Amazon Apocalypse: Chapter 31 (Patreon)

I didn't have a long quiet night, as it happened.

Not long after opening my menus, something jumped in the corner of my vision, and my screen abruptly went dark. There was something out there in the woods. Ordinarily, I wouldn't have been afraid of anything smaller than a bear. The timid forest creatures around here weren't ordinarily something to be scared of.

But this wasn't ordinary times. There were monsters about, and I was marked for death by the System.

I needed to get out of the lean-to and find a weapon. There was one problem with that, though. In her sleep, Sakura had wrapped her arms around me. I'd ignored the motion at the time, thinking she just wanted to get comfortable. Feeling her pressed so tight against me was rather nice.

Except now, when I needed to get free, I found her grip was too strong to break. I'd forgotten Sakura's stats. Her strength points put her well beyond the human limits, meaning she was stronger than was possible for even the burliest bodybuilder. With my modest levels in strength, there was no way I could break her grip.

I tried to worm my way free of her grip and duck my head under her arms. Still, when I tried to escape that way, I only found Sakura's grip clamp down around me tighter like she was afraid of me escaping on her the moment she let go.

"Sakura, wake up." I nudged her in the stomach once I realized there was no way I was getting out of here without her help.

Nearby, I spotted more flashes of movement in the shadows cast by the fire. There were things in the woods just beyond our clearing. Multiple things.

"Sakura! I really need you to wake up and let go of me!" I hissed while tapping on her shoulder frantically.

Sakura drooled on my chest, pressing her cheek against me in her sleep as she pulled me even tighter.

"Sakura!" I shouted loud enough that whatever was in the forest must have known I was awake.

Only then did did the woman who'd trapped me in her supernaturally strong embrace finally start to stir. I focused just outside the tent and used Warp Step. Instead of instantly teleporting me from one location to another, it turned a desperate little wiggle into something better resembling a squirm. It wasn't much, but it was enough to get one of my arms free from Sakura's embrace. That let me tap her in the cheek a few times, which finally got her to stir.

"Huh? Is it my shift already?" Sakura asked as she blinked the sleep from her eyes.

"On your feet! And let go of me. I think we're under attack," I shouted, making no attempt to be quiet.

I had hoped the sound of my raised voice would scare off whatever was coming our way, but still they were coming. I focused on them with Examine the moment one stepped into the light of the fire.

Moss man (Level 16)

The Moss Man looked like a saggy green carpet drenched in swamp water, and it moved just as well. It left footprints in the ground, one slow lumbering step after another.

A single level sixteen monster was far from enough to scare me at this point, but this moss man wasn't alone.

Moss man (Level 17)

Moss man (Level 18)

The three moss men head and shoulders taller than I was. They didn't appear to be particularly fast, but their sheer size would give them brutish strength to make me wary of fighting them. But it looked like they weren't going to give me a choice as they trampled right over my fire and scattered the embers in all directions before striding right in our direction.

Sakura scrambled to her feet, dragging me up along side her as she did so. She scanned the ground and picked up a branch, while I prepared my mystical abilities.

I used Exploit Weakness to get a good eye on the things. The ability highlighted a spot somewhere in the middle of the moss men instead of the head, which I would have otherwise aimed for.

"Aim just below where their belly buttons would be, if they had them," I told Sakura.

Sakura nodded as she hefted her stick. Crimson light enveloped the stick, straightening it and making it a little stronger. She let out a ferocious roar and charged the three moss men.

Meanwhile, I fired my Mana Bolt.

As Sakura charged towards the Moss Men, I took a deep breath and focused on the battle ahead. My Mana Bolt was ready, the energy crackling between my fingertips. I aimed at the center Moss Man, right at its weak point just below where a belly button would be and let loose the crackling bolt of energy.

The Mana Bolt struck the Moss Man square in its weak spot, causing it to stagger backward, roaring in pain. Sakura, in the meantime, had closed the distance between her and the nearest Moss Man. She swung her enchanted branch with all her might, aiming for its weak point. The branch connected with a resounding thud, and the Moss Man's let out a muffled groan, which was the closest the plant creature could make to a cry of rage.

I glanced at my mana reserves and decided to cast Surging Strength, boosting my own power by 20% just in time to jump out of the way with an enhanced Power Jump as the only Moss Man we hadn’t engaged barreled forward and destroyed the remains of our little lean-to that we’d been sleeping in moments before.

Blood pounded in my veins, and I prepared to unleash another Mana Bolt. This time, I aimed for the remaining Moss Man that hadn't been attacked yet. The Mana Bolt flew from my fingers, hitting its mark and causing the creature to stagger just like its brethren.

Sakura pressed her attack. The Moss Man she was fighting outleveled her, but didn’t care. With a ferocious growl, she hammered on the Moss Man with blow after blow, bashing it in the stomach with a stick and staying just one step ahead of the Moss Man’s clumsy swings that it sent in return.

Her makeshift weapon connected with the weak point I pointed out again and again, and I realized there was something hidden just beneath the surface of the Moth Man’s grassy hide. I continued to support her from a distance, alternating between Mana Bolt and Eldrich Blast to keep all three Moss Men on the defensive long enough to keep them from ganging up on either of us.

As the battle wore on, I noticed my mana reserves wouldn’t last the entire fight. I decided to tap into the available mana and used Power of Nature to tap into the lingering embers of our fire. My Mana Bolts took on a crimson tinge as they struck the nearest Moss Man, and to my surprise, the entire Moss Man caught fire from the attack.

Exploit Weakness activated, and I sensed I’d just discovered another weakness.

“They’re vulnerable to fire!” I shouted.

Sakura reached to some of the hot embers on the ground and scooped them up right in her hand. She tossed them right at the Moss Man she’d been dueling with, where they smoked and smoldered in place.

That discovery was the secret we needed end the fight. With fire at our fingertips, the Moss Men began faltering.

Sakura had managed to land a solid blow on the second Moss Man, and it collapsed to the ground, defeated. She moved on to the third, her branch connecting with the same force and precision as before. The final Moss Man roared in frustration and swung a massive arm towards Sakura.

I quickly activated Warp Step, positioning myself between Sakura and the Moss Man's attack, dodging the blow with ease. As the creature's arm passed harmlessly by, I reached out and cast Eldrich Blast point-blank into its abdomen.

It reeled back in agony, and the thing I’d noticed before shone in the dim firelight. There was a shiny gemstone in there. I darted in beneath the Moss Man’s grasping hands and snatched the gem before using Power Jump to retreat just as fast.

As I departed, the Moss Man collapsed where I’d stood moments ago and became nothing more than a pile of forest debris.

Moss Man slain!

Sakura spotted what I did, and battered and wounded as the other two were, she was able to land a killing blow as well directly on their center of mass. I heard something crack like shattering glass, and the Moss Man collapsed to the ground with a final, pitiful groan.

I held up my hand, grasping it tight and activating all the Corrupting Marks my Mana Bolts and Eldrich Blasts had left on the thing. Between that and Disassemble, the Moss Man exploded into a fountain of discrete parts. Grass lay in one heap, a coil of vines in another, and finally a rolling green gemstone just like one I already held in my hand.

Moss Man slain!

Moss Man slain!

Breathing heavily, Sakura and I surveyed the battlefield. The three Moss Men lay defeated at our feet. As we caught our breath, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in our teamwork and the effective use of my abilities.

"Nice work," I complimented Sakura, still panting from the exertion. We exchanged a smile, and her fist bumped against mine. The two of us had kicked ass. The successful fight had done quite a bit to restore our confidence after our run in with the Lava Elemental destroyed it.

"You too," she replied, grinning widely. “And what’s that pretty thing you’ve got in your hands?

I held up the gemstones and focused my Study ability on them, hoping to learn more about their nature and potential uses. As I concentrated, a system dialogue box appeared before my eyes, providing me with the information I sought.

Moss Man Core (Uncommon) - This item contains the essence of a Moss Man. Numerous alchemical, crafting, and enchantment uses.

It was just like the fingernail-sized gemstone I’d gotten from that scavenger cockroach I examined. It seemed like a lot of monsters had these cores. I pocketed these as well. As an artificer, anything that could be used for enchantment would probably be useful to me.

"I'll keep watch until morning. You should get some sleep. You used a lot of mana there." Sakura waved me over to the ruined pile of debris that we'd previously been sleeping in.

"You sure? I noticed you swinging that club around an awful lot too."

Sakura shook her head and smiled. "I'll be fine. Besides, I have some stats to pick. You rest your head."

I didn't think I'd be able to get much sleep, but to my surprise as soon as I settled down I was out cold. I didn't wake until my stomach grumbled when the sun was already risen.

When I awoke, the sun had already risen, and the sound of crackling fire filled the air. My stomach grumbled, and I smelled something somewhere between kale and mushrooms.

I opened my eyes and saw Sakura busily working over the fire, cooking something that looked surprisingly appetizing.

As I sat up, the smell reached my nose, and my stomach growled again in response. It was an unexpectedly pleasant aroma, earthy and savory. I rubbed my eyes and moved closer to get a better look at what Sakura was cooking.

She’d wrapped a pair of sticks in the green goo that had previously made the Moss Men. The stringy green stuff had gelled as it cooked, and now it looked like two bars of green… something.

But it couldn’t have tasted too bad, because nearby I saw three more identical sticks stripped clean. Sakura must have been working on cooking these things all night.

"Morning, Carter," she greeted me cheerfully. "I thought I'd try cooking some of the Moss Men.”

“You actually tried to eat those things?” I asked, full of skepticism.

Curious, I took a bite of the grassy substance she offered me. Maybe it was my hunger, or maybe Sakura was a better survival cook than I ever would have guessed, but the Moss Man breakfast tasted rather good.

We enjoyed our impromptu breakfast, feeling grateful for the unexpected bounty provided by our vanquished foes. With full stomachs and renewed energy, we renewed our climb up the mountainside.

The mountain was far steeper than it should have been. Back before the integration, I wouldn’t have dared hike up it, let alone build a house near the top.

Even our enhanced bodies were having difficulty with how steep the incline was, and we had to zigzag back and forth just to make our way up the slope, which was nearly vertical in a lot of places. As we went higher, it soon became less hiking and more rock climbing.

Sakura had the advantage of me at first. Her high strength stat let her heave herself up the rocks arm over arm. But my two movement abilities, Sure Step and Warp Step, ensured that I could find the narrowest of ledges and move ten times as far as they should have let me.

Eventually, she started to waver. Her breaths came in short, labored gasps, and her face was flushed from exertion. She glanced down at the steep, treacherous path we had taken, and then back up towards the gap near the summit where I said my farmhouse lay. With a hint of regret in her voice, she said, "Maybe we should have doubled back for your truck after all!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at her admission. "Finally coming around? Well, it's too late for that. My farmhouse is just around the corner." I teased, though my poor truck would never have been able to make it up this steep incline either.

Many more groans, grunts, and beads of sweat later, the narrow incline abruptly leveled off to a small incline.

Before, my farmhouse had been on the terraced off top of a hill. Apparently, the system had reinterpreted the terrace in front of my yard as the steep sheets of sheer rock we’d just climbed. Now that we were at the top, we stood at the entrance of what had formerly been my yard.

As we stepped onto the leveled ground, we were greeted by a verdant green valley that stretched out before us. It was a breathtaking sight, with lush, rolling hills blanketed in emerald grasses and wildflowers that swayed gently in the breeze. The valley was a stark contrast to the treacherous, steep mountain we had just climbed, offering a sense of tranquility and peace.

A small, babbling brook meandered through the valley, reflecting the sunlight in its crystal-clear waters. I didn't remember that being there back when this had just been a hill, there hadn't been snow-covered peaks surrounding my home before.

Towering trees stood proudly on either side of the little valley, their leaves rustling softly overhead. The air was filled with the sweet scent of flowers and the faint hum of insects, creating a soothing symphony that spoke of the harmony of nature.

Nestled at the heart of this idyllic scene was the farmhouse, its warm and inviting presence beckoning us forward. The path to the farmhouse was lined with vibrant, well-tended flowerbeds and the occasional fruit tree laden with ripe, juicy fruit. As we walked towards our destination, we could feel the fatigue from our climb gradually fading away, replaced by a sense of rejuvenation and awe at the beauty surrounding us.

In short, it was picturesque scenery that would have been way out of my price range. Sakura commented as much.

“Carter, how much was I paying you?” she asked as she steadied herself as we staggered our way into the beautiful valley.

“Not enough to afford this place,” I chuckled. Pointing, I saw my farmhouse in the distance.

I owned a few acres on top of the hill, thinking that when Myrina's fortold apocalypse came I'd want enough space to grow my own food and firewood, depending on how long the apocalypse lasted. I'd worried a bit about how I was going to feed Sakura once supplies ran dry, but that probably had been neatly solved. The System must have taken a liking to my yard, since what I'd had was now stretched out a hundred fold and sprawled in all directions. Cupped between three mountain peaks, my valley would be completely inaccessible to anyone who couldn't climb the sheer face of the cliff Sakura and I had just gone up.

But the yard wasn't the only thing that the System had taken a liking to. The barn stood beside it with its distinctive red color and rounded roof, standing right beside my humble farmhouse. I did a double-take when I saw more than one of them.

Of course! The System had duplicated everything else. Why not my barn?

I felt excitement run through me. If my barn had been duplicated, what about the supplies inside?

"Come on!" I said, picking up speed with Warp Step until my walk was more akin to a run. I rushed toward my new barns, and Sakura in a run that was more like a series of jumps to utilize her high strength.

I sprinted towards the barn, my heart pounding with anticipation. As I reached the entrance, I threw the doors wide open, revealing the treasure trove inside. The barn was filled with mountains of grain, food, and survival supplies. Enormous stacks of canned food lined the walls, a testament to my pre-apocalyptic paranoia.

I felt a grin spreading across my face as I took it all in. Behind me, I heard Sakura skid to a stop. She let out a low whistle. She nudged me playfully nudged me with her elbow as she glanced around the barn. "It’s a good thing I never came for a visit. I would have thought you were crazy.”

“Crazy, but right in the end,” I chuckled as I ran my hand over the first of many rows of shelves. I’d built these shelves with my own hands, and the System had liked them enough to make more of them. Three copies of my barn had been jammed together, tripling their size and everything they contained.

Sakura nodded as she followed along behind me. “I have to admit, Carter, I'm pretty impressed. You really went all out with your preparations, didn't you?" She winked at me, adding, "I guess I’m lucky I stuck by you. We’ll be eating our fill long after Crownhill is out of food."

My grin widened, though I wasn’t sure if it was at her words or from the bubbling excitement. Turning toward the rest of the barn, I noticed with glee that my tools had been duplicated as well as my food stash. "I wanted to make sure I was set, no matter what."

Sakura nodded, her eyes scanning the rows of supplies. "You definitely succeeded there. We should make an inventory list."

I dug around to find my old list. I knew what I had before the integration, but now that it had actually happened I had a lot more stuff than I had before.

Together, we began to explore the contents of the barn. I had stocked up on a wide variety of non-perishable food items like canned fruits, vegetables, and meats, as well as bags of rice, pasta, and beans. There were shelves filled with bottled water, powdered milk, and energy bars, ensuring we'd have access to clean drinking water and plenty of quick, nutritious meals.

In addition to the food, I had also amassed an impressive collection of medical supplies. There were first aid kits, bandages, and various over-the-counter medications to treat everything from headaches to infections. Sakura raised an eyebrow as she spotted a stash of more potent painkillers and antibiotics. "Wow, Carter, you really thought of everything. It looks like you were planning on opening a general store after the apocalypse."

I chuckled, feeling slightly embarrassed. "You never know."

Sakura grinned, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "Well, it's comforting to know you're so well-stocked." She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a teasing whisper. "And knowing that I have you, Mr. Doomsday Prepper, to keep me safe. I just have to make sure I earn my keep."

I felt my face heat up a little as Sakura placed an arm around me. "Yeah? Well, I’ve got a few ideas."

I’d only been teasing, but Sakura’s face lit up in delight. Her hand wrapped around my wrist, tight and supernaturally strong as she tugged me along behind her. “Come on. Enough with your barn. I have a sudden urge to check out your bedroom.”

<Author's Note>

I'm going to try to keep doing the bonus chapters, at least until my stockpile is in danger of running out. This books is massively overdue as well, so I'll try to keep up the accelerated pace I was working on Paladin 4 with for a while. I may give out after a while, but for now I want the extra chapters to get us back into the groove of the story quickly.

You guys might remember this chapter from the original version of Amazon Apocalypse (the Quest version.) It was a fun chapter so I found a way to keep it, though truthfully I couldn't use any prose from that chapter and ended up having to rewrite the whole thing.

Also, Exploit Weakness is a new ability. It basically highlights vulnerabilities for Carter to target.