Amazon Apocalypse: Chapter 42

It took me a while to shake off the effects of three levels of Mania. Blood Frenzy didn't earn its name lightly, and the woods outside of Crownhill now housed considerably fewer monsters.

Hopefully, the notifications my companions received informed them that I was still alive, albeit engaged in a colossal squirrel monster massacre. The experience points, at least, would be put to use as long as they were close enough for the System to pass them along.

Eventually, Blood Frenzy receded to Furor, and Furor to Dissonance. I was whole, but not quite healthy yet. Despite the damage I'd inflicted on the Wolfmen, I'd accrued enough scrapes and bruises to show that a few hits had landed. The fight against the Alpha Wolfman had been worse, as I hadn't been dealing any damage to heal myself with.

As a result, the nicks and scratches had accumulated bit by bit. In the throes of Blood Frenzy, I hadn't realized how injured I'd truly been.

So I had to shift my mana regeneration over to empowering Mind over Flesh, which restored hit points faster than would have been naturally possible. I only switched back to generating mana when I was finally starting to feel like myself again.

While I was still far from my peak, I was both mentally and physically well enough to head back to town and see Bridget and the others with my own eyes. Knowing they were safe would go a long way towards easing the lingering anxiety gnawing at my gut.

I returned to Crownhill on foot, following the familiar mud-streaked tracks of my own truck's tires back into the city. No one challenged me as I entered, and I didn't encounter any opposition until I was nearly at the block of buildings around the Obelisk. No wonder the Wolfmen had infiltrated so deeply into Crownhill before someone raised the alarm. The city had no defenses at all. And it likely wouldn't until someone united all the warring factions within it.

Marcus and Frank formed one block, supported by me and bolstered by the fact that they had control of the Obelisk, which facilitated trade between people in the city. Sheriff Drayton and everyone at the police station represented another notable group. Presumably, at least one other faction had risen from the ashes of the destroyed prison complex, though I had no idea how they'd fared against the Wolfmen.

A fourth faction was wherever Craig's people had landed after I drove them off, and finally, there was everyone else just trying to survive. I wouldn't be surprised if most of the city's population still hadn't mustered the courage to leave their basements yet. That's where I'd be if I hadn't known how important leveling up early was.

"Good to see you again, sir! We have Bridget and the survivors from the clinic inside," said the guard who spotted me first. He looked young, too young to be working in an office during the apocalypse. He was probably someone's son.

I didn't recognize him, but he apparently recognized me. Fortunately, I didn't need to remember his name when I could call it up on demand.

Kyle Clark (Human -- Level 9)

"Thank you, Kyle. Keep up the good work."

The young man beamed at the recognition.

"Thank you, sir! My mother says she wouldn't have survived long enough to find me if not for you," Kyle replied as he opened the barricade gate for me.

Once the young man standing guard was out of sight, I had to resist the urge to rush ahead. I yearned to see with my own eyes that Bridget was alright. I'd always had a soft spot for the girl. Too nervous to speak her mind and pushed around by Craig, she'd often looked to me for support and protection. Perhaps it was just a manifestation of my masculine instincts, but I was determined to shield her from harm as long as I was there to protect her.

I darted in. Marcus, Frank, and everyone else involved had done a commendable job fortifying the area. They'd erected a barricade running across the street and blocked off a cluster of six buildings, some residential and some commercial. All had been transformed into something resembling a shelter, encircling the Obelisk. I spotted a generous amount of supplies, and upon checking in with the Obelisk, I found quite a bit for sale. The offerings were mostly good, a mix of fresh and canned items. Someone had figured out they could preserve all the stock at the grocery store from spoiling by storing it in the Obelisk, so now the thing was crammed with food supplies. The survivors in this shelter wouldn't have to worry about going hungry for a considerable while.

That artifact alone had likely made everyone staying at my shelter considerably wealthier than those elsewhere. Everyone else was probably already living on canned food and survival rations by now.

Beyond merely keeping everyone fed, it also kept them employed. Already, I could hear the metallic ring of a hammer striking an anvil. Someone had picked up the blacksmith class and was crafting tools. I wasn't certain whether the makeshift council I'd formed was distributing rations free of charge or not, but the Obelisk clearly showed that it had plenty to offer those who found ways to contribute to the group.

I had to ask for directions twice. Some people recognized me, but most were new. An unfortunate number of people were still below level five, though with the stat boost from the Blessed of the System, I figured they would still be strong enough to take on anything of their own level. At the very least, nobody would be dying to giant cockroaches anymore.

Still, the true threat to humanity wasn't overgrown bugs. It was the other races the System had pitted us against. Those were the foes they would have to prepare for. Perhaps I would suggest a few new strategies to the council as long as I was in town.

Eventually, someone pointed me to the room Bridget was staying in, along with the rest of the rescued people, and I dashed into the makeshift medical center. It was evidently overcrowded and likely under immense strain, given that most of the wounded were Crownhill's medical staff.

The room was tightly guarded, and a pair of armed men stood by the door, halting me on my way in.

"Why are guards stationed in front of the medical bay?" I asked.

"The bitten might be dangerous," the guard explained. "We've had a few incidents with them trying to bite people. The medics aren't sure what's wrong. We're hoping Doctor Rosswell will be able to tell us when he's fit enough to look into the problem."

I frowned, worry gnawing at me for Bridget.

"I'll watch out for bites. Don't worry," I assured as I stepped inside.

I was relieved to see that most of the people we'd rescued had survived and were relatively unharmed, except for Doctor Rosswell's arm. He waved his good arm at me, sitting upright as a nurse fed him soup. I hurried over to one cot in particular.

She'd been staring off into the distance moments ago, golden hair tousled behind her as she gazed at the ceiling with a pensive expression. But when I entered the room, her eyes locked onto me and the corners of her mouth curled into a smile.

"Carter!" She started to sit up, but I rushed to her side and gently pushed her back down.

"Whoa there. You've been through a lot. Don't get up on my account."

Bridget pouted. "I feel like an invalid. First the rat bite, now this. I've spent way too much time in bed lately."

I chuckled. "You have the rest of your life for adventure."

"I'm falling behind the others in levels..." Bridget sighed. "Frank and Marcus have been going on supply runs. Practically everyone who's anyone has been scrounging around the city looking for stuff to put in the Obelisk and list for sale."

I gave her a pat on the shoulder. "At some point, when you're healthy and whole, I'll help you gain a few levels. My farmhouse outside the city is nice and quiet, and considering my curse, I'm sure we can expect a constant stream of monsters to contend with."

"A farmhouse?" Bridget smiled. "That sounds cozy. I think I might like to get out of the city."

I patted her shoulder again. I did have a guest room. Probably several guest rooms, now that parts of my house had been copied by the System and replicated. I still hadn't explored the full extent of my farmhouse.

"You're welcome any time," I promised. "And I'm glad to see you're well and getting better. You aren't by any chance feeling... bitey?"

Bridget gave me a shy smile. "It's... uh... under control. I promise not to snap at you. It's a long story."

I pulled up a seat. "I'm afraid this isn't strictly a social call. That story is exactly what I'm here for. I need to know everything you can tell me about the Wolfmen. I think they're the closest faction to Crownhill, and the System is pushing us toward total war with them. What's their society like? What do they have planned for us?"

Bridget's expression darkened, and her eyes grew distant. I worried I'd forced her to recall memories too harsh to repeat, but she shrugged off the gloom and spoke. "Nothing good, I can tell you that much. We weren't the first group they brought back to their campsite. Nor the second. They probably started plundering the houses on the outskirts of town in their direction, because I spotted a lot of bones that looked like they could have belonged to humans, along with some remains that definitely did belong to humans. You've heard of Werewolves?"

I nodded. "Supernatural humans who can shift into wolves. Or sometimes something in between. Was that what those Wolfmen were?"

Bridget shook her head. "The Wolfmen are the opposite of Werewolves. They're wolves who, through supernatural means, have managed to gain the powers of humans. They all start off as feral beasts, but they're able to sacrifice the souls of their prey to gain their powers. When they kill humans, they turn from wolves into Wolfmen. I don't know what they were originally, or what they fed on before our world was joined to theirs, but one thing is clear. From the moment they met us, we became their food of choice."

She rubbed a spot on her hand where a small bite mark was still visible. "I was destined to be given to a pup. One of the Alpha Wolfman's own cubs, if I'm not mistaken. I can still feel her, like her soul is tethered to mine. If... if I die, everything I am will end up grafted onto her. It's an eerie feeling, and not one that I'm particularly fond of. It's also the reason why some of us have gotten bitey, as the nurses like to put it. We've had wolf instincts supernaturally glued onto us. It's going to take some getting used to, but I'll manage."

I sucked in a sharp breath. If given the same three choices I'd been given with the goblins, it seemed like these Wolfmen would certainly choose to exterminate humanity and use us all as sacrifices to grow their own power and intelligence. There could be no chance of peace. We would have to fight to the death.

"Thank you, Bridget. That's a big help." I placed a hand on her shoulder. "As for this soul tether thing... I'm sure we can fix it if we kill the wolf pup that they tethered you to. That has to solve the issue."

At least, that's what I hoped. Because I didn't have any other ideas.

"What are you going to do about them?" Bridget asked. "I saw you fighting the Alpha Wolfman. Do you really think you can beat him? Do you think our people are a match for theirs? We have them beat in numbers by a long shot, but not in average level."

I ran my hand through my hair at the back of my head. "Frankly, I think I'm the only one up for this task. I'll have to--"

Before I could finish, the door burst open again, and in streamed Sakura, Frank, and Marcus, all of them looking glad to see me.

Sakura rushed to me just as quickly as I'd rushed to Bridget, and she wrapped her arms tightly around me.

"Carter! You're safe!" She looked me up and down. "You're wounded though. You still haven't healed? Your face is turning red. Is something wrong? What's wrong? Tell me!"

"C-can't... breathe..." I panted as Sakura squeezed me in her superhuman grip.

"Oh!" Sakura let me go, and I dropped back down to the floor.

Frank looked me up and down, staring deep into my eyes. "Hmm... I would say he is no longer possessed."

Marcus looked doubtful. "I don't know. If there's a demon inside him, it could be hiding."

I looked at them both askance. "What are you two talking about?"

"Dude, you were hovering in the air cackling madly while you made Wolfmen explode and were shooting out sinister-looking spells made of shadow and darkness," Frank explained.

"Oh, that." I waved them off. "I'm not possessed by a demon, don't worry. That was just a side effect of my class. I was channeling a special resource called Mania, which lets me fuel my spells by understanding the secrets of the multiverse and drawing upon powers outside it."

Frank frowned. "Wait, so your class is fueled by madness and lets you call upon otherworldly forces? Are we talking Cthulhu here? If you're going to summon Cthulhu, you have to warn us."

Marcus looked a little nervous too. "To be honest, I think I would have preferred the demon possession explanation."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry, you two. I have it all under control."

Marcus and Frank looked me over suspiciously, and I let them examine me to their hearts' content. Meanwhile, Sakura greeted Bridget.

"Bridget. I'm glad to see you're making a recovery." Sakura placed an arm around my waist possessively as she spoke.

"Yes, I'm doing much better, Miss Miyamoto. I hope you've been enjoying your time with Carter." She sat up and grabbed my hand, much to Sakura's annoyance. "Soon I'll be healthy and ready to gain levels. Carter even promised to help me."

"Did he now?" Sakura's eyes narrowed, and I felt her grip around me tighten. "We'll have to see about that. Carter can be a handful. I'm not sure if you're woman enough to keep up with him." Sakura's eyes flashed as she examined Bridget. I used Examine as well, since Sakura was looking her over.

Bridget (Human -- Level 9)

"Still level nine?" Sakura rolled her eyes. "I'm afraid you'd be a liability if you tagged along with Carter and me. We're fighting things closer to level twenty than level ten."

Bridget's lips curled into a pout. "I've been stuck in bed for the past two days. I'll gain levels fast, you just wait and see..."

Sakura pulled me closer, even as Marcus and Frank continued to poke and prod me asking questions about Cthulhu. I'd stopped paying attention to them and more to the brewing catfight between the two women playing a subtle game of tug of war with my body. Sakura had my waist in a tight grip, but Bridget must have had a lot of points in strength herself, because she was gripping my wrist quite hard for a woman lying in a cot.

In the end, I decided I had to either break the contest up or accept a growing amount of shoulder pain in my already-sore limbs.

"Ladies, I assure you there's plenty of me to go around," I said with a chuckle. "And I'll need both of your help and unique talents. The forces arrayed against humanity on this shard are many, and I'll need your help preparing to face them."

Their grips slackened, and both turned to me. I repeated what Bridget told me about the Wolfmen, as well as my own thoughts about what this meant. My four companions listened carefully, especially when I gave my analysis at the end.

"In short, we've got to wipe out these Wolfmen. Otherwise they're going to wipe us out," I explained.

Frank ran his fingers over his chin. "This is going to be tough, especially if it's just us from the shelter. To really rally the manpower we need, we'll have to bring some of the other shelters into this. If everybody can contribute a dozen men and you can counter the Alpha Werewolf, we'll have the forces to sweep their encampment clean without leaving our home bases completely undefended."

I nodded in agreement. "You're right. Which is why I want to organize a meeting with every major faction in the city we know about. Us, Drayton, even the prison if whoever's in charge there is willing to listen."

Marcus gave me a salute. "I'll spread the word, sir!"