Apocalypse: Generic System by Macronomicon (shoe dog free ebook TXT) 📕

accolades gave her +5 to Myst, so once she got past the horrifying headache and alarming nosebleed, Jeb taught her how to draw in Myst, with the intention of forming a core.

He told her to imagine her most ideal magic, something she thought was incredibly cool, and build an image around it.

“Why do I have to think it’s cool?” she asked, still dabbing blood out of her clothes.

“Because it works better if you think it’s cool.”

“Maybe you know in your head,” Jeb said, tapping his skull. “That creating plants is a handy, self-sustaining power, and a rational choice to take…but if you don’t feel it, well, it’s probably not going to work.”

“Is that how Ron got his power?” She asked.

“Pretty much. Ron was probably one of those nerds that played nothing but necromancer on Diablo.”

Jessica spent a couple hours concentrating, but failed to manifest a core.

It took me days, and I had way more Myst than her, so I’m not surprised. But if she’s able to manifest a core of any kind, even if they’re little tricks, it’ll add more options to her toolbox.

Once she decided to take a break from trying to form a core, they packed up and headed Northeast, sailing above the forest at eighty miles an hour.

After the wind problem reared its head, Jeb had been able to solve it by extending a section of the field that supported him into something of a windshield, baffling the rush of air and making it possible to see where they were going at speeds faster than sixty MPH.

It only took about an hour to fly the two of them from the top of the volcano to the other safe-zone, then they walked the rest of the way to the safe zone with the smoke of a dozen campfires rising above it.

Didn’t want to advertise what he could do just yet.

***1 day 3 hours remaining until Safe Zones expire***

Chapter 10: Colorful Characters

The situation at the safe zone could only be described as ‘tense’. Some thirty men and women stood at the edge of the safe zone, forming a human wall that denied Ron access to what appeared to almost be a little cobbled together village.

Their weapons weren’t drawn, but a few hands were heading that way.

“We never arranged for any kind of deal with you. None of us feel safe around your walking corpses, so beat it.”

“Oh, you don’t feel safe!?” Ron asked, eyebrows raising in mock astonishment. “So you turn away an honest offer of help. Tell me, what other decisions are you making based on how you feel?”

“Honest offer? You want two stat potions in exchange for maybe helping us? The way I see it, you’re just as likely to –“

“Wait up!” Jeb cried, clomping forward on his cane as fast as he could, pushing through the army of shambling corpses before the guy could say the wrong thing and piss off the best source of disposable troops they had.

“Who are you?” the man in front asked, glancing at Jeb.

“I’m the one that offered to pay Ron to help the raid. I thought you could use the extra bodies.”

Ron snorted.

The man’s eyes narrowed, leveling a flaming spear at Jeb. “Now listen here -

“Eddie! Wha’s goin on out there?” came a reedy voice deeper into the safe zone.

“Shit,” Eddie cursed under his breath.

“Is tha’ Ron!?” the people clustered at the front hastily stood aside revealing a toothless Cajun, maybe into his fifties. The man’s chin protruded, his lips drawn in from lack of teeth.

He was thin, scrappy, and looked like the kind of guy with a million stories about squirrels.

“Yeah, Freeman, it’s Ron.” Eddie said, moving aside.

The toothless Cajun was also apparently their strongest fighter and leader. Not exactly what Jeb was expecting.

It takes all types, I guess.

“Ron! You ‘ere to ‘elp!?”

“I am,” Ron said, glancing at Jeb. “This guy here bribed me to come back. The deal is, any monster you bring me from now until until the raid, I’ll raise and send it along with you.”

“A’ knew yer a good kid!” Freeman said, drawing Ron into a great big hug. “E’en do dose zombos ‘r scary, he’s Just a boy listenin’ to too much ‘rockmusack,’ tryn’a look ‘cool’, ‘dat’s what a’ told ‘em.”

Jeb could barely understand what Freeman was saying.

“T-Thanks, I guess,” Ron said, patting Freeman on the back.

“C’min, c’min!” Freeman said, motioning for Ron to enter the save-zone. “Jus’ leave de zombos ‘ere, ey?”

“An’ you two?” Freeman asked, approaching into their personal space and smiling disarmingly at them.

Leader by charisma, I suppose, Jeb thought, soaking in the man’s overwhelming energy.

“Jessica, and Jeb,” Jessica said, pointing between them. “We met David yesterday.”

“Oh, you two! Good ta’ meetcha!” Freeman said, shaking their hands enthusiastically. “You’n yer boyfriend c’n sleep here t’night free if y’like. Only got one day left on the lease, after all, hah! But if you want som’n else, you’re gonna haft’a get it yourself or trade for it.”

“He’s not – Whatever.”

Freeman chuckled and patted Jeb on the shoulder before heading back into the safe zone, the group of freshly battle-hardened warriors melting out of his way.

Jeb shrugged and followed behind, ignoring the surrounding warriors as the camp spread out in front of them.

Damn. It had only been thirteen days, but the place almost looked like a little village, with two dozen hastily constructed houses with stretched leather roofs to keep out the rain.

There were about six campfires, and each of them had a thick knot of people sitting around it, sending the newcomers curious glances as they walked in.

Of particular note was the man and woman who looked like they’d been ripped right off the front of a fitness magazine sitting beside a huge pile