Amazon Apocalypse: Chapter 34

Sakura and I stood outside my house, our hearts pounding in anticipation. It was time to root out the wraith that had claimed my home. I clutched a satchel filled with the mana bombs I’d crafted, each capable of dealing magical damage to our intangible foe.

“Alright, Sakura, let’s do this,” I said, sounding more confident than I felt.

“You sure this will work?” Sakura asked.

I shrugged. “If it does, this fight should be the easiest of the three.”

Our plan was simple. Though this wraith had the highest level of the monsters in the valley, it was also bound to one location. Therefore, it couldn’t leave the house.

My initial plan had been to stand outside the open door and keep firing Mana Bolts inside until it died, but these new Mana Bombs would be a much more certain way to deal with it.

It was a cheesy way to win, but I was fine with cheesy if it meant we won without having to fight that thing head-on. So I took up a position by the front door, and Sakura stood by the open window.

“How many mana bombs do you think you need?” I asked.

“Give me ten. You have your spells to throw in. I’ll just be heaving these things,” Sakura replied.

“Watch out, they’re heavier than they look.”

Sakura smirked and nodded, flexing her powerful arms. “Maybe they’re heavy to some noodle-armed wizard type. But tough fighters like me put points into the strength stat.”

I chuckled, then settled into a grim determination as we positioned ourselves outside the house. I took a deep breath. It was time to summon the wraith.

I took one step inside the house. Now that I knew what I was looking for, I felt a cold chill run up my spine when I crossed the threshold. My house really was haunted, and I could feel it.

“It’s coming, Carter! I see it!” Sakura shouted as deep blue energy swirled in the center of the room and gathered. The Soulrend Wraith took shape before our eyes. When its head formed, it opened its mouth to reveal rows of jagged teeth.

A horrible screech echoed through the room as its bony fingers extended into talons. Tattered white rags draped over its shoulders streamed behind it as it charged at me, digging deep furrows into the hardwood beneath it all the while.

“Now!” I shouted to Sakura as I jumped back.

She tossed two bombs, one in either hand. The first soared past the wraith, but the second was a direct hit. The mana crystal within the bomb detonated all at once, throwing mana in all directions.

A breeze picked up within my living room, sending paper flying in all directions and ruffling the curtains on the other side of the house.

But the physical disturbance was nothing compared to the magical disturbance the bombs unleashed. The mana bombs disrupted all things magical. In this case, that meant the wraith itself.

The monster looked like it had just survived a grenade blast. Its flesh was shredded, and its skin tore. Its body sagged, and the tattered robes it wore over its gaunt and twisted humanoid frame looked even more ragged.

It started to fade, but I stepped past the doorway, forcing it to manifest again, firing a mana bolt right between the wraith’s eyes as I did so.

“Again!” I shouted, hurling one of my own mana bombs and following it up with an Eldrich Blast.

We wore down the wraith bit by bit. I gave my remaining four mana bombs to Sakura while I focused on my spells. The explosives detonated repeatedly, causing a massive blast of magical energy that shook the house and sent debris flying everywhere.

The wraith screeched in pain, its ethereal form flickering like a dying flame. We pressed our advantage, tossing more mana bombs at it, each explosion sending shockwaves through the house and tearing apart everything in their path.

As the dust settled and the echoes of the explosions subsided, Sakura and I exchanged triumphant grins. The wraith was nowhere to be seen, and we allowed ourselves a moment of celebration.

“I think that finally did it…” I grinned widely. “My bombs worked!”

“We did it, Carter! The wraith is gone!” Sakura exclaimed, wrapping me in a tight hug. And your bombs were pretty useful. I think I’m not so scared of ghosts anymore. Well, not as long as you can make more mana bombs." Sakura flashed a smile and tossed me the very last mana bomb.

But our victory was short-lived. As we stepped inside the ruined house, the Soulrend Wraith materialized once again. This time, it was broken and tattered, missing all its body except for its head and one arm.

But that one remaining arm was wrapped tight around my ankle. It bared its teeth again and tore into my thigh. There was no spray of blood or tearing flesh, but the pain I felt was so great it felt like there should have been. It was like the Soulrend Wraith was tearing my soul apart instead of my body. I should have guessed it could do as much from the name.

Her face contorted with rage, Sakura tried to strike the wraith with her fists. Still, her physical attacks passed harmlessly through its incorporeal body. My fist did the same, and to my horror, I realized I’d already used up most of my mana in the fighting earlier, firing off an endless barrage of mana bolts and Eldrich Blasts.

Feeling desperation close in, I grasped the last mana bomb in my other hand, and with every ounce of strength I could muster, I shoved it into the wraith’s gaping maw.

The explosion was deafening, a brilliant flash of light and magical energy tearing the wraith apart. I was thrown back by the force of the blast, landing hard on the ground, battered and bruised.

Sakura rushed to my side, cradling me in her arms. “Carter, are you alright?”

I winced, but gave a weak smile. “Yeah, I think so. We did it, Sakura. We defeated the Soulrend Wraith.”

As we sat there, taking in the destruction around us, a notification appeared before my eyes.

Soulrend Wraith defeated!

(3/3) Territorial Claimants defeated.

Valley Reclamation Quest Completed! Your valley is now free of hostile entities. You now have an official claim to this valley and have become the recognized owner of [Unnamed Valley].

You have been awarded experience points.

Your race, Human, is now Level 21.

Your class, Scholar of Forbidden Knowledge, is now Level 16.

Though the battle had left us battered and my house in ruins, we’d accomplished our goal. With the Soulrend Wraith defeated, the valley was finally ours.

“Come on,” Sakura scooped me up in her arms. It felt weird for her to be able to lift me so easily. “You need to take it easy on that leg. We don’t know what that wraith did to you.”

Despite the lingering pain, I let out a laugh. “You just want me to point you to my bedroom, right?”

Sakura grinned.

***

Sakura tossed me down on my bed when we both felt a sudden rush of newfound strength. I’d gotten used to the surge in power every so often these days from my Blessed of the System title. I’d been getting free new stat points every four hours. But this was the first time the rush of power came with a series of notifications.

Greetings, sapient beings. Congratulations on surviving the early stages of integration into the Arcadia Multiverse. Now that the three-day grace period has passed, the integration begins earnestly.

1. The “Blessed of the System” temporary title has now expired. No more free skill books or stat points for everyone. Time to earn them the hard way!
2. We’ve squashed that pesky bug allowing deceased individuals to return to life. From now on, dead means dead. Sorry, no more extra lives!
3. The System will initiate the recombination of world shards, starting with your shard [Crownhill].
4. [Crownhill] will merge with several other shards from worlds integrated simultaneously. Feel free to fight, ally, commit genocide, or enslave the inhabitants of these other shards, but remember, they can do the same to you. In one week, the survivors will rule the combined shard. This process will continue until a fully functional planet emerges with the mightiest society standing tall.

Now, go forth, level up, and conquer! Your survival depends on it.

Sakura and I stared at the screen, digesting the information that had just been presented. The weight of the news hung heavy in the air, as if a storm cloud had settled over our heads.

“What does this shard merging thing mean, Carter?” Sakura asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully, trying to make sense of it all. “It means we’ll have to fight people like us, Sakura. People from other worlds who were forced into this system just like we were.”

My heart ached at the thought of it — scared, nervous aliens who had no choice but to adapt or die, now thrown into yet another trial, fighting against us for survival. I could see the worry mirrored in Sakura’s eyes as well.

“So, we’re going to be fighting...other survivors?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

I nodded grimly. “It seems that way. But we can’t let that stop us. We have to keep getting stronger.”

As we spoke, I sensed a tremor run through the earth. It was gentle at first, rattling the lamp standing near my bed. Then, a moment later, that lamp was thrown to the ground when the tremor intensified into a full-blown earthquake. The ground shook beneath our feet with terrifying force. Sakura and I stumbled as we struggled to maintain balance, as the world around us seemed to convulse in agony. Trees swayed wildly, their roots straining against the upheaval, while rocks tumbled down the mountainside.

The violent shaking continued for what felt like an eternity before it finally began to subside. Then, as the last tremors faded away, we stood in stunned silence, trying to process what had just happened.

Sakura stared at the ravaged landscape around us, her eyes wide with fear. “Carter, what was that?”

I took a deep breath, attempting to calm my racing heart. “I think... I think that was the System beginning to merge the shards. It must be integrating the different worlds together right now.”

We stayed where we were, fearing the earthquake would get worse. But the chaos soon subsided, and things returned to normal. Once we were sure it was safe to go outside, we left the house. My leg was already feeling better, so whatever Soulrend Wraith had done to me wasn’t taking long to heal. I had Mind over Flesh active, so I was restoring my health points by sacrificing my mana regeneration. Between the two, I would soon be in full health.

“We should check things out,” I suggested.

Sakura was already shaking her head. “Not until you’re at full health and mana!”

“I’ll be fine.” I stood, trying to put some weight on my leg. It did feel fine, at least until I tried to stand. Then I promptly flopped right back down into the bed. “Okay, maybe you should scout.”

Sakura left, and when she returned, her face was pale.

“Carter, I don’t think you’ll like this...” Sakura said.

“What?” I forced myself to sit upright.

“Well... the valley got bigger again. Only this time there’s this whole...” Sakura gestured with her arms but struggled to find words. The System spoke up on her behalf a moment later.

A new challenger lays claim to your valley!

The Wubwub, the Goblin Chieftain’s territorial claims have been joined to yours! Only one may rule [Unnamed Valley]. May whoever wins establish dominion over this newly expanded domain!


<Note>

I ended up making big changes to the goblins. They aren't going to be a major threat in this version, now that Carter and Sakura have had a few days to adapt to the system. Goblins would only be a threat at super low levels, and the whole cast has pretty much surpassed the level where they would be scary.