by Tao Wong
Stars Asunder
Book 9 of the System Apocalypse
By
Tao Wong
License Notes
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite book retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Stars Asunder
Copyright © 2020 Tao Wong. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2020 Sarah Anderson Cover Designer
A Starlit Publishing Book
Published by Starlit Publishing
69 Teslin Rd
Whitehorse, YT
Y1A 3M5
Canada
www.starlitpublishing.com
Ebook ISBN: 9781989458747
Print ISBN: 9781989458754
Hardcover ISBN: 9781989458761
Contents
What Has Gone Before
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Epilogue
Author’s Note
About the Author
About the Publisher
Books in The System Apocalypse Universe
Glossary
Erethran Honor Guard Skill Tree
John’s Erethran Honor Guard Skills
Paladin of Erethra Skill Tree
John’s Paladin of Erethra Skills
Grand Paladin Skills
Junior Administrator Skills
Other Class Skills
Spells
Equipment
What Has Gone Before
When the System arrived on Earth, it brought monsters, aliens, and glowing blue boxes that altered the reality of humanity. Gifted with Classes that must be Leveled and Skills that provide reality-altering powers, humanity struggled to survive when modern electronics failed under the flood of Mana. In a year, over ninety percent of humanity fell, leaving the remnants to pick up their lives.
John Lee is one such survivor, starting in the depths of the Yukon and traveling south to aid humanity in its struggle to stay free of their Galactic overlords. As a settlement owner in British Columbia, he joined forces with the remnant military forces of the United States on the West Coast and proceeded to wage a war to free the Canadian prairies and the US West Coast. Forced to take his Master Class Quest by the Erethran Honor Guard and the Erethran Champion, John returned from the Forbidden Zone planet he was teleported to with new powers, only to find a changed Earth in the four years he was gone.
Together, the newly Master-Classed John and his friends fought the Galactic interlopers, forging an alliance of human and aliens to form the first planetary government of a Dungeon World. Doing so cost, as it always did on the broken Earth.
To ensure the government continued to survive and take its place on the Galactic Council, John Lee and Mikito Sato along with the planetary representatives and other interested parties left Earth for Irvina, the System’s capital planet. Their presence angered many, and forced John and his friends to lash out, fighting back against oppressors who targeted him and the planet directly.
Years passed, as John and his friends – Mikito and Harry – waged a guerilla war against those who would restrict Earth’s expansion. Eventually, tired and worn, the group, with pirate captain Dornalor, stop at Spaks, an infamous pirate station. There, they are caught in an all out war between the pirates and the Galactic Council, whose objectives are deeper than they appear.
John meets the Corrupt Librarian Feh-ral, who gifts him the accumulated knowledge of the Corrupt System Questors. In the last clash of the war, John is forced to fight multiple Master Classers alone. In a last ditch attempt to stay alive, he opens a Portal and steps through, only to find his Portal leading him not to the station but to the Erethran Empire.
Now, John will have to complete his promise to the Empire, to fulfil his duties as a Paladin of Erethra. But in doing so, John Lee, the Redeemer of the Dead, might find himself angering forces even he should not contend with.
Chapter 1
Queen Karlelo is no demure, wilting flower of femininity. She’s hot in the Xena, Warrior Princess way rather than the petite, demure Disney Princess manner. Even seated on her throne on the raised dais, the Queen dominates the room. She’s at least seven feet tall, ripped and beautiful from generations of gene editing. Her presence is a palpable force, one that constantly sets off my Charisma and Aura Resistances. She rests on the throne on the Erethran capital planet of Pauhiri, her golden eyes boring into mine and glittering with amused curiosity.
Every inch of her is bedecked with enchanted Master, if not Heroic, Class items. There’s a diadem around her forehead that screams defensive equipment. Her light blonde hair is cut short, and a metallic plate feeding information into her brain takes up one side of her hairline where diodes glitter and sparkle. The purple dress suit covers her body, with small etchings and glittering embroidery in a language I don’t read offering offensive and defensive enchantments. The spear that rests on the throne is a Legacy Weapon, as is the bracelet around her right arm. I could go on, but suffice to say she’s casually bedecked in more—and higher Tier—equipment than the entire planet of Earth.
“So. This is our latest Paladin,” Queen Karlelo says.
I can’t help but glance at her Status information again.
Empress Hasbata Karlelo of the Erethran Empire, (more) (??? Queen Level ???)
HP: N/A
MP: N/A
Conditions: N/A
“Yes, Your Majesty,” I say. At least, that’s what I think is the right term. I really don’t know. It’s not as if I’ve spent a lot of time interacting with royalty. If I’d considered it, I might have bought a System information pack, but who expects to get dragged to see royalty?
“Smaller. And weaker than I’d expected.”
“True, Your Majesty. But he learns fast. Levels faster. And, occasionally, surprises us,” Ayuri d’Malla speaks up.
I turn my head to eye the woman, my captor and Erethran Champion.
“Rude. I’m right here,” I grump mentally to Ali.
While I might be as rude as a bull in a china shop at times, throwing out words and actions as carelessly as cheap necklaces from a Madris Gras float, I’ve still got some sense. And not backtalking the Queen in her center of power is one bit of it.
“I wouldn’t, boy-o.” Ali, my two-foo-tall floating friend sends back to me. Like myself, Ali’s changed his clothes and mirrors me in my sky-blue Erethran military uniform, with its high collars, epaulets, knee-high boots, and green trimming. The only thing he has different is the design on the epaulets. His is a minor vari
ation on mine, indicating his role as a Spirit Companion to me—a Paladin of Erethra.
My “special” Master Class technically gives me a rank within the militaristic Erethran Empire. In fact, I report directly and only to the Queen herself. Paladins are part of a separate branch in their society, playing the role of wandering judge, jury, and executioner. We’re the troublemakers and problem solvers. At one point, there were as many as three dozen Paladins in the entire empire.
Now, there’s just one.
Me.
Technically, I’m not the only one still alive. My master? Sponsor? Mentor? The person who approved my ascension into the Master Class still lives. But she’s not coming back. Not anytime soon. Not ever, if she has anything to say about it. Which leaves me as the idiot holding the giant bag of shit that is the Erethran Empire.
“Wouldn’t what? I’m being good. Not telling them how pretentious and dumb-looking this entire room is. How much I’m getting flashbacks of Germany,” I reply to Ali.
The Spirit companion link is purely mental, run through the System. Over the years since the advent of the System and the destruction of Earth, I’ve gotten used to replying to him without showing it.
The throne room is less an ostentatious display of power and more of a functional bunker. It’s a structure with guards, shield projectors, and full-on artillery emplaced within. No gilt, no gold, no imposing pictures of past rulers. Hells, other than a few holographic projections of banners taken from the corpses of beaten armies and kingdoms—and in one case, a dragon’s head—it’s the least impressive throne room I’ve seen. Says a lot about the culture when they showcase their battle glories rather than gold and riches.
“I would listen to your Spirit, Paladin.” The Queen leans forward as she speaks, fixing me with a flat, disapproving gaze.
I feel the pressure she exerts, her Aura suddenly focused. For a second, my legs buckle, wanting to give way, wanting me to kneel and grovel for forgiveness. I can barely breathe, the pressure is so great.
Aura of the Empire partially resisted (90%)
I have to admit, I’m kind of impressed with myself. I wrap myself in the stubbornness, the muleheadedness that makes up who I am, and I refuse to kneel. It takes everything, even biting my own tongue till blood, coppery and salty, fills my mouth to focus and lock my knees. But I manage. The weight of an empire sits upon my shoulders, pressing on me in both a mental and physical sense.
And I resist.
Too bad I don’t have enough strength to offer a quip.
The tension in the room continues unabated for long minutes as I fight against her disapproval and the Queen turns aside to chat with one of her advisors. Her casual dismissal sets my anger alight, and I push back harder, no longer needing the goad of pain to stand.
Eventually, she relents, and I feel the pressure disappear. I stagger as the sudden disappearance throws off my sense of balance. As I catch myself, the snarl that threatened to erupt comes out. By the time I manage to control myself again, return my demeanor to something resembling polite, the Queen has leaned back on her throne.
Her fingers trace the upraised buttons on her steel gray throne as she speaks to Ayuri. “Barely adequate. He will need more Levels.”
“We know that. We did plan for him to conduct the training in the meantime.”
“What training?” I snap as they talk over my head. I was willing to be patient, but after that little display, I’m just about done being nice.
Fine. Maybe I don’t have a lot of sense.
“Of the other Paladins, of course.” The Queen sniffs then looks at Ayuri. “Are you sure he has specced into Intelligence?” She doesn’t wait for Ayuri to answer before continuing, already turning to another of her attendants. “Have it done.”
The moment she finishes speaking, Ayuri’s snaps off a left-handed salute, grabs me by the shoulder, and drags me out of the throne room. She doesn’t even wait for me to offer my own salutations. I could resist her—I might even be strong enough these days to physically stop her from moving me. But I don’t really want to stick around. So I follow.
“What other Paladins?” I hiss at Ayuri, only for the Champion to shush me as she hurries us out of the throne room. She’s probably scared that I’ll say or do something stupid. Again.
For my first introduction to royalty, I wasn’t stabbed, shot, or condemned to death.
I figure it was pretty good.
***
Once we’re striding down the hallway, open windows showcasing the distant and massive alien capital, the Queen and her aura a memory, Ayuri finally deigns to speak. “I told you to be polite. All you had to do was present yourself, wait for her to give you an order, and get out. How hard is that!”
“Well, she was the one who decided to listen in on my conversation.”
“Of course she was listening. We all were. That was the throne room. Did you think we wouldn’t have security measures to listen to potential threats? At the very least, it’d be a safety breach if we didn’t.” Ayuri threw her hands toward the ceiling. “Now, you just made it a lot harder than it had to be.”
“Really? And how did I mess up these plans you haven’t told me about?”
“I can’t say.”
“And more, neither of you have actually told me why you want me here. You kept on saying she’d tell me. But now, it sounds like even if I had kept my mouth shut, it wouldn’t be enough.” I cross my arms and plant my feet, waiting for her to come to a full stop. I still remember the Queen’s quip about my Levels.
“She would have been fine if you hadn’t insulted her. You only need three more Levels. We could have grinded the Levels together and called it done.”
“For what?” I let exasperation leak into my voice, into the way I stand. I let her see my true feelings, while hiding the lie of my true Level. In truth, I’m only a single Level from reaching the next tier of my Class Skills, but I’ve taken to using the Ring of Deception to show my Level as a little lower than it really is. Keeping some information hidden is good for me, especially since I have a feeling they want me for more than my Skills.
Ayuri stops, looking me up and down, then looks around us. Next moment, I feel the Mana around us freeze as a silenced area pops up within ten feet of us. Nothing, no sound, no Mana, can be sensed outside of that bubble. The sudden change catches me out, making me wonder what Skill it is.
And, as has become more common lately, a piece of information unfolds within my mind. Knowledge, that I didn’t gain naturally, making itself known.
Skill: Sphere of Gramus (Level 1)
The Sphere of the Gramus is a Skill that seals an individual away from reality. First pioneered by Gramus himself, the Sphere allowed him to contemplate the multiple variations of tastes that accompanied the consumption of his own body. Unfortunately, his continued eating of his own form, without sharing with the rest of his tribe, made him a heretic. Only the creation of this Skill allowed him to continue his private journey.
Effect: The Sphere of Gramus seals the user and an area off space (currently a radius of five (5) feet from user) from all external manipulation. No divination, Skills, and spells will enter or exit the sphere during periods of activation.
Mana cost: 500/minute
Ever since that godsforsaken Librarian stuck the entire Corrupted Questor library in my head, I’ve been getting little flashes of information. At first, it was pretty contained. Only when I decided to tap into the encrypted data would the squished-together information unspool. But whether it’s because I’ve been poking at the information, or because the Librarian’s Skill is degrading, I keep getting these little blips of information.
I now know more about Skills than I ever wanted or needed to. I guess that makes sense—knowing what Skills are being created by the System helps us understand it. It was just never an area I studied in great detail. Doesn’t mean that someone didn’t at some point in their search to answer the System Quest.
I blink away the info
rmation and focus on the Champion. I also do my very best not to think about that description. Or the other, rather disturbing, graphic imagery of Gramus, his people, and their entire race’s eating habits that the library provided. The universe is a very big place.
And it just keeps getting weirder.
“The Queen needs to designate an heir. She cannot put it off any longer. And before you ask, her choice as Queen was a compromise that ensured the survival of the Empire at that time. Along with the compromise was her promise to not give birth,” Ayuri finally spoke after she finished deploying her Skill. “There are three methods for us to choose a new Queen. Civil war. The Empire Trials. And the choice of the Paladins.”
“Great. So just get the contenders to take part in these trials,” I try to say lightly. Because the other options just do not sound fun.
But Ayuri isn’t willing to kid around. She stares at me, waiting for me to acknowledge the truth. I don’t want to. I don’t think it’s fair. But when she threw me through the Portal on Earth, she made me promise to come when they needed. At least once. So this is the once. This is what she needed me for.
“Seriously. Why not do the trials?” I ask.
“It is not that simple. The potential candidates are all powerful, pillars of our society. We don’t choose our royalty, our leaders, from just anyone. We’re a warrior society. A military-based one. If you aren’t able to garner the respect of the military, you’ll eventually fail.”
I might be slow, but I get it. “What you’re saying is, it’s people like you who’d be contending. High Master class, Heroics, maybe even a Legendary?”
“No Legendaries.” Ayuri shakes her head. “But it’s not just that. The trials were created ages ago, when we were land-bound to our planet. They value physical strength, the ability of an individual to take on an entire army by themselves. But these days, we need more than that in our Empress. We need range, skills that can reach across stars, even abilities to command multiple armies and ships at the same time. The ones who contest for the throne know that. They’ve built their Skills, their abilities to lead armies.”
