Apocalypse Crusade: A Dungeon Crawler LitRPG Adventure (Gravity And Divinity System 3), page 1
Apocalypse Crusade
A Dungeon Crawler LitRPG Adventure (Gravity And Divinity System 3)
Hunter Mythos
Copyright © 2023 Hunter Mythos
All rights reserved
The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Cover
I'm dedicating this to my mom for being patient with me during our most difficult years.
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Cover
Dedication
1. Underworld Intro (I)
2. Underworld Intro (II)
3. Underworld Intro (III)
4. Heroic Assassin
5. Talking Heads
6. Who We Hold Close
7. To Love And Learn
8. Operation Auction
9. Operation Party
10. Operation Grave
11. Operation Beach
12. Beach Episode
13. A Weirdo Assassin
14. Intro to Benefactors (I)
15. Intro to Benefactors (II)
16. Intro to Benefactors (III)
17. Multifaceted Problems
18. Sea of Death (I)
19. Sea of Death (II)
20. Sea of Death (III)
21. Sea of Death (IV)
22. Sea of Death (V)
23. Sea of Death (VI)
24. End of Death (I)
25. End of Death (II)
26. Dealing with Devils
27. The Lows and Highs
28. Jay and Kleo, Rank 3
29. Monstrous Heroes
30. Back to the Junkyard
31. Trying to Keep Up
32. Hong Kong Pit Stop
33. Hong Kong Vengeance (I)
34. Hong Kong Vengeance (II)
35. Hong Kong Vengeance (III)
36. Traveling With Family
37. The Spider Palace Crawl
38. Death, Love, Devotion
39. The 72 Immortals
40. Team Childhood: Morning
41. Team Childhood: Rager
42. Team Childhood: Friends
43. Team Childhood: Coffee
44. Team Childhood: Comedy
45. Global Crusade Aftermath
End of Book Three
Extra Goodies
About The Author
Facebook Groups
LitRPG Group
1. Underworld Intro (I)
Jay plummeted from the sky, the dark and rainy October evening flowing around him. He landed silently on the corner of a busy intersection in Downtown. With a subtle flex of his System magic, multiple powers on his profile flicked on and off.
Some powers cloaked his entrance near the crime scene. These powers pacified the more perceptive Systemless humans around him. He had to consider the humans as close friends to keep them calm, a level of self-deception Jay could do easier than most people.
After all, Jay was crazier than most people. And he knew it.
As long as nobody had a strong reason to panic or forced themselves to do so, Jay could use his mind tricks to walk, fly, or strut around naked among mundane humans without alarming them much. Too bad he wasn’t in the mood to play around right now.
He’d been having a rough time as of late. The aftermath of the Junkside War last week was hurting Jay more than anything he’d suffered from slaying the Roach King and his three hundred murderhobo gangsters. The burdens Jay carried now made the Night of Knives and the slaughter of over two hundred assassins look like child’s play.
The end results echoed with more consequences as the days passed. Jay’s 67 Intellect was still trying to wrap his mind around it all. At the very least, he had something simple and personal to focus on tonight.
It was something that royally pissed him off, too, even if he was pretending to be fine inside and out. This self-deception stuff came in handy during times like these.
In front of him was a ritzy cafe. A five-star place he’d never dreamed of entering before he became a Champion, before he became Pantheon Commander. On the cafe’s busiest nights, it hosted the big who’s who of his city. From the mayor and his civil affiliates, to a couple of famous Hollywood types claiming this city as their home away from home, to the Uptown mafia who ruled the underworld from here to the greater parts of Central Florida.
You needed money to reserve a booth at the cafe or have a special in with someone you know.
And you were supposed to dress appropriately. Like a big wig.
Jay ducked under the yellow police tape while wearing his rainy-day crocs. His socks were stuffed into the pouch of his all-weather hoodie. Everything he wore, from his joggers to his watch, bore the Protectorates’ colors, mostly black with strong gold trims and subtle white accents. The Guarding Lion insignia showed on the left side of his hoodie’s chest.
Even with all of that on, most people overlooked him since they didn’t think an infamous guy like him could be so short. The first person to recognize him wasn’t even from this part of town. The homeless Junker spotted Jay, picked up his trash bags filled with stuff, and fled from the area.
Two police officers standing watch at the cafe lobby quieted as soon as Jay entered, his crocs squeaking across the marbled floor. The police officers moved to get in his way, but Jay didn’t pay them much mind. He was busy looking around with his own eyes. From what he could see visibly, not everything matched up with what he’d noticed spatially.
“Hey, kid, this is an active crime scene here,” barked one of the police officers, his hands on his belt. He took a more aggressive stance while Jay looked up at the ceiling panels.
The mafia had hidden drug packages in the enclosed spaces above. Lots of drugs. The police weren’t aware of the big potential bust right over their heads.
“Get the hell out of here before I show you the way out!” shouted the aggressive police officer.
“Seriously, you better run off now. You don’t want to be anywhere near here,” said the other officer with a more friendly but cautious tone. He put a hand in front of his aggressive partner and addressed Jay kindly. “See that broken window over there. Some marksman shot a Champion right in the dome while she was having dinner here. There’s gonna be hell to pay when those kids get to looking into this.”
“Those aren’t kids. Those are monsters,” snapped the other officer. “So you better scram, kid, cuz I hear the girl they shot is a witch. She’ll curse you and make you melt inside out. Just like my ex-wife.”
The meaner police officer kept on yakking, adding a crass insult about his ex-wife while using a word that rhymed with witch. When it became obvious Jay wasn’t moving– he was busy sensing others of importance on their way here– the meaner police officer grabbed Jay by the shoulder.
No matter what the officer tried to do, he couldn’t make Jay budge.
Not even a fraction of an inch.
“Only one of us is a true monster, but that’s doing her an injustice,” Jay said quietly, his voice ruffling the air with dim hints of purple. “She’s a super monster and a sweetheart. She can be a little vain, but we all have our quirks.”
The police officers stared at the purple ripples in the air, their eyes widening in growing fear. For this occasion, Jay didn’t bother thinking of them as friends. They were free to react without having their emotions pacified. They took a few steps back to get away from him.
Jay took one step forward. He slipped between them like a fast-moving breeze. He stood where they were trying to retreat. They bumped into him, their backs to his back. Both officers jumped like a scary monster had caught them from behind.
“You should also be careful with what you’re insinuating,” Jay warned. “You put witch a little too close to a nasty word. Hailey will take offense. You should have a toilet nearby for the next couple of days.”
As if on cue, the meaner police officer bent forward, clutching his stomach. He cussed in pain as his partner panicked. The meaner police officer ran for the restroom, leaving his partner behind.
“He’ll survive,” Jay said. “Hailey’s a bit more cruel these days, but she’s not really evil. She got shot in the head, so forgive her if she lashes out a little.”
“But she isn’t here!” shouted the friendlier officer. “We saw her walk off the headshot and leave.”
“Of course you did,” Jay said.
“Wait, wait, I recognize you now,” the police officer said, his horror growing. “You’re the–”
“Speak not that name,” Jay said, his right eye glinting a devilish purple. “It has more dreadful meaning behind it now.”
The man sealed his lips.
A dark and nearly unnoticeable magic field of gravity surrounded Jay. He tilted toward the sitting area and fell casually in that direction, leaving behind the gawking police officer.
Jay turned the corner and entered the dining room where a forensics team and a pair of detectives worked. Local law enforcement had gott
The MPC kept watch over things like a hawk while putting their energy into other endeavors. They monitored any suspicious actors leaving or entering the city and reported up the chain to either Senior Agent Cabana or War Chair Frank. Unfortunately, their enemies had gotten more cunning lately.
“Jay Luckrun?” one detective called.
“That’s me,” Jay said, hovering over to the detectives. He touched down in front of the spot where Hailey’s blood stained the floor.
Jay crouched down and sniffed the air. He was no Tim, but his 120 Perception and [Perceptive Highness] Talent could filter through different scents. He picked up Hailey’s favorite brand-name perfume.
He didn’t really need to sniff that out since Hailey was standing right next to him. She was invisible to the humans. But the act gave Jay more legitimacy to his part as some villainous inhuman, the Devil of the Champions, a homicidal maniac with no remorse, a nigh unstoppable beast who could only be controlled by the goddess-to-be or the people’s hero.
The public were getting really creative with the stories involving Jay and his Champions now.
The investigators shifted uncomfortably as Jay stayed in a crouch position, wordless. He was in the middle of a deep thought. He wondered how someone could shoot Hailey and get away from her. It felt abnormal based on Jay’s experiences so far. Most fights started and ended with the attackers dying and being used up as Experience for levels and ranks.
Jay could only assume the narrative had shifted suddenly. The Champions would have to readapt to a new paradigm of challenge and change before fully understanding it. The more Jay thought about it, the more troubled he felt. The issue was becoming more obvious.
The System was at work against them. Jay could see that happening right now. Their Chance Statuses were hovering closer to the bottom than normal.
Hailey’s Chance: x2/x10 CM.
Jay’s Chance: x3/x15 CM.
“It’s going to be an interesting night,” Jay drawled softly, sending out more purple ripples that spooked the investigators. “Sorry you got interrupted with your public work, Hailey. Would it be terrible to ask if you can assist on the other side of the job, the violent work?”
Hailey, the Public Chair, looked out the window where the bullet with her name on it had come through. Her long dark brown tresses for hair swished with her movement. Her face was unreadable. Then it morphed slightly, her eyes tinting dark. Her soft lips parted to reveal needle-like fangs that weren’t always there– her illusions blending her affinity with reality.
If she wasn’t hiding from plain sight, she would probably hiss. Her new Unseelie Affinity and her Rank 3 evolution had changed her. She was more in tune with her darker self now, something touching on wicked fairy myths. Then again, Hailey might’ve always had a darker side. She kept that hidden under surface while doing PR for the pantheon.
The police jerk from earlier wasn’t too far off to call Hailey a witch, but she could be more sinister than that. Which made her moment of grave weakness even more amazing and aggravating.
“Next time, keep your illusions up when you’re alone in public,” Jay commanded. “I know it’s a bother, but you are precious to us, Hailey. And your sisters are hurting after hearing the news. A few of them are on their way now.”
“Um, sir, the Champion you’re speaking about isn’t here,” a detective said as Hailey paced around the room angrily.
She stopped to scream at the corner, her magic suppressing her voice so no human could hear her. Jay imagined being the wicked trickster and witch of the Champions meant getting caught like this was hurtful to Hailey’s pride. This would burn her up on the inside for a while.
Jay figured that would be a good thing. It would make her more careful in the future.
Hailey stopped throwing a tantrum once she noticed the others getting closer. She was still bothered, but at least she had family here.
Jay did another scan of the restaurant to make sure there were no surprises. He couldn’t find anything. He had enough gravity sense where he could map a 1000 feet in all directions comfortably. By withdrawing that radius and concentrating on what was nearby, Jay could fine tune his search.
One scan would’ve been enough. But Jay looked warily at the Chance Statuses of all the Champions coming together at this restaurant. Other than the [Starter Fighters], he didn’t like what he was seeing. He did another scan just in case and noticed something particular on the second go around.
It was in the septic tank. The thing lacked a gravity presence. There should be an object pushing aside the waste matter surrounding it.
Jay recognized this from the cloaking magic the Yoroachian Grunts had used. That magic kept them undetected even from supernatural senses, which left holes in his spatial gravity sense. Someone had similar powers or readapted the monsters’ abilities, and now they were using it for no good.
The problem came down to if Jay should make a big stink of it (excuse the pun) and get everyone out of the restaurant. That risked alerting the bomber, who could be watching by camera. Or he could play it nonchalantly. Then see if he could have the concealed thing disabled before whatever it contained blew up and killed a bunch of innocent people.
Jay stood up and used his wormhole whisper to tell the Champions gathering outside to halt and wait. He scanned all around him. He didn’t get any pings for his [Slayer of Assassins] Title within a 1000-foot radius. It was unfortunate, but well-cloaked assassin weapons could slip by his Title. General use tools could also slip by his Title. It might get more sensitive when he ranked up.
Until then, he’d have to search for the assassins themselves rather than the tools they used. He expanded his spatial-g radius to 2000 feet. His Intellect worked hard to account for so many details as he scanned patiently.
Jay got a ping.
It was in the opposite direction of where the shooter would’ve nested to target Hailey. Jay focused his attention on the would-be bomber, his head etching out vivid details like a 3D sketchpad in purple. He used his [Analyze] Talent since the bomber was seen by him now.
The person was a mid Rank 2 female. She was in her late twenties. She was looking at her laptop intently. In her hand was a remote, her thumb already pressed on the trigger button. She only needed to remove her thumb from the trigger and explode the restaurant.
“Tricky,” Jay said, looking away from the hidden cameras and wired mics staged around the room. He’d assumed different interested parties would try to record the who’s who while they were having food and coffee. Any of those cameras and mics could belong to the bomber.
Recording equipment turned out to be in a gray area that didn’t get highlighted specifically. The cameras wouldn’t work on Jay or any Champion, but the bomber could pay attention to the reactions of the detectives and forensic team. The bomber was probably waiting for more Champions and more reactions from the plain humans.
“Not enough Chance per my liking, but it would have to do,” Jay said before giving Tim very detailed orders with his wormhole whisper. Jay could speak from afar not by sound, but by gravity. His voice transmitted regardless of the distance as long as they were within his range of Perception.
Outside the restaurant, Tim nodded to the air beside his face and leaped straight onto the rooftop. He pulled out his bow from his bag of holding and aimed per Jay’s instructions. Tim shot a magic arrow that he could guide while it was in flight. Jay watched and instructed while Tim made real-time adjustments as his arrow neared the target.
Right before impact, Jay said, “[Horizondancer].”
***
[Horizondancer (Super), Level 30]: You are the center of pivotal events, where your gravity holds precedence within a fluctuating range that’s more than physical. At the apex of this Skill’s power, slow time until its imperceptible from being frozen, affecting all except those you choose to retain awareness or those who play pivotal roles recognized by Chance. Expect exuberant Mana costs dependent on the occasion. Using this Skill for lesser reasons will drastically hinder effectiveness, but it will heavily reduce the Mana cost. It can only be used once in between short or long rest periods and cannot be used by your familiar. Leveling up increases effectiveness and association with Chance.
