEST: SEN''S COMPANY
[NEW FRIEND REQUEST: ELSTINE] The slight annoyance rumbling in my chest suddenly transformed into surprise and pleasure. It filled me with an embarrassing amount of happiness that Liz and Carlos valued our campaign enough to set their names within the Revelation System to their character names. Even the [Party] name was taken from our campaign. With a big smile on my face, I pressed the accept button on all three requests. [YOU HAVE JOINED THE PARTY: SENS COMPANY] I swiftly navigated to the [Friend List], which was located in the [Journal], and checked the names located therein. Elstine: Priestess, Lvl. 3 Slader: Knight, Lvl. 3
Elstine Priestess, Lvl. 3
Slader Knight, Lvl. 3
I noted with great interest that the [Friend List] showed me Liz and Carloss levels. A dark thought surfaced in my mind, and I wondered if players were erased from others friend lists when they died. Good, Carlos said. Now well share EXP from any kill equally. Thats for the best. Otherwise, you guys wouldnt get any EXP at all, I said, lightly needling Liz and Carlos.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Well see about that, Carlos said with a smile as he rose to his feet. Come on. The three of us turned the corner once more and began to approach the Diluvians. Carlos stood in the front while Liz and I stood about a dozen feet back. Before the Diluvians noticed our approach, I moved to a position where I could shoot without potentially hitting Carlos and started firing at them with my laser pistol. The Diluvians were grouped up in a small area, so I sacrificed accuracy for rate of fire and dumped the remaining half of my battery pack into the crouched monsters. A violent stream of high-powered energy crashed into the Diluvians. A few of the red lances missed and struck the building about a hundred feet behind them, burrowing foot-wide holes of molten lava into it. The missed shots only stopped after striking several dozen feet of solid stone or metal. The shots that hit scored deep craters into the flesh of the Diluvians, and several of them fell to the ground dead before I had to reload. By my count, three were killed, and one more was injured. [DILUVIANS (3) KILLED! +60 EXP, +60 CREDITS] [EXP TO NEXT LEVEL: 80] [TOTAL CREDITS: 290?] Though I had killed three of them in a matter of seconds, half a dozen still remained. Carlos unsheathed his sword as six Diluvians charged toward him. [Light Arrow]! Liz shouted out the name of a first level [Priest] spell from Dungeon King, and a bright bolt of light shot out of her hand. The spell struck one of the Diluvians hard in the chest, and its skin instantly charred down to the bone. I could feel the heat emanating from the attack, and the faint silver outline of my shield appeared for a moment to block the worst of the heat. Carlos stepped slowly toward the five remaining Diluvians and began to engage them in melee. I was done reloading my laser pistol a moment after they began to fight. When I finally leveled my gun once more toward the monsters, I dared not fire. Carlos was moving too much for me to risk firing a shot. I had seen the laser pistols collateral damage when it was used correctly, and I certainly didnt want to see what would happen if I used it incorrectly. Carlos blocked the first rending claw with the flat of his blade. He dodged the second strike, and his counterstroke caught a Diluvian in the neck. Liz clasped her hands together, and I could hear a muttered prayer come from her direction. I believe in God, the Father almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth. With greater speed than a moment before, Carlos stabbed his sword forward and impaled one of the Diluvians through the heart. Before he managed to withdraw his sword, however, two clawing hands struck his body, causing him to lurch in pain and falter back a step. [Magic Arrow]! I shouted, holding out my hand. Three bolts of energy flew out of my palm and struck three of the surviving Diluvians. One of the arrows struck a Diluvians skull, killing it instantly, while the other two were wounding blows. Carlos used the opening bought by my attack to strike. He swiftly dispatched one of the wounded monsters before turning to the others. Without warning, one of the two surviving monsters turned toward Liz and me. It began sprinting toward us with the speed of a charging bull. This was a mistake on the Diluvians part. Now that it was separated from Carlos, I could shoot without risking any friendly-fire. With two well-aimed shots to the chest, I put the monster on the ground. I turned back to the fight between Carlos and the surviving Diluvian, but it was already dead. The moment I spent dispatching the charging monster was all Carlos needed to take out its partner. With the danger dispatched, I returned my pistol to my holster and ran to check on Carlos. [DILUVIANS (9) KILLED! +180 EXP, +180 CREDITS]
DILUVIANS (9) KILLED! +180 EXP, +180 CREDITS
[TOTAL CREDITS: 410?]
TOTAL CREDITS: 410?
[LEVEL UP!]
LEVEL UP!
[EXP TO NEXT LEVEL: 460] Chapter 18 - [Esoteric Technology] I ran up to Carlos as several academic buildings collapsed into smoldering piles of liquified stone. Sitterson Hall was mostly destroyed, and I suspected that I had destroyed much of the Carolina Inn behind it. I was fairly certain that I had not killed anyone with my missed shots, since the System had not notified me that I had killed any players. Surely, I would receive some notification if I was killing people. Either the System would reward me with EXP, or it would chastise and penalize me if I had killed anyone. I wasnt a murderer. I couldnt be. It was impossible. Are you okay, Carlos? I asked once I reached him. Yeah, Carlos said, swiveling his head around to get a better view of the part of his body where the Diluvians hit him. I only took six damage. I cant be that hurt. More importantly, Vincent, I think you just destroyed the computer science building. Much of Carloss shirt was torn away, but his body was mostly unscathed. Long white marks ran diagonally across his chest and flank, contrasting strongly against his tan skin. The Diluvians attacks hadnt even managed to break his skin. Do you need me to heal you? Liz asked. No, save your spell slots, Carlos said. I barely felt it when they hit me. Thats funny, Liz said in a voice that made it clear she didnt find it very funny. We saw what they did to the people who hadnt figured out the System yet. Giving my two cents, I said, In the parameters of the Revelation System, these guys are really weak. Yet, without the System, theres absolutely nothing we could do to stop them. In an attempt to lighten the mood, Carlos said, Well, I just hope I can find some MDC clothes soon, otherwise Ill end up completely naked after a few fights. Just like the ancient Germanic tribes, I shot back immediately. Maybe you can intimidate our enemies with nudity. Okay! Liz cut in, interrupting Carloss next statement. Im putting a stop to this right now. I can see where this back-and-forth is going. With a wide smile, Carlos said, What do you mean? I was just going to say that they would be intimidated by my massive- Shut it, Liz cut Carlos off. Were still on a time limit, in case you forgot. Right, Carlos said with a smile as he returned his sword to its sheath. As we continued walking toward Peabody Hall and the probable location of enough Starsteel to get us off the planet, I checked my [Menu] and began working on updating my build to level 3. To begin with, I looked at my character sheet. Name: Vinzadir Class: Eldritch Alchemist Level: 3 MDC: 20/20 SDC: 26/26 [YOU MAY ADD +2 TO YOUR STATS]The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. System. Add one to [Memory] and one to [Speed]. Body: 12 Fortitude: 14 Power: 13 Speed: 10 Mind: 17 Reason: 18 Perception: 15 Memory: 18 A strange feeling of warmth filled my muscles, and I suddenly felt a little bit faster. Though I was still no gymnast, I felt like my arms had a greater range of movement and my legs could move at a greater speed. With that level up, I was able to increase my [Mind] stat to 17. I wasnt sure how the [Mind] stats worked, but I was sure those increases would help me in the future. System. I would like to take the [Sleep] spell. [THAT COMMAND CANNOT BE EXECUTED] [YOU CANNOT TAKE A NEW SPELL AT THIS TIME] Okay. That one was my fault. I had assumed based on the pattern that I would unlock another spell at level 3. I navigated over to the [Skills] page, and a new pop-up appeared in the middle of my vision. [NEW ADVANCEMENT OPTION: PLEASE CHOOSE ONE OF THESE TWO SKILLS] Once the pop-up disappeared, a drop-down box on my [Menu] showed the descriptions of several class skills. Blacksmith: As an Alchemist, you specialize in making weapons and armor. With this skill, you gain a new weapon or armor template with every level. You can also [Enhance] weapons and armor for which you have a template.
Blacksmith As an Alchemist, you specialize in making weapons and armor. With this skill, you gain a new weapon or armor template with every level. You can also [Enhance] weapons and armor for which you have a template.
Mason: As an Alchemist, you specialize in crafting large items like buildings or vehicles. With this skill, you gain a new large-item template with every level. You can also [Enhance] large-items for which you have a template.
Mason As an Alchemist, you specialize in crafting large items like buildings or vehicles. With this skill, you gain a new large-item template with every level. You can also [Enhance] large-items for which you have a template.
????????: As an Eldritch Alchemist, you specialize in crafting esoteric technology that was created by the ??????. You immediately gain the ability to construct ??????? technology. With this skill, you gain a new ??????? template with every level. You can also [Enhance] ??????? items for which you have a template.
???????? As an Eldritch Alchemist, you specialize in crafting esoteric technology that was created by the ??????. You immediately gain the ability to construct ??????? technology. With this skill, you gain a new ??????? template with every level. You can also [Enhance] ??????? items for which you have a template.
The third pop-up vibrated as I looked at it. The font was different, and the background color was much grayer than every other pop-up I had seen up to that point. Considering that this third skill mentioned the Eldritch Alchemist class by name, I knew that it would be unique to me. I would have chosen this skill immediately, but I honestly had no idea what it did. The only phrase connected to that skill that told me anything was esoteric technology, and those two words werent exactly bursting with meaning. I decided to close my [Menu] and looked up to observe the real world once more. I could probably ask the System to define the runic words, but that would take much more time than I was willing to spend at the moment. When I looked up, I bore witness to our objective. The System hadnt been entirely accurate when it said that the meteorite landed near Peabody Hall. Where Peabody Hall had been hours before, a large crater of burning metal and smashed stone remained. I could just barely make out several glinting steel deposits peeking out of the rubble. Huh, there goes the teaching college, I guess, Carlos said in a sardonic tone. I wonder if anyone was still in there when the asteroid hit, Liz asked sadly. No way, Carlos said, confident in his answer. The System told us about any threats we faced in the first few minutes after System Integration. They would have known to run. And then they would be eaten by the Diluvians, Liz said, looking pointedly at the many corpses that had accumulated on East Cameron. Im sure some survived, Carlos said, though he seemed much less confident in this statement. Gesturing for the other two to continue walking toward the crater that was once Peabody Hall, I said, Come on. We have some mining to do. Chapter 19 - [Liquid Rock and God-Like Durability] After some difficult terrain navigation, I was able to reach the glinting steel deposit in the center of the crater. In total, there must have been enough ore in that crater to build a dozen Sarcophagus Starships. Most of the ore was contained within blackened rock that had been melted from its original state and subsequently solidified into obsidian. I could tell by looking at it that the surrounding rock was an SDC material, while the ore contained within was an MDC material. Stand back, I said, gesturing to my two party members and drawing my gun from its holster. With about a dozen shots from my laser pistol, I was able to vaporize the obsidian surrounding the ore, causing several hundred pounds of Starsteel ore to fall to the ground in a glowing pile of magma. Could you separate the ore from the magma, Carlos? I asked. Huh? Carlos uttered, shocked at my request. An instant later, he remembered that the System had granted him god-like durability. Oh, right. Yeah, Ill get it. Carlos rolled back the sleeves of his shirt before reaching down and tossing the magma-covered ore away from the puddle of glowing liquid rock. He dunked his bare hands into the magma, and it didnt seem to bother him in the slightest. [Draconic Integration] sure was something. To my surprise, however, Carlos had some difficulty lifting the heavier chunks of ore. I would have expected his strength to have increased with his hardiness, but he didnt seem much stronger than he was before. Considering the amount of damage he was able to deal to the Diluvians, I had expected his [Power] to have been raised to superhuman levels. It must have been the Mithril sword he carried that allowed him to harm the Diluvians. We went through the crater like that for the next few minutes. I would melt the rock surrounding the ore, and Carlos would pull the steel out. Eventually, we had formed a pile of Starsteel that went up to my waist off to one side of the crater. As Carlos put the last of the steel ore on the top of the pile and I slapped another battery pack into my pistol, the System gave me a notification. [WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADD THESE ITEMS TO YOUR INVENTORY?] Sure, I said. Add as much Starsteel to my [Inventory] as possible. [ITEMS ADDED TO INVENTORY: 993 STARSTEEL ORE] More than half of the pile of Starsteel ore disappeared instantaneously. I mentally made a note that my [Inventory] could hold a thousand of whatever units it used to measure weight. Looking at the amount of solid metal that had just disappeared, my [Inventory] could hold much more material than I could possibly carry unaided. It had taken Carlos more than a dozen trips to bring all that material from the crater to the pile, and he was probably much stronger than me.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. System. Add the remaining ore to my [Inventory], Carlos commanded the System, and the rest of the pile disappeared without a sound. Good, thats more than enough, I said with a smile. All I have to do now is set up my [Workshop], and I can build a bunch of Sarcophagus Starships. How many do you think you can build with all this? Liz asked. Eight or nine, I think. Thats not nearly enough, Liz said, concern growing in her voice. There are more than fifty people back at the Carolina Union. What was she talking about? Those random students back at the union werent our problem. I could build enough ships for Carlos, Liz, John, Professor Carlyle, and maybe one or two other family members. How could she possibly ask for more? It wasnt our job to save the whole damn world! We dont have time to get any more ore. As I spoke, I checked the time on my phone: 12:32. We probably had less than an hour to escape the planet. I understand, Liz said, sighing dejectedly. Well have to make some system to decide who gets to escape. That was something I would be more than happy to let Liz and Professor Carlyle handle. Dealing with a lottery giving away the last spots on the lifeboats was something I wanted no part of. I would just build the lifeboats. As long as Carlos, Liz, and John were on them, I didnt care one way or another. System. How do I set up a [Workshop]? You dont know? Liz asked. There wasnt any time earlier, I answered absent-mindendly. I was too busy looking at the new System notification to put any thought into my response. Workshop: An Alchemist empowers an area in order to use his Creation skill within. The Workshop is created by taking a pre-existing structure with four walls, a roof, and a total floor area no less than 250 square feet and marking the edges with material from his body.
Workshop An Alchemist empowers an area in order to use his Creation skill within. The Workshop is created by taking a pre-existing structure with four walls, a roof, and a total floor area no less than 250 square feet and marking the edges with material from his body.
Okay, I said, dispelling the pop-up. First up, I need a room with an area no less than 250 square feet. How big is that? Give me a second, Carlos said as he started counting up on his hands. 100, 121, 144, 169, 196, 225, 256. Between fifteen and sixteen feet on each side, assuming a perfectly square shape. I was going to do the math with the calculator on my phone, but Carlos reached an answer faster than I could type. There was some advantage to mental math, though the ubiquitous presence of calculators minimized it somewhat. Nice job. I can visualize it a bit better now. So, any conference room or lecture hall would work. What about Phillips Hall? Im sure there are plenty of lecture halls there. We all looked over to the large brick and stone building next to the crater. Many of the windows facing Peabody Hall had been shattered, but the building looked surprisingly undamaged considering everything that was happening. We came to a quick agreement and began to walk toward the ostentatious entrance to Phillips Hall. Chapter 20 - [White Flag!] The architecture of Phillips Hall was very different from the surrounding buildings. Soon after I came to UNC seven years before, someone told me that the architect accidentally designed Phillips Hall for a different campus. Apparently, construction had already started before the mistake was discovered, so they just decided to keep the design in order to prevent the school from losing millions of dollars. A few feet in front of the main entrance to the building, there was a large stone archway, which displayed the words PHILLIPS HALL in large brass letters. This ostentatious entrance, paired with the crenelated parapet, made Phillips Hall look much more like a medieval fortress than an academic building.
It was the middle of the day when we entered the fortress. In my right hand, I held the ever-loyal Dismas, and I walked at the front of the group with Slader. It seemed strange to me that Slader held a single sword, and Elstine stood behind us. Typically, Elstine would stand at the front so that her enchanted armor could deflect the attacks of the forces of evil. More notable, however, was the fact that I could not see out of my left eye in the slightest. When I touched my eye, I felt that some hard bone-like material had calcified over my skin. The halls of that large fortress were lined with lit torches, even though the sunlight streaming in through the windows was more than enough to cast the interior in bright light. Personally, I thought that the fortresss many windows detracted from its defensive capabilities. If it were me that designed the fortress, I would have replaced the windows with thin arrow-slits upon which one could steady a rifle. That would be a good start, I thought, but then I would have to deal with the threat of cannon-fire. Perhaps I could line the exterior with sloped walls of thick metal. It would be extremely expensive, but we certainly had enough money in the reward we received after killing Octavian. Slader patted my shoulder and said, Hey, man. Nows not the time to zone out. Were almost there. Right, I answered. My memory of the recent past was a disorganized mess. I didnt know why we were there, and I didnt know how we had arrived. In my experience, however, asking questions at such a time usually made the situation worse. Everything would probably be explained eventually if I just went along with it. I followed Slader down the hall. His eyes, which I knew could see much better than my own, were focused on a spacious room at the end of the hall. The door to the room was propped open by the disemboweled corpse of an innocent civilian. Something was killing people, and I had to be on the lookout. On our way to the large room, we passed by a propped-open door, which was placed a few feet inside of a niche. Due to the way the door was placed, it was impossible to see very far inside of the room until you were perpendicular to it.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. I stepped in front of the door, and, for the first time, I could see within. Therein, I saw a young human woman wielding a bow and arrow in both hands. The bowstring was pulled back to such a distance that she was in danger of breaking it, and the look on her face was one of pure terror. Worse yet, the arrow was pointed directly at my chest. Realizing that I was in a bad position, I dove for cover an instant before the girl loosed the arrow and sent it flying into the hallway. As I rolled into cover behind the wall, I saw the flying arrow connect with the wall on the other side of the hallway. The arrow struck solid stone and kept flying as if it was completely unbothered by the wall. Where the arrow contacted stone, a melted hole in the wall much wider than the arrowhead itself was formed. The power of the arrow terrified me. There was clearly some enchantment upon the arrow that made it strong enough to bore a foot-wide and five-foot-deep hole into solid stone. Even with the hard-earned power running through my body, such an attack probably would have killed me. I had no choice. Her attack could have been the result of a misunderstanding, but I really couldnt afford to let myself or my two companions get hit by that arrow. Visualizing in my mind the girls location, I swiveled my body and let my arm leave cover for a second. Keeping the rest of my body behind the cover of the wall, I aimed my gun toward the girls last known location. She didnt look like an experienced mercenary. I suspected that the power of the attack came from the arrow itself. I figured that six shots would be enough to neutralize her. Perhaps Elstine could save her once everything was done. At that moment, however, my focus was solely on saving myself and my companions. Vincent!
The world shook as I pulled myself out of the grand reverie hallucination. I began to hyperventilate and grasp my chest as the significance of what had just happened sunk in. I had come close to killing a student unnecessarily. The assumptions I had made as Vinzadir made me think that killing her was necessary, but it wasnt. In the absolute worst scenario, my shield could take a few hits from that Mithril arrow. I looked up and saw the source of the voice that had pulled me back to reality. Carlos stood out in the open with his hands up in a placating gesture. White flag! White flag! Were all on the same side! You guys are humans, right? Carlos shouted into the room. There were several people in there? Jesus. That could have been really bad. Six shots would have been enough to liquify anyone in there who didnt have MDC. Oh, God, Im so sorry! When I heard your footsteps, I thought you were a group of Diluvians. A womans voice emanated from the doors location. I couldnt see the speaker due to my location, but I assumed it was the girl who had tried to shoot me with an arrow. Is everyone all right out there? The voice of a young man came from the room a moment later. Yeah, Carlos said with a smile. We wouldve been fine, even if youd hit us. Im a [Knight], and the guy you came the closest to hitting has an MDC shield. Come on, well have more safety in numbers. The two students slowly came out of the conference room they were hiding in, and I simultaneously came out of cover. Shaking my head in an attempt to dispel the incident from my mind, I began to turn my thoughts once more toward the creation of my [Workshop]. Chapter 21 - [Lunatic] The two students introduced themselves. The girl was a [Thief] named Claire, and the guy she was with was an [Alchemist] named Simon. That explained how Claire got her hands on the arrow she used to almost take my head off. I could tell based on the thick lenses of Claires glasses that her vision was particularly poor, and her nervous disposition made me think she would be a liability in a fight. Carlos introduced us, and I continued walking toward the lecture hall as we spoke. My mind was abuzz with thoughts of my worsening mental state and the time limit we faced. The Revelation System had saved all our lives, but it was making it hard for me to compartmentalize my hallucinations. The line between Vinzadir and me was starting to fray. I would need to come up with some new way to compartmentalize. The bottle of pills weighed heavily in my pocket. If I were to get back on my medication, the hallucinations would disappear after about a week of consistent use. The side-effects were terrible, though. My hands would shake, my emotions would dull, and my mind would cloud. Beyond that, I had no idea where I would even find more Risperidone. The pharmaceutical companies definitely werent making any more medications. Even if they were, they would prioritize heart medication or dialysis drugs over antipsychotics. In the meantime, they could just hold lunatics like me in insane asylums. One way or another, this was my problem, and I had to figure out how to deal with it alone. Otherwise, they would throw me into a padded room, again. I stepped into the lecture hall. More than a hundred seats pointed toward a massive whiteboard. The seats were arranged like the seats of a movie theater, with stairs leading up from ground level to the rear row. As a result of this setup, there was minimal open floor space, despite the large size of the room. Visualizing how I would use my [Workshop], I moved over to a table in the center of the room and tried to push it out of the way. The table didnt budge when I tried to push it. I looked down at its base and saw that it was welded to the ground. Taking my utility knife in one hand, I tried to cut into the iron legs that connected to the stone floor, and the knife passed through the iron legs like they were made of butter. Since my knife was an MDC object, I knew it would cut through, but I didnt expect it to be nearly that effective. I carried the table over to a corner of the room and threw it to the ground with a loud clang. We were on a time limit. There wasnt enough time for me to be respectful of university property when the world was ending. Liz walked into the lecture hall and watched what I was doing. She closed the door behind herself, leaving Carlos in the hallway with the two newcomers to our group.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Ive been wondering, I said to Liz as I tried to imagine where the raw material and finished items would go, where did all that Mithril come from that your dad used to make those weapons and that barricade? [Knights] and [Thieves] start with Mithril weapons, and the Diluvians skeletons are made from Mithril. Liz spoke quickly. She clearly wanted to talk about something else. Liz walked up to me and said in a quiet voice that wouldnt project in such a large room, What was that back there? You almost killed them, Vincent. Are you really okay? Prepared to tell another lie, I turned and looked Liz directly in the eyes. I expected to see aggression in her expression, but I just saw compassion and concern. No, Im not okay, I said, turning back to my work. My grasp on reality was frail already, and I cant even be sure what reality is anymore. If not for the testimony of other people, Id be convinced that these text boxes and stat sheets were all in my head. I hadnt really considered it that way, Liz said in a tone filled with pity. I was glad I couldnt see her expression. When the blue box appeared, I felt like I was going crazy. I can only imagine what it was like as a schizophrenic. I really didnt like that word, though it was probably the most succinct way to describe me, though that wasnt the only item on my list of diseases. I was a schizophrenic, a total schizo. It was one of those dangerous mental illnesses that people didnt like to be near, and I didnt blame them. In an insane world, however, perhaps being insane would be an advantage? That thought brought me some small amount of satisfaction, and I hoped that Liz couldnt see the momentary smile appear on my face. I began to walk toward one of the lecture halls walls and, out of the corner of my eye, saw that Liz walked with some awkwardness in her shoulders. It seemed like she was concerned that her use of the word schizophrenic had offended me. You know, the System gave me the [Lunatic] trait, I said with a smile. Thats not very nice. I mean its not wrong, I said with a sardonic shrug and a tilted head. Liz laughed at my self-effacing joke. Your condition had totally slipped my mind ever since you told me a year ago. Whenever I talk to you, you always seem so Sane? I finished her sentence. Dont be fooled. Im crazy. I looked at Liz and did my best Jack Nicholson impression. Liz laughed once more, perhaps a bit too loudly. It was as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, and she became completely convinced of my sanity. That was a funny quirk of human nature. Nothing convinced people that you were sane faster than joking that you were insane, because only a sane person would have the wherewithal to recognize their own insanity. Catch-22. The other three members of our group opened the door to the lecture hall, and Carlos asked, Whats so funny? Nothing, Liz said quickly, looking away from the newcomers in embarrassment. It would be somewhat difficult to explain everything leading up to it, but I could tell that Lizs reaction would send the wrong message. While I was speaking with Liz, I had reached the end of the room and was facing one of the walls. Once Liz stepped far enough away from me, I accumulated some saliva in my mouth and spat on the wall. Chapter 22 - [Relative Safety] What are you doing? Carlos asked as I spat on the wall and began walking over to the other side of the lecture hall. Ask him, I said, pointing at Simon the [Alchemist]. I wasnt in the mood to explain and work at the same time. Everyone looked over to Simon, who was shocked to suddenly be put on the spot and asked to explain how [Workshops] worked. Oh, right, Simon said, pausing to buy himself a second to think. Vincent is setting up his [Workshop]. To set up a [Workshop], an [Alchemist] needs to mark the four walls of a room with his bodily fluids. Gross, Carlos said with a smile. Simon continued. I assume that Vincent hasnt previously set up a [Workshop], since it takes a minimum of twelve hours for the magic maintaining the [Workshop] to wear off, and you can only have one at a time. I did not know that. If I had spent more time reading the rules surrounding the [Workshop], I probably would have picked that up. I would have to keep a mental note that it would take me half a day to move my [Workshop]. A moment after Simon was done explaining what I was doing, I finished marking the perimeter of my [Workshop]. As I expected, the System sent me a notification. [WOULD YOU LIKE TO SET UP YOUR WORKSHOP HERE?]
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SET UP YOUR WORKSHOP HERE?
With a quick movement of my index finger, I selected the [Yes] option. [WELCOME TO YOUR WORKSHOP: VINZADIR]
WELCOME TO YOUR WORKSHOP: VINZADIR
My [Workshop] is all set up. All right, we need to work fast. System. Empty everything out of my [Inventory]. About a thousand units of ore and seven units of pure Starsteel were dumped on the ground. Simon and Claire jumped at the sound of hundreds of pounds of steel crashing against stone. They must have not yet figured out the [Inventory] system. Why do we need to work fast? Claire asked meekly. You didnt tell them? Liz said, glaring at Carlos. It didnt really come up, Carlos said. What didnt? Simon asked. As I began organizing the ore on the ground, I answered Simons question. A continent-sized object just crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. I didnt speak the next sentence out loud. Simon and Claire were smart enough to reach the obvious conclusion themselves. No way, Simon said. Check the ISS live stream or any forum on the internet. Im sure theyre talking about it. I figured the shockwave had already made landfall by that point. New York City and most of the United Kingdom were probably gone already. As I turned back to the pile of glistening steel on the ground, I saw that Simon and Claire were checking their phones for proof of my statement.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Deconstruct, I said, putting my hand on one slab of ore. The slab fell apart into a pile of steel cubes. I touched the remaining slabs one by one and reduced all of them to raw material. When I was done, a textbox informed me of how much raw material I had retrieved from the ore. [STARSTEEL ACQUIRED: 893]
STARSTEEL ACQUIRED: 893
I noticed that about 10% of material was lost in the deconstruction process. Was [Deconstruction] inefficient, or was the ore just impure? Either way, a significant amount of material was lost. Carlos, empty out your [Inventory] so that I can start deconstructing your ore. As Carlos walked up and deposited several hundred pounds of steel on the ground, I heard Simon shout in surprise. Holy shit! Simon swore loudly. See? I was right, I said, assuming that Simons exclamation was the result of him seeing evidence of the crashing continent. Its huge! Its completely blocking out the sun in this livestream. No, that was impossible. Simon must have been mistaken. Any landmass in a position to be eclipsed by the continental starship would have already been destroyed by the shockwave. The video watched by Simon must have been a recording from before that landmass was destroyed. Wheres the livestream from? As I spoke, I navigated to the [Crafting] page and clicked the button to create a Sarcophagus Ship. A steel casket appeared at my feet, and a notification appeared in my vision. [QUEST COMPLETED! +200 EXP] [EXP TO NEXT LEVEL: 60] The Azores. Simon answered quickly, not picking up on the disbelief in my voice. Yeah, the Azores were definitely gone. That small island chain in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean would be destroyed immediately by the shockwave. Youre not looking at a livestream, I said with complete confidence. Im pretty sure I am, Simon said. Here, look. I turned away from the starship sitting on the floor of the lecture hall. I wasnt sure if I should be offended or confused by Simons statement. I walked up to Simon and looked at his phone. The video on his screen showed a gargantuan black object that blotted out the sky. A small sliver of blue could still be seen on the horizon, though the surrounding landscape was cast in the shadow of a moonless night. Look, he said, pointing to the chat box on the right side of the screen. The live chat matched the chat box in the video, implying that the stream was live. Simon wrote the word TEST in all-caps, and I saw his message float by. There was a disconnect there somewhere. One of my assumptions must have been wrong. If that livestream was real, then one or more of the premises I was relying on were false. When I saw that landmass over the Atlantic more than an hour ago, it wasnt that far up. Based on any sane understanding of physics, it should have crashed into the ocean by now. That should be impossible, I said. Why? Simon asked. Its been there for more than an hour, I said. Either thats a recording, or that landmass doesnt follow the laws of physics. I spoke with the intent to make the second option seem utterly absurd, but the possibility became more and more likely with every word I uttered. That wouldnt be the most insane thing to happen in the last two hours, Carlos said with a shrug. I found a livestream from Cork, Ireland where the object can be seen on the horizon, Claire said. On the recording, a giant foreboding object could be seen floating in the sky to the west. It seemed completely stationary. Over the next minute, we all searched on our phones for evidence of the continent floating over the Atlantic Ocean. After seeing more than a dozen livestreams from places that shouldnt still exist, I came to the conclusion that the continental starship was there, but it was not crashing. It was merely floating to the ground, and there would be no planet-destroying shockwave. I let out a sigh of relief, and several of the others almost fell to their knees when they realized the planet wouldnt be destroyed in the next few hours. It looks like were safe, I said. You scared us, Carlos said with a smile, lightly punching me on the shoulder. I didnt take magic into account when I was calculating the impact force of that thing. Sue me. I scratched my chin. In hindsight, I probably should have taken magic into account. The students laughed, but their laughter was cut short by a deafening, bone-shaking blast. I was immediately knocked on my back, and the others fell to the ground or steadied themselves on a nearby object. On the ground, I opened my mouth and spoke, even though I knew no one could hear me over the ringing in all our ears. Safety is relative, I guess. Chapter 23 - [The Devil Himself] Slowly, I climbed to my feet. I tried to analyze the feeling of the crash, and the memory of Epsilons ship crashing into the ground came to mind. The two sensations felt identical, though the impact felt much closer this time. As soon as I was back on my feet, I walked over to the pile of steel in the center of the room and began working on deconstructing the remaining ore into usable blocks of raw material. I couldnt hear myself give the commands, but the ore still split into cubes without resistance. [STARSTEEL ACQUIRED: 554] [TOTAL STARSTEEL: 1,251] My earlier calculations were evidently incorrect. I only would have been able to build seven Sarcophagus Starships. It didnt matter at that point, but I would have just barely had enough escape ships to save everyone present, Professor Carlyle, and John. Where was that guy, anyway? He must have lost his phone during System Integration. He was probably somewhere else in the city, leading a group of survivors to safety. It was only a matter of time before he found some way to contact us. John was probably already level 5 or level 6. He probably took the [Mage] class. With the threat of total planetary obliteration no longer hanging over my head, I decided that the next most pressing issue was our lack of weaponry. Society was still collapsing even if the planet wasnt being destroyed. Now that I didnt need to make the starships anymore, I could use the Starsteel on the creation of shield generators, laser pistols, and ammunition. I did a quick calculation in my mind before starting to craft. [TOTAL STARSTEEL: 291] Within a few minutes, the pile of raw material on the ground was replaced with enough weaponry and ammunition to arm a small platoon of soldiers. I had created 8 laser pistols, 8 shield generators, and 32 extra battery packs. [WOULD YOU LIKE TO MOVE 51 STARSTEEL TO YOUR INVENTORY?] No, I said, and the notification disappeared. Since I would not be able to move my [Workshop] or use [Bypass Limitation] for at least half a day, there would be no reason for me to take any excess raw material with me. Loud enough to be heard over the echoes of the original blast and the lingering ringing in our ears, I shouted, Everyone take a shield generator, a laser pistol, and four extra magazines. The others in my group followed my command quickly, though it became clear after a few seconds that Carlos was the only one with any knowledge of firearms. We had gone to the range together a few times, and I knew he had a basic level of proficiency. Beyond that, however, Carlos had basically no experience with firearms. He knew how to fire the gun, but his accuracy would be abysmal.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. As for the others, they would probably be more of a hindrance than a help in a fight. I remembered the police officer holed up in the Carolina Union and decided to give him a laser pistol the next time I saw him. I hate guns, Liz muttered as she tried to hold her laser pistol as gingerly as possible. Carlos and I will go out to find what caused that noise, I said as I took two of the charged battery packs and used them to replace the battery packs I had previously expended. The others werent ready, but I was confident that an hour of training would put them into fighting shape. From cultural osmosis, they would have some basic understanding of how guns were used. All it took was a short lesson on firearm proficiency for them to be able to utilize that knowledge. Carlos and I set out from Phillips Hall, and we immediately saw that much of the area outside the hall was damaged. Windows were shattered, branches were shorn from their trees, and cracks had appeared on the buildings exteriors. Still in cover, I peeked my head out and looked around. A large plume of white smoke emanated from my right. I looked toward the smoke and saw that the damage became much worse in that direction. The Old Well was especially close to the detonation. The wooden dome and surrounding pillars had been completely uprooted and were lying on the ground a few dozen feet away. Though the dome had been forcibly removed, however, the marble fountain beneath was damaged but unmoved. Across the road from the Old Well, the South Building had not fared nearly as well. Something had struck the South Building with enough force to destroy it completely. Every brick and every stone contained within had been removed from its foundation in an instant. We approached the impact crater carefully, using the nearby walls and destroyed stone foundation as cover. As we got closer, the smoke became denser, and the heat became much greater. Our shields flickered into visibility and remained as the smoke sought to overwhelm us. The space within our shields remained clear, so we could see a few feet in front of us. The sound of crackling fire and sizzling stone was interrupted by the sound of a door clicking open. Hearing the sound, Carlos and I ran to cover. We kept our eyes out on the smoke and searched for any movement. A voice emanated from the cloud of white smoke, speaking in an alien language that sounded completely foreign to me. The language sounded ancient, like the myriad tongues from the fertile crescent and the Arabian peninsula. Whoever or whatever was speaking was clearly annoyed at something, like a driver shouting at his car after it broke down. Despite the alien language, the speaker sounded like a human man, and the emotion expressed was very human-like. The source of the shouting voice moved away from the crash site, and I heard the crunching sound of stone and glass as the speaker climbed out of the crater. With my eyes peeking out from behind cover, I saw the speaker leave the cloud of white smoke and enter my field of view. The man I saw exit the smoke cloud wore the eclectic leather-and-steel armor of a medieval mercenary. He wore a sword at his belt, his skin was dark red, and two ram horns grew out of his forehead. More than anything else, the man resembled the devil himself. Chapter 24 - [The Human Tribe] What the Hell? Carlos whispered to me as we both dived back into cover. We only risked a quick glance at the horned humanoid before we broke line of sight for fear that he would spot us. In a fearful voice, Carlos asked another question. Should we attack him? No, I answered immediately. I recalled the horned humanoids among the lesser beings mentioned in Epsilons memories. If this man was among the elders enemies, he would logically be our ally to some extent. Trusting my instincts, I holstered my laser pistol and stepped out into the open. I held my hands out to the side in a gesture of peace, making sure to not hold my hands out toward the horned man for fear that he might interpret it as the somatic component of a spell. Are you crazy? Carlos whispered to me from cover. The horned man looked over to me with an expression of relief on his face. He said something in that alien language. His statement was short, but I could make out one word, Human. Thats right, I said, speaking slowly and vigorously nodding my head to get the point across. I am a human. The horned man fiddled with some device hanging around his neck. He said something with the cadence of recitation, as if he was reading out a prewritten statement. After a few seconds, his vocals took on a recognizable pattern. He began speaking in English, though the movements of his mouth did not match the actual words spoken. ...where, when, why. The device on the horned mans neck began to translate in the middle of a list of interrogatives. He didnt seem to be asking me those questions. Rather, I got the sense that he was speaking to calibrate the translator on his neck. Good. Its working. Greetings, human. Be not afraid of my appearance, for I am your ally. His words were strangely biblical. The horned man spoke diplomatically, but he seemed annoyed by his role. He fidgeted with the handle of his sword and looked off to the horizon as he spoke. The horned man continued. I have a message that needs to be disseminated to as many people as possible. Do you have some method of mass communication without the [Network]? You can understand me? I asked, lowering my hands to my sides. Carlos stepped out of cover and waved to the horned man. Awkwardly, he said, Hello. Yes, I can understand you, the horned man said with annoyance in his voice. I dont know what the [Network] is, but I can use the Internet to spread information quickly. I just need to use my phone. Thats much better than I was expecting, the horned man said in a tone of pleasant surprise. I heard that, last time, the Naskals had to spread the news through ink printed on paper.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. As I removed my phone from my pocket, I asked, Would you mind telling us whats going on? Thats what Im here for, the horned man said, but he was clearly not happy about that fact. Lets start with my name. Im Hellman, what about you two? Hellman? I asked. Was that a joke? Was he aware of Earths cultural understanding of his appearance as demonic? Like the ketchup brand? Carlos asked. No, I assume, Hellman said, blinking in confusion. Im Vincent, and thats Carlos. Hellmans yellow irises darted over to the corner of his eyes for a moment, as if he was deep in thought. His eyes darted forward a second later, and he said in a tone implying we had just made a childish mistake, No, not those names. I mean your names in the Revelation System. I was amazed. Hellman hadnt gestured with his hands at all. Somehow, he managed to navigate to the [Friend List] and attempt to send a [Friend Request] in about a second without any visible input. I wondered if I would be able to do that at some point. Uh, right. Im Vincent, and thats Slader. Within a second, a new pop up appeared in the center of my vision. [NEW FRIEND REQUEST: HELLMAN]
NEW FRIEND REQUEST: HELLMAN
I clicked the button and quickly navigated to my [Friend List]. There, in between Elstine and Slader, was a new name. Elstine: Priestess, Lvl. 3 Hellman: Champion, Lvl. 25 Slader: Knight, Lvl. 3
Elstine Priestess, Lvl. 3
Hellman Champion, Lvl. 25
Slader Knight, Lvl. 3
I was surprised by the new entry in my [Friend List]. The fact that Hellmans level was above 20 implied that the Revelation Systems leveling system wasnt like Dungeon Kings. I had already assumed as much, anyway, from the fact that Liz hadnt yet unlocked second level spells. Considering that the levels of the Revelation System probably maxed out at level 100, I was surprised that Hellmans level was so low. While you do whatever it is you need to do to send my message to the rest of the Human tribe, I should tell you about my reason for being here specifically. Hellmans use of the word tribe seemed strange to me. He meant people like Carlos and me but not people like him. Epsilon used the word race to describe this group, but Hellmans translator used the word tribe. Exactly 24 hours after System Integration, the [Greater Dungeons] will appear. Everything within 62 miles of a [Greater Dungeon] will become uninhabitable, and Im here right now because we know a [Greater Dungeon] will appear within 3,300 feet of my landing site. My purpose here is not to prevent the appearance of the [Greater Dungeon]. Rather, my job is to find the Star Child that landed here a few minutes after System Integration and kill it before it can take control of the dungeon. It was barely perceptible, but I could feel Epsilon move slightly when Hellman mentioned the Star Child. There was no doubt in my mind that Hellman was searching for the creature that was presently holding my skull together. Do you two have any idea where this Star Child is? It shouldnt be evolved enough to fully integrate a sapient host yet. Right now, it should look like a shambling corpse with the head of a dog. I need to find it quickly before its able to fully integrate a Human host. Chapter 25 - [Monster Hunt] No, I havent seen anything like that, Carlos said, obviously lying. I concealed the relief I felt when Hellman didnt seem to notice the lie. Carlos knew about Epsilon and my near-death experience, and I was immensely grateful that he had chosen not to reveal that fact. Carloss concealment might be of little use, however, because my name and class were listed on Hellmans [Friend List]. Clearly, he had not checked it yet. Otherwise, he would have noticed the Eldritch qualifier in my class name and brought it up to me. All right, Hellman said with no surprise in his voice. If you see something, send me a message over the System. While Im at it, I might as well provide an incentive. The horned humanoid paused for a moment, and a notification appeared in front of me. [NEW LIMITED-TIME QUEST (24 HOURS): MONSTER HUNT] [FIND THE STAR CHILD AND HELP HELLMAN SLAY IT: +10,000 EXP]
NEW LIMITED-TIME QUEST (24 HOURS): MONSTER HUNT
FIND THE STAR CHILD AND HELP HELLMAN SLAY IT: +10,000 EXP
That was a lot of EXP. It would probably be enough to get me to level 10. If the target of the monster hunt wasnt presently residing in my skull, I would be very tempted to take Hellman up on his offer and start searching for the Star Child. The Elders are getting better at this with every iteration, so I cant be sure how evolved the Star Child is at this point, Hellman said with a sigh. If all the Vanguard Agents are able to put down the Star Children today, this iteration will start with a huge advantage. Thats good, I said, concealing my fear and holding out my phone, which had been set to the camera app. Im ready to start the recording. Great! That thing records light in addition to sound waves, right? Uh, yes. Good, good. Ill make sure to mention my physical appearance in my speech. Tell me when you start recording. Go. Be not afraid of my appearance, for I am your ally, Hellman said to the camera. As you can see, I am not a Human. I am a member of the Nephilim tribe and a representative of the Coalition of Light. We are here to help you in your hour of need. You see, you are presently being attacked by our enemy: the Conquering Horde. To survive this initial assault, listen to the Revelation System and gain enough power to defend yourself. Once youre strong enough to reliably fend off the lower-level monsters currently attacking your cities, you will need to flee to the [Towns] my comrades are currently setting up before the higher-level monsters show up.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. In a muted flash of light, a long rolled-up map appeared in Hellmans hand. He unfurled the map and held it out to the camera. I was slightly concerned that the fidelity of my phone wouldnt be sufficient to capture the maps details, so I stepped forward to see the map more clearly. The large piece of paper held in Hellmans hands was an altered world map that was distinct from any map I had previously seen. It was clearly a map of the world, but the coasts were gone, and a new continent sat in the center of the Atlantic. On the map, the east coast was gone, Florida was entirely underwater, the Gulf of Mexico had expanded to include most of the area around the southern Mississippi river, and half of California was gone. Two dozen circles, each about sixty miles in diameter, marked the remaining landmasses, and a single black x was placed a few hundred miles away from each of those circles. Chapel Hill was located in the center of one of those circles, and a black x had been marked a few miles to the north of Charlotte. Twenty-four [Greater Dungeons] will appear in the centers of these circles on your planet in twenty-two hours. Any Human caught within sixty-two miles of a [Greater Dungeon] will almost certainly die. You will be able to find everything you need at the [Towns] marked with an x. Hellman scratched his chin awkwardly as he broached the next topic. There is one last thing youll have to do to not die. Our ship, Genesis, will land in one of your oceans soon. Were doing this as carefully as possible, but the displaced water will cause your sea levels to rise by about two hundred feet. To survive, you will have to flee from the coasts. You have less than three days before this map becomes an accurate representation of your coastline. Carlos swore loudly. You cant do that! More than half of our population lives near the coast! Not for long. Look, this is the only chance Humans have to survive at all. Without our help, all Humans will die off. We know because this has happened thirty-three times before. No one, not the Naskals, not the Nephilim, not the Alba, has been able to beat the Conquering Horde once they arrive. We might be able to win this time, but well all need to work together and make unthinkable sacrifices if were going to have a chance. Hellman snapped his map closed and gestured with his fingers toward his neck, making the universal sign to cut the recording. I ended the recording and pointed my phone down to make sure everything was saved to my phone. Hellman returned the map to his [Inventory] and said, Is the recording off? Yeah, I said, returning the phone to my pocket to confirm that I was no longer recording. Hellman sat down on a large nearby rock and said, Youre right, Slader. It is bullshit, but Im here as a representative of the Coalition of Light. I gotta toe the party line. The same thing happened to the Nephilim tribe three thousand years ago. Millions of my people were killed by the Alba when they landed that big rock from their homeworld in the middle of our ocean. They did it to win a battle that we lost anyway. Carlos asked, If you hate them, then why do you still work for them? With a self-effacing laugh, Hellman said, Who else am I gonna work for? The Conquering Horde? Theyd kill me immediately. No, the Coalition of Light is the only game in town. Now, Vinzadir. Youre an Alchemist. Do you think you could make me a Sarcophagus Ship to help me get back to Genesis? Chapter 26 - [Memetic Seeding] I froze in place. Hellman had seen my entry on his [Friend List]. He must have noticed my class, Eldritch Alchemist, and he would certainly attack in a matter of seconds. Yet there was no change in Hellmans behavior, and Carlos did not react either. Hellman could have just been playing dumb and pretending to not notice my class until I gave him the starship he needed to get back to Genesis, but Carlos should have reacted. My class was on Carloss [Friend List] as well, so he should have known that such information would let Hellman know that I was the host of the Fifth Star Child. I knew Carlos well, and he had a terrible poker face. Something so major would cause an emotional reaction, and I would have been able to perceive Carloss response. Yet when I looked at Carlos, he did not react at all. A sound echoed within my skull. It was a sound so quiet that only I could possibly hear it. The sound was not a verbal communication, but rather a simple utterance conveying an emotion: pride. Epsilon vibrated quietly, proud of its own skill. I recalled Hellman saying that the Star Children were becoming more skilled over time. Somehow, Epsilon must have managed to change how my class was viewed by other people. My class should have been displayed as Eldritch Alchemist in other players [Friend Lists], but it was instead displayed as Alchemist. After pausing for a second to come to this conclusion and conceal the many emotions spinning in my mind, I said, Youre in luck. I actually just built one. Is that right? Good. I was afraid I would have to steal a car or wait a few hours for you to level up. Ill make sure to compensate you sufficiently. Where is this starship? Just a hundred feet that way, I said. We began to walk back to Phillips Hall. It was a very strange experience to walk next to a man with horns, red skin, and a pointed tail. The experience was made more uncomfortable due to the fact I knew he wanted to kill me. I tried to keep my thoughts away from the strange experience by focusing on spreading Hellmans recording as quickly as possible. I uploaded the video to my YouTube account and posted the recording to every Discord channel I could find with the message, How to Survive (Tell Everyone You Can). At first glance, the video could easily be interpreted as particularly distasteful clickbait. I probably could have phrased the title of the video better, but none of that was important. The only thing that mattered was the content of the video, and the videos title would be forgotten once it started spreading by word of mouth. We were standing in front of Phillips Hall by the time the video had finished compressing, and I got the notification on my phone that it had been uploaded to YouTube. Once I was confident that enough dominos had been overturned to spread the message sufficiently, I turned notifications off on my phone and returned it to my pocket. Okay, its done, I said. Anyone that still has access to the Internet should see the recording within the next few hours.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Youre going to be famous, Vincent, Carlos said, though his smile didnt reach his eyes. Maybe I can launch a lucrative YouTube career in the six hours before the YouTube servers are destroyed by a pack of Diluvians. A confused look fell over Hellmans face. This is sarcasm, yes? Its hard to figure out tone through the translator. Yes, I said, surprised once more by Hellmans understanding of our culture. For an alien, youre pretty similar to us. Actually, Ive been meaning to ask you about that. The Coalition of Light has been watching us for a while, and theyve seeded our culture with certain ideas, right? Revelation, Genesis, Nephelim, those cant be coincidental. Naturally, Hellman said with a shrug. We had to prepare you guys for System Integration. Of course, our memetic seeding was a lot more extensive than you may think. Video games, elves, magic, feudalism, Atlantis, literature, and agriculture all originated with the Coalition. Jesus Christ, Carlos swore. That to, Hellman said with a smile. Though, not as directly. Our name for the son of the Overgod is Malkuth, and we view him as the God of Space. Oh no Carlos said, squeezing his eyes tight and resting the back of his head against the stone wall of Phillips Hall. Is God real? Kind of? Hellman said. That would take a while. There is definitely an entity called the Overgod or the Administrator that closely fits the Christian concept of God, yes. I mean, we told you about God for a reason. One last question, I said. Why did the Coalition portray the Nephilims as demonic when you left us with the stories that formed the Bible? That one was an accident, Hellman said with a sardonic smile. My ancestors tried to portray themselves as gods in certain pagan religions that the dominant religion eventually considered evil. After a thousand years of religious syncretism, the pagan deities modeled after my people were eventually integrated into Christianity as demonic creatures. In the Bible itself, my people are described as quasi-angelic creatures who possess great strength. It was a real mix-up on our part. I think I understand now, I said, and we walked into Phillips Hall. As we began treading through the large empty hall in the center of the building, I called out, Were coming back now, and weve brought an ally! We walked into the lecture hall, and several of the people in my group recoiled in fear once they saw Hellman approach. I could tell that diplomacy between Nephilims and Humans would be difficult in the coming years. It wouldnt be easy to deal with the negative associations that people make the moment they see a Nephilim. There it is, Hellman said, looking at the Sarcophagus Starship sitting on the floor. His eyes squinted for a moment, and several pop-ups appeared in my vision. [NEW QUEST, AID THE VANGUARD AGENT: TRADE STARSHIP TO HELLMAN, +1,000 EXP]
NEW QUEST, AID THE VANGUARD AGENT: TRADE STARSHIP TO HELLMAN, +1,000 EXP
[TRADE REQUEST, HELLMAN: 1 SARCOPHAGUS STARSHIP 1,000 CREDITS]
TRADE REQUEST, HELLMAN: 1 SARCOPHAGUS STARSHIP 1,000 CREDITS
Chapter 27 - [Level Four] Considering that I was only sixty EXP away from my next level, that seemed like an incredibly generous offer. Hold on just a second, please, I said to Hellman as I navigated through my [Menu]. I quickly found the pending notification asking me to choose my level 3 Alchemist skill. Swiftly, I clicked on the third grayed-out option. Even though I had no idea what it did, the ability to access a unique construction tree was simply too much to pass up. [NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: ????????] Once more, the notification was a strange gray color, and the font was completely different. It felt as if whatever power Epsilon was drawing from was beginning to infect my System. Either way, that concerning change in my UI could wait until after my [Trade] with Hellman. With that new skill accepted, I brought up Hellmans request and hit the accept button. [TRADE COMPLETED] [QUEST COMPLETED, +1,000 EXP] [LEVEL UP!] [EXP TO NEXT LEVEL: 660] [TOTAL CREDITS: 1,410?] My total number of credits had more than tripled with that trade, and I had reached level 4. I wondered what could be done with credits other than using them to buy stuff from other people. Hellman quickly walked over to the Sarcophagus Starship. For a moment, he seemed lost in thought. In an instant, a large pile of extraneous items flashed into existence and crashed to the floor. Food, weapons, armor, and raw material landed on the ground. The scene was strangely nostalgic to me, and my mind was filled with memories of the thousands of times I had emptied out my [Inventory] in video games to make extra room. An instant later, the Sarcophagus Starship disappeared into Hellmans [Inventory], and he clapped his hands together in satisfaction. I wondered how [Trade] worked specifically. Was there some [Ownership] system? If so, what benefits did you gain from owning something? All right, Hellman said. Now that the boring tasks are over, I can finally start working on the fun stuff. He cracked his knuckles and stretched out his shoulders. If you guys run into a Threshold Guardian, just send me a [Message]. Ill be out there killing every monster I can see. Before I could think of a response, Hellman had sprinted out the door. I let out a sigh of relief and sat down on one of the two hundred seats located in the lecture hall. Every second he was there, the threat to my life grew. I was terrified that Liz would make some offhand comment and reveal that the Fifth Star Child had attacked me. Once Hellman was gone, Liz gestured in annoyance and confusion before saying, What the Hell was that!? Why did that guy look like a demon!?This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. I looked over to Carlos and gestured for him to explain. He was better at communicating than me, and I had absolutely no interest in rehashing the events of the past few minutes. As Carlos began explaining, I sent him a message over the [Menu]. Vinzadir: Dont tell them about Epsilon. With that out of the way, I turned my attention back toward my Character Sheet. The hectic pace of the past thirty minutes had forced me to neglect my character advancement. My eyes scanned the top of my [Menu], and I saw my stats. [YOU MAY ADD +2 TO YOUR STATS] Figuring my [Mind] stats were high enough, I decided to add 2 to my [Speed] stat. I realized earlier that my accuracy with my laser pistol increased when my [Speed] increased, so that seemed like the best use of my limited resources at the time. Name: Vinzadir Class: Eldritch Alchemist Level: 4 MDC: 20/20 SDC: 33/33 Body: 13 Fortitude: 14 Power: 13 Speed: 12 Mind: 17 Reason: 18 Perception: 15 Memory: 18 Spell Slots: (1) 4 / 5 Below the Character Sheet was the diagram visualizing my spell slots. There were five checkboxes next to a box that read [Level One], and one of them was filled in. [YOU MAY TAKE 1 ADDITIONAL SPELL] [YOU MAY UNLOCK 3 CONSTRUCTS] [NEW SKILL AVAILABLE] As the new textboxes popped up, I could feel the muscles in my body change. They didnt change in size. It felt more like they were becoming much more efficient. For the first time in my life, I wanted to run around and test out my new body. Take the [Sleep] spell, I whispered to not interrupt Carloss explanation. [NEW SPELL UNLOCKED: SLEEP] I quickly navigated over to the [Crafting] page and looked at the long line of templates that could be found in Tier I. There must have been sixty construct templates in that Tier alone, and several items had been added to the list. These new items were marked on a gray background. When I hovered over these items to read their descriptions, their descriptions were written in that same runic script from my new skill. Before moving on to the esoteric technology, I flipped through Tier I and picked out two templates that I wanted for a little while. I unlocked the rifle and Starsteel chestplate from the [Crafting] page. Alban Chestplate (Basic): This is the armor worn by the low-level recruits within the Alban military. The Alban Chestplate is far lighter than comparable Naskal armor, but it provides the same amount of protection. Any attack that strikes the Alban Chestplate is reduced by 5 MD. If that attack has the LASER or FIRE tag, it is reduced by 10 MD instead. 60 Starsteel.
Alban Chestplate (Basic) This is the armor worn by the low-level recruits within the Alban military. The Alban Chestplate is far lighter than comparable Naskal armor, but it provides the same amount of protection. Any attack that strikes the Alban Chestplate is reduced by 5 MD. If that attack has the LASER or FIRE tag, it is reduced by 10 MD instead. 60 Starsteel.
Laser Rifle: This is a basic laser rifle. Every battery pack holds 60 shots. Bolts from this gun deal 1 - 10 MD upon contact. 60 Starsteel.
Laser Rifle This is a basic laser rifle. Every battery pack holds 60 shots. Bolts from this gun deal 1 - 10 MD upon contact. 60 Starsteel.
With those constructs picked out, I navigated over to the [Skills] page. At the very bottom of that page was my newest skill, which was written in a language that I did not understand. Experience had shown me that the System could be trusted, so I decided to use the System to help me parse the runic descriptions written in front of me. Chapter 28 - [Bomb Maker] Once again, I looked at the entry for my newest skill. ????????: As an Eldritch Alchemist, you specialize in crafting esoteric technology that was created by the ??????. You immediately gain the ability to construct ??????? technology. With this skill, you gain a new ??????? template with every level. You can also [Enhance] ??????? items for which you have a template.
???????? As an Eldritch Alchemist, you specialize in crafting esoteric technology that was created by the ??????. You immediately gain the ability to construct ??????? technology. With this skill, you gain a new ??????? template with every level. You can also [Enhance] ??????? items for which you have a template.
With the gray text box in front of my eyes, I noticed that there were only three separate runic words. One described the skill, one described the technologys creators, and one described the technology itself. System. Can you define this term? I pressed my finger against the first runic word written on the text box. [DEFINITION: THE SKILL GRANTING ELDRITCH ALCHEMISTS THE ABILITY TO CRAFT ESOTERIC TECHNOLOGY] Wow, thanks, I said sarcastically. Evidently, the System also didnt understand the runic words. I clicked each undefined word one by one and asked the System for a definition, but every given answer was just as unhelpful as the last. System, I said, pointing to the first undefined word. Translate this word to [Esoteric Construction]. I went down the list and gave my suggestions for how the System should translate the other two words. Translate this to [Elders], and translate this to [Esotech]. [COMMAND RECEIVED] [ALTERATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE TO UI] In accordance with my requests, the skill list was altered. With the changes in place, it was much easier to read. Esoteric Construction: As an Eldritch Alchemist, you specialize in crafting esoteric technology that was created by the Elders. You immediately gain the ability to construct Esotech technology. With this skill, you gain a new Esotech template with every level. You can also [Enhance] Esotech items for which you have a template.
Esoteric Construction As an Eldritch Alchemist, you specialize in crafting esoteric technology that was created by the Elders. You immediately gain the ability to construct Esotech technology. With this skill, you gain a new Esotech template with every level. You can also [Enhance] Esotech items for which you have a template.
Though the phrase Esotech technology was jarring, I actually understood what the System was trying to communicate. I probably should have changed the suggested translation to deal with the grammatical inconsistency, but I really liked the word Esotech. It made the technology created using forbidden secrets from the space between the stars sound like a product from Silicon Valley. I navigated back to the [Crafting] page and quickly altered the [Crafting] tree to only show [Esotech] in [Tier I]. With those parameters in place, only eight silhouettes remained. Those silhouettes represented the Esotech constructs I could create at this level. The Esotech silhouettes were shaped strangely, but all eight of them resembled some mundane object from the real world. These objects were: (1) a pistol, (2) a robe, (3) a sword, (4) a dagger, (5) a book, (6) a ring, (7) a scepter, and (8) a crown.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Something about the crown put me on edge, but I quickly put that thought out of my mind. At the present time, I could only construct the pistol, anyway. Every other item required Mithril, Spiritwood, Velum, or Auramite. I unlocked the pistol construct and read the item description. Esotech Pistol: This single-shot pistol taps directly into the infinite power of the Outer Realm. Targets take 10 - 100 MD when hit by the beam of energy projected from this weapon. The Esotech Pistol must be reloaded after every shot, and the barrel must be replaced after every fifth shot. When the Elder Sign round used to fire this weapon is depleted, this items creator can use a Level One spell slot to recharge the round. 60 Starsteel for one pistol. 5 Starsteel for one Elder Sign round.
Esotech Pistol This single-shot pistol taps directly into the infinite power of the Outer Realm. Targets take 10 - 100 MD when hit by the beam of energy projected from this weapon. The Esotech Pistol must be reloaded after every shot, and the barrel must be replaced after every fifth shot. When the Elder Sign round used to fire this weapon is depleted, this items creator can use a Level One spell slot to recharge the round. 60 Starsteel for one pistol. 5 Starsteel for one Elder Sign round.
My priorities changed the moment I saw how much damage the Esotech pistol could do. I walked over to the large pile of raw material and junk that had previously been clogging space in Hellmans [Inventory] and built an Esotech pistol with the raw material. A moment later, I built four more Elder Sign rounds and jammed them in one of my pockets. The Esotech pistol resembled a high-caliber hunting pistol. Compared to the laser pistol, the grip was sturdier, the barrel was thicker, and the sights were completely nonexistent. Based on the shape of the Esotech pistol, I knew it would have massive recoil. There was one last item on my level up to-do list: my new skill. I navigated over to look at my new level 4 skill. [NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: BOMB MAKER] Bomb Maker: When inside of your [Workshop], you can construct a number of bombs equal to your [Reason] modifier (4) without the use of raw material. The bombs detonate automatically if they are more than thirty feet away from you for more than a minute. The power of these bombs is determined by your level and [Mind] stats. Your bombs deal 4 - 26 MD and deal damage to everything within 12 feet.
Bomb Maker When inside of your [Workshop], you can construct a number of bombs equal to your [Reason] modifier (4) without the use of raw material. The bombs detonate automatically if they are more than thirty feet away from you for more than a minute. The power of these bombs is determined by your level and [Mind] stats. Your bombs deal 4 - 26 MD and deal damage to everything within 12 feet.
I quickly realized the potential utility of the [Bomb Maker] skill. Within seconds, four palm-sized spheres labeled [Alchemist Bomb] were sitting inside of my [Inventory]. As I strapped the holster of my oversized Esotech pistol to my left thigh, I turned my attention back to Carlos and the others. Their conversation-turned-argument seemed to be reaching its natural conclusion. Theres no way! Liz shouted. Vincent was there. If you doubt me, just ask him, Carlos said. Not you. That ketchup demon must be lying. Theres no way that every cultural and technological achievement in history was the result of a group of aliens with the most pretentious name in history. Ketchup demon? Oh, she must have been referring to Hellman. Carlos had apparently been busy during the conversation as well. He had replaced his sword with one of the many swords discarded by Hellman, and a steel chestplate hung from his shoulders. Simon and Claire were also wearing discarded armor from Hellmans [Inventory], though both of them had decided not to pick up any of the discarded weapons. Liz continued. If all these ideas were given to us, then can we really be sure that human creativity even exists? Carlos scratched his head in thought before answering. Creativity exists, Im sure. He snapped his fingers as he came up with a counterargument. Demons! We resisted the Nephilim indoctrination when we started viewing them as demons instead of pagan gods. I decided to cut in. This philosophical argument had nothing to do with our long-term survival, which was my only concern at the time. Lets take the conversation back a few minutes. Everything within sixty-two miles will be made uninhabitable tomorrow. We need to evacuate. Chapter 29 - [Uruks] Within minutes, we had left Phillips Hall behind us and began walking back to the Carolina Union. An eerie silence had fallen over the central campus like the momentary calm before a fierce storm. We used the debris of South Hall as a barrier to provide cover while we crossed the central quad, and we passed through the narrow alleys east of the quad while heading south toward the Carolina Union. With my hand gripped tightly around a piece of technology far too advanced for any Human to understand, I led that group of five college students toward our destination. I turned a corner and saw a group of more than a dozen muscular humanoid creatures. They had green skin, wore poorly-made clothing, and wielded primitive weapons in their hands. The creatures clearly shared a common ancestor with Humans and Nephilims, but they must have evolutionarily split off much earlier. [NEW ENEMY DISCOVERED: URUK] The System recognized them as Uruks, the prototypical form of Tolkiens Orcs. I wondered for a moment if these creatures were the inspiration for those famous literary monsters, but my inner monologue was cut short. Some sound alerted the Uruks, and they all turned toward us in unison. With a series of deep animalistic screams, the Uruks charged us. Immediately, I began firing at the Uruks with my laser pistol while moving sideways to get out of the line of fire. A fusillade of inaccurate bolts of crimson energy crashed into the Uruks. Several of them fell, but it quickly became clear to me that they were much sturdier than the Diluvians. I put two deep craters into the chest of one of the Uruks, but it kept moving as if the wound didnt bother it. I was able to hit them with an [Alchemist Bomb] before they managed to reach us. By depressing the button on the side of the bomb and setting it to Impact before throwing the bomb, I was able to instantly render three of the Uruks into large chunks of ragged meat. Sleep! Simon shouted, causing two of the Uruks to immediately fall to the ground. Battle Trance, Carlos declared, strengthening his own body. The Uruks reached us, and I no longer had the privilege of paying attention to the other members of my group. I only had time to focus on my own survival. Five Uruks had managed to get into melee range, and another group of a dozen Uruks had been drawn by the sound of our fight. One of the Uruks swung at my head with a large two-handed sword. The attack was fast but predictable, and I was able to duck out of the way. As the Uruk faltered and overextended, I fired from the hip and dug a burning hole into the monsters chest until it fell to the ground dead.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The other group of Uruks had managed to reach us faster than I anticipated, and two more of the orcish monsters reached me a second after I looked up from the recently slain corpse lying on the ground.
My knife flew to my hand and stopped the first Orcs blade in its tracks. The blade of the second Orc struck my armor and bounced off harmlessly. The Orcs were big, but they were sloppy. I plunged my dagger into the first Orcs wrist and violently wrenched its blade out of its hands. The second Orc approached me once more, but I twisted the arm of the bleeding Orc, forcing it to stumble between me and my attacker. A wicked smile appeared on my face as the second Orc retreated, fearful that he would accidentally strike his companion. The two Orcs were exactly where I wanted them, so I aimed Dismas at them both and began unloading my gun as fast as I could. The two Orcs fell to my vicious fusillade, but something was wrong. The recoil from Dismas was much less than usual, and each shot created a bright flash of light that forced me to squint to not affect my vision. I looked over at Dismas, and I realized that I didnt recognize the gun in my hand. I had never seen a gun like that. It was as if the gun had been created some time in the future.
I was completely drenched in blood, but there was no time to focus on that. Three Uruks were still close enough to use their heavy blades effectively, and the two Uruks that had been put to sleep by Simon were starting to wake up. Seeing that Carlos was holding his own against the Uruks in melee range, I retrieved an [Alchemist Bomb] from my [Inventory] and threw it at the two standing Uruks like it was a fastball. They were reduced to a fine red mist before they could get to their feet. The sound of a circuit shorting out emanated from somewhere nearby. I looked around just in time to see Simon recoil as his shield generator fizzled out. The Uruk who had just destroyed Simons shield raised its two-handed sword once more. My laser pistol was still in its holster, and the other three members of my group were busy fighting the two surviving Uruks. No one could hope to kill that Uruk before it could attack Simon. Magic Arrow, I chanted, and three bolts of energy flew out of my empty hand. The Uruks blade came down a second before the bolts of energy could reach it. The blade struck Simons shoulder and kept going like it was passing through air. Simon fell to the ground in two separate pieces. His pained scream turned into the sound of a deflating balloon as his lungs were bisected, and he died instantly. Half a second later, three bolts of energy speared into the Uruks body, and it crumpled to the ground. Less than five seconds after Simon was killed, Carlos cut into the final Uruk, and the battle was over. Having not yet noticed Simons corpse, Carlos smiled and said, Well, that was easy. Carlos spotted Simons bisected body, his eyes looking skyward, his face forever trapped in an expression of agony. Oh. [URUKS (20) DEFEATED! +800 EXP, +800 CREDITS] [TOTAL CREDITS: 2,210?] [LEVEL UP!] [EXP TO NEXT LEVEL: 1460] World Map This is an approximation of the sea levels on Hellman''s map. Coastal cities and any low-lying areas will be underwater after Genesis lands in the center of the Atlantic Ocean. By landmass, most of the Earth is still above water. By population density, however, most of the human population on Earth is in the range of flooding. All the largest cities on Earth - New York City, San Francisco, Paris, London, Beijing - will soon be taken by the waves.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Chapel Hill, several hundred miles inland, will soon become a coastal city. Florida will be gone, and much of the Amazon rainforest will be destroyed. Perhaps, when the dust settles and the historians begin their work, they will find that the aid of the Alba was more harmful than the assault by the Diluvians. Chapter 30 - [Bull of Heaven] Pain shot through my whole body, driving me onto one knee. I had no idea what was happening to me until a notification appeared. [DRACONIC INTEGRATION INITIATED]
DRACONIC INTEGRATION INITIATED
For several seconds, the all-encompassing pain became stronger. It was all I could think about. It felt like some liquid was being injected into my flesh, and the liquid caused a burning sensation in anything it touched. The only part of my body that seemed to be free from the burning was my left eye, which had already been empowered by [Draconic Integration]. God! Why hadnt Carlos told me it hurt so much!? [DRACONIC INTEGRATION COMPLETED]
DRACONIC INTEGRATION COMPLETED
Name: Vinzadir Class: Eldritch Alchemist Level: 5 MDC: 13+40/40 Body: 13 Mind: 17
Name Vinzadir
Class Eldritch Alchemist
Level 5
MDC 13+40/40
Body 13
Mind 17
In an instant, the pain stopped, and my senses returned to me. The pain wasnt nearly as bad as the sensation of having my eye torn out by Epsilon, but I certainly wouldnt want to experience it again. When I looked up, Claire was kneeling next to Simons corpse. Tears ran freely down her cheeks, and I wondered what their relationship had been before System Integration. Liz stood next to Claire, trying her best to console the grieving girl. You okay, man? Carlos asked from beside me. I looked up and saw Carlos standing there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. Yeah? I said, unsure of why he had asked that. Why? Uh, Carlos said, scratching the back of his head. Its just you had a pained look on your face. Right. Carlos must have thought the pain I expressed as a result of [Draconic Integration] was my reaction to Simons death. In that context, it made sense. I figured I might as well use this misunderstanding to my advantage. Im fine, I said with the inflection of a man who blamed himself for the tragedy unfolding in front of him. Its not your fault, Carlos said. We couldnt know that there would be so many of them here.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Ignoring Carloss statement, I walked up to Claire and kneeled beside her. Through wracking sobs, Claire said, Isnt there anything you can do, Elizabeth? No, Liz said sadly. [Heal] doesnt work once the target has reached zero SDC. I looked down at the diagonal cleave that split Simons body. His heart and lungs had been cut in half by the Uruks attack. No amount of surgical intervention could save someone from such an injury. As I looked at Simons body, I noticed a slight movement in his lips, as if he was trying to say something. I couldnt be sure if that was the result of his conscious mind trying to communicate, or if it was the result of a few dying brain waves firing at random like a chicken with its head cut off. Either way, he would have no hope of communicating with his hands removed and his lungs bisected. His mind hasnt shut off yet, I said, accidentally allowing my inner monologue to express itself verbally. Hes still alive? Claire asked through tears. I wanted to explain that death was a complicated process, that the heart and brain frequently shut off at different times. I knew that the brain could keep running for several minutes after the body was dead. Instead, I decided to keep my answer short. No. With practiced precision, I drew my gun from its holster and put a bolt of laser fire into Simons head. In an instant, Simons head was destroyed, and a crater of molten rock was created in the stone floor beneath him. It was far better to die in an instant than to slowly fade into oblivion. Four shields popped into the visual range of the light spectrum to protect us from the heat generated by my shot. I knew that I would have to keep the initiative in order to prevent any long conversations from interrupting our walk to the Carolin Union. Claire opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off. He couldnt be saved. We dont have time to sit here and talk about our feelings for ten minutes. This place isnt safe. Another twenty Uruks could pop up at any time, and we probably wouldnt survive another wave of them. If you want to shout and swear at me, youll have plenty of time to do it when were safe. We can still be saved, he cant. Punctuating my speech, I reloaded my laser pistol and returned it to its holster. I honestly didnt like leading in such a way, but Claire needed a shock to the system to keep going. We couldnt afford to stop and cry every time someone died. Without allowing anyone time to respond, I turned away from Simons body and continued walking toward the Carolina Union. After a few seconds, the others had caught up to me. I heard Liz and Claire conversing at a low volume behind me, but I didnt try to listen. You didnt have to be a jerk about it, Carlos whispered to me as we walked. It is what it is, I said with a shrug, echoing a sentiment I had expressed to Carlos and Liz many times before. If her hatred of me keeps her moving, thats fine by me. Just as we were about to reach the wide open area that contained the Pit, a frantic buzzing filled my skull. There was no pain, so I knew that Epsilon wasnt trying to dig into my brain again. Epsilon squirmed, as if it was trying to warn me of something. Stop, I told the others, holding my hand up. What is it? Liz asked. I dont- A massive boom filled the air, rocking the ground with enough force that I had to widen my stance to stop myself from falling down. Compared to the sound of Hellmans or Epsilons ship crashing, this boom was quite different. It sounded much closer to a massive explosive going off than a projectile crashing into the ground. Emboldened by the [Draconic Integration], I turned the corner around Hamilton Hall and looked toward the source of the sound. The Carolina Union had been reduced to rubble alongside half of the Pit and much of Davis Library. The destruction spread out in a wide cone, originating from an area near the Pit. Standing there, at the source of the destruction, was a massive building-sized bull. Some massive cone of destruction must have emanated from between the bulls horns and destroyed several buildings. [THRESHOLD GUARDIAN DISCOVERED: BULL OF HEAVEN]
THRESHOLD GUARDIAN DISCOVERED: BULL OF HEAVEN
Vinzadirs Character Sheet (Level 5) Name: Vinzadir Class: Eldritch Alchemist Level: 5 MDC: 13+40/40 Body: 13 Fortitude: 14 Power: 13 Speed: 12 Mind: 17 Reason: 18This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Perception: 15 Memory: 18
Name Vinzadir
Class Eldritch Alchemist
Level 5
MDC 13+40/40
Body 13
Mind 17
Spell Slots: (1) 3/5 Spells: (0) Fire Arrow, Lightning Hand; (1) Magic Arrow, Aegis, Sense Magic, Sleep Constructs: (Tier I) Laser Pistol, Laser Rifle, Esotech Pistol, Alban Armor (Primitive), Utility Knife, Shield Generator, Sarcophagus Ship Equipment: Laser Pistol, 4 Battery Packs, Esotech Pistol, 5 Elder Sign Bullets, Shield Generator, Utility Knife Inventory: 106 Starsteel, 2 Alchemist Bombs, 4 Laser Pistols, 16 Battery Packs Skills: Spellcasting, Limited Construction, Bypass Limitation, Esoteric Construction, Bomb Maker, Draconic Integration Chapter 31 - [Fight!] There I was, out in the open and staring down a giant bull whose shoulders rose fifteen feet into the air. No one had followed me out of cover, so it was just me and the Bull of Heaven. The monster stood more than a hundred feet away, but I knew that the distance didnt diminish the danger. Slowly, the gargantuan creature turned toward me, and I drew my Esotech pistol from its holster. My breath caught in my throat as I waited for the Bull of Heaven to act. Perhaps I could interrupt the Bulls beam attack if I timed my shot correctly. For several long seconds, I stood there, but no attack came. The Bulls gaze crossed over me, but it kept turning as if I wasnt even there. Some memory in the back of my mind materialized, and I was suddenly acutely aware of what the Bull was doing. It wasnt trying to kill anyone; it was just trying to clear land for the inevitable appearance of the [Fifth Greater Dungeon]. These buildings were just detritus standing in the way of the Great Tree that would rise high above that dungeon. It was heralding the inevitable rise of the Fifth Star Child, me. I was the rightful liege of the Bull of Heaven and every monster currently besieging this pitiful Human city. I shook my head, violently clearing my head of Epsilons thoughts, before returning back to the group. Standing in cover behind Hamilton Hall, the three other surviving members of my group looked at me with unease, silently fearing the worst. Unfortunately for them, they were correct. The Threshold Guardian is here, I said, and realization dawned in Carloss expression. It used some kind of attack to destroy the nearby buildings. The Carolina Union and much of Davis Library are gone. An expression of utter, paralyzing fear descended upon Lizs face. B-but the survivors. There were nearly a hundred people in that building. They were all dead; there was no doubt. I knew in my heart that Professor Carlyle and everyone else hiding in the Carolina Union were dead. They might still be alive, I said aloud. The System might have warned them, and they might have escaped in time. Another deafening boom almost knocked us off our feet as the Bull of Heaven launched another beam attack. Once the ringing in my ears had subsided enough for me to hear myself speak, I spoke again. The Threshold Guardian intends to level all of Chapel Hill to make room for the [Greater Dungeon]. Ill send a [Message] to Hellman, Carlos said as he began navigating through his [Menu]. Wh-what are we going to do? Claire asked fearfully. I fished my keys out of my pocket and tossed them lightly to Liz. Despite her shock, she caught the keys with fumbling hands. With a commanding voice, I said, If we do nothing, well be caught by one of those beams in a matter of minutes. Liz, my car is parked just behind Wilson Library. You and Claire will run and bring my car to the Pit while Carlos and I distract the Threshold Guardian.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. I did not phrase this as a question, because I knew this was the only viable course of action. With their SDC bodies and weakened shields, the Bull of Heaven would kill Claire and Liz in one shot. Carlos couldnt go with them to the car because his leg injury slowed him down significantly. O-okay, Claire said, looking at the others who all nodded in agreement. What- Carlos began, but I couldnt hear the rest of his statement over the sound of the Bull of Heaven launching another beam attack. What about you, Vincent? If you fight the Threshold Guardian, you could die just as easily as them. No, actually. I just hit level 5. Ive got 40 MDC protecting me. All right, Carlos said with a shrug. With that, our group split in half. Carlos and I went left toward the Bull of Heaven while Claire and Liz went right toward my car. When the girls were out of earshot, a serious expression fell over Carloss face, and he said, If things go south, save yourself, Vincent. Ill hold it off while you run. I recalled the story Carlos had told me a year after I met him. He told me that most of his tuition was initially paid with a fencing scholarship. With some research, I found that he had apparently won a few fencing tournaments. Carlos was one of the best fencers in America until his injury. According to him, he tripped after an overextended thrust and tore the ACL of his right leg. With that injury, running wasnt really in the cards for Carlos. Nah, well be fine, I said, drawing my Esotech pistol from its holster. This little beauty will carry us through no problem. The two of us stepped out into the clearing surrounding the Pit. I tried to conceal the fear I felt when I saw that just about everything to the east of us was nothing more than rubble and dirt. Davis Library, that massive structure that had stood there since the 80s, had been completely destroyed. The Bull of Heaven had not moved from its previous position. It seemed to be interested in nothing more than charging and firing those destructive cone attacks. Carlos drew his sword and threw his scabbard over his shoulder. He held his sword out and took an altered fencers stance where he put almost all of his weight on his back foot. I knew that fighting against a giant monster with two pistols would inevitably cause Vinzadir to come knocking, but I couldnt let that happen. Vinzadir didnt know how my pistols worked. I needed something to keep me centered in the present. Holding a hand out to signal for Carlos to stay back, I quickly pulled my phone out and began to play the first song I could find. An old big band song from the 80s began blasting at full volume, and I returned my phone to my pocket. That ought to work, I thought. Something so modern would keep Vinzadir at bay. Carlos listened to the music for a second before smiling. Groovy. As the music played, I drew both my pistols and prepared to attack. [VINZADIR, LVL. 5 ELDRITCH ALCHEMIST & SLADER, LVL. 4 KNIGHT V.S. BULL OF HEAVEN]
VINZADIR, LVL. 5 ELDRITCH ALCHEMIST & SLADER, LVL. 4 KNIGHT V.S. BULL OF HEAVEN
[FIGHT!]
FIGHT!
Chapter 32 - [Toro, Toro] Toro, toro, Carlos said quietly as he rhythmically swished his sword back and forth. The Bull naturally didnt pay any attention to Carloss behavior, and it just continued preparing for its next attack. Your puntilla, toreador, I said, handing my utility knife to Carlos. My hands would be busy enough with the pistols. Carlos would be able to make better use of the small knife. Muchas gracias. Do you remember your footwork? Carlos must have been referring to my old boxing days, I thought. Soon after my diagnosis, I got really into boxing to work through some of my anger. Not at all, I said with a smile, but Im sure it will come back. Its just like falling off a bike. The horns began to play, and I aimed my Esotech pistol at the center of the Bull. It lowered its head, and a bright orb of destructive energy formed in the space between its horns. Based on the direction it was pointing, the blast would destroy the Student Store and, most likely, the gym behind it. I pulled the trigger, and a wide lance of white light roared out of my guns barrel. The beam of light struck the Bull center-mass, and it was thrown off balance. It roared in pain as the beam of white light dug into its body. A small portion of the beam deflected off the Bulls skin, and a large building far in the distance was instantly transformed into burning slag. The Bull rose up onto two legs, and the sphere of destructive energy forming between its horns disappeared completely. As I suspected, hitting the Bull with enough damage forced it to cancel its attack. The recoil of the shot was much stronger than I expected. The force threw me backward, causing me to land hard on my back, and the Esotech pistol went flying toward Lenoir Hall. My body crashed into the brick-lined road beneath, but I felt no pain. I silently thanked my new MDC body as I sat up and got a good look at the Bull of Heaven. On the other side of the Pit, the Bull emerged from the dense cloud of smoke caused by the shot from my Esotech pistol. A large burn had formed on its flank, but the wound didnt seem fatal. Carlos drew his laser pistol and started rapidly firing at the Bull. Only about half of his shots were accurate, but this was more than enough to anger the creature. It didnt seem to know that I had been the one to fire the initial beam, so it began to charge toward Carlos at full speed. As I scrambled around, looking for where my Esotech pistol had landed, the Bull of Heaven reached Carlos. At the speed of a car, the hundred-ton beast charged toward Carlos and got within arms reach of him.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site. Almost casually, Carlos pirouetted to the side and dodged the Bulls attack. As the creature passed him, he stabbed deep into its flank with a swift thrust. I recalled that Carlos had joked a few times that his ancestors were conquistadors, and I was starting to believe him. Having conquerors among your ancestors must have been nice, I thought. All of my ancestors were criminals, drunks, or lunatics. Oftentimes they were all three. The Bull of Heaven overshot and didnt manage to stop until it was thirty feet into the quad. It turned back toward Carlos with an angry look in its eyes. Ol, Carlos said with a smirk. Off to one side, I picked up my Esotech pistol from the storm drain into which it fell. I began trying to reload the gun, but the spent cartridge had become wedged in the chamber. To remove the cartridge, I had to smack the gun until the casing came free. The Bull of Heaven charged again. Just like before, Carlos dodged to the side and launched a quick thrust with his sword. This time, however, the Bull stopped itself just as it reached Carlos. The blade drew blood once again, but the Bull was suddenly at a dangerous range. With swinging horns, the Bull attempted to gore Carlos once again. The swordsman dodged the horn attack, but a quick sideways kick from the Bull struck him in the chest. Light flashed around Carlos as his shield took the hit and shattered immediately. Now on the back foot, Carlos began walking backward and slashing messily into the Bulls flesh. Every attack Carlos made was a hit, but his sword barely left scratches on the thick skin of the Threshold Guardian. The Bull of Heaven, on the other hand, was much less accurate. It threw its head in every direction with reckless abandon. Eventually, the Bull got lucky, and its horns got through Carloss guard. A single horn dug deep into Carloss chest, and, with a single movement of its powerful neck, the Bull threw Carlos high into the air. Carlos fell back to Earth and cracked several bricks as he landed. Blood stained his shirt, and he seemed disoriented. Though Carlos wasnt seriously wounded, his flight through the air left him temporarily incapacitated. While Carlos fought that Bull, I had managed to remove the spent casing from my Esotech pistol and loaded a new Elder Sign bullet into the chamber. I looked up from my gun just in time to see Carlos crash to the ground in front of the angry Bull. I ran toward the Bull, launching a fusillade of red lances as I charged. Though the five shots that made contact werent enough to do much damage, they were enough to get the Bulls attention. The Bull of Heaven turned toward me and began trying to gore me with its horns. My skill in evasion was not nearly as good as Carloss, and the Bull had managed to tear through my shield in seconds. It wasnt enough to just evade the horns. I had to evade the kicking hooves as well. I considered firing my Esotech pistol, but I knew that I would end up more damage by the beam if I were to fire it at such close range. The Bull earned several more marks from my laser pistol as it attacked me, but I soon suffered a serious wound. A horn speared deep into my shoulder, eliciting a scream of pain from me. I dropped my laser pistol as I grabbed the horn in order to prevent the Bull from twisting and making the wound worse. Instead of throwing me into the air, the Bull simply began charging forward, taking me with it. I looked back and saw the stone wall of Lenoir Hall as the Bull of Heaven rammed me into it at high speed. Chapter 33 - [World Made of Cardboard] Fun fact about Lenoir Hall: its first floor was built on two separate tiers. When you entered the building through the front entrance, you would start at a lower elevation than the rest of the first floor, and you would have to walk up some stairs to access the rest of the building. I would recommend that you go see it for yourself, but that would be a bit tough these days. I smashed through the stone wall, though I barely felt it when the stone cracked and shattered upon my back. To my MDC body, it was as if the rest of the SDC world was made of cardboard. For a moment, the Bull of Heaven and I were on the first floor of Lenoir Hall. Within seconds, however, the Bull hit the stairs leading to the upper tier, and we both crashed through the stairs. Suddenly, I felt my body enter freefall as the Bull and I fell into the basement beneath Lenoir Hall. The Bull was just as confused as I when we began to fall. It thrashed in confusion, causing its horn to become dislodged from my chest. We slammed into the floor of the basement, and the momentum of the Bulls charge caused us both to roll on the linoleum floor for about thirty feet. When my senses returned to me, I was lying on my back about twenty feet away from the Bull. It began to stand up, causing its back to make contact with the ceiling above. Small wood splinters and foam insulation began to fall from the ceiling as the Bull turned toward me and began to rear up on its hind legs. This was just the opening I was looking for, and I would be damned if I let this opportunity pass me by. My next action might cause me to be buried beneath several hundred tons of stone and wood, but I had no choice. I aimed my Esotech pistol at the Bull of Heaven and pulled the trigger. A bright beam of light struck the Bull, and I was pushed backward on the linoleum floor until my body crashed into the wall behind me. The Bull roared in pain, and another terrible burn appeared on its shoulder. The stone structures surrounding the Bull took an indirect hit from my Esotech pistol, but they suffered much more damage. Due to the upward angle of my shot, half of Lenoir Hall was immediately destroyed, and the building next door, Greenlaw Hall, was rendered into a burning mess of blackened slag and molten rock. The upper floors of Lenoir Hall above the Bull collapsed into the basement. The Bull was buried under the colossal weight of the collapsed building, and its roaring ceased. Carefully, I rose to my feet and put a third bullet into my Esotech pistol. That weapon seemed to be the only thing we had that could actually hurt the Bull, and it would be of utmost importance for me to keep the weapon ready. I aimed the Esotech pistol at the Bull and waited for it to come charging out of the rubble. Seconds ticked by, and nothing happened. As I slowly lowered my gun, I recalled that neither Carlos nor I were physically much stronger than we were before. I figured that the weight could have been too much for the Bull to move, and it was trapped inside the rubble. Perhaps it would suffocate to death in that pile. Wouldnt that be nice? Footsteps echoed through the shell that once was Lenoir Hall, and Carlos appeared on the lip of the crater I stood within. His worried look turned into a relieved smile when he saw me standing there, relatively unharmed. Did you get it?This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. I dropped a building on the Bull, but its not dead yet. Its just stuck. As I spoke, I used the rubble as a makeshift staircase to climb up to Carlos. Talk about a difficulty spike, Carlos said as he returned his longsword to his sheath. He gingerly pressed a hand against the bloody wound on his chest. The Uruks and Diluvians were way weaker than this guy. I opened my [Menu] and quickly checked my character sheet. MDC: 23/40 Just one hit from the Bull was enough for me to lose half of my MDC. If not for my shield, I would have been close to death already. [YOU CAN ADD 2 TO ONE OF YOUR STATS] I was reminded by the [Menu] that I had not yet fully upgraded to level 5. Some of my advancements were still pending. Considering the pain in my chest and the lingering threat of the trapped Bull, I decided to apply this bonus to my [Fortitude] score. Name: Vinzadir Class: Eldritch Alchemist Level: 5 MDC: 28/45 Body: 13 Fortitude: 16 Power: 13 Speed: 12 Mind: 17 Reason: 18 Perception: 15 Memory: 18
Name Vinzadir
Class Eldritch Alchemist
Level 5
MDC 28/45
Body 13
Mind 17
A warm sensation suffused my body, and I suddenly felt marginally better. The wound in my chest remained unchanged, but the pain lessened. Before I looked away from the [Menu] and back toward Carlos, one more notification appeared. [YOUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL LIMIT HAVE INCREASED TO 50]
YOUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL LIMIT HAVE INCREASED TO 50
That was good to know. [Draconic Integration] must have increased the limit for my stats from 20 to 50. If I wanted to, I could increase my [Reason] and [Memory] to 48. All I had to do was figure out how to heal my permanent brain injury, and I would be well on my way to superhuman stats. When I looked up from my [Menu], Carlos and I were back in the open air of the Pit. The once-familiar area surrounding me had transformed into a scene of carnage. Most of the buildings surrounding the Pit had been reduced to rubble, and destroyed corpses still littered the ground. Off to the right, my heavily-damaged car had pulled up a few dozen feet away, and Liz was standing by the drivers side door. I wondered for a moment how they had managed to pull a car into the quad, but then I saw that the dividers preventing cars from reaching the Pit had been destroyed with magic. I picked my laser pistol up from where it had fallen, and the two of us began walking toward the car. Liz waved at us, and we returned the wave with exhaustion slowing our movements. Get in the car before that thing comes back! Liz shouted in our direction. Good idea, I said. Lets go. Carlos and I were halfway to the car when a familiar sound filled the air. I turned, drawing both of my pistols, and Carlos swiftly drew his sword. The rubble of Lenoir Hall flew into the sky as a cone of destructive force fired upward. Before the rubble even had enough time to crash to the ground, the Bull of Heaven came charging toward us. Chapter 34 - [A Deep Wound] By the time I had drawn a bead on the charging Bull, it was too late. The Bulls momentum was so great that its body would have slammed into me even if the shot from my Esotech pistol was enough to kill it. The force of the attack would have been bad enough without the blast from the Esotech pistol to contend with. In a split-second decision, I decided to fire. There was a chance that I could survive the blast, and, even if I died killing the Bull, that would be better than all four of us dying a minute later. Just as I was about to pull the trigger, a powerful sideways force pushed me out of the Bulls path. I rolled over my shoulder and scrambled to right my body as the Bull flew past me. When I was finally able to get my feet under me and turn to see what had struck me, I saw that Carlos and the Bull of Heaven were locked in a lethal grapple. Both of the Bulls horns had stabbed into Carloss body, and Carloss sword had pierced hilt-deep into the Bulls neck. For a moment, I thought that such a deep wound would surely kill the monster, but the Bull continued to throw its head wildly as blood streamed out of Carloss mouth. Through gritted teeth and seeping blood, Carlos said, Do it, Vincent. Take out the Bull. Carloss eyes lingered on my Esotech pistol, making his intention immediately clear. Despite what he said, I couldnt do it. There was no way I could hit the Bull with my Esotech pistol without dealing significant damage to Carlos. I had to do something to make the Bull of Heaven disengage with its target before I could fire. I couldnt do it. I couldnt be the man who took his life. There had to be something I could say to get the Bulls attention. I stood there, my hand trembling under the enormity of the task before me, and the world around me continued to move. Carlos screamed as he grabbed the utility knife from its sheath and used it to pierce the Bulls eye. It roared in pain, but it did not disengage. A Mithril arrow struck the Bulls flank, piercing a few inches into its tough exterior. An instant later, Lizs voice shouted the magic words to a spell. Light arrow! A bright projectile struck the Bull, burning its skin further, but the creature did not slow in the slightest. I reached forward and gripped my Esotech pistol with both hands. If I didnt fire, the Bull would kill Carlos, and then it would kill the rest of us. There had to be something I could do that would save all of us. In my terrified desperation, I opened my mouth and shouted the first thing that came to mind. Stop! A single syllable command escaped from my mouth, but the command was not in English. The word I shouted was from a guttural, consonant-heavy language that was not created on Earth. This word was from Epsilons language. I could tell that the language was not made for human mouths, and it was hard for me to pronounce the words. I command you to stop! The Bull froze in place as it heard me speak. As I thought, it was smarter than it looked. It had adapted to our tactics far faster than any normal bull could. There was a human-like intelligence within that gargantuan skull. The monster was confused by my utterance, but it did not immediately disengage from Carlos. I recalled that flash of knowledge I had received from Epsilon earlier, and I remembered Hellmans words regarding the Star Child. Epsilon was meant to be the commanding officer of the Conquering Horde in this part of the world, and I had inherited some of Epsilons abilities.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Your lord, the Fifth Star Child, orders you to disengage. Some fragment of information held within a corner of my mind informed me that the Star Child was supposed to be more arrogant and domineering. If I wanted to sell it, I would have to play up the villain act. Kneel before me, mongrel. Slowly, ever so slowly, the Bull backed away from Carlos. The others regarded me with a mixture of fear and confusion as I communicated with the Bull in a language that sounded more like Klingon than English. To my shock, the Bull of Heaven opened its mouth and began to speak. In a slow, purposeful voice, the Bull said, You are the Dungeon Lord? How strange. Your assimilation of that body must have been completed at an incredible speed. The Bulls use of the word incredible was very purposeful. It subtly implied in its wording that such a thing was not credible. The machinations of the Elders are not yours to question, servant, I said. Liz grabbed Carloss arm and began dragging him toward the car as I spoke. That was good. I didnt know how long I would be able to keep the Bull distracted. The Bull snorted loudly before saying, If you truly are the Fifth Star Child and not simply a Coalition ploy, then why did you attack me? Im here to do the will of the Elders, and your actions have slowed my labor. Not allowing any emotion other than regal disdain to appear on my face, I said, I know it is not your place to think, but the answer should be obvious. Had I not interrupted you, this weak meat suit would have been caught up in your reckless destruction. Did it never occur to you that such behavior could harm me? Maybe, the Bull said thoughtfully. Hold on. I was actually starting to get through to the Bull. I was just trying to buy time for the others to clear out of the range of my Esotech pistol, but it was starting to look like I could actually convince the Bull that I was this supposed Dungeon Lord. [Hellman: Ill be there in ten seconds. Hold on.]
Hellman: I''ll be there in ten seconds. Hold on.
The message from the Nephilim appeared in the center of my vision, and I realized that the time for diplomacy had ended. I began to slowly back away from the Bull and scanned the horizon for Hellmans approaching form. No matter where I looked, I couldnt see him. What are you doing? The Bull spoke in a confused tone, and its statement was punctuated by the sound of a body crashing into the ground from high up in the air. Hellman fell from the sky above and landed with cataclysmic force upon the Bull of Heavens back. As he landed, the Nephilim sliced deep into the Bulls flesh, easily severing its spinal cord. A short scream emanated from the Bull, but the utterance morphed into a pained gurgle as gallons of blood aspirated from the monsters lungs and into its mouth. Hellman rode the creature down as it collapsed onto the ground in a twitching, blubbering mess. With a single swing, the Nephilim had finished off the Bull of Heaven. [BULL OF HEAVEN SLAIN! +1.2K EXP, +1.2K CREDITS] [TOTAL CREDITS: 3,410?] [EXP TO NEXT LEVEL: 260]
BULL OF HEAVEN SLAIN! +1.2K EXP, +1.2K CREDITS
TOTAL CREDITS: 3,410?
EXP TO NEXT LEVEL: 260
Slader Character Sheet (Level 4) Name: Slader Class: Knight Level: 4 MDC: 5/49 Body: 18 Fortitude: 18 Power: 16 Speed: 20 Mind: 14 Reason: 14This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Perception: 16 Memory: 12
Name Slader
Class Knight
Level 4
MDC 5/49
Body 18
Mind 14
Equipment: Volcanic Bastard Sword, Utility Knife, Laser Pistol, 4 Battery Packs Inventory: Empty Skills: Battle Trance, Cleave, Riposte, Fortify Traits: Intelligent (+4 Mind), Athletic (+4 Body), Permanent Leg Injury (Reduced Mobility) Carlos Vega''s background as a competitive fencer grants him an invaluable early advantage in this iteration. His skill with a sword is more than enough to carry him through the early levels where he can''t rely on supernaturally high [Body] stats. Chapter 35 - [Billions] The Bull shuddered and coughed out its last breath as I returned my pistols to their holsters. A part of me was somewhat disappointed at the Bulls death. With a little more persuasion, I might have made it into an ally of mankind. Ultimately, Hellmans intervention was probably for the best, however. If the Bull had kept attacking us, I didnt like our chances. Hellman smiled widely as he jumped off the Bulls back and landed on the bricks below. Excellent. The Threshold Guardians dead. All we have to do now is find the Star Child. Good luck with that, Hellman. Thanks for the help, I said, resisting the urge to fall to the ground. The difference between a level 5 and a level 25 was stark. Without the Esotech pistol, Carlos and I would have been lucky to deal any significant damage to the Bull, but Hellman was able to cut into the monsters spine with a single swing. That was impressive, Hellman said as he sheathed his sword. Most Awakened at your level would have died immediately against a Tier I Boss. Usually, you need four level 10s to take out one of the initial Threshold Guardians, but you guys were able to reduce it to less than half its MDC. I noticed something in Hellmans expression that caused my hair to stand on edge. He was suspicious about something. Half!? Carlos interjected with an offended tone of voice. In the excitement of persuading the Bull and witnessing Hellman fall from the sky, I had temporarily lost track of the others. I looked over and saw Liz and Carlos leaning against the wheel-well of my car. Blood had completely suffused Carloss shirt, turning it a dark shade of red. His face was pale, and his expression was tight with pain. For her part, Liz also seemed to be in a great amount of pain, though she looked uninjured. She must have been undergoing [Draconic Integration], I thought. I stabbed it through its neck and Vincent dropped a damn building on it to only take out half of its MDC!? Was it an SDC building? Hellman asked with a wry smile on his face. Yeah, I answered. Well, thats where you went wrong. Liz, please heal him, I said once I realized that the blood flowing from Carloss wounds was not stopping. Panic quickened my speech as I realized the rate of his blood loss. Yeah, Liz said through gritted teeth. She placed a hand on Carloss shoulder and chanted the activation phrase for her ability. Heal! Immediately, Carloss bleeding stopped, and the multiple puncture wounds marking his body began to rapidly knit closed. He quietly groaned in pain as the forceful and unnatural alteration of his flesh activated his pain receptors wherever it occurred.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. The [Blood Loss] condition, Hellman said sympathetically, thats a killer. Before you go, I said quickly, jumping on the opportunity to learn more from Hellman before he left, I want to know more about the Revelation System. Sure, Hellman said with a shrug. I should probably tell you guys about the level cap? Level cap? I asked. It takes a while for the Revelation System to become fully integrated on a planet. For now, everything, monsters and Awakened alike, are capped at level 25. This is the case everywhere except for our ship, Genesis, since that was taken from a fully-integrated planet. With the help of Genesis, this planet will be fully-integrated within a year, and the level cap will be increased to 100. Every four months, the level cap will increase by 25 levels. That explained why Hellman was only level 25. He was probably a much higher level, but the level cap limited him. I asked several questions in quick succession, hoping to elicit from Hellman an answer before he left again. But I have to wonder, whats the end goal here? Whats the purpose of the Revelation System? Is our goal to beat the Conquering Horde, or do we just have to clear the dungeons? How many monsters are in a [Greater Dungeon]? Hold on, give me a second, Hellman said, holding up a hand to ward off my questions. Our goal is to survive, and theres only one way to do that. If the naskaloids - thats what we call members of our species, by the way - are going to survive for very long, we need to kill the Elder Gods. I grimaced in pain as he spoke those words. Killing a group of entities that were worshiped as gods would not be easy. Hellman continued. At some point, somewhere between ten and sixty years in the future, the Elder Gods will appear on this planet. Last time, we didnt even bother fighting them. Trust me, I was there. We knew we werent ready, so we ran. The higher-ups promised wed fight this time, but who knows what will happen. He crossed his arms and looked into the sky thoughtfully for a moment before continuing. As for the [Greater Dungeons], theyre our biggest threat until the Elder Gods show up. The [Greater Dungeons] and their lords join forces with the Elder Gods when they arrive, so the [Greater Dungeons] have to be dealt with before then. In terms of number, no one has any idea how many monsters live in a single [Greater Dungeon]. There are typically hundreds of [Greater] monsters living in the depths of a dungeon, and some predict that each [Greater Dungeon] has more than a hundred thousand [Lesser] monsters. The thought of a hundred thousand Uruks working as a single unit, controlled by a single lord, weighed down on my psyche. So youre telling me there are millions of them? A sardonic, mirthless smile creased Hellmans face. There are millions in the [Greater Dungeons] alone. If you count the monsters in the [Lesser Dungeons], those that roam the surface, and those that live in the starships above, there are billions of them. For now, they are weak because of their lack of cohesion, but the appearance of the Elder Gods will unify them. If we have any chance of winning, well need to kill them all before their overlords arrive. Billions, I said, blowing air out of my mouth. How many fighters are there in the Coalition of Light? Much less than that. There are about 2.5 million naskaloids aboard Genesis. Of them, fifty thousand are soldiers. I tried to imagine the size difference between fifty thousand and several billion, but it was impossible. There was such a difference that I simply couldnt visualize it. There was one advantage to Hellmans explanation, at least. I now understood why they were called the Conquering Horde. Elstines Character Sheet (Level 5) Name: Elstine Class: Priestess Level: 5 MDC: 20+39/39 Body: 11 Fortitude: 10 Power: 10 Speed: 14 Mind: 17 Reason: 15 Perception: 20 Memory: 17
Name Elstine
Class Priestess
Level 5
MDC 20+39/39
Body 11
Mind 17
Spell Slots: (1) 8/10, (2) 2/2This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Spells: (0) Help, Silver Flame, Lesser Illusion, Create Light; (1) Light Arrow, Divine Blessing, Purification, Negative Energy Strike, Sense Magic, Sense Disease, Sleep, Aegis; (2) Celestial Weapon, Heal Minor Injury Equipment: Laser Pistol, 4 Battery Packs Skills: Heal, Prayer, Miracle Elizabeth Carlyle was a student at UNC before System Integration. Her knowledge of Dungeon King and her natural intelligence made her well-suited for the world created by the Revelation System. She, along with Carlos Vega, new Vincent Blackwell before System Integration. Miss Carlyle''s friendship with Vincent Blackwell (known by various aliases) would explain why she decided, ultimately, to join them. Now that you''ve seen the main trio, I feel that I should make it clear where I stand on the matter. That organization is our greatest threat at present. If allowed to propagate without our influence, they will have the strength to destroy the Coalition of Light by the end of the year. Chapter 36 - [Blood Loss] Thank you for answering my questions truthfully, I said, bowing my head slightly. As I spoke, I realized something based on the numbers just recited by Hellman. Fifty thousand fighters out of a population of two and a half million seems pretty low. Not all naskaloids are Awakened, right? The widening in Hellmans eyes and the slight opening in his mouth gave me all the information I needed. His shocked reaction was quite human, and I was surprised to see that those age-old information-gathering tricks worked on Nephilims just as well as they worked on Humans. With a tight smile on his face, Hellman said, Even if that were true, Vinzadir, that wouldnt be information the Coalition of Light is currently prepared to share with the Human tribe. There must have been a chance that those born on a planet where the System was present could not use it. For such a thing to limit the number of active soldiers so significantly, the number of unawakened children must have been somewhere between 50% and 90%. All right, Hellman said, clapping his hands. He suddenly seemed very interested in being somewhere else as fast as possible. If youll excuse me, I have a Star Child to kill. Youll really want to get out of here fast. If I don''t find the Dungeon Lord within the next twelve hours, Ill start calling in limited artillery strikes. Artillery? Well, that would explain why the Conquering Horde built all of their bases underground. Hellman tapped the ground a few times to test its durability before suddenly jumping high into the air and disappearing into the bright blue sky above. I watched the ascending dot until it was a safe distance away before letting out a sigh and turning to the rest of my group. Their eyes met mine, and I saw a mixture of fear and concern in their stares. Is there something on my face? I asked and let out a forced chuckle. This movement of my diaphragm caused a deep pain to form just under my lungs, causing me to press a hand to my chest. When I pulled my hand back, it was slick with congealing blood. After seeing Carloss injuries, I had completely forgotten that the Bull of Heaven had gored me as well. I turned my eyes to look at my character sheet and was concerned at what I saw. MDC:11/28(40) My eyes went wide. I had lost 12 MDC from the lingering injury dealt by the Bull. If I didnt stop the bleeding soon, I could wind up dead. Thats not good, I said, stumbling and trying to maintain my balance through the bout of lightheadedness that assaulted my mind without warning. Liz, a little help? She ran over to me, and, seeing my bleeding wounds, pressed a hand against my shoulder and said, Heal! Once more, the pain was far greater than I expected. This particular surprise was becoming a pattern of which I was definitely not a fan. It was like my body could recognize that the Revelation System was unnatural, and whenever it tried to interface with my body, my brain received a strong message that something unnatural and potentially harmful was happening.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. My flesh knitted back together, and ribs that I didnt even know were broken fused back together and slotted back into the preexisting flesh cavity in my chest. Though a significant amount of clotted tissue remained on my chest, the bleeding stopped, at least. MDC: 18/28(40) [YOUR MAXIMUM MDC HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY REDUCED BY 12 DUE TO BLOOD LOSS]
YOUR MAXIMUM MDC HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY REDUCED BY 12
I was struck by how similar the System handled [Blood Loss] compared to Dungeon King. In both systems, [Blood Loss] was represented by a reduction in maximum HP until several hours had passed. So, Vincent, Carlos said slowly, are you going to tell us what that was about? Huh? I asked, momentarily disoriented. You know, with the Bull? You spoke to it in some alien language, and it backed off. Right, I said slowly. I dont know. I just said the first thing that came to my head. The language I spoke probably came from Epsilons memories. Its also possible that I inherited Epsilons status as the [Lord of the Fifth Greater Dungeon]. Epsilon? Claire asked, blinking. Lord? What are you guys talking about? The cat was out of the bag, but I figured it was fine. My gut told me that Claire wouldnt sell me out to the Coalition of Light, and my instinct for people had very rarely been wrong. Dude, Carlos said quietly. Thats great! He jumped to his feet with a bit more speed than he probably should with all of his injuries and slapped me on the shoulder. I wanted to complain when his strike tore off the sleeve of my Hawaiian shirt, but I let him continue. Imagine what you could do with an army of a hundred thousand Uruks! This is exactly what we need to win this game! With a frown and a grimace, Liz said, Im sure I dont need to remind you, but these are the monsters that have already done irreparable damage to civilization and humanity as a whole. Buzzkill, Carlos muttered. You both make good points, I said diplomatically. Heres the thing, though. Im not sure I can convince them that Im their [Lord]. The Bull was suspicious of me from the beginning. Theyd eventually figure out that Epsilon doesnt have control of me. Its your power, man, Carlos said. How you use it is up to you, but youll have my support no matter what you choose to do. Thanks for the vote of confidence. Liz sighed, and I could see it in her expression as her mind switched gears. She turned her attention to a new topic, and a look of acute fear and worry fell over her features. Now that all of the immediate threats are gone, Im going to check on my Dad. Ill go with you, I said. I already had a pretty good idea of what happened, but I wanted to confirm my suspicions with physical evidence. Th-thanks, Liz said, her voice faltering in her effort to control her emotions. In a neutral tone, I said, Carlos, Claire, could you two go into House Library and bring as many engineering and physics textbooks as possible to my car? Ill need them later. Yeah, I think we can do that, Claire said, looking carefully over to Carlos. Sure, Carlos agreed, and I could tell that he had just resisted the urge to make a joke. One look at Liz was enough to make it clear that now was not the time. We split up into two groups before walking in two separate directions. Chapter 37 - [Detective Blackwell] The Carolina Union had been reduced to little more than a pile of stone rubble and torn metal. The Bull of Heavens cone of energy clearly worked differently than my pistols, since the Union was torn into pieces rather than rendered into molten rock and solidified into obsidian. Do you really think they could have escaped? Liz asked. Maybe, I lied. To confirm what happened, well have to find them one way or another. Though I tried to sound hopeful, the tone of my voice was much darker than I intended. Liz took her phone out of her pocket and began tapping frantically on the screen. Halfway through, she cast a sidelong glance at me, and I understood the significance of the look very well. About thirty minutes ago, Professor Carlyle sent you a text telling you to be careful around me, right? I had used this trick around Liz a few times, so her expression of shock was less pronounced than Hellmans. We both knew my guess was right, so Liz felt no need to deny it. With one eyebrow up, she said, Explain. About an hour ago, I gave my name to an on-duty police officer. Officer Jack Fulton? I guess. I never learnt his name. Anyway, I knew that Officer Fulton would search my name in the police database as soon as possible. As you can imagine, my name is flagged. From there, he would naturally inform his immediate superior, Professor Carlyle. Since your father didnt know about my condition, he would feel the need to warn you about me. A muted smile creased Lizs lips as she said, You know, this Sherlock shtick is really impressive when it works, but Ive seen you get it wrong before. You made three spurious assumptions there that just happened to be correct. If any of those assumptions were incorrect, you would have just looked like an idiot. I was right, though, so it was impressive, I said with a smile. Detective Blackwell strikes again. Whats the plan? Liz asked as she looked out at the pile of fine stone shards that stood where the Carolina Union used to be. The stones were each about the width of a fingernail, so it was hard to pick out anything substantial from the rocks alone. Will you be able to figure out what happened? I wiped the smile off my face before saying, The Bull of Heavens attack would transform an SDC body into vaporized flesh and bone shards too small to pick out. A look of nausea passed over Lizs expression. I continued. Someone with an MDC body would probably still be killed, but they would at least leave a recognizable body. Officer Fulton definitely took the Knight class. If I can find his body, well have confirmation. How? It would take us weeks to sift through all of this rubble. The pile of rubble was almost completely uniform, and it covered an area of several thousand square feet. We would need a construction crew to dig through the rubble effectively, and I figured those werent readily available at present. If my theory is right, well be done here in five minutes, I said, stepping forward onto the pile of small stones. Do you- do you really think theyre all dead? Liz asked. Yes, but remember that I might be wrong, I said, trying to inject some optimism into my dour pronouncement.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The moment I stepped onto the pile of rubble, I imagined the Carolina Union as it once was, and the original structure sprung up around me. I had walked through the Carolina Union so many times that visualizing the structure was not difficult, and the hallucination that sprung up was so clear I knew I could only dispel it with a significant effort of will. Standing there, at the top of the staircase leading to the underground pathway, was Officer Fulton. He stared suspiciously at his phone before walking over to Professor Carlyle, who stood about forty feet to his north. They conversed, and Officer Fulton delivered his warning. I was surprised to find that their conversation included one more interaction that I hadnt previously considered. Officer Fulton, if you would, please guard the northern entrance, Professor Carlyle said. Ill collapse the underground walkway so that we no longer have to guard from that direction. With a nod, Officer Fulton walked over to the northern entrance. He stood there for nearly half an hour without incident. I blinked several times, willing the hallucination to skip to the appearance of the Bull. Youre hallucinating, arent you? Liz asked. The image of the Carolina Union flickered as Liz appeared a few feet to my right. Yes, but Im in control of this one. Its really just a visualization technique to help me reconstruct the scene. Have you ever heard of Simonides of Creo? The Memory Palace guy? Yeah. He used a memory technique to remember where the guests of a party were seated when the palace they were within collapsed. Im trying to do the same thing but with a slight twist. The Bull of Heaven appeared far off to the side. The view of the Pit from the Carolina Union was unobstructed, so Officer Fulton and everyone standing inside of the Union saw the Bull at around the same time. I began relaying what I saw to Liz. When he saw the Bull of Heaven, Officer Fulton realized that fighting it would be a fruitless endeavor, so he returned to Professor Carlyle. The students ran to the opposite side of the lobby, and a few screamed in fear. Within the hallucination, the two men spoke. Professor Carlyle told Officer Fulton to help the students evacuate while he stayed and kept an eye on the Bull. The students, along with the officer, took the most direct path away from the Bull of Heaven. I began walking down the hallway that Officer Fulton and the students fled down. They ran down the hallway and The fleeing students reached the entrance to the Carolina Union auditorium, and the hallucination suddenly became hazy. They either fled into the auditorium, or they fled toward the street further to the east. If they had fled to the street, there was a possibility that some of them could have survived. What about my Dad? Liz asked with emotion heavy in her voice. Is there any chance that he could have survived? If things happened this way, no, I said truthfully. Maybe youre wrong. Maybe, I said with a shrug. I followed the path into the auditorium and saw Officer Fulton and the students retreat into the corner. This was their most logical course of action. They did not know about the Bulls beam attack, and they wanted to protect themselves against the threat that would typically be posed by a charging bull. Dont worry, Officer Fulton said. Well be safe here. Well just wait until that bull walks somewhere else, and then we can all fall back to the [Town] created by those aliens. The sixty-second charging period for the Bulls beam attack ended, and the auditorium surrounding me instantaneously splintered into nonexistence. The students were shattered into millions of pieces, and the flesh was torn off Officer Fultons bones. At least they all died immediately. Officer Fulton fell slowly to the ground, and the fractures metal and stone around him covered his body in several inches of shattered material. I saw where he fell, and the hallucination ended a moment later. I reached down and slowly began digging through the fragmented material. After less than five seconds of effort, my fears were confirmed. My hands passed through several inches of weak SDC material and brushed against the telltale rigidity of an MDC material. I unfurled my fingers and grabbed hold of the MDC object buried in the ground. A moment later, my hand emerged from the rubble holding a spherical object. When I got a good look at it, I realized that I held in my hand the smoldering and torn skull of Officer Fulton. Chapter 38 - [Grand Reverie] Oh, God, Liz exhaled heavily as she saw the skull I held in my hand. Tendons and muscle still covered half of Officer Fultons skull, and one of his eyes was still intact. The force of the blast had torn off most of the flesh, but it was not a clean removal. Even the bare skull was flecked with flesh and sinew. Slowly, I began to explain the reality of what had happened. When the Bull of Heaven fired its first attack, your father was in the lobby, and the rest were in the auditorium. No one survived. The realization hit Liz like a truck, and the thin veneer of denial fell away. She had been clinging on to some faint hope that her father could have survived somehow, but I cruelly tore that hope away. A-are you sure? Liz asked. Yes. The fact that Officer Fultons skull is here proves that my reconstruction of the scene was completely accurate. There is no room for doubt. Im sorry. She fell to her knees upon the fine stone rubble, her chest heaving with wracking sobs. Doubt had been cast aside, and all that remained was grief. Dropping Officer Fultons head back to the ground, I stepped forward and grabbed Liz around the shoulders. I pulled her toward me, and she began sobbing into my shoulder. Thats the nature of connection. The closer you are to someone, the more it hurts when theyre taken from you. It has always been easier to keep a safe distance from others, but that goes against human nature. We just cant help ourselves from growing attached. For Carlos and me, System Integration was easy. We werent attached to anyone in the old world; my family had been dead for ten years, and no love was lost between Carlos and his parents. For normal people like Liz, System Integration was much harder. Seeing the pain Liz was going through, I wanted to do something to alleviate her grief, even a little bit. For the first time in my life, my wish was granted. [NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: GRAND REVERIE] Grand Reverie? I muttered quietly. Why was the System giving me a new skill now? I hadnt told it to take a new skill. As I quickly navigated over to the [Skills] page, I felt a strange tightening sensation in my brain that was similar to a minor headache. Grand Reverie (Lunatic Advancement): By expending a spell slot and chanting the phrase Grand Reverie, you can project your hallucinations onto other people or monsters. You must concentrate to maintain the effect, and a higher-level spell slot can be used to affect multiple targets at once. This skill can be maintained for a maximum of ten minutes. What was that? Liz asked, slowly pulling away from me and wiping the tears from her eyes. I would have liked to stay like that for a bit longer, but it was probably good to move on. Its nothing. Are you all right? No, Liz began, but none of us are. Grief can wait until were safe.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. Professor Carlyle and Officer Fulton certainly werent the only people who died on the day of System Integration. As we spoke, billions of people all across the planet were dying. We began to walk back toward the car over the mountainous pile of rubble. As we walked, my mind drifted once more to the scene of Professor Carlyles death. I wanted to see the Carolina Union once more before we left, since it was probable that I would never again return to Chapel Hill after that day. I thought once more of Simonides of Creo, and the lobby of the Carolina Union reformed within the space of my own diseased mind. Standing there alone, in the center of the lobby, was Professor Edward Carlyle. What is this? Liz gasped and took a step backward in confusion. She looked around at the walls and ceiling of the lobby with a fearful expression. Huh? I muttered, blinking. Right, Liz must have been pulled into my hallucination by [Grand Reverie]. Sorry, I activated my new skill accidentally. Im projecting my hallucination into your mind. Ill stop it as soon as I figure out how. You can do that? Liz asked, though her voice made it evident that her attention wasnt focused on her words. Her eyes were locked on to the hallucinatory form of Professor Carlyle. The System is weird. I tried to relax my mind in order to release [Concentration], but my thoughts only served to increase the force of the tightness in my mind. It felt like a cramp in my mind, and purposefully trying to relax the cramp only made it worse. Is this what you see all the time? Usually its worse, I answered truthfully. Liz walked up to Professor Carlyles unmoving body. Can can you control it? I can control this one, yeah. Its like lucid dreaming. Can you let him move? Please? There was a strange sense of desperation in her voice that I didnt understand. I had never been close to my parents, myself, so it was hard for me to comprehend what she was feeling. Either way, I released my hold on the model, and the scene began playing once more. Professor Carlyle started moving, and the Bull of Heaven quietly lowered its head in preparation for its cataclysmic attack. Professor Carlyle held a smartphone to his ear, and his gaze was locked on the Bull. In his features, I could see an echo of the intensity and intelligence that I had seen so often in Lizs eyes. The ghost of Lizs father opened his mouth and began to speak. No, the beast hasnt moved since you left. Just get the students to safety, and Ill keep you updated on its behavior. A moment passed as Professor Carlyle listened to Officer Fultons question over the phone. Why am I staying behind? Carlyle asked rhetorically. My daughter will have to pass that way to get back. Obviously, I have to keep an eye out. Professor Carlyle smiled as he listened in silence for several seconds. Youre a father, too? Good, then you understand why I have to do this. Fifteen more seconds of wordless silence passed before a bright orb of destructive energy appeared in between the Bulls horns. Instead of allowing the moment to play out, I held the hallucination stationary in time. What? Liz asked through tears. What happened? Thats it, I said as I dispelled the hallucination with great effort. It would have been easier for me to simply let the scene play out until the reconstruction was indistinguishable from the scenes current state, but I couldnt let Liz witness the moment of her fathers death. Theres nothing else to show. With great effort, Liz regained control of her emotions enough to keep walking. I let her lead the way to the car. As she walked past me, she said two words in a quiet voice just loud enough for me to hear. Thank you. Chapter 39 - [The Exclusion Zone] When we returned to the car, Carlos and Claire were standing there with anxious looks on their faces. They both suspected the truth, and I confirmed their fears with a subtle shake of my head. From the moment we surveyed the destruction of the Carolina Union, we suspected that everyone hiding there was dead, and all doubt had been dispelled. After a long silence, Carlos said, We loaded your trunk with engineering textbooks, Vincent. I guess our next move is to get out of the exclusion zone around the [Greater Dungeon]. Yeah, I confirmed. Fayetteville seems like a good next step. Its just outside of the zone, and well be able to travel from there to the [Town] just north of Charlotte pretty easily. Nervously, Claire said, If were not coming back, well need to pick up some supplies on our way out. I bought a lot just before System Integration, I said. Sure, Claire said diplomatically. Thats good for now, but well need more supplies over the long term. Most obviously, we need clothes. She gestured broadly to Carlos and me to punctuate her point. For the first time since the fight with the Bull of Heaven, I looked down at my body. All of my clothes were seriously torn or covered in blood. The right leg of my jeans had been torn off, and my Hawaiian shirt was in tatters. There are plenty of stores in Chapel Hill, I said, shrugging. Lets get out of here. The four of us climbed into my car, and we were back on the road in less than a minute. My car was slowed significantly by the collapsed buildings and disemboweled corpses in the street, but we soon reached Phillips Hall once again. That stop was relatively uneventful. I walked into my [Forge] once again and used the last of my Starsteel on the creation of a few items. I made a laser rifle and two more alchemist grenades before repairing my Esotech pistol and two shield generators. To end my short building spree, I built two more Elder Sign rounds to replace the ones I used against the Bull of Heaven. Before returning to the car, I put a hole in the wall of the [Forge] to begin the countdown to when I could create another one. The System informed me that I would be able to create another [Forge] in twelve hours. Investigating the laser rifle, I realized that a switch next to the trigger guard could be used to switch it to full-auto. The damage dealt by the laser rifle was comparable to that dealt by the laser pistol, but the rate of fire was much faster. After less than ten minutes in Phillips Hall, I returned to my car, and we drove away from the burning wreckage of UNC. We left the campus behind us and entered the commercial district of east Chapel Hill without running into any evidence of other survivors. Could it be that the four of us were the only people in Chapel Hill to survive? I sincerely hoped that the rest of the world fared better.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. After a few minutes, Liz broke the silence. Carlos? Yeah, Carlos answered, turning around to see her. I think I can heal your leg now. My eyes widened. If Carloss leg injury was healed, his ability in combat would increase significantly. He fought with his right hand, so the injury to his right leg seriously prevented his ability to lunge effectively. Throughout the fight with the Divine Bull, Carlos was seriously hindered. If Liz could heal Carloss injury, could she heal my brain injury? The thought frightened me slightly, since I had been living in such a way for nearly half of my life. As far as I knew, I could be a different person with a healed brain. It was possible, even, that my schizophrenia would disappear in the absence of the injury. Hell yeah! If you have the resources, hit me with that healing spell! Carlos said with straightforward glee. Evidently, his relationship with his lingering injury was less complicated than mine. Liz placed her hand on Carloss shoulder and said, Heal Injury. Carlos winced in pain and grabbed his leg until the recoil from the healing magic subsided. Then, in the cramped space of my car, he pressed down hard on his right leg. The concern in Carloss expression transformed into unmitigated glee as he lifted his leg onto the console and stretched it forward as far as it would go. Since the front windshield was gone, he did not risk bumping into anything. I guess youre at 100% now, Carlos, I said with a smile, but my voice didnt project over the sound of Carlos laughing. Oh, Carlos said. We need to get into a fight as soon as possible. Trust me, there will be plenty of time for that, I said. Soon after, we stopped at a mall and looted it for clothes. I replaced my torn outfit with a three-piece suit I stole off the rack, leaving my Hawaiian shirt on the changing room floor. We left with our arms full of stolen clothes, and I shot the anti-theft devices at the entrance to prevent the alarms from going off. Next, we stopped at a supermarket to pick up supplies. Carlos and Liz walked in while Claire and I stayed on lookout in the parking lot. Carlos jogged into the supermarket at a speed that was perhaps not entirely necessary, sped forward by the elation he felt at the opportunity to run again. So, Claire, I said, unsure of how to start a conversation. The two of us had only spoken once, and that was after Simon had been killed. That was hardly a good first impression. There was a good chance she hated me, but it was likely that we would spend a lot of time together in the coming months, so I was obligated to get to know her. As I stood there, I really looked at Claire for the first time. She had medium-length blonde hair and thick glasses, and her conservative clothing belied a reserved disposition that contrasted with her natural beauty. I was tempted to look deeper into the meaning behind her appearance, but I decided against it. We havent been properly introduced yet, I said, deciding to go for the conventional approach. I just realized I dont know your last name. Im Vincent Blackwell. I plastered a cheerful smile on my face and held out a hand for Claire to shake. With this, I intended to start a conversation, but the more significant intent behind this action was to test Claires present feelings toward me. Did she hate me enough to refuse a handshake? Nervously, Claire reached forward and shook my hand. With a smile filled with both hope and fear, she said, Im Claire Fischer. Status Report of Camp Lejeune DEPARTMENT OF THE MARINE CORPS Date: May 1st, 2023 Time: 1305 hours MEMORANDUM FOR Commandant, United States Marine Corps. ATTN: Secretary of the Navy. SUBJECT: Status Report of Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville, North Carolina 1.) Status Report Several hours ago, we were attacked by a force of entities identified as "Uruks" and "Diluvians." They breached the perimeter through an unknown method, and we took significant casualties. We have not yet had time to count fatalities, but we suspect about 25% of our active-duty soldiers died within the first hour. Brigadier General Oswald Hawker was killed during the fighting, and I took command. After less than thirty minutes of fighting, we were able to secure the perimeter once more.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Our weapons were useless against this new enemy, but we were able to adapt. This is a whole new world of warfare, Commandant. Our enemy completely ignores hard cover, and I suspect our armored divisions would pose no threat to them. Only by making use of this "Revelation System" were we able to regain control. 2.) Recommendation for Future Action A few minutes ago, I received a troubling report. My men tell me that the sea level will rise by approximately two hundred feet over the next few days. The unidentified object over the Atlantic Ocean forces me to accept the veracity of this prediction. Due to this clear and present danger, I am requesting immediate authorization to transfer all personnel from Camp Lejeune to Fort Bragg in Fayetteville. If I do not receive a response within twelve hours, I will begin operating under the assumption that the chain of command has broken down and will begin the transfer to Fort Bragg. God bless America. Gregory Carter Colonel of the U.S. Marine Corps Deputy Commander of Camp Lejeune Chapter 40 - [Claire the Thief] May 1st, 2023 1315 hours I reached into my car and withdrew the pack of cigarettes and lighter that Carlos had placed on the console. The events of the past few hours had given me a strong compulsion to smoke. I hadnt lit a cigarette in more than a year, but this seemed like a special occasion. Do you mind if I smoke? I asked Claire, gesturing to the unlit cigarette in between two of my fingers. No, its okay, Claire responded. Theres nothing quite like the first drag of a cigarette after a long dry spell, I said, savoring the nicotine. So, Claire Fischer, if you want to shout, spit, and swear at me, nows the time. What? I killed Simon. You would be justified in hating me. Yes, you did, Claire said with a sigh, but it was a mercy killing. When I calmed down, I realized that Simon was probably in pain until you shot him. I would have done the same if I wasnt panicking at the time. To tell you the truth, I should be thanking you. Based on the girls body language, I could tell immediately that she was lying. Okay, perhaps lying isnt the best word. Rather, she was being polite. Claire was terrified of me, and she knew she had to rely on me in order to survive. In order to not anger me, she pretended that everything was fine between us. Ironically, this polite deception angered me far more than if she had shouted and insulted me. I hated when women did that. It reminded me of the thousand subtle social cues I had missed when I was young and stupid. Claire involuntarily took a step back, and I realized that a brief flash of anger had appeared on my face. The conversation was not going well, so it was time to pivot to a calmer subject. I had to break the ice. Did Carlos or Liz tell you how we met? I asked casually. No. We met through the colleges board game club two years ago, and we soon started a Dungeon King campaign. When I met Carlos and Liz, I was sure they wouldnt stick around. Carlos was an athlete, and Liz always showed up to our sessions looking like a supermodel. Uh, dont tell her I said that. Claire covered her mouth to stifle an involuntary laugh. Smiling, I continued my story, I thought, These two are way too cool for me, they wont stick around until session three, but they did stay, and they were just as committed to the campaign as I was. When I told them about my condition, and I was sure they would leave, they stuck around anyway. I paused, giving Claire an opportunity to speak. Condition? Claire asked. Wh-whats that? Right, I havent told you yet, I said. Condition is a cutesy word for it. To tell you the truth, Im a paranoid schizophrenic who was once involuntarily committed to a psych ward.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Really? Thats not a joke? The fear was much more obvious on Claires face this time. It would be a poor joke if it was. Im in control of myself. At least, I think I am. It took me a year to get control over my hallucinations, but Ive been able to function normally for about four years now. When we get to Fayetteville, you will have the opportunity to split off and find another group. For now, however, youll have to put up with the crazy guy. Claire smiled, and I couldve sworn that I saw relief in her expression. You know, a moment ago, I thought you were too sane. I might be overcorrecting a bit, I admitted. Your condition makes you seem much more human. The idea that even you have your own problems makes me feel a bit better. Even me? I failed to see what I had done to make Claire view me in such a way. I shrugged. By the way, Claire. Whats your name in the System? We need to add you to the [Party] to get you some extra EXP. My username? Claire asked, laughing awkwardly. You know, I didnt think it would be that important, so I just entered the first thing that came to mind. Uh huh. Its she sighed. Its Pixie Chix with an x at the end of Chix. I used that as a username on most anonymous forums. If I knew it would be tied to me like that, I would have chosen something else Like the Dixie Chicks, right? I said as I navigated through my [Menu]. Thats funny. After a quick interaction over the Revelation System, several notifications appeared in the center of my vision. [FRIEND REQUEST ACCEPTED: PIXIE CHIX] [PIXIE CHIX HAS JOINED THE PARTY] Friend List Elstine: Priestess, Lvl. 5 Hellman: Champion, Lvl. 25 Pixie Chix: Thief, Lvl. 4 Slader: Knight, Lvl. 5
Elstine Priestess, Lvl. 5
Hellman Champion, Lvl. 25
Pixie Chix Thief, Lvl. 4
Slader Knight, Lvl. 5
When I looked up from my [Menu], my eyes fell upon a large RV parked on the edge of the parking lot. The RV was similar to a bus in shape, and it took up four parking spaces. I began walking toward the RV. It would be much easier for us if we had a semi-permanent structure to live in. It was unlikely that we would be able to find a building to live in any time soon, and living in an RV would be far preferable to living in tents. The door to the RV was unlocked, and I stepped within. As soon as I saw the large couch and kitchen located in the back of the vehicle, I knew we had to take it. A few scattered corpses littered the ground near the RV, so I assumed its original owners wouldnt miss it. Are we gonna steal it? Claire asked. I turned and saw that she had stepped into the RV with me. The original owners arent gonna miss it. Claire looked over to the drivers seat and said, I can try to hotwire it. Hmm? I raised one eyebrow in theatrical shock. Where did you learn how to do that? Every time I level up, the System teaches me a new form of criminal activity. Hotwiring vehicles came just after picking locks. Very useful, I said, but dont try anything just yet. I want to try something first. I stepped outside of the RV and looked at the nearby corpses. There were two of them, a man and a woman. My instincts said that they were a couple, so I crouched in front of the man and began fishing through his pockets. There, in one of his front pockets, was a key ring. I pressed one of the buttons on a key fob hanging from that ring, and the lights at the front of the RV flashed in response. I stood up from my crouch and smiled as I walked toward my new RV. Chapter 41 - [John Sullivan] Carlos and Liz returned soon thereafter with two carts filled with looted supplies. Together, we stored all of our supplies in the ample storage space located throughout the RV. We dumped some of the previous owners stowed items in the parking lot to make room to make room, and we were ready to depart after a few minutes. I sat in the drivers seat and placed my laser rifle beside it. Once the engine started, I began inspecting the mirrors and the various gauges sitting in front of me. While I worked, Carlos sat in the passengers seat while Liz and Claire disappeared into the cordoned off bedroom at the rear of the RV. It would be good for the two of them to talk, I thought. Some of Claires fears could be ameliorated by Lizs testimony. A tumultuous expression motivated Carloss features for nearly a minute before he opened his mouth to speak. Vincent, Liz told me about what happened. Why didnt you tell me you were hallucinating again? Upon hearing Carloss statement, I felt authentic regret for lying to him, Liz, and John for so long. Even when I told them about my condition, I withheld a portion of the truth. The full truth, I said with a sigh, is that I never stopped hallucinating. When I told you about my schizophrenia a year ago, I told you that I was controlling it with medication. That was a lie. I havent regularly taken antipsychotics in more than four years. I tried to inject a note of humor into my voice. You could say Im going for the John Nash method. Are you sure youre okay? Carlos asked. Theres no way that can be healthy. The alternative is much worse. The kind of medication regimen I have to be on to eliminate my hallucinations completely is akin to a self-imposed lobotomy! Despite my best efforts, the volume of my voice increased as I spoke. For six months, I tried controlling it with medication! When I accidentally missed a few days, I ended up punching a nurse, and I was only able to get out of the psych ward when I stopped taking my medication and started lying to the doctors! I took a deep breath to stop myself from shouting any more. Nowadays, I''m the epitome of mental health as far as the doctors are concerned. All I had to do was stop listening to them. Silently thankful that no institutions remained wherein I could be held, I took several long seconds to regain control of my emotions. I hadnt gotten that emotional in such a long time that it was difficult for me to parse the feelings coursing through my body. Sorry, I said quietly. Dont worry about it. Id react the same way if I went through that shit. Now, look, none of us care that youre not on the meds. We just dont want you to feel that you have to lie to us. Were all on the same team, ya know? I had to grit my teeth in order to stop myself from crying. In no world did I deserve to be accepted so readily. By all accounts, Carlos should have written me off as a crazy person and left me alone in that parking lot.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. After I apologized to Liz and Claire for my outburst, I began driving out of the parking lot and plotted a course for a place I had been once before. We began heading back in the direction of campus, prompting a confused look from Claire. Where are we going? Claire asked. Were going to pick up John, I said cheerfully as I slowly turned the massive bus-like vehicle down one of Chapel Hills many side roads. Liz and Carlos grimaced. They didnt believe in John, but I did. He knew way more about Dungeon King than any of us. There was no way he would be killed by a few Diluvians or Uruks. It will only take a few minutes, youll see. Our RV pulled up to the apartment complex where John Sullivan lived. I noticed immediately that most of the large apartment complex had completely collapsed. Where there had once been six stories of stone building, there was nothing but several tons of undifferentiated rubble. Based on the pattern of destruction, it was caused by the standard rampaging of low-level MDC monsters and not a Bull of Heaven. In the Diluvians random flailing, they must have destroyed many of the buildings load-bearing supports. The parking lot surrounding the apartment complex was far too narrow for the RV to fit, so I parked on the road illegally. Several hours before, taking such an action in downtown Chapel Hill would have been a sure-fire way to get your vehicle towed. I took my laser rifle and began sprinting toward the apartment complex. As I ran, I shouted, Hey, John! John Sullivan! My shouting drew the attention of four ravenous Diluvians who spotted me from about a hundred feet away. They charged at me through the open, and I dispatched them with an almost-automatic sweep of my laser rifle. Before the last Diluvian had fallen to the ground, I continued running toward the building. [DILUVIANS (4) KILLED! +60 EXP, +60 CREDITS] [TOTAL CREDITS: 3,170?] [EXP TO NEXT LEVEL: 500] After about a hundred more feet of running, I spotted a four-legged creature emerge from the opposite side of the partially-destroyed apartment complex. I drew a bead on the creature before realizing that it had the appearance of a large dog with bright yellow fur. I dropped my rifle to low-ready, but I didnt drop my guard completely. The dog could have been a previously-unseen monster, as far as I knew. As the dog approached me with its tail wagging in excitement, I recognized the creature. It was John Sullivans dog, a golden retriever named Luigi. A dropped leash trailed behind Luigi. Recognizing me, Luigi ran up to me and brushed against my leg. He then retreated back a few steps before looking back at me expectantly. Even I, with no knowledge of dog behavior, knew that Luigi wanted me to follow him. I followed Luigi around the apartment building, though I didnt have to follow him very far to find what he was looking for. There, lying on the ground of the parking lot, was a disemboweled corpse that bore the familiar appearance of an SDC body that had been struck by an MDC attack. Luigi trotted up to the body and began slowly nudging at its skull as if to wake it up. The dog moved the corpses head enough that I could see the half of the face that hadnt been torn off by the force of the blow, and my stomach dropped. Laying there, dead on the ground, was one of the few people I had ever called my friend, John Sullivan. Chapter 42 - [Roadkill] Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the victor I will give the right to eat from the tree of life that is in the garden of God. -Revelation 2:7 John was dead. Based on the lividity, he must have been dead for more than an hour. As I fell to my knees, my eyes scanned the scene, and I was able to reconstruct what happened with cruel ease. I could only distract myself with the mystery for a few seconds. When System Integration began, John must have holed up in his room in an attempt to defend himself against the attacking monsters. Splattered obsidian rock provided evidence of Johns resistance. When John realized that his apartment building would collapse under the fury of the Diluvians assault, he fled to his car while guiding the golden retriever with a leash. Before John made it to his destination, he was killed by a random Diluvian. If only he had taken the Knight class, he would have had enough time to flee to his car. Perhaps he would have even been able to dispatch the monsters assailing him. It was only natural that he didnt take the Knight class, of course. The System must have pushed him toward the Mage or Priest class. Damn it! Why didnt the System tell us about [Draconic Integration] first!? In terms of short-term survival, being a Knight was by far the most optimal choice. Naturally, the System did not care about our chances for short-term survival. It was there to get us ready for war with the Conquering Horde. Knights were probably weaker at higher levels, so the System didnt want to incentivize us to make choices that would harm our long-term growth. Not that any of that mattered. John was dead. My friend was dead, and something should be done about that. One day, I would have the opportunity to take my anger out on the Coalition of Light. Justified or not, I would show them that John did not die needlessly. Oh, God, Liz uttered from out of sight. I stood up and saw that the other three had caught up to me. Liz and Carlos looked like they were about to throw up. The feeling of despair flowed through my heart so powerfully that naked sorrow motivated my expression for several seconds. It was only with a gargantuan force of will that I was able to conceal those feelings. He died like that? How unfair, Carlos said with his lips tight in an expression of barely-suppressed emotion. My voice level, I said, Hes dead. Theres nothing more we can do. Lets get back to the RV.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. I wanted to fall to my knees and cry, but the words I said to Claire rang loudly in my mind. It would be unfair for me to so callously disregard Claires grief only for me to languish in my own grief hours later. Hold on, Carlos said, blinking in confusion. Arent we going to bury him? Liz asked, her eyes already wet with tears. We didnt bury Simon, I said, the anger I felt toward myself manifesting in my voice. It could take us up to an hour to give John a proper burial. We might not have an hour to spare. If things could get this bad in four hours, who knows how bad they can get in another four hours. I began walking toward the RV, but Claires voice interrupted my gait. What about the dog? Dont you think we should take him with us? Fine, I said without turning. If you can get him to follow you, he can come. I returned to the RV and pressed my head against the steering wheel. The guilt of leaving John there in the parking lot like roadkill weighed heavily on my mind, and I was only able to lessen this feeling by reminding myself that I would one day exact a heavy toll upon those responsible. The next thing I knew, a blur of yellow fur ran up the stairs to the RV, and John Sullivans dog put his long snout on my lap. I looked around to see who was walking the dog and saw that he had escaped his walker. Luigi looked up at me, and I slowly began petting the large dog. I wondered if John had trained Luigi to be a therapy dog. Either way, it clearly wouldnt be hard to get Luigi into the RV. I remembered the last time I had seen Luigi. As soon as John told him I was a friend, the dog stuck next to me like a big yellow shadow. I was always told that animals were supposed to panic around crazy people, but apparently Luigi didnt get the message. I guess we both just lost a friend, eh, little guy? I said as I rubbed Luigis head. The others soon got back into the RV, and we departed once more. For the first few minutes, the tone was somber, but everyone began to cheer up quickly due to the golden retrievers heartening presence. I quickly understood why John got one. It was hard to remain somber when that dog was nearby. Vincent, we have to rob a pet store, Carlos called out after about half an hour. Within minutes, the floor of the RV was covered in an honestly unnecessary amount of dog food, treats, and toys. It felt disrespectful for everyone to be laughing so soon after the death of a friend, but I was hardly one to complain. The others finally had something to keep their minds off of the state of the world. Over the next few hours, we slowly made our way south toward Fayetteville. We must have stopped more than a dozen times to fight off waves of Diluvian and Uruks. I quickly began utilizing a tactic whereby I would climb onto the roof of the RV to get a better vantage point while the others engaged the monsters on the ground. I used my laser rifle to slow the monsters when they approached. This tactic quickly used up my ammo, but it was much safer. We had nearly reached Fayetteville by the time I had run out of ammunition for my laser rifle. [DILUVIANS (105) KILLED! +1,575 EXP, +1,575 CREDITS] [URUKS (37) KILLED! +1,110 EXP, +1,110 CREDITS] [LEVEL UP!] [EXP TO NEXT LEVEL: 315] [TOTAL CREDITS: 5,855?] Dramatis Personae (Up to Chapter 42) Vincent Blackwell (Vinzadir): The main character. He''s a twenty-five-year-old law student who developed severe schizophrenia five years ago. After a year of struggling with his illness, he was able to seamlessly reintegrate into society. Soon after System Integration, the Fifth Star Child ate his eye, allowing him to integrate elements of the Conquering Horde''s System into his own skillset. Class: Eldritch Alchemist. Carlos Vega (Slader): Carlos is an undergraduate at UNC who was a professional fencer until his leg injury two years ago. The group relies on him heavily for any combat that occurs in melee. Class: Knight. Elizabeth Carlyle (Elstine): Elizabeth is an undergraduate at UNC whose father also taught at the school. In the age of the Revelation System, her connections to the old world cause her to suffer more than others. Unlike Carlos and Vincent, she preferred the world as it used to be. Class: Priestess.Stolen story; please report. Claire Fischer (Pixie Chix): Claire is an undergraduate at UNC who only recently met the group. She is currently conflicted in how she feels about Vincent and the others. Class: Thief. Hellman: He''s a Nephilim, an alien with the countenance of a demon, who was tasked with hunting down and killing the Fifth Star Child. Due to his assumption that the Star Child would be easy to spot, he did not think to investigate Vincent any closer when they met. Class: Champion. Edward Carlyle: Elizabeth''s father. Due to his position as a professor at UNC, he was put in charge of the survivors by the central campus. He, and all of the other survivors, were killed by the Bull of Heaven. Class: Alchemist. Officer Jack Fulton: He was a police officer who was patrolling nearby when System Integration occurred. Class: Knight. Simon: A student who was traveling with Claire. He was killed during a fight against a horde of Uruks. Class: Alchemist. John Sullivan: He was a friend of Vincent, Carlos, and Liz, and he was the Game Master for their Dungeon King campaign. Due to his isolation during the beginning of System Integration, he was killed before he could adapt to the Revelation System. Class: Mage. Chapter 43 - [Wormwood] I sat in the passengers seat of the RV as Liz anxiously navigated the massive vehicle down the highway. She knew how to drive, but she had never driven such a large vehicle before. For the past few minutes, I had been giving Liz tips on how to handle the RV, but most of those tips were little more than, Youll get used to it after some practice. There were a few close calls, but any fear I felt was ameliorated by the fact that everyone in the RV had undergone [Draconic Integration], so it would take a Hell of a lot more than an SDC car crash to kill us. Liz got the hang of it eventually, and I began to lean back into the passengers seat as we traveled. Hey, Vincent, Liz said, trying her hardest not to let her anxiety show. How did you learn to drive RVs? Oh, right. I guess I didnt tell you. When I was an undergraduate, I worked as an Amazon driver for a summer. What was that like? Very physical, I said with a grimace. With my thoughts no longer focused on advising Liz, I began to think once more about my conversations with Hellman. According to him, many of the most influential works of literature were essentially written by the Coalition of Light. They must have left clues for us in places that we had taken for granted. Do we have a Bible in here? I asked Liz. Yeah, she said, frowning. I took one from the supermarket so that I wont run out of prayers. She pointed to a shelf in the back. I retrieved a cheap leather Bible from where it was stowed. As I flipped through the Bible, making sure that it contained both the Old and the New Testament, I whispered to myself, A stolen Bible, how fitting. Once I returned to my seat, I began skimming through the Bible, looking for something that caught my eye. Eventually, I stopped at the beginning of Revelation. I figured that Revelation was the book that would most likely hold information on our current situation. It was called the Revelation System, after all. I began reading The Apocalypse, or Revelation to John, and I was immediately struck by the books frequent references to entities coming from the sky and a victor that would emerge. Behold, he is coming amid the clouds. To the victor, who keeps to my ways until the end, I will give authority over the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Like clay vessels they will be smashed. -Revelation 2:27-28 After ten days of tribulation, there would be a victor who would be granted authority over the nations. I did not know who this victor would be. Perhaps there would be one chosen champion among the Human tribe who would gain control over the remnants of the world. The passage seemed to indicate that whoever reached the level cap first would be granted some reward. I read through Johns vision at the throne of the Lord God. Four angels and twenty-four elders stood beside the throne. That number, 24, stood out to me. Hellman mentioned that there were 24 [Greater Dungeons] and, thus, 24 Star Children. Was that the purpose of Revelation? Did they mean to warn us of the Star Children? Then, I reached the sounding of the seven trumpets, and my suspicions were confirmed. The seven angels who were holding the seven trumpets prepared to blow them. When the first one blew his trumpet, there came hail and fire mixed with blood, which was hurled down to the earth. A third of the land was burned up, along with a third of the trees and all green grass. When the second angel blew his trumpet, something like a large burning mountain was hurled into the sea. A third of the sea turned to blood, a third of the creatures living in the sea died, and a third of the ships were wrecked. -Revelation 8:6-9 The first two trumpets closely described what had already happened. Asteroids fell from the sky, and Genesis (something like a large burning mountain) fell into the sea. I quickly turned my eyes to the mention of the third trumpet. Perhaps I could figure out what would happen next. When the third angel blew his trumpet, a large star burning like a torch fell from the sky. It fell on a third of the river and on the springs of water. The star was called Wormwood, and a third of all the water turned to wormwood. Many people died from this water, because it was made bitter. -Revelation 8:10-11 Wormwood? What was that? I took the phone from my pocket and asked it to define the word. Miraculously, the Internet was still working, and I soon received my answer. Wormwood was a naturally occurring bitter herb used in absinthe. My eyes widened as I realized that wormwood was the herb that gave absinthe its hallucinogenic properties. I tried to connect this prophecy to our current situation and put it into words that I could understand. Basically, something bright would fall from the sky and infect the water supply with a hallucinogenic drug. It was funny in a strange way, I thought. If I didnt know any better, Id think that the story of the third trumpet was eerily similar to my new ability, [Grand Reverie]. Naturally, I was not nearly self-centered enough to think that a thousand-year-old prophecy referred to me specifically. Plus, [Grand Reverie] had to be used directly. I couldnt activate the ability by poisoning the water supply. Not yet, at least. Wormwood was a pretty cool name, though. Id have to hold onto it for later. I looked up from the Bible as I felt the RV slow down significantly. There was a man-made checkpoint ahead of us, and several men dressed in military fatigues and carrying laser rifles patrolled the checkpoint. I wondered why there would be a military presence on this highway, but then I realized where we were. Our RV was approaching Fayetteville from the north, so we were passing through Fort Bragg. There are, uh, soldiers ahead, Liz stuttered. What should we do, Vincent? Just treat it like its a toll booth. We should be fine as long as no one mentions that everything in this RV was stolen. Chapter 44 - [Pat Miller] Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before the one who sits on the throne and worship him, who lives forever and ever. -Revelation 4:9-10 Slowly, Liz pulled the RV up to the stop sign that had recently been placed on the side of the highway. The windows were rolled down, and a soldier walked up to the window with his rifle at low-ready. Do you have any weapons or explosives in this car? The soldier recited this question with the disinterest of constant repetition. He must have asked this question thousands of times in the past, following a standard operating procedure that was created in a time with vastly different circumstances. Uh, well, uh, Liz stuttered as her eyes quickly flipped over to me. People always seemed to look to me for my legal expertise in times like this. Of course, I didnt know anything about military law. I did, however, know how to talk like a lawyer. The secret is to tell the truth without giving too much information away. Were all carrying weapons to defend ourselves from the Diluvians and Uruks, and I have four low-grade explosives as part of my Alchemist class, I said quickly. We are willing to disarm if you can assure our safety while were here. Pull up to the search area, the soldier said, pointing to an area on the side of the road that had been cordoned off with safety cones. Liz pulled us up to the search area, and we were asked to step out of the RV. We placed our weapons on a cheap plastic fold-out table by a soldier who must have been an army Lieutenant based on the silver bar on his uniform. The others seemed quite anxious during the search, but my experience working in criminal law had made me comfortable with authority. I knew that, as long as we didnt lead with hostility, they wouldnt respond in kind. As for the explosives, theyre [Alchemist Bombs] that are currently held in my [Inventory]. Your weapons were made by an Alchemist, so you probably have some understanding of how [Alchemist Bombs] work, right? Yes, the Lieutenant said, seemingly unbothered by the talk of explosives. Just keep them in your [Inventory], and well be fine. Even if we disabled your [Alchemist Bombs], you could still use spells. You guys catch on quick, I said with a surprised smile. I figured the military would take longer to adapt. Youd be surprised by how popular video games are among the armed forces. The Lieutenant cleared his throat before continuing. Anyway, were not going to deprive you of your weapons in a time like this. My name is Lieutenant Patrick Miller, and I just need to ask you a few questions before you leave. Ask away. Where are you coming from? Chapel Hill. What is the present status of Chapel Hill? FUBAR, I said before realizing that answer was unhelpful and a bit insensitive. I dont know of any survivors other than the four of us. The vast majority of people living in Chapel Hill are dead.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. My God, Lt. Miller muttered. Are things any better here? We took casualties, yes, but not nearly as bad as you describe. Miller blinked his eyes before asking, Last question. Do you know anything about the Revelation System that we should know? Yes, I said. Explaining everything would take a while. Lieutenant Patrick Miller produced an old-fashioned tape recorder from his pocket and clicked a button. Luckily for us, we have a while. For the next half hour, I explained just about everything I knew to the Lieutenant. I explained everything I had learnt from Hellman and all information I had gleaned from my recent read-through of Revelation. As I spoke, the rest of my group returned to the RV, and one of the nearby soldiers retrieved a cheap plastic chair for me to sit on. And thats about it, I said, ending my long explanation of the information I had acquired and the deductive connections I had made between those pieces of information. Wow, Lieutenant Patrick Miller said, leaning back into his own seat. He clicked off the tape recorder. Everything you said sounds impossible. Is it crazier than anything else thats happened today? If you want evidence, read what Revelation has to say about the second trumpet. Does a burning mountain falling into the sea sound familiar to you? You have a point there, Miller said with a sigh. Ill have to pass this information up the chain of command. Ill need some way to reliably communicate with you if we need you to testify in person. My username is Vinzadir. Excuse me? The phone lines will be down soon, I said. Youll probably need to use the System if you want to communicate with me a few hours from now. Right. You might receive a message from Major General Ramirez or someone on his staff. Ill also need your name. Vincent Blackwell. If you look that name up online, youll probably find the video I took when I spoke to Hellman. That was you? Well, that explains where you acquired all this information from, then. Yes, weve seen your video. Good, then you know about the rising sea levels. Yes. We calculated, based on the probable water displacement of that flaming mountain over the Atlantic Ocean, that sea levels will increase by anywhere from 180 to 185 feet. Most of Fayetteville will be underwater, but Fort Bragg will be fine due to its placement on a hill. Theres a silver lining for everything, I guess, I muttered. [NEW FRIEND REQUEST: PAT MILLER] I quickly hit the Accept button on the friend request, and my Friend List appeared once more. Elstine: Priestess, Lvl. 6 Hellman: Champion, Lvl. 25 Pat Miller: Knight, Lvl. 4 Pixie Chix: Thief, Lvl. 5 Slader: Knight, Lvl. 6 If thats all you need from me, Ill get going, I said. Youre free to leave, Lieutenant Miller said. He got to his feet, and I stood a moment after. Where do you intend to go from here? I paused for a second before saying, Well stay the night somewhere nearby, and, in the morning, well probably head out to the [Town] the Coalition of Light set up north of Charlotte. Right, if we need more information from you, well send Vinzadir a message in the morning. A minute later, I sat in the drivers seat of the RV, checking my pistols to make sure they were still functional. I started the engine, and a soldier waved for me to drive back onto the highway. Once more, we were on our way, and I was quite happy with how the interaction at the checkpoint went. I hoped that, by providing useful information to the military, I helped increase the chance of mankinds survival in some small way. Chapter 45 - [End of the World Party] After we drove a few hundred feet past the checkpoint, we started to see people camped out on the grass. We kept driving, and more tents filled with people came into view. It quickly became clear that every open space in Fort Bragg was filled with people huddled together in fear and desperation. They were crammed together like people in New York City on New Years Eve, though the atmosphere was far less jovial. As we drove, I looked over the crowd and estimated that there must have been more than a hundred thousand people huddled within the perimeter established by the soldiers of Fort Bragg. Holding such a high density of people in such a small area would naturally create issues over time, but those issues were far less pressing than the threat posed by Diluvians and Uruks. Is this where everyone went? Liz asked from the passengers seat. Apparently, I muttered. This is the only Army base in North Carolina. Other than the [Town] north of Charlotte, this is probably the only safe place in the state. Not to be negative, but why are we here? Carlos asked. Were not like these people. We dont need to seek safety in numbers. Its not about safety, I said. Liz, can you roll your window up before I say this next part? Thank you. The truth is that I wanted to find a relatively safe place thats right on the edge of the [Greater Dungeons] territory. I want to talk to my loyal subjects while also making sure that a bunch of armed men are nearby just in case negotiations go sideways. But Claire began to say. She looked down nervously as she chose her next words. What about all the people here? What will happen to them if you accidentally draw an army of monsters to the Fort? Carloss brow furrowed, and his mouth opened to speak. I could tell that he was about to say something unnecessarily hostile, so I cut him off. With a quick word and an easy smile, I said, Dont worry. I wont let it get that far. If thousands of them come for me, I wont let them reach Fort Bragg. Ill just In the worlds easiest game of charades ever, I made a finger gun and pressed it to the bottom of my chin. I pulled back my thumb like the hammer on a pistol and let it fall forward. Pow. Thats not funny, man, Carlos said, frowning deeply. Dont say that shit! Liz shouted. Its I said, stopping the strange sadistic happiness I felt upon seeing them worry for my safety. Look, I dont want to get all emotional again, so I wont talk for too long about it. Just know that Im ready to die in order to prevent something worse from happening. Remember when I told you guys about my meeting with Epsilon. It was in my mind. It only stopped because it knew I was about to kill myself.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. As I pulled the RV into an empty plot of land on the outskirts of Fort Bragg, I quietly lamented the change in perspective the rest of the group must have had at that moment. In an instant, I had gone from lunatic to suicidal lunatic in their eyes. They couldnt possibly understand that the threat of death was the only way I could realistically continue to function. I didnt have to worry about losing my mind completely like my father, because I knew that would never happen. No matter what, I would die as a human. How long have you been feeling like this? Carlos asked. About four years now, I answered quickly. I rose from the drivers seat and began disembarking the RV. Why didnt you mention this before? I really dont like to be a drama queen. I was getting really tired of talking about myself. The other three surely had problems of their own. Who were they to throw the first stone? Im fine. Lets just move on. You are not fine, Liz said. Im just as fine today as I was yesterday. I looked around at the area around us and saw an empty patch of dirt that would serve as a good spot for a campfire. Pointing my finger at the ground, I chanted, Fire Arrow. The ground erupted into a plume of fire and molten rock, and all of our shield generators activated as the heat spread in all directions. Evidently, an MDC fire spell was a bit much to start a campfire. Come on, lets start a fire. Are you sure? Claire asked. Its tradition, I said, quickly changing the topic. This is our first night together as an adventuring party. We need to start a campfire. Thats why you took all that wood, Carlos said, snapping his fingers. Come on. Lets get the wood and camping chairs. Within a few minutes, the four of us were sitting around a fire that, through the heroic efforts of Carlos and Claire, was reduced from a blazing conflagration to a lightly smoldering campfire. When we were seated and I saw Carlos producing a sinister-looking bottle from the RV, I quickly navigated over to my [Menu] and added two to my [Speed] stat. Name: Vinzadir Class: Eldritch Alchemist Level: 6 MDC: 20+48/48 Body: 14 Fortitude: 16 Power: 13 Speed: 14 Mind: 17 Reason: 18 Perception: 15 Memory: 18 With my [Body] stat now at 14, I looked up from my [Menu] just in time to see Carlos push something in my hand. It was a small glass cup with a clear liquid contained within. With just a whiff, I could tell that the glass was filled with unmixed vodka. Though most people would be nauseated by such a drink, the elegant simplicity of vodka was quite appealing to me. When asked, I would always answer that it was my favorite drink. When I looked over at Lizs glass, I saw that it contained a margarita of some kind. I vaguely remembered Liz saying she had a fondness for margaritas, but I couldnt remember the time frame in which she told me particularly well. Carlos, Liz said with a disapproving smile, you do remember that we all got drunk yesterday, right? Its a special occasion, Carlos said. Lets call this our end-of-the-world party. Internal Memo: Fort Bragg DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY May 1st, 2023 1930 hours MEMORANDUM FOR all soldiers presently stationed at Fort Bragg. SUBJECT: The Total Collapse of All Long-Distance Communication Minutes ago, everyone in Fort Bragg became unable to access the Internet or communicate via phone. This implies not only a failure of all data infrastructure required to keep the Internet running (the databases in San Francisco or Washington, D.C., for example) but also a failure of our satellites in orbit. Our enemy, allegedly called "the Conquering Horde," holds land, sea, air, and even orbital superiority over us.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. We have lost communication with the rest of the armed forces. There is no need to fear, however, for we are the United States Army, the greatest fighting force on the planet. Even if we have to do it without support from the rest of the world, we will defeat this new enemy. We are surrounded, men, but that just means we have gained the benefits of a target-rich environment. Remember your training, follow the orders of your commanding officers, and unleash the wrath of the United States Army upon this new enemy. Major General Gabriel Ramirez Chapter 46 - [A Thousand Years of Human Advancement, Gone] So, Vincent, Carlos said, breaking the momentary silence. Whats up with the suit? I looked down at the muted gray-and-blue suit I had been wearing ever since we looted the clothes store several hours before. It was a bit warm for the present temperature, but the sun was low in the sky, and it would be twilight in a matter of minutes. You know how it is, I said, taking a swig of vodka. Yep, it was still just as terrible as I remembered. I want to look good for my many loyal subjects. Next to the RV, Carlos had put a wide selection of alcoholic drinks on top of a table that extended out from the RV itself. Claire stood over by the table, perusing the bottles of hard liquor and mixers. Uh huh, Carlos responded. There was a moment of awkward silence. I suspected that my earlier statement on the negotiation with the monsters of the [Fifth Greater Dungeon] was still remembered vividly by the others. You know, Ive been wondering something. Carlos pulled his laser pistol from its holster. Why is it called a laser pistol when it obviously doesnt fire lasers? Huh? Liz asked, tilting her head. I mean, we can see the beams, right? Carlos asked rhetorically. That means theyre moving way slower than the speed of light. You made the damn things, Vincent. Do you know how they work? Absolutely not, I said. I just press a button and - poof - a laser gun appears. I just assume the beams fired by the laser pistols are particles of some kind. Theres recoil when you fire, so the beams must have mass. Speaking of physical inconsistencies, Liz began to speak, peering at her hand with a worried look, arent our bodies strange? Weve become one hundred times more durable, but our weight hasnt increased at all. Maybe its just magic, Claire said, stifling a laugh. A hundred times stronger, but it still wasnt enough to save Officer Fulton, Liz muttered, her eyes locked on the horizon. Her vision snapped back to the present, and she quickly said, S-sorry. No, dont be sorry, Carlos said, and it sounded more like a command than a platitude. Were here to work through the shit were feeling. With my arms crossed, I nodded and said, Sitting around the campfire is the time to talk about such things. Its tradition. Exactly, Carlos said, pointing to me in agreement. Its tradition.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Okay. Thanks, guys, Liz said with a sad smile. She took a deep swig of her margarita before continuing to speak. Both of my parents died today. Most of my living family is probably dead by now, I dont even know. I didnt have time to check on all of them before the phones stopped working. Everything is just gone! A thousand years of human advancement, wiped out in a day! By the time she was done talking, tears were streaming freely from Lizs eyes. The collapse of society had clearly upset her, and I tried to understand her perspective. Modern society made things a lot more convenient, and it provided safety to those who would otherwise be endangered. It made sense that Liz would be attached to that grand facade. Personally, I wasnt a fan. I felt much more comfortable in this new world where the institutions and expectations were much more malleable. Ultimately, my opinion was probably in the minority. Everythings gone, Claire said, mirroring Lizs earlier statement. Its very possible that everyone weve ever known is dead, and the only survivors left in this state are either scattered in small caravans or located here in Fort Bragg. But, maybe, we can build something better. Better for the world? I seriously doubted it. Better for us? I suspected that was very possible. In a somber tone of voice, I said, You make an excellent point, Claire. In memory of those whove died, we have an obligation to continue living and build a new society in the image of the old world. Their grand project will continue through our labor. Ill drink to that! Carlos said with a laugh once I was done speaking, and I couldnt help but smile. We drank looted liquor and ate looted food. I ate some jerky and, when Luigi sat next to me and looked up to me with pleading eyes, I let him eat as many strips of jerky as he wanted. It was a party, after all. Around the time I finished my glass of vodka, I was struck by a strange sense of foreboding. The sensation was similar to nausea but much more muted. I felt as if I had consumed something I shouldnt have consumed. The sensation was uncomfortable in a way that I couldnt place. Eventually, Carlos looked down at his drink with a frown and said, Does anybody else feel anything? Nothing yet, Liz said with a shrug. Vincent? Surely, that much vodka should have done something by now, Carlos said to me. He had a point. I had consumed the equivalent of eight shots of vodka by that point. Even with my high alcohol tolerance, I should have felt something by that point. It had always taken me quite a bit to get drunk, which was likely a result of my naturally high [Fortitude] score. [Fortitude]? Oh, I suddenly felt like an idiot for not figuring out the truth sooner. The annoyance of unexpected sobriety filled my voice as I said, [Draconic Integration] alters our [Fortitude]. Were a hundred times more resistant to all forms of damage. Shit, Carlos swore, understanding my meaning. The System probably recognizes alcohol as a form of poison. So we cant get drunk? Liz said, looking over at the mountain of liquor arranged on a nearby table and laughing. Theoretically, we could just drink a hundred times as much, Carlos muttered, though he was clearly not convinced by the idea. His eyes turned to the alcohol we had looted hours before, and an idea occurred to him. Well, we shouldnt let it all go to waste. He looked over to some of the nearby campsites, each filled with frightened civilians. Lets share it with them. Chapter 47 - [Beetles] Within minutes, more than a dozen people had crowded around the campfire by our RV. The fire quickly grew into a bonfire as the newcomers brought their own firewood. Most of the newcomers were more interested in our food than our alcohol. Claire asked if it was okay for us to give away our food, and I suggested with a smile that we could just loot more food tomorrow. As the crowd around the bonfire grew, a sensation deep within my body gave me a flash of terrible insight. Even though I had been eating regularly throughout the day, I felt hungry. When the others were out of earshot, I whispered a query. System, can MDC bodies digest SDC material? [NEGATIVE] Why is that? I asked. It followed logically, at least. We were made out of MDC stuff, so it made sense that we would have to eat MDC stuff to survive. What I didnt understand was the logic that differentiated MDC stuff from SDC stuff. What had changed within our bodies that made us incompatible with SDC objects? [THAT INFORMATION IS CLASSIFIED] [IF YOU WISH TO KNOW, YOU MUST FIND THE TRUTH YOURSELF] Huh. That was the first time the Revelation System had refused to give me information. There must have been something significant about the distinction between SDC and MDC objects that the System felt was important to withhold from me. This distinction was important enough that the System referred to it as the [Truth]. Thanks anyway, I said with a sigh as I closed my [Menu]. I looked over to the crowd that had formed at our campsite. A group of three from the Raleigh area were engaged in conversation with Liz and Carlos, and a few individual stragglers who were interested in the prospect of free food stood around the bonfire as well. Standing to one edge of the campsite were a mother and daughter who stared cautiously at the steadily-growing party. For a moment, I considered walking up to the mother and child, but Claire approached them first. I saw as the mothers face lit up as Claire told her they could eat their fill. We couldnt digest the food, anyway, so they might as well have it. Hey, Vincent! Carlos shouted from where he sat next to the group from Raleigh. Stop standing over there in the darkness. We have a question for you. I approached the bonfire and saw Carlos engaged in a fierce conversation with a young black man who wore an NC State T-shirt. Carlos was sitting on his own camping chair, and the student from NC State sat upon a log that hadnt been there a moment before.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Vincent, this is Enoch, Carlos said, gesturing to the student. Hes the leader of the group from Raleigh. Calling me the leader is a bit of a stretch, Enoch said, looking over at a middle-aged man with graying hair and a young Indian woman who seemed to be the other members of his group. Im just the only one of us who knows anything about video games. Who woulda guessed that being a gamer would be the most useful skill to have during the apocalypse? You know, I always kinda suspected things would turn out this way, Carlos said, clearly joking. I cleared my throat and said, You had a question for me? Right, Carlos began. We want your help in breaking a tie. What is the best anime that finished before the end of the century? I say its Cowboy Bebop; Enoch here says its Dragon Ball Z. My body twitched as I felt hundreds of beetles crawling over my upper arms, back, and neck. I looked down at my arms, and I could see dozens of small orbs crawling underneath my dress shirt. It took me an instant to realize that the beetles were entirely in my head. As far as petit reverie hallucinations went, this was one of the gnarly ones. It was definitely the most physically uncomfortable of the many hallucinations I regularly suffered, but at least it didnt affect my mind. As long as I allowed the hallucination to run its course, I would be fine. The best anime of the 20th century? That would be Trigun, of course, I said with a mischievous smile. Of course, my input did not help bring the argument to a close. We argued lightly about anime for a few minutes. Though I would typically enjoy such a conversation, I just wanted to curl up in a ball and sleep off the crawling beetle hallucination. It was funny, in a cruel kind of way, that I could have dispelled the hallucination at any moment, but that would only serve to put off the problem. Whenever I forcefully dispelled a hallucination, that just meant the next one would be much worse. Eventually, I reached the second stage of the hallucination, and the beetles began burrowing into my skin. I was very tempted to activate [Grand Reverie] just so that someone could understand what that felt like, but I was able to overcome that temptation with a strong exertion of willpower. Liz walked by, and Carlos attempted to pull her into our conversation. Hey, Liz. Do you know anything about anime before the turn of the century? Absolutely not, Liz said. With Lizs appearance, I saw my opportunity to pull away from the conversation. Standing from my camping chair, I said, Hey, Liz. Can you talk in private for a second? Sure, Liz said with a worried look on her face. Carlos looked at me and raised his eyebrows suggestively. I flipped him the bird in response, causing him and Enoch to laugh loudly. Despite the immense pain I was in, I couldnt help but smile. Once Liz and I were far enough away from the bonfire that I was confident they could no longer see me, I allowed a groan of pain to escape my lips. I fell to both knees and pulled back the sleeves of my shirt. In the dim light, I could see the insects crawling under my skin. It took every bit of willpower I had to not start tearing into my arms with my fingernails. Chapter 48 - [Impale Him] Whats wrong? Liz asked quickly. Nothing, I gasped in pain. Its all - fucking - psychosomatic. Can I heal you? No. Probably. Actually, now that youre here. The System told me I got a brain injury. Can ya help me with that? The pain ripped away all artifice in my vocabulary, and I had no interest in doing anything other than saying the words necessary to communicate with Liz. You have a brain injury? Yeah. Car crash ten years ago. I slowly returned to my feet as Liz approached me. She put a hand on my shoulder, causing some of the beetles to scatter in fear, before saying, Heal Injury. A new pain passed through my head as my gray matter was knitted back together by Lizs magic. Within seconds, the world around me seemed much clearer. Naturally, its hard to describe the effects of suddenly increased intelligence to someone who hasnt experienced it, but the Mages, Priests, and Alchemists know what Im talking about. My thoughts began to run faster, and my recollection of previous events became much clearer. Naturally, this just meant I felt the beetles much more clearly. Another groan of pain escaped me, and I tried to keep my thoughts away from the pain by opening my [Menu] and looking at my character sheet once more. Name: Vinzadir Class: Eldritch Alchemist Level: 6 MDC: 20+48/48 Body: 14 Fortitude: 16 Power: 13 Speed: 14 Mind: 19 Reason: 20 Perception: 19 Memory: 20 The slight sense of satisfaction I felt upon seeing my stats go up was a small comfort to the immense pain coursing through my body. There was nothing I could do to lessen the pain in any way, however. All I could do was find some dark corner to crawl into and wait for the hallucination to end. Did that help? Liz asked. Nope. It just got worse, if you can believe it. Whats happening to you? What are you seeing? Its nothing, I said, wincing heavily. I need to sleep. Please excuse me. Slowly, I began walking away from the RV and toward the outer perimeter surrounding Fort Bragg. I only managed to walk a few feet before Liz grabbed me by the wrist, and I stopped. Vincent, she said, worry obvious on her face. This is the most emotion Ive ever seen you express. Its clearly not nothing. Tell me the truth. I really wanted her to get out of my face, so I gestured to my arms where thousands of insectoid legs crawled over my muscles and sinew. My minds telling me that bugs are crawling under my skin. Ill be fine in an hour. I just need to wait out the pain.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Holy shit Liz muttered. I could show you what it feels like, if you want, I said, chuckling at the dark joke. Liz paused for a second, as if she was seriously considering my offer. After a long second of silence, she said, Sure, why not? I already experienced one of your hallucinations, why not another one? No way, I said, blinking in shock. Strangely, Lizs willingness to experience such terrible pain on my behalf made me feel incredibly happy. That was, uh, a joke. There are several reasons why I wont do that, but thank you for offering. Dont mention it, Liz said, smiling. Sharing your pain with others lessens the strain. Liz went back to the party soon after, and I retreated into the forest like Dr. Jekyll fleeing to his room. It was bad enough that Liz saw me in such a state. I absolutely did not want the others to see me in that moment of weakness. I curled up against a thick tree about a hundred feet away from the campsite and tried to will myself to sleep. As I leaned against the tree, I realized that Liz was right. The pain of the hallucination had been lessened by my knowledge that someone else in the world cared that I was in pain. With that pleasant memory present in the forefront of my mind, I fell into a pleasant sleep. I hoped that, for once in my life, I would not be plagued by terrible nightmares.
I stood once more in the old graveyard on the campus of UNC. Many late nights I spent standing in that graveyard, standing in a circle and chanting in Latin. This time, however, it was the middle of the day, and I was surrounded by Uruks and Gargoyles rather than tired college students. It was the middle of the day, and the three dozen pine trees lining the graveyard had lost their leaves due to the cold winter air. Hanging from every single pine tree was a fresh corpse. Seeing the bodies hanging in the air with terrified expressions pasted on their dead faces filled me with sadistic glee. I couldnt recall why, but I knew they deserved it. I stood at the top of the gazebo in the center of the graveyard, looking down at a battered and bruised Human who was pinned against the ground by three Uruks and a blond man with pointed ears. The man held against the ground had light brown hair and bright blue eyes. There was something about the prisoners expression and countenance that annoyed me greatly. In his eyes, I could see an unwavering stubbornness and naivety that would make him absolutely impossible to negotiate with. This, paired with a powerful charisma, assured that he would be a problem for anyone he deemed his enemy. The elf holding the man down spoke, breaking the silence. Lord Octavian, the prisoner has confessed. We can say for certain that he was the one who killed Carlos Vega. Oh, that explained the people hanging from the trees, then. Slowly, I stepped off the gazebo and walked toward the prisoner. My heavy Lord Regalia clanked as I walked, and the face-concealing helmet I wore made it somewhat difficult to see. Strangely, I realized that I could see out of my left eye once more. I knelt down next to the prisoner and looked mercilessly upon him through the slit in my visor. Is it true? Did you kill him? Yes, the prisoner said proudly. We wanted to kill you, but killing your right hand man was a victory in its own right! What should we do with him? The elf spoke to me with concern in his voice. He was concerned that I would make the wrong decision and offer this [Hero] a trial as I had done in the past. Not this time. I had run out of mercy a long time ago. I folded back the black hood of my cloak and removed the iron helm of my Lord Regalia. With cruel black eyes corrupted by the influence of the Archons, I looked into the prisoners terrified face. You really are Human, the [Hero] said with shock and terror in his voice. Before I sentence you, I began in a rasping voice, I want you to know one thing. I dont care about your anarchist movement or your rebellion against my nation. You have to die for one simple reason. My face tightened as I fought the sorrow rising in my chest. Carlos Vega was my friend. W-what? Impale him. I cut the prisoner off before he could say anything else. My face broke out into a wide grin as I saw his skin turn white and a look of utter despair descended upon him. No, you cant. Save me! The prisoner chanted those two words, attempting to use some skill, I was sure. Nothing happened, and my laughter filled the air. None of your tricks will work in this graveyard! The Hero screamed out in denial as the Uruks brought out a long metal pike. I would have preferred it to be made of wood, but Spiritwood would be unable to penetrate his thick skin. Reinforced Mithril was necessary for such an occasion. As the spike was slowly shoved through the Heros body, I sat on a gravestone and watched with rapt attention. When the Heros screams reached a fever pitch, my laughter rose to meet it. For more than an hour, hollow laughter rang out in the central campus of UNC. It was a sadistic, rasping sound that filled the air like a miasma. Anyone that heard it knew that Lord Octavian had finally, truly lost his mind. Chapter 49 - [Throne of the Lord God] I woke slowly as the rising sun cast bright light upon my closed eyelids. The memory of a dream half remembered rose in my mind. In my half-conscious state, I recalled that the dream was quite significant, so I spent a minute purposefully remembering and reconstructing the events of that strange dream. In the dream, I was present in the old graveyard. The monsters called me Lord Octavian, and they followed my orders. The man with blue eyes killed Carlos, and I flew off the handle a little bit. I wanted to deny it, but that seemed like something I would do in such a situation. It was almost like that was a vision of the future. If the negotiation with the monsters went well and I became the leader of the [Fifth Greater Dungeon], I could definitely imagine that happening. Still, a vision of the future seemed incredibly unlikely. I had experienced my fair share of gnarly dreams, and none of them were precognizant. Throughout history, there have been many stories of lunatics who could see the future. It was said that, in the uncontrolled cauldron of their minds, some hallucinations could see the future. These stories were clearly false, but perhaps the System knew of these stories and decided to grant those with the [Lunatic] trait bouts of pre-cognizance. Far be it from me to deny an advantage. It was just unfortunate that the vision had to be such a bad one. The future where I impale the [Hero] - whatever that means - would definitely be one to avoid. I spoke of my nation, implying that there were other humans living in the territory claimed by the [Fifth Greater Dungeon]. Torturing and killing someone with such a title would probably put me on the fast track to losing the support of the common man. If possible, I would prevent such a future from occurring. There was the possibility that the Heros impalement would happen one way or another, and my resistance would only serve to hasten the completion of the prophecy. I doubted this was the case, however, since it would imply that the Revelation System had perfect knowledge of the future. If the System was truly omniscient, I figured, then it would not need us to defeat the Conquering Horde. I stood up from my bed of dirt and cleaned up my suit. I dusted off my pants and straightened my tie. Luckily, the dirt I had fallen into was diffuse, and little of it remained once I had brushed my hands against it a few times. Just as I was about to head back to the campsite, Epsilon began to vibrate. Unlike last time I felt it move, this movement was one of excitement. I looked around, trying to see what Epsilon saw that I didnt, and a gaping wound in reality was torn open a few feet to my right. The sound of air pressure equalizing drew my attention to the portal that had just been opened. It was two-dimensional and strangely angular, as if it was made of a dozen small rectangles arranged in an approximately circular shape. The portal looked identical to the one that appeared near the Old Well a few minutes after System Integration save for one thing. On the other side of the portal was a large white room with no windows and dozens of thrones. Nothing came through the portal unlike last time, but I could see several shambling humanoid creatures step into the large white room. Right, I was supposed to step into the portal. I remembered the vision and recalled that I was able to make the monsters follow my commands in that future. It couldnt be that difficult. I briefly opened my [Menu] and sent Carlos a message. Vinzadir: Im leaving to negotiate with the monsters now.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Perhaps that would help alleviate any worry they felt, but I knew such a message would just make them worry more. Brushing off my lapels and straightening my cuffs, I stepped into the portal. An instant after I entered the large white room, the portal slid shut behind me. I fixed my face into an expression of disinterested arrogance as I examined the room more closely. I expected to face some kind of questioning, and I knew it would be better for me to look like the [Dungeon Lord] they were expecting. The most notable feature of the white room was the building-sized throne in its center. This throne was empty, and the thought of a creature that could fill the throne was terrifying. Two dozen human-sized thrones surrounded the central throne, and four strange creatures stood at the four corners of that massive throne. The first creature resembled a lion, the second was like a calf, and the third had a face like that of a human being, and the fourth looked like an eagle in flight. -Revelation 4:7 Terror pulsed through my body as I realized that these four creatures were the Cherubim from Revelation. Each had six wings, and each Cherubim must have had more than a hundred eyes. These eyes were looking in every direction, and I could sense that many of those eyes were looking directly at me. The Cherubim were completely stationary, and they stood around the throne of the Lord God like statues. To see a scene from Revelation that I had heard a hundred times in real life was a strange experience, to say the least. I wanted to fall to my knees and exclaim my faith in the Lord God, but my knowledge of the past few days made me stop. The story in Revelation was simply a warning of a recurring event that had happened many times over the past hundreds of thousands of years. That throne room preceded the Gospel, and there must be some other explanation for why it was there. Nearly a dozen other portals had formed around me, and humanoid creatures with the heads of dogs stepped through. Those of them that had arrived before me were lumbering toward their smaller thrones beside the Cherubim. A few of them sat in their thrones as I watched and awkwardly tried to approximate a human sitting in a chair. The Cherubims did not move, and none of the Star Children seemed to pay me any attention. I considered getting to my seat, which I figured was the fifth from the left, when I saw a man step through a portal. The man looked around, just as confused as I was. Based on his clothing and physical appearance, I figured the man was from the Middle East. He was unmistakably human, unlike everything else present, so I swiftly walked toward him. Youre a human, right? I called out as I walked forward. The Middle Eastern man smiled, happy to see another human in this strange scene from Revelation. He answered in a language that I didnt understand but assumed was Arabic. English? I asked. The man answered in words that I absolutely did not understand, and I took that as a no. I wanted to know where he was from so that I could stop mentally referring to him as the Middle Eastern man, so I asked another question. American, I said, pointing at myself. You? I carefully enunciated the question, making it clear that I was asking a question. Surrey, the man said. I looked at him in confusion, and he spoke again. Syria. Oh, youre Syrian. Got it. I said, giving the Syrian a thumbs-up in the universal symbol of understanding. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw an Asian woman dressed in a lightly torn business-casual outfit. Hearing our half-gestured conversation, she approached me and the Syrian. I was about to restart that game of charades with the woman when she said, I speak English. Thank God, I said, sighing. Her accent was significant, but I could definitely communicate with the woman. Im Vincent Blackwell. Nice to meet you. Himekawa Aiko, the woman said, bowing her head. I awkwardly bowed in response, and the Syrian did the same, mimicking what everyone else was doing. Do you know what is happening? Chapter 50 - [The Great Adversary] I blew air out of my mouth as I considered Aiko Himekawas question. It would be inaccurate to say I knew what was going on, but I probably had a better understanding than the other two. Based on their nationality, the other two most likely had very little knowledge of the New Testament. Christianity was barely present in Japan, and most Muslims didnt read the Bible. To be fair, I hadnt read the Quran, either. I have some theories, I said. I knew that if I were to start explaining my theories on Revelation and the Coalition of Light, we would be there for ten minutes, so I deflected. You two were attacked by a Star Child, right? Its a small octopus thing that took a part of your body? Like this. I gestured to my eye. Epsilon, change colors for a second. A slight squirming around my eye socket and the flinching of the other two human Lords told me that Epsilon did as I commanded. The Syrian pointed at my face in recognition, and he lifted his shirt up to his stomach. Embedded in his stomach, in the shape of a four-pointed star, was a large piece of skin that was much paler than the skin surrounding it. Interesting, the Star Child must have latched onto his stomach after realizing it couldnt take over his brain. Aiko held out her left hand, and I noticed that it was strangely immobile. The Star Child, as you call it, took my hand. Thats too bad, I said a moment before switching to the language of the Elders. Do you understand what Im saying? Both of them looked at me in confusion. As I expected, neither of them understood what I was saying. They never interfaced with their Star Children, so they never had the chance to learn the language. What did you just say? Aiko asked. Nothing, Aiko. I paused for a moment, remembering vaguely that the Japanese put significance on the way you addressed other people. Is it okay if I call you that? Yes. Dont worry, Ive met plenty of Americans. You could tell I was American from my accent? That, and you said you were American a minute ago. Right, I said, pausing for a moment. Where are you from, Aiko? I assume youre from Japan, but I want to know the precise location. I was in Asahikawa, but I ran to Fukagawa when I learned that a [Greater Dungeon] would appear there. Honestly, I had absolutely no idea where those towns were. I knew where Tokyo was, but I had never in my life heard of Asahikawa or Fukagawa.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Im sorry, but I dont know where that is. Excuse me, theyre both near the center of Hokkaido. Oh no. I thought my knowledge of Japanese geography was pretty good for an American, but I couldnt remember exactly where Hokkaido was. I knew it was one of the islands, but I didnt remember which one. It was either the big one to the north or the smaller one to the south. I would have subtly looked it up on my phone, but the Internet went down the day before. Hokkaido, thats the northern island, right? Correct, Aiko responded, not fully comprehending the significance of my Herculean feat of geography. Asahikawa and Fukagawa are a bit to the northwest of Hokkaido. Why do you ask? That will take a while to explain, and I suspect well be interrupted soon, I said, looking around at the scene. All of the Star Children had taken their spots on their thrones, yet only half of the seats were filled. I got the strange sense that they were waiting for something to happen. First, can you send a [Friend Request] to Vinzadir so that we can talk again later? It took a few minutes, but Aiko was able to change her keyboard layout to English script and send me a [Friend Request]. [NEW FRIEND REQUEST: Ӥ] I accepted the [Friend Request] before turning to the Syrian. Even with the language barrier, I had to figure out his name. My name is Vincent, I said, pointing to myself. You? The Syrian seemed to be confused by my statement, so I continued. Vincent. He made a sound of recognition before pointing to himself and saying, Salim. I gave him the thumbs up as I realized that must have been his name. The Syrian man with the scar in the shape of a four-pointed star was named Salim (pronounced sa-LEEM). Now that introductions are dealt with, I said to Aiko. Ill try to explain whats going on. When the three of us were attacked, each of us became the [Lord of a Greater Dungeon]. Meaning My voice caught in my throat as I saw one of the humanoids stand from its throne. Unlike the others, this entity moved with the purpose and cognizance of a normal human. The humanoid that just got to its feet rose from the throne farthest to the right from where I was standing. The humanoid wore a deep hood, so I couldnt make out its facial features. As soon as the humanoid got to its feet, an echoing metallic voice emanated from beneath the hood. Well explained, Fifth. Listening to the hooded man was a strange experience. When he spoke, two voices could be heard simultaneously. One voice spoke in English, and the other spoke in Arabic. I am the [Lord of the Twenty-fourth Greater Dungeon]; some call me Melkior. The robed man stepped forward, and he slowly pulled back his black hood. Under the hood, Melkior wore the same style of helmet that I recognized from my dream. He removed the full helm, and long blond hair tumbled out and fell down past his shoulders. The sclera of Melkiors eyes were pure black, and his irises were a deep red. Most notably, his ears were pointed like an elf from the stories of J.R.R. Tolkien. To the people of Earth, however, I am known by a different name. The religions of your planet refer to me as the Great Adversary, Satan. Chapter 51 - [The Truth] I froze in place as Melkior spoke. If he was truly the individual that served as the basis for the Devil of the various Abrahamic religions, that meant the Coalition of Light had spent a significant amount of resources warning humanity of this one individual. From the perspective of the Coalition of Light, Melkior must have been the most evil person in history. The other two Humans present reacted in two very different ways. Aiko looked confused, and her eyes darted between Melkior and Selim. Certainly, she had heard of Satan. Every culture on Earth had some understanding of Gods adversary, the source of all evil. Aikos muted response spoke of the minimal focus her culture put on Satan. Unlike Selim and I, Aiko was not raised on stories of the Serpent in the Garden or the attempted corruption of Christ. Compared to the rest of us, Selim had by far the strongest reaction to Melkiors utterance. He began shouting something in Arabic, and I didnt need to speak the language to know the words were abusive and vulgar. The only word I understood from Selims tirade was, Al-shaitan! Al-shaitan! An amused smile appeared on Melkiors face as he listened to the abuse. He could probably understand what Selim was saying due to his translator. Theres always at least one, Melkior said ominously. As [Lords of the Greater Dungeons], you and I are equals, Twelfth, so I shall allow your insult to go unpunished just this once. Melkior cleared his throat before continuing, and the translator caused the cough to warble like an audio file that had been overlaid over itself. To put this into simple terms that any literate Human should be able to understand, we are all on the same side now. Naturally, I will need an assurance that you will not betray me or the Archons. I offer each of you a gift. Accept it or die. [YOU ARE BEING TARGETED BY THE SPELL: GREATER BRAND] [DO YOU CONSENT TO THE SPELL?]
YOU ARE BEING TARGETED BY THE SPELL: GREATER BRAND
DO YOU CONSENT TO THE SPELL?
I couldnt help but laugh quietly at the wording of the notification. Melkior had a funny definition of the word consent. One of the first things I learned in Contract Law was that a contract was considered void if one signed it under duress. Of course, I highly doubted that Satan abided by American Common Law. The threat was unnecessary in my case, since I was looking to work with the Conquering Horde anyway. I pressed the [Accept] button, and another pop up appeared. [ARE YOU SURE?] [IF ANY AGENTS OF THE COALITION OF LIGHT REALIZE THAT YOU BEAR THE GREATER BRAND, THEY WILL BE OBLIGATED TO KILL YOU ON SIGHT]
ARE YOU SURE?
IF ANY AGENTS OF THE COALITION OF LIGHT REALIZE THAT YOU BEAR THE GREATER BRAND, THEY WILL BE OBLIGATED TO KILL YOU ON SIGHT
Friggin UI, I muttered angrily as I pushed down on the [Accept] button again. The warning was unnecessary since the presence of Epsilon in my eye already put me in such a precarious position.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The moment my finger pressed the button once again, a terrible pain filled my entire body all at once. The pain was much worse than the pain I experienced when Epsilon burrowed into my skull the day before. It was as if every single one of my cells was being rewritten all at once. I fell onto my knees and immediately began vomiting violently upon the floor. Almost automatically, I began tearing at my chest where the pain was the greatest. I tore open my dress shirt, causing most of the buttons to fly off. With each passing second, the pain grew worse, and it felt like my brain was being rebuilt at the cellular level. I tore my undershirt in half, revealing a pure black burn mark that had appeared on my chest right over my sternum. Just as I felt that the pain was more than I could bear, and my hand began reaching for the Esotech Pistol, the pain stopped. I spent several seconds breathing heavily to stop the ache in my lungs and the drumming heartbeat in my ears. Once the pain was gone, I realized something surprising. I felt stronger, much stronger. It was as if the pain had rebuilt me into an entirely new creature that was significantly stronger and much smarter. I checked my [Menu], and the changes to my stats astounded me. Name: Vinzadir Class: Eldritch Alchemist Level: 6 MDC: 20+78/78 Body: 24 Fortitude: 26 Power: 23 Speed: 24 Mind: 29 Reason: 30 Perception: 29 Memory: 30
Name Vinzadir
Class Eldritch Alchemist
Level 6
MDC 20+78/78
Body 24
Mind 29
[ALL OF YOUR STATS HAVE BEEN INCREASED BY 10] Needless to say, +10 to all stats was a significant power-up. The average person at level 1 had a ten in most stats. It was as if the power of another person had been added to my own. My body was changed significantly, but I felt the changes in my mind much more acutely. I felt like everything around me had slowed significantly, and I had to adjust my perception to understand what the people around me were saying. In the dark corners of my mind, I began making connections without any conscious thought. Concepts in math and science that had never previously made sense to me clicked in an instant. Half-remembered lessons spiraled in my mind. Disparate thoughts connected to one another and built upward like a ladder to heaven. Quantum mechanics and special relativity suddenly made sense to me, and I felt like an idiot for not understanding earlier. This spiraling ladder of knowledge continued building. I could visualize folded spacetime. I understood how everything connected from the largest star to the smallest subatomic particle. I could see the biological processes occurring within my own cells and atoms with astounding clarity. In an instant, I understood the [Truth] of the many mysteries that I faced in this new world. I didnt need Melkior to explain it to me. All the evidence I needed was already at my fingertips, and I was just left to wonder how I hadnt realized before that moment. Looming over all of these other realizations was one terrible thought. As I was swept into the nature of the universe, I saw the hand of the artist. In one terrifying moment, I realized with absolute certainty that God was real. [YOU HAVE DISCOVERED THE TRUTH]
YOU HAVE DISCOVERED THE TRUTH
Once my breathing was controlled enough that I could enunciate properly, I spoke. I think I know why youre fighting the Coalition of Light, Melkior. Youre simply carrying out Gods will. Chapter 52 - [Selim] The creature with long blond hair and pointed ears laughed at my statement, and Aiko looked at me like I had gone insane. With a wicked smile on his face, Melkior spoke. To see the Truth so soon is quite an accomplishment, Fifth. You must have been a scholar in your past life. Yes, you are correct. The actions of the Coalition bring shame to the perfect universe created by God, and our single goal is to prevent them from further corrupting the universe. Selim shouted something at the top of his lungs. The volume with which he shouted and the vitriol in his voice was the only information I needed to know what he was about to do. I turned my head just in time to see him summon a scimitar from his [Inventory] and begin charging toward Melkior. What a shame, Melkior muttered. He slowly raised a hand toward Selim, and I knew whatever he was going to do next would not be good for the Syrian. Selim had to step near me to reach Melkior, and I did not let him get past. Just as he put all his weight on one foot, I swept Selims leg, causing him to fall to the ground like a sack of potatoes. The scimitar-wielding man raised himself back onto his knees before swinging out toward me once more. The scimitar would have struck me in my thigh, but his attack was way too slow for it to hit me. I casually took a step back, and the scimitar cut through air a few inches in front of my thigh. Selim got back on his feet, shouting at me in Arabic the whole time, before trying to disembowel me once again with his scimitar. I couldnt translate what he was saying directly, but I was pretty sure he called me the, Servant of Satan. Taking up a boxing stance, I dodged three slow attacks aimed at my head and body. Even though Selim was armed and I had nothing, I never felt concerned for my own safety during Selims attack. He was so slow and weak that I felt like I was fighting a toddler. My primary concern was with ending the fight without hurting him. Selim wasnt weak, as far as normal humans were concerned, but the power of the [Greater Brand] was so significant that it made fighting normal humans a trivial concern. Selim stepped in to slash at my throat, and I saw my opportunity to attack. Moving at the same time as him, I stepped in and grabbed Selims sword arm. As he shouted in anger, I used both my hands to put him into a standing arm lock that I had seen in a few MMA fights. The grapple was clumsy, but I was able to pull it off with my far greater strength. Selims wrist hyperextended, and his scimitar clattered to the floor.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. I kicked the scimitar away, and Selim used that opportunity to free himself from the grapple. He tried to punch me, but I ducked the hit. With my 29 [Perception] and 24 [Speed], there was no way such an attack would make contact. I countered Selims attack with a quick half-power jab to his cheekbone. He took a step back, dazed by the sudden attack, giving me an opportunity to grab Selim by the shirt and throw him to the ground. I wasnt a grappler, so I was only able to subdue him after more than thirty seconds of unskilled flailing. Eventually, I was able to force Selim into his stomach and pull his arm behind his back. He tried to struggle, but I pulled his arm back painfully, and he stopped. With the threat of a broken arm, I was able to temporarily subdue Selim. Selim, I growled through gritted teeth. Take the brand. If you dont, youll die. Of course, Selim didnt understand me. He just looked up in my direction and glared angrily. I turned to Melkior and asked, Do you have anything else that could convince him? Normally, I would just kill him. Rebellious Lords are typically more hindrance than help. If you think he should live, Fifth, then Ill put in a little more effort. Melkior knelt down in front of Selim and pressed a single finger to his forehead. I had to stamp down on Selims free hand with my leg to stop him from reaching out toward the elf. After a second, a thoughtful expression crossed Melkiors face, and he withdrew his hand. Melkior looked directly into Selims face and said, There is no true god but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet. The two voices Melkior spoke with converged when he said the words Allah and Muhammad. The phrase didnt mean much to me, but Selim looked like he had just seen a ghost when he heard those words. Fear and confusion were obvious on his face, and his skin turned a shade lighter. It was as if the very foundation of Selims entire worldview was shaken by that one sentence. We both believe in God, Selim. In truth, it is the Coalition of Light who are the enemies of God and humanity. You need not believe me, however, but you must believe your own eyes. Look over there, and you will see the Throne of God surrounded by four of His angels. Melkior gestured for me to release Selim, and I did. Slowly, Selim lifted himself to his knees. He knelt there with his head bowed as if in prayer, and I knew he had been swayed over to the side of the Conquering Horde. A cold chill passed through my body as I realized where the stories of Satan came from. Most Abrahamic religions believed that Satan was the one who convinced Eve to commit the first sin, and I could truly believe that Melkior served as the originator for that belief. Melkior knew exactly what to say to make Selim switch sides. In five sentences, Melkior turned his greatest enemy into his greatest ally. Needless to say, I was glad he was on my side. Chapter 53 - [Melkior] Selim collapsed to the ground, screaming in pain. He must have accepted the [Greater Brand] and was going through the immensely painful process of increasing every stat by 10. Honestly, it looked even more painful from the outside. I looked over to Aiko and smiled awkwardly. She stared at Selims prone form with worry on her face. I was glad that I went first; the anxiety before the drop was always worse than the drop itself. The [Greater Brand] increases all of your stats by 10, I said awkwardly. The only downside is the burn mark. Id have taken the deal even without the threat. Aiko sighed. I have to do it, but Im not looking forward to it. Its just like ripping off a bandaid. Thats a lie, but thank you, Aiko said. She took a deep breath and pressed the button in front of her that was invisible to me. Aiko managed to stay on her feet for three seconds before collapsing to the ground. For the next fifteen seconds, she sobbed and screamed while curled up in the fetal position. The pain of the [Greater Brand] was so great that no one on Earth could possibly remain stoic during the process. At a certain level of pain, the body thought it was dying, and the animalistic part of the brain took over. The moment Aiko stopped screaming in pain, Melkior began speaking once more, completely disinterested in the immense amount of pain and lingering trauma we had just undergone. Excellent. Now that you bear the [Greater Brand], you are forever marked as enemies of the Coalition of Light. More than that, your stats are now so much higher than any other player at a comparable level that they will give you away as a [Dungeon Lord]. You now have no choice but to work with the Conquering Horde. Excuse me, Aiko asked with a raspy voice. Whats a [Dungeon Lord]? Melkior snickered. Thats funny. You and the Twelfth dont know even the basics, yet you bear the [Greater Brand]. Ill explain. Melkior spent the next few minutes explaining the nature of Star Children and [Dungeon Lords] to Aiko and Selim in his typical over-the-top way. I didnt pay much attention to this explanation, but I was aware of Aiko and Selims shocked reactions as they learned the true nature of the parasite that had latched onto their bodies. The [Greater Brand] marks you as the [Lord of a Greater Dungeon]. In addition to the power it grants you, the brand also grants you the right to mark one thousand other players with a [Lesser Brand], which increases every stat by 2. At our current level of power, we can only maintain a limited number of [Lesser Brands]. All this talk of brands made me remember the reading I had done the previous day. In the book of Revelation, brands were mentioned. I snapped my fingers as I realized what Melkior was talking about and said, Right, I know this one. Only 144,000 people can bear the [Lesser Brand]. Melkior grimaced. The Coalition of Light told you about that? They really put effort into the memetic seeding this time. Selim asked something, and the only word he spoke that I understood was, Allah. I was about to get to that, Twelfth. Why does the Creator command that we destroy the Coalition of Light? To answer that question, I have to go back to the creation of the universe. Melkior cleared his throat as he began to tell the story of Creation. When God created the universe, He wanted to make it perfect. By its very nature, however, that was impossible. At the dawn of Creation, He made one inviolable law: Thou shalt not exceed the speed of light. There are times, however, when nature attempts to violate this holy edict. When certain stars explode, they form a point with such mass that anything falling into it would fall faster than the speed of light. This offends God, so he wraps such objects in a shroud of absolute darkness.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Black holes, Aiko breathed. Exactly, Melkior continued. God could accept a handful of these imperfections in His universe, but then something terrible happened. Intelligent animals, our biological ancestors, began to violate Gods one edict. They created black holes and used them to travel across Gods universe. In response to these intolerable sins, God created the Archons and ordered them to stop the intelligent animals from violating His edict. In turn, the Archons created the monsters to destroy the Coalition of Light. Archons. That was the word Melkior used to describe the entities that sent the Star Children to Earth. Epsilon called them the Elders and Hellman called them the Elder Gods. I suspected that Hellmans refusal to call them Archons was a strategy to downplay the connection they had to God. Hold on, Aiko said. What about the Revelation System? Who created that? One of our ancestors - the Administrator - found a way to interact directly with Gods creation by taking a sliver of the Archons power and warping it into something that could be used by his tribe, the Naskals. Even I rely on the Revelation System to empower myself. Does the Coalition of Light know this? Aiko asked. Of course, Melkior said lazily. Anyone who reaches 30 [Reason] and 30 [Memory] will realize this independently of my explanation. Right, Fifth? Yes, I said quietly. This [Truth] was written on the tapestry of the universe; it was just hidden behind the opaque barrier created by the limitations of the human mind. With my mind expanded far beyond human limitations, it all seemed so obvious to me. Why dont they work with you, then? It sounds like youd leave them alone if they just stopped making black holes, Aiko said. Its the sin of pride, I suppose, Melkior said sadly. They would have to give up much of their power if we were to ever reach a peaceful compromise. Diplomacy is impossible, of course. This war has been ongoing for hundreds of thousands of years. It will only end when theyre dead or were dead. I sensed that Melkior was about to end the conversation, so I had to ask him one more question. What about you? Who are you in all of this? Why did the Coalition of Light put so much effort into warning us about you? Me? Melkior asked with a smile. Im just an old Naskal who discovered the [Truth] and found the denial of Gods will intolerable. When the Archons came during the second iteration, and the Naskals fled their new planet, I stayed behind and pledged my eternal loyalty to them. Since then, billions of others have followed my lead and betrayed the Coalition of Light. A notification appeared in front of me. [NEW FRIEND REQUEST: MELKIOR] Accept that, Melkior said, gesturing toward us. I accepted the [Friend Request], and Melkior nodded in acceptance a moment later. Good. If I need anything else, Ill be in touch. Melkior: Sorcerer, Lvl. 25
Elstine Priestess, Lvl. 6
Hellman Champion, Lvl. 25
Melkior Sorcerer, Lvl. 25
Pat Miller Knight, Lvl. 4
Pixie Chix Thief, Lvl. 5
Slader Knight, Lvl. 6
Melkior snapped his fingers once, and three portals appeared behind us. Are you sure? Aiko asked, obviously confused. Dont you need us to do anything? Not yet. Were at our weakest right now. It will take another week before the other Star Children fully integrate their hosts. Ill recommend a course of action in a week, but were equals, ultimately. If you have a plan that you think will help the Conquering Horde, you have the authority to carry it out. Melkior gestured for us to leave, and we walked toward the portals. I caught Aikos eye and was about to say something, but I ultimately decided against it. As long as Melkior was there, I didnt feel comfortable speaking my true thoughts out loud. I was sure there would be an opportunity to speak later. I walked through the portal and found myself in the forest surrounding Fort Bragg. In an instant, I left that Biblical scene and reappeared in the world of the living. The only thing I was certain of was that I would never be completely the same. Chapter 54 - [Lord Octavian] I stood by the thick tree I had slept beneath the night before and stared at my hands. My sight was far stronger than it had been yesterday, and my mind was buzzing with myriad profound truths to which no other human was privy. I was the only Human on Earth who had learned the [Truth], and an unfortunate obligation had fallen on my shoulders. My mind frequently returned to that brief passage in Revelation that mentioned the first ten days of tribulation. If I could just prophesize and categorize the trials that humanity would face over the next few days, I could potentially save many human lives. Based on my half-assed reading of Revelation, I could predict the events of those initial tribulations with a certain amount of accuracy, but I couldnt be 100% sure of my predictions. I would need to read all major religious texts and the complete works of Tolkien to formulate a completely accurate prediction of what would happen. My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of equalizing air pressure. I turned and saw another portal appear beside me. When I looked, I saw a woman with white hair and red irises step through the portal and enter the forest. On the other side of the portal, I could see the smiling face of the man that most cultures throughout the world viewed as the most evil creature in existence. As the portal slid closed behind the white-haired woman, Melkior cast a glance toward me that conveyed both malice and hopefulness. The message was clear. He had high expectations for me, and there would be consequences if I disappointed him. The portal slid closed, and I was left alone with the woman. She wore a long brown dress that wouldnt be out of place in any time period, though the modest dress was insufficient to conceal the figure underneath. Everything about the woman projected an image of a thin veneer of modesty over an enticing substance. I immediately clocked her as a creature similar to the Succubus from Dungeon King. Immediately upon seeing me, the woman fell to one knee and began speaking in the language of the Archons. Greetings, my Lord. I have waited my entire life to serve you. If there is anything I can do I cut her off with an arrogant tone that I found was much easier to project now compared to when I spoke to the Bull. Yes, there is much that you can do for me. First, tell me your name. My people typically do not have names, but Lord Melkior called me Sitri a moment ago. That works for me, I said, shrugging. Melkior took a name from the Lesser Key of Solomon, of course. How cliche. Do you know what will happen in the first ten days of this iteration? If so, what will happen next? Yes, sir. Today, 24 [Greater Dungeons] and 144,000 [Lesser Dungeons] will appear. Tomorrow, large asteroids will fall from the sky, and one third of this planets surface will be destroyed. As Sitri spoke, the enthusiasm in her voice was palpable. She spoke of an event that would inevitably kill millions of Humans with unconcealed joy.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Thats what I figured, I said with a sigh. I think I can extrapolate the rest from there. The dust from the asteroids will blot out the sun, then the Earth will crack, and monsters will be released from the Earth. On the sixth day, locusts will cover the planet. On the seventh, the Cherubim will release twenty million angelic horsemen to attack the Humans. At the end, a woman clothed in the sun and moon will give birth to a dragon, which will then surrender its crown to a many-headed beast. Youre so wise, my Lord, the kneeling woman said with reverence. The [Raid Bosses] will appear ten days after System Integration. Though powerful, the [Raid Bosses] are not allied to the [Fifth Great Dungeon]. That brings me to my point. What are your orders, my Lord? I paused for a moment, considering the best course of action. We will attempt diplomacy with the Humans. If we can unite the remnants of mankind, our chances to defeat the Coalition of Light will increase. With that in mind, here are my orders. Sitri, I hereby put you in command of the [Fifth Greater Dungeon]. Any Human who enters our domain is under my protection, and you will not harm them unless they attack the dungeon directly. If an agent of the Coalition of Light enters our domain, either capture them or force them to leave. Try not to kill them, if possible. Beyond that, I leave all other decisions to your discretion. Just keep in mind that our goal is to ally with Humans and remain neutral with the Coalition of Light for now. Thank you, my Lord, Sitri said with immense excitement on her face. I was slightly worried that she had only heard my statement regarding her promotion. If I may be so bold, I must ask you one question. Why wont you be able to command the [Fifth Greater Dungeon] yourself? I will travel to the [Town] to the west of here. I dont want to become unnecessarily reliant on the [Greater Dungeon]. Once Ive reached level 25 and gained some powerful allies, Ill return and ascend the throne once more. It was only after the words left my mouth that I realized many of my words were coming from Epsilon and not myself. Taking direct command of the [Fifth Greater Dungeon] seemed like a great idea to me, but I was also sure that the feeling was at least partially due to Epsilons influence. I was afraid that, if I didnt resist Epsilons influence, it would pull me along until I could no longer think for myself. Yes, my Lord, Sitri stood, and her knees were caked with mud. I feel so intolerably rude. I dont even know what to call you. Please tell me so that we may shout your name from the rooftops and all may learn of your glory. Obviously, I couldnt have her call me Vincent Blackwell or Vinzadir. If the Coalition of Light knew my name, they would kill me. I considered a few fake names before settling on one. I chose the name in memory of my friend John Sullivan. Every time someone used that name, I would be reminded of my hatred for the Coalition of Light. Call me Octavian. Chapter 55 - [Act Normal] Sitri disappeared into the forest to the north. Just as I was wondering how she would make the sixty-two mile trip back to Chapel Hill, I saw a white swan ascend into the sky from the direction in which Sitri disappeared. Traveling as a bird must have been convenient, I thought. I turned back toward the campsite where thousands of refugees were hiding. As I walked, I reversed my torn undershirt in order to block the brand on my chest from view. It would be embarrassing if the Coalition of Light learned of the [Greater Brand] on my chest so soon after I received it. Once I returned to the campsite, it was abuzz with activity. People spoke with hushed whispers, and the fear in some of their eyes was much worse than it was the previous night. Their renewed fear confused me, since nothing new should have happened yet. It must have been about nine or ten A.M., so the dungeons wouldnt appear for another hour. Whos there!? Someone closer to the campsite had spotted my approach. I looked toward the source of the sound, and I saw Claire Fischer brandishing one of the laser pistols I made the previous day in my direction. Vincent Blackwell, I called back, shielding my eyes from the bright morning sun hanging over Claires shoulder. She lowered the pistol and let out a sigh of relief. I continued walking up the hill until I was next to Claire. I looked her in the eyes and saw more than I cared to see. In an instant, small details scattered across Claires person linked together like DNA strands, and I learned things about her that I didnt want to know. I knew that she tried to avoid her family whenever possible, but she couldnt describe why. I knew that she had problems with her self-image due to her strict upbringing. Blinking, I returned to reality. Where were you, Vincent? Claire asked. The top button of her shirt had been torn off, and she had pulled the shirt high and to the right in order to compensate. Seeing that, I realized something significant, but I decided not to remark on it. I took a deep breath and mentally reminded myself to act normal. Before I had received the [Greater Brand], I had difficulty acting like a normal person. With my [Reason] and [Memory] stats at 30, I was significantly smarter than any human had previously been. If I spoke without thinking, I would definitely sound like some kind of inhuman automaton. Claire, I said with a smile. Its good to see you. I just had a productive discussion with my friends in the Conquering Horde. We walked side by side toward the RV, and Claire stared at me suspiciously. Carlos told me you went to speak with them. You look like youve been in a fight. Are you okay?This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Im fine. I could tell that Claire was more worried about me mentally than physically. That was fair, I thought, since I had given her much to worry about the day before. As we walked, I could sense a subtle tension in Claires demeanor. I had to say something to alleviate that tension somewhat. Im sorry about your shirt, by the way. You look good in it. If you want, Im sure I can sew the button back on. Claire blinked several times, and I saw her face start to turn red as she looked away from me. No- no thank you. Ill sew the button back on when we get back on the road. In a strange way, I was starting to understand Melkiors perspective. For every person on Earth, there were a few sentences that could shake them to the foundation. With just a little push, I could get most people to go where I wanted. In Claires case, I knew that I could push her in the direction of greater self-confidence. We returned to the RV, and the two remaining members of my team were standing by the burned-out bonfire that laid inert a dozen feet from the large vehicle. I looked at Carlos and Liz, and I saw hidden secrets that unsettled me. I could see Carloss deep fear of rejection and Lizs fear of intimacy. As I cleared my throat and waved to them, I tried not to think about the concealed hatred Liz felt toward Professor Carlyle. The layer immediately beneath the outward persona was laid bare to me, and that layer was ugly. Hey, Vincent! Carlos shouted when he spotted me. How did it go? It went much better than expected. I met Satan, and I think Im the smartest Human on the planet now. Carlos laughed loudly and said, Is that right? Come on, you should explain it to us. Of course, but first Id like to confirm something. A few minutes ago, Claire and some other people at the camp were marked on the chest with a brand, right? The brand looks something like this? At the end of my sentence, I pulled down my shirt, revealing the [Greater Brand]. Yeah, Carlos said. The other brands didnt have wings, though. The image on the [Greater Brand] resembled a flying snake with wings sprouting out of its body. About one in fifty people got the brand. If you want to compare it to yours, I think Enoch was marked with one. Claire was also marked with the [Lesser Brand], but I wasnt about to ask her to show her chest to everyone. Good, I said with a smile. I wanted to speak to him anyway. We walked over to the campsite of Enochs group, and he waved to us in response. Carlos spoke first, saying, Hey, Enoch! Can you show us your chest? You could at least buy me dinner, first, Enoch shot back quickly, meriting a hearty laugh from Carlos. Enoch pulled his shirt down, revealing a brand in the shape of a snake eating its own tail. I woke up to a terrible pain throughout my whole body. When it was over, all of my stats had gone up by 2 and I had been branded. So, you know, there are pros and cons. Thats funny, I said with an insincere smile creasing my face. You should come with us to the [Town] west of here, since apocalyptic asteroids will strike the Earth tomorrow, cracking the planets surface and causing a swarm of locusts to emerge from the cracks. Chapter 56 - [Quantum Mechanics] The rest of my morning was spent reiterating the information that I had gleaned regarding our situation. I presented an incomplete image of our situation to Enoch, and I explained everything to the other three members of my group. I told Enoch of the trials humanity would face over the next nine days, and I told him that the leader of the nearby [Greater Dungeon] was a Human named Lord Octavian. Naturally, Enoch asked me how I knew this, and I told him a shapeshifting woman I met in the forest told me everything. As I changed into a new suit in the RV, I told the other members of my group of Melkior and the scene straight out of the Book of Revelation. I tried to explain my experience gleaning the [Truth] to them, but I was unable to give an explanation with which I was happy. I spent most of that conversation restating information previously described in this record, so I omitted most of it. There was one portion of the conversation of significance, so it will be included here. Near the end of my description of my meeting with Melkior and the other Dungeon Lords, Claire spoke up. With uncertainty in her eyes, she asked, What did you learn when you saw the [Truth]? I sat forward in my seat and spoke with a serious tone. To start, I was able to realize the truth behind the two contradictions we spoke of yesterday. Namely, the mystery of our MDC bodies and the nature of laser weapons. Though our durability has increased by a factor of one hundred, our weight hasnt increased significantly. This is due to the nature of the [Draconic Integration]. We were changed on a subatomic level. You see, most objects with mass are made of the first-generation fermions: up quarks, down quarks, and electrons. [Draconic Integration] changed that. We are now made of the second-generation fermions: charm quarks, strange quarks, and muons. Our weight didnt increase because our atoms are still the same size. The only difference is that the bonds between the atoms are much stronger now. Hold on, Carlos interjected. What about the weak force? If we were really made of muons, we would have exploded immediately due to radioactive decay. Not if every subatomic particle was switched simultaneously. The weak force only operates at a subatomic distance, and atoms are mostly empty space. A stable second-generation atom could be suspended in a fluid made of first-generation atoms without ever getting close enough to interact. Liz threw her hands up in annoyance. Glaring angrily at Carlos and me, she said, Can you explain it in a way that makes sense to someone without a quantum mechanics fixation? Uh, right, I said, scratching the back of my head. We should be fine as long as our atoms dont get too hot, and we wont be able to integrate first-generation material into our second-generation bodies.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. What about the other thing? Liz asked. You said you figured out how the laser weapons worked. Can you explain that without giving a lecture on quantum mechanics? Kind of, I said. The nature of laser weapons was fundamentally tied to quantum mechanics. I paused for a moment to think of a way to explain without referencing the Higgs field. Laser weapons actually do shoot light. You see, a device within the laser weapons imbues the light with mass, causing it to become much slower. When the mass-bearing light reaches its target, that mass is converted into energy, creating an explosion. These guys can imbue light with mass? That should definitely be impossible. Carlos craned his neck up to look at the ceiling of the RV and sighed. Im more concerned about the change in our bodies, Claire said. We can only eat MDC material. Where are we supposed to find MDC food? Well have to eat the Diluvians or Uruks, I said with a shrug. The others responded with looks of disgust, and I continued with my explanation. After that point, it didnt take much longer for me to catch them up to speed. I wondered if, in the future, I should keep a handwritten notebook to transfer this packet of information when necessary. Id prefer not to explain everything every time I met a new person. I had one more meeting with Lieutenant Miller, and I basically told him everything I told Enoch. The conversation went smoothly, though he did ask me if I worked for an intelligence agency or some other organization tasked with aggregating information. In my line of work, when a guy dressed in a suit walks into a military base with way more information than he should have, hes usually with the CIA, Lieutenant Miller said during our conversation. Some time after I laughed off this veiled accusation, Lieutenant Miller left me alone in a waiting room. I used this as an opportunity to leave the building and make my way back to my campsite. If I had stayed for much longer and met with General Ramirez, I probably wouldnt have found another opportunity to leave for a few more hours. Once I returned to the campsite, many of the refugees around Fort Bragg were unsettled once more. The information I had shared with the others had begun to circulate, since I told Enoch to tell others about the impending meteor strike. While I was gone, the others decided on a course of action that would allow as many people as possible to reach the [Town] north of Charlotte. My group would go first, and then a large caravan of refugees protected by Enochs group would travel ten miles behind us. The plan would, naturally, put my group in the most danger, but none of us had any problem with danger. It would give us ample opportunity to gain EXP. As I pulled the RV out of Fort Bragg and onto the road to the west, I felt Epsilon squirm and resist. It was after noon by that time, and my [Greater Dungeon] had already appeared. Epsilon did not appreciate that we were traveling in the opposite direction. I ignored the Star Childs wordless complaint, and we were soon on the road once more. Chapter 57 - [Car Battery & Road Map] Im hungry! Carlos complained loudly from the passengers seat. He held an opened map of North Carolina in his lap, and Liz was sitting next to him in the drivers seat. I was sitting on the ground, fiddling with my empty laser rifle and a car battery. The laser rifle was essentially a high-tech laser pointer, so I wanted to see if conventional power sources could be used to power it. I had connected two wires from the car battery to my rifle, and the quiet humming from the upper portion of the gun informed me that it was ready to fire. Well be able to eat after we run into some enemies on the road, I said. We had been driving for nearly an hour at that point without running into any hostile creatures, and we were all anxiously waiting for the first batch of Diluvians and Uruks to attack us. Sitting on the couch in the center of the RV, Claire pet Luigis golden fur and watched me work on the rifle curiously. The work I was doing on the rifle was shoddy, since the only tool at my disposal was a utility knife, yet I was able to form a rudimentary circuit. After a moment, Claire said, When we run into them, I can dice and sear the meat like steak. Add some garlic butter, and Im sure it will taste delicious. Claire was obviously hungry, and I didnt blame her. Functionally, none of us had eaten since yesterday, and it was starting to weigh on all of our minds. Though my mind resisted the thought of eating something so human-looking, I had to admit that seared steak sounded good to me. I would kill for that right now, Carlos said. Since he had taken the Knight class, Carlos had gone the longest without eating. Im sure youll have the chance to kill for that soon, Liz said. To get our minds off of food for a second, Carlos said, lets talk about something else. Vincent, I gotta ask, how much do you trust this Melkior guy? Hes supposed to be the Devil, right? Hes often called the Father of Lies. Maybe everything he said is a lie. Maybe, I said, shrugging. I dont trust him in the slightest, but I need to put up with him for now. If I were to resist him too strenuously, he would kill me. What about the Coalition of Light? Claire asked. Our stance on the Coalition of Light should be determined by their actions thus far, I said, anger starting to enter my voice. All Ive seen them do so far is flood most of our cities while giving us the most half-assed warning possible. Remember, Hellman was only there to hunt me down. The Coalition of Light didnt send him to warn us about anything, that was just a side effect of his presence in Chapel Hill. They dont care about us in the slightest. Ultimately, Im on humanitys side. If the Coalition of Light becomes too much of an obstacle, they will become our enemy.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Claire began to speak, her tone thoughtful. You said this was the thirty-third iteration. Right, Vincent? That means they must have trampled over thirty other civilizations in a similar way to ours. Like the Nephilim or the tribe with white hair and red eyes before them, humanity was being trampled upon by their supposed allies, and we would be expected to join them without thinking. I was silently grateful for my status as a [Dungeon Lord], since it meant that I might be able to offer an alternative to the Coalition of Lights monopoly on functional alternatives to the Conquering Horde. Liz hit the brakes, and I lurched forward from my unsecured seat on the floor. She unclipped her seatbelt and shouted, Enemies! Food! Carlos responded as he bolted out of his seat and unsheathed his sword. I followed closely behind him, lugging my makeshift laser weapon with me. After taking a few steps away from the RV, I put the car battery down on the ground and leveled my rifle at the approaching enemies. Six Diluvians charged toward us from the right side of the highway. Methodically, I swept my rifle from left to right, putting two shots in the center of the charging creatures. As the fourth Diluvian fell to the ground dead, I heard a loud pop from the car battery, and the humming in my rifle stopped. I pulled the trigger again, aiming for the fifth Diluvian, but nothing happened. I had drawn too much power from the car battery all at once, causing a fuse to pop. Realizing that my rifle had become inoperable, I swore loudly and dropped it to the ground. By the time I had drawn my sidearm and aimed it at the remaining Diluvians, they had already been killed by the other members of my party. There was silence for a moment, and Carlos rhythmically tapped his sword on the concrete beneath us. We didnt have to wait long, however, and a group of a dozen Uruks emerged from the treeline off the side of the road and charged us, screaming in the language of the Archons. Drive them off! Protect the portal! One of the Uruks shouted a strange war cry in that guttural, ancient language. We responded with a flurry of laser fire, and more than half of them were killed messily before they could reach us. As they got close, Carloss smile grew wider, and Claire gripped her sword nervously. I stepped in front of Liz, brandishing my knife in an attempt to draw more attention toward myself. I was successful, and two Uruks engaged me in melee. Remembering my last fight with Uruks, I was astounded by how slow they were. The first one swung a large two-handed great axe at me, and I had time to admire its surprisingly good craftsmanship before I stepped to the side, causing it to crash harmlessly into the road. I stepped into the great-axe-wielding Uruks range, and my knife found its target. As the first Uruk grasped its bleeding throat, I moved toward the second Uruk like a striking viper. A mithril mace flew at my head, and I ducked the attack easily. I found a gap in the Uruks shoddy armor, and my knife pierced its shoulder. Just as I was about to withdraw my knife and strike again, the Uruk jerked in pain as if struck before falling to the ground dead. The second Uruk fell away, and Claire entered my vision. She withdrew her piercing blade as the monster fell, and I could see the satisfaction Claire felt when she witnessed her own skill. In my peripheral vision, I saw Carlos swiftly finish off the last of three Uruks. He flourished his blade like a striking whip, and the final monsters head was severed cleanly from its body. [DILUVIANS (6) KILLED! +90 EXP, +90 CREDITS] [URUKS (12) KILLED! +360, +360 CREDITS] [LEVEL UP!] [EXP TO NEXT LEVEL: 4,765] [TOTAL CREDITS: 6,305?] New Map of North Carolina This map contains the NC coastline before and after the sea level rises by several hundred feet. The group''s route can be traced numerically. First, they traveled south, and they are presently traveling west. The new coastline goes up to Fayetteville, and it remains about a hundred miles to the east of Chapel Hill. Most of that new peninsula to the east of Fayetteville would fall within the domain of the [Fifth Greater Dungeon], and it might serve as a place where fishing and maritime trade can occur. It is presently unknown how navigable those waters will be when the flooding ends, since variations in elevation may create rocky shoals or dangerous sandbars.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Chapter 58 - [Limited Transmutation] [YOU HAVE INCREASED YOUR POWER AND PERCEPTION BY 1] [NEW SKILL ACQUIRED: LIMITED TRANSMUTATION] Limited Transmutation: When you touch an SDC object and spend a spell slot, you can change its physical or molecular structure. This skill cannot be used to change anything on the atomic level, and it cannot be used on any element with an atomic number higher than 86. With a 1st level spell slot, this skill can affect a cubic area measuring 6.56 feet on each side. [NEW SPELL UNLOCKED: DISGUISE] Disguise: With this spell, you can create an illusion that makes you look like someone else of comparable size. The illusion is purely visual, and your voice will not change. This spell will last for one hour or until you drop concentration. Character Sheet Name: Vinzadir Class: Eldritch Alchemist Level: 7 MDC: 20+91/91 Body: 24 Fortitude: 26 Power: 24 Speed: 24 Mind: 30 Reason: 30 Perception: 30 Memory: 30
Name Vinzadir
Class Eldritch Alchemist
Level 7
MDC 20+91/91
Body 24
Mind 30
With my enhanced speed and significant experience, I was able to perform all the decisions connected to my level up in a few seconds. One change in my Character Sheet caught my eye, and I had to ask the System a question. Does [Limited Transmutation] work on all living things as long as theyre made of SDC material? [AFFIRMATIVE] Considering that I had eight 1st level spell slots at my level and it took several hours for those spell slots to come back, I was somewhat limited in how many of my skills I could use. All of my combat skills utilized spell slots, so I would have to save those resources for enemies stronger than Uruks or Diluvians. Two more Diluvians stepped out of the treeline, and I took them out with four perfectly-placed lances of light. Less than thirty seconds later, another Diluvian appeared, and it quickly met its end. These low-level monsters continued to trickle toward us at a manageable but consistent rate.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. [DILUVIANS (5) KILLED! +75 EXP, +75 CREDITS] [EXP TO NEXT LEVEL: 4,690] [TOTAL CREDITS: 6,380?] I dont think theyre gonna stop coming, Carlos said after we rendered the fifth Diluvian into a crumpled corpse. We need to push forward to find where theyre coming from, I said, lifting the Uruks great axe and leaning it against my shoulder. For such a huge weapon, the great axe was surprisingly light. If we didnt do something to stop the slow trickle of monsters, the civilian transport behind us would have to fight them. Though I was sure Enochs group could handle a few Diluvians, I was worried that a stray attack could hit one of the civilians vehicles and kill everyone inside. My experience at Chapel Hill made me painfully aware of the danger that SDC Humans were in during an MDC fight. We moved forward, following the trail of angry bipedal bat creatures to their source. Save your ammunition. Carlos and I can deal with these guys in melee easily enough. As I spoke, I thought of our dwindling ammunition reserves. I made a total of 44 battery packs for our laser pistols, and we had already gone through more than half of them. Since we had no way of recharging the battery packs at present, we would have to save them whenever possible. I slapped another battery pack into my laser pistol and paused for a moment to take stock of how much ammunition was left over. Two battery packs remained in my pockets, and sixteen battery packs were held in my [Inventory]. Carlos took point, and he swiftly dispatched any Diluvian that dared to approach us. He eviscerated and maimed the attacking monsters with bored efficiency. After the sixth Diluvian, Carlos fell into a rhythm where he would cut the Diluvians leg before slashing its throat while it collapsed to the ground. [DILUVIANS (10) KILLED! +150 EXP, +150 CREDITS] We must have walked for about a mile before we ran into the Diluvians spawn point. There, in the middle of a large clearing in the forest, was a shimmering two-dimensional portal. When I looked through the portal, I had some difficulty believing what I saw. On the other side was a tropical beach with bright white sand and clear blue water. Something in the back of my mind told me that this was a [Lesser Dungeon]. The primary difference between the two types of dungeons was that [Greater Dungeons] existed entirely on Earth, whereas [Lesser Dungeons] had to be accessed through portals. Its a [Lesser Dungeon], I said as we all gathered around the glittering threshold. There are supposed to be 144,000 of these? Carlos asked rhetorically. Its no wonder we ended up bumping into one. A Diluvian came into view on the other side of the portal, and I fired my pistol at its midsection. The lance of mass-bearing light struck the portal and dissipated as if striking an invisible force field. The Diluvian stepped through the portal a moment later, and Carlos swiftly dispatched it. Whats the move, here? Liz asked, peering into the portal without stepping inside. Well, I said, flexing my fingers, Im feeling confident. I just gained a new ability, and Im really excited to try it out. Yeah? Carlos looked at me out of the corner of his eye. Whats that? By mixing two of my skills, [Bypass Limitation] and [Limited Transmutation], I think Ill be able to destroy anything I touch at the molecular level. Bypass Limitation: Once per day, you can bypass one limitation on one skill for up to one minute.
Bypass Limitation Once per day, you can bypass one limitation on one skill for one minute.
All I had to do was bypass the SDC limitation on [Limited Transmutation], and I would be able to use it on our enemies. Internally, I decided to call this method of utilizing my skills [Touch of Death]. More EXP? Sign me up, Carlos said, smiling. Okay, Claire said quietly. As long as were out before the civilian caravan is out, its fine with me, Liz said. After sending a message to Enoch, informing him that we were entering a dungeon, the four of us stepped through the portal and into our first [Lesser Dungeon]. Coalition of Light Report: 33EH572 (Claire Fischer) MEMORANDUM TO: Coalition of Light High Command FROM: Azariah, Warden of the Fifth Town RE: Pixie Chix, a.k.a Claire Fischer and Her Connection with Lord Octavian Introduction This is the third report on those closest to Lord Octavian. Unlike Carlos Vega and Elizabeth Carlyle, however, Claire Fischer has very little connection with the other members of Octavian''s inner circle before System Integration. Claire Fischer was a student at the University of North Carolina before our arrival, yes, but she never met Carlos Vega or Elizabeth Carlyle before then. It is my opinion that, during the turmoil immediately following System Integration, Claire Fischer made contact with Lord Octavian and fell under his influence. This suspicion is supported by the video provided by Hellman upon his return to Genesis.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. Brief Biography Claire Fischer was born in Mecklenburg, North Carolina in 2004 to a middle-class family. She received two citations for speeding in 2022, and her medical records suggest that she is psychologically unstable. As we frequently see among those who fall under the influence of the Conquering Horde, Claire Fischer has a pathological need to resist authority. In 2020, she plead guilty to misdemeanor shoplifting. This charge was officially removed from her record, but we had little trouble digging it up. Suggestion Now that we have a baseline understanding of Lord Octavian''s inner circle, I have a guess as to his identity. When Hellman landed in Chapel Hill, his chest camera managed to record Carlos Vega, Elizabeth Carlyle, and Claire Fischer. There were two other men present in that room: Vincent Blackwell and Simon Torricelli. It is my belief that one of those men is Lord Octavian. We have no lead on Simon Torricelli''s present location, but we have plenty of information regarding Vincent Blackwell a.k.a. Vinzadir. It is my suggestion as [Warden of the Fifth Town] to launch an investigation into Vincent Blackwell and, if we find any evidence tying him to Lord Octavian, have him quietly assassinated while he stays in the [Fifth Town]. Chapter 59 - [Permanent Portal] The temperature suddenly became much warmer, and my footing became much less stable as the dirt beneath my feet was replaced with loose sand. Within seconds a group of five Uruks was upon us, and I was able to test out my new great axe. I buried my axe into the first Uruks chest, killing it instantly. The second Uruk swung a mace at my head, and I ducked out of the way. I yanked my axe out of the first Uruk and used it to violently kill the second one. Looking down at my work, I had to appreciate the brutal efficiency of the great axe. It was a slow weapon, and it was tough to maneuver in combat, but it killed the Uruks in a single hit. [URUKS (5) KILLED! +150 EXP, +150 CREDITS] Working on a hunch, I drew my laser pistol and fired it straight into the air. The red lance flew upward for several hundred feet before it struck and dissipated against some invisible forcefield. A moment later, I swiftly fired four shots in the four cardinal directions. Based on the collision patterns of the lances, I could tell that this [Lesser Dungeon] was bound within a square that was about six hundred feet on each side. Huh, Claire said thoughtfully. Its like the bounded area of a video game. This place is smaller than it looks, Liz said. Where are all the monsters coming from? This beach isnt big enough to hold all of them. We moved forward, killing waves of low-level Uruks and Diluvians as we walked. Eventually, we found a stone disc hidden behind a sand dune. Inscribed on the disc was a circular geometric pattern that flashed white every few seconds, causing a large two-dimensional portal to appear above it. Every time a new portal appeared, several new low-level monsters stepped through. With every new instance of the portal, it opened up to a new room that was filled with weak monsters. Surrounding the portal, there stood four inert stone statues. They were sculpted to look like large, ten-foot-tall men wielding oversized stone swords. The markings on the stone statues were similar to the ones on the disc, and there was a regularity to the markings that suggested a deliberate intent within those interlocking lines and circles. Behind the stone disc, we could see a small forest of palm trees and healthy green grass. With my high [Perception], I could see that many of the trees bore brightly-colored fruit that closely resembled cantaloupes or pears. The sight of the fruit made my mouth water, but I shook my head and refocused on the issue at hand. The four of us peaked out from behind a sand dune as the portal periodically shifted open and allowed new enemies to enter the [Lesser Dungeon]. We found the spawn point, Carlos whispered. One way or another, we need to destroy that portal, I said.Stolen novel; please report. As soon as we get close, those statues are going to attack us, Liz said, pointing toward the stone statues. Couldnt we just destroy the portal we already went through? No, thats impossible, I said, though I couldnt be sure where that information came from. Thats a [Permanent Portal]. The Earth could be completely destroyed, and it would remain undamaged. The only way to remove that portal is to find the [Dungeon Core] and bring it back to Earth. Epsilons pretty useful, isnt he? Carlos said, smirking. The knowledge comes in bursts, I said. Either way, we need to fight those statues. Come on. We moved forward until we were about thirty feet away from the stone circle. The stone statues did not move, even when we came that close to the portal-spawning circle. The low-level monsters kept attacking us, but Carlos was able to dispatch them with minimal effort. [URUKS (16) KILLED! +480 EXP, +480 CREDITS] [DILUVIANS (23) KILLED! +345 EXP, +345 CREDITS] [EXP TO NEXT LEVEL: 3,565] [TOTAL CREDITS: 7,505?] I began firing at one of the stone statues, and small bright spots of heated rock appeared where the lances made contact. The statues material was clearly second-generation, and the weak attacks from our laser pistols had little effect. I was suddenly uncomfortably reminded of our recent fight with the Bull of Heaven. The stone statues began to move, and all four of them turned toward us in unison. The others attacked the statues with a fusillade of laser fire, but they seemed utterly unbothered by the attacks. [NEW ENEMY DISCOVERED: STONE GOLEM] Our laser pistols were essentially useless against these higher-order enemies, so I drew my Esotech pistol from its holster and aimed it at one of them. I fell to one knee in order to stabilize my shot, and, once I was confident my sights were level directly at a golems head, I pulled the trigger. I slid back in the sand, but I was still able to remain upright as the recoil pushed me backward. When the bright beam of white light dissipated, I saw the mangled form of that golem continue to lumber toward me. Half of its head was missing, and its arm had fallen into the sand, but it continued forward. These stone golems were far stronger than the Uruks or Diluvians. If an Elder Sign round wasnt enough to take one of them out, then I didnt have enough bullets to kill all of them. Carlos grimaced as he returned his laser pistol to its holster. With a forced smile on his face, he said, Hey, Vincent. Do you think your new skill will be enough to handle these guys? After quickly reloading my Esotech pistol, I held it and the remaining three Elder Sign rounds out toward Claire. Take these. If you see an opening where you can hit the golems without hitting Carlos or me, take it. O-okay, Claire said, nervously eyeing the four approaching golems. For the second time, Carlos and I began walking forward, heading toward a fight that was far beyond our level. I cast my great axe aside and put my body into a boxing stance with my fingers splayed outward. Against the Bull of Heaven, I was not confident in our chances of victory. This time, however, I was excited for the fight.