Fist Full of Credits: A New Apocalyptic LitRPG Series (System Apocalypse - Relentless Book 1)

by Craig Hamilton

  7 Class Skills Available to be Distributed. Would you like to do so?

  I most certainly would! I selected the affirmative and started off by assigning a point to the only tier one ability still locked, the first Class Skill in the Utility tree.

  Class Skill Acquired

  Meat Locker (Level 1)

  Effect: The Relentless Huntsman now has access to an extra-dimensional storage location of 20 cubic feet. Only deceased bounty targets or slain creatures may be added to this location and must be touched to be willed inside. Mana regeneration reduced by 5 Mana per minute permanently.

  Since I now had a point in each of the tier one abilities, all of the primary trees for tier two Class Skills showed up as ones I could choose. There was a grayed-out tier two Class Skill between the Pursuit and Combat trees that looked to require that I take the primary tree Skills as prerequisites first.

  That was easy enough. I put a single point each in the three main tree abilities and the grayed-out Class Skill became selectable. After I activated that Skill, a barrage of notifications appeared.

  Class Skill Acquired

  The Right Tool for the Job (Level 1)

  Effect: The Relentless Huntsman now has access to an extra-dimensional storage location of 5 cubic feet. Items stored must be touched to be willed in and may only include weapons, armor, equipment, or supplies owned by the Relentless Huntsman. Any qualifying System-recognized item can be placed or removed from this inventory location if space allows. Cost: 5 Mana per item.

  Class Skill Acquired

  Greater Observation (Level 1)

  Effect: User may now detect System creatures up to 50 meters away and is provided an analysis of the subject upon detection. Increased Skill levels may reveal additional System information not normally available. Depending on comparative overall level and Skills in effect, the target of focused Observation may know that the user has gained some level of information. Mana regeneration reduced by 5 Mana per minute permanently.

  Class Skill Acquired

  Rend (Level 1)

  Effect: Physical weapon attacks that cause health damage apply a bleed effect, causing the target to bleed for 15 damage over 15 seconds. This effect can be stacked if the health damage occurs at a different location on the target. Cost: 10 Stamina.

  Class Skill Acquired

  Implacable Endurance (Level 1)

  Effect: Reduces Stamina cost for physical exertion and activated physical abilities by 25%. Does not stack with other Stamina reduction skills. Mana regeneration reduced by 5 Mana per minute permanently.

  I had spent five of my seven points and unlocked all of the available tier one and two Class Skills. Despite that, the third-tier abilities remained unselectable in the menu. When I tried to add the tier three Class Skill from the Combat tree, a message indicated that it would remain locked until I reached Level 30.

  I decided to save the last two points for now, at least until I had a better idea of what my newfound Class Skills could do for me.

  I looked over my status sheet once more and grinned at the new entries in the Class Skills section.

  Status Screen

  Name:

  Hal Mason*

  Class:

  Hunter*

  Race:

  Human (Male)

  Level:

  15

  Titles

  Sharp Eyed (Title hidden)*

  Health:

  510

  Stamina:

  510

  Mana:

  410

  Status

  Normal*

  Attributes

  Strength

  31

  Agility

  62

  Constitution

  51

  Perception

  41

  Intelligence

  41

  Willpower

  30

  Charisma

  40

  Luck

  18

  Class Skills

  Greater Observation

  1

  Hinder

  1

  Implacable Endurance

  1

  Keen Senses

  1

  Meat Locker

  1

  On the Hunt

  1

  Rend

  1

  Right Tool For the Job

  1

  Perks

  Gut Instinct

  Combat Spells

  Frostbolt (I), Minor Healing (I)

  Time to check out my new toys, such as they were!

  I looked around the area and was surprised to note additional details picked up by Greater Observation. A tiny, translucent map now appeared in my peripheral vision, overlaid on the corner of my field vision and only visible if I focused upon it.

  I oriented myself toward a green dot shown on the minimap and found that one of the Pharyleri was already slicing apart one of the monster corpses I had just dropped off. Her position aligned with the indicator on my display as a friendly entity.

  Beyond that new ability to see creatures displayed on the map, I found another surprise to go with it. Instead of the faint green health bar over her head that I usually saw, the gnome had additional details displayed along with the status bar.

  Emilyana Grindsaw (Harvester Level 34)

  HP: 290/290

  Fantastic. Now I wouldn’t have to remember names. And I could think of multiple applications now that I could accurately gauge health. I frowned. Her health seemed really low when compared with mine, even though she was more than double my Level.

  My focus on Emilyana caught her attention and she turned toward me.

  “Oi!” Emilyana shouted across the blacktop. “What are you gawking at?”

  I shrugged and waved her off as I made a conscious effort to fixate on something else. The gnome grumbled and returned to harvesting the corpse.

  So that was what the ability description meant about alerting the target of my focus. I would need to practice my use of that Class Skill to avoid such casual detection. It seemed a likely candidate for one of the unused Class Skill points I still held, but I wanted to check out the rest of the abilities.

  The Right Tool for the Job was the next Class Skill I tried out. When activated, the Class Skill popped open a new Inventory window in front of me. I moved all of my weapons, ammunition, tools, rations, and supplies into the additional space. That cleared out a number of spaces in my normal Inventory tab, which meant more spaces for loot and monster parts.

  Speaking of monster parts, I tested out Meat Locker next. Like the previous skill, it also opened a new Inventory space. However, nothing would go into the open spaces in the grid as I went through everything left in my Inventory. Finally, I walked back to the pile of dead monsters and placed my hand on one.

  The corpse dropped right into the new space without the slightest bit of resistance.

  “Hey,” a shrill voice called. “What are you doing? I already paid you for those.”

  I looked up to see Emilyana had turned back to me again.

  “Sorry,” I said defensively. “I was just trying something. I’ll put it back.”

  With a mental tug, the corpse dropped out of the Meat Locker and back into the spot it had been initially, right where I’d dropped it off the first time.

  Emilyana just glared at me.

  I swallowed nervously at the angry gnome’s look. “I’m just gonna go now.”

  The gnome watched with narrowed eyes as I walked away, and she didn’t return to her work until I had put over a hundred yards between us.

  I had tried out three of my new Class Skills. The added inventory spaces weren’t earth-shattering or flashy but had significant practical application. I had quickly learned that equipment mattered in the System and that having a powerful piece of gear available could turn a critical threat into a trivial one.

  Similarly, the ability to carry more monster corpses in the Meat Locker freed up my normal Inventory sp
ace for loot of other kinds. I could also just keep throwing in dead creatures, which meant I could stay out on patrol longer without the need to sacrifice kills I couldn’t carry along.

  Finally, Greater Observation was a game-changer, even though it wasn’t showy either. As I’d been told multiple times now, knowledge was power. Any little bit of information about an opponent, their level, or their health points could be useful.

  I still needed to try out Rend and Implacable Endurance, but those were more physical skills. I was sure to get the chance the next time I stumbled across a monster on patrol.

  Overall, I was thrilled to finally have access to my Class Skills. I felt satisfied that the payoff for holding out had been worth it.

  In the distance, I saw a waddling shape scurry across the tarmac, and I sighed. It looked as if I would get my opportunity to test my latest Class Skills more quickly than I thought. The damn giant groundhogs kept popping up all over the area. Unlike pre-System groundhogs, these had mutated into a breed far less solitary and would venture out in packs to scavenge for food. They had also become far more aggressively territorial to creatures outside their species—namely me. Then again, I had killed quite a few of them in the process of chasing them away from the starport.

  I drew my axe and my knife, then I sprinted across the tarmac.

  When I drew closer, I saw that there were only five of them, and the giant groundhogs stood above waist high, even when they were down on all four legs. As I reached the herd of brown-furred creatures, I focused my attention on the closest monster.

  Thiccbody Whistlepig (Level 24)

  HP: 870/870

  The first few groundhogs were quickly dispatched, and I found that my stamina barely dropped in the brief altercation.

  When the last of the plump rodents attempted to scurry away, I allowed it to flee, then I followed just closely enough to keep it within the range of Greater Observation. I was done with letting these things continue their attacks on the starport. This time, I was going to follow the survivor home and figure out where they kept coming from.

  Several hundred yards beyond the fence line of the old airport, the groundhog dove out of sight into a hole in the ground. I slowed my pace as I approached the burrow, and a shrill cry whistled from off to my left.

  I turned and saw another whistlepig atop a slight rise. It stood on its hind legs as it cried out an alarm at my approach. The piercing call was picked up by more of the creatures as they poured forth out of nearby burrows.

  No wonder I could never seem to get rid of all of the groundhogs. There was an entire colony of the damn things out here.

  I knew that if I stood my ground, the creatures would dogpile on me, so I jogged back the way I had come in an attempt to let the creatures string themselves out. They obliged, with the faster creatures racing ahead of the slower ones. While they might have been fast for groundhogs, none of them could catch me, and I let the leaders get far enough ahead of the pack that I would have time to deal with them.

  When the fastest of the creatures had a good lead on their brethren, I darted back toward them. I repeatedly activated Rend as I passed the first groundhog and rained blows along its flank. The beast mewled painfully and turned toward me, but its reactions were far too slow. I left the bloody, dying creature behind, already engaged with the next monster.

  A pair of large incisors snapped at me, and I deflected the bite with the blade of my axe before jamming my knife into the giant groundhog’s eye. Its head jerked back, and I used the stuck knife for momentum to catapult myself, then I slipped the blade free as I landed on top of the beast. I stabbed the knife into the side of the groundhog's neck and rolled down the other side, pulling the blade down behind me as I activated Rend. Blood spurted, and I stabbed it a few more times as the creature weakly batted at me.

  I ducked, dived, and dodged through the dozens of whistlepigs that pursued me. I led them in a giant circle, never allowing the enraged creatures to surround me as they attempted in vain to defend their home turf. I kept an eye on my stamina and never used Rend if I was below half. Fortunately, the cost for active fighting and ability usage had been reduced by Implacable Endurance, so my regeneration easily kept up with the demand, even in the drawn-out engagement.

  At last, only the heaped piles of the dead remained on the surface outside of the burrows. I’d slaughtered at least thirty of the creatures by the time the last dropped to the ground. I wasn’t the slightest bit winded.

  Implacable Endurance was certainly useful, especially in a long fight. It was the ultimate pursuit predator ability, and I could use it to literally run someone into the ground.

  I didn’t think Rend had been great in this particular instance, mostly because I had been killing the mob too quickly to really stack up the damage from repeated hits on individual targets. I could see how it would be useful on something larger though.

  Leaving the corpses behind, I walked over to the burrow the fleeing whistlepig had disappeared into. The opening was about five feet high, tall enough to enter easily if I crouched. The dark tunnel beckoned, and I knew I needed to enter if I wanted to be sure that the colony was no longer a threat.

  Slowly, the light faded behind me as I crept forward into the darkness. I could see nothing and cursed my lack of foresight in ensuring that I had a light source, especially after how useful my flare had been back at the meth lab. I made myself a note to buy flares and a light spell the next time I visited a Shop. I wished I had one now, even if it would have revealed my obvious presence.

  Instead, I made my movements as quiet as possible and slowed my breathing to the barest whisper. I focused on my senses, listening carefully for any sounds of movement within the tunnel.

  I sheathed my axe and switched my knife to my dominant hand as I drew one of my beam pistols. If I sensed a target, I hoped that the flash from the beam would provide enough illumination for me to get a better sense of the threat. Though in the cramped confines of the burrow, my ability to outrun my opponent would be severely limited.

  With my knife loosely gripped in my right hand, I trailed my index and middle fingers along the packed dirt wall to feel for any openings.

  When my fingers felt empty air beneath them, I froze and listened. I heard nothing, but the rank smell that wafted from the side passage indicated that the chamber was the latrine for the giant rodents’ lair.

  I passed two more hollows that branched off from the main passage. The side tunnels were slightly smaller, and though I paused at each, I heard no evidence of movement within.

  Just beyond the third junction, a red dot appeared on the minimap, and I halted. It was off to the side, enough that I figured another branch in the tunnel lay ahead.

  I waited, and the dot moved toward me. It turned into an arrow that rotated to point toward me as the dot moved.

  I fired the beam pistol from my left hand in the direction of the dot on my map. The flash lit up the tunnel, and the groundhog directly in front of me squealed at the burning energy ray that briefly illuminated the area. The sudden shot had surprised it, and I activated Hinder. With no room to run, I lunged forward instead. I ducked under the creature’s jaw and planted my shoulder under its chin, then I drove myself upward.

  The groundhog jammed its head into the ceiling of the tunnel, and dirt rained down upon us both. The impact stunned the creature, and I stabbed my knife into the underside of its neck over and over. The beast roused itself and clawed at me, but I fired the pistol into its side before using the weapon to bat away the paw on that side. Since my other arm was tied up stabbing the creature to death, the groundhog’s other front limb raked across my arm and leg. Even slowed by Hinder, it still tore through my jumpsuit and ripped deep into my flesh.

  I shut out the pain and continued my assault with the knife.

  The second time the claws scraped over me, the attack was far weaker and only did damage in the places where my armor had already been breached by the first assault.

  T
he beast twitched several times, then sagged limply in my arms.

  I stepped back and allowed the corpse to fall to the ground before I checked on my wounds. The cuts hurt, but I hadn’t been afflicted with a bleeding status effect, so my health points had stopped falling when the monster stopped attacking. Over two-thirds of my health bar remained, so I felt pretty confident continuing.

  I felt around and found that the body almost completely blocked the passage. I really didn’t feel like crawling over it, so I pulled the whole thing into my Meat Locker storage space.

  With the obstruction removed, I worked my way farther down the tunnel. I passed the side chamber the groundhog had emerged from, but the passage seemed empty now.

  I started to hope that maybe I had cleared out the last of the giant rodents and would soon be able to leave the tunnel system behind, looking forward to being able to stand up fully once more.

  That wish ended as I approached the next chamber and heard sounds from within. Squeals and the sounds of bodies writhing against one another filled the burrow ahead of me. My minimap lit up red with a multitude of tiny dots and a single large one.

  Swapping out my equipped weapons for the hybrid rifle, I selected the orange-tagged specialty magazine from my Inventory and loaded the weapon.

  The deafening whine of the gauss coils cycling filled the cramped tunnel, and I used the minimap in combination with Greater Observation to aim in the direction of the larger threat. The weapon fired, and the incendiary round shot across the chamber and detonated in a massive fireball against a furry mass. The flames caught on the pelt of the largest groundhog I had yet seen, illuminating it and the entirety of the chamber.

  Dummy Thicc Whistlepig Breeder (Level 37)