Still Left Out By the System: Post-Apocalyptic LitRPG Adventure (Lonely Apocalypse Book 2), page 1
Still Left Out By The System
Lonely Apocalypse 2
Constantin Step
Contents
Title Page
Prologue: To the Brave New World
Chapter 1: Busted
Chapter 2: With Tail Between Legs
Chapter 3: Arming The Feline Corps
Chapter 4: Not a Plan, but a Swiss Friggin Watch!
Chapter 5: Classes, Classes Everywhere
Chapter 6: Splitting Up Was Stupid, Indeed
Chapter 7: The Herald of Misfortune
Chapter 8: Not Edgy In the Slightest
Chapter 9: Well Deserved Rest
Chapter 10: Daddy Issues
Chapter 11: No Train, No Gain
Chapter 12: (Im)mature Kid
Chapter 13: Just a Warm-Up
Chapter 14: The Magician, or The Fool?
Chapter 15: Plan x Plan
Chapter 16: Potions, Potions, Potions!
Chapter 17: Disturbingly Creative
Chapter 18: Throwing Insults is Not Good
Chapter 19: From Easy to Not So Easy
Chapter 20: Getting Along?
Chapter 21: Voices from Void
Chapter 22: Being Honest is Nice
Chapter 23: Give Me EXP, Please!
Chapter 24: Lady Luck is a *Beep*
Chapter 25: Doing Things the Old Way
Chapter 26: Hacking for Dummies
Chapter 27: Preparation is the Key to Success
Chapter 28: Perfect Execution
Chapter 29: Of Shadows and Reflections
Chapter 30: Some Secrets Better Left Untold
Afterword
Prologue: To the Brave New World
***Keji Al'Narah***
When the Fusion came, the Lycanians were well prepared. The Silent Moon Alliance held considerable power comparable to some weaker kingdoms, and the Lycanian Sages ruled over it with their wisdom and Silver Rank power. Still, there was a big difference between those who belonged to prominent lineages and those who had more modest origins.
Keji Al'Narah was from a weak Clan that had partnered itself with three Tribes of kobolds—some of the weakest of monsters out there. They only had one Dungeon under their control, which resulted in a serious lack of cultivation resources.
With some luck, Keji had managed to change his fate from being a useless Civilian to that of a Cultivator. Of course, he was still miles away from Noble Lycanians, who were born stronger than others and naturally advanced to Level 25 as soon as they reached adulthood. As Nobles were closer to Akashic Thinkers—both in looks and in potential—they also had the option to become Players.
When the Fusion eventually came, Keji gathered a gang of Poisonfang Kobolds loyal to him and entered one of the many portals that led to the new world. He wasn't important enough to get a place in any of the full-fledged expeditions, let alone to become one of the Saurian Riders. His family wasn't ambitious enough to leave their homes, either.
What Keji did was a dangerous bet—if he was unlucky, he could end up near a dragon nest or in the path of an angry troll. Instead, he and his subordinates ended up in the safety of a ruined building. It was a strange structure that most likely didn't belong to Heliron. This was only to be expected as only relatively small chunks of their home planet were Fused with the new dimension.
Keji didn't relax his guard in spite of not finding any dangers lurking nearby. He knew all too well how weak his group was. Perhaps he wasn't very convincing, or kobolds were too cowardly, but only seven warriors had followed him to the other side of the portal.
After that, Keji and the kobolds scouted their surroundings—there was one low-Level Dungeon some miles away, many empty buildings, and some ruins. He could spot traces of the Saurian Riders' looting and even wreckage that could be left only by something really big. Far to the south, a tower-like building could be seen, and far to the north, there was a giant statue that had become the nest of something terrible. Somewhere in between was a low-Level Dungeon, and there were more Dungeons to the west and east, but he had no interest in any of them for the time being. He would need a Player's help to enter a Dungeon.
Just as Keji was pondering his plans for the future, one of his kobolds reported that he caught a peculiar smell—the scent of a Noble Lyncisian.
This could either be a terrible piece of news or an awesome one. It depended on many factors, but some brainstorming helped Keji reach a conclusion—he was in luck. If his subordinates hadn't found this noble so far, it meant that their opponent was in hiding. And why would they do it if they were confident in their strength?
Some more investigation proved his assumption. Not only did Keji catch the scent of the noble, he also discerned that they were rather young. Very young. Two other scents could be perceived, proving that the opposite group was small enough to be hunted down even if they had a Level advantage. That is, as long as none of them were past Level 25.
It was another dangerous bet on his part. But Keji always had a higher than average Fate with his Luck being set at sixty-five percent. Perhaps this was his best chance to change his future.
Keji always hated nobles who had everything handed to them just because of their birth. And while he could do nothing to Noble Lycanians, things were different if his target was their feline counterpart—a Lyncisian. Not only wouldn't he be punished for killing or catching one, but he would be given a handsome reward by the Alliance. More than this, though, he would get his hands on the noble's possessions. Then he would have a real chance to advance to Steel and Evolve into a Noble himself.
To be on the safe side, the Lycanian took all of the kobolds with him on the search. Even if the opponent ended up being stronger than expected, he could still escape by sacrificing some of his followers.
When he eventually found their target, Keji couldn't help but feel elated. Even if he had no Gear, as a Cultivator he still could sense the approximate Levels of their three opponents.
Keji Al'Narah revealed his sharp teeth in a broad grin as his tail started to wave from one side to another. He really hit the jackpot.
***Lex Lurker***
Going through the Dungeon Gate wasn't as amazing as I'd expected it would be. One moment I stepped into the portal, and another, I appeared in the outside world. I didn't feel like going through an infinite void or floating in a boundless space. It was like just walking through an ordinary door, other than a couple of System notifications.
You've left the [Shadowbark Kobold Nest] Dungeon. You've entered Sector K, City Seven.
"Now that I think about it," I said as I deeply inhaled fresh Earth air, "what if some of the cats find their way to the Gate and get lost outside?"
"Wow, you just said a whole sentence without stuttering even once!" Ciesta exclaimed instead of answering the question. “Should we celebrate?”
I tilted my head for a moment before realizing that she was right. Was it thanks to Communication reaching a milestone? Or because my Charisma was almost as high as that of an average person?
The cat then added, "None of the kitties can leave the Dungeon without my permission, so don't worry about them. And if they encounter a lone kobold, they will destroy it with pure numbers—most of them have already absorbed enough Essence to reach at least Level 3."
With one less thing to worry about, I decided to properly inspect my surroundings. Before, I could have seen the reformed Earth only through the small window of my room that was at a rather high vantage point. Moreover, it was on the opposite side of the building.
"Holy shit!" I screamed as my eyes grew wide from shock, and my body trembled with fear. "D-d-d-d-do you see this too, Ciesta?!"
"Don't worry," the cat replied impassively as if we were talking about the weather, "that cute fellow is harmless. He isn't going to bite someone as insignificant as you unless provoked. Probably."
I really couldn't understand where she was getting her confidence from. A few dozen miles away, the Statue of Liberty towered over us. It would be a familiar sight to me if not for one particular detail. . .
My eyesight was enhanced both by the Cat Concept and superhuman Nerve, so I could see everything in detail even so far in the distance. But even if I had stayed an ordinary person, I would still have noticed the giant serpentine dragon coiled around the sculpture.
Green scales covered the whole body of the monstrous creature, each one larger than me. Its eyes were closed, and, apparently, it was soundly asleep—lucky me. It looked like a hybrid of an anaconda and an iguana, but with three pairs of dragonfly wings on its back. Its tail coiled around the pedestal and the torso of Libertas while its head rested in the center of the statue’s crown.
"H-how strong do you think it is?" I asked with a trembling voice. I tried to Identify the monster, but the ability didn't work from such a distance, obviously.
"I guess you are very lucky!" Ciesta replied enthusiastically as she waved her puffy tail. "From my estimation, it should be a young Dragonfly Serpent which just entered the Silver Rank. And, can you believe it? He's an Elite Boss! Just perfect for you, right?!"
I already wanted to return to the Dungeon. At least I had some confidence in dealing with the doggies there sooner rather than later. No matter what tricks they planned to use, they
"You won't believe me, but it's one of the easiest targets you can ask for," the cat said lightheartedly. "It's very tame and nonviolent, but it's also mostly focused on Agility, and its defensive capabilities are relatively low. You'll have a decent chance to hurt it badly enough with a strong Miracle that you’ll actually have a chance to win. Of course, that's a matter for when your Level is high enough."
I grimaced at her words instead of being relieved. As the saying goes, seeing is believing. I had heard from her already that Elite Bosses were strong, but now I had visual proof of her statement. Honestly, I couldn't imagine myself fighting that monstrous being even if I was given ten years, let alone just one.
"You shouldn't give up without trying, Lexy," Ciesta comforted me. "If I was here in person, I'd be able to kill or enslave it in a matter of seconds."
Can you remind me why someone so great has been appointed to be my Guide? I thought as I smiled wrily.
I knew that Ciesta could read my thoughts, and so I expected an answer, even if only a sarcastic one, but she kept her silence. She looked in the direction of the Statue of Liberty that had become a dragon's roost. Actually, her boasting reminded me of something—I hadn't used Identify on her so far. And so I did it now.
Cat (Turkish Angora)
Type: Animal, ???
Rank: Bronze, Level 25
Ciesta sensed what I just did and gave me an annoyed look. "Do you know that it's not very polite to Identify someone without their permission?"
I frowned—not at her reply, but at what I had read. "Why did you say nothing when I did the same to the kobolds and other cats then?"
I had scanned some of the cats back in the Dungeon, just out of curiosity. The System provided me very similar information about each of them—their breed and Level. I was surprised that one of the biggest of kitties was Level 4—the same as the first kobolds I had encountered. And killed.
"Enemies and animals are a fair game," Ciesta said matter of factly. Of course, she was right, so I didn't argue. I knew better than to point out that, technically, she was an animal as well. . .
What really bothered me was her Type rather than her Level. I already knew that she was stronger than me. But those question marks reminded me of my unknown status effect. I had a hunch that she was hiding something from me. Something crucial.
"W-what are the question marks in my Status and in your Type?" I asked even if I doubted that she would give me the full truth.
"It either means that the Genesis System isn't sure that someone at your Rank should know the details, or it isn't sure itself," Ciesta answered, but I couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to this. Still, I decided against digging further.
I returned my spear to the Storage and, instead, Equipped the Stealth Cloak. The Loneliness Concept passively decreased the chance that I would be noticed from far away, and its Augmentation provided a similar but stronger effect. Of course, I didn't activate the latter as it would eat up my Vita pointlessly. I was sure that the Cloak, the Passive, and Stalking would be enough to hide me from any unexpected encounters.
When I was ready to leave, Ciesta, still visible, said, "Before we start scouting, I need to warn you about sentients from Helion."
Of course I knew that a more correct term would have been “sapient” instead of “sentient”, but this was the word the System used for naturally evolved races (i.e. not monsters) with advanced self-awareness. Who was I to correct a being that could evacuate an entire planet?
"Do you want me to avoid contact with them?" I assumed.
"Not really," she denied my guess. "But there shouldn't be any humans on the planet just yet. Thankfully you can pass as one of Helion's races by using the Lifebending of the Cat Concept."
I instantly got curious as I had yet to try my Lifebending ability in practice. Based on the description, it sounded fun— “Cat Shifting I” was supposed to allow me change parts of my body to be more cat-like.
There was something that bothered me, though. "Wouldn't any Player just see through my disguise with Identify?"
Ciesta started to explain, "First of all, not all sentients are Players. Most of them are either Civilians or Cultivators, and neither of those have Gear. There are still items they can use to Identify you, and they can also guess how strong you are. But this is where your Shadow of Humanity comes into play."
Legendary Perks were not only rare and powerful but also versatile to some extent. Of course, I didn't forget about its abilities. It was just that I hadn't had a reason to use this one in particular up until now. I recalled the relevant part of the Perk’s description.
You can interfere with the abilities that give others information about your Status—you can alter it to make your Level seem lower, to change your perceived Class and Race, and to completely hide your Titles.
As Ciesta noticed the realization on my face, she continued, "You should keep your Level and Class, but change your Race to a Felisian and hide your Titles."
After some mental gymnastics, I managed to use the Perk's ability, and a simple display appeared before me.
Lesser Felisian
Type: Natural Sentient, Player
Rank: Bronze, Level 8
Most likely, it was what others would see if they tried to scan me. Of course, it would be only the case if they had no Identify Module. Otherwise, some other information would be added, like my elemental vulnerabilities and such. Also, I was kind of bitter that my Race still had Lesser in its name.
"Unless you meet a Felisian or Canisian Player at Steel Rank or higher, you should be safe," Ciesta said before adding, "as long as you maintain your disguise."
One part anxious and one part excited, I activated Cat Shifting. I pictured in my mind the change to my pupils—from round to vertical. It was easy enough. It was harder to maintain the image of cat ears growing on the top of my head and a fluffy tail appearing from my tailbone right above my pants. Soon after, I succeeded. I could feel warm Vita leaving my body and materializing in the desired form.
My human ears disappeared in the process, which was a relief. I couldn't imagine how it would feel to have two pairs of ears at the same time. Instead, it was as if my ears had just changed their position and form.
My eyesight changed, mostly for the better. The world lost some of its colors, but I still could see sharply enough, and I instinctively knew that both my motion and night vision were significantly improved.
Having a tail was a really peculiar sensation. How many generations ago had human ancestors lost this very convenient limb in their pursuit of bipedal superiority? And now, I had a fluffy ginger tail any primate would envy.
Wait a minute, why is it orange? I pondered. Now that I think about it, my hair is too short to see it without a mirror. . . I have seen my reflection already, haven't I? I want to see how I look with cat ears. I’d like to know how Mom would react if she saw me now. . .
I grabbed the mirror-like tablet of the Stealth Cloak and was about to use it to get a reflection of my face.
"Stop," a cold voice that contained just a glimmer of anxiety prevented me from looking at my new self.
I gave Ciesta a puzzled look and wondered if she was worried that I wouldn't like the change. It was not a big deal, really. It wasn't worth disobeying her. . . words.
