Amazon Apocalypse 2: Chapter 9

Breakfast took far longer than it should have thanks to our talk, but eventually we finished. Myrina recovered from it a lot faster than I would have thought.

There was a decent chance she was just feigning a cheery attitude and would let it hit her in full later.

But whatever the case, I intended to be the best friend as I could be. I owed her that much at the very least considering how much she was doing for me.

Myrina went right back to messing with me and ended up getting food all over herself in the process. Fortunately, last night's bath was still waiting for her, though it had long since gone cold.

Myrina dove in anyway and cleaned herself off. I got dressed, then emptied the gym back I’d brought and filled it with my Mana Bombs. Myrina told me we’d be going to see those Theory Crafter’s of hers today, and perhaps get a little shopping done on the way back.

It was a good thing I’d made the Mana Bombs that morning. Now would be the perfect time to scout for a place to sell them.

Myrina was finished and dressed by the time I packed my things. She wore a rather fetching set of deep red cloth-covered armor that matched her hair. It was dotted with metal studs that held armored plates on the backside.

I took that same cloak Myrina had given me the day before and put it on. I was taking Cyra’s warning the previous day to heart. There was no need to take extra risks.

“Do you think I could have a sword too?” I asked.

“Sure! My armory is your armory.” Myrina opened what I had previously believed to be a walk-in closet. And in a way, it was. But it was filled with armor and weapons instead of dresses and purses.

I looked for something suitable for myself. I wasn’t used to fighting in armor, nor would much of Myrina’s stuff fit me. The cloak she’d given me was thick though, and upon asking her about it she told me it was enchanted to catch arrows and glancing blows. It would do for armor.

For a weapon, I picked a small sword. It was only the length of my forearm, but it was about the same size as the survival sword I’d practiced with.

Myrina wore a grin as I belted it on my waist, barely stifling a giggle.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Nothing...” she eyed me sideways and smirked.

“Really? What?”

All I got were giggles in reply until we were out the door.

“Tell me what’s so funny.” I asked, heaving my bag over my shoulder.

“Okay, okay! That sword your wearing was one my mother got me as a kid. It’s from a set named 'Babies First Weapons!”

I groaned. “I take it that’s why you waited until we were outside. So it would be too late for me to switch?”

Myrina gave me a pat on the shoulder. “If we get ambushed, leave the sword fighting to me. On second thought, maybe you should flash that weapon around. Our assailants might die of laughter.”

“Haha. Very funny. Let’s just go to these Theory Crafters of yours...” I grumbled.

Myrina led me through the streets. We avoided the back alleys and side roads. Our conversation died down as we traveled, and I stuck close to Myrina’s back. She was every bit as wary as I was.

Myrina might have been playful and overly impulsive at times, but dumb was something she certainly wasn’t. She was on her guard for danger, and a few times she locked eyes with suspicious people lurking down dark alleys. Perhaps they would have tried something if she wasn’t so vigilant, but when she locked her gaze on them and reached for her sword, they all turned away.

Thanks to her vigilance, we reached our destination unbothered.

The building before us was a relatively unremarkable complex, though the fact that it was made of stone instead of wood made it more impressive.

There was a sign hanging from the door. Marol & Lindel Theory Crafters.

“This is the same place I went to at F Grade and E Grade. Marol will have a harder time helping someone at D Grade, but she should be able to give you some tips. If you break past level 100 and hit C Grade, you’ll have to go elsewhere, but she's good,” Myrina explained.

If there had been financial advisors in the middle ages, I imagined this was what they would have looked like. Wooden doors. Stuffy air, a few small offices lining a wall, and a receptionist to direct people where they needed to go.

Myrina walked up to the counter. “Hi, we have an appointment?”

The receptionist scanned her paper and found what she was looking for.

“Ah, Marol will see you. Furthest office on the left. It’s the big one.”

I stared at the door appreciatively. “If this is the same Marol that’s on the sign, I’m impressed.”

“Yep, she’s one of the founders,” Myrina smiled as she wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled down my hood. “Only the best for you, Carter.”

She opened the door and led me inside. A portly woman sat behind a large wooden desk. She stood the moment Myrina entered.

“Ah, Lady Myrina! I must say I was shocked to find your name on my list for today. I thought you were finally free of me!” Marol said. She smiled wide and held out her arms, familiar creases lining her face as she grinned.

“Hello Marol. The appointment wasn’t actually for me. It’s for Carter here.”

Marol nodded in understanding. “Ah. I see. That makes more sense. Here I thought you’d encountered trouble on your path. I spent the last half hour trying to figure out what it could have been.”

“Sorry, Marol. I didn’t want to put Carter’s name down though. And I’d appreciate it if you could keep this meeting between the three of us. Consider Carter my little secret.”

“A secret lover?” Marol’s eyes twinkled. “You wouldn’t be the first from a mighty clan. But come sit. Sit! Let’s look at this dashing young fellow you’ve brought for me. A wizard type?” Marol asked.

“Scholar, actually,” Myrina replied, though she made no effort to correct Marol on me being her secret lover.

Marol turned to me expectantly.

“My class is called 'Scholar of Forbidden Knowledge.' My race is homo acceleratus. And I'm just a friend. A close friend, but a friend," I explained.

“Oh yes, of course dear." Marol threw me an exaggerated wink. "I’ll need to see your racial and class Status Screen. Don’t worry. I am sworn by oath to keep everything I see secret. It’s why people come to Theory Crafters, after all. Otherwise, people would just go to the strongest person they know and ask for advice.”

I turned to Myrina, who nodded. So, a moment later, I provided Marol with my Status Screen. She hovered over it for nearly a minute, tapping her fingers against her desk and studying it.

Her eyebrows rose a few times. I was pretty sure she was impressed. I stood a little straighter.

“I see... I see... a moment please.”

“Can I speak in front of her?” Marol shot a glance to Myrina.

I nodded.

“These are some extremely unique titles. And five of them are legendary!” Marol shook her head. “But I suppose that’s to be expected of a forerunner. I’ve seen examples of forerunner status screens during my academy days. Some were more impressive than yours, but none that hadn’t already reached level 100. To accumulate five legendary titles at D-Grade is practically unheard of.”

I rose a little higher in my seat, and I felt Myrina’s hand stroking my back. She too looked proud on my behalf.

“But this Death Curse you have here? It prevents you from gaining any experience from killing monsters? And it also sends those same monsters your way to kill you? How in the heavens did you make the System angry enough to inflict something like that on you?”

Myrina knew the story already, so I didn’t bother explaining the whole thing.

“The same way I got my Death Defier title. I died but refused to stay dead,” I replied.

“Mhmm... that would do it.” Marol nodded. “I see you found a way around it though. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here. I take it you’ve been completing a lot of quests? Executing criminals?”

“And the unique skill given to me by Soul Vampirism. It lets me get stats from willing donors.”

Marol’s eyebrows rose. “Any willing donors? So you could, in theory, buy a few hundred slaves at the market, have them slay the monsters that come near you or each other, then take their levels as they gain them? That is truly a terrifying skill, and one many would envy, including me. Keep it safe and secret.”

“In theory...” I shrugged sheepishly. Once again, I was reminded this wasn’t Earth. The moment Marol saw the skill, her first thought was to buy slaves and make them kill each other to generate experience. I feared that kind of ruthless thinking was the way of the world in the Arcadia Multiverse.

Not that it would be practical or even possible for me. Even if I'd been ruthless enough to round up a few dozen women back home to enact such a plan, the only skill I could activate Soul Vampirism with was Fabulous Phallus, and that ability required consent to use. I doubted I'd get that from a slave.

The realization that it probably wouldn't work was a bit of a relief to me, and my tense back relaxed. I didn't want my need for the power to protect those I loved to be at odds with my own morals.

“Alright, your race and class have me stumped. I need to go to my books...” Marol stood from her seat and peered at the shelf behind her. Myrina and I waited patiently on the other side of her desk.

Her fingers flipped through the shelves, finding nothing on those more commonly used. She turned her attention lower to books covered in dust that looked like they hadn’t been moved in years. “There it is. Your race is not too uncommon. Less common than the Elementa or Superia versions of humanity, but I’m sure I have it... Here it is! Recommended build guides for Homo Acceleratus.”

She laid the book out and flipped through the pages until she found the page she sought. “There are several archetypes proven by history to be quite effective for your race. Yours is a flexible one, but the sum of the ideas is to pick racial skills that resonate with your class and scale with proficiencies. Your bonuses to proficiencies is what forms the backbone of your racial bonus. So you’re going to want to make the most of that.

“Additionally, you will want to incorporate daily training into your routine. There are a few tips here... ah, do you meditate, young sir?”

I shook my head. “Not particularly.”

“I’d like you to start. Meditation is highly useful for all Scholar-type classes. And at high proficiencies, it can improve mental stability and even lifespan. Combine that with a high Regeneration proficiency and you might be able to eke out most of the bonuses that the Superia racial path would get, assuming you are diligent enough to continue training every day.”

“I am,” I nodded, making a mental note to obtain and perfect the Meditation proficiency. “I already have the Regeneration proficiency.”

Marol smiled in approval. “That’s good. Normally, that is by far the harder one to get. You must have been dealt quite the injury to obtain it.”

I chuckled. I’d nearly died to the rat bite. Heck, I had died shortly after that. If others had to go through something like that to gain the Regeneration proficiency, I wasn’t surprised it was rare.

“You’re doing a good job putting points into Intelligence. That will synergize the most with your class. I think I see the general idea of what you were going for here. You intended to be a mobile spell caster durable enough to get up close and personal?”

I nodded. “That’s right.”

“Hmm... normally, I recommend against being too greedy with your path. There’s a reason most wizard types tend to be made of glass. They don’t have the stats or abilities to spare. Yours is a path that will demand far more resources. Better skills, better equipment, better stats. You essentially must excel in two fields instead of just one. That makes things exponentially harder for you. I wouldn’t recommend this path if you were a normal person. Attempt it and fail and you'll forever be trapped as a mediocre combatant.”

She met my gaze. “But you’re different. You’re a forerunner, and you’ve already accumulated many incredible titles. And with your world’s integration, there will be plenty of unique quests. You’ll have to take far more than others to ensure you gain the resources needed to fuel your continued advancement, but if you manage it, you’ll come out of this a true elite of the Arcadia Multiverse.”

I took a deep breath. “I’m not afraid of hard work.”

“He is quite diligent,” Myrina assured. “And we would like nothing more than for him to be the best.”

Marol smiled. “I can see you are quite proud of him, Lady Myrina. But understand that this will be no easy feat. Nor without risks. He may die.”

“I’ve died before.”

Marol shrugged. “So it seems. Since you’re confident in your path, let’s see what improvements we can make.”

She scanned my status screen again, looking for abnormalities. “You have quite a few skills, but not all of them align with your intended build. Like Surging Strength here. Your not a strength combatant, and your strength score is not all that impressive. I would discard it in favor of a stealth skill.

“Normally I would tell you to ditch some of these useless proficiencies as well, but as your racial bonus removes your proficiency cap, you might as well hang onto them. You should consider casting your spells in unusual environments to pick up extra proficiencies like Neutral Mana, but for every aspect.

“Ordinarily, I would favor any mobility skill, but jumping isn’t as flexible as I would like. Either upgrade Power Jump or discard it in favor of a stealth skill or another combat spell like Arcane Blade. You already have a high Sword proficiency, so you should consider using magic to enhance that.

“Going forward, I would consider picking up another damage over time ability. You’ve been leaning heavily on this Corrupting Mark ability. If you pick up something that lets you slow or weaken your enemy, you’ll be a valuable member of any party. Also, if you get the opportunity to improve or enhance your Lifesteal skill in any way, you should do so. It will improve your suitability dramatically.”

I took a few mental notes. More damage over time abilities, something that worked with swordsmanship, and considering picking up a few stealth skills. It all sounded reasonable. I’d done the best I could with the free abilities the System presented me with thanks to my Blessed of the System title, but I’d only ever had three choices.

I glanced at my own character sheet. “And what about my Scholar of Forbidden Knowledge Class? Does your book say anything specific about that? Any idea on how I should allocate my stats? Or what the rest of the levels of Mania do? Or how to avoid the drawbacks involved to using it?”

I mainly was interested in how to use Mania past the third level without getting possessed by the Chaos Wolf, or something like it.

Marol’s smile turned into a frown. “I hate to say it, but you’ll have to a Theory Crafter higher ranked than I am to get more than speculation. I don’t have any books with specific information on your class like I do for your race. But I do have some general knowledge of the Scholar lines.”

Marol cleared her throat and prepared for a lecture. “The Scholar line of classes predates the System, and it is commonly believed that the System was created by a group of individuals who eventually came to have what we now know as Scholar Classes. In their time, there were no levels, merely the power of the energy plane and ways to grasp that power, like you did to take levels without going them being awarded by the System.”

“So that’s why I got this class?”

“Likely so,” Marol replied. “All scholars do something similar. In days before the system, some gathered this power from the energy plane quite directly. Those who spent each day gathering power so that they had the strength to defend their civilizations were called cultivators. Your class proves that their methods of gaining power are still viable, though with the advent of the system their primitive techniques for injecting themselves with higher order energies are obsolete. The energy processed and administered by the System is far safer and easier to obtain. Still, for someone like you laboring under a Death Curse, alternative routes might be more viable than for others.”

I ran my fingers along my chin. This would bear more looking into. When I had the funds to visit a Theory Crafter who knew more about my class, I would have to do so.

“And one last general note. I see you have both Charisma and Luck unlocked. I’m impressed. Not many have discovered the hidden stats so early. Not without being guided to the stats with the intent of picking a class based off them.” Marol looked me up and down with genuine praise.

“Thank you.”

“Have you tried applying stat points to them on leveling up?” Marol asked.

I shrugged. “Not seriously. I might have spared one or two points somewhere along the way, but they never seemed as important as my other stats.”

Marol nodded. “Then you haven’t hit your limit yet. Most people reach it quite early. You can only place so many points into Luck or Charisma. The System bars you from expending more except under unique circumstances. In a way, you could consider both of them broken stats. They are too powerful to be abused and would lead our society down paths other than what the System's creators' wanted for us.”

I frowned in thought. It made some sense. I pictured an immensely beautiful woman who dumped every skill point she gained into Charisma. She might die to a rat, but that wouldn’t matter if her Charisma reached the point that she could wrap the nearest king around her finger until she’d turned him into a mindless puppet. It would be an ignoble end for a warrior who otherwise would never have fallen in battle to the woman.

And for someone who was incredibly, unnaturally lucky? I needed even less imagination to figure out how that might be trouble. A man like that could kill the nearest king through simple, stupid chance.

“I see you understand. Yes, the System finds that being too lucky or too charismatic defies the natural order of things. So it will forbid you from placing too many points into those stats compared to your other stats. It’s the reason the stats are hidden. There’s no point in focusing on them early on.”

“I see. So I should just keep ignoring them?” I asked.

Marol smiled. “I didn’t say that. I said that you couldn’t place points into them. But remember what I said about the cultivators of ancient days? They could increase their stats without need for the System. They produced many artifacts, elixirs, and alchemical treatments meant to increase what we now know as the Luck and Charisma stats. Be on the lookout for such items. As someone of a Scholar class, you may be able to make use of them more than most.”

That was intriguing. When I’d first seen the stats, I’d wondered what it might be like to dump everything I had into luck and run into every encounter hoping for the best.

“I will keep that in mind. Thank you, Marol.”

“I’m afraid that’s all I have for you. I’ll do a little more research and write something up for you if I can think of anything else. It will be sent to Myrina at the Samhain Castle,” Marol sat down, our meeting evidently ending.

I shook Marol’s hand, as did Myrina. Thoughts heavy, I left a little better armed for the future.