True john crusade, p.1
True John Crusade, page 1
Contents
Chapter One: Back in the Saddle Again
Chapter Two: The First Day of the Rest of My Life
Chapter Three: This, We Will Defend
Chapter Four: They’ve Got a Leader
Chapter Five: Time to Shine
Chapter Six: The Working Man
Chapter Seven: Saved A Plate
Chapter Eight: Move Out
Chapter Nine: Rowe's Building Supplies
Chapter Ten: What’s Out There
Chapter Eleven: This One’s on Me
Chapter Twelve: A Boy and His Dog
Chapter Thirteen: Hamburger King
Chapter Fourteen: King Me
Chapter Fifteen: Live, Laugh, Love
Chapter Sixteen: And Then There Was One
Chapter Seventeen: The Gang's All Here
Chapter Eighteen: The Unspoken War
Chapter Nineteen: The Infestation
Chapter Twenty: Chain Reaction
Chapter Twenty-One: Empty Hands
Chapter Twenty-Two: Schism
Chapter Twenty-Three: Shifting Priorities
Authors Note
True John Crusade
Apocalypse Hero II
by Wolfe Locke
@2021 Wolfe Locke
All rights reserved.
No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.
Author Notes
I wasn’t sure this book was ever going to be written. As an author I have to judge cost verse reward, and it took book 1 almost 11 months before I was in the “black”. As an indie author, all of this is self-financed. That said, I hit just a small break so I can financially afford to give other stories that weren’t as successful a little attention. This is one of them.
Chapter One: Back in the Saddle Again
* * *
To anyone that was paying attention, it’s been a little while since the last time I sent out any updates on my adventures. This might be the first time you’ve heard of me. If so, I might need to jog your memory.
My name is Dan. Dan Hanson, and I’m what people have taken to calling a Reincarnator. It’s a term that was tossed out at me. It basically means that I’m unkillable, though it’s not as cool as it sounds.
Everybody has powers these days, but mine isn’t as flashy or cool as some others. Though, I will freely admit it is very useful, and without it, I wouldn’t be around anymore. Talking of powers allows a perfect segue into what comes next...
Not that long ago, I woke up after the most reckless bender of my life with the worst hangover I’ve ever experienced to find the world had changed. Most of my neighbors had been killed and became zombies. They, along with other monsters, roamed the neighborhood where I had grown up and was staying. How did I know they were my neighbors? Well, I’ve spent a lot of time killing them. Some would say it’s impossible, but once you really get into the swing of things and find your groove, destroying the undead becomes a simple task that you just rinse and repeat.
Especially when you’ve got a steel core bat like I’ve got. It’s basically unbreakable. A near-perfect match to my new unkillable nature.
Which leads us right back to where we started. You may have seen, heard of, or noticed me from the Black Tournament. For what it’s worth, I made it to the top 100 after being selected by the giant monster, Ur-Goth, a giant grinning skull with humongous hands, to fight in the tournament. What I didn’t know at the time is that the truly powerful entities of the new world mostly used the tournament for clan and guild recruitment. The entertainment value of watching people maul and kill each other was a secondary benefit.
During the tournament, I got the attention of the Crusader faction recruiter. He was an old man named Griswold who said he’s also a Reincarnator, but I don’t know if I can trust him. If buying things off the social media marketplace taught me anything, it’s that people lie about everything, especially if it means they get what they want. I figured it was the same way here.
As part of the recruitment, I was branded. Like, actually branded as part of my recruitment with a magic number that starts at three and goes down by one every time I die. Now, if the number reaches zero, I fail and lose my status as a recruit for the Crusaders. Not sure what that would mean or how it would affect me since...
I’m not actually sure what they do.
I’m still trying to figure that one out since they’ve been a little tight-lipped about it. But beggars can’t be choosers, and I needed their help. Keeping my part of the world free of the undead required a constant troop presence, and that meant somebody had to be present to clear all of the monsters.
I’ll be honest with you, if it was just me, I’d never have been able to keep up with the influx of monsters and would have lost the place already. At times, the tempo can be insane. I am, after all, only one man.
Which is why we’re in the here and now. This is the part of the story where it all starts. See, it’s all because of the next day after I was finally allowed to go home and sleep. I’m calling this part of my adventure the True John Crusade, and you’ll get what I mean later.
Que segue...
It all started early in the morning, much too early for my brain to be functioning and long before I’d gotten to my second cup of coffee.
I was dying, figuratively of course, not literally. I have an acute understanding of death, and it’s a companion that I could go without. See, I actually know what dying was like, and this was much, much worse.
I was already half-way through my morning warm-up, and all I had to show for it was a severe case of the fat sweats and an elbow that kept making this weird clicking sound every time I went down to do a push-up. It was a bad spot to be in.
“Dan?” My instructor called out, a real hard charger named Glenn. Sure, he’d been on the Olympic fencing team, but did that really matter? Who even watched fencing? “Are you ok? Is it your heart? You’re breathing hard over there, and we just started doing the warm-up stretches before squad maneuvers. I can get a healer over here if you need one, it’s not a problem. Just let me know, okay?”
And there it is, old Glenn trying to kill me with kindness again, I thought dismissively. Glenn wasn’t actually a bad guy. Working out wasn’t quite my forte, and I really needed a cup of coffee. Add in enough calisthenics to undo twenty-odd years of neglecting my body, and maybe I’d be ready for all of this.
Yes, I understand that technically with the boost from the system, I shouldn’t need to work out, but hey, life finds a way, right? Besides, if they get too uptight and uppity, I’ll just delete all the bathrooms again. This was, after all, the Republic of Dan.
“Alright Dan,” replied Glenn, shaking his head. “Just take it easy, okay? Don’t forget to drink water. Staying hydrated is very important for improvement and recovery. As they say, hydrate or die-drate.”
I heard a few snickers from among the group, but a quick glance from Glenn silenced them. Whether they liked it or not, they still needed me.
“Hey, Dan,” one of the kids beside me called out with a smartass smirk. A young guy who used to stock shelves after hours for a local big box mart, but now, he was just another recruit. “Weren’t you in the army?”
The answer was yes, but it was a little more complicated than that. For all my big talk, I had gone out of my way to not mention that while yes, I had been in the Army, and anyone who isn’t infantry knows that everyone’s an infantryman first. My actual job had been as a forty-two alpha. For those of you who might not be familiar, that’s Human Resources. A clerk position, but I assure you, I was also infantry because every soldier is a rifleman first.
“You’re goddamn right I was in the army,” I responded with a growl that came out as more of a dry rasp. “Just watch and follow me, kid, you’ll do just fine.”
Just then, a Crusader I’d never seen before came up wearing his blue armor to mark him as an officer and whispered to Glenn. The man frowned as they both pointed towards me and whispered some more before the blue crusader broke off and walked back towards wherever he had come from.
Glenn frowned and pointed at me. “Dan, that’s enough for the day. Get cleaned up, grab your gear, and whatever else you need to do. Looks like tomorrow is going to be a busy day for you.”
I wasn’t a fan of just being dismissed like that, but it gave me a chance to look over some things and rest. After all, I’d earned it. Later on, just before I passed out, I took a second to log on and check the interface.
Crusader Systems - Terminal - Upgrades - Quests – Settlement, Item Synthesis, Etc.
Username dkg1986
Password trustno1
-Forgot Password?- ( )
Crusader Systems - Upgrade Terminal
Account Login Confirmed
Welcome, Dan Hanson.
You currently have (0) unused upgrade points, and (10) unused stat points.
You have new options waiting for you:
[Settlement] [Item Synthesis]
Now populating Status Sheet.
Crusader Systems - Mobile Upgrade Terminal - Status Sheet
Name
Dan Hanson
Special Ability
Bound Spawn Point
Upon death, those who have a bound spawn point will find themselves revived in their personal safe zone in the accommodations closest to the location of their last death. This is an instanced location that supersedes the host location.
Emblems Earned
No Such Thing as a Stupid Question
For being one of the first humans to request a change of function to the query system, you have gained a personalized Lirai.
Big Brass Ones
Awarded for opting into Mature Mode. This Emblem prevents certain death from single-target spells. If an attack would kill the possessor, their health is instead set to 1. This ability resets when the user’s health rises above the 80% threshold.
Man Killer
Awarded for killing another sentient. The possessor of this Emblem will be viewed with derision by most people who do not yet possess the Emblem. No bonuses are awarded for this Emblem.
Weapon Specialization - Blunt
Mastery Level - Limp Wrist
Upgraded Items - Steel Core Bat
Steel Core Bat has become bound to the user and been granted an upgrade, gaining the passive on-hit effect of Frost. The Steel Core Bat and its user are immune to the effects of this passive ability.
Blackened Katana
The Blackened Katana has an edge that will cut almost anything. As the user moves, it draws in energy, releasing the stored kinetic energy upon impact in a cone shockwave.
Staggering Blow 1/10 - For each point invested into Staggering Blow, you have a 2.5% chance of stunning an enemy with every hit. This bonus is doubled while unarmed.
Accumulate 3/10 - You may store power during battle to add up to 10% extra force per point invested on (X) amount of attacks, where (X) equals the number of points invested into Accumulate.
Holy Purge 1/1 - This ability grants the user the power to rain down the wrath of heaven on an enemy. This is an area of effect ability. This ability does heavy damage to the undead, corrupted, and the dark. It deals no damage to other holy targets.
Black Tournament - Alias - Edgelord Supreme - Top Rank - 74
?????????????????????????????????????
Level 12 - Current experience: 75/100.
Strength - 13
Agility - 7
Magic - 8 ~> 18
Crusader Systems - Upgrade Terminal - Upgrade Selection
Unused Points (18)
To purchase an upgrade simply click the name of the upgrade once for each investment. For additional details on abilities, please consult the Crusaders manual at the enclave headquarters.
Available Upgrades
Price
Investment
Iron Skin
2
2/5
Staggering Blow
1
1/10
Quick Step
3
0/3
Blighted Touch
5
0/2
Accumulate
1
3/10
Fire Resistance
2
0/5
Ice Resistance
2
0/5
Lightning Resistance
2
0/5
Dodge
3
0/3
Basic Targeting
3
1/3
Augment Jump
2
1/5
Thorn Skin
1
1/10
Reflective Damage
2
1/5
**Further Upgrades**
15
1/10
I was stronger than I’d been, but it was the unused points that really drew my attention. I’d seen what magic could do. I’d been on the receiving end of it a couple of times already, so I decided to put all my points there.
Without saying goodnight to Napoleon, I let myself crash on the oh-so welcoming comfort of my bed. I really needed to catch up on rest, especially if tomorrow was going to be as busy as Glenn said.
In other news, the mark on my chest still read three.
Chapter Two: The First Day of the Rest of My Life
* * *
When I woke up the next morning, Napoleon was sitting on my chest and looked like a nightmare Do-It-Yourself project after thanksgiving. It was so bad that it was akin to something somebody picked up from an influencer off of social media.
Which is to say he was back in his patchwork dog form, and he was curled up in a little ball and snoring up a storm.
Alright. Maybe not a nightmare. What else could I say? I loved dogs, and Napoleon was basically my dog. He wasn’t a dog, but he sure did act like one.
The little guy was sort of endearing in a hideously ugly and extremely disturbing sort of way. The mimic had grown on me. That is, until he buried what I assumed were his teeth in my arm like a rabid animal, almost as if he could sense my thoughts and wanted to punish me.
“Augh,” I said, shaking him off. He landed on the ground with a thud and growled at me, a half-hearted sound that made me aware he wanted to play. Napoleon didn’t really want to attack, but he was a glutton for attention. And it was a good thing he was being playful since I really didn't want him to attack either.
It hurt a lot.
Maybe biting me was some kind of warped sign of affection for a mimic. I still didn’t fully understand how Napoleon worked, and I'm not sure if the mimic understood our special bond either. But it didn't kill me again, so I had to count that as a win.
My arm was now bleeding after his special love and care. I wiped the blood off on the pillowcase and tried to avoid looking at the arm. It resembled what I always thought an accident with a cheese grater would look like if you slipped.
I sat up with a groan and looked out the window. It was early, and the sun was still low on the red horizon. It was hard to believe how much the world had changed.
Outside, I could see people walking around the block in their uniforms. Crusaders. They were setting up more walls and barricades as they pulled material from nearby houses and shoved cars over to fortify walls. When Edgar had said training started at first light, I guess I hadn’t taken him seriously. Turns out, he meant it. The symbol of how things were going to be from now on was right in front of me, a newly approved item for my room that would respawn with me.
