Amazon Apocalypse 5: Chapter 68

The Chaos Wolf and I charged one another, man against beast. He revealed sharp teeth and claws, but I spat fire in his eyes and tried to tear his guts out with Arcane Blade.

Arcane Blade found no purchase on his hide, but his teeth found my shoulder easily enough. Cyra shoved him off me then, holding up her shield with both hands as she focused on drawing the Chaos God’s attention. He fought with magic as much as teeth and claws. Crimson energy gathered around him to nip at our heels and deal small quantities of corrosive damage, much like my corrupting marks.

The Chaos Wolf’s class was also some variant of Scholar of Forbidden Knowledge. I’d learned that from when he tried to possess me that first time, and I suspected us sharing a class was why he was keen on taking my body for himself.

Myrina dove in while her sister was distracting the Chaos Wolf. She was wearing her Feisty Redhead armor and had been fighting for hours. Far from weakening her, an entire day of battle gave her legendary Tempo of Battle ability time to bolster her stats far beyond their normal limits. When she struck, she did so with enough power to draw a drop of blood from the Chaos Wolf. But just a drop.

“Rat! Know your place,” the Chaos Wolf snarled as he whirled on Myrina with supernatural speed. He latched onto her armored leg with teeth and grabbed her before shaking her back and forth like a dog with a bone. He whipped Myrina against the manor next to us with enough force the entire structure started collapsing.

The Chaos Wolf followed close behind and pounced on her, grabbing her again and tossing her once more. Myrina went flying again, smashing through the outer walls of the manor compound and bringing that structure down as well.

“Myrina, no!” Cyra yelled, and I felt my heart clench tight. I sensed the Probability Engine I’d given her activate as the Chaos Wolf tossed her aside into a waiting group of B-Grade naga who would surely finish her off.

“Save her!” I yelled to Cyra. My voice came out hoarse and desperate. More toothy. I poured some of my spare health into Myrina through Lifeforce Tether, rapidly healing her. She was still alive, but might not be for long without help.

“...But...” Cyra protested as she looked between me and her sister.

“Go! And retreat to the Mystic Realm. I’ll hold him off,” I yelled again.

Reluctantly, Cyra broke off and ran after her sister.

“You did not want your lovers to see you die? Perhaps you’re thinking that this way, they’ll remember you as a strong warrior rather than the beaten and broken man you will be when your soul finally dissipates into the ether.” The Chaos Wolf let out another malevolent laugh. "But there's little chance of that. I shall use your body to do grand things. And they will bear witness to them all."

I pulled out my dragon bone. It had always felt cool to the touch before, but now it was warm. I was bleeding, and the blood seemed to flow along the length of the bone, breathing life into the dead rib.

When I struck again, this time with the bone, I pierced through the Chaos Wolf’s thick fur and drew a trickle of blood.

I wasn’t without my own share of wounds, but I hardly noticed them. Sharky was out there somewhere, gobbling down naga or heretics at a ferocious rate. I wasn’t sure if he knew I needed the effects of lifestyle or if he was just hungry as usual, but he was eating, and I was reaping the rewards, both in life and bolstered stats.

Spells circled me, most of a deep sinister void aspect. Doomseeker hovered behind me, and I was rapidly draining its energy reserves. I could also sense the Probability Engine I’d stuffed into the thing whirring to life. It was pushing against the inevitable fate of any B-Grade who challenged an A-Grade, like a tiny fish swimming against the current.

I was already at the third level of Mania just to fight this long against the Chaos Wolf. Blood Frenzy had me in its clutches, and it wasn’t enough. I needed to dig deeper. I called on the fourth level of Mania, Unholy Revelation.

“Fool! Do you not remember what happened the last time we met?” the Chaos Wolf laughed as I felt his presence magnify.

The first time I’d ever used this ability was when I first met the Chaos Wolf. It was this that let him latch his claws into me.

But I was not the same newly integrated spellslinger I was then. My body was adorned with talismans of protection from Good, Evil, Order, and Chaos, all the best I could craft and present in spades. The Chaos Wolf’s will latched onto me and slid off like claws against smooth glass.

The Chaos Wolf growled. “Powerful trinkets, but trinkets nonetheless. I will break through them eventually.”

I had the distinct impression he still thought he was toying with me. Or perhaps he wanted my body as intact as possible. A sudden lunge like what had taken Prince Herius and Myrina out of the fight would still do a number on me. Perhaps even take me out in one hit like it had him, assuming I was unlucky.

We exchanged several rounds of spellfire. He roared, and I launched magical projectiles, void cannons, and everything else I had at my disposal. It had been a long time since I’d ever run out of mana, but the sheer quantity of spells I was throwing were quickly depleting both my internal and external reserves.

Around us, the city was already unrecognizable. Fights between B-Grades were already devastating and could destroy whole city blocks. And a fight with someone like the Chaos Wolf could destroy the entire city by accident while toying with me. While he hadn’t been fighting at full strength, he hadn’t minded collateral damage either. If anyone survived, this city would have to be rebuilt from the ground up.

My only chance was to inflict enough Corrupting Marks and stacks of Hemmorage that I could deal a serious blow against the Chaos Wolf in one sudden act of aggression that would scare him off. Right now, he seemed intent on shrugging off my attacks and wearing me down to nothing.

He likely thought he had plenty of time, so long as the Chaos Serpent was holding this world in place. I was buying time, but I wasn’t sure how much time we needed. Who knew when the Dragon Lodge would find us?

Or if they even would. Prince Herius was one of hundreds of the God-King of Glacia’s descendents. And while he was an important one, thanks to his mother’s family, I wasn’t sure if he was as important as he thought.

Mundwise had gone from a city of panicked screams to quiet stillness. The corpses of the dead lay all around us, interspersed only by naga thrusting spears into dead defenders to make sure they were truly dead. Those who could have evacuated to Sanctum had already done so.

At least, that was what I thought until I saw about thirty figures rushing in my direction.

Most were familiar to me. Reluna and Mimiko were there, as was Cyra. Legate Thaddeaus was there too, as were several other B-Grade Legates, as well as what was likely every other B-Grade under Prince Herius’ command.

Even Prince Herius was there. His armor was cracked thanks to the blow he’d taken from the Chaos Wolf, and he walked with a slight limp, but he was conscious now and ready for a fight. He wielded his hammer-staff still, though after being shattered midway down its length, he could only hold it in one hand.

Behind him were people wearing uniforms of the First Legion. These were those who’d arrived on Ladwick as elites serving in the prince’s personal army and, after countless battles, had progressed from the peak of C-Grade and into B-Grade.

“I told you all to take cover! I said I’d hold him off. It’s me he wants!” I shouted.

“I will not hide while another fights to defend me. We fight together, Carter!” Prince Herius proclaimed.

Cyra nodded in agreement. Mimiko and Reluna joined in, albeit from a distance. We were outmatched as B-Grades. The two of them were powerful C-Grades, but against even a weak A-Grade they could be snuffed out in an instant.

“Attack!” Prince Herius yelled, leading from the front.

Thirty B-Grades descended upon the Chaos Wolf then.

Prince Herius attacked first, clearly intent on besting the Chaos God where he failed before. The Chaos Wolf tried to take him out with another casual paw swipe, but Herius grinned and performed a short-range transportation that allowed him to dodge the attack. He appeared over the Chaos Wolf’s head and struck with a mighty blow.

The Chaos Wolf was too nimble and swift, though, and soon jumped clear. But that left him in range of attacks from Maximus and Thaddeus, both of whom struck him with minor blows. Neither did much of anything, but they were enough of a distraction for Prince Herius to strike again with a weaker follow-up blow.

The Chaos Wolf tried to retaliate, but Cyra jumped in front of Maximus and Thaddeaus, taking both blows on her shield. Meanwhile, I rained down a barrage of spells, slowly building up the stacks of Corrupting Marks and Hemmorage that I was hoping would make the difference in this fight.

Thirty B-Grades was a mighty force anywhere in the Arcadia Multiverse, and an ordinary newly ascended A-Grade would need to take such an army seriously. Enough C-Grades could take down a B-Grade, and the same was true for A-Grades.

But the Chaos Wolf was no ordinary A-Grade. Despite his level, I knew how much a Chaos God title bolstered stats and levels. All our might combined was still not enough to drive him back, let alone kill him.

“Enough! I have no interest in the rest of you. Die!” the Chaos Wolf growled, and a pulse of purple light swirled around him before sweeping across the small army Prince Herius had gathered.

Thaddeaus was the first struck, and his skin turned sickly purple. Maximus, standing nearby, soon followed suit.

“Not again...” he groaned as he was poisoned for the second time on this campaign. He was already leaning on his spear from his earlier wound, and now he collapsed to his knees.

One after another, the B-Grades cried out in agony. Whatever the Chaos Wolf had cast was similar to my Eldrich Blight spell. In fact, when the wave of purple light hit me, I realized it tried to inflict me with Corrupting Marks. My class meant they did nothing to me, but anyone else would be badly affected.

“We need to fall back! Get to the portal!” I yelled to Prince Herius. He, too, had been struck by the Chaos Wolf’s spell.

He nodded when he realized his health was dropping by the second. The same was true for everyone else. And now that I looked, it was probably true for the rest of the city.

Wood was rotting away, causing what little still stood to collapse in on itself. The garden plants that weren’t already trampled withered and died. I had the distinct impression that it would be decades before anything ever grew in the surrounding lands again, such was the power of the spell the Chaos Wolf had just cast.

“Fall back!” Prince Herius yelled, and I joined the rest of them as we fled in the direction of the portal to Sanctum.

“I’ll cover our rear!” I offered, still throwing spells at the Chaos Wolf.

“Attack,” the Chaos Wolf ordered, and the naga obeyed, rushing to stop us. Thankfully, none of them were A-Grades, and my allies hacked their way through them to clear a path.

Eventually, we came across the portal to Sanctum, an open rift I’d led many people through. And I realized that this might be the last time I’d do so for me.

“Get in! Go!” I waved, and our wounded B-Grades retreated.

“We need to shut the portal behind us,” Mimiko said, standing near the portal anxiously.

“You do. Take good care of yourself, Mimiko,” I replied as the last of our people slid through.

“Wait, Carter, no!” Mimiko tried to protest as I grabbed her hand and accessed the ring on her finger. With it, I closed the portal to Sanctum and pushed her through. The whole thing zipped closed, leaving me alone with hundreds of naga and the Chaos Wolf.

The Chaos Wolf let out a hearty laugh.

“Self-sacrifice. How amusing. Or are you going to offer me your body in exchange for their safety?”

I shook my head. “No. I know you’d break your word anyway. After all, the place behind me contains the thing your heretic friends sent me here to get.”

Then, under my breath, I added something else. “System, if you’re watching me, I’m calling in that favor now. If you can do anything to get me and my people out of this mess, don’t hold out on me.”

While I spoke, I accessed my System menus and found a title I’d been hoping I’d never need to use.

With a heavy heart, I equipped my Chaos Dragon title.

As soon as I had, there was a change in my staff behind me. I sensed my Probability Engine in Doomseeker whirl one last time, coughing, spluttering, and then dispersing its energy. It had done its job and finally been pushed beyond its limits.

But it was finished altering fate. A moment later, the sky overhead rippled.

The Chaos Wolf turned his attention to the sky, which was shifting back to that shimmering blue hexagon pattern I’d first seen. Because now, the Chaos Serpent wasn’t alone.

Up in the sky was a small humanoid figure wearing a robe. He stared the Chaos Serpent down, looking like an ant before a tiger, but fearless nonetheless. I sensed them speaking to one another, but from so far I couldn’t hear the words. But I did see the enormous fireball that sprouted from the robed figures’ hands a moment later.

“What? How!? The Dragon Lodge is here already?” the Chaos Wolf cursed.

I chuckled. “I finished with the teleportation artifact long before you smashed it. That wasn’t me fixing it. That was me sending a message with it.”

The Chaos Wolf let out an angry howl as I realized I’d tricked him, then turned me with fury in his eyes. I thought he had been fighting me, at least somewhat seriously before, but now it was obvious how much it had been toying with me.

Instead of slipping by or countering my spells, the Chaos Wolf ignored them. I thought this was my opportunity to land more attacks and stack the Corrupting Marks I’d been desperate to inflict, but when the Chaos Wolf pounced, I realized how naive that had been.

He must have finally given up on taking my body because he pounced on me in an instant with his jaws wide open. No spells or fire slowed him down, and he latched onto my shoulder with teeth sharp enough to rip flesh asunder.

I felt my arm grow hot with pain, but I ignored it, even as corrupting energy flowed from the bite and into me. The Chaos Wolf had exposed his throat to me, and all I could think of was the urge to sink my own teeth into him. So that’s what I did.

Hot blood poured over my lips, cheeks, and chin as I struck a vein. I took the gathering corrupting energy flowing into me, made it my own, and shoved it right back into the Chaos Wolf.

He realized what was happening a moment later and spat me out before backing away.

“What is this? It can’t be...” the Chaos Wolf slowed, looking like he was examining me. I did the same to him.

Chaos Wolf (Level 401)

He was into A-Grade, though just barely. I was in the late B-Grade, which shouldn’t have been anywhere near enough to challenge him. But I don’t think it was my level that was painting a shocked expression across the Chaos Wolf’s muzzle.

“How did you get that title?” he demanded.

My reply was a ferocious snarl. My mind felt like it was rapidly fading, consumed by the combination of my powerful Signature Skills and the new title I’d equipped. I was becoming feral, bestial, and more than a little draconic.

Another notification flashed across my vision, though I could barely read it now.

Due to your many contributions and high favor with the System, your temporary title Crusader of the System (Epic) has been upgraded to Champion of the System (Divine)

All activities while on crusade now generate 100% bonus experience points. This bonus applies retroactively.

Congratulations! You have gained 34 levels in your race and class!

Your class, Prophet of Forbidden Knowledge, is now level 365!

Your race, homo fatum deus, is now level 364!

Due to your high favoritism status by the System, your assailant has been afflicted with a debuff.

I assigned my levels hastily, though doing so felt more instinctual than ever before. The new stats settled into place, and with the dozens of other stat bonuses running through my body, my blood felt like it was on fire.

“Answer me! How did you get that title?” the Chaos Wolf demanded. Or at least, I thought that was what he said.

My reply was less coherent.

“AARGH!” I roared, and then I bit him.

My mouth had felt wrong until now. It was far too short and small for me. I needed something bigger, stronger, and with far more teeth.

As soon as I had that thought, I felt the change coming over me pick up speed. I realized I was becoming less human and increasingly draconic, but at the moment, I couldn’t remember why that was a bad thing. In fact, a dragon body seemed just what I needed to rip this pesky wolf apart.

He said something to me again, but the words started sounding more like the barking of a dog to me, and my only reply was breathing fire into his eyes.

Several naga charged me, each of them with weapons at the ready and lunging for me. But my scales were as tough as the finest armor, and my talons sharper than the keenest spear.

I peeled the flesh from their bones with a swipe of my claws. Blood brushed across my lips. Since when had it tasted so good?

Soon, like Sharky, I tore into naga one after another, gnashing them between my teeth until bones cracked and swallowing what remained. Soulchain Nexus granted me a tiny temporary portion of their stats.

The Chaos Wolf chased after me, suddenly looking small. I remembered he’d been quite large before, but he’d shrunk until he was hardly knee-high now. I swatted him with my tail and gobbled down a few dozen more naga.

Between the System’s many blessings, my own substantial abilities, and the increased might this draconic form was granting me, I felt my power surge to unprecedented heights. A mindless frenzy was overtaking me, but it didn’t matter so long as I could eat my fill, and I was so very, very hungry.

Screams filled the air. My breath scorched the earth. My wings spread currents of void mana in my wake as I took flight, leaping from prey to prey. When all had been consumed, I turned on the wolf again, still as ravenous as before.

It must have seen something in my eyes because it stopped chasing and started running. Now it was my time to hunt. I followed it beyond the ruined city, over wide hills and once-fertile valleys. All the while, nothing but hunger and a will to destroy filled my heart.

With my passing, darkness consumed the world.


<Note>
Not gunna lie, I was tempted to end it here. But in the end I decided this was bit too much of a cliff to end the book on. Two more chapters. I'm cleaning them up a bit now, but I will probably release them at the same time tomorrow so we can end the book all at once.