Amazon Apocalypse Extras: Chapter 73 (Old Version) (Patreon)

I cleaned myself up a bit before making my way outside. Everyone was already gathered up and regrouping. Fortunately the people Terrance had already cuffed and rounded up were under control still, so we hadn't wiped out everyone in the old prison.

"All taken care of!" I announced as I left the prison. Several faces looked up at my approach.

"Carter! What was that? Toward the end there everybody in sight keeled over all at once..." Frank said, shaking his head. His team had withdrawn along with Ricks when everything went south, and I was glad to see they were mostly okay, besides a few wounded.

"Just a little trick I've been keeping up my sleeves. I'm still getting the hang of it." At my side, I clenched and unclenched my fist. The tremendous surge of stats were slowly bleeding off, but I felt strong. Very strong. I could get used to this feeling.

After checking in with everyone and letting them know I was alright, I stepped aside to read through my last few notifications.

Congratulations! You have gained 3 levels!

Your new title, Shardlord, grants you the following boons:

• Your territory      has expanded to cover all currently integrated shards.
• Gain 10 stat      points to Charisma. Any Charisma actions related to diplomacy or      negotiation will be enhanced by 25%.
• Grants a +10%      to all personal stats when fighting to defend territories within your own      shard.
• Enables      higher-level System sanctioned settlements and appoint additional vassals      to rule them.

Not a bad haul, I figured. The boost to charisma was welcome, but what I was most pleased with was the additional 10% to all stats when on the defensive. I'd had to defend my territory more than once as of late, and if I was reading the prompts correctly, all the newly integrated shards were now my territory.

Though, I did worry that others might have the same title. If I'd managed this feat, surely others had as well. And when my shard merged with theirs, they'd be that much harder to defeat.

I would have to look at the System sanctioned settlements as well. I'd already upgraded the downtown area of Crownhill into a castle. Now it seemed like there was even more to do.

After clearing my recent notifications, I turned to my soldiers. Two of whom were guarding something I desperately needed to speak to. I still wanted to wait for Sakura and Bridget before having a real conversation with her, but a quick chat wouldn't hurt.

"So, Lisette..." I began, approaching her, Kyle, and Marcus. The two young men seemed quite protective of the scantily clad young woman between them. Kyle had even given Lisette his sweatshirt to ward off the cool air, but Lisette just kept it on her lap. she didn't seem to mind the chill, which would be highly unusual for a level 8. There was more to her I didn't understand yet.

Lisette glanced up at me, blinking in surprise. She stretched, chest bouncing as she extended her arms and let the sweatshirt covering her legs slide to the ground.

"You... you defeated Caesar?" Lisette asked. As she did so, she looked me up and down as if with new eyes. I'd seen those eyes before. They held more than a passing interest. Now they were predatory. I frowned.

"I did. And I've got quite a few questions for you. Something isn't adding up here."

Lisette glanced back and forth to the people around us. "Oh... of course... sir. I'd be more than happy to help you any way you can. You and your people saved me from those despicable criminals after all. But I'm scared and tired from all the fighting. You wouldn't interrogate a frightened girl like me after just going through the most traumatic experience of her life, would you?"

She batted her eyelashes at me with a coy smile on her face. She certainly didn't look traumatized. But that didn't stop Kyle and Marcus from nodding their heads in vigorous agreement.

"Don't worry, Carter's a stand-up guy! He'll make sure you're taken care of," Kyle smiled.

Lisette looked me up and down once more, tongue licking her lower lip as she glanced between me and the prison I'd just cleared out. "Oh... I'm sure he'll take very good care of me. How about tonight then, Carter? You can interrogate me once I'm all settled in wherever you call home? The two of us can talk about my horrible, agonizing experience over dinner. You can strip me bare... of all my secrets." She threw me a wink.

I took a step back, suddenly feeling an intense tightness in my chest and a growing throbbing in my pants. I took a step away to clear my head.

"Fine. I will be there to interview you tonight," I replied, eager to clear my head.

***

I made a few excuses and walked back to the settlement on my own. On the way, I slew a few monsters to clear my head.

Something was off with Lisette, that much I was certain of. She must have had a very high Charisma stat, but that wouldn't be too strange if her class as an Acrobat was structured more around being an entertainer than as a combatant. I would have thought that would be categorized under a job, but from what Cyra and Myrina taught me, sometimes those could blend together.

My body had quite clearly reacted to her presence. I'd felt a sharp and intense sexual urge when she smiled and winked at me. The only question was whether that had come from me and my Fabulous Phallus skill or from her.

I remembered the adoring looks on Kyle and Marcus' faces. And then the blank expressions in the eyes of Caesar and all his men.

Were the two related somehow?

Why?

And how?

This would bear investigation and research. I would have to check back at the teleportation array. Maybe I could send a note back to Themyscira and have Myrina look into it for me.

Or maybe not. She'd be doing her best to not expose my other business ventures on Themyscira. Odds were good I wouldn't be teleporting anything over to Themyscira for a good long while.

I cursed silently. Elder Thalassa couldn't have picked a worse time to capitalize on her little schemes. I hoped Kyrina would throw her in the dungeon for punishment at the very least.

By the time I finished my walk, I was thinking a lot more clearly. I returned to Crownhill with a sudden realization. Why was I allowing Lisette to walk free?

If I had even the slightest suspicion that she was a danger to the pubic, I wanted her safely contained. I could always make apologies later, but if she was dangerous she should be treated as such.

I hunted down Terrance as soon as I was back.

"Yeah, the nearly naked black chick in the slave Leia costume..." Terrance shook his head. "Kids these days. I can interrogate her if you want, but if I do I'm going to need her to put some clothes on. I've seen her type before and they can be tricky."

I nodded along for a moment, then replayed what Terrance had just said. "Wait a second, what did you just say?"

"They can be tricky?" Terrance cocked his head.

"No," I shook my head. "Before that. What did she look like to you?"

Terrance shrugged. "Walnut skin tone. Skimpy clothes. Curly braids..."

I ran my fingers through my hair. "I could have sworn she was a pale redhead..."

"What?" Terrance scoffed. "Carter, I may have a woman of my own, but I don't pretend not to pay attention when a beauty walks by dressed like that."

"Well... tell Kyle and Marcus to escort her to a secure apartment. Tell her she's under my protection and place a guard on her door. I don't want her wandering the streets on her own. She could be dangerous."

Terrance shrugged. "Suit yourself. I've got to get these new prisoners settled but grab a few of my guys and hunt her down."

I grabbed two of Terrance's policemen, and they followed me as I hunted down Kyle and Marcus. I found the two of them leaning against a door, each scowling at one another over a game of rock paper scissors.

"Hey Kyle, Marcus. Where's Lisette?" I asked.

"In there," Marcus pointed without taking his eyes of Kyle's hand. "She's been in there a while. We were just deciding who gets to check on her."

"I see. Well, no need for a game. I'm stealing that privilege for myself. You two should wait right there a bit. I want to talk to you both about Lisette as soon as I'm done talking to her." The two of them had been exposed to her the longest. If interacting with her caused any personality changes, it would be most apparent in them.

Were they just two young men starstruck by a pretty girl? Or was there something worse afoot?

I pushed the door open, stepping into the dimly lit back room where Lisette was kept. The air was thick with a heady, intoxicating scent. There she was, lounging on a makeshift bed, her eyes alight with a mischievous glint. She was the same as I remembered her, but not at all like Terrance had described.

"Ah, you've come," Lisette purred, her voice a silky thread weaving through the air. She rose, her movements graceful and fluid, like a dancer's. The scant fabric of her attire left little to the imagination, clinging to her curves in a way that seemed almost painted on.

Lisette Walton (Acrobat – Level 8)

Her level remained unimpressive as before. But I wasn't as confident in my Examine skill as I had been before. Something about the woman just didn't add up.

I took a cautious step forward, my resolve firm yet strangely wavering under her gaze. "Lisette, we need to talk. I've heard some allegations that are very disturbing."

"Sure, darling. Sure. But first, why don't you accept a little gift of mine? A token of appreciation for my rescue." Lisette reached behind her and withdrew a familiar golden laurel crown. It was just the right size for my head. The other one was still on Caesar, so she must have had another one prepared.

"That's Caesar's crown," I said, taking a step back and preparing for a fight.

"Oh, you mean this?" She held up a delicate, ornate crown, its jewels glinting in the low light. "It's just a trinket, really. But it would look better on you than it ever did on him, don't you think?"

As she approached, the crown in her outstretched hand, I felt a strange pull, an allure that was almost magnetic. My hand reached out of its own accord, fingers twitching to grasp the offered crown. Her eyes locked onto mine, deep and inviting, promising untold pleasures and secrets.

But something inside me snapped to attention, a warning bell in the depths of my mind. I blinked, breaking the spell of her gaze. With a sharp intake of breath, I pulled my hand back, just inches from the crown.

"What are you doing?" I asked, voice growing colder. She didn't seem to notice.

"I'm showing my gratitude, silly. Now that I see you, I'm glad you killed Caesar. You're much more pleasant than any criminal. I can see myself keeping you around for a long, long time..."

"I'm not putting on your damn crown," I spat. "Now you're not making this any easier on yourself. How about--"

I sensed the shift in the air, a whisper of movement behind me. My instincts, honed from recent battles, kicked in. I pivoted on my heel just as Lisette lunged, her slender form now a blur of motion. The crown was still in her hand, and she looked like she was going to shove it on my head whether I wanted it or not.

Her attack was swift, but I was swifter. I sidestepped, narrowly dodging her outstretched fingers that were about to slam the crown onto my brow. There was no trace of the seductive temptress now; in her place was a predator, her eyes alight with a feral, dangerous gleam.

"Feisty, aren't you?" I assessed her stance. She was fast, but I had strength and training on my side.

Lisette hissed, a sound that was almost inhuman, and came at me again. This time I was ready. I caught her wrist mid-strike, using her momentum to spin her around and pin her against the wall. Her strength was surprising, muscles coiling and flexing under my grip, but I held firm.

"You really think I'm just a damsel in distress?" she taunted, her voice laced with malice.

Suddenly, she writhed like a snake. The skin of my hand burned like I'd stuck it into a fire. She shoved me, and I went flying across the room. Something was very wrong here.

I examined her again.

Lisette Walton (Seductress - Level 55)

"So, you were hiding your class and level?" I asked as I regained my feet.

"You should have let me do this the easy way. Maybe then I could have left some of your mind intact!"

Lisette lunged for me once more. She tugged at her hair, and a knife appeared in her grasp. I had no idea how she had hidden something so large in her hair, but she'd managed somehow.

I reacted instinctively, my training taking over. I grabbed her wrist, twisting it away as the blade came dangerously close to my chest. We struggled, her strength surprising, but I had the edge in raw power.

Using my superior strength, I pushed her arm back, turning her own momentum against her. The knife clattered to the ground, sliding away across the floor. I expected her to relent, but she didn't. Instead, she tried to use her Seductress skills, her eyes attempting to lock onto mine, an aura of enchantment emanating from her.

But I wasn't about to be ensnared by her tricks. I felt my Iron Will passive skill come into effect, granting me the strength to resist. More than that, my own charisma stats and the memories of my women rose up to defend me. "Not going to work, Lisette.”

With a frustrated growl, she redoubled her efforts, throwing her entire weight against me. But it was a desperate move, one that left her open. I took advantage, twisting her arm behind her back and pushing her forward, face-first against the wall.

"Enough!" I yelled as I curled my hand into a fist. I activated Mania straight to the third level. An Eldrich Blast knocked the wind right out of her. A few Mana Bolts struck her body and knocked her backward.

For all her levels, Lisette wasn't strong. Her class must not have been well suited to fighting in person.

I cast Arcane Blade on my sword, slashing and cutting Lisette wide across the chest.

She clutched her wound and brought her dagger forward to defend, but I shot her in the face with an Eldrich Blast, then cut at her wrist. Between the two attacks, she was completely overwhelmed. Her severed hand fell to the ground as blood gushed from her open wounds.

Immediately, Lisette fell to her knees. "Wait, please! I surrender, I give up! I can be useful to you!"

"You're too dangerous to be left alive," I replied with a sad shake of my head.

Lisette reached with her good hand toward where she'd dropped the crown midway through her fight. Her fingers wrapped around it and tossed it toward me.

She had remarkable aim. If I'd been a moment slower, it would have landed right on my head. But I wasn't slower. Instead, I cast Warp Step, vanished, and appeared behind Lisette. In one swift move, I separated her head from her torso. Her body crumbled to the ground.

Your class, Scholar of Forbidden Knowledge has gained 3 levels!

Your race, Human, has gained 2 levels!

I released Mania. Quite a bit of experience for one woman. I watched her rolling head come to a stop and saw the features shift from those of a beautiful young woman to an ancient hag who looked somewhere north of eighty. So that was her true appearance...

I eyed the laurel crown on the floor, and in one swift motion cut it in half with an Arcane Blade. I wasn't sure if it was still dangerous, but I didn't want anybody to try it on.

Then, I left the door and closed it behind me.

"Well?" Marcus asked. "Any luck."

I shook my head. "There is no Lisette. Pack your backs, we're going home."

"Wait. What?" Kyle asked in surprise.

I placed my hand on his shoulder and shook my head. "I'll tell you someday. Just know the System is a scary place, and if you ever see a woman as beautiful as her, run."

"Okay..." Kyle cast one longing glance toward the door.

I tugged him along by the shoulder.

"Come on. Let's get back to Crownhill. I've got some unfinished business to take care of on a world full of Amazons."

+++

Note:

Hope you all enjoyed a brief trip to what might have been! I’m hopefully done editing the main story now and we can jump back over to it. The stuff from this draft is increasingly placeholders and scattered scenes from here on out. Besides, it merges back in with the current outline for Myrina's stuff, so no point in trying to read the increasingly messy abandoned draft from here.

This one would have ended the story about 10 chapters faster, but in the current version there's about another 10 chapters of dealing with Lisette.

Hopefully you’ve read this and understand why beta readers asked for a rewrite, which I did do. We’re switching back to the current draft now, which you guys will likely agree is far superior when finished.

Thanks for reading! See you again tomorrow.