Unranked ascension a lit.., p.34
Unranked Ascension: A LitRPG Adventure, page 34
“You have my thanks, little bloodsucker. It cost me a great deal of magical energy and careful planning to control the mind of this child of mine, but even with all my efforts, something inside him refused to submit completely. He had surrendered his body to me, but he refused to surrender his soul. That is... until you drove a sword through his heart. As thanks for the favor, I’ll give you a few minutes head start. Hahahahaha!”
Lucius’ eyes widened further as he took a few steps back. What he had thought was the killing blow had, in fact, made the situation even worse. The leader’s body shudder and twist as the flood of gray smoke entered it through every wound and orifice. The man’s form rapidly grew, doubling and tripling, enlarging until it became at least ten times its original size. The leader’s clothes had long since disintegrated, and long gray fur sprouted across the darkening skin. His arms and legs lengthened and distorted, large paws forming at the end of each limb as a long, shaggy tail sprouted from his back.
Sense Danger has detected a C-Class threat!
When Lucius saw the message from Sense Danger, he knew that his luck had run out, he glanced back in the direction David had gone with an exhausted frown weighing down his face as he shoutout out a single word.
“Run!”
Chapter 74
Run
Whatever awful abomination the witch was creating from the leader’s body was not something Lucius could easily overcome. Even if Sense Danger hadn’t informed him that the creature being born was a C-Class threat—an entire class higher than Lucius—the blaring alarm in his chest was enough to let him know he needed to get away as quickly as possible.
Lucius grit his teeth as he reluctantly activated Flicker once again. It was not a wise choice, but what other options did he have? Even before the skill took effect, a wave of dizziness passed over him as the consequences of overusing the skill manifested. He pushed himself through exhaustion by sheer force of will, clenching his fists and breathing deeply as he ran to keep from collapsing.
As he shot past the group of men gathered around the campfire, Lucius couldn’t bear to look at their faces as he passed by, knowing that he was leaving them to their deaths. He knew that many of them were most likely as innocent as Sarah or Nick, but the circumstances were dire, and he wasn’t even confident of his own survival. He couldn’t save anyone else right now. Lucius knew that he had no choice but to use them as a distraction to buy himself time, even though it left a foul taste in his mouth.
Lucius shook his head, rebuking himself for getting distracted by things he had no control over in such a critical moment. He doubled his efforts as he sped through the underbrush like a rocket. He used Sense Danger to track the man David was chasing, zeroing in on their location. Weaving through the trees, Lucius quickly spotted his target. David was moving through the underbrush with an angry grimace, struggling to catch up to the fleeing man, his injured side slowing him down and preventing him from doing so.
Without saying a word, Lucius dashed past David, lifting the large man into the air with telekinesis and pulling him along as he fled through the forest. Ignoring the startled shouts of his companion as well as the confused look on the face of the man David had been pursuing.
Back in the clearing, a massive gray wolf the size of a full-grown buffalo stood where the leader’s body had once been. The wolf was missing its left eye—an empty socket was all that remained on that side of its massive head. The beast let out a deep, guttural growl as it surveyed the clearing with its single remaining eye.
A small, elderly woman with a sickly thin body and long wiry white hair floated down from above. She was riding inside an oversized mortar and pestle as if it were a chariot as she stared lovingly at the giant wolf. The old woman leaned over the side of her unconventional steed as she stroked the side of the massive beast’s face with her wrinkled and boney hand.
“Happy birthday, you who are my firstborn child! Go and eat your fill—everything that moves upon this earth belongs to you!”
The wolf let out a howl so loud and powerful that it damaged the eardrums of the nearby humans, the men around the campfire fell to the ground holding their hands against the sides of their heads in an attempt to stop their eardrums from bursting. That was the moment they finally realized that they were doomed. The men watched in impotent terror as the large wolf rushed up to the campfire, tearing the closest member of their group to pieces before their eyes. Only now did the cowardly men try to run or fight back, although their efforts were even more futile now than they would have been before the leader’s transformation.
A short, overweight man with a crossbow in his hands stood before the creature. He knew he was the slowest man in the group, and didn’t even try to run. Instead, he stood his ground and aimed his weapon at the approaching beast’s face, his voice trembling as he tried to talk his way out of the situation.
“Boss! It’s me! D-Don’t do this! I’ll do whatever you say!”
“Good! I want you to fill my stomach!”
The man’s face turned pale in horror as he heard the sinister voice in his mind, squeezing the trigger just as the wolf launched itself forward. As the arrow reached the creature’s face, the wolf shifted into an ethereal, ghostly image of itself, allowing the bolt to pass harmlessly through. It had apparently retained the leader’s powerful aspect—that aspect likely being the reason Baba Yaga chose to use him in the first place.
The remaining men scattered in all directions, screaming in terror as the overweight man cried for help. His desperate begging went unanswered as he was devoured in a horrific display of violence by the hungry wolf.
Lucius raced through the forest, a loud howl off in the distance sending chills up his spine. He continued to put as much distance as he could between himself and the clearing, ignoring the disgruntled complaints of the man floating behind him.
“Put me down, goddamn it! I’m going to puke!”
David was currently floating upside down, his large body crashing against low branches and slapping into trees as they tore through the woods. Lucius’ telekinesis wasn’t strong enough to properly carry someone as heavy as David. He was barely able to lift the man and drag him along behind himself. Any notion of maneuvering him around obstacles was out of the question—hence the current spectacle of David being rudely smashed into one object after another.
“Quit complaining! You’re too slow with that injury, and we need to get as far away as possible before that creature decides to track us down!”
“What creature!? What the hell are you talking about?”
“It’s hard to explain. Just know that the leader is gone, and something much more dangerous has taken his place.”
David wanted to keep arguing, but when his legs smashed into a passing tree, it sent him spinning like a top as he floated through the forest. He pressed both hands over his mouth, trying desperately to avoid vomiting. Unfortunately, he failed—a flood of vomit shot out of his mouth like a sprinkler from hell.
“Uuuggh... w-where are we going?”
Much of the energy had drained from David’s voice after the motion sickness overtook him, but Lucius’ next words seemed to infuse new life in him.
“First, we need to make sure that thing isn’t following us. Then, we’re meeting up with Sarah. From there, we’ll head back to the farm, where you’ll both be reunited with Maryanne and your mother.”
Lucius had some experience with tracking and hiding trails, so he made his way to a creek that cut through the forest. He let out a relieved breath when they reached it without any warnings from Sense Danger to indicate that the creature was close to catching up.
Waving one hand through the air, Lucius slowly lowered David into the creek, allowing the man to walk on his own as they sloshed their way through the water.
“So... Lucius, is it? How is... how is my baby girl?”
Lucius glanced up at the imposing man beside him, noticing how David’s fierce expression had softened for the first time as he spoke about Maryanne. Exhausted from the overuse of Flicker, the tough fight, and the frantic escape, Lucius responded with more attitude than he normally would have.
“Hmph. Maryanne is doing well—no thanks to you. If I hadn’t stumbled upon her, the poor child would’ve starved long ago! How did you even let yourself get captured by that psychopath in the first place?”
David looked away, his face turning a shade pinker than usual. He rubbed the back of his head, pretending to cough.
“Ahem. That... I was. Naive. The three of us had been hungry for weeks before I left to hunt for food. When I stumbled across the leader, he pretended to be a generous, kind man. He said he was willing to share food with my family. I was deceived.”
Lucius shook his head as he peered ahead through the darkness. Just around the bend was the wooden bridge that crossed over the creek, connecting them to the dirt road where Sarah and Nick were waiting. David was clearly strong—very much so—and yet appeared to be quite lacking in common sense.
“Forget it. We’re almost there. Let’s get Sarah and get the hell out of here.”
David nodded firmly and hefted his heavy axe over his shoulder, following Lucius as the two men climbed up the creek bank toward the road.
Chapter 75
Two Tokens
After stepping onto the dirt road, David followed behind as Lucius as he retraced his steps toward the place where Sarah and Nick waited. When they got close, Lucius spotted the tent he had left behind for them, as well as a small fire. Sarah was sitting by the fire, rocking back and forth with her arms tightly wrapped across her knees and an anxious expression on her face as she stared into the darkness. Nick was curled up in the fetal position inside the tent, snoring loudly. Sarah jumped to her feet when she heard their footsteps. Moisture filled her eyes when she saw who it was and realized that Lucius had been successful.
“Oh, God! David!”
Sarah rushed up to her husband, accidentally pressing against his wounded side as she hugged him.
“Ah! Ah! Be gentle, my love.”
“You’re bleeding? Here, let me see!”
Lucius ignored the reunion behind him, quickly nudging Nick with his foot to wake him. The moment the young man woke up, Lucius grabbed a flaming log from the fire and threw it into the tent.
“W-What are you doing?” Nick bleated as he shot out of the tent.
“There’s no time to pack up the tent, and I won’t leave something that can be used to track us behind. Let’s go, now. I’ll explain on the way.”
A few moments later, the group was moving at a brisk pace down the dirt road. Lucius continued to badger them to increase their speed every few minutes as he watched the forest around him with an intensity that unsettled Sarah and Nick. The petite woman was the first to inquire about the events that had left Lucius so on edge.
“Lucius... what exactly happened back there? When I saw you returning with David, I assumed everything went well. Was I wrong?”
Lucius glanced down at the woman walking behind him. She stayed close to David, as though afraid he would disappear from her grasp.
“I guess you could say everything was successful. I rescued David, and I killed the leader. The problem is... he didn’t stay dead. And what he became after I ran my sword through his heart isn’t something we can fight right now.”
Nicolai’s eyes widened when he heard Lucius talking about his uncle. He rushed forward to match Lucius’ pace as he spoke.
“My... my uncle isn’t dead? What does that mean, exactly?”
Lucius let out a deep sigh, slowly shaking his head back and forth as he responded.
“It was a trap, Nicolai. I’m sorry. You were right about your uncle—he was being controlled by a powerful witch named Baba Yaga, and I played right into her hands. She used me to destroy the last traces of your uncle’s ability to resist her. When I drove my blade through his heart, Baba Yaga gained full control, using your uncle as a sacrifice to spawn a powerful creature.”
Nick looked at the ground, covering his mouth with one hand as tears dripped down his face. He wiped the teardrops away with his dirty sleeve before a look of resolve took over his face.
“Baba Yaga... I will kill this witch for what she has done to my uncle, no matter how long it takes!” Nicolai lowered his clenched fist to his side as he continued speaking. “Is this new creature still my uncle, or something else entirely? I... need to know if he is truly dead, or if his soul is trapped inside that creature!”
Lucius couldn’t help but look away from Nicolai’s questioning gaze as he responded. He didn’t want to see the pain he would cause the young man when he spoke his next words.
“I’m afraid your uncle’s soul is trapped inside. He had managed to avoid surrendering his soul to the witch all this time. I broke down his final defenses, and Baba Yaga now has control of both his body and his soul.”
After speaking that awful truth, Lucius remained silent as the companions continued to move with all the haste they could muster. The sun was rising over the horizon, and Lucius finally released Mythification, allowing Whisper to take shelter within his storage ring. Without the benefits of Mythification, the exhaustion Lucius felt became even more unbearable.
He added two attribute points to Stamina to take the edge off, letting out a sigh as the small boost of energy filled his body. It felt like he had just woken up from a nap that was far too short nap and had a cup of coffee. He still felt miserable, but it was bearable.
Since he had six points remaining and only needed five points to Strength to cross the 40-point threshold, Lucius decided to do so immediately to increase his power in case Baba Yaga and her new child caught up with them before they reached the farm.
A message from the system popped up in his vision as he felt the effects of his increased Strength course through every muscle in his body.
Congratulations! You have reached 40 points in the Strength attribute, passing the first magical threshold! There is enough magic in this attribute to generate a related Talent. Taking into consideration your current attribute distribution, talents, aspect, and personality, the system can generate a new Talent for you.
Would you like to generate a Talent now?
Lucius gave his confirmation, and the system followed his command.
Generating...
Congratulations!
You have unlocked the Talent Sundering Strike.
Sundering Strike: Your impressive strength has turned your bare fists into valuable weapons on the battlefield. Focus your power into a single precise strike, destroying or cracking the armor of your target. Unarmored opponents will suffer internal bleeding and bruising from this attack.
Lucius read the description as he continued to walk, rubbing his chin as he considered how to integrate it into his fighting style.
“Hmm, an armor-breaking attack. Not as useful as I would have hoped against the wolf, but a valuable talent nonetheless.”
Next, Lucius turned his attention to the two item upgrades he had gained from closing the anomaly and defeating the skeleton. The first was only of [Enhanced] quality, but that was perfect for the bracers Jack had made for him. Lucius didn’t hesitate to use the first upgrade, focusing on the pair of items covering his forearms as he activated the token with his mind.
Lucius was relieved when he saw that the token treated the bracers as a single item, and began upgrading both at the same time.
Sarah and Nick jumped back when they noticed the sudden swarm of bright lights, but David only looked on with curiosity and continued to watch closely as the process unfolded. It was obvious to Lucius that this wasn’t David’s first time witnessing the use of an upgrade token.
When the process completed, Lucius pulled up the new description of his pair of items.
Vicious Guard: Steel Bracer, Quality [Magical]
Defensive bracers crafted by a novice artisan, raised to their current quality through the use of an upgrade token. These steel bracers come equipped with retractable spines that can stop a sword from sliding during a block and can be used to directly attack an opponent.
Infused Steel: The presence of magically infused steel allows this item to endure 40% additional damage before it is destroyed.
Lucius gazed down at the bracers on his arms. Somehow, the system had crafted them to match his black armor. He wondered if that had been intentional or if he had subconsciously influenced the appearance of the bracers to suit his preferences. Regardless, the sleek black metal fit well, and Lucius was satisfied with his new items.
When he read about the retractable spines, he inspected the bracers again, trying to figure out how to use the new function. The moment he imagined the spines extending, they did exactly that. Lucius raised an eyebrow as he examined the spines running down the entire length of the bracers. They started off as short spines near his hand, growing longer gradually as they moved toward his forearm.
The spines resembled the spikes one might see depicted on the back of an image of a dinosaur, or dragon. The design had a satisfying, animalistic look, and the spines themselves extended with incredible force. The bracers were certainly no toy.
Lucius entertained himself by retracting and extending the spines a few times, holding his arm up for David to see. The large man observed the upgraded items eagerly.
“Very impressive. I’ve seen an item upgrade used like that once before, but I never got one myself—you’re lucky to have received one!”
Lucius glanced at David from the corner of his eye, unable to suppress his smirk as he responded.
“Actually, I had two.”
Chapter 76
Homebound
As they continued walking toward the rising sun, Lucius turned his attention to the armor covering his chest. Even though the sleek black item was relatively new, it was already of [Rare] quality and would be an excellent choice for his second token upgrade. Lucius pulled up the description of the armor to review it before using his upgrade.
