Apocalypse Hero: A Dark Fantasy Gamelit (The Adventures of Dan Book 1)

by Andrew O'Kelley

Notification: Offering Accepted.

  Mimicus Amazonius greatly enjoyed the offering of “Lavender Luscious.”

  +55 to Esteem points.

  Current progress: 90/100.

  Threshold achieved: 50 Esteem.

  This monster is no longer hostile towards you but will still attack and kill you should you touch it.

  Threshold achieved: 90 Esteem.

  This monster will now defend you and attack hostile monsters in the immediate area.

  Next threshold unlocked at 100 Esteem.

  You require 10 more Esteem points before the monster will allow you to try to offer it your blood to tame it.

  That was great and all, but it would still be hours before I was finally able to get loose from the webbing. On the plus side, the mimic had no problem, now that I’d reached that 90 Esteem threshold, of going through my house and killing all the spiders and tearing down their webs. It was better this way; I really hadn’t wanted to set it on fire and thought it was mostly inevitable.

  It was a miserable and boring wait, but I figured at the least it was progress. When I finally came loose, I approached the mimic respectfully, almost reverently, “Hey, thanks for the save, man.” It felt kind of silly, but I didn’t know what else to give it besides some gratitude. I curled up my fist and give the monster a friendly little fist bump. Pain shot through my hand as I felt those needle-like teeth again, followed by some of the worst agony I’d ever known. You stupid fuck. Why don’t you ever think before pulling some jackass maneuver?

  Notification: Offering Accepted.

  Mimicus Amazonius greatly enjoyed “Self, Blood-Sacrifice.”

  +10 to Esteem points.

  Current progress: 100/100.

  All Thresholds Unlocked.

  You have reached 100 Esteem.

  As this is a Blood-Sacrifice, the terms and options of the tamer bond will be made available upon respawning. Further options can be unlocked and purchased at the terminal.

  Chapter 16: The Little Corporal

  Would you believe me if I told you I woke up screaming? That I panicked when I felt a weight on my chest as soon as I respawned in my room? That the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was the mimic that had, for the second time in less than an hour, been responsible for my death? Well… relatively speaking, you could argue my ineptitude was what was responsible for my deaths, but at that point, that was just semantics.

  “Get off me,” I yelled when I realized the monster I was supposed to have tamed was laid out on my chest staring at me. I grabbed at the corner of my sheets and used the bedding to fling the mimic to the floor. It was important to be careful; I didn’t want to accidentally touch it, not again. I wasn’t sure if the result would be the same, but I had no intention of testing to check. Before the mimic hit the ground, I saw its body shift as those creepy little arms shot out, allowing the monster to catch itself and set itself gently down on the floor, though it did raise its lid and growl at me. Thankfully, that was the extent of it.

  Notification: You have tamed a monster (Mimic).

  The Mimic, subtype Amazonius, is a recent addition to the Mimic family, created exclusively by the system in response to an absence of treasure seeking in modern society. As you have tamed this monster, you can no longer be harmed by it. To give the Mimic orders, simply give them verbally.

  Warning: Complex instructions may have unintended consequences.

  As the master of a monster, you must give it a name. Upon exit from the notification window, place your hand upon the monster and say the name you wish to bestow upon it.

  Additionally, as the master of a mimic you may choose from a few options you have currently unlocked.

  Note: Tamed mimics do not follow their tamers and must instead be assigned to an area.

  ***Option I - Current - Mimicus Amazonius, the mimic retains the form of a boxed package, allowing for decent urban camouflage, and an effective trap. The Mimicus Amazonius may adopt any adornments and décor they have consumed.

  ***Option II - Man’s Best Friend, the mimic gains the more mobile form of a stuffed toy dog. This form is capable of active attack and will patrol the interior of the area to which it is assigned when not in its dormant toy state.

  ***Option III - Demon Door, the mimic changes its form and secures a room as a door. Should any allies attempt to pass through the door, they will be allowed safely to pass. Should an enemy or neutral party attempt to pass, the mimic will consume them.

  Which option do you choose? Please state your preference out loud.

  Sitting up on the bed, I stared at the mimic and said, “Alright, so this is basically my version of bringing home a stray dog, or a stray broad at closing time.” The few times that’s worked out, I thought with just an edge of bitterness. It had been awhile. Two, maybe three years. I wracked my brain for a name for the mimic, but nothing came to mind as I went through a list in my head of the coolest names I could think of. After five minutes of going through robot transformer names, I decided on something a little bit more traditional.

  I rolled off the bed and knelt in front of the mimic, putting my hand on it as the monster growled and I had to fight the urge to recoil away from it. “It’s ok, buddy, we’re a team now,” I tried to assure it, and my myself. As soon as I put my hand on it, I flinched without meaning to and breathed deep in relief when pain didn’t follow.

  “I name you… Napoleon!” The mimic seemed to like it well enough since it didn’t growl at me and a notification was sent my way explaining that the name had been accepted. “Let’s go with option two, Man’s Best Friend.”

  What followed was the worst, most disgusting thing I’d seen outside of watching how the sausage was made, though the process did seem to be a bit similar. The mimic’s body began to change to all black and hardened before my eyes, almost as if it was in some kind of stasis or cocoon shell. Energy disbursed itself from the cocoon as the room itself grew darker, sealing us both in. For better or worse, I was stuck.

  The mimic’s body popped and cracked as it shifted and contoured with wet sounding crunches, reforming itself. I sat mesmerized, unable to go anywhere for hours until finally, the hardened shell began to crack.

  Notification: Quest Completed - I Choose You.

  Details - Having successfully tamed a monster, you are now awarded with one permanent companion slot to be used exclusively on a monster. Should you tame or capture any additional monsters, you must choose which monsters remain with you and which will be sent back to location “My Room.” Should you be killed, the monster assigned to a companion slot will respawn along with you if it is killed, or teleport to your respawn location if it has survived after your death.

  *Error* Companion slot cannot currently be filled, as Mimic’s cannot be companions. Please assign an area.

  The shell began to chip away as something within it, I’m assuming the mimic but when it came to large egg-like shapes I’ve always been fairly suspicious, started to press outwards. A fuzzy paw appeared, and then another as the shell crumpled. It collapsed completely in on itself to reveal the ugliest dog I’d ever seen. A patchwork monstrosity that only a mother could love. It literally looked like a series of fuzzy patches sewn together to look like a dog. I couldn’t help but laugh; it was perfect. “Alright, Napoleon, I’m going to get out of here, will you watch the place while I’m gone?”

  The monster seemed to whine but perked up when I mentioned it had free reign of the property so long as it kept itself safe and didn’t kill any people unless they deserved it. Super subjective, but I didn’t have the time or desire to try to train it any better than that.

  “Alright, follow me out.”

  And with that, I was finally on my way.

  Chapter 17: A Farmer Tends His Field

  On my way out, I made sure to grab the spare keys and hit the panic button. The sound of the car alarm going off sparked all sorts of activity. I winced as I cautiously opened the ruined front door and watched as all the undead p
oured out from literally everywhere, shambling straight towards it. Thankfully, they ignored the little bit of noise my opening the door had caused. For better or worse, I was getting out of here.

  “Alright, Napoleon, this is as far as you go. You need to stay here and stay inside. Make sure no more spiders get into my house or we won’t be a team for long. I’m pretty sure you can respawn too, but I’d rather not test it,” I told the patchwork abomination at my side. I was pretty sure the mimic could handle itself, but I didn’t want to take any chances.

  More than anything, if there was something I couldn’t handle, I didn’t want to feel bad if the mimic couldn’t keep up if I started running. I knew it was allowed to follow me so long as it kept to the area, but I still thought it too much of a risk, and I really didn’t know how it would react either.

  Keeping my back against the building, I did this sort of awkward sliding half-shuffle as I tried to keep the noise down. My car might have been providing me cover, but I wasn’t invisible. I needed to try to at least be a little sneaky, and being hunched over in a half-crouch while taking measured steps was as stealthy as I was going to get. Which wasn’t to say stealthy; had anyone else been around to see it they might have shouted something like, “Hey, you fat fuck, I can see you.” Still, these were just undead, and as undead, if you didn’t draw their attention, you were pretty much ok.

  As I snuck around my porch and off into the side yard, I made sure to keep my eyes on a swivel and trained on my car as the undead started to pound against the glass of the windows, breaking them, the frame starting to bend and contort under the pressure from hundreds of bodies. I knew I didn’t have much time to get moving, and this was a trick I could only do once; there wouldn’t be a second chance.

  In the few seconds before I reached the backyard, the undead had become enraged, literally tearing the car apart. I could already hear the alarm starting to wane. It wouldn’t last much longer.

  I heard some movement in the bushes on the edge of my yard and darted for cover behind the air conditioning unit as a trio of the undead passed by on their way to investigate the noise. I held my breath and waited for them to pass before moving along. It was a good remember that just because I’d pulled some shenanigans, it didn’t mean I was out of the water yet.

  Thankfully, it was pretty much clear skies from there. I opened the fence gate on the backside of the property and slipped out. Basically running, if not bounding up the hill behind my house that led to the main road. I pretty much ran straight up the hill without any issues, and once I saw the road at the top of the hill through the trees, I slowed down to look around.

  A few straggling undead were on the street, but overall, nothing crazy like in front of my house. Even from a few blocks away I could see the horde just lingering, milling about now that my car was destroyed and hopefully the debt attached along with it. In the absence of a keyboard, I did a sign of the cross for respect and moved out.

  The hardware store really wasn’t that far away, just up to the right, take a left at the divider, and then take a right into the subdivision strip mall next to the gas station. Not complicated. The only thing that complicated things at this point was that even though I was far away from my house and the massive mob of the undead, it wasn’t the only place the undead had mobbed. The crowds of undead were larger the closer I got to the store, which let me know I’d be needing to do something about them.

  From the tree line, a scrawny-looking undead began to stumble towards me and I knew I needed to put it down before it called any attention to me. I lifted my bat in my hand; this was a perfect time to use one of those abilities I’d purchased for myself.

  Accumulate, I thought and I began to channel my energy and stamina through the bat as it hummed with a life that wasn’t its own. The bat actually started to shake and vibrate from the use of the ability. It was pretty intense; I could feel the difference in power at my fingertips in only a few short seconds. This was exactly what I’d been looking for.

  Without a sound, I made a beeline at the undead and swung the bat with all the force I could muster before it could even respond. The result was me instantly obliterating the undead’s head, further accented by the pieces of brain matter and skull that went flying everywhere as the undead’s health bar disappeared.

  Notification: Experience Gained - +12 experience, next level in 42 experience. +6 Sol.

  Current Experience: 58/100.

  Sol: 6.

  No items found.

  The rest of this part of my adventure was pretty much the same. I’d run off and hide in whatever concealment I could find while using Accumulate to channel the energy and power I needed, and then I’d rush in wielding all that power, and bash whatever monster I was up against in the head, instantly killing it. I made sure to pick off all the easy ones I could. I needed to get stronger, but I also didn’t want to die. By the time I had reached the strip mall’s parking lot, I had managed to gain three levels, though I’d need to wait to get to an upgrade terminal to put them to use. It wasn’t much, but it was honest work. Honest work I needed to rely on to clear out all the undead in front of me so I could get into the hardware store and get some item upgrades.

  Notification: Now Entering Zone II.

  Details: Be advised the level recommendation for this area is level 12.

  You are currently level 1, pending level 4.

  Note: The nearest designated safe zone can be found at Crusader Outpost 23, formally known as “McGee’s Superior Hardware.”

  If it wasn’t for my amazingly convenient ability to respawn, I might have listened to the warning. But as it was, what did I really have to lose? I could literally see the hardware store at the end of the parking lot, and I was pretty sure I saw a few people inside talking. All I had to do was clear the undead between me and whatever LARPing nerds were waiting at the safe zone.

  Chapter 18: Back in the Saddle Again

  I was doing ok for a few. I caught a new kind of monster I’d never seen before, that sort of looked like a cross between a hedgehog and a snake, crawling out from under one of the parked cars. I was able to kill it without any problems, though when it died it released a bit of what I’m assuming were noxious green gases.

  Notification: Experience Gained - +9 experience, next level in 81 experience. +8 Sol.

  Current Experience: 319/100.

  Sol: 168.

  Found “Poisonous Quill.”

  The undead seemed to change a bit too. The ruined flesh I was used to seeing had grown taut and leathery across sinewy muscles that ended with elongated fingers with sharpened claws where nails had been. These were no longer rotting husks, but something else altogether, something reborn and hungry.

  “Lirai,” I asked as discreetly as I could, as these new undead milled around, not yet noticing my presence. “What do I need to know about these monsters?”

  Notification: Query - “Cryptid Identification”

  Details: These monsters appear to be Lesser Wendigos. Monsters created through a dark curse bestowed upon those who were infected by the undead plague who fed on human flesh while still living. Unlike other forms of undead, the Lesser Wendigo does not suffer penalties to strength or agility.

  Which was just a way to say they were strong as shit and fast to boot, only with extra steps. How did I know this? Because I saw it firsthand as one of the Wendigos seemed to catch my scent on the wind and turned towards me, howling in a rage that was matched within milliseconds by every other Wendigo. It was safe to say they all saw me because all twenty of the vicious-looking monsters got on their hands and feet and started to bound my way.

  I started running like I’d never run before, heading straight to the hardware store. I was pretty sure I’d be ok if I could just get through those doors.

  It wasn’t to be.

  Literally ten feet in front of the door, I died again. This time by taking a bone spear through the back of my skull, thrown by some advanced sort of undead I hadn’t been abl
e to see.

  Notification: Blunt Weapons Mastery Level Increased - Dead Fish ------> Wet Noodle.

  Notification: You have died. Respawning in 60 minutes at location “My Room.”

  Details: You have retained all current experience but have forfeited all earned Sol. In the future, please consider establishing an account with the Crusaders Guild.

  You have lost 168 Sol.

  All that time and effort for almost nothing, and now I was back to the place I’d started at. I was no closer to success than I’d been before. “I was this close,” I bitterly complained to the untalking mimic that shrank away from me uncomfortably. I was pissed. Sure, I had no one to blame but myself, but that didn’t mean I was prepared to accept responsibility and do some soul searching.

  “Lirai, you’re awfully quiet. How much longer until this Black Tournament is supposed to start, and how exactly do you suggest we get rid of all the undead outside? Because I’m fresh out of ideas.” I was angry and bitter, but if the AI had any kind of insight, this was the time to share it.

  Notification: Query - “Time remaining until Black Tournament, General Guidance.”

  Details: You have approximately 22 hours remaining until the Black Tournament begins. At your current performance level, it is unlikely you can reach the tournament before it begins and will be forcefully teleported instead. It is recommended that you use appropriate upgrades to maximize time between respawns to continually engage the horde outside until it has been exhausted.

  “Alright, so basically what you’re telling me is I need to fix my shit and get this show on the road.” The AI didn’t reply, but I wasn’t expecting it to. I heard some of my father’s choice words, may he forever rest in peace, echoing in my mind, “Listen, son, you’re always taking the hard way to avoid just doing the work. Sometimes there isn’t any other choice but to put some elbow grease into it. You’d do well to remember that.”