The System Apocalypse Books 4-6: The Post-Apocalyptic LitRPG Fantasy Series

by Tao Wong

  One thing I don’t like is the way the defensive notes don’t list the full defenses of each settlement. Then again, as I’ve noticed in Kamloops, anything that isn’t stupidly powerful is pitiful when stacked up against a real assault. Which I guess split defenses into two kinds: those useful against monsters and those that are needed against other sentients.

  “Not sure I’m that confident in spending our Credits on upgrades yet,” I say, frowning at the information. “I know Kyle has specific goals—especially with the Adventurers Guild, whose reps I should meet—but I’m sure the Kelowna council have ideas too now that we’re not on a war footing.”

  “Might be an idea to throw the question at your Vancouver council too,” Lana adds. “There’s nothing that the city needs desperately, so we can let them argue it out and offer their suggestions.”

  “That’s… not a bad idea.” At the worst, it’d give them something else to argue about while I deal with the actual work of running the city. But I’d invited everyone onto the council—or well, acceded to their demands to be included—because they were parties of import in the city and could provide me more information about it. Which meant they might actually be able to provide some real information. “Katherine…”

  “I’ll message the council members and let them know you’d like their feedback on the priorities for improvements to the city at the next scheduled meeting,” Katherine says.

  “Thanks,” I mutter, staring at the screen.

  Perhaps the most interesting thing we have is the City Dungeon. We actually have a natural dungeon forming on the grounds of Simon Fraser University, but thankfully, it’s high up in the mountains and currently still growing. It’s still something that needs to be dealt with, but for now, I focus my attention on the City Dungeon.

  Over the time I spent reading about the System, I’d learnt a little about City Dungeons. City Dungeons are different from natural dungeons. Natural dungeons form from an overabundance of Mana and the fortitudinous encounter with a monster. Or vice versa—an Alpha monster can, through its continued presence, potentially develop a natural dungeon. Depending on the type and volume of Mana, the natural dungeon can be a single-clear dungeon or a multiple-clear dungeon where the System actually forms the monsters from “memory.” In both cases though, these natural dungeons often have a specific difficulty level that permeates the entire dungeon—mostly due to the monster type(s) that inhabit them.

  City Dungeons, on the other hand, are always multiple-clear dungeons. They are formed through the conscious redirection of Mana flow into a specific area, with enchantments, rituals, and Mana engines directed to contain and form the dungeon. City Dungeons are generally structured, with upper levels being the lowest available zone and growing in difficulty as you journey deeper. The most common City Dungeon type is an underground dungeon with each level a new, more difficult zone. The larger the city, the more settlements that feed the dungeon structure, the more powerful and greater the potential difficulty the dungeon will have.

  However, our City Dungeon is slightly different. Rather than an entrance to an actual dungeon, it is spread out across what used to be the University of British Columbia. The grounds are generally considered the basic zone meant for beginners. Faculty buildings and residences are where the actual dungeon levels are located, with certain faculties being more dangerous than others.

  All that information gives me some context when I review the City Dungeon management screen.

  City Dungeon

  Location: Vancouver

  Dungeon Level: Tier III

  Mana Consumption: 218 per day

  Known Spawns: Jackalopes, Evolved Canada Geese, Wolpertinger, Spirits, Kmi Leeches, Medusa, Tikbalang, Mngwa

  Known Loot: Hide (of Known Spawns), Trivial, Minor, Major Healing & Mana Potions, Tier V Beam & Projectile Weapons, Tier IV & V Bladed Weapons, Tier V Explosives, more…

  “Hey, Ali, can you explain the Tier system again? I’m a bit confused here,” I mutter, waving at the Dungeon Level. “We’ve talked about how each Tier V is basically beginner equipment, and Tier IV is up to Level 20 or so. And how the Tiers work on a logarithmic process, so Tier III is roughly what? Up to Level 50? That doesn’t seem to work right, because then Tier II would be the entire Advanced Class.”

  “The Tiers are for tech items mostly. Basically, any replicable that can be mass produced,” Ali says. “Tier I and II items are generally high-level military items, things that are reserved for their use when taken in the larger context. Obviously anyone can buy them, but you get a lot of raised eyebrows when you buy a Tier II spaceship.

  “In terms of Levels, you could consider the tech tiers to cover most of the Advanced Class with Tier II weaponry being basically powerful enough to seriously injure a high Level Advanced Class combatant. As an example, you’ve probably noticed that Sabre isn’t really up to your standards anymore. Mikito certainly doesn’t bother using her PAV half the time. In general, you’d be looking for things in the next section—the enchanted, unique, and legendary items which all have their own tiers.”

  I frown. “So you’re saying most equipment doesn’t really work for Master Level Classes?”

  “No, I’m saying that at that level, they’re playing on a different field. They’re getting unique items custom-made for them rather than picking things up from the Shop or Dungeons. Rather than relying on random drops to augment their abilities, they want equipment that will either buff up specific advantages or deal with certain disadvantages. Once you’re a Master Class individual, specialization matters,” Ali says. “Also, they’ll probably have a couple of sets of equipment to swap around, for social and combat situations at the very least.”

  “And the dungeon tier?”

  “A Tier III dungeon isn’t exactly the same. It’s more an expression of how many Adventurers and the number and types of monsters that the dungeon has than the Level of loot. Tier III means that it’s suitable for Adventurers up to the mid-to-high Advanced Classes, potentially higher if you consider bosses. As a group, that is. It’s rare to see a City Dungeon above Tier III. In fact, if you weren’t on a Dungeon World, it’s unlikely your city would have anything above a Tier IV. But with the excess Mana you guys have…”

  “It’s easier,” I say.

  “It’s almost a given. See your SFU.”

  I grunt in acknowledgement and sigh. “And the list of loot?”

  “Just what’s known. City Dungeons create loot slightly differently. Obviously monster drops are the same, if less, than what you’d get naturally. But you also get equipment from drops in a city dungeon. Just realize that they can be occasionally… umm… quirky.”

  “THE COMMON ADVENTURER TERMINOLOGY IS CURSED.”

  “Yeah…” Ali opens his hands slightly. “There are rules involved. The dungeon owner feeds the schematics for such items—or the actual items, though that’s less effective—into the City Dungeon via your management screen. The System can then generate these items. Depending on the complexity of the item, occasional ‘curses’ can happen. It’s unlikely you’ll get cursed gold for example—very simple to reproduce basic minerals. But an enchanted blade? Yeah, it’s complicated.”

  I frown, tapping my fingers. “There are ways of knowing what might or might not be cursed?”

  “THE DUNGEON MANAGEMENT SCREEN PROVIDES DETAILED BREAKDOWN ON THE LEVEL OF SUBSUEMENT AND THE PROBABILITY OF CURSED ITEM PRODUCTION.”

  Lana leans over, tapping on my screen. Obviously it doesn’t do anything until Ali wills it to, but he knows me well enough to let Lana play around with my views. In a second, the dungeon management screen blooms, expanding rapidly. The summarized information disappears as even more information appears. Everything gets more detailed, including data that was hidden before, like the number of visitors, the declared drop rate of various items, which items have been released, and the like. While Lana browses with Ali’s help, I’m doing my own investigation.

  “As the dungeon owner,
shouldn’t I have a proper map of it?” I grumble.

  “CURRENT MAPPED INFORMATION IS PROVIDED BY YOUR DELVERS.”

  “I know, but shouldn’t I get more details? I own the damn dungeon.”

  “YOU ARE THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE DUNGEON. THIS DOES NOT PROVIDE ACCESS TO THE DATA YOU ARE SEARCHING FOR BY DEFAULT. WE MAY PURCHASE SAID INFORMATION IN THE STORE.”

  I groan. Freaking scam of a System.

  “Boy-o, you need to realize that growing a dungeon is more akin to growing a forest than building a house. You throw down some seeds, water the plants with Mana, maybe prune or cut down a tree or two. But you don’t get much say in how the forest really grows.”

  “That’s… insane,” I mutter. “It’s a freaking dungeon and I don’t get any real information on it?”

  “Nope. And you shouldn’t be calling others insane. Your people used to capture predatory animals and make them pets,” Ali says, staring at the quiet, striped orange cat lounging in the corner.

  “Yeah, but those people are crazy.”

  “As are city owners,” Ali says. “Also, you’re forgetting the lure of greed. Mining a City Dungeon is a very, very good way of getting low-tier goods. It’s a stable source of income and attracts a ton of beginner adventurers since it’s a lot safer. In non-Dungeon Worlds, it also helps manage Mana buildup and keeps the zones around a city much lower. Here, it does the same. With, you know, less effect.”

  I sigh, rubbing my head. Lana finally stops swinging the notification screens about and looks at me with a pensive expression.

  “What?”

  “Managing the dungeon’s similar to managing a business, just weird. There’s a ton of things in here, most of which could bear watching. Where the Mana is going, how much Mana should be going in, what rate the dungeon is growing at…” Lana shakes her head. “And we’ve not even gotten to that entire loot generation section. You need to find someone to manage this.”

  “Great. I’ll add it to the task list,” I say sarcastically.

  After a moment, I look over and see Katherine finish moving her fingers before offering me a knowing nod. Great. I guess I really do have a task list now. Next I’ll be getting a bell around my neck.

  After that, Lana and I get back to talk about upgrades. She’s got her own ideas, from her time in Whitehorse as well as Kamloops, and isn’t shy about pushing for them. I can’t blame her, and unlike the councillors, she’s got an in to get her own views heard. After all, I’m not sleeping with any of the others.

  Yay nepotism.

  Chapter 3

  Wandering the stacks of the library, I find myself running my finger along the spines of abandoned books later that evening. I’m waiting for Lana, who has gone for a “dinner” with Katherine, one that I was pointedly not invited to. So I’m wandering my domain, staring at tomes of knowledge that have been discarded, much like our prior civilization.

  “You’re a morose bastard,” Ali says, floating beside me.

  “Yup,” I agree absently before looking around.

  Where am I? Biology? Rows and rows of books about the biological world that now matters not a whit. After all, the System has replaced and altered our bodies so significantly that I doubt even half of what is in these books matters now. Furthermore, for the low, low price of a few hundred Credits, all this painstaking knowledge could be bought and downloaded directly into our brains.

  “What’s got you down now?”

  “Just the futility of life,” I murmur, shaking my head. All the time, all the expertise denoted in these books, gone. A wave of the System, a snarling face, and poof. All gone.

  “Uh huh,” Ali says, leaning back in mid-air as he floats beside me.

  “Nothing futile about these books,” an older man says as he walks around the corner. Scraggly hair down to his collar, he’s dressed in a dress shirt and a pair of jeans, a pile of books waiting to be reshelved in his hands.

  “Eric,” I greet the Librarian.

  One of the first people to accost me once things had settled, he literally demanded to be allowed the run of the library again. As a former employee—admittedly from the Marpole branch—he was intent on collecting and returning all the books he could find. I’m not entirely sure if it’s a matter of Leveling or a complex, but rather than argue, I agreed to his request with some stipulations. No approaching my City Core for one.

  “What is contained within might not be useful now, but knowledge, any knowledge, is precious. And while your System might provide fast and easy gains in knowledge, have you not noticed that the learning process itself has certain advantages?” Eric says as he shelves a book.

  “Uhh…”

  “Your training with Mikito?” Ali points out helpfully.

  “Right…” The difference between knowing something and understanding it.

  “What is contained here might be of use in the future as well. In fact, there are certain skills that may be gained and Titles for those who choose to proceed the hard way,” Eric says, looking at me. “It is why I strongly recommend that we re-open the library. And of course, begin the process of updating our inventory.”

  I raise my hand, cutting off any further pitch. Eric’s lips thin, but he inclines his head in acknowledgement before walking away to continue his task. For a moment, I stare at his retreating back.

  “He’s creepy.”

  “Really? He doesn’t seem any stranger than most humans to me.”

  Sometimes, I’m not entirely sure whether Ali is kidding or not when he says things like that. With a sigh, I continue to walk, shifting my thoughts to something more productive.

  Maybe a half hour later, Lana finds me, Roland accompanying her while Howard and Shadow chase one another outside.

  “John,” Lana greets me after kissing me, leaning backward to stare into my eyes. “What are you thinking about?”

  “Government. Or a corporation. I’ve been thinking about how I’m the sole owner of these settlements and it’s not a good idea,” I say.

  “And you don’t intend to relinquish control,” Lana states, knowing my reasons for keeping control.

  “Exactly. So I need an organization of sorts that both keeps me in control when necessary but also allows people like Ken or the city council to run things and that is flexible enough to keep expanding,” I say. “And, of course, has a decent backup to ensure we don’t actually lose the city if I die.”

  A flicker of something crosses Lana’s face. “Where were you thinking?”

  “Closest thing I can think of is a constitutional monarchy of sorts. But that brings its own problems,” I say with a grimace.

  “Lines of succession, intrigue, and backstabbing?”

  “Exactly.”

  Lana turns to the floating Spirit. “Ali, aren’t there more Galactic options?”

  “Tons. But I’m not exactly an expert on this. The Erethrans use a stratocracy, with citizenship varying based on Levels and time served with the armed forces. Their Emperor is actually just the most powerful Erethran citizen who is then guarded by the Honor Guard. He and his family, along with their advisors, make up both the Erethrans’ reserves and their ruling body. Of course, the fact that the Emperor is able to buy Skills and equipment for his children and put them out for safe training tilts things in his favor, but it’s still technically a stratocracy.

  “The Truinnar and the Xylarghs are both monarchies. The Truinnar use what you’d call a pure monarchy, with their Emperor ruling over all and having direct oaths of servitude from his subjects. He even has the Class. The Xylarghs are closer to a constitutional monarchy, with the monarchy and the Dragon Knights making up one bloc of power and the Artisans another. Democracy is a lot less common. The closest examples I can think of that you’d be familiar with are the Kapre. But they’re weird—while they don’t exactly have a hive mind, they’ve got an empathic mind backed by racial Skills in empathy.”

  I grunt, recalling our conversations about the tree-like creatures that make up
the Kapre. Talking and dealing with them always felt strange due to the long pauses and the feeling that you’re talking to more than one at a time. Which, in a way, you are.

  “Well, we’re not interested in a democracy,” Lana says, eyes dancing with humor. “I doubt John wants to hear the ‘will of the people.’”

  “People are stupid,” I grumble then amend my note. “But they should have a voice. Just not direct to me.”

  “Well, if you’re keeping final say, you should probably be a monarchy of some sort,” Ali says.

  “Nope. Not going to get called King John,” I say sternly. I can see Lana’s eyes dancing with humor as I state that. “Anyway, that’d make you the fool.”

  “Yeah well, I’d pity the fool who called me one,” Ali says. “We could potentially call it a dictatorship of some form…”

  I grunt in annoyance, drawing another shrug from Ali.

  “Perhaps a corporation?” Lana says.

  “Like a Guild?”

  “Can’t be a Guild, remember? No land ownership.” Ali corrects me.

  “I never did understand that. What’s the difference between a Sect and a Guild? And how do corporations fit in there?” I growl.

  “Right…” Ali says. “Well, corporations can be Guilds and vice versa. A Guild is basically a co-operative of Adventurers. The main difference between a Guild or a Sect is that a Guild can’t hold land. Because they can’t hold land—specifically, they can’t hold settlements—they are allowed to have their Guild branches in numerous cities. Which gives them a significant amount of power.