Questing for Titles

  A System Apocalypse Short Story

  By

  Tao Wong

  License Notes

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite eBook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Questing for Titles: A System Apocalypse short story

  Copyright © 2020 Tao Wong. All rights reserved.

  A Starlit Publishing Book

  Published by Starlit Publishing

  69 Teslin Rd

  Whitehorse, YT

  Y1A 3M5

  Canada

  www.starlitpublishing.com

  ISBN: 9781989994337

  Questing for Titles

  Golden arches on an elevated billboard glowed in the dark of the night, illuminated internally by Mana lamps and offering the surroundings its only source of illumination. The lights glowed brighter than they ever did before, which allowed the words beneath the sign to stand out even more starkly. Both words and viscera decorated the billboard.

  Over a million served at this location!

  Dried blood, poisoned spittle, and globules of torn flesh covered one portion of the sign, much of it originating from the ground beneath the sign and leading all the way to the sole standing building in its expansive parking lot. To the right of the group that stared at the billboard stood their goal, little concrete barriers helping to designate the drive-through windows. Knee high, clear glass windows offered a view of the inside where overpowered-florescent lights powered by Mana illuminated the familiar red and yellow upholstery and white plastic tables. In the corners, where light failed to penetrate, shadowy figures moved within.

  Of course, only one of the parties would recognize what was normal for florescent lights. Of the three that stood before the building, one was native human, barely breaking five feet in height, clad in a simple white blouse and black slacks that gave her a business casual demeanor. As she stood, she fiddled with the glasses that she still wore, frames adjusted to remove any magnification or light refraction and offered additional data on the System world.

  For most though, it was the other two who would have brought an exclamation of surprise, at least five years back unless you were at a cosplay convention. Before the System Apocalypse, before the changing of everything. One of the figures was over six and a half feet tall, muscled like a steroid-ridden bodybuilder with a simple orange mohawk. More importantly, his green skin and tusks gave a clear indication of the Hakarta’s origins. The space orc wore an eccentric combination of modern tactical wear and silver medieval armor over his body, tactivest holding the double-bladed axe and the pair of belted beam pistols.

  The third figure was a menuhene, a three-foot-tall, chubby and happy pink figure who carried a bow slung over his shoulder and a quiver of arrows by his hip. Mostly though, the menuhene watched the surroundings, fingers twitching by his side, Mana flowing from his eyes and body.

  “The System has a sense of humor it seems. This is the nine hundred ninety-eighth such establishment and there are hundreds more turned into dungeons?” The Hakarta said. “It doesn’t normally highlight individual establishments when they are of great cultural importance.”

  “Well, they did serve over a million humans,” the menuhene said.

  An errant gust of wind brought the stench of rotting corpses to the group. It was strange, but even the smell of rotting flesh had changed since the System, as monsters and aliens whose body compositions were entirely different from the carbon-based life forms of Earth made their way over. This one, mixed with the usual breakdown of human and animal flesh, also consisted of a slight, almost sweet smell, reminiscent of smoked paprika. Smoked paprika, cinnamon and of course, rotten eggs.

  “We told you before, if you wish to speak, speak up!” the menuhene shouted.

  The youngster flinched, tucking her head low. But at the urgings of the menuhene she looked up and saw his Status once more.

  Kyaz Zeal, Brotherhood of Title Guides – Yellow Initiate, Slayer of Goblins, Partaker of Feasts, the Variable Discipline of Moya, Appreciator of the Music of qWaz, more… (Level 18 Kismarnos Guide – Av14)

  Con Variable-9xmil43: 254/254

  ManaAbsorp-xneg-Regen-Overflow-W-minusgras: 540/540

  As always, it took her a few seconds to put together the information that had been showcased to her, comparing it to the same information that she had on her sheet.

  Xi Ping, Wen (Earth Food Guide Level 2 – A-m)

  Health (ConVar): 160/160

  Mana (AbsorpoReg): 180/180

  The Status Screen alteration that she had paid for eleven restaurants back had made understanding other people’s Status information so much easier. She knew that there were actual Classes and Skills that would fix her view of the System completely, but the cost of doing that was too high. At least, until such time as she made enough for a goal. She was going to earn enough to buy the Ares armored food truck - Fireball v2.3 no matter what.

  In the meantime, penny-pinching on things that she absolutely did not require like new Skills to read the System was definitely something she could do. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t done it before, when she’d scrimped and saved to put herself through chef school, all the while working late into the evenings at her father’s restaurant serving fried noodles.

  That she still hadn’t received a Chef Class from the System on integration, but a Foodie Class from the random blogs that she had posted on the Internet rankled. Sure, she had a decent following, but it hadn’t been her passion. Cooking had been.

  Then again, she wasn’t exactly sure if she would accept a Chef class now. After all, it still felt a little like cheating. Using System skills to make food taste better, make your ingredients stretch a little, give buffs. It didn’t feel like proper cooking, not the way she had learnt from her father, from Chef Ward. It was also why so many of the ‘Chefs’ she ran into couldn’t cook any better than a first-year student. They were so focused on their Skills they’d forgotten their skills.

  Still, a portion of the savings was being set aside for a Class reset, just in case she changed her mind. There definitely was something to be said about being able to give full buffs to a party for eating your food. It certainly made for good money. And a Chef or not, she was her father’s daughter, and Yi Ping knew that money mattered if you wanted to keep cooking.

  “Well?” Kyaz asked.

  “The company was innovative for its ability to serve food quickly and cheaply and with good quality. At first. And then, it became quick and cheap,” Xi Ping said. “along with being a sign of American cultural dominance.”

  “You speak, but so often, your words make no sense,” Chogfal rumbled. Xi Ping looked over at the Hakarta, who shook his head. “Dominance is a matter of strength, not… culture.”

  Chogfal Barellyz, Wearer of the Indigo Sash, Partaker of Feasts – Flowers Division, Landslide Architect, Master of the Sixth and Eleventh Form of Opdeff Puzzles, Famed Hunter of vaxX, Asteroid Bounty Hunter, Pilgrim of the Jungle, … (Level 9 Weekly Disaster – Mpv-14.v3)

  Con Variable-13xmil678: 3780/3780

  ManaAbsorp-xneg-Regen-Overflow-W-minusflaxfor+endvar82_ks: 1270/1270

  “Oh, America had strength,” Xi Ping said. “They had the fastest planes, the most modern technological pieces, aircraft carriers and ICBMs and, of course, nukes.”

  “Much good it did when the System came. It fared worse because it had too few people of worthiness!” Chogfal said, pounding his chest. “Strength from Skills and Classes, from warriors is all that matters.”

  “And Titles.” Kyaz said.

  “And Titles.”

  Xi Ping lowered her head again and fell silent rather than argue as it would get her nowhere. In truth, there was little to be argued with. The countries which had been packed with people had been both fortunate and tragic at the same time. They’d been targeted with higher-level creatures, some of which had rampaged and massacred populations, and others which had just found new lairs after their initial surprise, coming out only to snack. Due to the higher volume and higher level of their monsters, they’d lost more people as a percentage of population than other, less dense countries and cities. But dense as many of their cities had been, it had also meant that they had more people.

  With danger came opportunity. Opportunity to Level, to kill and keep killing. Those who managed to survive the initial days and to increase their Levels managed to pile advantage on advantage, working the hard way to climb higher and higher in Levels. Of course, more died than survived, but the uncaring mathematics of numbers meant that heroic survivors began to shine.

  A few, a very few, even managed to kill the titanic monsters that had been portalled into their cities, working in small groups or alone. Titles, Levels and prestige followed those victories. As for other cities, the sheer volume and numbers finished them off. At least, where the cities had not been destroyed entirely.
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  All of which lent itself to the argument that individuals and Levels were more important than technology. For cities that tried the same with Shop-bought equipment often found themselves unable to wield the equipment or unable to secure their victories.

  Chogfal sniffed. “Now, come. Let us clear this dungeon.”

  Xi Ping bobbed her head and fell in behind the hulking Hakarta as he strolled toward the doors. Behind the human female, Kyaz hopped along, his bow unslung from his back. He kept a little farther back than Xi Ping, the human having activated a simple Shield enchantment to keep herself protected.

  Halfway across the empty parking lot, cracked asphalt filled with fallen leaves and plastic bags, the first trap sprung. From the ground, weeds that had forced themselves through gaps exploded into motion, tearing at Chogfal’s legs as they attempted to slide through his armored jumpsuit and drain his blood.

  The weeds slithered and twisted, striking at the Master Classer’s feet and armored jumpsuit. They thrashed, desperate to find purchase, but failed as his high Constitution and defenses refused to give way to the stabbing tendrils of the vegetation. He lifted his foot just once and it tore the vegetation away. Another step, and he stomped down and a Skill-made fire rushed through the cracks, catching upon each of the biotraps hidden beneath. A high, keening whine rose from the ground as the weeds died, burning away.

  “Come. Let us be done with this,” Chogfal said, his pace never changing even as new traps rose to strike at him.

  Muttering quiet agreement, the pair followed.

  ***

  Forty minutes later, the trio stood in the blasted, torn remnants of the kitchen. The dungeon had warped the structure of the building on the inside, making the dining room multiple sizes larger. The corridor to the bathrooms and the bathrooms themselves teemed with monsters and, finally, the kitchen where they found the Alpha.

  The battles had been quick, bloody affairs. Using his axe to carve his way through the animated, virus-ridden Mana-created corpses, Chogfal had led the way. None of the creatures could touch him, and the occasional one that he missed, Kyaz shot down. Xi Ping took little part in the fight, firing the beam pistol in her hand occasionally but mostly, spending the time cowering.

  At the feet of Chogfal lay the Alpha, an overweight Middle Eastern man whose torn uniform did nothing to hide his bulging belly or the pustulant sores that covered his lower body. Every so often, the body twitched, as one of the many controlling parasites that made the zombie creatures escaped, only to be crushed under foot. Without the controlling parasite, the rest were on a long journey to final death.

  “Level 40 dungeon. Pitiful.” Chogfal spat to the side. He glared at the monsters within, before gesturing everyone outwards. As he left, he triggered the numerous explosives he’d left behind, the incendiary devices burning the dungeon to the ground behind him. Only when the structural integrity of the dungeon failed did the Hakarta nod to himself in satisfaction.

  Dungeon Destroyed

  1982 Experience

  “One more, yes?” He said and glared at Kyaz as he dismissed the notification.

  “Yes.” Kyaz nodded his head quickly at his employer.

  “And I’ll be satisfied with this Title?” Chogfal snarled.

  “It’ll be a Title for certain,” Kyaz said. He pointed to the burning remnants of the dungeon. “But you have to acquire the loot from within for destroying the dungeon.”

  “I know,” Chogfal said. “Why do you think we wait here?” He shook his head. “This Title better be worth it, Guide.”

  “I only promised that it would be a rare Title. I’m certain of that much, but more details are uncertain. As you were informed,” Kyaz said, straightening a little. “You know that Title guiding is a difficult matter. Especially on new Dungeon Worlds.”

  Chogfal grunted. Looking around, the Hakarta gestured for the group to leave. They had a long way to go before they made it to the next Dungeon.

  ***

  The creak of metal echoed throughout the machine, the hiss of hydraulics shifting the numerous legs a dull and unending accompaniment to the evening’s ride. The vehicle that traversed the sloped, majestic heights of the Nepalese alps walked on accordion-like hydraulically powered feet, bearing the large, bullet-shaped body across the rough terrain. The cavernous insides of the walking behemoth had been divided into multiple cabins for rest, while Riggers, Mechanics and Gunmen ran around on the curved railing outside. Occasional blasts emanated from the vehicle to destroy incoming monsters, lighting up the surroundings with their fire.

  The Ugdam had been pieced together from the hull of a cruise ship. It had been reshaped and modified with multiple legs and layers of mobile tank armor which had been reworked by Machinists, Mechanics and Blacksmiths as necessary to provide additional protection. Slapped-on Shop purchased beam weaponry had been added to the vehicle, with cabling run against the empty interior bulkheads to the Mana engine which replaced the engine of yore. Of course, the Mana engine was a tenth the size of the old oil burner, along with being significantly stronger.

  All of which meant that much of the internal drivers had been ripped out to give even more space for the backup Mana batteries and the hydraulics that moved the legs. With a total of twelve different limbs, the Ugdam had significant backups and flexibility in movement. Unfortunately, that came with the necessary drawback of drawing monsters on the regular. Luckily, between the Captain, Vice-Captains and Ship Owner’s combined Skills along with the unceasing watch of the Gunmen, most monsters on their path were easily dealt with.

  “I can’t wait for the teleportation networks to be finished like a civilized world,” Chogfal said, not for the first or fifteenth time to Xi Ping.

  The young lady ducked her head, lips pressed together in irritation.

  Chogfal snorted.

  Kyaz spoke up, offering a placating smile. “Even if they did have one, the Dungeons we go to are unlikely to be on it.”

  “Bah. It’s because these Dungeons are so scattered…” Chogfal trailed off as the door to the shared dining room creaked open.

  Pushing against the heavy metal obstruction, a Jarack strode in, glancing around. Her eyes fell upon Chogfal, widening into a wide grin that showcased her jackal-like features even further as she strolled over. Behind her, a Grimsar followed, who spotted Kyaz and offered a short nod in acknowledgement.

  “Chogfal… so good to see you.” The female Jarack looked up purposely at Chogfal’s Status, then let her gaze fall as she continued. “Still no luck acquiring a new Title?”

  “Edval,” Chogfal greeted her curtly, ignoring her barb. At her next sentence, he looked up automatically.

  Edval Lurra, Zeus’s Chosen, Betrothed of the Lodre Clan, Tushai Varz, Valedictory of the Eleven Lakes, Mistress of the Six Scarves and Fourteen Spotted Lilies, … (Rolling Thunder Level 9) (M)

  HP: 2984/2984

  MP: 3214/3214

  “You…”

  “Yes, just got it on our last run,” Edval said, preening. “Bateqa was right. We managed to finish the labors of this Hercules and acquire a Title.”

  “Hercules?” Chogfal said.

  “Some mythical human, supposedly with great Strength. Couldn’t be more than a few hundred though,” Edval said, sniffing. “And it was a bit of a cheat, using what we know. The last task was a bit difficult, having to lift an Earth Elemental for an evening.”

  “You lifted it yourself?” Xi Ping said, surprised.

  “Well, no. We used a series of gravitic beams to hold it off the ground and when the night was over, we blasted it to bits. But setting it up took forever,” Edval said. “Still, it was worth the Title.” Again she grinned, her mouth lolling open and tongue sticking out as she looked at Chogfal. “Human Titles really are worth it.”

  Taunted again, Chogfal leaned forward. His curiosity finally gave way to his irritation and jealousy and he asked to see it.

 

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