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MADMAN APOCALYPSE
Chapter -124

Chapter -124

Congratulations! You have unlocked an achievement! x

‘Double Trouble’

Defeat a Boss with two phases.

There are not a lot of Bosses like this between the 1st and 2nd GAME Events, but they will become more common after the 2nd.

We’re hoping that having more Bosses like this will actually prevent you from just one-shotting your way through every encounter. And at least this time that seems to have been the case.

Still, the Mayor was meant to require a group of powerful Players to take down, not just two people…

Reward: 50x ‘GAME Coins’

Congratulations! You have unlocked an achievement! x

‘You got on HER bad side…’

Survive a trap laid by the Flayed Queen.

The Flayed Queen, despite being an Absolute of unknowable power and influence, is a surprisingly-vindictive bastard. That’s right, we said it!

It took us a moment to figure out why she was angry at you, but it seems the fact that you rejected her blood was the main reason.

Really just goes to show how petty she can be. But, then again, she always loves taking an active role in the GREAT GAME, and she was probably banking on you wanting to become her Beneficiary.

Anyway, she’s not even allowed to do what she did, but, you know, Absolutes can kind of just bend the rules through sheer power. Nevertheless, we can assure you this won’t happen again!

Reward: Restraining Order against the Flayed Queen

Congratulations! You have unlocked an achievement! x

‘Knight takes Pawn’

Defeated a Red Pawn.

Red Pawns come in many variants and sizes, and are normally not part of the GREAT GAME until after the 4th GAME Event. This should be obvious, given how powerful they are.

The fact that you managed to defeat one is quite spectacular, although you also tweaked your luck to make it happen, so we don’t view it as a display of skill.

Regardless, such a feat must be rewarded.

Reward: ‘Core of a Red Pawn’

image [https://i.imgur.com/dzHq93Z.png]

image [https://i.imgur.com/xkiSQ6V.png]

image [https://i.imgur.com/iIHmnkw.png]

The Core arrived in my hands and looked like a red Leftovers Wisp, but smaller. Despite being made from incorporeal matter, I was able to hold it in my hands.

Bee and I had split the 2000 Coins, and along with the 50 from the Double Trouble achievement, I was now sitting at 2558.01 Coins in total.

“I want to go back to Shellby and buy some more stuff,” I commented.

“Was just thinking the same thing,” Bee replied. “That Tincture really came in handy.”

“I should’ve bought one too.”

“Really hope you two get how lucky you were!” Panda lectured. “You don’t just survive a trap laid by the Flayed Queen. She’s known for how deadly her retribution is!”

“It’s good to know that Spin the Wheel can be quite powerful when paired with a Lucky Dice,” I mused.

“You’re not listening to me!” he exclaimed.

“I hear you just fine.”

“You only have one more of those left anyway, so you shouldn’t bank on it saving the day again.”

“There must be a reliable way to get more.”

“I wouldn’t count on it,” he replied. “But maybe you get them from things involving chance? You got your first from beating Bee and Lordie in rock-paper-scissors after all.”

“I got the second one from destroying the Broadcast HQ though.”

“Let’s destroy the rest and get you more,” Bee said excitedly.

“Might as well,” I replied.

Panda sighed loudly.

I lifted up the Core in my hands and inspected it:

‘Core of a Red Pawn’ x

This Core is technically identical to a Leftover Wisp, but imbibing its essence allows you to attain a modicum of the Red Pawn’s powers.

Weight: 1 Panda

image [https://i.imgur.com/EQKwJS2.png]

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“What do the other items do?”

“Have a look,” Bee said, depositing the Halo, Tongue, and Mask on the pavement between us.

‘Halo of Thorns’ x

The Flayed Queen, the Betrayer, the Primogenitor of Envy, is often likened to a thorny rose. She has a way of luring you in with her outward beauty, but, when you embrace her, you are impaled upon her thorns.

If you serve her, you are willingly piercing yourself upon her thorns.

Returns 25% of incoming damage back to its source as blood-based magic damage.

Weight: 3.25 Pandas

‘Bodysnatcher’s Tongue’ x

The tongue of the Boss Monstrosity known as the Bodysnatcher.

In order to unlock the powers trapped within, you must smack it as hard as you can.

(It’s not a fetish thing this time, we promise!)

Weight: 1 Panda

‘Red Pawn’s Mask’ x

The mask of a Red Pawn, torn from its body after death. As with any pawn, they are easy to replace.

Equipping this mask immediately forces a Spontaneous Class Change to ‘Red Pawn’.

Weight: 2 Pandas

image [https://i.imgur.com/f409F9x.png]

image [https://i.imgur.com/KslAGgn.png]

image [https://i.imgur.com/XP2Pszl.png]

“I think you should use the Tongue, it might give you something good.”

“Obviously you should throw away the Mask,” Panda advised. “Red Pawn is just another word for ‘Slave to the Flayed Queen’.”

“The achievement said the Flayed Queen can’t hurt us anymore, so I say we keep it and sell it.”

“What about the Halo?” Bee asked.

“It fits with your wand, so I say you keep it too.”

“What about you? You did all the work, but you’re only gonna take the Core?”

“Think about it, the Red Pawn was level 99, so it’s got to give me something ultra-strong, right?”

She nodded, then put the Halo of Thorns atop her head, where it immediately resized itself and began to hover, spinning around very slowly. Then she took the flat of her hand and smacked the absolute shit out of the Bodysnatcher’s Tongue.

Bee grunted. “It was a fetish thing, apparently. They said they are going to distribute the footage to all the nine Demonic Realms.”

“Isn’t it illegal to do that with a minor?” I asked.

Panda shook his head. “It’s non-graphic, so it’s more-or-less just like those old Nickelodeon shows.”

“Ah, I see. Nonetheless icky though.”

“I’m not arguing with you there,” he replied.

“Still, that reference came to you a bit too easily,” I remarked with a suspicious glare.

“I don’t like what you’re implying,” Panda grumbled, crossing his arms.

“I’m just saying, maybe you really liked those weird slime shows.”

“What are you talking about?” Bee asked.

“You’re too young to know,” we replied simultaneously.

“It’s a blessing, truly,” Panda added.

“You said it.”

I lifted the Core up to my mouth before throwing it in. It immediately flew down into my lungs like an inhale of fresh air, which was a surprisingly-nice feeling.

Choose your reward! x

You basically just ate the body of a Red Pawn.

Kind of weird, not gonna lie.

But hey, if you’re into that, I guess we won’t judge you.

Pick one of the options:

‘crimsonContagion’ | ‘Crimson Claymore’ | ‘Crimson Armor’

‘crimsonContagion’ x

Ability

Once it’s started, it never ends.

Target a Player and inflict them with the ‘Insanity Virus’. Every minute, they get +1% to their Insanity Gauge. If they touch another Player, they pass the Virus on to them and are spared. If a Player with this contagion hits 100% Insanity, they turn into a Bloodfiend that can spread the Virus with its attacks.

Charge: 1/1

‘Crimson Claymore’ x

Ability

A Red Pawn uses condensed hatred and envy to construct its deadly weapon. It is a simple but undeniable power that it wields.

Manifest a claymore made of crimson energy that can cut through anything.

Duration: 1 minute

Cooldown: 1 hour

‘Crimson Armor’ x

Ability

A Red Pawn uses condensed contempt and jealousy to construct its armour. It is a simple but undeniable defense that it imbues.

Manifest a suit of armor made of crimson energy that can withstand anything.

Duration: 1 minute

Cooldown: 1 hour

image [https://i.imgur.com/ZldXRoW.png]

image [https://i.imgur.com/e8Sj45A.png]

image [https://i.imgur.com/wKF2VaT.png]

image [https://i.imgur.com/tdgyEco.png]

I scratched my head. The Contagion ability seemed fun and could potentially work great if I fused it with something else, but if I was intentionally spreading insanity around, didn’t that make me the bad guy?

“You should take the armor,” Panda advised.

I nodded and picked the sword.

“You—!”

“I don’t need defense, Panda. And look at it this way, if I’d had that sword, I wouldn’t have had to burn a Lucky Dice to kill the Pawn, right?”

“Not sure it would’ve worked on him,” he muttered.

“Anything good on your end?” I asked Bee.

“Should I pick defense or attack?”

I considered it for a moment, before saying, “Definitely defense. You’ve got a lot of power already and with every level your power grows, but the Pawn made it obvious that you need more protection.”

“Then I’m picking this,” she said and shared a tooltip:

‘Fluid Metal Innards’ x

Unique Passive

Maybe you did not realize, but the body of a Bodysnatcher is, just like its cousin the Capgras Demon, made entirely of a type of organic metal.

Your flesh and organs become organic metal that slowly heals itself over time.

You take 25% less damage from all physical attacks, but you become extremely vulnerable to frost magic.

image [https://i.imgur.com/imhuH88.png]

“Holy shit, a unique passive!?”

“I’m a bit worried about my insides becoming metal and the whole frost thing.”

“It’s a good choice though.”

“I concur,” Panda added.

“Okay!”

After picking it, nothing changed about her at all.

“Do you feel any differently?”

“No…”

“Why do you sound disappointed about that?”

“I don’t know. I expected there to at least be a little bit of fanfare or something.”

“You could try cutting off a pinkie-finger and seeing what it looks like,” Panda suggested darkly.

Bee and I both went silent, before turning to slowly look at him.

“…What?”

“That was fucked up,” I commented.

“I thought you were meant to be the voice of reason,” Bee said disappointedly.

Panda was holding his head in his squishy fingerless arms. “Why did I just suggest that?? What’s happened to me!?”

Suddenly, a wash of light filled the entire area, as though a massive spotlight had just been switched on. It easily covered an area that was half a mile across, centered on us. I looked up and saw an enormous black shape in the night sky, which blotted out Messimer’s eyeball moon.

“What the—”

Giant overlapping triangles appeared on the ground, before a warning went out to the area:

WARNING!

Child Protective Services have come to collect a Wayward Minor in distress.

The Amoral Pervert known as ‘Gambit’ has kidnapped her and will face public execution.

All other Players should vacate the landing zone.

“Uh oh.”