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

by Tao Wong

  “I know. I just want to see the square. We can pop right in there next time,” I say as we continue to walk forward.

  Occasionally, the plink of an attack reminds me that the damn scouts are still out there. That, and the strangled yelps or a sudden crunch as Roland and Shadow get to work on our flanks.

  “I should bring the boys up here more often,” Lana says with a slight smile. “They seem to be having fun.”

  “I can tell.” Rather than spend more time exploring the outer layer of buildings, I swing us toward the main parking lot and the campus’s town square.

  We’re just passing another grey, boring building on our left, the parking lot on our right, when we hear a slow, thudding drum beat.

  “Boy-o…” Ali says, frowning.

  In front of us, slowly appearing on the map and disappearing as the mists continue to envelop us, is a large cluster of monsters. There’s nearly a hundred or so, many in the Level 30s or higher.

  “I think they were delaying us,” Lana says softly, eyes wide as she stares at the shared minimap.

  Glimpsed through the mists, the front ranks are slowly marching forward, shields held in front of them.

  “Yeah…” I stare at my Mana pool and sigh, popping a bottle of Mana restoration and swigging it down. Between that and my regeneration, I’m back up to two-thirds full, which should do. “I want to try something, then we can go.”

  Lana nods, face grim as she engages her aura once more. It bursts forth, making the front group stagger before they seem revitalized by the continued drumming.

  I step forward, crouching and whisper the command. “Army of One.”

  Around me, six identical copies of my sword pop into existence, tripling the total number that I get from Thousand Blades. I grunt, swinging my hand down, and the blades shoot forward rather than projecting a strike like Blade Strike. The glowing red-and-blue blades strike the front ranks, boring through the monsters and continuing onward, shattering their careful formation.

  “Nice,” Lana says as she unloads her shotgun into the group.

  Anna helps, flames stretching from her body to run across the group like long tendrils. But for all that, for how impressive it looks, the Yurks stagger back up to their feet and reform their lines.

  I sigh. I guess I know where I’m putting more Class Skill points next time. I need more blades and more damage. While the damage will get better as I grow in strength and my blade does as well, the number of blades is a matter of another Skill.

  Once they’ve reset the line, harried by Anna’s and Lana’s attacks, the group continues their slow and steady march. A low growl from Howard behind us alerts us to the troops that have flanked us, pinning us in place and forcing both Shadow and Roland out of hiding.

  “John…” Lana’s voice grows concerned as the group gets within thirty meters.

  A shift in their positioning shows that they’re ready to charge. My wordless answer is to pop open the Portal, and the puppies and Roland dart in without a word. Lana and Anna follow even as arrows and spears fly, raining down around us. I follow her through the Portal.

  “Well, that was disappointing,” I say, grabbing one of the spears flying through the fast-closing Portal before it pins Anna.

  “Disappointing?” Lana says.

  “My Skill,” I say, shaking my head. “It’s really reliant on my other Skills and I just don’t have the points for it all. I’m going to need to put more points into it for it to get useful.”

  A cough drags our attention back to Katherine, who has stood up from behind my desk to extract a few arrows and spears that have embedded themselves on it and around the walls. “Perhaps another location would be better for you to teleport to whilst in combat?”

  “Sorry!” I say, watching as the prim and proper woman stacks the weapons aside.

  “You know she’s going to make you pay for that, right?” Lana whispers to me.

  “Nah, she wouldn’t do that,” I say, confident in Katherine’s professionalism. I purposely ignore Lana’s and Ali’s looks, content to bask in my naiveté. Though if you know you’re fooling yourself, is it really naiveté? “So what’s on the agenda?”

  Lana waves goodbye, off to deal with her own chores. Behind her desk, Katherine pulls up her status screens and rattles off the agenda for the day. More meetings of course. It’s always more meetings.

  ***

  “The Adventurer Guilds are here,” Katherine announces with slight disapproval as I lounge in my chair.

  Since there’s no paperwork, I’ve pulled my chair out from behind the desk. I’m in a nice, comfortable lounge chair taken from below, rather than the uncomfortable office chairs that used to fill this corner office. Katherine, for reasons of her own, is behind a desk.

  “Send them in.”

  A few minutes later, a tall humanoid elf walks in, a smile on his lips. Tall, blond, and pretty, he could have walked off the set of a Lord of the Rings movie if it weren’t for the futuristic sci-fi jumpsuit and beam rifle slung over his shoulder. I stand, offering a hand and shaking his before I flop back down in my chair, gesturing for him to choose his poison. After glancing at the options—office chairs, another lounger, and the couch—he takes an office chair and rolls it over to me. I note how he dismisses Katherine’s presence almost immediately, his focus on me.

  Mental Effect Resisted

  “I’m John Lee.”

  “Kryl a Sharra. I’m the Guild liaison of the Burning Leaves, a Tier II Guild,” Kryl says.

  I’m a bit impressed by the fact that he’s from a Tier II Guild—those represent deep pockets, according to Ali, with Guild Halls in over five hundred settled worlds and a deep roster of dedicated Adventurers. Among other things, Guilds have to meet a certain number of Galactic Council quests and hit certain taxation numbers to qualify for each level. All things considered, there’s just over a hundred Tier II Guilds in the entire Galactic System.

  Kryl a Sharra (Level 18 Fell Ranger)

  HP: 740/740

  MP: 485/520

  Conditions: Aura of Command

  I don’t mention the Aura or the fact that he’s still using it. A glance at Katherine shows that her conditions still list as none, a rather surprising matter. Then again, I don’t know what kind of Skills she has, but being an Assistant who can be easily swayed probably wouldn’t be great. Something worth noting at least.

  “What can I do for you, Kryl?”

  “The Movana designate their Nobles by adding an a in between their names. So Kryl should, if you were feeling polite, be called a Sharra.”

  A flash of annoyance shows on Kryl’s face before he stamps it out. “We would like to know when our application for a Guild Hall in your settlements would be approved.”

  “You’ve got applications for places outside of Kamloops?” I say with a frown.

  “Yes. They were added a few days ago,” Kryl says smoothly.

  “Huh.” I consider what else to say then make the decision. “Get out.”

  “What?” Kryl exclaims, eyes widening.

  “Get. Out. You’re not welcome in this office anymore. If your Guild wants to continue talking, they can send someone else.”

  Kryl narrows his eyes in thought then nods before walking out in silence. Rude and manipulative as he might be, at least he’s smart enough to realize what he did wrong. Using his aura to attempt to manipulate the negotiation and force us to take his Guild is idiotic. Sure, it might work with some, but that’s no way to build a lasting relationship. When he walks out, Katherine lets out a little snort that I assume to be one of approval. Ass.

  “Next.”

  ***

  “Brommax’s Raiders are a Tier III Guild. We’ll be able to not only provide a wider market for your goods through our Guild Shops, but we also have a deep bench of Adventurers to fulfill any of your requests and we are willing—and able—to staff all three of your settlements,” the big yellow Yerrick says. I forget his name, having seen so many for now. I c
ould look, but that’s what Katherine’s for.

  “Raiders?”

  “It’s a translation imprecision.”

  “He’s telling the truth. An English translation thing. Maybe those US Rangers might be a better translation.”

  “I’m really only interested in discussing one town at a time,” I say. “Kelowna in particular.”

  “Of course. We’re willing to negotiate on the monthly Credit fee, as well as any additional settlement security requirements you might have.”

  “Keep talking,” I say, leaning forward. Finally. The Yerrick is the third in line, and the first I’m actually interested in.

  ***

  “I represent the Platinum Pixies, a Tier IV Guild. Our Guild might not be the biggest, but we punch above our weight class,” the pixie says, hovering in front of me with a grin.

  “You guys allow non-pixies in?”

  An uncomfortable silence later, I watch her tiny form flit out.

  ***

  “Crystal Clans isn’t your typical Guild. We’re a Tier III Guild, but we’re more focused on Artisan work. Our people are looking for stable and plentiful sources of materials, which is why a Guild Hall in a Dungeon World is perfect for us,” the dwarf states, offering me a grin and launching into his spiel the moment he sits down.

  “Sounds like a lot of great things for you—”

  “What? A stable market that buys at a higher price than the Shop doesn’t sound good to you? How about Advanced and Master Artisans who can guide some of your people? We can work in class schedules.”

  “That’s nice, but we’re a bit worried about our security…” I say leadingly.

  “We aren’t all Artisans. A significant minority are fighters—we do need guards for some of our rarer materials. And a number of Adventurers see the advantage of having access to Master Level Artisans,” Wrox says, beard waggling. “We’ll have a number of those people in your towns.”

  “And a security agreement?”

  “Can be negotiated.”

  “Good. Now, about the rent…”

  ***

  “No.”

  “But with the number of fallen in the transition, we will be able to raise—”

  “No.”

  “You don’t understand—”

  “Get out. Before I throw you out.”

  “Simpletons.”

  I watch the multi-legged heptadon walk out of the room, almost flouncing out. A hand held out to Katherine puts guests on hold while I keep my breathing deep and steady to get my temper back in control. Asshole necromancers.

  ***

  “Labashi.” I blink, standing and shaking the Hakarta’s hand.

  He’s still as big, green-grey, and tusky as ever. However, I’m surprised to see him here in Vancouver. Last I knew, he was up in Whitehorse, finishing his initial contract with the Duchess.

  “Redeemer.” He inclines his head and sits down. A hand comes up, offering me a small, red-wrapped piece of heaven. “Chocolate?”

  “Don’t mind if I do,” I say, grabbing the chocolate and popping the piece in my mouth. I blink when the chocolate melts in my mouth on contact, the liquid delight a surprise. Even as I sit, quietly enjoying the expensive treat, Labashi offers a piece to Katherine while introducing himself. “Good chocolate.”

  “Yes,” Labashi says, leaning forward. “A great export.”

  My mind shifts for a second to Adventurers fighting through hordes of monsters, risking life and limb, only to loot their corpses and exclaim in delight at finding a Toblerone. I chuckle, making Labashi stare at me with concern.

  I wave away his questioning look, continuing. “What are you doing here, Major?”

  “Visiting an ally. And pitching my Corp as an option.”

  “You can do that?”

  “It is not the most common use of that building slot, but is possible,” Labashi says.

  “MERCENARY CORPS ARE UNDER THE SAME CLASSIFICATION AS ADVENTURERS GUILDS. AS SUCH, A SINGLE COMPANY MAY BE ADDED TO ANY SINGLE TOWN.”

  “What else is covered under that classification?” I send the thought to Kim and Ali, grumpy about missing another thing. Between a lack of interest on my part and the sheer volume of information, I’m missing a lot about running a settlement.

  “Assassin’s Guilds and Thief Circles fall under the same categories. Also Spy centers, but you need to build up the requirements internally.”

  I sit in silence for a moment, listening to my companions while Labashi enjoys his tea. When my eyes refocus, Labashi shifts his attention back to me fully.

  “Why a merc group?”

  “We prefer mercenary corp,” Labashi says easily. “Most Adventuring Guilds will promise protection, but they’re not good at it. That’s what we do. We can provide a higher number of individuals with better Classes and training. While we might not provide the same level of business contacts or a Guild Shop, we can provide training. For our needs, we’ll also need a much larger base of operations, which will aid you in developing to the next level of Small City. And lastly, we’re willing to pay a much higher base rental than any Guild.”

  He’s not wrong. One of the requirements, over and above the basic population requirements, of a Small City is a 98% land ownership requirement. Except it isn’t just any land ownership; it designated the amount of physical land too, so you couldn’t just shrink your settlement down to beat the System.

  Still, I frown, drumming my fingers on my legs. “Why do you need a location?”

  “Because we have none yet. A Headquarters building will allow us to set up long-range teleportation arrays and cheaper housing for our people. We expect to have significant work on your world. Having a permanent base will keep our overall cost down and allow for further training opportunities. That you have a City Dungeon is already a significant bonus,” Labashi says.

  I’m a bit surprised he’s laying all his cards out like that, which makes me slightly suspicious about what he’s hiding.

  “Why not further north with the Duchess and her people?” I ask, frowning. After all, Roxley probably wouldn’t mind their presence. And while the Truinnar might be willing to help us out, I know he wouldn’t do it by harming his interest—or his mistress’s.

  “All her current allocations are earmarked for others. Our Contract includes a headquarters, but only at a later date. We prefer to have one sooner,” Labashi says.

  Right. So that means he’d be willing to pay more, but not outrageously. Thus, while the deal might be good, it won’t be great.

  “All right, let’s talk details. Call me tentatively interested,” I say, leaning forward. Best to hear what he has to say. Maybe I can garner a little more information that way. And I have to admit, a company of Hakarta in town could provide some really outstanding protection.

  ***

  “That all of them?” I say, watching the swaying form of the duck-like creature walk out.

  Weird. So weird. Think Howard the Duck crossed with a cross-dresser. I have to admit, for most of the meeting, I was battling my sense of incredulity.

  “Yes. For today,” Katherine answers.

  “Huh.” I tilt my head toward the exit. “You know, no one’s barged in since you started. And everyone seems to know when to come in, even if we end up chatting a bit.”

  “Ah, a simple matter with a Skill of mine.”

  When she refuses to elaborate, even after a long silence, I push ahead. “You said for today.”

  “Yes. A few more requests have come in since the schedule was created. I plan to have another bloc of such meetings in a few days. At which point, I believe, we should have a clear idea of who and what might be offered,” Katherine elaborates.

  “Nice.” I sigh and lean back. Good. I don’t have to make a damn decision just yet. Even if I know that I can’t push things off too long.

  Chapter 4

  Early morning drives on the West Coast are always beautiful, even if it’s on forest-lined, battered highways leading to indus
trial wastelands. Fighting back a yawn—drawn forth from boredom more than physical cues—I swing Sabre around the mangled corpse of a deer on my way to the meeting.

  Weeks after we’ve taken the cities, things have finally begun to settle down. I’m still hesitating on approving any single Adventuring Guild, even the ones who have dropped by a few times to press their cases. Truth be told, I’m not entirely sure who or how to set up the deal, so I’m procrastinating till a better idea comes along. Luckily, I’ve got Peter, one of my new city managers, researching previous deals made both on Earth and other worlds. It’s as good an excuse as any for delaying.

  Katherine’s recommendation to build out the bureaucracy to run the cities has developed quite well. Kamloops and Kelowna have shaken themselves out pretty fast—an advantage of their tiny populations. There have been few arguments involved, and if anyone does want to bitch about management, they only need to walk down the street. It makes me think about life in small towns and villages, before the industrialization of the world. It makes me think of Whitehorse too, if less political. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not yearning for a time before proper plumbing and professional entertainment, but there’s something to be said about being able to punch in the face the asshole who raised your taxes. Or having your neighbor lend you a gun because it’s the right thing to do.

  “How much farther?” I ask Ali, mostly rhetorically.

  “Uhhh…” Ali blinks, turning his head to the side.

  I look up and blink. “And why are you wearing a turban and a robe?”

  “Seriously?” Ali glares at me, the white robe floating around his feet as he sits. “You know better, boy-o.”

  “Fine. I know it’s not a turban—that’s for Sikhs. I just don’t know the term, at least for men,” I point out.

  “If it’s white, it’s called a keffiyeh and thawb.” A shit-eating grin splits his darkly tanned face. “And I figure we’re meeting Americans, right? Might as well play to their delusions.”