System Finale: An Apocalyptic Space Opera LitRPG (The System Apocalypse Book 12) Read online

  Instead, I’d changed the System Code. But now, the problem with Ezz isn’t his System Code; it’s the actual programming they put in him. Even his Status says that.

  Ezzocohatl “Ezz” Lee, Autonomous Station Maintenance Golem—Curium Omega Line v1.03 (HACKED)

  Ezz is the “son” of John Lee, the Rogue System Administrator who helped in the creation of this Masterwork Golem. This Masterwork Golem is a custom-built, autonomous machine whose base format is developed from the versatile, station maintenance line of golems created by the Sentient Golem Juover 217th Generation. This Masterwork Golem was modified during creation by Rogue System Administrator John Lee in an attempt to provide it sapience, with additional foundational crafting skills provided by the Sapient Golem.

  Currently, “Ezz”’s core programming has been modified. A Circuit Breaker has been installed, halting all operations of this autonomous golem, including interrupting the current AI.

  Weapons: Mana Beam Projectors (Curium Omege Line) x 1

  Durability: 3173/3914

  Core: Class I Juover Modified FZ Mana Engine

  Battery Capacity: N/A (See Mana Engine notes)

  CPU: GS-412 Tier II (Juover AI Tier I)

  Armor Rating: Tier II (Enhanced)

  Special Abilities: Persistent Mana Engine & Forbidden Zone Mana Scour, Enhanced Durability, Force Shield Projection, CPU Overclock

  Active Skills: Soul Drinker (Level 1), Status Warp (Level 2)

  One single word gives me hope. Modified. Not altered, not wiped, but modified. Yet Mikito clearly said it’d been wiped. Then again, I trust non-programmers to use the right terminology as much as I trust them not to have tried turning something on and off again before asking them to do it myself.

  What? Working IT support scars you.

  Delving into the System code for Ezz’s Status doesn’t offer much. One of the aspects of it being marked as an item is that there just isn’t much information offered. It’s not considered important by the System, so change logs are very, very sparse.

  In the end, all I can tell is the timing of the change—soon after my capture—and minor alterations in durability. The only good news is that Ezz’s durability has been slowly increased while the line indicates its CPU has not deleted its original AI. And I only got that second line after I poked at it a bit with System Edit.

  Somewhere, trapped inside, I have to believe that Ezz is still working.

  Problem is, I’m not sure how to get it out.

  ***

  The next morning, Bolo and Yllis come out swinging. The argument takes a while to resolve, and I end up with an understanding of why they’re helping us.

  “So you need to somehow provide enough of a benefit to the dragon community that they’ll accept you two and, more importantly, your kids?” I get a pair of nods, after which Yllis shoots Bolo a rather heated look. “And because of your… ummm… past, you figure helping to take down the Shadow Council is the way to go.”

  “And because I owe you,” Bolo adds.

  “You got me out of an unescapable prison. Pretty sure that covers that debt,” I say.

  Bolo sniffs, while Yllis preens a little. I’m surprised by that but decide not to pursue the difference in opinion the pair have. If for no other reason than it’ll probably do my head in if I ask.

  “And you think me completing the System Quest will help with your rep with the dragons?”

  “Finishing a mythic quest that has never been completed should help,” Bolo says. “That kind of prestige is hard to rival.”

  I can’t help but agree with him on that point. Still… “You do realize this is probably a suicide run? Even if we manage to get there, I have no idea how we’ll get out. Or what we’ll do once we finish the Quest. I doubt completing the Quest will give us any special powers, beyond perhaps a nice little Title.”

  Yllis smirks at me. “You look down upon us dragons too much, human. Completing the Quest or truly hurting the Council will see us lauded by all. The remnants of the Council would never dare act against us once we recover our status.” Then she bites her lip a little, showing for the first time a trace of uncertainty. “Our grandfather would never allow it.”

  “He won’t,” Bolo says heatedly.

  I shake my head, choosing not to argue with them. After all, the entire discussion about their grandfather and their illicit affair is kind of bonkers. The fact that Yllis is one of the rare humanoid-born dragons and was brought up with Bolo as a sister of sorts makes their entire relationship scandalous. It’s why Bolo left in the first place, especially when he reached the full Dragon Knight position and took her as his mount.

  It was only after meeting me and getting dragged into all our insanity—along with the levels he gained—that he chose to come back. I’m not entirely sure what triggered that decision—maybe just having enough Levels under his belt at last—but here we are.

  On his planet. With his sister-cum-lover-cum-steed.

  “Whatever. Just glad you guys have some form of protection for the after,” I say, waving it away.

  Ali smirks, floating over and prodding Harry in the side. The Reporter growls at the Spirit, even as Ali speaks. “Relax, boy-o. Other than you and Mikito and probably the Storm Warden, who all intend to die in a blaze of glory anyway, we’re safe. Harry, once he releases the information, will likely Level to a point it’ll be painful to harm him, what with his Studied Neutrality Skill. And I’m, well, just a poor linked servant.”

  “Our deaths will be glorious and violent,” Xaxas says, grinning wide and almost gleefully rubbing his hands together.

  “I don’t intend to die,” Mikito says. “The goal is to keep John alive and not die.”

  “Are you samurai not all about the honorable death?” Bolo says, frowning.

  “The code of Bushido is a complex topic, one prone to interpretation and change over the course of history. It is not something you can glean from being force-fed bad anime,” Mikito says, looking pointedly at Ali at the end.

  “Hey! Ruroini Kenshin isn’t bad anime,” Ali protests.

  Mikito snorts. “As I said, my goal is to keep John alive and to stay alive doing so. If death comes and I am able to achieve my first objective, then that is what it will be. However, I do not seek death nor desire it. It is but a potential outcome at all times and a certain one in the end.”

  Bolo nods and grins. “You know, us Dragon Kings, we see death as just another enemy to be beaten. Eventually, we might fall, but many last for centuries if not millennia.”

  “You know, I much prefer Lone Wolf and Cub,” I say.

  “Of course you do.”

  “Wait. Who’s the cub?” Ali pauses, floating over to me. “Are you calling me a mewling baby?”

  “If the shoe fits…” I drawl.

  Beside Bolo, Yllis stares at all of us, then she turns to her brother and prods him in the side. “Are you sure they were worth saving?”

  “Oh, they definitely are not worth saving,” Bolo faux-whispers to her. “But they are the most likely to finish the job.”

  Yllis nods, accepting Bolo’s words, and I roll my eyes at the pair who grin at me.

  Whatever. At least we’re all on board for now.

  “So now what?” I say.

  “We wait,” Yllis announces.

  “We move,” Mikito says at the same time.

  The pair glare at one another and I wince, knowing that this will be another long argument.

  Chapter 9

  In the end, Mikito wins the argument. Rather than wait and hope the search for us dies down a little, we choose to head out as soon as possible. The main point that wins Mikito the argument is the fact that the longer we wait, the more chance there is of new reinforcements arriving. Where we are, Portaling or any other teleportation methods are going to leave a trail a mile wide. We’ve got lucky once, but they’ll find the trail eventually. Travel inward is done via hyperspace tunnels and the like, and the longer we wait, the more people from the ou
tskirts may be drawn in.

  Now, obviously, a large number of individuals are in play already. However, our biggest concern is the Legendarys, and with myself having been captured, there’s a slim chance they might not be able to reach us before we get to our destination. After all, with the way things have heated up on the Galactic scene, there’s no way the Shadow Council has been keeping their biggest players hidden away in the middle of the Forbidden Zone.

  Which is what Xy’largh is, for all intents and purposes.

  All of which is why we’re headed toward the Valley of Certain Death.

  However… “I don’t understand why we have to use this!”

  I wave a hand around me, taking in the metal cylinder we’re strapped to. The entire cylinder is dark gunmetal grey with straps and pulldown seats alongside the walls. Think of the army transport pictures you’ve seen, with a lot more grey and a lot less interesting sights and that’s pretty much what we have.

  “Flying would draw too much attention,” Yllis says. “Any form of teleportation is likely to be picked up. While the Council might not run Xy’largh, they have enough sway to gain access to our sensory readings. It would be a small matter for them to locate us, especially as we are not able to scramble the information now.”

  I nod. They’d gotten the Weaver to help last time, having her provide her Skill to scramble the information when they broke us out. For a full day afterward, all the teleportation information had been heavily encrypted and made incredibly expensive to purchase and unscramble. Even with the funds the Shadow Council has on hand, the sheer volume of false impressions she created, along with our repeated teleportations, ensured we were able to escape the initial tracking.

  Now, however, we have to be careful about standing out. Flying, teleportation, piercing the dimensional vale, all of that is a danger.

  “I get that. But I mean, there’s got to be a better choice than this!” I thump the side of the carriage, the grinding and squeaking of the insides resounding through the tin can. If the constant noise—like metal chalkboard nails coming down—isn’t awful enough, there’s the motion. Rather than moving in a straight line, we flow in a twisting motion, constantly swinging from side to side as we head down.

  “Hollow Planet Centipedes are a time-honored tradition of entering the planet,” Bolo says. “There are so many of them crisscrossing the crust that no one can track them all, never mind their natural camouflage abilities and extended senses. They’re also one of the fastest ways down, especially when combined with a trusted Tamer.”

  I snort, feeling my stomach lurch against as we twist once more. The entire damn contraption we’re in is just one link in the body of the Hollow Planet Centipede, the original monster so large that chopping it apart and adding this metal tube before stitching it all back together again is considered perfectly normal. Tubes of grey goop cover the outside of the tube, the hard chitin and veins having been recreated via spells and Skills.

  “And cutting through the planet is the fastest way there, eh?” I say.

  “It is. We’ll have to cross a portion of the hollow planet on foot, but it’s significantly faster than trying to do the same journey above ground,” Bolo repeats patiently.

  “Relax, boy-o. He’s right. I already ran the math multiple times. If we want to reach our destination, cutting through the planet—even if we have to walk on their twisted inner surface—will be a lot more efficient. If nothing else, we won’t need to deal with their seas,” Ali sends.

  I grimace, recalling the data download I have on the seas. Like any planet with a significant body of water, the underwater and sea-living creatures have become a nightmare of their own. Leviathans, Kraken, Electrified and Poisonous Jellyfish, and Giant Squids are just a few of the things Earth has to contend with. Blue whales, mutated and given a taste for meat and a huge increase in reproduction, roam the waters like damn Orcas, bullying ocean-going vessels and getting consumed by Giant Squids. And that’s Earth.

  Xy’largh is the home of the dragons. Anything that can’t content with them on a one-on-one basis are prey, and dragons have big, big appetites.

  “I’m worried if I know that, and you know that, then the Admins know that too,” I send back.

  “Not as if we have any other option. Anyway, because it’s a small globe within, there are multiple ways to get there,” Ali says.

  “How does that work anyway? Why can’t we just, you know, fly through the center?”

  “You mean the hollow center in the center of the hollow planet?” I hear the smirk in the Spirit’s voice.

  Even knowing that I’m walking into his trap, I answer in the affirmative. And get, instead of words, an image.

  A green grassland and savannah, a world turned inside out. A sphere where everything grows inward, where clouds and shards of earth float in a ring that blanket the world and give it relief from the blazing ball of plasma and contained energy in the center. It’s not a sun; there’s too much Mana imbued into the thing, too artificial to make it a real star. Still, the energy it gives off, both the warmth and the power it provides, is enough to offer the plants within the biome a source of energy to grow.

  “What in the thousand hells is that?” I exclaim, staring at the mental image Ali downloaded to me.

  Yeah, yeah, you’d think we’d have something like that in the Library, but there’s a surprising gap about hollow planets in there. There are a few articles, discussions about the Mana flows, academic variation studies about the way the System seems to favor normal planets in general since there’s a reduced cost in their upkeep. But the studies peter out pretty fast, since no one ever gets any point upgrades looking or delving into the mysteries of hollow planet creation. It’s a weirdness, but it’s a weirdness created by Mana or sapients playing bonkers with the natural laws of the universe, not the System.

  That’s kind of the thing with Questors. Once something is shown not to progress the System Quest, they abandon it.

  “Pretty typical hollow planet. Power source in the middle, hub of water and clouds caught between the local sun-equivalent and the earth via a localized gravity sheer and, a Xy’largh special, the floating island communities in between. Those are weird. We won’t even discuss what those things are.”

  “What if I want to?” I grump.

  “All righty then, boy-o. Two words. Trapped Elementals.”

  I pause, mind spinning through the possibilities. Elementals—probably Earth, though maybe Air or some weird mixture like Sky Metal or something—trapped in the rocks and given form. Forced to float forever, burning on one end, protecting the ground on others.

  I can see, rotating the damn image that Ali gave me in my mind, that there are brief periods of darkness when the larger clumps of these Elementals get together. Time for plants to cool down, to switch methods of processing energy. To rest, before they’re exposed once more. With the sheer amount of cloud cover, the world beneath the faux-sun is more Vancouver spring than sunny California.

  “So no flying through the center because of the weird gravity planes, the living Elemental islands, and the giant ball of energy that probably melt us all.” I sigh. “Explain again how we’re not just walking into the middle of a trap?”

  “Because as fast as we’re moving, they probably won’t have scrambled everyone to meet us. Don’t forget, just because we think it’s the most obvious route doesn’t mean they will. It’s not as though you told them where you’re going, right?” I shake my head. At least, not the location. Ali nods. “Exactly. So while it is a likely route, it isn’t a guarantee. Also, inside the hollow planet, there are multiple routes we can take, so even then, they’ll have to split up to cover all the ground.”

  I want to point out that there are ways of telling where we’ll go—Fortune Tellers, Oracles, and other Future Probability tellers are all potential problem-makers, even if they are hampered by the sheer volume of unaspected Mana in the System—but the damn centipede lurches again. I clutch the edge of my
seat for a second, wondering what is going on, before the angle of descent changes once more.

  Gravity spins us around, slamming us downward at an angle, making my stomach play catch-up for a second. By the time I figure out where up is when the new gravity planes reinforce themselves, I find we’re no longer moving, the rest of the centipede’s body slowly emerging from the hole it created.

  Seconds later, Bolo jumps to his feet, waving to us all with a shit-eating grin on his face. I roll my eyes, knowing he knew what was coming and refused to let the rest of us know. He gloats a little, until he gets smacked by Yllis. The doors to the hollow planet slide open moments later.

  Surprisingly, it’s not Bolo who makes it out first but the Storm Warden, the big Yerrick looking greener than me. Very surprising, since we should all be immune—physically at least—to the shaking. Then again, the man has been imprisoned in a secondary dimension for who knows how many years. The kind of mental scarring he has is likely something I’ll never truly understand.

  Drawing a deep breath, catching hints of cinnamon, aspen, and fir, along with other woody scents I can’t place, I unstrap myself and brace myself for a whole new experience. At least this time it doesn’t involve counting the number of teeth regenerated by the System.

  Gods, my humor has gotten dark.

  ***

  Woody, with a mixture of sulphur, ammonia, and chlorine, is the way I’d describe the smell of the hollow planet. Rotten wood, fresh wood, newly broken sap—all of it is there. The sulphur isn’t a surprise, considering where we are. The ammonia is from the centipede, a pervasive stink that drove me nuts until I forcibly ignored it.