by Wolfe Locke
Notification: Query - Restriction Rescinded, Status Crusader Recruit.
Details: Upgrade Information General Advice.
Reflective Damage (0/5) - Reflective Damage deals a proportional damage, both magic and physical, back to an attacker.
Thorn Skin (0/10) - Deals flat physical damage to anything within melee range.
Augment Jump (0/5) - Increases jumping ability by 0.1 per stat point invested into magic.
Basic Targeting (0/3) - Highlights some enemy weak points and helps to guide attacks.
With the 8 upgrade points you have remaining, it is recommended that you choose Basic Targeting, Augment Jump, and Reflective Damage. You can afford 1 point of each.
“Let’s go with that then,” I muttered as I made the selections. “And now onto the main event.” I reached into my pocket and grabbed the platinum token like Griswold had made me do, and said, “Redeem.” His words echoed in my mind as I was reminded of him asking me again and again what I’d chosen. He must have had a reason, if that was all a trick.
Please Choose An Ability
Firebolt, Magic Missile, Cover of Darkness
(Skip These - Note: Once a choice has been discarded, it cannot be revisited.)
I skipped. These weren’t what I was looking for, and Griswold had warned me against getting any of them. This was low hanging fruit that I was pretty sure a lot of people before me had opted into out of fear of losing out.
Please Choose An Ability
Impenetrable Armor of the Kraken, Ever-Burning Phoenix Fire, Aura of Regeneration
(Skip These - Note: Once a choice has been discarded, it cannot be revisited.)
I skipped those too. If Griswold had been giving me tips discreetly, it had meant I needed to wait. Griswold didn’t know what was beyond King of Dragons and Holy Purge, and I didn’t plan on finding out either. The FOMO was too much. I stopped skipping when I reached Holy Purge and selected it. If I was going to be a Crusader, it only made sense to me.
Notification: Ability Unlocked - Holy Purge.
Details: This ability grants the user the power to rain down on an enemy the wrath of heaven. This is an area of effect ability. This ability does heavy damage to the undead, corrupted, and the dark. It deals no damage to other holy targets.
I nodded, that seemed pretty good to me, and I could practically taste the power I wielded in my hand now. It was sharp, like ozone. I was going to check out the Settlement and Item Synthesis tabs on the upgrade terminal, but I realized I could hear the shouts of men coming from outside. I went ahead and grabbed my bat, commanding Napoleon to stay behind, and I took off out of the room, through my still destroyed house, and then out the front door into the road.
A giant undead abomination roared as it wielded a telephone pole like a club, swinging it wildly at the group of men that looked like they’d been camped out in my cul-de-sac. I’d have to ask later about their business after the abomination was defeated. Besides, this is a good chance to test out my new abilities. I started storing power within my weapon with Accumulate. This was a good chance to try to prove myself, to myself.
The health bar I saw was the largest I’d seen yet, and even had another square on top of it which I assumed meant it had to get damaged that much a few times if I was going to kill it. A red circle appeared just under the abomination’s kneecap as it swung the pole, catching one of the men in the ribs and tossing him aside.
I lurched forward using my newly-acquired Augment Jump and released the power I’d been charging as I swung the bat with reckless abandon and where it hit, the skin froze and shattered as the giant undead stumbled. The men kept shouting, though in the heat of battle I couldn’t really make out what they were saying.
Another red circle appeared on what I assumed was the monster’s Achilles as I ducked under its reaching hands and once again hit it with everything that I had. The tendons in the back of its leg buckled. Barely any of the monster’s health had moved, but at the least I had managed to cripple it.
“Holy Purge,” I shouted as I ran towards another red target while a divine circle appeared within the entire cul-de-sac, not just underneath the undead. The monster shrank back with fear and pain as the circle began to pulse and strobe, dealing steady damage.
“STOP!” a voice commanded as bones pulled themselves up from underneath me and clasped my arms. “We’ve been yelling at you to stop. Why didn’t you listen? Do you have any idea how hard it is to tame a Flesh Golem?”
I stopped completely, confused by what was going on and looking for the source of the voice, wondering how I’d been rooted in place.
Below me, the bones began to burn away from the effect of my spell, freeing me up to continue my attack on the roaring abomination that even now was trying to climb and claw its way towards the men.
“Stop now! My name is Edgar, and this area is under the control of the Crusaders. Stop before you kill my pet. We use it for defense and training,” the man implored, looking at me with something like desperation, and that look was enough for me. I released the magic while the abomination still lived.
“Alright, talk. I’m Dan and you all are on my property. Care to fill me in on what’s going on?” I wasn’t trying to be a super dick, but this was my Republic.
“Ah, it’s you, that’s fantastic. We’ve been ordered to move into the area by the Crusaders Corps Elders. This is one of the only safe zones in the area. We plan on using it to try to stage recovery operations into the city to rescue people. Nobody wants a repeat of this neighborhood. Apparently almost everybody on this street was turned undead and nobody knows why.”
Eh, that’s news to me. So that’s not normal everywhere? “Alright, so what do you need from me?” I asked as Edgar’s men came over, and it wasn’t lost on me that each still had their weapons at the ready. They plan on taking this place regardless of what I do or say. Still, sounds like an honorable cause.
“Well,” said Edgar, clearing his throat. “If you’re the Dan I’ve been told about, that would make you a recruit now and no longer a prospect.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” I answered, not sure where he was going with this.
“Good,” Edgar replied, relieved. “Then that makes me your superior officer. We need this space, and I’ve been sent a message to start training you.”
Ah, it’s going to be like that. “Alright, so when exactly is this training supposed to start?” I asked, the disapproval on my face. I was trying to be tactful enough not to start a war.
“Tomorrow morning at first light,” Edgar responded as if it was a favor, he was doing for me.
“I’ll see you then, I guess,” I replied, dismissing the rest of the conversation as I turned around to go back inside. I’d had a rough couple days; I could at least get a little sleep before getting started on a new adventure.
Chapter 1: Back in the Saddle Again
* * *
To anyone that was paying attention, it’s been a little while since the last time I sent out any updates on my adventures. This might be the first time you’ve heard of me. If so, I might need to jog your memory.
My name is Dan. Dan Hanson, and I’m what people have taken to calling a Reincarnator. It’s a term that was tossed out at me. It basically means that I’m unkillable, though it’s not as cool as it sounds.
Everybody has powers these days, but mine isn’t as flashy or cool as some others. Though, I will freely admit it is very useful, and without it, I wouldn’t be around anymore. Talking of powers allows a perfect segue into what comes next...
Not that long ago, I woke up after the most reckless bender of my life with the worst hangover I’ve ever experienced to find the world had changed. Most of my neighbors had been killed and became zombies. They, along with other monsters, roamed the neighborhood where I had grown up and was staying. How did I know they were my neighbors? Well, I’ve spent a lot of time killing them. Some would say it’s impossible, but once you really get into the swing of things and find your g
roove, destroying the undead becomes a simple task that you just rinse and repeat.
Especially when you’ve got a steel core bat like I’ve got. It’s basically unbreakable. A near-perfect match to my new unkillable nature.
Which leads us right back to where we started. You may have seen, heard of, or noticed me from the Black Tournament. For what it’s worth, I made it to the top 100 after being selected by the giant monster, Ur-Goth, a giant grinning skull with humongous hands, to fight in the tournament. What I didn’t know at the time is that the truly powerful entities of the new world mostly used the tournament for clan and guild recruitment. The entertainment value of watching people maul and kill each other was a secondary benefit.
During the tournament, I got the attention of the Crusader faction recruiter. He was an old man named Griswold who said he’s also a Reincarnator, but I don’t know if I can trust him. If buying things off the social media marketplace taught me anything, it’s that people lie about everything, especially if it means they get what they want. I figured it was the same way here.
As part of the recruitment, I was branded. Like, actually branded as part of my recruitment with a magic number that starts at three and goes down by one every time I die. Now, if the number reaches zero, I fail and lose my status as a recruit for the Crusaders. Not sure what that would mean or how it would affect me since...
I’m not actually sure what they do.
I’m still trying to figure that one out since they’ve been a little tight-lipped about it. But beggars can’t be choosers, and I needed their help. Keeping my part of the world free of the undead required a constant troop presence, and that meant somebody had to be present to clear all of the monsters.
I’ll be honest with you, if it was just me, I’d never have been able to keep up with the influx of monsters and would have lost the place already. At times, the tempo can be insane. I am, after all, only one man.
Which is why we’re in the here and now. This is the part of the story where it all starts. See, it’s all because of the next day after I was finally allowed to go home and sleep. I’m calling this part of my adventure the True John Crusade, and you’ll get what I mean later.
Que segue...
It all started early in the morning, much too early for my brain to be functioning and long before I’d gotten to my second cup of coffee.
I was dying, figuratively of course, not literally. I have an acute understanding of death, and it’s a companion that I could go without. See, I actually know what dying was like, and this was much, much worse.
I was already half-way through my morning warm-up, and all I had to show for it was a severe case of the fat sweats and an elbow that kept making this weird clicking sound every time I went down to do a push-up. It was a bad spot to be in.
“Dan?” My instructor called out, a real hard charger named Glenn. Sure, he’d been on the Olympic fencing team, but did that really matter? Who even watched fencing? “Are you ok? Is it your heart? You’re breathing hard over there, and we just started doing the warm-up stretches before squad maneuvers. I can get a healer over here if you need one, it’s not a problem. Just let me know, okay?”
And there it is, old Glenn trying to kill me with kindness again, I thought dismissively. Glenn wasn’t actually a bad guy. Working out wasn’t quite my forte, and I really needed a cup of coffee. Add in enough calisthenics to undo twenty-odd years of neglecting my body, and maybe I’d be ready for all of this.
Yes, I understand that technically with the boost from the system, I shouldn’t need to work out, but hey, life finds a way, right? Besides, if they get too uptight and uppity, I’ll just delete all the bathrooms again. This was, after all, the Republic of Dan.
“Alright Dan,” replied Glenn, shaking his head. “Just take it easy, okay? Don’t forget to drink water. Staying hydrated is very important for improvement and recovery. As they say, hydrate or die-drate.”
I heard a few snickers from among the group, but a quick glance from Glenn silenced them. Whether they liked it or not, they still needed me.
“Hey, Dan,” one of the kids beside me called out with a smartass smirk. A young guy who used to stock shelves after hours for a local big box mart, but now, he was just another recruit. “Weren’t you in the army?”
The answer was yes, but it was a little more complicated than that. For all my big talk, I had gone out of my way to not mention that while yes, I had been in the Army, and anyone who isn’t infantry knows that everyone’s an infantryman first. My actual job had been as a forty-two alpha. For those of you who might not be familiar, that’s Human Resources. A clerk position, but I assure you, I was also infantry because every soldier is a rifleman first.
“You’re goddamn right I was in the army,” I responded with a growl that came out as more of a dry rasp. “Just watch and follow me, kid, you’ll do just fine.”
Just then, a Crusader I’d never seen before came up wearing his blue armor to mark him as an officer and whispered to Glenn. The man frowned as they both pointed towards me and whispered some more before the blue crusader broke off and walked back towards wherever he had come from.
Glenn frowned and pointed at me. “Dan, that’s enough for the day. Get cleaned up, grab your gear, and whatever else you need to do. Looks like tomorrow is going to be a busy day for you.”
I wasn’t a fan of just being dismissed like that, but it gave me a chance to look over some things and rest. After all, I’d earned it. Later on, just before I passed out, I took a second to log on and check the interface.
Crusader Systems - Terminal - Upgrades - Quests – Settlement, Item Synthesis, Etc.
Username dkg1986
Password trustno1
-Forgot Password?- ( )
Crusader Systems - Upgrade Terminal
Account Login Confirmed
Welcome, Dan Hanson.
You currently have (0) unused upgrade points, and (10) unused stat points.
You have new options waiting for you:
[Settlement] [Item Synthesis]
Now populating Status Sheet.
Crusader Systems - Mobile Upgrade Terminal - Status Sheet
Name
Dan Hanson
Special Ability
Bound Spawn Point
Upon death, those who have a bound spawn point will find themselves revived in their personal safe zone in the accommodations closest to the location of their last death. This is an instanced location that supersedes the host location.
Emblems Earned
No Such Thing as a Stupid Question
For being one of the first humans to request a change of function to the query system, you have gained a personalized Lirai.
Big Brass Ones
Awarded for opting into Mature Mode. This Emblem prevents certain death from single-target spells. If an attack would kill the possessor, their health is instead set to 1. This ability resets when the user’s health rises above the 80% threshold.
Man Killer
Awarded for killing another sentient. The possessor of this Emblem will be viewed with derision by most people who do not yet possess the Emblem. No bonuses are awarded for this Emblem.
Weapon Specialization - Blunt
Mastery Level - Limp Wrist
Upgraded Items - Steel Core Bat
Steel Core Bat has become bound to the user and been granted an upgrade, gaining the passive on-hit effect of Frost. The Steel Core Bat and its user are immune to the effects of this passive ability.
Blackened Katana
The Blackened Katana has an edge that will cut almost anything. As the user moves, it draws in energy, releasing the stored kinetic energy upon impact in a cone shockwave.
Staggering Blow 1/10 - For each point invested into Staggering Blow, you have a 2.5% chance of stunning an enemy with every hit. This bonus is doubled while unarmed.
Accumulate 3/10 - You may store power during battle to add up to 10% extra force per point invested on (X) amount of a
ttacks, where (X) equals the number of points invested into Accumulate.
Holy Purge 1/1 - This ability grants the user the power to rain down the wrath of heaven on an enemy. This is an area of effect ability. This ability does heavy damage to the undead, corrupted, and the dark. It deals no damage to other holy targets.
Black Tournament - Alias - Edgelord Supreme - Top Rank - 74
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Level 12 - Current experience: 75/100.
Strength - 13
Agility - 7
Magic - 8 ~> 18
Crusader Systems - Upgrade Terminal - Upgrade Selection
Unused Points (18)
To purchase an upgrade simply click the name of the upgrade once for each investment. For additional details on abilities, please consult the Crusaders manual at the enclave headquarters.