Chapter 176: 166. Post-Apoc Slavic Tour

For the next four weeks, Company Graven Divinity split up and tackled different objectives around Siberia, the broken lands of Russia, and the neighboring nations. Some places still stood as separate entities with a focus on local governments. And others had diverged into primal dog-eat-dog states. Emily and Casey took one ship and dragged the captured Titan King to its lair.

They took their time to crawl and plunder the lair. They guided different Protectorates and locals into the lair, helping people level up against monsters below Rank 4. The Protectorates have long noted that Rank 3 lairs and up had a variety of ranks to fight against. And unlike dungeons, lairs didn’t suppress weaker crawlers.

Hailey took a ship and provided aid and training to various towns and cities with inhabitants who looked promising. For the sake of resource management, the Protectorates lent aid to places that were built to survive by people who had the potential to thrive in the new world. If the Protectorates found groups of people who didn’t meet certain requirements, Hailey’s doctrine was to guide them to others where they could benefit more.

She was very strict on who she handed help to if they failed to meet those requirements. This was to mitigate waste– something she learned from her boyfriend. She was also naturally charismatic and good at leading people, so she had a high success rate in convincing people to move for their own survival. But she was also cold enough to leave people behind if they didn’t want to see to her reasoning.

Jay and Dennis took a ship to go on a grand tour around the area. They had no particular missions other than following Hailey’s doctrine, crawling the depths of random lairs they found around the broken lands of Russia, or having Jay meet with the few immortals lurking about. Better yet were the actual tourist things Jay wanted to do when the mood found him.

He’d tell the ship captain to stop and lower down. Then Jay would hop off and walk by foot with no orders given, which was an invitation for Dennis and members of the crew to follow him if they wished. Monsters would show up here and there. But the crew could easily handle Rank 2s and 3s without Jay or Dennis’s help.

The Commander and his Champion toured. They found ghost towns that were long abandoned before the Devil Flakes and YoAnna’s Apocalypse. They found old soviet union factories, abandoned churches with their walls fallen down like ancient ruins, and lots of empty schools and bases and little villages off the beaten path. Those locations were the simplest and most fun to explore.

Taking a walk through cities abandoned because of the apocalypse filled Jay with a different touch of curiosity. Partly morbid. Partly sad. And partly wonder. The weight of certain decisions– and mistakes– settled on his shoulders more and more while exploring places heavily affected by the displaced blood of his deific wife.

Jay hadn’t realized until the end of the tour that he’d fallen silent for almost two weeks. Dennis stayed by his side throughout, not bothering to break Jay out of his deeper moods even when they trained to help the Ultimate [Fighter] get a new handle on his affinity.

“Our actions can come with grave consequences,” Jay said while they were exploring Chernobyl.

“Yeah,” Dennis grunted. The two stopped in an open field. They looked up at the infamous power plant nearby.

Monsters filled with nuclear magic roared and shrilled nearby. Their meat wasn’t good for eating, but facing them made for good and quirky fights. Having a competent healer nearby was necessary. They saved anyone exposed to lingering radiation magic from dying or having a weird and aggressive mutation.

Half of the crew members were out exploring in groups, too. There were no expectations. Kill bad monsters. Leave the neutral ones alone or use them to gather information if they could talk. See if there were people who needed help and guidance. But other than that, the ship crew knew the stop was for their Commander to go exploring.

“Things have gotten a little complicated lately, haven’t they?” Jay asked.

Dennis chuckled sardonically. “I’m surprised I can keep up.”

The ox came out of Dennis’s body in a flash of orange and gold. The spirit animal settled into a spot between them, which was a silent request to pet it. Both boys fed the animal spirit some attention.

“Why did things end up this way?” Dennis asked.

“System Admins. And our mistakes.”

“But why, why?”

“You’re talking about the main reason for all of this. The center of it all.” Jay paused when the ox huffed at his face. He smiled wanly. “I think she’s on the verge of telling us. I don’t want to push too hard.”

“What’s going to happen if she tells the whole truth?” Dennis whispered.

“Probably nothing drastic if it’s not during a pivotal moment,” Jay said. “Not drastic in a combative sense. But if it’s anything pretty heavy, it will test how committed we are to this.”

A magic bolt streaked above their heads and blasted a Nuclear Bear in the face. Three [Fighter-Types] rushed past their Commander and Champion and laid a beat down on the bear until it died. They dragged the monster out of the vicinity before they went off to seek a healer, switching out with another crew of escorts.

The two original members of Team FAAHI didn’t need the escorts. However, it was nice having them when Jay and Dennis didn’t want to deal with lower ranked monsters.

“It’s too late to leave the Champions,” Dennis said.

“Is it now?” Jay arched an eyebrow.

“I’ve been thinking about it. And, yeah, I can’t pretend I’m absolved in all of this.” Dennis waved his free hand in the air. “The state of the world. The spreading of the apocalypse. A wrong choice was made. And you stepped in to take the blame.”

“I am to be blamed.”

“The System Admins are,” Dennis grunted. “We don’t have hard proof just yet. But we all know it. But people won’t believe it. The U.S. won’t believe it. And that just makes me so angry. Whatever bone the System Admins got to pick with us killed so many people. It killed–”

“Our people.”

“Yeah.”

Dennis leaned against his ox. The spirit animal licked his face and left a trail of spirit goo that faded in time.

“Sorry for being a jerk to you, Jay,” Dennis said. “And I’ll say sorry now for any time in the future that I’m a jerk again.”

“I forgive you. And I’ll forgive you.”

Dennis examined him closely. The Ultimate [Fighter] wore leather armor and no helmet. In his hand was a Bone Saw Greatsword (Superior). This was as casual as Dennis would get nowadays. He was always ready to dive into a situation where people needed him to fight and save their lives. He trained extra hard, too. Jay figured the guy was too hard on himself sometimes, but Jay kept that to himself since Dennis’s growth was bearing fruit.

Jay wore his usual outfit. It was mundane, too. A hoodie, joggers, socks, and crocs. He had once worn sandals as his usual, but crocs had grown on him. The hoodie had once belonged to an expensive international brand– but YoAnna’s Apocalypse ruined trade across nations and forced mostly everyone to get practical.

The global economy had crashed hardcore. Dollars became useless. People lost their earnings that they’d saved up for years. That was the coldest and harshest wake-up call for the people of Earth… the complete collapse of the infrastructure, killing off the original promise YoAnna had made to the leaders of the world.

“We’ve failed,” Jay said.

Dennis tensed. “That’s crap.”

“It’s true.”

“But it’s crap, Jay! I mean, it’s true this is partly our fault. We aren’t blameless. But, but, but…” Dennis rubbed the back of his neck. “How do we get back at the System Admins?”

“The Uk-Guk-Gara Dungeons,” Jay said.

“But it’s delayed indefinitely. It might never come for hundreds of years.”

“And that’s the terrible part of it all, Dennis.” Jay opened all three eyes. “YoAnna needs those dungeons to further her growth and reach Stage 2. And we need those dungeons to get another crack at the System Admins. But they know that.”

“So the Grandmaster Arbiter’s on the System Admins’ side, is that what you’re saying?”

“I can’t say if that’s fully the case or not.”

“Then we can’t act like we’re defeated.” Dennis paced around a little. The Ultimate Affinity was rising inside of him. “So we’ve failed a couple of times. Failures happen all the time. It’s part of the road to greatness, you get me? And you’re built from the ground up because of failures.”

“True, but ouch.”

“So we take all these failures. We SQUEEZE them all together. We make the swankiest failure juice we can make out of them. And we drink that thing! You get me!” Dennis roared, his Chance rising by itself. That was good. It didn’t take away from the Statuses like it would if Dennis’s Strength started rising.

“Yes, I get you.”

Dennis poked Jay in the chest, swaying his Commander back and forth. “You’re a little guy, Jay. Itsy bitsy little bitty guy. But you’re a star, too. I’ll be upfront and let you know that, because the greats can recognize others who are also great. So don’t let that loser attitude get to you. Drink the failure juice. Let it run through your veins. And get back in the game and figure out how to force the System to play it our way.”

Jay’s three eyes blinked. His tail swayed side to side during the stunned silence. “Wow, Dennis,”

“I know, I’m incredible.”

“Yeah, yeah you are,” Jay said.

“Cool. Now sit back and watch me be the best. I need to teach these little wittle [Fighter-types] how it’s done.”

Dennis ran off with his ox spirit trailing behind him. He roared in the face of a Level 60 Big Nuclear Bear that some crew members struggled against. Despite the affinity training Jay had worked on with Dennis, the Ultimate [Fighter] sacrificed his Health rather than his Mana when dialing up his Strength.

No doubt, his Strength was a fearsome thing to behold. Dennis had the [Oppressive Strength II] Talent for having 314 Strength. And the Ultimate Affinity boosted his Strength even further beyond. With a price.

“Healers,” Jay called with a drawl. “Please keep my Champion from getting himself killed. Again.”

Jay shook his head as crew members jumped to his orders. While Dennis went on a berserk rampage against giant nuclear monsters, the Commander of Challenge and Change pondered on the words of the Ultimate [Fighter]. There was truth in what Dennis had said.

The Protectorates had failed to transition Earth smoothly into the System Apocalypse. In many ways, YoAnna and her Champions were the apocalypse themselves, part of multiple reasons the United States had grown hostile against the Protectorates.

Jay and YoAnna were unwilling to place the blame on their Champions for the spread of the Apocalypse. It was the duty of leaders to take the blame, after all. Everyone had been held accountable, but such blame was something Jay would rather take as Commander while his godly wife tried her best to make amends. With that in mind, Jay and YoAnna’s failures revealed new opportunities to improve and grow.

Jay’s random trips and stopping points were good for reflection and planning. But they also served another purpose.

Jay had found his leverage on one immortal he’d been seeking per his deific wife’s wishes. Few things caused friction between them other than the issues with the United States. Most of the job as commander had Jay in accord with YoAnna and Kleo. His [Faerie] could diverge from him when thinking what was best for her master. But it was not her usual.

Nonetheless, it was time to close in on the last immortal Jay sought. Then Company Graven Divinity could finish their business in former Russia.

Hopefully, Jay could keep his Title [Inescapable Death of Ancient Immortality] under wraps. He hadn’t been successful in keeping that Title in check in his dealings with immortals post Paris.

***

“Beheader of the 72 Immortals, you’ve come for me at long last,” said Koschei the Deathless, a Level 85 Earthling Immortal.

The tall, gaunt, long-nosed man sat on a rickety high-back chair in the throne room of an old and abandoned Russian castle. The open windows invited crispy spring air to blow through. Wide fields of wildflowers bloomed in full view of the windows. A bright blue day shone outside as Jay dawdled across the throne room and stopped in front of Koschei.

“Sorry for making you wait,” Jay said. “The immortals usually run. So I let them scamper around for a while before catching them.”

“There is no reason to run.” Koschei smiled, showing his black and crooked teeth. “My life cannot be taken. I’ve contained my death in a special item in a place far from here.”

“It’s on the borders of former Mongolia. Hidden in a coffin. There’s a headstone covered in moss there. It’s in honor of your last wife.”

Koschei’s confidence winked away. His long and bony fingers dug into the armrests of the high-back chair. He trembled for a few seconds. Then he stood and held his head high. “I’m at your mercy then. Have at it, boy. Take my head.”

“Why would I do that?” Jay rubbed his chin with the tip of his tail.

“That is what you do. It is in the name whispered by the spirits. You are the Beheader.” Koschei wheezed. “And I can feel the power of you weighing down on me. Do not toy with me like a cat, boy. Have some decency and end it quickly.”

Jay sighed. These immortals could get overly dramatic. Jay was doing all he could to hold back [Inescapable Death of Ancient Immortality] and avoid being rude. But the Title was so powerful, it leaked out of Jay’s tight control, anyway.

“Sit down, sit down.” Jay waved Koschei down, and the immortal listened. “I’m not here for your head, oldster. I’m here as a courier of my [Godling].”

Jay flicked his hand to the side. Out came a white envelope with black borders and gold embroidery. The Guarding Lion insignia was on the back. He let it fall in Koschei’s direction.

The frail-looking immortal grabbed the envelope. He looked at Jay suspiciously before opening it and reading the letter it contained.

“It’s an invitation to a ball,” Koschei said.

“Yes,” Jay said. “Summer Solstice Ball. My [Godling] wishes for all the leaders, immortals, and civilized legends of Earth to come together. Have food. Wine. Safety. And an opportunity to voice your concerns.”

“Our concerns?”

“That’s what I said.”

“Explain further.”

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Jay smiled. “The defeat of the Benefactors benefited the Multiverse Protectorate Pantheon. But it further destabilized the structures upholding the civilization of Earth. Regardless of our grievances with the Benefactors, we must acknowledge there’s an undercurrent of fear and misinformation impeding the option for us to come together and build fruitful partnerships. And, besides, the Protectorates are young and in over our heads. We can use the experience of our elders.”

Jay waited.

Koschei eyed him suspiciously, reading between the lines. “This is one of two things. The consolidation of our wisdom and magic under your banner. Or a trap where we are captured and used as living experiments for that Champion of yours. The girl who’s more of a monster than you.”

There was also the Red Wedding option. But Jay preferred for things not to devolve into Game of Thrones territory.

“Lilith will request to have some experiments conducted for the sake of Miraculous Magic Science, but they will not be painful or permanent while you’re under our care as partners,” Jay said. “My [Godling] is extending this to everyone, remember? Immortals. Legendary beasts. And even the emerging leaders of this new world.”

“A world of your creation.”

“Yes, a world of my creation.”

Koschei leaned on his elbow. “Many of us may come to see you as the greatest evil on our planet. And band together in defiance of you, a greater coalition than even the Benefactors. Will you still allow us safety and entertainment at this ball even if we’re to be future enemies?”

“Yes. This is our attempt in trying to talk that down and present you our new plan going forward. If we cannot do so, then we need to improve our diplomatic tactics. The Protectorates would prefer for everyone to be at peace and to focus on surviving while we transition to the later stages of the System Apocalypse.”

“And what if I wish for you to die here and now!” Koschei shouted, leaping from his chair. A shining sword appeared in his hand. He darted forward faster than an arrow in flight.

“You and most people.” A neon purple light glowed along the edge of Jay’s hand. He parried the immortal’s opening thrust and the following slash.

The sword’s magic rubbed against Jay’s bare handed gravity. Sparks flew everywhere, melting holes through the stone floor and walls.

More sparks flew as the two clashed, clanging and clamoring, going blow for blow.

Koschei moved with the grace and ferocity of an expert fencer. He had a thousand years of experience or more to hone his craft.

Jay had five limbs and gravity magic to use against one sword. He had no fear as he pivoted, cartwheeled, vaulted, and lashed out with leg kicks and tail whips.

Jay hummed a song as they went back and forth, too.

“Boney M?” Koschei spat. “I expected better from you!”

“But it’s a good song,” Jay whined. “And a classic! It was based on one of your names!”

“Do not associate me with that new-age trash. If you think that is a classic, then the arts are truly wasted on the young!”

“Bah! Everyone’s a critic nowadays!”

Koschei shifted into a higher gear. He moved like a blur. Jay sped up in response.

Their clashes showered even more hot magic sparks everywhere. The constant fireworks raised the temperature in the room. It was like an overheated furnace.

Jay felt thrilled and lost himself in the act. He spiraled through the air like a propeller blade. He lashed out with a combo of kicks as he sprung off his hands and his tail.

Koschei parried and retaliated with minimum motion wasted, staying deadly and disciplined.

Gradually, Jay suffered some hits. He took a cut on his arm. Then Koschei struck his hip and impaired his movement. The immortal drew blood on Jay’s cheek as well.

Koschei leveraged his years of experience to his full advantage as he dueled. He became akin to a steel whirlwind as he attacked the Commander of Challenge and Change relentlessly.

“I know what it is you want, boy!” shouted Koschei, windmilling multiple cuts at Jay’s head. “You want to gather us. You want to tell us your conditions for the honor of having an audience with your tyrant god-princess. Then you want us to kneel!”

“I do want you to kneel,” Jay murmured, dancing out of the reach of each sword cut. “I kneel to my deific wife. She is above us. And she earns the right to be above us. She is our true ruler.”

Jay threw out a wide magic field.

Koschei skipped away and swerved into a gap in the field. He tripped on a piece of rubble Jay lifted behind Koschei’s heel. The immortal recovered fast and raised his sword to block a heavy tail whack.

Koschei sneered.

Jay’s tail emitted an explosive burst of gravity. The blast knocked Koschei off balance and wiped the sneer off his face.

The immortal stumbled into a retreat.

Jay walked him down. He pressured the Immortal with more gravity bursts from his lashing tail.

Koschei blocked the explosive attacks as best he could, the strain showing on his gaunt face. The powers of [Inescapable Death of Ancient Immortality] grew greater, weakening Koschei while Jay grew stronger.

“What man would let his woman be lord over him?” shouted Koschei before he tumbled backward from another explosive tail whip. “This is her plan, isn’t it? You are just a dog then. You are her little pet sent out to follow her orders as she moves the world for her benefit! Maybe I should wait for her to give me the invitation instead of taking it from her mutt.”

Koschei grinned darkly, bracing himself for retribution with both hands steadying his sword. The Gravity of Death was in his bones now. The fear it would bring out of the immortal was undeniable. 

Koschei was deeply afraid, but the immortal seemed to seek the wounding of Jay’s pride as his best effort. It seemed like Koschei’s end neared when Jay frowned and opened his third eye.

Jay surged forward.

Koschei swung and missed as expected. The immortal closed his eyes. He waited for an edge to bite into his neck.

He would feel a pressure there, as if his neck was getting split already. Then that feeling disappeared. Stranger yet, his neck remained whole, his head staying between his shoulders. 

A large hand patted his balding head. Koschei opened his eyes and looked up at a Jay who stood ten feet tall, his dreadlocked head brushing against the stone ceiling. Trillions of gravitons slipped out of his body in thin bright purple streams.

“Give it up, old man,” Jay rumbled deeply. “Why risk your life just to test me? I don’t care what anyone thinks of my relationship with YoAnna. I love her.”

Jay suffered -500 HP of damage and kept talking. “And she reciprocates in her own way. Yeah, part of me wants to surpass her. Can’t help it. She’s the biggest challenge anyone can imagine. But a part of me is happy to serve her, too.”

Koschei stared up at Jay, wordless.

Jay kept going.

“She is a true deity, Koschei. This may be hard for the immortals to accept. But there is no dishonor in recognizing her godliness since it is the truth. And if she wants to rule us directly. Then she will rule.”

Jay took a step back and raised his arms. “Or maybe she wants to work out a council somehow. Create a united effort to realign this planet to a better future. We’ll pretend to be on her level. But in truth, she’ll still be the ruler of everything. But more of a distant ruler once things are more stable.”

Jay shrank down, releasing all the gravitons. The vortex of particles faded away from around him.

“It’s over, Koschei. I know you and the other immortals weren’t in league with the Benefactors. But I also know you don’t want to give up your small seat of power.” Jay waved around him. “But there isn’t much here. Things are changing. And my [Godling] simply wants to talk. And I want you to be at the ball as a guest, safe and sound and free to enjoy yourself under our hospitality.”

“The stories of me are villainous,” Koschei said. “Yet you will extend this invitation?”

“Look at my left hip, Koschei. The sword there was once beholden to King Arthur. He didn’t live up to being the hero of his story anymore.”

“Yes, I know the origins of such a sword. You’ve outdone yourself in the art of usurpation.”

“No, not me. Those around me have.” Jay leaned closer. “I prefer to give unto those who work with me. Riches. Powers. Secrets, if you want. I like to give. And I like to hold people close. And in return, they will do everything in their power to give me their best. If you aren’t convinced by me or my [Godling], the deeds of my Champions should convince you.”

“I’ve heard of such deeds.”

“Wouldn’t you want to meet them? And hear their thoughts? And perhaps be a bit more learned than you were before?”

Koschei licked his lips. The hunger for new knowledge and power shone in his eyes. To get close to the likes of Michael Zhou, Lilith Hernandez, and Hailey Allen– and hear even the briefest mention of their hoard of knowledge would be a grand treasure for any immortal.

Koschei couldn’t hide it. But a wariness took over.

“The Benefactors have promised me such many times.” Koschei let his sword fade away. “I’ve never once fought their messengers. I’ve always sent them away. I could not help but want to fight you, boy, even while knowing it could be the death of me. But I gave in. And you’ve shown more restraint than I’ve expected. Why?”

“You didn’t go all out. And I want to handle my elders with more care.” Jay looked around the melted and scorched throne room. “It’s a nice castle.”

“The duel would’ve ended faster if I tried to truly overpower you.” Koschei nodded. “Thank you for entertaining this old man, and letting him blabber. There is no doubt that you are bogatyr of sorts, Jay the Beheader.”

Getting called a bogatyr meant Koschei recognized Jay as a strong and courageous hero under a Russian folktale lens. Which was cool. But that last part of the immortal’s declaration had a nice ring to it.

Jay the Beheader.

The [Exceptional Freak] liked it.

Koschei strode over to the high-back chair where the letter lay on the seat unperturbed by the magic action prior. He picked it up and gave it a sniff. He hummed in delight from the scented perfume YoAnna had spritzed on each letter she wrote by hand. 

“I hear your [Godling] is the most breathtaking creature a man can lay his eyes on.”

“She is.”

“And you have another wife, I hear. One whose power can vanish those who’ve sin. As if they’ve never existed. And she, too, is a marvelous sight.”

“She’s still in Africa. I miss her a bunch. But she has to finish up her Holy War before we can see each other again.”

“Rule out everything I said about you being a dog or such. It was hot air. Nothing more.” Koschei turned to a window that looked out to a vibrant spring day. “You make yourself seem like a boy. But your actions are that of a powerful man.”

“Eh. It’s an ego thing. I like to have things set up so I can flex my best.” Jay gave Koschei the Deathless a lopsided grin. “The feeling of death you have will fade in time. See you at the ball.”

Jay stopped at the exit of the throne room.

“Oh, one more thing.” Jay turned slowly toward Koschei. The grin on Jay’s face widened, his fangs glinting with a promised threat. “Let me repeat myself by saying it’s okay if you share your concerns, argue, or air out your grievances before planning to amass an army against us. Join the United States, if you want. But all guests are required to kneel before my beautiful [Godling] and show her the respect she deserves. Or I will revoke your privileges as a guest.”

And in a deeper eldritch voice, Jay said, “Then you can serve as a new subject of study for my most learned Champions.”

Koschei stuttered as the Gravity of Death worsened. Before he lost his wits completely, Jay’s ferocious grin softened into a friendly smile. The atmosphere in the room lightened.

“Understood?” Jay asked.

“Yes!” Koschei shouted.

“Nice. Have a wonderful day. Former Russia sure is pretty when the snow melts. I should come around for another tour.”

After Jay’s departure, Koschei collapsed into his chair. He would probably sit there and ride out the effects from Gravity of Death until they fade, knowing Jay the Beheader could have ended his immortal life at any moment.

At the same time, Jay had his own feelings of dread. Hailey was watching from nearby since all the ships had reunited yesterday. She was totally going to snitch to Casey and Frank that Jay had let an immortal tag him a few times. Casey was going to be extra harsh in the next duel. And Frank would plan a hellish training exercise when everyone regrouped before the Summer Solstice Ball.

***

[Inescapable Death of Ancient Immortality]: There are many immortals across the Multiverse. They’ve found various means of achieving immortality, and some have gone even further to acquire powers that could rival or outdo naturally born Multiverse Deities. With their long lives and many abilities, these immortals have little to fear. Except for you. This Title threatens the magic, conceptuality, and reality of those who would deem themselves immortal, whether they are divine or not. All immortals in your presence who do not have the needed willpower– regardless of their Conviction– can feel the nearness of death as if they weren’t immortal in the first place. When you are dealing with immortals, whether it’s in warfare, diplomacy, or business, if the immortal serves an antagonistic role in your affairs, you will effectively have the Gravity of Death applied to your abilities. The Gravity of Death applies debuffing stacks to an immortal antagonist touched/affected by your abilities. These stacks increase the likelihood that the feeling of death you exude will become a reality, denying the immortality of a foe who is within your reach, which can be a grave weakness that grows graver for the immortal. The stacks cannot be removed unless it fades over time or you are killed. Once an immortal has a stack (or more), they can be easily traced and followed by you. You will find that all your abilities are moderately boosted while hunting and fighting an immortal directly. This boost can scale incrementally based on the difference between your age and the immortal’s if the immortal is ten times your age or greater.