Chapter 60: Man vs Camping

Chapter 60: Man vs Camping

Basil had found two ways to deal with a clouded mind: playing games and cooking.

Since Apollyons forces had treacherously destroyed his Nintendo Switch and ruined over five hundred hours of intense playtime, Basil had no other option but to pour his heart into the sacred art of Bulgarian cuisine. Thankfully, todays bounty allowed him to experiment with traditional recipes.

As it turned out, you could do many things with two dead pegasi and a dose of imagination.

The Steamobiles kitchen couldnt compare to his old houses, but slicing a winged horses flesh wasnt a question of tools and comfort; it was a matter of patience and love for a job well done. Whenever Basil doubted his kitchen chef ways, he remembered the smiles of his monsters as they swallowed a dish of his invention. Their smiles, and the victorious thrill of devouring ones enemy, made the pain and frustration worth it.

After a good two hours of work, Basil was proud of the final menu. First a bob chorba soup of delicious beans, onions, tomatoes, and pieces of pegasus hearts for starters; then, a kebab sliced from the beasts mighty legs with spicy rice as the main dish; and finally, strawberry gele served with cream cheese for dessert.

Of course, Basil wouldnt let the rest of the pegasis remains go to waste. The feathers would make for some fine pillows and the leather shall be turned into fine clothes to keep his friends warm in winter. For Basil was a gentle, caring soul. As for the bones, he would find a way to craft them into tools. Disneys Hercules would have screamed at the sight of Basils hard work. And it was all right.

Basil had come to hate Greek mythology as of late.

With the meals completed, he allowed himself a moment to breathe. It was almost eleven in the evening and his group would soon stop for the night. They should reach the city of Limoges tomorrow with bellies full.

Now that Basil had cleared his head through hard work, it was time to assign his two new levels.

Its the end of an era, Basil whispered as he opened his status screen. His eyes lingered on his Tamer class; his first, the one that started this entire journey into monster madness and the unknown. To finally fill it out made him feel strangely nostalgic.

Less than half a year had passed since that strange morning when he woke up with a screen stuck between his eyes, but it felt like a lifetime ago.

Level 20 Tamer Stat Gains: +1 STR, +1 AGI, +1 VIT, +1 MAG, +1 CHA. You earned 30 HP and 10 SP.All for One (Passive): Tamer class Capstone. You have proven that the bond uniting you to your monsters is unbreakable. All buffs and beneficial status effects affecting you apply to your monsters; however, status ailments and debuffs also carry over.[All for One] applies to your entire Guild.

The rush of power filled his bones, gentle as a dopamine rush. It was the warm feeling of completing a race, of achieving a milestone on a journey. As for that new Perk the sheer tactical possibilities it presented gave Basil pause for thought. The potential rewards were as great as the drawbacks.

Congratulations, you have completed your first class! For this achievement, you can select one of your stats except for HP/SP; it will receive a one-time bonus chosen at random (maximum +6).

What? Basil clenched his jaw in annoyance. Do I gain a bonus each time I complete a class?

Yes.

Why didnt you inform me sooner?! If Basil had known there was yet another incentive to class specialization early, he wouldnt have spread out his levels so much!

Your Intelligence was too

I select Intelligence, Basil said before the System could finish its sentence. System, invest in my education!

You have gained +4 INT and 20 SP. You can now remember up to 6 Spells.

Take that, Dumbledore. For his second level, Basil finally decided to take a level in Deathknight. His current plan was to alternate with Dragonknight afterward, progressing in both classes at once. It might have been suboptimal, but he would need additional firepower to deal with dragons in the near future.

CRACK!

The noise of shattered glass echoed in Basils mind, much to his surprise.

Congratulations! Through your unshakable faith and unusual choices, you have unlocked a rare class variant of Deathknight: Deathknight of the Sepulchre! A formidable champion of the faith defending holy resting places. STR (A), AGI (B), VIT (B), SKI (B), MAG (B), INT (C), CHA (A), LCK (B).

The Sepulchre? As in the Holy Sepulchre? Basil knew there was once a crusader order dedicated to protecting Christs tomb, but to think the System would make it into a class

Or perhaps the System had finally recognized his neighborhood crusaders vow.

Level 1 Deathknight of the Sepulchre Stat Gains: +1 STR, +1 VIT, +1 SKI, +1 MAG, +1 CHA, 1 LCK. You earned 30 HP and 15 SP.Soulbound Weapon (Passive): Select a weapon in which you have an advanced or perfect proficiency. This weapon will be bound to you, allowing you to teleport it to your hand at will as long as you both remain on the same world; it will also gain new abilities and improve in quality as you progress into the Deathknight of the Sepulchre class. You can only select one Soulbound Weapon and cannot select a new one until the first is destroyed beyond repair.

Of all of todays surprises, this one might have been the first good one. Basil counted all the weapons in his inventory, from his humble pistol to his rocket launcher. In the end though, only one was worthy of this Perk.

Basil summoned his trusty halberd and raised it with both hands. I shall bind this holy weapon to my soul!

The System answered his decision with a burst of energy. Burning light swallowed his halberd and reforged it into a new weapon. The hand-forged steel making up its structure gained a red and yellow hue, much like a young fire. The axe blade sharpened and the spear tip took on the shape of a stylized flame. The halberd still felt warm to the touch even after the light dissipated.

Croque-MordeuseFamily: Soulbound Weapon (Axe/Spear).Quality: B.Power: +17 STR.Crit: +10%Accuracy: 70%Effect 1: Ignores half of a targets defensive stats during damage calculation.Effect 2: [Blazing Rune]: Inflicts an additional 30% [Fire] damage.Effect 3: [Ghostbuster]: Inflicts Deadslayer supereffective damage against the [Undead] Type (x3 damage) and can harm incorporeal targets.If theres something strange in your graveyard, who are you gonna call? Croque-Mordeuse! Shell keep hidden bodies out of sight and your dead wife out of mind! Croque-Mordeuse!

Deadslayer? Basil chuckled. Walter wasnt going to like this development. Beautiful.

Vasi had told him that he would never become a Paladin but a holy fire halberd-wielding knight made for a pretty nifty consolation prize.

Rosemarine stopped the Steamobile near a small river. A large hill overshadowed the area, its surface covered in stone and boulders. Basil noticed facial shapes dug into the granite formations; with their long tusks and small eyes, they looked a lot like fantasy trolls. Bugsy hadnt noticed the presence of enemies nearby with Tremorsense, so Basil assumed that whoever created these decorations had either perished or fled at the partys approach.

The cold wind of early November blew among the leaves of distant trees. Bugsy started a fire from coal and harvested wood, the flames illuminating the darkness and comforting the group with their warmth. Rosemarine had coiled around the campfire and fallen asleep from exhaustion before the dinner was even served. Plato swiftly sat against her belly, exploiting her warmth for his own comfort.

Hey, Partner! Shellgirl called out to Basil near the fire. The mimic booty held the two essence spheres in her hands close to Vasi. Check this out!

The entire party watched on as Shellgirl started juggling with the two spheres. Basil winced as he watched the godly essences move from one hand to another, half-expecting his friend to drop them. But Shellgirl proved herself skilled enough to keep them in constant movement.

Impressive. Vasi giggled and clapped her hands at the spectacle. Youre good at this.

I could make money this way, Shellgirl replied with a grin. For two wares bought, a free five-minute performance!

For the love of God, please dont drop the dead gods souls, Basil pleaded. I dont want to know what will happen if you break them.

I dont think any of us can, handsome, Vasi reassured him. We could reshape or transform them, but destroying a gods essence is almost certainly beyond our power.

Any idea what to do with these spheres? Basil asked as he let the starting soup stew on the campfire. If Vasi allowed Shellgirl to play with the essences, then his girlfriend had already taken a good look at them.

I suppose we can either eat them like Rosemarine or use them for crafting, Vasi replied.

Or we could sell them, Shellgirl stated the simple solution. I mean, Im sure Walter would trade us one of his legendary spears against these two big balls. Look at the size of them!

He might, Vasi conceded with a chuckle, but I couldnt teleport to his shop to ask him directly. I suspect he has temporarily closed his shop to study the neurotower.

Of course a necromancer would find a device powered by tormented human souls fascinating. Unfortunately, Metal Olympus ability to track down the essences made them a liability. Carrying three of them was the equivalent of painting a target on their back.

You were wise not to let Rosemarine eat them, handsome, Vasi said as she warmed her hands near the pyre. She would have ended up like that woman, torn apart from within. A body cant handle more than one of these essences.

Im still not sure eating one is a good idea at all, Basil replied. He glanced at Rosemarine, who snorted adorably in her sleep. His poor tropidrake was exhausted after carrying the Steamobile for a full day and a deadly chase. Im waiting to see what her new metamorphosis will do.

Vasi scowled when Basil served the team their soups. He briefly thought she didnt like his cuisine, which would have wounded him deeply, but it became clear that something else weighed on her mind.

A thief then, Vasi summed it up. Shellgirl sneered in disgust too; she didnt believe in making money through foul ways. How did he end up with Dismaker Labs?

The company needed specific rare ore to create advanced batteries and computer technology, Basil explained. The army suspects that Maxwell brought him in to secure the supply. That, and I suppose Ashok helped cover up what his organization was truly up to. If he had experienced mercenaries to act as security, it would have been childs play to make witnesses and whistleblowers disappear.

That worried Basil the most. Tamura and Hypathia had been rich oligarchs, but Ashok was a merciless killer with military training and experienced troops. He would make far better use of his newfound divine powers than his colleagues; and if he sabotaged them on his own behalf rather than Maxwells, then he was probably shooting for Overgod too.

What about Emperor Maxwell? Bugsy asked. Which planet does he come from?

Unknown, Basil said with a snort. The army could barely find any verifiable information on him before he started Dismaker Labs. Its almost as if the company came to life and then grew a human face out of nowhere.

Or he came from another world like I did and infiltrated your society, Vasi suggested with a smile. Perhaps he has horns too.

All I hope is that hes not a reptilian or worse, a devil in a suit, Basil replied grumpily. Too many of them already.

Personally, Im betting on an alien, Plato said. Gray with shades of green.

Shellgirl continued to read the document to herself, her expression turning from curiosity to sadness. Thats awful, she whispered.

What is it, Shellgirl? Vasi asked.

Im reading the CTOs entry, Benjamin Martin Leroy. Shellgirl flipped a page of the document. His daughter was killed seven years ago in a place called Tunis.

There was a wave of terrorist attacks in Tunisia in 2015, Basil said with sorrow. He still remembered watching the events on the news with a lurking stomach. Dozens of tourists were murdered by madmen with assault rifles. Leroys daughter was among them.

Vasi chewed her lip. Hypathia said he was trying to bring her back.

I thought the same, Basil admitted. If Dismaker Labs technology could indeed influence the souls of the dead, then Maxwell must have enlisted Benjamin Leroys assistance with the promise of bringing back his daughter to life.

Ive heard some of my worlds gods could revive the dead, and not as walking corpses, Vasi said. But only under very specific circumstances. Im not sure how it will work on this planet though.

The thought of bringing back Ren, Kuikui, and Orcine immediately aroused Basils interest. What circumstances?

From what I understand Vasi smiled sheepishly. You had to pay for it.

Basil looked at her silence as he struggled to find his words. Too late. Shellgirl beat him to it.

I knew it! she shouted in triumph. The afterlife runs on money, yo!

Some said death was the great equalizer. They were lying to themselves. The rich always had it better.

After dinner, the group spent a little time outside rather than retreat inside the Steamobile. The campfire hadnt died down, so its warmth protected them from the cold wind.

Vasi rested against Basils shoulder as the couple watched the sky. The stars are beautiful tonight.

Theyre all fake, Basil grumbled.

Vasi rolled her eyes. I know that, my grumpy bear, but theyre still beautiful.

How does the night sky look in your world?

The moon is made of gold, she replied. Shellgirls head immediately snapped in the couple's direction. So many adventurers are mining it for material that astronomers wonder if itll eventually fall out of orbit.

Its still less dangerous than ours, Basil mused. The dungeon auroras on the moons surface grew more noticeable with each passing night. Do you intend to return there one day? To your world?

Eventually, but Im in no hurry. I gotta visit my mom someday. Vasi smiled at him. Will you follow me there, handsome?

I suppose, if the opportunity presents itself. It wasnt like Basil had a house to return to, since the last one went down in flames. How would your mother react?

She would try to eat you for taking her dear daughter away. Vasi chuckled. Honestly, I dont know. How would yours?

She would ask when are the children coming? Basils mother had always been obsessed with his reproductive future.

Im afraid shell have to wait a long time for that, Vasi replied with a grin.

Basil distinctly heard Bugsy whine in the background, but paid him no mind. General Leblanc said he would be looking for my mom.

And what will you do if he finds her? Vasi asked sharply.

I dont know, Basil admitted. His mother, if she still lived, was always across the continent and he already had enough trouble to deal with in western Europe. I would try to give her a call at least.

Vasi nodded in appreciation, but thankfully didnt press the subject further. After todays exhausting events, they easily fell into a comfortable silence. Basil found the sensation of her slow breathing on his chest more peaceful than any word. He held Vasi tightly against him and started to fade into the dreamlands...

At least, until something cold fell on his cheek and jolted him back to consciousness.

What is it? Vasi glanced at him with a frown, before turning to stare at the sky.

White crystals fell from the heavens above their heads, carried by the autumn wind. They were so small Basil almost missed them in the dark. First there were only a few, then many more dropping from white clouds. They melted when they approached the campfire and melted against Bugsys carapace, much to his displeasure.

Its snow, Vasi whispered with a smile. Its snow, Basil!

General Winter had come early.