Amazon Apocalypse 5: Chapter 45

All the enchanting had really done quite a bit for my Kindling Architect level, and before I All the enchanting had really done quite a bit for my Kindling Architect level, and before I knew it I'd already passed level 300. I wasn't sure if it was decoding the fate enchantment, making the golem, or crafting Mimko's formation array, but the System quite clearly showed me my progress.

Congratulations! Your job, Kindling Architect, has reached level 305.

After noticing how many levels I'd gained, I looked into it and was surprised to discover the experience bar was slowly ticking up on its own, even when I was just standing there doing nothing.

Thinking back, I remembered Sakura mentioning her new manager job was giving her passive experience from all the organizations she'd set up. Thanks to them, her manager job had rapidly caught up with her leatherworking job. My Kindling Architect job was probably functioning similarly based on all the enchanting teams and workshops I'd put together.

Unfortunately, the passive resource gain was pretty abysmal, at least compared to what I needed to reach the next level. I was so far ahead of my average enchanter employee that the work they were doing was inconsequential. If I wanted to get some real passive experience, I would need to either massively expand my operations or spend a lot of time training and turning enchanters into artificers.

While I was busy looking at my menus, I was helping Reluna set her room up.

“I should have kept the unicorn for myself...” Reluna muttered as she stared at an empty spot in her tower. On either side of the empty spot were heaping piles of other stuffed animals. I wasn’t sure when she’d collected them, but there was certainly no shortage of them now.

“I’m sure another one of them will turn up. There’s barely enough room to walk as it is,” I said as I waded through a sea of stuffed animals. After helping Mimiko with her room so much, I felt it was only right to do a little more for Reluna. Except besides the talisman printer assembly line, the only thing she wanted help with was crafting the most gaudy, ridiculous room I’d ever seen.

“No... this setup is all wrong. Let’s pick them all up and move them to the other side of the room.” Reluna started picking up stuffed animals and moving them back where they were before.

I realized then that we were going to be at this all day if I let it. I needed a way out. Fortunately, I had one at the ready.

“Hey, you know how you really like artifacts?” I asked casually.

“Yes. I came here in search of pre-integration artifacts, after all,” Reluna said as she ferried stuffed animals around.

“What if I told you there are a bunch of artifacts that predate the creation of the System right here beneath our feet?”

“What do you mean right beneath our feet?” Reluna asked as she looked down at the castle stone beneath us, which was really mostly concrete.

“Oh... nothing much. There’s just a hidden underground city beneath us dating from the age of the Architects. It’s where I got that magic microwave that generates food.”

“The food artifact, you say?” Reluna’s eyes sparkled. And then I knew I had her. Nothing got Reluna going more than delving through ancient ruins to recover household appliances.

“Let’s go tap on Mimiko’s door. There should be plenty of loot she--“

Before I could finish, Mimiko appeared.

“This one lives to serve. I would be happy to assist in looting,” Mimiko said.

I chuckled. “That was quick. Well then, come on you two! Adventure awaits! Also, did you just change your outfit?"

I looked Mimiko up and down. Her robes had definitely covered her midrift before, but now the robes were in two parts that clearly showed off her finely toned stomach.

"I thought I'd wear something a bit more suitable for a personal adventure with you." Mimiko twisted her hips to show her new much more revealing robes off, and I gave her an appreciative nod. I wasn't sure if these robes would provide much protection, but I wasn't the master of magical meditation in our group.

"I can wear sexy robes too..." Reluna grumbled.

"Maybe later. For now, adventure!" I said, eager to get us moving before the two ladies decided to have me watch and compare outfits for them. It had happened often enough with Bridget and Sakura than I knew the signs to avoid.

So we went to my farmhouse basement, and from there I opened the doors and descended into the hidden city beneath it.

“Many wizards have cluttered basements beneath their tower. You, on the other hand...” Reluna looked around at the towering glass, stone, and strange metal spires poking up to the ceiling of the exposed cavern and shot me a pointed look.

“Hey, this isn’t my mess. I swear the door just showed up attached to my farmhouse. I’m not sure we’re even physically underneath my farmhouse. There’s a well on my property, and I’m pretty sure we should see the other end of it right in front of our faces if we were in the same spatial dimension.” I scanned the cavern ceiling, and sure enough there was no well. There was also a slight fuzziness I’d missed before, but now, with more experience under my belt, I knew it to be a characteristic of dungeons and mystic realms.

“Come on, ladies. Adventure waits for no one!” I scooped them both up and we flew down, skipping the stairs.

There was so much down here that I could spend a lifetime picking over these ruins and looking for clues about what happened to the Architects. But if I really wanted common artifacts, I already had plenty of those. There was only one thing I remembered from our last trip that I really wanted, and that was the golem that had chased us out before.

Once we landed, I set Reluna and Mimiko down and let them pick over things. Meanwhile, I did my best to stay hidden.

Someone might uncharitably think I was using the two C-Grade ladies as golem bait, not that I would let anything happen to either of them.

The golem I was looking for was surprisingly quiet as Mimiko and Reluna picked over the abandoned ruins. They both ended up grabbing some things for their rooms, and I stopped by a garage and picked up some strange-looking alien tools. The only thing I could identify was a screwdriver with a square head.

“I guess the Architects were big fans of Robertson’s heads?” I chuckled as I pocketed the screwdriver.

I took my attention off my surroundings for a fraction of a second to admire the true king of fasteners. Naturally, that was when the golem attacked.

Damaged Law Enforcement Unit (Level 199)

This was the battle golem I’d seen before. I caught a brief glimpse of it as it lunged for Mimiko, and it looked mostly the same as I remembered. It was an old and worn-out thing at the very peak of C-Grade.

In working order, it had likely been well into B-Grade, but time had seriously damaged it. The most obvious source of damage was the hole in its chest, about as large as my fist, revealing an assortment of both mechanical and magical components.

This was the loot I was after.

“Look out, Mimiko!” I shouted. She turned and saw the golem. Meanwhile, the golem turned and saw me.

That was all the time it had to react as I suddenly appeared beside it. It lunged for me, and its hands lit up like a pair of tasers. I ducked beneath its grip to the side, putting myself between it and Mimiko. Then I grabbed it by the wrists and wrestled with it.

I thought I’d hold it in place while I looked it over for an off-switch, but to my surprise, the golem was too strong for that. Its arms were in better condition than its core, so its limbs were still those of a B-Grade.

“I got it!” Reluna yelled, and blue chains of light materialized around the golem’s limbs. Between Reluna’s spells and channeling the first level of Mania, I was able to get my feet under me and hold the golem evenly again. Now, I could finally focus on looking for an off-switch.

“Unhand him, infernal machine!” Mimiko drew that same spear she’d used before and crouched low.

“Wait, Mimiko!”

My warning came too late. Mimiko leaped from her crouch with her spear extended and rammed the spear up the golem’s ass. Why the golem had an ass, I wasn’t sure, but it certainly didn’t like having a spear shoved vertically through it. Instantly, the motors keeping the golem upright whirled and died. They’d been on their last legs before, and Mimiko’s spear thrust broke through the film of rust holding the whole thing together. The golem collapsed to the ground, sputtered, and died.

“How dare that metal contraption lay a hand on you...” Mimiko kicked the mangled golem for good measure.

That was certainly one way to shut the thing down. Unfortunately, Mimiko’s way of disabling the golem would make it much harder to piece together.

Ah well. It wasn’t like I was going to repair the golem as it was, anyway. I had no desire to fully repair a hostile B-Grade golem with unknown programming. The golems on the golem shard would be dangerous enough until I fully understood them. Just the parts on this one were probably enough of a study project to last me a while.

I scooped the golem up and put it away.

“Such destructive tendencies. I’m certain Carter wanted to capture the golem intact,” Reluna said, glaring at Mimiko.

“I could not allow some machine to defile my lord’s precious hands. His fingers are meant for creations of heaven-surpassing splendor,” Mimiko replied.

Before the two could fight. I intervened. “I did want the golem intact, but I should have told you both about it beforehand. I was only half-sure it would show up, considering I now outleveled it. Sorry about that.”

“No, my lord, the fault is mine!” Mimiko held up her hands and pleaded.

I gathered up the broken golem, which Reluna and Mimiko both helped with.

“Hmm... its strange...” Reluna said as we worked.

“What’s strange?” I asked.

“Just before we ran into this golem, my divination spells told me we would soon be attacked by a minor nuisance that, in retrospect, was clearly this golem. We’ve dealt with the threat now.”

“And?” I frowned.

“And yet my divinations have not changed. If anything, the results are even more clear now.” Reluna shrugged.

“Huh. That is very strange. Perhaps...” A sharp tingle crawled up and down my spine. I turned, and suddenly my fears were confirmed.

Damaged Law Enforcement Golem (Level 199) x3

Suddenly three more golems like the one we’d fought before appeared before us. These were in similar states of wear across different parts of their bodies.

“Look out, ladies! Both of you deal with the right one. I’ll take the other two.” I yelled as I charged into battle.

Mimiko and Reluna were still only C-Grade, so I didn’t want them fighting peak C-Grades alone. I rushed forward with arms extended and clotheslined two of the golems. Once I had them in my grip, I dragged them into the shadow realm, where I rushed forward with a few flaps of my dragon wings.

When we reappeared, I’d taken the two golems far across the street to the other side of the city, leaving Mimiko and Reluna with just their single foe. I’d have to take these two down fast so I could get back to them and help them with the last ones.

Thankfully, now that I had more than one example to work with, I wasn’t as worried about taking these things intact. Mimiko had taken out the last one’s ass, so this time I targeted the head and chest.

Both golems lunged at me with those taser hands of theirs. I dodged both and tried to take a head off with a swing of Arcane Blade, only to find my magical sword glancing off what remained of the golem’s metal armor.

The Architects certainly made good stuff. But that was why I wanted these things.

I switched from melee attacks to mana bolts. I could certainly wear these golems down under a slow and steady rain of arcane fire. I was far more maneuverable than either of them, especially if I took to the air. But I wanted to wrap these two up quickly so I could help Mimiko and Reluna. This called for a more aggressive fighting style than my usual tricks.

Exploit Weakness picked out one golem’s eyes, and the small of the other’s back. I started with casting Eldrich Blight in the hopes that the corrupting marks would rust away what remained of the armored plating, but I had no luck there. I used a few well-targeted Sunlight Spears instead, along with a bit of dragon fire.

Between the two, the golems started moving with slower and choppier steps. That was when I went back in with Arcane Blade.

My magical sword swept through narrow openings twice in quick succession, and soon both golems collapsed to the ground. Once done, I wasted no time in doubling back to catch up with Reluna and Mimiko.

Only by the time I got to them I realized they didn’t need my help at all.

Reluna had restrained the golem, leaving Mimiko free to maneuver around it. She’d used that maneuverability to skillfully slice off each of the golem’s arms. Without those, it was effectively disarmed in more ways than one. Those tasers embedded in its palms seemed to be these things primary means of attack.

“This one we captured for you as intact as we could get it!” Mimiko said proudly.

"Alas... the golem nearly had me. It's grasping hands tore away my robes..." Reluna shook her head in sadness, sending long locks of hair twirling over her shoulders. Her wizard's robes had been torn at the waist, revealing a long stretch of thigh up one side and a bare shoulder along the other.

Mimiko glared at her as Reluna arched her back and sent me a shy smile.

"You liar! I saw you tearing your own robes after we had the golem restrained."

"Nonsense. Your eyes deceived you," Reluna replied. She held up a bare arm and batted pretty lashes in my direction, and I instantly believed Mimiko's story.

I coughed and cleared my throat to get their attention. "Anyway, Well done, both of you. Let’s pack it up and call this trip finished. I’m eager to take these things apart.”

***

The two girls marched the golem they’d captured up the stairs, bound by chains of light and with a spear pointed at its back. Both seemed proud as peacocks, even though it looked like they were marching a prisoner to execution. If these golems were more intelligent, that was exactly what this would be, but these golems seemed dumber than the administration golem I’d fought before.

I got it back to my workshop, and from there started messing with it until the golem shut down. I should have guessed the power switch was extradimensional, like so many other Architect machines. Only someone who was at least a Master Artificer would have any hope of turning these things off.

"Is that all you need us for?" Mimiko asked coyly.

I looked up and sometime during the trip, both Reluna and Mimiko's outfits had gone through the shredder. The two of them had started mostly clothed, but now the thin strands of fabric dangling around their bodies was positively indecent.

"A research assistant could be of great aid to you now..." Reluna suggested. The scant strips of her robes would have left her breasts completely free if not for the thin strands of blue magical chains holding them them together.

I thought back to Ted's book. It spoke extensively on this sort of situation. If I ever met that strange homeless man again, I really had to thank him for everything I'd learned from Interpreting the Fairer Sex. Without it, I'd be completely lost.

"You know, I could use some help. The house is a mess and it's weighing on my mind. And I expect I'll be hungry in a bit..."

Before I finished speaking, both women were off. While they worked on impressing me with domestic skills, I got to work on the golem.

Once I powered down the golem, I disassembled it. Then I pulled apart its severed arms and did the same thing. As with most Architect devices, it was far larger on the inside than it was outside, thanks to some clever spatial folding, but that was no problem for me.

I pulled out the other similar golems we’d looted and dug around for spare parts. It didn’t take long to replace the worst parts in the pile with the best substitutes I had. With four sets of parts to work with, I pulled together something that looked worn, but with nothing visibly broken in its component pieces. And I could even make it look new if I wanted to paint the exterior housing plates.

When all was said and done, I could definitely put this thing together in better shape than I found it in. But that still left me with a software problem. It was innately hostile, and I wanted the opposite. Something innately protective of Crownhill would be far superior.

I poked and prodded things until I found what passed for the central processing unit. The process was made all the harder by the fact that there were several more processing units at the base of the spine and near each limb, which presumably held some sort of synthetic muscle memory.

I ignored those, since I was pretty sure they had no part in overall decision making. After that, I popped open another old cell phone from my collection and started making my usual modifications for manufacturing a remote-controlled golem.

I felt like B-Grade was something special, though, so I made sure I started with one of the best phones I had to work with and then loaded my golem control software.

When that was all done, I pulled out the head of the Administrator golem I’d killed on the golem shard. Its make was similar to the police golem I’d just killed and collected, though it was in much better shape. And more importantly, it had all the right connections to interface with the golem production facilities.

I studied my software and hardware one more time to make sure everything was up for the task I had in mind.

“Huh, looks like it’s been updated several times,” I said, noting the Governess had improved her own software. Normally, a self-improving AI would be cause for alarm, but the idea of an AI singularity wasn’t so scary now that the world had already ended.

The controls for this golem were a lot more elaborate than the average construction mannequin, so I expected it to take a while before Governess could use them properly. But I would be here a while longer, so this wasn’t absolutely pressing. I just wanted to make sure my people had some B-Grade protection if my trip back to Ladwick ended up taking longer than I expected.

Getting the administrative golem’s head on the police golem’s body turned out to be more difficult than I expected. They had clearly come from two different Architect manufacturers, and the administrative golem seemed to come from a much more magically dependent era. There were far fewer wires and circuits and far more inscribed metal plates.

Thankfully, I was pretty good with both, and after considerable bending of metal, I got things to work on my end. It helped that I was already completely replacing the golem equivalent of its central nervous system, so all I really needed to do was interface with both sets of sensors.

It sounded like a tough job, but all I needed to do was connect the hardware. I’d trust Machine Spirit Awakening and the Governess to figure out everything from the software end of things.

After assembling the golem and installing everything where it needed to be, I picked it up and hauled it outside. With no small amount of trepidation, I powered the golem on. Fully repaired, I estimated this thing’s level to be somewhere around two hundred and fifty, meaning the only person who could defeat it on Crownhill was me.

I stood ready for battle for a solid minute as the lights slowly flickered on. Then something short-circuited, and they all went out.

Cursing, I took it back inside, pulled everything apart, saw where I went wrong and put it all back together again.

The second time I hauled it out, it booted up successfully, and I was both excited and anxious.

“Governess, are you in there?”

The golem was silent for a long minute.

“Present and accounted for, milord,” Governess said.

“Can you control that golem's body?”

“In time. There are several hostile data caches that find my intrusion unwelcome. I will eliminate them, then install the appropriate controls,” Governess said.

“Then come on. I’ve got the perfect chair for you to sit on and figure things out.”


<Note>

So for the last two weeks the words stopped flowing for me. I was afraid I was burning out on the story and needed a break, but after thinking on it a while, I think my creative side was frustrated that I had a lot of ideas and was just now coming to terms with the fact that many of them weren't going to fit in this series at this point.

The way I got myself out of that funk was by telling myself that I was going to do another litrpg apocalypse story after this, where I could use those cool ideas. So after this book is done, I may pitch a bit of a new series to you guys before continuing with Amazon Apocalypse for a bit.

I don't know if I want to officially start a new series with some runway left in this one, but I think I do want to have the general concept together soon. So if you guys suddenly see some posts by me collecting information about what people did/did not like about the early books, that's what those are for.

Anyway, Mimiko and Reluna are coming along nicely! I figure if I were Carter, this is perfect. Both eager to impress! Not that he can keep them in this state forever, even if he might wish it.