Apocalypse Tamer

Chapter 31: Man vs Breeding

A level 50 quest? Neria Elissaldes shocked voice came out of the military radio. A bump on the road almost threw it off the dashboard. Are you sure?

I would send you a screenshot of my System Logs if I could, Basil replied from behind his vehicles steering wheel. Plato looked at the forested road through the passenger seats window. Never seen a level that high.

Me neither, Neria replied. Basil heard her write down notes on the other end of the line. First time Ive heard of a main quest as well. When will your friend arrive in Bordeaux?

In the afternoon if he flies straight without encountering monsters. The army cleared the road between Dax and Bordeaux for evacuation efforts, but no route was entirely safe nowadays. I suspect hes connected to Dismaker Labs somehow. He visualized a dungeons past destruction with perfect accuracy.

I will show him the servers remains if my superiors allow it. He could be the lead we are looking for. Neria sighed. The investigation stalled, Basil.

You couldnt find any Dismaker Labs employees?

None that could enlighten us. The companys top brass kept their true intentions secret from lower management.

So Anton Maxwell and the Board remained unaccounted for. Basil would have expected one of them to appear by now.

The military intelligence department is pushing for an expedition to UNESCOs headquarters in Paris, Neria said. Its one of the two places we could find answers, alongside Dismaker Labs European offices in Malta.

Oh right, good call. Dismaker Labs partnered with UNESCO as part of their virtual reality project. It would make sense for the organizations HQ to contain either incriminating documents or potential leads. What are your superiors saying about it?

Nerias heavy sigh told Basil everything he needed to know. We dont have the means to send troops to Limoges or Toulouse, let alone Paris. The Incursion made monsters deadlier than ever, so it takes all our efforts to secure the Bordeaux safe zone.

Which is a victory in itself, Basil reassured her. Youre giving tens of thousands a home where they can live without fear of attacks. It will make more of a difference than hunting ghosts in Paris.

I try to see it that way. The situation is tough, but were making progress. Neria chuckled. Zachariel says hello by the way. Weve finished evacuating the last of Daxs citizens and he is being overworked curing them.

Did he get into any fights with atheists? Basil mused.

No, but now that you mention it Ive got interesting news on the faith front. Neria marked a short pause. Bordeaux has many religious communities and most of their leaders gained access to the Priest class. It took a lot of coercion on the armys part, but we found volunteers willing to participate in System-related experiments.

Basils grip on the driving wheel tightened. Go on.

Priests from Abrahamic religions can learn and cast the same Prayer spells, Neria explained. An Imam and a rabbi can cast the Mass spell in a Christian church, and an orthodox cleric can use the Salah spell to gain buffs. Their spellbooks are compatible. And then theres the truly interesting part. Bordeaux has a small community of Buddhists. A few among them gained access to the Priest class too.

Can Buddhist Priests run the Mass? Basil guessed with a chuckle. It amused him to imagine a Zen monk holding a church ritual.

Thats the thing, they cant.

Basil smashed the brake pedal. His vehicle stopped in the middle of the road, bordered by trees on both sides.

Hey Partner, why are we stopping? Shellgirl called out at the back. Enemies ahead?

I dont sense anything, Bugsy added.

Its nothing, Basil reassured them. He started the car again after digesting this new information. They cant?

They cant, Neria confirmed through the radio. Neither can Abrahamic Priests cast Buddhist Prayer spells. Were currently searching for smaller sects to confirm the trend. The Metal Olympus Faction which General Leblanc is negotiating with is an alliance that worships Hellenistic deities.

Like Zeus? Basil couldnt help but laugh. Seriously?

I know, Neria replied with a chuckle of her own. Their representatives say that their leaders are the gods of Olympus reborn through modern means.

Are they? It sounds crazy, but after fighting a dragon-snail from outer space nothing will surprise me.

So far Ive only seen men and women coming from their faction. Neria let out a sigh full of skepticism. If they cannot cast Abrahamic-aligned spells, then it would suggest that Priests of different religions draw their magic from

Neria hesitated about what the correct words should be.

Different sources.

Basil read between the lines. Neria suggested that Priests potentially channeled the powers of different gods entirely.

It could be a trick of the System, Basil pointed out. Restricting spells based on the casters personal beliefs and nothing more.

Mayhaps, she conceded, but normal prayers, well, they shouldnt work by themselves. Theyre petitions to a higher power asking them to grant a wish.

Yes, the System, Basil insisted. Its the System that generates Prayer spells.

Could be, but youll admit the results are interesting.

They are. Though concerning might have been a better word. What other experiments did you run?

As it turned out, the French army also tested Basils hypothesis about Health Points: namely, if inflicting nonlethal damage repeatedly on a limb would eventually exhaust the targets HP and kill them.

After a point, the subject stopped taking damage, Neria explained. Basil didnt dare ask who or what they ran tests on. His HP lowered again after we started targeting another body part. Our researchers believe that Health Points are either a rough representation of your general health or the aggregation of your body parts individual Health Points. Studies of amputees tend to accredit the second hypothesis. Soldiers who lost limbs in battle took a penalty to their maximum HP.

Plato, who had barely listened to the conversation, suddenly glanced at his tail with concern.

Plato, you wont lose your tail if your Health Points drop too low, Basil said with an annoyed sigh.

Can you prove it beyond a doubt? his cat asked with a terrified expression.

You died two times already. Basil snorted. This System is a mess.

Its scary when you think about it, Neria replied with a heavy voice. It bends the laws of nature, of physics themselves, with mathematics. Real world logic is being replaced with video game rules.

I know. Sensing Officer Elissaldes distress, Basil attempted to cheer her up. But look at the bright side. Video games follow rules and math formulas. If we figure them out, we can exploit them and take back the Earth.

I would rather trade exploitable rules for familiar ones. Clearly, his words failed to affect her. Basil?

Yes? From her tone, she was about to ask Basil a favor.

If the opportunity presented itself, she said, would you join an expedition to Paris? To investigate the UNESCO headquarters?

Basil took a long pause before answering.

Isnt anybody else volunteering? he asked. And I mean anybody?

It wasnt Basils job to investigate Dismaker Labs or Kalkis missing memories, no matter what the System told him. He intended to weather the apocalypse and protect his home, end of the story.

Basil was no hero, no trained soldier, no exceptional investigator. He was a man who lived alone in the woods with his pets. There were better people around to become Overgods and uncover Dismaker Labs mysteries.

He hoped. If the world had no other savior than Basil, then mankind was fucked.

I wouldnt ask if we could send someone else, Neria admitted. Our resources are stretched thin protecting the population. Strange as it sounds, your team thrives in the new world. Call me nave, but if anybody can make the journey to Paris and return alive, it would be you.

Basil could tell from her voice that Neria Elissalde said it from the bottom of her heart. Watching him slay a dragon must have left a powerful impression on her. Her faith in him touched Basil, although he considered it somewhat misplaced.

He considered her proposal for a long, agonizing minute, before giving his answer.

Maybe, Basil replied half-heartedly.

Maybe? an astonished Bugsy choked in the cars back.

Maybe? Plato almost jumped from his seat. Basil, are you alright? Did the zombies scramble your brains?

Maybe? Neria sounded as shocked as Basils own cat. They knew him too well. Do you mean it?

Ive thought about what Steamslime told us, Basil confessed. About how other dragonlords wait for their chance to invade us. I want to live a quiet, peaceful existence away from this shit

But you dont think theyll let you, Neria guessed.

No. Steamslimes allies learned Basils name from the Systems Logs somehow and would come for his head. The Apocalypse Forces shadow also loomed over the region. Basil doubted that they would stop at conquering Lourdes. Shitheads will keep barking at my doorstep, itching for a fight. The only way I see to prevent it is to make sure they cant break into Earth at all.

We think the same then, Neria said. Unless stopped, Incursions will grow beyond our ability to manage.

If Paris potentially holds a solution to that problem, Im willing to take my chances. Basil raised a finger. He had a condition. But itll be after winter. Too much shit to sort out beforehand.

Basil needed to check on Vasi, gather intel from this Tye, train House Garden so they could protect the house in his absence a road trip to Paris would be long and fraught with danger. He couldnt consider it without significant preparations.

I expected as much, Neria said; although her tone made it clear that she would have preferred a different answer. She would rather see Basil leave as soon as possible. How are things on your end anyway?

No progress on the holomachine front, but were good otherwise. Storing food for the winter and preparing for Halloween.

Youre welcome if you want to celebrate it in Bordeaux, Neria replied lightly. Ill dress as a vampire and you as a werewolf.

Wouldnt children mistake us for the genuine article? Basil mused. Ill think about it.

No rush. Take care, Basil. Ill welcome your friend when he arrives.

Thanks, and take care too. Basil switched off the military radio and focused back on the road. His car passed by a signboard indicating the path to the village of Orx.

Hes done calling his girlfriend, Plato informed the other monsters. You can blabber nonsense again.

You can be friends with a girl without wanting to date them, Basil replied. He was fond of Officer Elissalde. She was a kind woman, serious and reliable. But he wasnt interested in dating her, or anyone for that matter. Celibacy fit him just right.

Basil peeked over his shoulder at the back of his vehicle. Are you holding up, guys?

After Basils Kangoo heroically perished in battle, the team scoured Dax for a replacement vehicle and eventually found an acceptable replacement: a Chausson 640 Titanium Premium. This seven-meter long white campervan was large enough to host the entire party, Bugsy included. The centimagma could slip inside after Basil removed shelf compartments from the camper and the doors separating it from the living area, much to his delight. The vehicle pulled an empty, hermetic trailer at the back to carry loot around.

Basil hadnt managed to remove the smell of cannabis infesting the vehicle though. He suspected the previous owner of using his vehicle to ferry cheap drugs from Spain.

Im good, Boss, Bugsy said as he squeezed in the back. The campervan included a shower, toilets, a kitchenette, and two window-facing benches. Rosemarine and Shellgirl occupied one each. I sense many vibrations in the ground.

I blame the poor state of the road, Basil replied. Grass and flowers he didnt recognize had broken through the tar in many spots. But be extra vigilant, Bugsy. Were approaching the area where the elves ambushed Orcdad.

Mister, Mister, I see lights! Rosemarine raised a vine through the open window. Over there!

Basil groaned when he saw red and green Aurora Borealis shine brightly under a blue, cloudless autumn sky. That could only mean one thing.

Not again! Plato complained. Another dungeon?

Looks like its located in the village of Seignosse nearby, Basil guessed from the auroras position. Probably at the Black Pond wildlife reserve.

Black Pond? Shellgirl immediately grinned in excitement. Weve found oil?

Basil crushed her hopes of getting rich quickly. Its called the Black Pond because its full of silt.

Shucks, she complained.

Why would we need an oil field anyway? Plato pointed at abandoned vehicles on the side of the road. Car dealerships are the new candy stores.

Gasoline degrades within months, kitty, Shellgirl replied. We cant make long-term money out of scavenging.

How do you know that? Basil asked, slightly curious. The gasoline part?

Ive read it in your library, the mimic merchant replied with a smirk. What, are you surprised? I invest in myself, Partner. A sharp mind in a healthy body, thats my motto.

Good for you. Basil had caught Shellgirl reading alone late at night after returning from her trading trips. The clam mimic was by far the partys most studious member.

When are we hitting the citys library by the way? Shellgirl pestered him. I still dont know how the Afghanistan War ended! Who won?

Oh right, Basils school manuals stopped in 2018 at the latest. Im not sure you want to know the answer.

Basils thoughts wandered to Nerias revelations and his previous research on the Trimurti; the Hindu triad of Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer. He suspected these three gods were somehow involved in the Systems creation, but he lacked books with the pertaining knowledge. He was planning to visit Daxs library to find information about them before the battle with the Unity delayed his plans.

Different sources. Nerias words echoed in Basils mind and shook his faith. Different gods. Vasi and Zachariel confirmed multiple gods existed in other worlds, but what about ours? What does it mean about God and the rest?

Well make a stop at the library on our way back, Basil decided. He needed to investigate further, to understand what the hell was going on. Any book you wanna take with you?

Travel and tourism books, Shellgirl replied.

Really? Basil had expected business books. Why?

I understand you want us to develop locally, Partner, but the world its so big! Shellgirl glanced at the skies beyond her window. Do you know that on the other side of the planet, there are mountains that rise high enough to pierce the clouds? That coral gathered in a great barrier in the eastern land of Australia?

I know, Basil replied. Our world is full of wonders.

She gave him a sharp look. Did you see them? The real wonders, not the photos?

That was the killer question, wasnt it? Basil sighed. No, I did not. I never had the money to travel.

Then its another reason to grind it out, Partner. Shellgirl put her hands behind her head. I wanna see the Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific too!

Whats an ocean? Bugsy asked. The centimagma was only born months ago in the marsh and had never seen a body of water bigger than a river.

Its a lake that spans the whole horizon! Ever the merchant, Shellgirl hyped up the sea as if it were the best product in the world. You can regenerate your Health Points and raise castles on a sandy shore called the beach, climb water walls called waves, and fight fish monsters called sharks for easy levels!

Raise a castle? Like a dungeon? The more Bugsy heard, the more enthusiastic he became. Awesome! Can we try?

Mister, can we go to the ocean? Rosemarine joined in. I will drink it all and dry up the land!

We could, Plato said. The beach is ten minutes away from Orx. Its been a while since we last visited it.

Since Ren, Basil thought. You hate water, Plato.

But I love giant litter boxes. Plato gave his owner the kitten stare. Come on, Basil for me. Do it for me.

Please, Boss! Bugsy whined at the back, echoed by the rest of the party. Can we go to the beach?

Basil glanced in his rearview mirror. Bugsy and Shellgirl had taken a page out of Platos book and pulled the heartstrings. The former didnt quite manage to look cute with his big serpentine eyes, but the latter reminded him of an anime loli about to cry. Rosemarine, who had no eyes, simply cocked a handgun with her vines.

Basil saw the writing on the wall and surrendered to the call of democracy.

Alright, children, alright, he said while rolling his eyes. Well go to the beach once we find a replacement rooster.

His party welcomed the announcement with shouts, laughs, and Shellgirls joy at receiving a free holiday.

After minutes of travel, the campervan finally reached Orx or what remained of it. A few hundred souls once dwelled in the village, but Basil saw no humans in its empty streets. Vines, moss, and alien flowers covered the houses from the smallest walls to the tallest roof. Overturned, rusting cars blocked most of the streets. A scant few months had passed since the apocalypse and nature already recovered its rights.

With a little help from the System, Basil thought as he observed the landscape. Glowing flowers he did not recognize grew on vines; the moss covering most walls glowed bright green; mushrooms larger than dogs infested the villages streetlights. The dungeons influence mutated plant life into a new, unnatural ecosystem; one that spread at an alarming rate. Thank God I destroyed the Barthes server before we reached this point.

Basil drove through the village without stopping. Bugsy didnt detect any large threat or animal in Orxs ruins and the party saw no petrified citizens in the street. The Unity hadnt targeted this settlement.

Where is everyone? Rosemarine asked.

Dead or fled, Shellgirl replied grimly. Monsters likely ate em all and moved on.

Unlike Dax, Orx didnt have a police department or army base to defend the population. The Apocalypse spared no one. In Basils mind, the villages fate was yet another warning to avoid large settlements like the plague.

Orx led straight into the natural reserve next door. Steep banks of mud and reeds surrounded an enormous lake covered in water lilies. Red alien algae had started to colonize the waters and tainted them with a crimson tint. A single artificial bridge of rock and dirt crossed the lake in its center.

Alright guys, were in enemy territory now, Basil warned. Well catch anything with feathers.

And if a monster has fur? Rosemarine asked. Can we eat it?

Basil dispensed a piece of French-Bulgarian wisdom. If it walks, its edible.

I cant wait for the next fried chicken night, Bugsy said with enthusiasm. Last episode teased a new badass villain!

Yeah, Major Chicken & The Meat Brigade takes a darker turn with the introduction of Emperor Vegans right-hand man, Lord Quinoa, Basil replied. That was the moment when named characters started to die. It leads to one of the series most shocking episodes

No spoilers, Shellgirl interrupted him.

Platos ears rose and he suddenly unsheathed his sword. Basil

I sense vibrations in the lake, Boss, Bugsy warned at the same time.

Basil abruptly stopped his car in the middle of the road. The party stepped out of the campervan in good order, although Bugsy struggled to squeeze through the backdoor, and established a defensive position around the vehicle. Basil didnt need to say anything. After surviving so many fights, the group now acted on pure instinct.

There. Bugsy pointed at the left side of the lake with his antennae. Basil summoned his halberd to his hand, Shellgirl readied her cannons, and Rosemarine her handguns. Plato watched their rear for fear of a pincer attack. Its coming.

A form traveled towards the group, hidden under the surface. The water rippled at its approach. The party waited in silence for Basils signal to strike, yet he did not move an inch. He instead waited patiently for the challenger to show up.

A reptilian monster with bright blue scales and an elongated neck emerged from the lake to glare at him. Basil briefly mistook it for a snake before noticing a body with four fins underwater. It was neither a fish nor a reptile and roughly three meters long.

Plesiosaurus

Level 18 [Aquatic/Reptile]

Basil found the name familiar, though he didnt remember why. The monster snapped its jaws at the team threateningly, its blue eyes oozing malice. Basil didnt find it particularly scary.

In fact, the beast looked rather appetizing.

Basil licked his lips and took a step forward to behead his new meal. The plesiosaurs bravado immediately faltered and it dived back underwater, never to return.

Basil, the dinner is swimming away! Plato complained.

It wont get far. Basil scanned the lakes shore in search of his missing food. New forms walked among the reeds. I see movement.

The elves? Shellgirl asked.

Look, Mister! Rosemarine pointed at a small beach of bud northeast of their position. Birds!

Where?! Plato glanced in the right direction and froze at what he saw. What the

Basil choked at the sight. Two monsters had stopped at the lake to drink. The first was a cross between a red reptile and a bat, with large translucent skin wings, a threatening beak, and a strange crest on the back of its head. The other was a bipedal lizard with green feathers on the arms and neck, protruding claws, and a fanged mouth. Basil suddenly remembered where he had seen the word plesiosaur and what it meant to him.

Pteranodon

Level 15 [Avian/Reptile]

Velociraptor

Level 12 [Avian/Reptile]

Dinosaurs. The marsh was infested with dinosaur monsters.

The reptilarium, Basil realized. The fearsome hunter in him had left, replaced with the naive child obsessed with the first Jurassic Park moviethe others did not exist as far as he was concerned. The dungeon mutated the reptiles into dinosaur monsters.

These chickens are very big, Bugsy noted upon noticing the velociraptor. Basils head snapped in the centimagmas direction, startling him. B-Boss? Did I say something wrong?

Something wrong? Basil grabbed Bugsys head and locked eyes with this bright, formidable visionary mind. Bugsy, you are a genius!

I-I am?

Dont you see? Basil released Bugsy and enlightened him. Birds descend from dinosaurs! The soul of a tyrannosaurus rex dwells within the heart of every hen!

I dont like your tone, Plato said ominously. I dont like it at all.

Basil ignored him and thoughtfully watched the velociraptors with his hands behind his back. He cared not if he looked like a supervillain right now. The world would soon understand his bold vision.

I was thinking too small, Basil declared. Vasi suggested that we breed birds with birds. Now I see a bright future beyond time. A future where we shall feast on the eggs of velociraptors and roast young t-rexes on the grill!

No! Plato complained. Dont say it! Dont do it!

His protests fell on deaf ears, for Basil had already made his choice. The only choice.

Thats right, Plato.

Basil grinned at the dinosaurs on the other shore. As they met his gaze, their reptilian eyes suddenly widened in dread and terror.

Were going to breed dinosaurs with chickens.

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