Amazon Apocalypse: Chapter 32

With an almost possessive urgency, Sakura gripped my wrist firmly and led me back toward my farmhouse. As we approached the front door, the simplicity of the exterior stood in contrast to the lush valley around us. The wooden structure was old but well-maintained by my own hands. I’d redone the walls in my free time, but kept the same rustic charm it had when I bought it.

Sakura swung open the front door, revealing an updated interior I had put my personal touch on. The fusion of modern and traditional design elements created a comfortable and inviting space with polished hardwood floors, clean lines, and warm, earthy tones. I was pretty proud of what I’d done with the place, but only one thing was on Sakura’s mind.

“Carter, show me where the bedroom is,” Sakura demanded, her tone playful but insistent. I pointed with my free hand and she dragged me along behind her in that direction.

But we never made it to my bedroom.

As we rounded a corner, we suddenly came face to face with something glowing and vaguely humanoid shape. It was like a skeleton draped in tattered rags that might once have been an apron.

Then the monster opened its mouth, and the many rows of pointed teeth that appeared destroyed any resemblance to a living human.

A monstrous groan echoed out from its mouth and it lunched at us with fingernails turned to claws. Its ghostly form was twisted and terrifying, exuding a malevolent energy that sent shivers down our spines. Startled, Sakura let out a girlish scream and instinctively threw a punch at the apparition. Her fist went right through it, leaving the wraith unfazed.

Unleashing another unearthly screech, the ferocious phantom lunged at Sakura, its razor-sharp claws slicing through the air. Sakura barely dodged, but not without sustaining a painful gash on her arm. Her blood seemed to enrage the creature further, and it turned its attention toward me, its eyes burning with fury.

I pointed my finger at it and cast Mana Bolt. That finally did some damage, and the wraith reeled back and stopped in its tracks.

I activated Exploit Weakness and Examine simultaneously to look at what we were up against.

Soulrend Wraith (Level 33)

Its entire body glowed purple in my vision, something I had never seen before. Then, just as I thought to ask for an explanation, the System provided one through my Exploit Weakness ability.

Immune to all physical damage and can only be hurt by magical attacks.

Sakura charged the wraith and her fist went through it just as before.

Crap.

This was bad, especially for her. Sakura had no magical attacks, which meant we completely depended on my damage, and I was out-leveled.

The wraith charged at me with terrifying speed, its claws aiming to tear me apart. I narrowly avoided its attack, my heart pounding as I tried to think of a plan. The phantom’s wails echoed through the farmhouse, its hunger for vengeance palpable.

Sakura, her arm bleeding, gritted her teeth and glared at the monstrous ghost. “Carter, your house is haunted!”

As the wraith prepared for another assault, I knew we were outmatched. “Retreat! We can’t fight this thing!”

Sakura and I sprinted for the door with the ghost hot on our trail. I thought it would chase us all the way down the mountain. Still, the moment its gassy hide passed over the threshold leading out the front door, the wraith vanished like mist evaporating in the morning light.

Sakura and I stood outside the front door, trying to catch our breath and make sense of the situation. Sakura’s fear was palpable, her eyes darting nervously back to the entrance of the house. “Carter, that was a ghost in your living room! You didn’t tell me you had a ghost in your living room!”

I let out a grim chuckle. "I guess there was a reason I got it cheap." The former owner had died in it, giving me about thirty thousand off fair market price. I'd replaced the floorboards rather than scrub the bloodstains out of them. But apparently that wasn't enough to unhaunt a place.

Not being the superstitious sort, I’d jumped at the opportunity to buy an underpriced farmhouse that perfectly suited my needs. It wasn’t like the dead former owner would haunt the place… or so I thought. This was just my luck.

I aimed a cautious Mana Bolt at the doorway, hoping to provoke a reaction from the wraith. Nothing happened. “I think it’s gone,” I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

“No, Carter! Don’t go near that thing!” Sakura warned, her voice trembling.

Ignoring her protests, I approached the threshold. As if on cue, the malevolent wraith reappeared, lunging at me with its claws extended. Yet, just as it was about to reach me, it vanished the moment it crossed the doorway. I backed away and repeated the experiment, only to see the same result.

I couldn’t help but laugh, a mixture of relief and disbelief. “It’s bound to the house, Sakura. It can’t leave the structure.” My Exploit Weakness ability confirmed this fact, further easing my mind.

“That’s a relief. I thought we were going to have to leave. The important part is that the barn is safe to stay in. We’ll sleep there until we reach a high enough level to kill that guy,” I said, trying to reassure her.

“You can’t be serious. You want me to sleep next to a ghost?” Sakura crossed her arms, her face contorted with worry.

“The alternative is hiking down the mountain and sleeping in the woods,” I replied, raising an eyebrow.

She hesitated, weighing her options. “Yeah, alright. We’ll sleep in your barn.”

***

Sakura and I entered the barn, relieved to find sleeping bags, pots, pans, and propane stoves among the supplies. We laid down a few loose boards in one corner of the barn, which was now big enough to feel like a warehouse, and made a floor to set our things down on.

Sakura couldn’t help but keep a wary eye on the house as we worked, as if the specter would somehow break its confinement and charge at us.

We rummaged through the supplies and found enough materials to make a hearty breakfast. The warm meal brought some much-needed comfort and energy to our tired bodies. As we ate, we began discussing our objectives, the moment’s intimacy allowing Sakura’s flirty nature to shine through.

“So, what’s our plan?” she asked, her eyes twinkling as she leaned closer to me. “I, for one, would like to level up enough to kill that wraith and live in a non-haunted house.”

I couldn’t help but smile at her determination. “I agree, but I want to practice my new Arcanist job. I think it will come in handy.”

Myrina had practically said as much, and crafting did seem pretty useful. She’d mentioned Enchanter being a job to look out for, and that was only a rare job. Arcanist had been epic, which meant it had to be at least as valuable as being an enchanter. It would serve me well to level it early, as she suggested.

Sakura playfully nudged my shoulder. “Fine. We’ll camp and tinker a bit. But I’m not sleeping in your barn forever! We’ll level up and kick that thing’s ass, then have a real bed. And a proper shower too.”

I laughed. “Sure thing, Sakura.”

She flashed a coy smile, her eyes locked on mine. “Just remember, I’ve got your back. And not just in battle, Carter.”

I could feel my cheeks redden at her flirtatious remark, and I nodded, grateful for her support. “I appreciate that, Sakura.”

***

After finishing our lunch and filling our bellies, we set to work. Sakura grabbed a hammer, a box of nails, and a baseball bat and quickly disappeared, apparently off to do some crafting of her own.

Taking a deep breath, I decided here was as good a place as any to activate my arcanist job for the first time. It was only level one, but I had high hopes for the potential it held.

Arcanist (Level 1)

Craft tools and items capable of wielding mana for various uses.

The job had no unique stats associated with it, unlike my class. Just a level and something called blueprints, which seemed to be recipes for creating stuff with the job. I unlocked a few blueprints already, but there would be many more to be discovered.

As I focused on my arcanist job, menus popped up one after another, guiding me through the intricate process of magical crafting. The more I poured over the menus, the more I realized I already knew. I almost knew instinctually how energy should flow through and between objects.

There was no explanation, just a vague certainty that this was how things were. It had to be knowledge shoved into my mind by the System when I purchased the job. It hadn’t settled into my head yet, but hopefully, I would make it mine in time.

I browsed through the blueprints, all common grade, searching for something I could create using the Moss Man cores I had collected. Finally, I spotted a promising design: a Life Detection Bracelet. This creation would harness the former Moss Man’s natural sense for living things and turn it into a bracelet that glowed in the presence of hostile entities beyond a certain level, providing a sort of danger detector.

With two Moss Man cores at my disposal, I made one bracelet for myself and one for Sakura. So I set to work by gathering copper wire from my barn and heat from the propane stoves.

It felt almost like having a master craftsman looking over my shoulder and guiding my clumsy beginner hands. Only that master craftsman existed solely within my head.

I rummaged through my things and found some copper wire. I’d stocked plenty of it for the apocalypse in the barn. Now, I stripped the plastic sheath off and wound it around itself to cradle the Moss Man core in the center like a gemstone.

I used a blowtorch to keep the copper pliable and swapped between a few different tools to get the bends just right.

While I worked with tools on the mundane physical level, mana flowed through my fingertips. I cut grooves into the copper wire and bends that seemed to serve no physical purpose but bore immense magical significance.

This part of the process seemed slightly hazy and half-remembered, like the System had done as much of it as I had. It was almost like I was making the bracelets while in a trance.

As I worked, I could feel the experience seeping into me, and before I knew it, I had leveled up in my arcanist job. The two Life Detection Bracelets lay before me, their simple yet elegant design belying the valuable function they served.

Life-Detecting Bands successfully crafted! (2/2)

You have reached Arcanist level 2.

Eager to test the devices, I picked up one bracelet and approached my haunted house. As I drew nearer, the bracelet emitted a soft glow, indicating the malicious wraith within. The danger detector worked!

With a satisfied smile, I went searching for Sakura. I was eager to show off what I’d created. These would be invaluable tools for survival and growth in this perilous new world.

I found her hammering nails through a baseball bat, clumsily trying to make a makeshift weapon. Her frustration was evident in how she gritted her teeth and cursed under her breath. She seemed determined to replace the weapon she had lost to the lava elemental.

“Sakura, check these out,” I called out, waving the newly crafted Life Detection Bracelets in my hand. I told her how they worked and how I’d tested them.

“Carter, you didn’t go near that wraith again, did you?” Her tone was laced with concern, and I could see the fear in her eyes.

I laughed, trying to ease her worries. “Uh… maybe.” Sakura scowled and looked like she was about to chew me out, so I barreled on despite the look on her face. “Anyway… I just made these Life Detection Bracelets. Here, this one’s for you.” I handed her the second bracelet.

She hesitated momentarily before taking it, her fingers brushing against mine. A beaming smile soon replaced her worried frown. Nothing cured a woman’s anger faster than a shiny new present. My father taught me that.

“Woah! Cool,” Sakura exclaimed, her casual enthusiasm making me smile. She fastened the bracelet around her wrist, stealing a glance at me. “But you better not get yourself into trouble just to impress me.”

I grinned, enjoying the playful possessiveness in her voice. I was no master of the romantic arts, but even I was sure she had a thing for me. “Wouldn’t dream of it. We need more crafting supplies, though. We should hunt down more monsters and clear the area while at it.”

Sakura grinned and hefted her half-finished new club. “So we’re going monster hunting, after all!”