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The Apocalypse Grinder - Chapter 39
🕑 Added 2025-06-18 10:46:29 +0000 UTC<< Chapter 38 | Index | Chapter 40 >>
For the first time in this life, Ronan focused on the shifting void. He knew this place held endless mysteries, perhaps even answers about what the system was.
Every time he felt as if he was drawing close to seeing something in the shifting nothingness, it slipped through his fingertips. He didn’t know what this place was.
Are we… inside the system when we travel between tutorial stages, he wondered. Once more, before he could get any answers he felt the wind on his face.
This time he looked around and managed to grab hold of a nearby tree branch before he fell. He didn’t want to tumble down the cliffs again.
Keith wasn’t so lucky. However, he didn’t fall off the edge. He smacked against the gravelly ledge and fell on his backside.
Ronan hauled him to his feet and glanced around. When he saw a giant silhouette a little ways down the slope a smile crossed his face.
“Te-” he started to shout with a wave, but caught himself. Whoops, almost let his name slip. That would be awkward to explain, he chuckled internally. “Hey, I’m Ronan! Nice to meet you guys,” he shouted instead.
Terry shook his hand firmly the same way he’d done the last time. “I’m Terry and this is my son, Jackson. Looking forward to working with you, Ronan. Who’s your friend?”
“That’s Keith,” he replied. “He’s not the toughest fella but he isn’t a coward. Most of the time, anyway,” he added with a chuckle.
“Heya Keith,” Terry called out.
“What are you boys doing down there? I think we’re supposed to enter this cave,” a familiar, raspy yet seductive voice called out from above.
Ronan turned to see Dana’s fiery locks fluttering in the false wind. He couldn’t help but reach out, but caught his hand at the last moment.
Whatever he’d experienced, he couldn’t let it affect his actions. Ronan had seen them all die, but to the others this was their first time meeting him.
This is going to get harder and harder, he sighed. It will be worth it in the end, but who knows if I’ll still be the same man when I get there.
“Haha, let’s go,” he said to the others, walking over to greet Dana. “Nice to meet you, I’m Ronan, this is Keith, Terry, and his kid Jackson.”
“Dana,” she replied curtly, fidgeting with the whip on her hip.
Ronan couldn’t help but smile when he saw the weapon. She’d torn through dozens of goblins with that thing. She was going to do it again.
“Before we head in, join our party and let’s share some information about our fighting styles. We need to make sure we work together smoothly, after all,” Ronan declared.
“Party? What’s-” Jackson started, but then his eyes widened as Ronan sent out the invitations. “Oh, neat! How the hell did you discover this?”
“By accident,” Ronan said with a wave of his hand. He couldn’t let them know the truth, after all. “I’m a mage, but I can punch the hell out of a few goblins if I have to. Keith here’s a decent fighter, he might be able to be our frontline.”
Ronan wasn’t that confident in Keith but perhaps he could be convinced to take the defender class this time. That way he could soak up the hits while they dealt damage from behind.
“You took mage as well?” Jackson exclaimed in surprise. “But you’re so… beefy.”
Ronan burst out laughing. He could understand the kid’s reaction. “Come on, I’m sure you understand. It’s magic!”
Jackson nodded affirmingly. He had a sparkle in his eyes. Terry shook his head before adding, “I’m a defender. I’ll be in front instead of Keith. I can take a hell of a beating before those goblins even draw a speck of blood,” he said.
Ronan glossed over his introduction, turning to Dana. However, he suddenly started and turned back to look at Terry. Did he say defender!? Wasn’t he a tinker last time?
He understood why things in his tutorial might be different, such as Keith’s behaviour and actions. He was acting differently after all. However, there shouldn’t be changes to anyone else, as far as he understood.
To be honest, once he got over the initial shock he realised this would actually be far better than last time. Terry was perfectly suited to being a tank.
In fact, even though that bow of his had been lethal, Ronan had always felt he was wasted as a ranged attacker. Perhaps they might even have a chance against that champion this time.
That would be great, but only time will tell. I can’t let myself lose sight of my goals, he reminded himself. If we win, then great. If not… At least I’ll have gained something.
“What about you, firecracker?” Keith asked with a lecherous grin.
Ronan heard the crack of a whip and a pained yelp. He chuckled as a red line-shaped welt appeared on Keith’s neck.
Yeah, I’m never fucking with that woman. Dana was just as fierce this time around as she’d been the last time.
Curling up her whip and returning it to her hip, she smiled as if nothing had happened and introduced herself. “I’m a ranger. As you can see, I’m not half bad with this whip of mine. Looking forward to killing some monsters with you, although I hope they aren’t more goblins.”
You’re gonna be disappointed, Ronan joked to himself. Or perhaps not… He remembered how they’d torn apart the little green bastards side by side.
“Alright, so Terry will tank, while Keith will stick close and do his best. Dana can use that whip of hers from the mid-range while me and Jackson let loose from the backline. Sound good?” Ronan announced, taking a step into the cavern.
“Works for me,” Dana replied.
“Sure,” Keith assented.
“Try not to hit me with those mana bolts. They burn,” Terry said, throwing a pointed glance at his son.
Jackson had a sheepish expression on his face as he nodded back. All in agreement, the party of five made their way into the cavern to conquer stage 4.
Ronan frowned a few steps in. He thought back to when he killed the fleshbeast. Inviting the others to the party had reminded him of something.
I chose leader distribution for the loot, but it still gave the drops to Keith. What’s that about? The only answer he could come up with was that it didn’t consider those common drops worthy of being loot, but that wasn’t a satisfactory conclusion.
The only way to find out was to kill more monsters and earn more loot, so Ronan put it to the back of his mind and kept walking. They soon reached the first corner and knowing what was coming, Ronan began to gather his mana in his palm.
Terry rounded the bend first. He heard the distant screech of goblins. The giant slammed his feet into the ground and raised his arms to guard his head and chest.
He saw a flash of silver. A goblin stabbed its spear into Terry’s arm. Ronan watched in amazement as the man’s bare skin deflected the rusty blade as if it were a toy.
Then, he grabbed hold of the weapon and yanked it forward, pulling the wailing goblin with it. Ronan wasted no time, tossing the mana bolt as if it were a baseball.
It screamed as it arced through the air, before exploding against the goblin’s face. When the crackling light faded, all that was left was a charred stump and a limp corpse.
Terry dropped it to the ground as another goblin launched itself at him. A third raced past, slashing a sword at Keith. It didn’t get far.
Terry suddenly roared and Ronan saw a faint red pulse emanate from the man’s body. The next moment that goblin’s eyes went red with rage and it spun on its heels, launching itself at Terry instead.
Ronan guessed that should be the taunt class skill for defenders. It was impressive, being able to keep the aggro on the tank. Dana’s whip cracked out, catching that goblin’s leg.
It stumbled to the ground. A mana bolt screamed past Ronan and exploded against the monster’s back. He turned to a wildly grinning Jackson.
“Too slow, old man,” the boy chuckled, already preparing another bolt.
Ronan didn’t waste time and began to cast another one of his own. Each time he used it to burst open a goblin’s head or chest, he felt his control of his mana increasing.
They tore their way through the tunnels of the cavern with ease, ripping through goblin after goblin. Their teamwork was impeccable. Ronan felt that they were even stronger as a party than the last time they’d gone through this stage.
However, they soon reached a dead end. Well, not quite. Ronan recognised this place well. In front of them and on either side of the tunnel there were three big wooden doors set into the stone, crossed with metal bars held in place with studs.
“Which one should we try?” Terry asked, turning to face the group.
“Let’s go in here,” Dana suggested, walking towards the left and reaching for the door handle. “Ronan, what are you-”
Ronan had rushed to stop her, grabbing her wrist and pulling it away. He placed himself between Dana and the door. How can I explain this, he sighed to himself.
“Please don’t ask me any questions. Just… you guys check out that door on the right. I’ll go in here. It will be quicker if we split up,” he said, hoping they wouldn’t pry further.
Dana raised an eyebrow and stared into his eyes. Eventually she scoffed and turned around to the other door. “Fine, we’ll do as you say, big fella. You better tell us what’s inside.”
Ronan let out a sigh of relief and sank against the door. He knew what was waiting on the other side. The others didn’t need to see it.
He waited until they’d all gone into the treasure room and took a deep breath. Then, he pushed open the door and walked inside.
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