Amazon Apocalypse 5: Chapter 14

Compared to reaching B-Grade, becoming the Chaos Dragon, and developing my new Signature Skill, reaching godhood was practically droll. The System was a little more thorough about what my new partially-divine race indicated though.

Homo Fatum Deus (Mythic)

Your race is that of a godling, perfected beyond mortal limitations. The very fabric of the universe bends to your will, and the Kindling is closer to your reach than others. You may find yourself capable of harvesting consciousness energy either from yourself or your most loyal worshipers to empower both them and yourself with buffs and boons. This is a learned skill, and will take time to master.

Not a bad haul, all things considered. I wasn't sure how I felt about getting worshipers, but maybe I'd figure something out at some point. I'd gone through the usual process of making racial modification selections. I was generally pretty happy with how I looked now though, so there wasn't much to change.

At the risk of sounding vain, I'd already sculpted myself into the image of perfection, at least in terms of appearance. The only thing left was a few technical modifications that would help my body run well even when badly damaged. Thanks to being a god, I'd be the picture of vitality right down to the last health point.

I made a few slight modifications to my internal organs, mostly to increase my tolerance for Amazonian alcohol. Hangovers would hopefully be brief or completely non-existent. If that worked as intended, then godhood would be well worth it. To me it sounded like the godhood buffs could be done consciously or unconsciously, so for now I'd just hope they provided some sort of passive bonus and revisit them once I'd mastered my other new abilities.

The real prize for reaching B-Grade was the massive boost in stat points. I went from sixteen per level at D-Grade, to eighty at C-Grade. That trend had continued to B-Grade, where I was now received 400 racial stat points to distribute every level. The increase in power per level was five-fold C-Grade. In just a few levels, I'd leave everyone at the C-Grade in the dust. And I planned to gain a hell of a lot more than a few during this crusade. By the time I returned to Crownhill, I would be able to crush anything the System threw at us single-handed.

I emerged from my tent to find it was early morning on the following day. Our landing zone had been rearranged into a loose group of several camps, with each legion having its own network of tents and facilities. In a way, we were nineteen armies all following one banner rather than a huge cohesive force a hundred thousand strong.

That was fine by me because, at a casual glance, it was clear that most of the legions had not prepared as well as we had.

While my people had tents, cooking stoves, defensive wards, and magical floodlights pointing in all directions, most of the other legions were considerably more bare-bones. Off to our left, the third legion had two long tents that weren’t large enough to fit even a third of their forces at once. The D-Grades among their forces had claimed the tents, while the E-Grades fought over the driest spots of muddy ground.

The thirteenth legion off to our right was even worse off. It looked like they’d started with two tents, but already one had caught fire and was only now in the process of being put out. An angry mob surrounded a few unfortunate souls who looked like they were being judged and executed by an angry mob. We were going to suffer our first casualties of the campaign before we even met the enemy.

Meanwhile, the auxiliary legion’s streets looked like someone had taken an unpaved corner of Mucaria and set up a few lines of tents along them. That was probably Cyra’s handiwork, I knew. And likely implemented with leadership from the veterans. The Dragon Lodge didn’t teach the fundamentals of setting up a good camp, but I’d made sure to load up our ranks with people who did.

I could even smell good food being cooked, which was likely a cause of much envy in the other camps. Bridget and her chefs were unfortunately making do with an open range since I’d been too busy to open up the Sanctum mystic realm for them. Perhaps it was better to save the barracks and mess hall as a surprise for when morale was low. Hopefully, the contractors had time to finish up. I’d gone into my coma while they were still working, and we’d been so busy after that I hadn’t had time to look the place over before we left for war.

Since our camp at least was well in hand, I left to get the lay of the land. Originally, I’d wanted to use my Ethereal Wings ability to try flying for the first time, but given I’d sacrificed that ability for my new Signature Skill, I’d need to figure out how to activate it again. I thought about wings sprouting from my back, which was the original activation trigger for Ethereal Wings. Nothing happened. It seemed my new Signature Skill would have a bit of a learning curve.

I walked the perimeter of my camp, nodding to people as they threw salutes in my direction. I did my best to look like I knew what I was doing, but the real reason I was walking around was just to show off my new level.

“Congratulations on reaching B-Grade, Legate!” someone said, finally congratulating me. I’d been waiting for someone to use examine, and it took a while and a few subtle hints to get someone to do it.

I didn’t mind preening a little at the praise. Everybody liked knowing they were being led by someone powerful, and I wanted news to get around that I was now a B-Grade. It had been the only real note of criticism from the other commanders that had any real teeth to it, and now it was taken care of.

Eventually, I tracked down a familiar-looking officer. Officer Asimi was a low-ranking former mercenary who’d originally been part of the band of experienced warriors meant to help me lead this legion. Thanks to some political machinations at home, the rest of her mercenary company had their contracts cut, but I fixed things. Despite being relatively inexperienced, that she stuck with me through the turmoil and did her best to hold an unruly and untrained legion together spoke well of her character, and she was able to hold on to her promotion even though I’d flooded the ranks with more experienced mercenaries.

“Captain Asimi! As you can tell, I was busy reaching B-Grade. Do you know what’s been happening with the army over the last day and a half?” I asked.

“Uh... sir?” she looked a little confused, mostly because I used the wrong title for her again. I hadn’t quite gotten used to having centurions instead of captains, and she was probably wondering how I could call her a captain without any ships in the army. But she kindly ignored the issue and proceeded with her report.

“We’ve mostly been waiting for the griffin scouts to map the area. Prince Herius has had them flying in shifts. There have also been quite a few monsters coming our way, but it’s to our benefit, as most of them are weak and can be used to get the weaker soldiers at early levels before the real fighting starts. We haven’t actually had to do anything since none of our people are low level to kill E-Grade and D-Grade monsters,” Asimi explained.

I nodded to her, pleased that nothing much had happened in my absence. Properly informed, I went to the edge of camp where I spent a while focusing very hard on the idea of growing wings and flying. Still, nothing happened.

I was a bit worried I’d made a big mistake making my Signature Skill. Had I just lost access to ten very powerful abilities for nothing?

But my new Signature Skill wasn’t the only ability I had to test. There were several others on my list, chiefly Elemental Step.

On a surface level, it worked like my old Warp Step ability, and like Warp Step, it was basically a weaker copy of Shadowrealm Stride with less control. Unlike Warp Step, this ability didn’t take me through a twisted spatial dimension. Elemental Step required nearby ley lines in the ground. They didn’t have to be big, but as long as they were there, I could ride along them like harnessing a current. To an onlooker, it would seem like I’d soared from one position to another with a single step.

I practiced the ability a few times and took a brief trip around the outskirts of the giant muddy palm print we were all camped in while Prince Herius figured out where we were supposed to march next. I sensed a few monsters in the forest that were reacting to the effects of my curse, and I let them come at me. With the army eager for levels, luring in a few more monsters could only be of benefit.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything truly impressive out there. Certainly nothing that was a challenge for me. While my curse could easily seduce lesser monsters, more powerful monsters were a bit smarter and would have a harder time being fooled so easily, even by the System. When I returned to Crownhill, I suspected I’d have generally out leveled the effects of my Death Curse. I’d have to hunt down my monsters in the forest like regular people instead of letting them come to me.

I left the E-Grades to their kills and was about to return to camp when I realized I wasn’t the only general of the army who’d gone for a stroll. Either Prince Herius had gotten the same idea I had, or he’d come out here looking for me. I suspected it was the latter.

“Legate Carter,” he nodded in my direction, clearly gesturing for me to walk with him. I did so and soon fell into step beside him.

“Prince Herius,” I nodded for him to continue.

“I must apologize. I wish I could have attended your wedding celebration for my little sister, and I realize I have yet to offer my congratulations. And I see the rumors spreading through camp are true and that you’ve reached B-Grade already. I must congratulate you on that as well.”

I smiled and continued nodding politely while sweeping aside underbrush. “You are kind, Prince Herius. I accept your congratulations on both accounts. Your sisters are lovely women, and I’m lucky to have them in my life. Compared to them, reaching B-Grade was just a small thing. Truthfully, it’s been pending for a while for me. I had a rank-up quest that required me to join up with you on crusade, and as soon as we arrived here, it was completed.”

“Ah, I see. That is good news, then. I hope you will reap as many benefits from this campaign as I will.” The prince bit his lip a moment, as though wondering if he should hold back his words. But he was a confident man, and I let the silence hang between us until he let them loose. “You and I are kin, and most would expect me to offer you preferential treatment. The others will expect it. I do not know what you expect, but if so, this may be disappointing to hear. Part of my mission on this campaign is to conduct myself and my army with the utmost level of righteousness, and that means rejecting even the smallest measures of corruption.”

“In other words, no nepotism and no preferential treatment for me. I understand, Prince Herius. Worry not. If you distribute rewards based on merit, then I doubt any will walk away from this campaign with more riches than me.” I flashed him a confident grin, and a bright twinkle returned to the prince’s eyes, along with a bit of relief.

He placed a hand on my shoulder. “Good. I am glad to have kin with your spirit. I hope you and I shall conqueror this world together. I will rally the legates again in a few minutes to tell them that I have selected a target. My griffins returned with directions to the largest city occupied by the enemy in this region. From the banners we’ve seen, it is under the control of the Black Beast Sect. They are a mongrel lot rife with bandits and sadists. Those civilians that still live no doubt pray for rescue or the release of death. We will save them with all haste. I warn you early because the city is protected by powerful magical wards. We will be reliant on you and your forces to crack them quickly so we can take the city before these cultivators alert their allies. The other legates have their doubts about your legion. Can they fight?”

“I’ve drilled them hard, Prince Herius. I promise you that if they can’t crack the city's defenses quickly, I’ll do it myself.”

Prince Herius rested his hand on my shoulder once again, and we returned to camp to prepare for war.

***

After our little chat in the forest, Prince Herius spoke to me and the other legates about the target he’d found.

“The city is called Mundwise, and we shall liberate it from its oppressors,” Prince Herius declared. The tip of his dagger poked out of the map, which had been hastily drawn by the scouting parties who were only now returning.

“Prince...” asked a lean, bald-skinned man. He was only C-Grade, but nearly at B-Grades. I noticed him glancing in my direction more than once with a poorly concealed look of envy. “Is it wise to antagonize the Black Beast Sect so quickly? There are several ruined towns in the area. No doubt there is plenty of war booty to find there. We could go and pick over what remains of the town and quite easily fulfill the role expected of us.”

“I’m sure the best loot there is already gone, but the troops should learn how to pry up nails and take whatever’s left since everything that wasn’t nailed down has already likely been taken,” said a narrow-faced legate with a hawk-like nose. He was one of the B-Grade generals, but he didn’t give me the fearsome impression of B-Grade power that someone like Prince Herius emanated.

“There’ll probably be a few survivors in the towns,” another legate added hopefully. This was a portly early C-Grade man and easily the weakest of everyone else in the room.

“Enough! I’ll hear no more protests,” Prince Herius snapped with a hint of anger in his voice. “We’ve come to a world in need, and there are people to save and enemies to fight. Yes, assaulting a warded position will be dangerous, especially if our enemies call for backup. But Legate Carter of the auxiliary forces assures me his legion is more than capable of breaking through the enemy defenses. Once through, I will lead the first legion in a frontal charge to take the walls. If the rest of your armies do not follow me in after, you will be held personally accountable when the battle is won.”

A few glanced at me. Only now did I realize what I’d stepped into. Prince Herius’ army wasn’t nearly as motivated or loyal as I’d been led to believe. The prince seemed like a loyal and reasonably charismatic leader, so the only explanation was that whoever had been backing the Phantomfist and Darkbinding families in their bid for the auxiliary force leadership position had succeeded in installing subversive elements elsewhere. Either that, or some of these generals somehow thought they’d go through a war without seeing a real battle.

But my position here was clear. Truthfully, it had been ever since I’d married Cyra. I needed to back the prince up, adding what weight I had to his words.

“The prince is right. There are people in need, and only a few enemies stand in our way. We came here for war, didn’t we? I’m sure that once word of this gets out, we’ll have to hold our troops back from charging ahead!”

“Ha, well said, Legate Carter! I can only hope we have so many hot-blooded warriors eager for levels that discipline becomes a problem.”

There was a bit of grumbling, but in the end, all saluted Prince Herius, and our course was set. Tomorrow, we’d be assaulting our first city.


<Note>
New week, new schedule! The plan is for releases at this time (whenever this released in your time zone) Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

I will keep this up until I hit a snag somewhere and need to slow down to deal with it. That'll probably be when I write something I think you guys won't like and I have to rework stuff. But for now things are going pretty well.