Apocalypse Tamer

Chapter 119: Man vs Black Friday

Behind his counter, Walter Tye stopped counting his coins. “A System parasite?”

“Is that something that sounds plausible to you?” Basil asked while Vasi and Shellgirl reviewed the wares. The two girls blissfully jumped from one product to another, discussing the merits of buying a forbidden spell grimoire over a legendary sword. It was amazing how many items here required near-limitless funds to purchase. “If a System is akin to a computer, then it should suffer from viruses or trojan horses.”

“I am still learning about these computer devices of yours, so I cannot say if that is an apt comparison.” The interdimensional shopkeeper put a finger on his chin as he thoughtfully considered the problem. “But Vasi’s theory does sound plausible.”

“However, you can't confirm it?”

Walter shook his head. “I have yet to meet a creature with the same behavior as Maxwell’s.”

Hagen, who had been dutifully standing behind his employer, faked the sound of a cough. An astonishing performance, since he had no head. “That’s not quite true, chief. We do know of a calamity that leeched off a System in the past.”

“Ah, yes, I see your point,” Walter conceded with a frown. If Basil wasn’t mistaken, he had caught a brief look of annoyance in his eyes. “There is one creature in my world that profited from our System’s life cycle for eons. It did not jump from one universe to another, but it leeched souls and power from it.”

“For what purpose?” Basil asked with a frown.

“Survival, of course.” Hagen chuckled. “Survival at any cost.”

“I doubt Maxwell is related to this particular creature,” Walter said, clearly uncomfortable with the subject. It immediately aroused Basil’s suspicion, considering the shopkeeper had never shown himself bothered by anything. There must have been quite an interesting story behind it.

“Even if he isn’t, this proves parasitizing a System is possible,” Basil pointed out. “It could be a case of convergent evolution. Similar environmental pressures leading to a similar adaptation in two different species.”

“It could be,” Walter conceded. “If this theory is correct, then this raises more questions. Namely, is Maxwell a unique abomination… or a mere specimen among many?”

Basil would prefer the former. The mere possibility that rival Maxwells haunted the multiverse filled him with as much dread as seeing the eye of Brahma for the first time.

“I’m leaning towards the former hypothesis, since his modus operandi isn’t especially subtle,” Walter said. “If there were others like him, there should be more traces of their destructive feeding habits. However, we can’t entirely rule out the second option.”

“He told me that he didn’t need to make the Trimurti System as brutal as it is,” Basil pointed out. Moreover, Maxwell clearly took pleasure in hurting people. His sadism went beyond mere hunger. “That implies his behavior isn’t his nature, but a choice.”

“It may be that his species is for the most part either harmless or extremely rare,” Hagen suggested. “Perhaps both.”

Walter nodded in agreement. “Few parasites actually kill their hosts. Pragmatically speaking, it means they can no longer feed on it later. This is why some viruses start off lethal but eventually evolve into becoming mildly irritating. If there are indeed a species of parasites that feed on Systems, I would wager most of them are minor nuisances. They might cause bugs here and there, but otherwise do their best to fly under the radar.”

“Then you think Maxwell is an aberration,” Basil guessed.

“Once a population grows large enough, it is inevitable that a small segment of it displays antisocial tendencies,” Walter replied. “It is possible that Maxwell is a dangerous psychopath by his own species’ standards.”

Somehow that makes him even creepier, Basil thought. “Any suggestions on how to take him out?”

“I don’t think defeating him in battle will be the main issue,” Walter said. “Parasites aren’t particularly known for their fighting prowess.”

“Except he might be an outlier,” Basil countered. “And if he is indeed the Horseman of Conquest, then he rose through the ranks through personal power.”

“Do not misunderstand me, Basil. I did not say defeating him would be easy. However, his behavior—avoiding confrontations, using proxies, sowing discord, flying under the radar whenever possible—paints the portrait of someone who considers battle a last resort. Considering everything we’ve learned so far, he’s more likely to escape to another world than stand his ground.”

“And burn the house down on his way out,” Hagen mused. “That’s the real threat.”

Basil clenched his jaw. Maxwell had left a trail of destroyed worlds in his wake and never let the Overgod competition reach its climax. This could only mean one thing.

“He’s going to murder Kalki at one point or another,” Basil guessed. “Either once he feels cornered or when the fourth Incursion hits Earth. He didn’t seek to capture him to endanger the competition, but to end it when it’s most convenient.”

“I have no love for your godly friend,” Walter replied with a sharp nod. “But if you wish to preserve your planet, rescuing him should be your top priority.”

Of course. Basil would have rescued Kalki even if the sake of Earth didn’t hang in the balance. He was a friend after all.

“What about Brina?” Basil asked. “What are you going to do about her?”

To his surprise, Walter appeared puzzled. “Who?”

“Brina,” Basil repeated. “The Horseman of War. Somehow she learned of our association and attacked me over it.”josei

“Brina, Brina…” Walter scratched his forehead. “I’m sorry, Basil. I do not remember anyone with that name.”

“The chief has killed so many people, you would need a registry to note all the names,” Hagen joked darkly.

“She was a valkyrie of Odin,” Basil said, trying to jog the merchant’s memory. “And she called you Nidhogg.”

“Some of the valkyries survived?” Walter looked vaguely amused, though his eyes remained cold as ice. “I have grown careless in my old age. Yes, in this case, it is possible that I have wronged her. I am sorry if she caused you trouble.”

“Are you going to finish the job?” Basil asked. “That would remove a big thorn from my foot.”

The answer was as swift as it was disappointing.

“No, I will not.” Walter Tye raised two fingers. “First of all, I cannot enter Earth myself yet. Second, while this Brina person might have a grudge against me, she hasn’t made a move to target me or my business.”

“You’re wrong,” Basil replied with a scoff. “She attacked me because I was one of your customers.”

“From what I’ve heard, you targeted her first as a Horseman of the Apocalypse Force,” Walter replied. “The two of you would have feuded even if neither of you knew me. Would you stop hunting her even if we ended our association?”

“No, I wouldn’t,” Basil growled in frustration. “So much for consumer protection.”

Walter’s expression softened a little. “You seem disappointed.”

Basil looked away. “Let’s just say that after all the help you provided, all the information we brought you, and our discussions, I thought our relationship had evolved beyond the purely transactional.”

“It did,” Walter replied calmly. “I do consider you and Vasi something akin to friends, Basil. I helped you more than my duties as a merchant required.”

Basil sighed. “But at the end of the day, we aren’t that close.”

“Not yet at least,” Walter admitted. “Perhaps one day. Now, if she were to spend her time harassing my clients in general, that would be something else. She would be threatening my business as a whole and so I would take action. But isolated incidents are, forgive my wording, your responsibility. I am a merchant, not a bodyguard.”

Basil squinted at the shopkeeper. “So unless she breaks into your shop to attack you, you will leave her be?”

“More or less.” Walter smiled thinly. “Basil, what are you thinking of?”

“You should know, you are the one who can read minds.” Basil shrugged. “Anyway, I’ll need my halberd if I am to take her out. For both of our sakes.”

Walter’s smile turned genuine. He snapped his fingers, and a dreadful weapon materialized over the counter.

Though it had changed a great deal, Basil immediately recognized his halberd the same way a mature man would identify his first crush. Age had only refined its natural beauty. The weapon had been reforged with black, stainless steel of the greatest purity. Complex runes interwoven in the long hard shaft glowed on the surface, oozing power and nobility; each marked a new stop in a journey that began when a Swiss blacksmith first forged it, and now ended in reunion with its true owner.

Where there was once only a single ax-blade, Walter forged two blades for twice the pleasure. Each was as sharp as a lover’s lips. Like bodyguards, they surrounded a ruby skull motif with black pearls for eyes. A spear tip in the shape of a crown throned atop it. Most mortals would have faltered before its ghastly appearance.

But Basil knew better. This weapon hadn’t been crafted for him, no. It was he who had been born to wield it. He seized the shaft with a gentleman’s care and a lover’s passion, immediately sensing the connection between them reforming. The soul of the god Pluto called out to Basil’s own from within the black steel.

They were two halves made whole.

“I hope you are satisfied with the result,” Walter said.

“Very,” Basil whispered in awe. He gently swung it, the blades cutting through the air with a sharp sound. If the effects produced the synergies he expected… then dragons weren’t the only creatures that should fear him. “Could it potentially, say… kill a body-hopping creature for good?”

“If you land the killing blow, certainly.” Walter chuckled. “Though from what I have heard, you already figured out another counter to that particular kind of opponent.”

“When confronted with a difficult problem, it never hurts to have multiple back-up plans,” Vasi said as she and Shellgirl returned to the counter with empty purses. The witch wielded a black wood scepter surging with power. “Happy with your new gift, handsome?”

“I admit I am…” Holding his halberd with one hand, Basil put his other behind Vasi and ferociously pulled her closer to him. “Excited.”

“That makes two of us,” his girlfriend replied while licking her lips. Both of them ignored the others. “If we weren’t in public… I would do something very dirty to you right now.”

Basil glanced at her purchase, trying to understand why it aroused her so much. Her staff looked utterly ordinary; a mere piece of black wood with intertwined roots for a top. If he didn’t have enough Intelligence to see its stats, he would have probably overlooked it. Perhaps that was the lesson.

Absolute power did not need to prove itself.

“It’s awesome how powerful you can get when you’re rich,” Shellgirl commented as she put her bag of purchases on the counter. It included a pile of various metal ore for crafting, a shield meant for Plato, alchemy recipes, spellcasting grimoires, an enchanted black glove… and a strange miniature. “Can you tell me what the statuette does? I can’t read its stats.”

“It has no ‘effect’ as you understand it,” Walter replied. “At least outside of Board & Conquest.”

The mention of his favorite game instantly drew Basil out of his halberd-induced haze of pleasure. He glanced at the figurine, which represented a pale, winged serpent with human skulls for scales. It did resemble a B&C miniature, but not one that he recognized.

This bothered Basil Bohen a lot.

“I have never seen this miniature, and I know them all.” Basil squinted at it, while Vasi rolled her eyes. She was a casual, but her boyfriend was an enjoyer. “Is it a unique commander?”

“You know the game too?” Hagen chuckled in amusement. “Then again, it is a multiversal constant.”

“B&C exists in one form or another in every world with sentient life on it,” Walter confirmed. “I suspect a dimensional traveler deliberately introduces the game to civilizations. That, or the B&C game is intrinsically linked to the very concept of intelligence.”

“Oh, perhaps I should get into the multiversal figurine business too,” Shellgirl said with a grin. “How much for it?”

“This miniature is not for sale. I only showcase it among my best wares as advertisement.” Walter seized the figurine and held onto it as if it were his heart’s treasure. “As far as I know, there are only four of these figurines in the entire multiverse. I collected three of them and destroyed the fourth, so no one would use it against me in a match.”

The moment the shopkeeper said these words, Basil was overcome with primal desire. He didn’t want to possess this miniature; he needed it. Walter had casually needled his pride as a Board & Conquest gamer, and that wouldn’t stand.

“This figurine is not for sale,” Basil repeated. “But would you be willing to bet it in a game?”

The shop’s temperature dropped to an absolute zero.

The change was as brutal as it was immediate. All felt it. Hagen straightened up behind the counter, his armored fingers trembling with fear. Vasi clutched onto her staff. Shellgirl’s slimy skin turned colder than ice cream. Only Basil held his ground, though he sensed an invisible pressure slowly weighing on his shoulders.

“Did you perhaps come to this shop… secretly hoping to challenge me at B&C?” Walter put two fingers on his temple as he locked eyes with Basil. “Was it fate that brought you here, or foolishness?”

Although the shopkeeper remained outwardly calm, his tense body language told another story. A dark aura of potent malice exuded from his skin. Neither Apollyon’s cruelty nor Blackcinders’ cold-blooded anger could compare with it.

“It is my policy not to hold grudges or make enemies.” Walter did not raise his tone, but each of his words cut like a knife. “Though I often falter and give in to my baser instincts, these are words by which I try to live by. I approach all challenges with a clear, rational mind. I treat my customers with the utmost professional respect and detachment, so long as I am shown courtesy in turn. This is the essence of the shopkeeper's life.”

A B&C board materialized on the shop counter. Three hundred miniatures stood on it like an army emerging from a war camp. Fire Giants, Undead Berserker Lords, Midgard Serpentspawn, and other legendary commanders were included among their number… even the infamous Inferno King Surtr miniature, which had been banned since the very first Board & Conquest tournament.

This might be the most powerful army ever fielded in the game. Some of these models individually sold for over thirty thousand euros before the world’s end. Their total upkeep cost would probably reach the millions if money was still a thing on Earth. But Basil knew these miniatures hadn’t been purchased with money, but paid for with blood.

“But to challenge me at B&C, Basil… to challenge me at B&C over a priceless miniature…” Walter Tye’s eyes turned red as blood. “Means courting desolation. Do you understand this truth?”

There was a moment in the life of a man when destiny called. One could either turn away in disgrace… or face their fate with resolve.

“Shellgirl.” Basil sat in front of Walter. “Fetch me my dwarf miniatures.”

Shellgirl gulped. The tension in the air was palpable. “All of them, partner?”

“All of them, even those from the restricted list.” Considering the army of hell on the board, Basil would need every advantage to win. “Before we begin, Walter. I want to set three rules. First of all, no cheating. No reading my mind, no Perks, nothing that would sully the purity of the battle. We’ll take precautions against it.”

“I have no issues with this,” Walter replied. His calm, emotionless tone did nothing to hide the undercurrent of danger belying his words. “I do not need to cheat to destroy you.”

“Second, we will choose the map at random, so as not to advantage either player.” Placement and terrain mattered as much as army composition in B&C. “And third, if you possess enough fortitude and bravery… I want you to cast a spell.”

Walter raised an eyebrow. “A spell?”

“You will animate the figures as if they were living creatures. Moreover, you will create a psychic link between them and their players.” Basil flipped the Inferno King figurine with a snap of his fingers. “When a player loses one of their creatures, they will directly feel the pain through their body and soul.”

“What?” Vasi choked in astonishment, while Hagen exploded in laughter. “Basil, you can’t be serious!”

“I am entirely serious,” Basil replied, studying Walter’s emotionless face. The proposal already hit his mental defenses the way a ram battered a fortress’ gates.

Vasi was a new player, so she did not understand that the battle had already started. Both Walter and Basil were trying to psych out the other; for he who gained the psychological advantage would gain a crucial lead in the battle to come.

B&C was not about who has the best smarts or the deepest pockets. It was also about the iron will to win, and the resolve to prevail at any cost.

“Very well, Basil.” Walter crossed his legs and slouched in his chair in a daring power move. “I accept your obituary.”

Forget the Maleking and Maxwell.

This man was the ultimate opponent at the end of the road.