Apocalypse Tamer 2: A LitRPG Adventure, page 14
part #2 of Apocalypse Tamer Series
“Then in case we do not meet again, I wish you all good luck in my new world.” Anton Maxwell made a bow. “It was an honor working with this company.”
“As well, Mr. Maxwell,” Hypathia replied before disappearing. One after another the various digital avatars vanished. Mr. Tamura and Benjamin vanished without a word or gesture. Ashok bowed respectfully at Anton Maxwell before imitating them.
Only Dismaker Labs’ CEO remained alone in the room. He stood motionless for a few seconds, as if checking if any of his board members would return.
Then he revealed his true colors.
“Foolish creatures.” Maxwell’s mouth curled into a contemptuous smile. “Yes, I will fulfill my promises. You will get exactly what you deserve…for what little time this world has left to live.”
Well, that was ominous.
The recording came to an end and Basil abruptly returned to reality. He found Plato sitting in front of him, looking up at his best friend with worried eyes.
“How long have you been there?” Basil asked.
“Minutes. You zoned out for a while.” Plato slouched on the mattress. “What’s up, dog?”
“Oh, nothing.” Basil rested against a steel wall. “Just watching scary corporate videos about the world’s end.”
“Sounds boring,” Plato deadpanned. “Come on, do enlighten me. I love scares.”
Where should he start? That a conspiracy of boring corporate drones managed to bring mankind to its knees, knowing full well what would happen? That their leader clearly played a different game than the rest? That they intended to seal a goddess, and then Kalki? Or that a single death could spell the world’s end?
Yes, Basil should start with the worst and work his way up. That would keep his cat’s expectations of the future low. “I think I know how Estrid’s people summoned the Destroyer now. From what I understood, if Kalki dies then so does the world.”
Plato assessed the news in silence for a few seconds before sighing in despair. He didn’t even question Basil’s words. At this point, he just went along with the flow. “You know he looks like the kind of boy who’ll end up shanked in an alley, right?”
“Yes, which is why we’ve got to find him fast.” Basil gritted his teeth in worry. “I hope we lost contact with Bordeaux due to a technical mishap, but I know better. We’re not that lucky.”
“The world is still here though,” Plato pointed out. “So, whatever happened in Bordeaux, that boy lived through it. There’s still time.”
Basil prayed so. Besides confirming Kalki’s importance, the video hadn’t provided many leads. He heard the names of executives involved in Dismaker Labs’ conspiracy—Hypathia, Benjamin, Ashok, Mr. Tamura—but he had neither their faces nor their family names. Basil would need to crosscheck that information with the company’s records to learn more about these people.
Then he would hunt them down like dogs.
Parts of the discussion also confused him. One of the executives mentioned creating ‘avatars’ of their own. What did he mean by that? Did these five tweak the System to give themselves unfair developer advantages? Walter said Dismaker Labs couldn’t hope to fully control the Trimurti System or they would have made themselves Overgods from the start, but what control did these people truly have? Could they grant themselves access to unique classes or cheat abilities?
And what Maxwell said at the video’s end… foolish creatures. Basil didn’t know what to make of it. It sounded like a mere insult, a revelation of contempt, but the wording bothered him.
In fact, everything about Anton Maxwell sounded unnerving now that Basil thought of it. The man appeared from nowhere according to Neria, built a multi-billion software company that implanted magical servers across the world with no one the wiser, before finally summoning Hindu gods, and then turning Earth into a madhouse
That stretched credibility. That kind of knowledge, of efficiency, was positively demonic.
“Is he human at all?” Basil muttered to himself.
“Excuse me?” Plato asked.
“Maxwell, the man behind it all. How could he invent something as powerful as the neurotowers and spread them around the world without anybody noticing?” Basil would have considered this theory outlandish months ago, but after the apocalypse he had come to believe anything was possible. “It just sounds unbelievable.”
“Maybe he didn’t invent them,” Plato said. “The servers. I think he copied them from the scalies.”
Basil squinted at his cat. “I’m listening.”
“Of course, your human mind cannot see as far as my feline genius, but follow me for a moment,” Plato said, his voice brimming with pride. “The bots and the bugs have been at war for decades, if not more. Earth isn’t even the first place they’ve crashed. Don’t you think one of their gizmos could have found its way here somehow?”
Basil’s eyes widened in surprise. “You think Dismaker Labs based their neurotowers on the Unity’s server design?”
“It spooks me, too, that a human could change the world on his own. I mean, your species can barely find its lost socks. How could you make us cats masters of the world? It’s beyond your meager capabilities.”
Plato’s opinion of Basil’s species was heartening, but he might have guessed correctly. Dismaker Labs could have based their dungeons on existing alien tech. But how did these blueprints arrive on Earth in the first place?
What did Maxwell say? I have no need for godhood; only for a functional gate to the great beyond.
A gate to another world? Were Incursions the end-goal of the System’s arrival rather than a byproduct of them? Basil could only make guesses for now without additional information, yet he felt like he was on the right road to uncover the System’s mystery.
Plato’s expression suddenly darkened. “Will you tell the others? About what we saw on the camera?”
“I’ll have to.” Though his team’s morale would take a hit, Basil didn’t believe in keeping secrets from friends. They always bred discontent or misunderstandings. “Honestly, it feels like tackling global warming on my own. Events are unfolding before my eyes, and I can’t do much on my own to prevent them.”
“Hey, don’t say that.” Plato kneaded his owner’s chest. “Maybe we can change little, but a little is better than nothing. You never know what your actions will have an impact on. Maybe they won’t matter, or maybe they’ll pay off big time. You can’t find out unless you try.”
Basil smiled at his witty cat. “Do you remember why René and I called you Plato?”
“Because I was wiser than both of you?”
“Smartass.” Basil petted his cat behind the ears, making him purr in pleasure. “I should have called you Diogenes and put you in a barrel.”
“Anyway, if you’re done doubting my formidable intellect, Vasi wanted to see you downstairs.” Plato wagged his tail. “Something about crafty this, class that.”
Basil sighed as he rose from his mattress. “All right, I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Mine!” Plato leaped on the makeshift bed the moment his best friend left. “Take your time!”
“Don’t put furballs everywhere please,” Basil grumbled as he traveled down the Steamobile. He found Vasi training on the holomachine in the engine room. The witch remained so focused on the device that she didn’t pay him any mind at first. “Hey, Vasi. You wanted to see me?”
“Ah, Basil, just in time.” Vasi didn’t look away from the holomachine’s mirror-screen. A vision of Wyrde showcased some kind of purple mist spell on its surface. “Since I’m learning new spells and you wanted us to practice as a team, I thought we could discuss your class progression. See how we could develop synergies.”
Basil wondered if he should make her his official class advisor. Certainly, the Guild system could award titles to its members?
“I actually unlocked a new class as a Halloween reward that I wanted to discuss with you,” he said. “Deathknight.”
“Deathknight?” Vasi turned away from the holomachine and raised her eyebrows at him. Basil took it as a good sign. “Are you sure?”
“You’ve heard of it?”
“I have. It’s a rare and powerful prestige class in my world, extremely popular among villains and aspiring dark lords.”
“Charming,” Basil deadpanned. “Should I start dressing in black armor and holing up in a dark tower?”
“No, not unless you want us to settle down,” Vasi reassured him. “Classes don’t affect your mindset. When I said Deathknight is popular among villains, I mean that they’re more likely to unlock the class compared to would-be heroes. From what I’ve heard, you need a very high kill count as an unlocking condition.”
The memory of thousands of undead meals assaulting his castle flashed in Basil’s mind.
“I don’t see what you mean.”
“You do,” Vasi said mirthfully.
“It’s not my fault if bugs and monsters keep throwing themselves at me.” Basil would have been happy sticking to his little corner of the world, but everyone seemed to have a death wish nowadays. “And if a kill count is all that’s needed, then the woods will be crawling with Deathknights soon.”
“They might,” Vasi conceded. “But that’s good news for you, Basil. Deathknight isn’t as good as Berserker in close combat—because Berserker is probably the best in that field—but it’s easily in the top ten melee classes. It offers dark magical powers and most importantly, leadership Perks.”
“It’ll make me a better public speaker?” Basil mused.
“More like you’ll passively buff allies and debuff enemies in your vicinity.” Vasi chuckled. “Why do you think dark lords love it? It helps with whipping orcs and undead soldiers into shape.”
Basil pondered her words. Odd as it felt to him, Deathknight sounded quite useful for a Tamer. Still, he had already invested in too many classes to dedicate himself to yet another.
“I would rather have unlocked a Paladin class,” he confessed. Basil would have loved to strike down demons and dragons like Saint George reborn.
“You won’t,” Vasi replied. “I’m sorry, Basil. I doubt you can unlock Crusader either, or any holy class for that matter.”
“What?” Basil choked. He was an Orthodox rather than a Catholic, but his faith remained unshaken. It had to count for these classes, right? “Why?”
“You have a weak Light affinity,” Vasi explained. “Holy light literally hurts you more than normal people, and these classes make use of it. Considering how affinities work here, I don’t think it will allow you to unlock them.”
“This…this is an outrage!” Basil protested. “Who decides affinities anyway?!”
Player affinities are determined by your history prior to the System’s initialization. You earned a Weak affinity to Light due to your night owl lifestyle.
Basil glared at the screen. Was it karma for a lifetime dedicated to avoiding natural sunlight and playing video games?
Dismaker Labs wishes you a happy apocalypse!
Basil wondered which of the five executives programmed that damn message. He would punch them all just to be sure he didn’t miss the right one.
“How do you even know that?” Basil asked. “I thought Affinities weren’t a thing in your world?”
“To prepare my ritual, I’ve been cross-referencing information with Walter, Orcine, and others,” Vasi replied with a smile. “And it’s simple deduction. If a weak affinity prevents you from learning spells of an element, then it should block access to classes affiliated with one.”
Basil squinted at her. “Are you subtly suggesting I be more sociable?”
“Anyway,” she said, blatantly ignoring the question. “Can I see your current stats? I want to see if one or two stand out from the rest.”
Basil opened his status screen and forwarded it to her through the Logs system.
Name: Basil Jean-François Bohen
Type: Humanoid
Faction: Homeowner Revenge Association (The Bohens)
EXP: 110,018/120,000
Immune: N/A
Resist: Physical, Corrosion, Metal, Wood, Fire, Water, Ailments.
Weak: Manslayer, Soul, Wind, Lightning, Light.
Level: 30 (Tamer 16; Berserker 5; Alchemist 1; Runesmith 1; Gardener 3; Technomancer 3; Fisherman 1)
Health Points: 1480
Special Points: 615
Strength: 46
Agility: 43
Vitality: 32
Skill: 27
Magic: 31
Intelligence: 27
Charisma: 39
Luck: 27
Physical: Strong
Mind: -
Soul: Weak
Corrosion: Strong
Metal: Strong
Wood: Strong
Life: -
Support: -
Ailment: Strong
Fire: Strong
Water: Strong
Earth: -
Wind: Weak
Frost: -
Lightning: Weak
Light: Weak
Darkness: -
Mythic: -
Passive Perks: Monster Charmer III, Slaughterer I, Alchemy I, Monster Lair II, Runic II, Fishing I, Monster Insight
Active Perks: Warp Spasm I, Jardin Secret I, Magitek, Spell: Fire Rune, Spell: Ice Rune, Fuel Technology, Greenhand I, Monster Cure I, One for All I, Spell: Venomous Rune, Spell: Corrosive Rune
“A brawler through and through.” Vasi nodded to herself as she read. “You have excellent physical stats, especially in Strength and Agility, good Charisma, but relatively mediocre Intelligence, Luck and Skill.”
“I’m surprised my Magic is now higher than these three,” Basil said. “I was lagging behind in it.”
His low Intelligence remained a sore spot for him, but he was surprised to see it catching up to his Luck and Skill. Maybe his situation wasn’t so hopeless after all.
“It’s still far too low for you to become a true spellcaster,” Vasi pointed out. “Everyone in the party except for Bugsy has better Magic than you.”
“I don’t need it.” Basil crossed his arms. “We have a pretty balanced party already. Bugsy is our main tank and frontliner. Plato is the flanker, the agile damage dealer. You’re the flying magical artillery. Shellgirl is a long-range fighter and disruptor. Rosemarine is our healer and spawner.”
Vasi chuckled. “I would say she’s a dreadnaught first and healer second.”
“Yeah, well, all of us have secondary focuses.” Shellgirl’s metamorphosis allowed her to draw the enemy’s attention, Vasi could buff allies in a pinch, and Basil’s Monster Cure allowed him to heal his team if needed. “Which leaves me. The Tamer and generalist.”
“My suggestion stands, you should fill out Tamer first,” Vasi said. “Afterwards though, I would suggest taking levels in Deathknight.”
Basil squinted at her. She suggested that he take yet another class? “I thought specialization was the key to success?”
“It is, when done the right way.” Vasi took a pose that reminded Basil of his high-school teachers. It felt slightly patronizing. “Berserker already gave you good melee abilities, but they don’t synergize well with the rest of your build. I suggest taking levels in Deathknight because its Perks will bridge the Berserker levels with your Tamer side. It will empower your melee abilities and strengthen us.”
“What about the classes I already took levels in?” Basil asked with skepticism. “Both Fisherman and Gardener should synergize well with Tamer.”
“After much consideration, I honestly think you should abandon these two,” Vasi replied. “Fisherman is exceptionally dangerous when capped, but its effectiveness heavily relies on the terrain. Unless we settle in a fishing village or trade our shell for a ship, its help will be situational at best.”
“Exceptionally dangerous?” Basil snorted. “Fisherman?”
To his surprise, Vasi gave him a potent glare. “The Fisherman class is illegal in my home country and highly restricted almost everywhere in my world.”
“You’re pulling my leg.”
“I’m not. Most of its Perks are so-so, but the capstone turns almost every fish in a large area into a bloodthirsty killing machine.” Her scowl deepened. “Mad Fishermen wipe out more communities annually than demons, dragons, and fairy lords combined.”
My God, she’s serious. Basil searched her expression for any hint of a joke or mockery. He found none. Take that, Aquaman.
“At least, that’s how the class works in my world,” Vasi finished with a shrug. “We have no guarantee it will offer the same Perks on this one. Gardener will also be less effective now that we no longer have, well, a garden to harvest from.”
“I thought about raising a greenhouse on the Steamobile’s upper floor,” Basil replied. “And we need more food.”
“Even so, this class’ effectiveness will be situational. I agree it will help us more than Fisherman, but unless you intend to return to the Guild periodically, we’ll need it less than a combat-oriented class. Or Alchemist and Technomancer, who should help us create useful items and improve our caravan. I can brew my own potions, but they’ll never compare to what a specialized crafter class can make.”
“So, you say my Fisherman and Gardener levels are wasted?”
“No level is ever wasted,” Vasi replied. “Perks and stat increases are always good to unlock new classes. I don’t think you could have gained access to Deathknight without a Berserker’s proficiency for example. But you should be wary of sunk cost fallacy, Basil. Taking a level in the ‘wrong’ class shouldn’t encourage you to fill it out. Sometimes it’s better to cut your losses and move on to a better choice.”
Basil clenched his jaw. Her advice made sense on paper, but it sounded like a waste to him.
Then again, he didn’t have to make a choice now. He still needed to fill out the Tamer class first before investing in others.
“What do you think of my other options?” Basil asked as he forwarded Vasi his other unlocked classes. “Anything you suggest?”
