The Apocalypse is a Side Quest: Book Three, page 24
Nathan remained silent, sensing that she wasn’t finished.
“Even our parents were like that,” she said. “They didn’t expect much from you, despite it all. And when you failed what they saw as low expectations, they gave up completely.”
Nathan scratched the back of his neck. Sure, he wasn’t really sore about it now, but…
“Is there any reason why you’re dredging all this up?” Nathan asked.
“It’s just that…” A small chuckle came out of her mouth. “I always disagreed with them. Even back then, I could feel it. You outshone me in every way; they just couldn’t see it at the time.”
Nathan couldn’t help the snort that escaped his nose. “Not sure what you were expecting from a college dropout who failed at everything he ever did.”
“That’s not true at all.”
“What, failing at everything?”
“Nathan, it’s not failure if you never took it seriously.”
Nathan felt himself jolt back. When did she…?
“I don’t know what you’re talking about?”
She seemed to stare at him through the mask.
“Nathan, I’ve seen your Peaceful Valley posts. You put more effort into your farms than most people put into their actual jobs.”
Nathan scoffed. “But that’s just a game.”
“Still, my point stands. You’ve always been exceptional, Nathan. You just have a bit of trouble showing off that talent of yours. All it took was an apocalypse for everyone to see how cool my little brother is.”
She stepped forward and ruffled his hair. Nathan’s left eye twitched. He was about to shrug her off when she spoke.
“I’m proud of you, Nathan.”
Nathan’s heart stopped in his chest. His body froze in place before he sighed and looked off to the side.
“Look at me,” he muttered. “Number one in the apocalypse, and I can still get flustered by compliments from my sister.”
He managed to turn back toward her, a small frown on his face.
“So why go to all this trouble? Why hide your identity from me?” he asked.
She was quiet for a full minute.
“Because I was ashamed,” she said.
Nathan furrowed his eyebrows. “But why? What were you ashamed of?”
“A lot of things. I was ashamed of how I failed to stop my husband, of how useless I was compared to you. Ashamed of everything the Harrowed Hand had done, that he had done.”
“I wouldn’t have cared. You’re my sister.”
“But I would’ve cared. I still do.” She took a few steps back. “I told you, remember? You’re exceptional. You’re finally reaching your potential. You don’t need me dragging you down, acting like a burden.”
The vigilante—no, Sarah, his sister—reached into her inventory, pulling out one of those damned portal scrolls everyone with the Harrowed Hand seemed to have.
“Wait!”
Her fingers paused.
“Can I see your face? Just once?”
For a few long moments, nothing happened. Then Sarah reached up and pulled off the porcelain mask.
Nathan studied every curve of her expression. The same blue eyes, the same dirty blond hair. But her smile—it was older, more weathered than he remembered. There was a weariness at its edges, an exhaustion Nathan saw every time he looked in the mirror.
“You haven’t changed a bit,” Nathan said.
“Liar.”
He reached out his hand for her. An offer.
Her eyes lingered on it before she smiled at him and shook her head.
She averted her gaze and activated the portal scroll. It lit up brightly, and she stepped backward into the opening in space. It closed behind her, leaving Nathan alone beside a dead body.
The next few hours were a flurry of activity as the terms of surrender were negotiated and carried out. Most of the Harrowed Hand weren’t truly loyal to Gabriel. Once they learned he was dead, it was like a switch flipped in their minds. The magically brainwashed ones had all turned. Without their original controller, they were free.
They worked out the details: Clarence would take a significant advisory role, but Anand would lead in managing the former Harrowed Hand members. Meanwhile, Sticks continued to govern the other Delver town. Plans were already in place to expand the other towns and open trade between them.
[Quest Completed: Subdue the Kraken]
Nathan wandered to the outskirts of his town, knowing that stepping outside would launch him into the next circle, having fulfilled his goal. Lily, the flower fused to his arm, was noticeably drooping and quiet. She’d been a wild blur of petals and fury during the kraken fight, but now she was utterly conked out.
“Lily?” he whispered. “You there?”
Nothing.
He felt a chill run down his spine. Wild scenarios filled his mind. Had she died? Had she exhausted her power beyond recovery? What would he do?
A… snore?
Why could he hear a snore?
Was she sleeping?
The fear flowed out of him, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
Nathan was worried… but he wasn’t sure what to do. For now, he’d just keep an eye on things.
Two sets of footsteps approached from his left and right. A hand clapped his shoulder.
“Nathan, old buddy, old pal,” Chad said.
Nathan glanced back to see Chad and Mara, their faces dirt-stained and exhausted—a mirror of how Nathan felt.
“How you doing?” Mara asked.
“Fine.”
The two sat down on either side of him. Chad coughed into his hand. “So, uh… small thing. I got a class upgrade.”
Nathan raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? That fast?”
“Yeah. I leveled right at the end of the kraken fight. I’m still picking between a few options,” Chad said with a grin. “They’re all kinda weird, but in a fun way. I’ll let you know what I land on.”
“Well, congrats. Let me know if one of them lets you talk less.”
“No promises,” Chad said.
“We saw the vigilante take off her mask… then disappear,” Mara added, brushing a twig from her tangled hair.
“How’d you even see that?”
“I let him borrow one of my sniper rifles, and we were both watching,” Mara said.
“You voyeurs.”
“Yeah, yeah. But how’d the conversation go? Was she really your sister?” Chad asked.
Nathan let out a long sigh and shook his head. “Family is complicated.”
“You think you’ll find her again?”
“I know I will. And I’m going to get us to the bottom of these circles, so we can all be free to do… normal people things.”
“What do normal people even do?” Mara waved her handgun for emphasis. “I mean, I don’t think they’ll let me shoot people back on Earth.”
“I was thinking we could get barbecue or something when we get back,” Nathan said.
Chad shrugged. “I could go for some barbecue.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever had barbecue. Does it taste good?” Mara asked.
“It’s the best.”
They spent a few more minutes shooting the breeze. Despite everything, Nathan found himself relaxing.
Maybe, with friends like these, the apocalypse wasn’t so bad after all.
But all good things had to end. Eventually, Nathan decided it was time to head to the next circle. He planned to open the portal, step inside, and rest for the next twenty-four hours. Someone else could map out whatever was happening next.
No, Nathan was getting a nice, long break.
Nathan glanced back at his friends. “Like I said, I’ll open the portal, and then you guys come on through and set up an outpost or something. After that, I’m going to sleep for the next day.”
“You got it!” Chad said. “And hey, maybe I’ll have a new title by then.”
“I’m gonna kill so many monsters—”
Nathan ignored them both and stepped through the portal.
Immediately, Nathan found himself falling through a black void. He let the wind rush past him, waiting for a stopping point. Suddenly, his body slammed into sand, the gritty texture mingling with the wind. The salty breeze filled his senses. Had he returned to the Fourth Circle? He blinked hard. No, he recognized this place. He scooped up a pile of sand and rubbed it between his fingers, letting the individual grains fall to the ground.
“Thalassa?” he called. “Are you there?”
Nathan was almost certain he was inside his soulscape. He’d been intercepted again.
“No, just me.”
A chill ran down Nathan’s spine. He spun around to face a figure whose body shimmered with stars, like the night sky compressed into human form.
“B32.”
Nathan braced for the fight of his life. He slid his left foot back, raising his arms. Could he access his inventory here? He’d find out soon enough. No matter what, he wasn’t about to lose after coming this far.
“Oh, cool your jets, for goodness’ sake. Can’t a man get a conversation?”
Nathan blinked. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
B32 waved him off. “You finished me off, buddy. You did the impossible. You, a lesser mortal, killed the System. Well, more like put me to sleep for good, but same difference.”
Nathan’s hands lowered slowly. “What are you talking about?”
“Your bet was right. I was vulnerable when I was possessing the Creed guy. I could’ve tried to escape earlier, but I was too deeply embedded in him by then. It would’ve taken too much time—time you would’ve used to kill me anyway. I was stuck, and I paid for it.”
“So what’s this about? Why are you here?”
Waves lapped against Nathan’s ankles.
“Part of it is I don’t have a choice. You’re like a black hole for energy at this point. What was left of my essence got sucked into you. So, congratulations! You’re stuck with the corpse of a System inside your soul. It won’t do anything, but you can show it off to any would-be visitors.”
“You said ‘part of it.’ What’s the other reason?”
“I figured I might as well ruin your day before I fade.” The System smirked. “You know by now I’m not the only System. There are others far worse than me.”
“You’re talking about her.” The air grew colder.
“Yes, I’m talking about her. The energy you’ve been outputting has sent system alerts all the way up the chain. You wanted attention? You’ve got it—especially with that divine blessing you absorbed. You might’ve gotten away with it when you were just a ridiculously lucky fisherman. Now? She’s going to be very unhappy that you unbalanced her plate. What’s more, she’ll smell the divinity coming off you.”
“Is that supposed to scare me?” Nathan asked.
“Yes—”
“So what?” he said. “I’ve been scared since this whole thing began. I was scared when you dropped me into the tutorial, when I fought dinosaurs in the First Circle, when I was caught in the Dustend, when Delvers started flooding my town, and when I faced the kraken. My life has been nothing but fear. I’ve been constantly outmatched, outgunned, and thrown into situations where I should’ve died.”
“So you’re saying this is just another problem for you—?”
Nathan scoffed. “Hell no. Like, every time I think it’s about to get easier, everything somehow contrives to become worse. It’s like the universe is personally out to screw me over.”
B32 seemed taken aback, as if expecting a different response. “So… what’s your plan?”
Nathan shrugged. “Same thing I’ve been doing: fight as hard as I can and hope I make it to the bottom.”
For a moment, B32 was silent. Then he chuckled, the sound growing into full-bellied laughter. He gripped his starry stomach, shaking with mirth. “Sweet Systems above, I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t that!” He wiped a nonexistent tear from his eye. “You’ve just been winging it from the start, haven’t you?”
“Did I ever give you the impression I wasn’t?”
B32’s laughter faded to a breathless chuckle. “I built you up in my head as this insane monster, when really, you were just as confused as me.” He shook his head. “You’re strong, I’ll give you that. No other lesser being has done what you’ve done. Maybe you can pull off another miracle.” He paused, seeming to weigh something in his mind. “Since I’m done for anyway, I might as well offer a bit of advice.”
Nathan perked up. “What?”
“For all her power, she’s slow, blind, and dumb. She’s a force of nature, not a thinking being in the traditional sense. Once her attention locks onto you, there’s little you can do. But a force can be fooled in ways a person wouldn’t be. The problem is, not all of her is like that. Parts of her awaken sometimes, and one small fraction will likely take an interest in what you’ve done. That’s the one to watch out for.” B32 hesitated. “You can’t kill her. You can’t kill gravity. But you can defy it for a while. The elves attracted her attention once, and some made it back to their home world. If anyone can help you, it’s them. That was centuries ago, and the details are probably lost, but maybe…”
Nathan absorbed the information as the temperature continued to drop. He rubbed his arms, trying to coax warmth back into them.
B32 glanced at his hand, which began disintegrating into dust. “One last gift. Call it recognition.”
A system window flickered to life in front of Nathan.
[Achievement get: Victor’s Spoils]
Defeated a System Administrator, an unprecedented feat in the history of the apocalypses.
When Nathan finished reading, he looked up to see B32’s body nearly gone, crumbling away. By the time it fully disintegrated, only a small metal cube remained. Nathan picked it up and inspected it.
[System Corpse]
The remains of a dead System Administrator. Once a fifth-dimensional being, now reduced to its base components.
Nathan stared at the system windows. He’d… done it. He killed the System.
He felt strangely empty.
Part of it was that this wasn’t even his true enemy. There was still another obstacle. One far worse and far more dangerous than anything he could’ve conceived.
He dared not even think of it in detail.
The hard truth was that he was lucky. He’d been lucky back when he first got a thousand points. He’d been lucky that his skills had been so bizarrely useful. He’d been lucky, lucky, lucky—
But that wouldn’t roll anymore.
Nathan was going to keep his friends alive, come hell or high water.
The sky above him cracked, the earth shook, and he fell through the ground, into the next circle.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Nathan’s eyes snapped open. Droplets of water plinked and plunked off in the distance, creating an echo. He was on the inside of the cavern, almost completely dark if not for a glowing pool off to his side.
“The more things change, the more they stay the same,” he muttered.
When he sat up, he received a system notification.
[Select your Platinum class upgrade!]
Nathan felt his heart skip a beat.
“I must’ve triggered the conditions for upgrading my class when I descended to the next level,” Nathan said.
Well, that was just dandy.
When was the last time he’d had the opportunity to pick a class? It had been… ages ago. Nathan eagerly started looking through the various options.
[Mariner Forgemaster]
[Like a fisherman crafting nets, you can now shape water and storm into deadly tools. You can mold water into solid weapons—tridents, whips, or shields—that last for an hour and spark with electricity, shocking enemies on contact (e.g., a trident stab deals extra lightning damage). You can weave a 20-foot net of electrified water to trap foes, slowing their movement for 30 seconds or until they break free.]
It was an oddly specific set of abilities. Nathan found himself pausing at the idea. It was certainly tempting to be able to just… make weapons at will. Nathan could imagine him losing his harpoon and then using this to make a new one.
[Deep Sea Herald]
You channel the terror of the deep, becoming a messenger of the ocean’s mightiest beasts. You can now summon a massive, spectral tentacle from any body of water within 50 feet. It can grapple enemies, crushing them with deep-sea pressure and shocking them with lightning for 10 seconds before vanishing. Usable once every 3 minutes. Your aura unnerves foes within 20 feet, reducing their attack accuracy as they feel the weight of the deep. Sea creatures instinctively aid you, from fish guiding you to safe paths to sharks harrying your enemies.
This was pretty cool as well. The idea of being able to summon massive tentacles to crush his enemies was really badass.
[Hurricaneborn]
You spin storms like a fisherman mending nets, weaving wind and water into deadly patterns. You can now create a 15-foot-wide cyclone of wind and electrified water that you can move around. It pulls enemies toward its center, dealing continuous lightning damage and slowing their movement. You’re immune to wind-based knockback and take 25% less damage from ranged attacks while in a storm or cyclone. Your body crackles with static, granting a chance to dodge melee attacks as a spark jolts you aside. You can walk on water or fog as if it’s solid ground, letting you navigate storms with ease.
So this would let him move around his maelstrom? Or perhaps this cyclone would be a separate ability? Either way, it seemed really cool… plus this would let him freaking walk on water?
Nathan was about to select one impulsively when he paused and decided that maybe it would be a good idea to wait until he knew what the main quest was before he jumped into any decisions.
Nathan was now comfortably back on top with his upgraded race and class.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a glint.
He stood to his full length and approached the pool of water at the edge of his vision. His eyes widened.
He’d recognized that water anywhere. It was the same strange water that he’d encountered on his very first day in the apocalypse.
