Amazon Apocalypse: Chapter 33 (Patreon)

Sakura hammered a few more nails through her bat before she was finally satisfied with her replacement club. Then, with a grin, she hefted it and waved it around. Seeing my former boss waving around a spiked club like a gangster made me chuckle.

“I think you’re too fond of that thing,” I said.

Sakura grinned. “Think I should have had one in the office? I could have had it over my shoulder when I fired Craig.”

We both shared a laugh at that memory. Though it had happened just a bit less than three days ago, it felt like it had been years.

The two of us set off, and as we walked, I couldn’t help but stretch my arms and grin at the picturesque valley before me. My valley, it seemed—as long as I was strong enough to keep it. “Ain’t this place something, Sakura?” I asked, my eyes twinkling with excitement.

Sakura rolled her eyes, her hands on her hips. “Yes, it’s a lovely patch of dirt between these mountains. Now hurry up and find something for me to bash with my new club!” Her voice was laced with playful exasperation, but I could tell she was just as eager to explore as I was.

The System must have sensed our intention because we both received a notification the moment we set off.

New Quest Available!

· Valley Reclamation. You lay claim to this valley by right of ownership. But creatures within this valley regard it as their own territory. Kill them, push them out, or make them submit to establish your claim to the area!

· Rewards: The System will record and recognize your ownership of this valley, granting you special privileges and opportunities. Bonus experience.

· Challengers defeated: (0/3)

“Well, how about that?” I chuckled. I wondered if the bonus experience from the quest reward would bypass my curse. It sounded like it would. That was enough reason to complete this quest on its own.

“Adventure!” Sakura said, thrusting her club into the air. And so we set off on our quest.

As we toured the farm through the vibrant foliage, I shared stories of my pre-apocalypse farmhouse days with Sakura, who listened with amusement and skepticism.

“I think this is what remains after I attempted a garden.” I waved a hand at what appeared to be the start of a tomato. I’d given up working on it two years prior, and now anything that grew was growing wild. Unfortunately, the System had embraced what little was left of my garden and doubled it in both size and chaotic disorder.

“That looks like it will be a plump and juicy one! Why’d you give it up?” Sakura asked.

“Too many rabbits. The little shits ate half my garden. The only thing that stopped them was the coyotes and foxes. I had plenty of both living nearby after I attempted to raise chickens.”

“Attempted?”

“The only thing I did was doubling the local coyote population…” I grumbled. I was still a little bitter about that. An eight hundred dollar coop and the feral creatures tore right through it. The remains of the coop were probably scattered somewhere in the new valley.

“That’s a shame. If you still had them, we’d have fresh eggs. I think I’m going to miss my morning omelet.”

We bantered back and forth, the conversation lightening the mood as we ventured further into the valley.

Just as I recounted one of my favorite memories of my war against the local wildlife, Sakura’s eyes widened at the sight of a glimmering pool among the trees. “Look!” she exclaimed, grabbing my arm.

The System reacted before I did.

Subquest Discovered!

· The Moonshade Fox Well

· A Moonshade Fox has lain claim to your well! Defeat it to regain access to your water source.

My eyes darted to the corner, where a ball of silvery fur the size of a small car stared at me. A low growl echoed from its throat.

Moonshade Fox (Level 21)

“Get behind me!” Sakura shouted. The moment she did, the Moonshade Fox attacked.

The Moonshade Fox was an elegant and captivating creature, its lithe body covered in silver fur that shimmered with an ethereal glow. Though it was midday, it felt as if the fox and its surroundings were cloaked in perpetual moonlight.

Its enormous eyes bore a hint of intelligence as it watched us, sizing us up like prey trespassing in its territory. Little did the fox know, I had dug the well it guarded with my hands. This was my territory, and it was the one that had trespassed.

Sakura planted her feet firmly on the ground and swung her club in a wide arc. The jagged nails protruding from the bat waved back and forth menacingly, warding off the Moonshade Fox’s advance. It had to swerve out of the way of Sakura’s swings, giving me the perfect opportunity to land a few hits with Mana Bolt and Eldritch Blast.

Wielding one spell in each hand, I unleashed both at once. The beast howled and retreated, only to gather the moonlight near it and shroud itself in shadows. The Moonshade Fox seemed to blend into the darkness.

“It’s turning invisible, Carter!” Sakura shouted.

When the fight began, I’d targeted the fox with Share Curse and Exploit Weakness, so I knew where to aim if I wanted to deal the most damage. Eldritch Blast, in particular, had left behind a corrupting mark, and that was enough to track it even while it was invisible.

“I can see it. Swing where I’m shooting!” I fired off one Mana Bolt after another, tracking the fox. Sakura followed the bright flashes of light and swung with her bat. She didn’t contact the fox even once; it was too nimble and fast for her to hit. But she provided an excellent obstacle that kept the fox from targeting me. Even though the fox was levels higher than Sakura, it was still wary of the strength she wielded in her bat.

The fox grew tired of being on the defensive. I was wearing it down bit by bit from a safe distance while it simply tried to keep out of Sakura’s way.

I lost sight of it for a moment, and I thought it used another cloaking ability, but a moment later, it was bearing down on me from above. It had a power not unlike my Warp Step, and it had used it to jump past Sakura completely and head straight for me.

But two could play at that game. I already had Sure Step active, and it guided me to step aside and dodge the incoming bite before it even landed. Then, with agile movements I didn’t even know I had in me, I leaped aside and fired two more spells right into the fox’s snout as it passed harmlessly past where I’d been standing.

The beast growled in rage as it slid across the muddy grass, but its cry of rage was soon drowned out by Sakura’s.

“Hey! Fight me!” Sakura demanded. The red glow along her bat grew brighter, and her oni horn jutting from her forehead glowed crimson.

The fox targeted me again, but Sakura had enough of being ignored. She charged forward, churning up dirt and mud as she held her club overhead.

Based on its earlier agility, the fox would dodge her easily. But I had other plans in mind. I detonated my Corrupting Marks, and the fox cried out in pain as agony wracked its body. Then, for good measure, I used Blood Sacrifice, sacrificing a sizable portion of my hit points to deal direct damage to the fox.

Neither attack was enough to put it down. But it was enough to cripple the fox for just a moment. And a moment was long enough for Sakura.

With her club high overhead, Sakura slammed it down with full force onto the top of the fox’s head. The sound of an audible crunch filled the air, reminiscent of a giant egg cracking. The fox lay motionless, and the System congratulated us.

Moonshade Fox slain!

Subquest completed.

(1/3) Territorial Claimants defeated.

I cast Disassemble on the lifeless fox. Since it was now deceased, the spell required far less mana. An array of striking silver fur remained, a pile of neatly trimmed fox steaks, and the item I was most intrigued by.

Moonshade Fox Core. A valuable crafting ingredient.

We gathered our spoils, hauling them back to the barn for storage before continuing to search the rest of the territory.

***

As Sakura and I explored my valley, I noticed a few peculiar geodes embedded in the rocky terrain. Intrigued, I investigated further. Upon closer inspection, I sensed something extraordinary about these geodes, prompting me to use my Study ability.

Mana Crystals. An immensely valuable power source for arcanists.

The moment I obtained my first mana crystal, I went from having a tiny handful of blueprints available to work with to dozens. My eyes lit up.

“Wow, Sakura, can you believe this?” I exclaimed, my excitement bubbling over as I explained what I’d just seen. “This is a game-changer! There are dozens of things I can make! A magical catapult, a wand that shoots mana bolts on its own, a self-repair function for clothes…”

Sakura rolled her eyes, amused by my enthusiasm. “You’re like a giddy kid with a new toy, Carter. But let’s not get too carried away until we have them back in the barn. We still need to collect them.”

However, our excitement was short-lived. As I collected the geodes, the ground shook violently, sending tremors all around us. A low rumble filled the air as cracks began to form on the rocky surface. The ground cracked, and a hand shot out from the ground. I used Warp Step to slide out of the way as it reached for me.

A massive stone elemental emerged with a deafening roar, its gigantic form as large as a car. While not as big and scary as the lava elemental, it was still an impressively sized monster and looked strong enough to crush either of us underfoot.

Stone Elemental (Level 21)

It was about the same level as the Moonbeam Fox, which was good. Though I hadn’t improved since that fight, Sakura had gone up several levels from the fight, and she was eager to test her stats which were now even higher than before.

The stone elemental stared down at us, its glowing eyes narrowing as it registered our intrusion into its domain. Its deep, rumbling voice echoed through the valley, filled with unmistakable anger and a primal sense of territoriality.

“Of course, there’s a catch.” Sakura hefted her club. “What’s the plan, Carter?”

“Hit and run!” I yelled, already dashing backward to distance us from the elemental.

The creature was durable but seemed slow and ponderous. So we used hit-and-run tactics to wear it down while avoiding its powerful strikes.

I dashed backward, preparing to cast Eldritch Blast to disrupt the elemental energy within the stone elemental’s body. “Sakura, try to keep it off balance and draw its attention. I’ll look for a weak spot and hit it with everything I’ve got!”

“Got it, Carter!” Sakura charged forward with a battle cry, swinging her club at the elemental’s legs. The impact reverberated through the valley, and the elemental stumbled, its gaze focusing on Sakura.

I seized the opportunity and targeted the glowing crevices in the elemental’s body with my Eldritch Blast. The dark energy collided with the elemental, causing it to stagger momentarily. However, it was not enough to bring it down.

The elemental roared in frustration and swung a massive arm at Sakura. She narrowly dodged the attack, her club leaving a trail of sparks as it scraped against the elemental’s rocky exterior. “This thing’s tough!” she grunted, sweat beading her forehead.

As we continued our hit-and-run assault, I noticed a faint crack in the elemental’s chest. Its energy seemed to be concentrated. “Sakura! Aim for the crack in its chest! That might be its weak spot!”

Sakura nodded, taking a deep breath as she readied herself for her next attack. She charged the elemental, leaping into the air and bringing her club down on the exposed crack with a powerful overhead strike. The impact resonated throughout the valley, and the elemental let out an anguished bellow.

The crack widened, and the elemental’s movements became more sluggish. We pressed our advantage, peppering the creature with our attacks. Sakura continued to hammer away at its weakened chest while I kept disrupting its energy with my Eldritch Blast.

Stone Elemental slain!

Subquest completed.

(2/3) Territorial Claimants defeated.

Finally, the stone elemental could no longer withstand our relentless assault. With a thunderous crash, it crumbled into a heap of rocks and debris. As the dust settled, we saw the valuable geodes we sought, now free.

Panting and covered in dirt and sweat, Sakura grinned at me. “We did it, Carter! Now let’s grab those precious geodes of yours!”

***

We continued exploring the valley, but it seemed we had already uncovered its secrets. Despite its increase in size, the valley was only so vast and could only harbor a few monsters.

“But the quest said there were three of them!” Sakura grumbled, eager for more experience points. Because of my Death Curse, all the experience points that would have gone to me were redirected to her, and both her class and race were catching up to mine.

Suddenly, I realized what we had been overlooking. “The third monster to defeat must have been that wraith!”

“Oh...” Sakura’s shoulders slumped in disappointment. “The stupid ghost... never mind. I guess we’ve got to give up on the quest.”

I laughed at Sakura’s crestfallen expression. “Don’t worry. We’ll be strong enough to take it down eventually. Then we’ll have a proper bed to sleep in and can set up camp here for real. Afterward, we’ll hit the road again and search for your father.”

Sakura shook her head, her lips forming a pout. “It’s not that. The stupid ghost is unsmashable. My fist went right through it last time. I will not be able to fight it anytime soon... I’m afraid it’s going to be all up to you.”

I shrugged, but then inspiration struck. I recalled seeing something in my list of blueprints that might be of assistance. “All you need is a magical attack or two. And I think I have an idea. But, hold on, I need to craft something real quick. It’ll only take a few minutes.”

I raced towards the barn, eager to put my plan into action. Once there, I selected a prompt and brought my pile of mana crystal geodes to my workbench.

Would you like to craft a Mana Bomb?

I selected yes, and felt my Arcanist job take over. I began meticulously creating the mana bombs using the materials I had gathered from my barn. First, I unwound strands of copper wire and formed them into a tight coil, which would serve as the core of each bomb. The copper would channel the explosive energy of the mana crystals effectively.

Next, I placed the smooth pebbles at the center of the copper coils, creating a base for the mana to flow through. Again, the stones’ natural properties amplified the magical energy, increasing the potency of the final product.

I then combined the ground chalk and crushed charcoal in a small bowl, creating a fine powder that would act as a magical catalyst. Finally, I carefully sprinkled this mixture over the pebbles and copper wire, ensuring an even distribution to facilitate mana flow throughout the bomb.

Taking strips of cloth, I wrapped them around the outer shell of the bomb, providing a protective casing that was both resilient and flexible. This would allow the bomb to withstand rough handling without compromising the delicate internal components.

To bind the layers together, I melted beeswax and applied it to the cloth-wrapped bombs. The beeswax created a tight seal, preventing any mana leakage and ensuring the stability of the explosive device.

Finally, I carefully embedded the mana crystals within the core of each bomb, using my Arcanist skills to channel their energy into the other components. With the construction process complete, I now had a small arsenal of powerful mana bombs at my disposal, each one a simple but effective weapon designed to give Sakura the ability to deal magical damage to even the most intangible foes. In fact, dealing with magical damage seemed to be the only thing these mana bombs were good for.

Crude Mana Bomb (Common) x 15

Deals magical damage and disrupts nearby spells.

I ran out to show Sakura. She was busy working on the Moonshade Fox hide and already had it stretched out. It looked less like part of a dead monster now and more like a fur coat in the making. I showed her what I’d made in the meantime.

“Look, Sakura,” I said, proudly presenting my handiwork to her. “With these mana bombs, you can deal magical damage. So let’s give that wraith another shot.”

Her eyes lit up with excitement, and she nodded. “Nothing will stand between me and sleeping on a real bed tonight!”