Forbidden Zone: An Apocalyptic Space Opera LitRPG (The System Apocalypse Book 11) Read online

  Even as the blasts strike me, Feh’ral and Mikito react. Data pads fly out, striking at guns and crippling legs, while Mikito flickers across the fifty feet separating us, not even bothering to use Haste. She’s just that fast. By the time they realize she’s moving, she’s among them. Hitoshi dips and twirls, cutting apart weapons and breaking hands. The disarmed guards are picked up by swooping data pads and Mikito’s hands, tossed out of the room through the open door.

  All the while, I clutch the attendant in one hand and keep him safe with Two for One and a Soul Shield extended from my body. I lean in so that I stick my face in his, though I end up staring at his nostrils due to his stalky eyebrows being a little too high. “Take a good look until you’re convinced.”

  The attendant gives off a series of clicks from his secondary mouth, located lower along his throat. I frown for a second, before realization strikes that it is his way of acknowledging my point. To my further surprise, rather than running away, the slime creature has flowed over, making distressed squeaky noises and leaving a trail behind it.

  “Redeemer, begs. Don’t hurt. He didn’t insult, just stupid. It’s his time of month. Yes?” the attendant bubbles at me.

  “Time of month?”

  “Yes. When he lays egg.” The slime attendant inflates, then lowers its voice. “We’re try spawn once more. Genetic splice. The hoping, the taking, this time.”

  I look between the tall, orange alien creature and the slime. While I’m pretty open-minded, having spent quite some time in the Galaxy by this point, the mind boggles at times. The mind truly boggles.

  “We just need you to work the teleportation portal.” Mikito detaches my grip on the tall attendant and leads him back to his post. She’s got one hand on his elbow, guiding him, while Hitoshi sits in her other one. A not-so-subtle threat.

  “But I… I… can’t.” At Mikito’s glare, he wilts a little but continues. “There’s a lockdown. I can’t open a connection.”

  “You just get it ready,” Mikito says, pushing him forward. “You there, slimy. If you’re staying, help him.”

  The slime-attendant burbles in a huff, but it does get moving, which is all we can ask. It rolls over to a position nearby while I eye the teleportation pad.

  It’s a simple hexagram with runic inscriptions carved into the pad. Beneath the metal inscribed plates, I know there’s also Tier I matter dispersal technology, a backup for the magic when it doesn’t work. There are multiple redundancies built into the entire system to ensure it functions when it needs to.

  And also, doesn’t, when they so deem it. Like now.

  Then again, I’m a Junior System Administrator. As the workers power up the entire thing, I watch the flow of Mana and tap into the data stream back and forth between the System and the pads. I stare as they trigger the pad, track the flow as it gets dispersed and how it all interacts with the System. I ignore the surroundings, knowing that Harry and Feh’ral will keep an eye on potential problems incoming and Mikito within.

  Temporary Forced Link connects me to the attendant’s Skill that controls the teleporters. Disengage Safeties triggers, giving their Skills and the technology on the platform a boost. Riding on the Skills, I tweak its effects a little so that when the teleportation request hits the global teleportation shutdown, it overrides the safeties there too.

  Simple.

  Easy.

  Evil.

  The teleportation pad hums to life—to the attendants’ surprise—and we all scramble onto it. A moment later, we blip out, leaving the Galactic Council’s building.

  It’s only as we appear that I wonder if I should have told the attendants to run. Then I debate if even that mild interaction is enough to put them on the kill list I know is forming. I worry and feel a little guilty, but I have no choice but to dismiss the thought.

  What is, is. What will be, will be.

  For now, I’ve got other problems. Among them, the fist flying toward my face as I appear in the one location we thought safe.

  Chapter 2

  Delicate fingers on a slightly wrinkled fist target my nose. It’s not that fast, not like the blur I would expect from a real threat. The angle and the way the fist is cocked shows that the attacker isn’t used to punching. She probably would hurt herself if she actually struck me. I take that all in in the second before the fist impacts my Soul Shield and bounces off.

  A moment later, she’s cursing up a storm, cradling her hand and wrist.

  “Katherine,” I say, moving away from my friends as I scan the area. The field we’re in is empty besides Katherine, her boyfriend, and his security team. None of our real enemies, though the look she gives me makes me reconsider my assessment of dangers. Trees rise up in the distance, demarking the start of a new farming location. The one we’re in is lying fallow, making it the perfect place for us to port in.

  “You bastard. You raging, obsessive maniac. You… you… you traitor!” Katherine snarls at me, face flushed red with anger and blotchy with tears. She kicks me, only to regret her actions a moment later as she hops around on her foot. “I’m revoking your proxy, for now and forevermore. I’m revoking your citizenship of Earth, and I lay a Curse of the Anathema on you. Let no one from Earth, no one who wishes to be our friend offer you aid!”

  I feel the Skill take effect, watch as it wraps around my Status. A part of me notes how it feeds directly into the System library, the portion of my Status Screen that the System runs, and in so doing, it gives me a new Title.

  Title: Curse of the Anathema—Earth

  You have been marked as the sworn enemy of an organization. Any who wish good relations with that organization will avoid you. Any who wish to harm them might seek you out. But it’s unlikely. Those who have become anathema to any group are considered dangerous and untrustworthy to the extreme.

  Effect: Maximum negative reputation with Earth. Impossible to gain positive reputation with Earth. Increase negative reputation with most other organizations. Reputation gains are penalized.

  I discard the notification, barely even glancing at it. I deserve it, even if it is painful.

  “A pox on you and all your allies. I should never have trusted you, never have listened. Rob was right. I was right, when you walked away the first time from Vancouver. Once a coward, always a coward!” Katherine says.

  “I’m sorry. Sorry I had to trick you, that it had to come to this.” I consider explaining what else we got from this, why I chose this option. In the end, I decide against it. Nothing I say would offer a proper explanation. And in truth, I did what I did for personal reasons as much as for Earth’s benefit. If there is any good that might come from this. I might think so, but it’s all guesses and suppositions, and the future is murky at best.

  My words do little to calm the rage in her eyes. In fact, Katherine pulls a beam pistol from her inventory and opens fire. Her weapon, powerful as it is, only sparks harmlessly against my Soul Shield. Eventually she’d be able to penetrate it, but Mikito doesn’t let it go that far.

  The Samurai plucks the weapon from Katherine’s hand, pushing her backward to give us space. The guards beside us react, drawing their own guns. Feh’ral tilts his head, that slight motion enough to freeze the guards as the Legendary Librarian just looks at them. A moment later, they’re waved down by Katherine’s boyfriend as he pulls her away. He peers at us carefully, noting that we don’t intend to escalate the situation further.

  I’m glad that Req’m’s smart enough to hold back.

  I’d hate to kill more people just doing their jobs.

  Harry has backed off, hands held up. He’s recording every single interaction, his Skills broadcasting the entire thing even as he uses other Skills to hide our location. We still can’t stay here long, but for a few minutes at least, we’ll be safe from prying eyes.

  “And you! How could you let him do this!” Katherine shouts at Mikito, her anger still raging unchecked. “Don’t you care about Earth? You were a Champion once, before you thre
w it away to follow this traitorous fool.”

  “He is my liege.”

  “That doesn’t answer anything!” Katherine snaps.

  Mikito doesn’t offer any further answer as she takes the scolding. Katherine barely even pays attention to Harry, who’s busy shooting this entire thing. Whether it’s because his Just a Bystander Skill is keeping him out of the line of fire or because he’s a reporter, I’m not entirely sure.

  I move away from the pair, using my recovered Mana to summon Ali. The little Spirit pops into existence, cracking his neck and stretching when he appears, taking the time to look around. He spots Katherine raging and decides not to interrupt. Mikito continues to stand in Katherine’s way, taking the abuse for my actions. At least Katherine is no longer violent, having calmed down enough to shout.

  Eventually, it’s Req’m who takes hold of the situation and calms her down. Katherine is still swearing, tears leaking from her eyes as she’s dragged away, out of the field and our sight. In short order, I spot their ship lift off, skimming close to the ground as they leave us in the field.

  “Well, that could have gone…” Ali trails off.

  I can’t help but agree. It’s hard to call such a resounding refutation of our shared heritage a success but…

  Well. It could have gone a lot worse. Like Galactic Council Champion worse. Or, you know, an actual Legendary Class waiting for us. Feh’ral is silent, knowing better than to interrupt this very Earth matter.

  “Time?” I change the subject, looking into the sky. Searching for our ride. Just one of the many deals I made and enforced via the Shackles. It’s payment for what I did to Earth, for the secrets I revealed.

  “They should be here any moment,” Ali says. There’s doubt in his voice as he stares at his interface.

  Harry, standing by our side, hears Ali’s words and bites his lip. Then, resolved, he asks, “Problem?”

  “Nah, we should be fine…” Ali says, only to trail off as he senses it.

  I do too, at the same time. A surge in the Mana flows, a shift in the System. Light collects and a small thunderclap resounds through the surroundings as air is forced aside.

  One second, peace. The next, Plan A gets the blue screen of death.

  ***

  “Fancy meeting you here,” I snark as I renew my Soul Shield. A mental command has the Hod appear, the power armor forming around me as I get ready for the fight. I can’t help but wonder if Katherine let him know where we are. If she betrayed us as I did her. Another part of me curses the cynicism that makes me think that.

  Kasva Dedprom, Champion of the Council, stands before me, flanked by Buidoi, his Psychic partner, and another figure. Not a Heroic, just a late Master Class. A three-person team, or what vestiges of a team they have. A sudden breeze rises, throwing back Kasva’s cloak. Gold edging on his armor glints, set off the deep emerald of the metal alloy. I’m surprised to see his armor back in one piece, then I realize he might not be using the same gear.

  I cock my head, eyeing the three as Mikito finishes pulling on her own gear. I’m surprised they’re taking their time to attack, and I rake my gaze over them. The Psychic’s armor is a little burnt, a little damaged. The yellow scales on his snakey body are damaged, even as he twists his earless head from side to side as he stares at me. As for the Master Class, his armor is almost spotless but for some dirt and a tiny rent along one leg, the dog-human hybrid’s fingers twitching. A moment late, I spot the Master Class’s Status as Ali finishes populating it.

  Nuan Keai, Savant of Life, The Tree’s Sap, Burden of the Angels, Nesma Chosen, Contested Love, … (Warden of Life Level 41) (M)

  HP: 2378/2430

  MP: 2365/5330

  Conditions: Healer’s Buff, Shared Pain, Lifesap, The Fount of Youth, Mana Tap

  “Son of a bitch, they’re buying time to heal themselves!” I send over the group chat.

  Mikito’s eyes narrow as she considers whether to attack now or later. Personally, I curse the fact that I’m missing my Extra Hands right now, but I doubt they’d hold off long enough for me to create my doppelganger and refill my Mana.

  “No need to rush, Redeemer,” Kasva says, his gaze fixed on the tense Mikito. “There’s no place for you to run to anyway.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Your ship was destroyed, the traitor killed when he refused to break his promise to you. Not that he wouldn’t have died if he did,” Kasva says. “Fascinating that you managed to make your Skill work like that over such a distance.”

  “Ali?”

  “Looking into it now.”

  “I have confirmation.” Harry sends back. “Cfton Marrow’s personal intergalactic yacht was destroyed by the planetary defense system when it attempted to undock. It’s not the only one. Any Diplomat, Courier, or Space Runner attempting to leave Irvina is being taken down.

  “There’s more. The global restrictions on Portaling and other forms of teleportation have been amended to remove any loopholes. There’s a complete block on movement throughout the planet, even via the System, no matter how many Credits are being offered.”

  “Locking down the planet, are we?” I move sideways, putting distance between my team and me. If they’re going to launch an attack, I want Harry out of the line of fire.

  Feh’ral does the same on his side, shifting direction so that he can take in the three. His eyes are locked on the healer, which is good. I’m going to be a little busy dealing with Kasva.

  Ali hesitates then drifts closer to Harry, his body growing in size till his feet hit the ground. His orange jumpsuit fades as he switches designs. I’m not sure his new outfit is much better, since he looks like a Power Rangers reject now, the helmet missing a jaw piece to allow his full beard to show. But the Spirit looks grim and determined.

  “It’s easier to start a purge when the locus of the disease is quarantined,” Kasva says.

  “Won’t work. Harry’s done his job and gotten the information out already,” I say.

  “Do you think we do not have precautions taken against those information peddlers? They are a disease, a necessary evil we allow to survive but have always kept an eye upon. Trimming them down again will be good for the System.”

  Harry lets out a hiss, fists clenching.

  The Champion smirks at Harry as he continues. “It was a simple matter to get ahead of his message and enforce a harder encryption on the Reporter’s missive. Now, it won’t release for months for many distant locations. So long as we manage the issue on Irvina, the purge will be well within acceptable levels. After all, that’s why we have the Security Corps.”

  “And by manage, you mean deleted my recordings and killed my friends,” Harry says.

  “There is a price to be paid when you choose to attack the organization that sells you your Skills,” Kasva says, easily rotating his neck around his body.

  Once again, I try to see Kasva’s Status and get the same block. But this time, I can feel the block, the way the Skills work to safeguard his Status. I could break through it. A little effort, a little use of System Edit. Just hack my way around his Status and the multiple alterations to his baseline Screen that I can sense. Figure out how he tics.

  “You talk big, but you don’t have your friends harassing us this time,” Mikito says, spinning her naginata in a casual show of intimidation.

  Feh’ral is silent, though I wonder how much of their efforts have blocked the Librarian’s own play. Then again, we always knew they’d go after the Questors.

  While I’m weighing the danger of an active hack in the middle of what will likely be a knockdown, drag-out fight, Kasva replies. “We don’t need more.”

  Social Web unspools with a thought. I watch the threads that connect Kasva to the world around us. I use it to check if he’s lying, knowing he could easily beat my other Skills with his own. Social Web is a little harder to fool.

  To make use of it, I keep walking around him, watching as the web shifts. I get a feel for the way the strings m
ove even as Kasva turns. My movements let me work on triangulating any changes if someone is closing in on us, though I’m a little worried that he’s letting me do it.

  “His troops are busy. You really kicked the hornet’s nest out there, John. The local guard and peacekeeper channels are flooded. The Council is attempting to suppress the information by killing anyone who has found out the details—including all the Ambassadors and Diplomats. They are fighting back, mostly by spreading the secret farther throughout the capital. Most of the Adventurers and other dungeon runners have been informed, and they’ve gotten involved in the fight in a preemptive attempt to keep their lives.” Harry sends the report in a flash of downloaded text, and if the written word could sound breathless, this would. “It’s a civil war, and not all the troops are staying loyal. They realize they might be silenced when it’s all over. The rest of Kasva’s compatriots are all caught up, and I’ve got reports that at least a couple of Master Classers have fallen.”

  “And the Council itself?” I send. As powerful as the people on Irvina might be—and more than a few Heroics have made the capital their place to live—the Council is a force unto itself. Especially if they act in concert. And that’s not counting the Shadow Council.

  “No news.”

  “I wonder, are you sure you should be here?” I say, pivoting my thoughts.

  Could I beat Kasva? Maybe. Feh’ral is here, and he could easily take out their healer. It might take a little longer, since Feh’ral isn’t a Combat Classer and healers at the Master Class level are notoriously hard to kill. I bet this one has more than enough enchanted gear to make it extra hard.

  That leaves me to take on Kasva directly. I have some ideas of how to do so. But fighting him is a gamble at best. And more importantly, it’d take too much time.

  “Can you afford to leave your employers unprotected at this time?”

  My words freeze Kasva as he keeps pivoting to keep me in sight. It’s only for a fraction of a second, but for that moment, he’s truly surprised. It probably never occurred to him that his employers could be threatened. After all, it is not as if most things can harm a Legendary.