Fist Full of Credits: A New Apocalyptic LitRPG Series (System Apocalypse - Relentless Book 1)
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Cost: 20 Mana.
Frostbolt (II)
Effect: Creates a Frost bolt from the user’s Mana, which can be directed to damage a target. The dart does 30 Ice damage and slows the target by 3%. Slow effect stacks up to three times (9%). Cooldown 10 seconds.
Cost: 25 Mana.
Frostnova (I)
Effect: Creates a ring of Frost from the user’s Mana which blasts outward in a 3-meter radius centered on the user. The ring does 12 Ice damage and may affect enemies with a Freeze effect, rooting them in place for up to 8 seconds. Cooldown 30 seconds.
Cost: 50 Mana.
Equipment
Silversmith Mark II Beam Pistol (Upgradeable)
Base Damage: 18
Battery Capacity: 24/24
Recharge Rate: 2 per hour per GMU
Luxor Series III Projectile Pistol
Base Damage: N/A (Dependent Upon Ammunition)
Ammo Capacity: 12/12
Ammunition Types: Standard, Armor Piercing, High Explosive, Tracer, Hollow Point
Tier IV Knife
Base Damage: 11
Durability: 140/140
Special Abilities: None
Tier III Hand-axe
Base Damage: 25
Durability: 200/200
Special Abilities: None
Banshee III Gauss Hybrid Rifle
Base Damage: N/A (Dependent Upon Ammunition)
Ammo Capacity: 15/15
Battery Capacity: 30/30
Recharge Rate: 4 per hour per GMU
Cost: 5,400 Credits
Rudianos Class IV Outrider
Core: Class IV Hephaestus Mana Engine
CPU: Class E Xylik Core CPU
Armor Rating: Tier V
Hard Points: 2 (1 Used for Nano Garage Module)
Soft Points: 2 (1 Used for Neural Link)
Optional: Neural Link for Remote Activation
Battery Capacity: 60/60
Tier V Neural Link
Neural link may support up to 4 connections.
Current connections: Rudianos Class IV Outrider
Software Installed: Rich’lki Fire-wall Class IV, Rudianos Class V Controller
Hunting Monsters
By Craig Hamilton
(This short story first appeared in The System Apocalypse Short Story Anthology Volume 1)
Only a monster could have left such carnage.
I stood in the doorway of a tiny apartment, the stench of decomposition wafting out to fill the dimly lit hallway. The deputy who had opened the door had already fled down the corridor before retching and emptying his stomach. I ignored the officer. Just as I ignored his partner, who glared at me as I took in the scene inside the room. His skepticism affected me as much as the smell—not at all.
The cops may not have known me, but death was no stranger. Nearly two-thirds of humanity had died ten months ago, the day the System came online and ended the world as we knew it. Monsters spawned everywhere and massacred mankind as our lives became governed by the System’s video-game-like rules. Rules that allowed no replays or extra lives. Those of us remaining had seen plenty of death, but I may have seen more than most.
That fateful day began as I pursued a man who had skipped out on his bail. When the man unexpectedly opened fire and fled, I had refused to let the criminal get away, even as our world changed. The pursuit, and ensuing gunfight, led to my first experience gained under the System. Before I even had a chance to select a class, I had earned a level from killing another human. The System rewarded that achievement with an Advanced Class that matched my actions, and I had been hunting monsters ever since.
I stepped cautiously into the hotel room turned apartment. There was no avoiding the dried blood that stained the floor a rusty red, but I kept my feet away from the larger lumps. Crouched beside a pile of organic material, I let myself study the viscera that remained of a human torso. The edges of the gaping wounds were sharply cut. My eyes traced over the slashed flesh to the arcing spatters of dried blood, following the pattern backward and rebuilding the scene in my mind. I moved from one chunk of gore to another, careful to touch nothing. Slowly and deliberately, I lost all track of time as I pieced together the horrific puzzle.
Eventually, I stood and brushed aside a System notification for a skill increase in Forensics. As I turned toward the door, a glimmer of reflected light caught my eye. A framed holograph, splashed with blood, was centered on a bookshelf filled with knickknacks. I picked it up and wiped the glass covering. Crusted flakes fell free and revealed an image that made my breath catch in my throat. The six smiling faces in the image were a jarringly bright reflection of the agonizing jigsaw assembled in my mind. A family—as much as anyone had these days after the System Apocalypse—with parents caring for children not their own and children clinging lovingly to adults with no blood relation.
After replacing the holograph on the shelf, I absently pulled a flask from my inventory and took a long pull. I should have felt more for the family. Anger that their lives had been stolen. Rage at the potential snuffed out. A passion to bring their killer to justice. Instead, I felt nothing. Not even the burn of the whiskey pouring down my throat. My System-enhanced constitution easily resisted weaker poisons and dulled any sensation the alcohol may have once given me. Though I had no proof, I suspected the System similarly affected mental resilience, blunting the horrific impact of how many humans had died in the previous ten months. Despite the tragedy, people had simply moved on with their lives. Most even calmly accepted the arrival of the Galactics—aliens from throughout the wider System universe—as they settled in on Earth. In most places, these new arrivals promptly took over.
I was currently in one such location—a Truinnar-owned village in what used to be western Pennsylvania. When I’d crossed into the town limits, I had picked up a System-generated quest to track down a killer menacing the human population. The few local law enforcement officers left alive had apparently been unable to catch this killer. While the identity of any criminal could be purchased from the System, that criminal could also have Class Skills or spells that would assist in hiding them. The cost to purchase the identity from the Shop would increase with each obfuscating ability added, quickly making the price prohibitively high. It often worked out cheaper to hire or post a quest for someone to hunt down the criminals who took these precautions. Which led to Adventurers picking up side gigs as bounty hunters.
Turning my focus back to the room, I closed my eyes and cast a newly acquired Class Skill. The nauseating aroma of the room assaulted my nose as Blood Scent settled into place. Six distinct tangy bouquets hung heavily tangled in the air, and I spent several minutes locking each one into my memory. I wasted no time looking for the scent of the killer since no evidence had been found at any of the earlier crime scenes and I expected the same again here.
I cracked my eyes open and left the room but stopped where the two police officers waited. The younger man, sweating and pallid, stood behind his partner and looked anywhere but through the apartment door. Both noticed the flask still in my hand, neither able to hide their disdain.
Officer Robert Richardson (Guardian Level 36)
HP: 960/960
Officer Thomas Cook (Guardian Level 11)
HP: 280/280
“Six dead,” I said, addressing the more experienced officer. “Three adults, two teenagers, and one toddler. Two days ago.”
“That matches the apartment registration,” Officer Richardson replied stoically. “And the last time anyone talked to the occupants.”
“No one heard anything?” I asked.
“No,” Richardson said, his eyes distant. “No one heard a thing.”
“The killer disabled them all quickly,” I said. “Then he took his time cutting them apart bit by bit. The others were forced to watch.”
The rookie cop looked as if he was about to be sick again.
“The killer?” Richardson peered at me sharply. “Not a monster?”
“O
h, it was a monster,” I replied. “Just not a System-spawned one. Your killer is human.”
Leaving the two astounded cops, I headed down the hall toward the stairs. Maybe it was a leap to claim the culprit was human, but my gut was convinced. This building was a Safe Zone, so no System monster could have spawned inside the room. The Galactics who ruled this town had no issues striking down a human in cold blood, but none of them had any reason to hide it behind closed doors. Just the opposite, in fact. Any killings were usually public examples being made of criminals, troublemakers, or those who violently resisted Galactic rule. Most humans were second-class citizens, if they mattered at all, so no Galactic would go through the trouble to cover up a series of murders. On top of that, most Galactics now on Earth were so highly leveled that they would gain little, if any, experience from killing low-level humans.
Only a human would have felt the need to hide these massacres from their own kind. Especially murders performed in a place like this—an apartment building converted from a pre-System hotel—in the middle of a Safe Zone. A home where the most vulnerable, those without combat classes, were meant to be protected. Instead, the people here were terrified, knowing a killer lurked in the night and anyone could be next. I was certain the culprit fed on the desperate atmosphere, relishing the terror his work left behind.
More than the deaths of the family, this annoyed me. That a predator could feel superior in stalking the weak and the helpless left me feeling raw. Despite my antisocial tendencies, I still regarded humanity as my own. I felt a primal need to deal with that which threatened my people. The Galactics were outside of my capabilities for now, though that was an itch I looked forward to scratching.
Once outside on the sidewalk, I took a deep breath of the fresh evening air. Blood Scent remained active, slowly draining my Mana and allowing me to follow the faint coppery tang. The sun had dropped below the horizon, but enough light remained for me to get my bearings in this unfamiliar small town.
Other than pursuing System-generated quests or bounties for broken Galactic Contracts, I spent the majority of my time alone, grinding out levels in the wilderness and occasionally partying up with other Adventurers to clear the odd dungeon or two. I had passed through here before, but the few surviving rural burgs throughout this part of the country sort of blended together at this point.
“So, you’re the latest to pick up the quest for our town’s little murder mystery,” said a voice from behind me.
I looked back at the man who leaned casually against the building, beside the door I had just exited. I raised an eyebrow in response, looking him over as he examined me. The man wore civilian clothes—a beige trench coat over a light-blue collared shirt and khaki pants. He was shorter than average and slightly balding, which told me the man was either too proud or too broke to purchase Genome Treatment from the Shop. An examination of his System status revealed his class and indicated the latter.
Scott Davis (Journalist Level 7)
HP: 140/140
“Latest?” I asked.
“Adventurers passing through, like you,” Scott replied. “They all disappeared shortly after beginning their investigations though.”
“Is that a threat?” I growled. My eyes narrowed as I turned to face the man completely.
“Not at all,” the journalist replied hurriedly. “I just wanted to warn you that whatever is doing the killing doesn’t seem to want anyone investigating too deeply.”
“And a journalist doesn’t investigate?” I asked.
“I report the facts,” Scott said defensively. “It’s common knowledge, once the police publish their reports. At least for the bodies found in town.”
“So, there are also bodies found outside of town?”
The journalist looked around nervously then nodded. “Back when the System first came online, the town hunters would find convoys that had been slaughtered outside the town limits. People headed here for safety but never made it. Or roadways covered in blood with the area all torn up but no bodies. Everyone thought monsters did it, but then the killings started in town.”
“This almost sounds like the work of a System-enhanced serial killer,” I speculated. “What’s the body count from in town?”
“Nobody is really sure,” Scott replied with a shrug. “The numbers really climbed after families started showing up as victims, so at least fifty have been confirmed. But with the number of transients and Adventurers passing through, on top of the killings outside of town, it could easily be hundreds.”
The ominous bits of news were troubling since the System quest had made no mention of anything outside the town or that the body count was so high. If the killer had been active since the System came online, the experience they’d accrued would be sizeable and would have led to the killer obtaining higher levels than normal.
“Why has no one bought the killer’s identity from the Shop if things are this bad?” I asked.
“It’s too expensive,” Scott replied. “No one can afford it on their own, and every time people try to pool their resources to buy it, the price jumps.”
That was really bad news. It meant the killer was inside the community and able to take precautions.
“That’s really all the info I’ve got for you. I hope it helps.” The journalist turned and walked away. After a few steps, he turned back toward me. “Good luck,” he said with a solemn nod.
The journalist had given me plenty to think about. That the man had been waiting for me outside the latest crime scene meant that word was spreading that a new Adventurer was looking into the killings. As plugged-in to the community as the killer seemed, they would soon be aware that I was hunting.
I headed south, tracking the faint aroma of blood that the killer had left behind. With dusk setting in, most of the local businesses along Main Street were closing up as I passed. The shops sold locally made goods using resources looted from System-spawned monsters. The human craftsmen making those items were still fairly low-leveled, so the System Shops generally had higher-quality, and thus more expensive, goods. The likelihood of finding upgrades for my gear was slim though, so I passed the stores without a glance. Most of my attention remained focused on following the scent, but I was well aware of a few townsfolk eyeing me nervously and giving me a wide berth.
As I reached the southern edge of the business district, the storefronts of the downtown area gave way to residential homes. I also felt the onset of a headache caused by low Mana and quickly cut off Blood Scent before Mana fatigue could fully set in. The conversation with the journalist had taken longer than I would have liked and leaving the Class Skill active during that chat had drained my Mana. I would have to let my Mana regenerate before I could continue my hunt. A downside of the physical benefits of my class was that I tended to be far weaker on the spell-casting side of things.
No longer focused on my Class Skill and intently following my nose, I became aware of the music that emanated from a solid brick building ahead of me. Live music tended to be somewhat rare since musicians had generally fared poorly in surviving the apocalypse. The full sound of a stringed instrument pulled at me, and I found myself walking several steps toward the building. I forced myself to stop, disconcerted that the unexpected music had attracted me so strongly.
Mental Influence Resisted
The conscious mental effort and notification explained the powerful draw and aroused my curiosity. I had fairly significant mental resistances, so a musician who could challenge them with a compulsion certainly seemed worth checking out. Now that I was somewhat closer, I gave the building a more thorough examination. It looked like a pre-System dive bar, only somewhat cleaned up by new management. Galactic runes above the door proudly proclaimed Gimsar ownership and that Adventurers of all types were welcome.
Gimsar were like dwarves from fantasy legends, except that their craftsmen were no more talented than anyone else in the System universe. Hard drinking and hard fighting, they were often seen as honorable merc
enaries. So long as one avoided insult to a Gimsar’s clan, beard, or axe, they tended to be fairly good-natured.
I stepped into the building and found every eye in the place glancing in my direction as I eased the door closed. I was pretty confident of what they were seeing. Some used high Charisma to enhance their looks. I used my Charisma to ensure others saw exactly what I wanted them to see. A tall, brown-haired human man with a muscular build wearing a dark-gray combat jumpsuit. A sword sheathed across my back and holstered pistols on both hips. Standard Adventurer chic, nothing out of the ordinary.
Hal Mason (Hunter Level 29)
HP: 220/220
A granite-topped bar counter ran along one side of the room. Surprisingly, the bar top looked to be at a normal height for a bar despite the older, gray-bearded Gimsar tending bar from behind it. The bartender conversed with a group of Gimsar taking up about half the high stools at the closer end of the bar. Behind the bartender, above the racks of liquor, hung a massive double-headed battle-axe. From the notches and scrapes on the weapon, I could tell the axe had been well used.
Several tables of Hakarta mercenaries promptly ignored me, going back to a complicated series of card games. The green-skinned aliens were similar in appearance to fantasy orcs, but I preferred to think of them as high-tech supersoldiers. The Hakarta typically operated in well-disciplined squads, so if you saw one out in the wild, there were probably several others nearby keeping you in their sights.
A group of Yerrick took up a large table in the far back of the bar, out of the way. The nine-foot-tall minotaurs were thick with muscle and commonly employed as Adventurers. I recognized none from this particular group, but I had worked with Yerrick in the past and found them more than capable.
The rest of the clientele scattered throughout the bar was a mix of human and Truinnar. Nothing about the humans stood out—exactly the shady types of people I would expect to find in a seedy dive bar. The Truinnar, on the other hand, were eye-catching. Dark elves with lithe figures, midnight-black skin, and exotic hair colors, they moved with ethereal grace. Truinnar politics followed a labyrinthine feudal system I barely grasped enough of to know that Earth fell just inside their Galactic territory. Like this town, large portions of North America were now also under direct Truinnar control.