Forge master a litrpg ad.., p.25
Forge Master: A LitRPG Adventure (Tower Book 1), page 25
His mental sense screamed a warning at him as Thorn barely managed to move his shoulder out of the way. Burning pain lanced through him as the crossbow bolt left a stinging furrow across the top of his shoulder. Straightening up, Thorn was going to try to retreat, but before he could, his mental sense screamed again and he spun, crossing his arms in front of his chest just in time to intercept the axe slashing toward him. With a booming sound, the axe slammed into Thorn, launching him back into the alley’s wall, crushing stone and sending fragments of the broken wall flying.
Thorn had barely managed to wrap his arms in mana before the axe hit him, and though his bones were fine, the mana had been broken, leaving lacerations on his forearms. Knowing he had no time to stop and take stock of the situation, Thorn threw himself to the side, barely avoiding another fierce stab from Gorver’s sword. The three adventurers worked in tandem, trying to cut Thorn down, their movements significantly faster than his. Bouncing to his feet again, Thorn, who had lost his bone blade, thrust both his hands out, forming three more hexagonal earth mana shields that floated in front of him.
Another rune pulsed to life behind the shields, reinforcing them and increasing their strength, while at the same time, a layer of stone began to rise up from the ground to provide some defense. Sharing a glance with his companions, Gorver couldn’t hide the surprise he felt. Thorn was, as far as he could tell, barely in the fourth tier, yet he had not only managed to survive against the three of them for a dozen attacks, but had even killed their companion.
Sparing a glance at the body of the caster he had brought, Gorver couldn’t suppress the flash of annoyance that raced through him. Adventurers with a full magic build were few and far between, and it would be a pain to replace her. He still didn’t know what Thorn had done to move so fast and strike so hard, but he was wary of the Titan, on the off chance that he could do it again. Lifting his sword, he readied another attack, timing it to coincide with both an axe blow and a crossbow shot. As he gathered his energy, mana flooded through his legs, allowing him to speed up until he was little more than a blur.
Sacrificing two of his hexagonal shields to the axe attack to slow it down enough to retreat out of its range, Thorn was forced to use the last shield to deflect the incoming bolt. The three-sided metal tip of the bolt cracked through the mana shield, barely slowing down at all. Still, the slight change in its trajectory was enough to let Thorn avoid the missile. Even as he dodged the other attacks, Thorn’s main focus was on Gorver and his lightning-fast stabs, but even with his full attention on the gold-ranked adventurer, he was unable to avoid the attack that shot toward him.
Thanks to his mental sense, Thorn had no trouble following and even predicting the attack, but as Gorver’s sword transformed into a silver ray, it moved too fast for Thorn’s body to react. It only took the smallest of moments for Thorn to realize he had no way of avoiding the attack, so he let out a savage yell in his mind and threw himself forward, into the incoming blade. Though he didn’t have time to take a full step, the shift forward in his weight was enough to change the point of the attack, causing the stabbing silver blade to pierce through his shoulder instead of his heart.
Intense pain radiated from the wound and Thorn felt the blade cutting through his muscle, but he completed his step, driving himself forward on the blade. Even as he did, he slashed out with his hand, using the intense pain to focus his mind into a razor. Surprised by the turn of events, Gorver was about to rip his sword free when he caught sight of Thorn’s falling hand from the corner of his eye. Without hesitation, he let go of his sword and bounced backward, escaping from Thorn’s range. He had seen the attack Thorn had landed on his dead companion and he wanted no part of it. As Thorn’s chopping hand passed in front of him, he saw the air slice apart, revealing the darkness of the void in its wake.
The darkness was hidden a moment later as the world healed the tiny cut, but the sight of the void sent a shiver down Gorver’s spine. Mentally rejoicing that he’d chosen to retreat, Gorver took another quick step back, gaining even more distance. Staring after him, Thorn felt regret bloom in his chest. If he had landed the attack, he could have killed or crippled the sixth-tier fighter, but Gorver was simply too fast.
Seeing their leader falling back, the other two adventurers paused for a moment, giving Thorn the opportunity to recast his hexagonal mana shields. Reaching up, Thorn gripped the sword that was still stabbed through him and pulled it out. His expression was set in a stone-cold mask and didn’t even twitch as he removed the blade from his body, despite the pain that shot through him. With a slash, the blade was freed of his blood and he pointed it at Gorver, as if daring the adventurer to take it back.
Even as he was performing theatrics, Thorn’s mind never paused as he spun up spell construct after spell construct. It was clear to him that he was entirely outclassed when it came to his physical abilities. While he may have been stronger than Gorver and Pattia, the axe-wielding adventurer whose name he didn’t know possessed at least as much strength as he did. Without his normal physical advantage, the only thing Thorn had left were his spells, so he poured his mental strength into them.
Runes began to bloom around him, reinforcing the shields he had summoned and gathering power for the upcoming fight. As much as Thorn wanted to hide his knowledge of runes, he was already perched on a knife’s edge and couldn’t afford to hide anything. None of the adventurers had expected him to start creating spell constructs, so when the first two appeared above his head, they were stunned, giving him the chance to activate them. Pulling mana from the Atlas Star, he pumped it into the two constructs, creating two thick bolts of lightning that shot at the axe-wielding adventurer.
With a roar, the adventurer lifted his axe to block them, only for Thorn to thrust out his hand, making a grasping motion. The stone around the adventurer erupted as stone fingers reached up to grab his ankle. Caught off guard, the adventurer tried to step away, but the stone hand was faster, wrapping itself around his leg and jerking down, forcing him off-balance as the two bolts of lightning slammed into him, throwing him back, his chest scorched.
Even before the spells finished, Thorn was casting again, dozens of stone spikes stabbing up through the ground toward Pattia, forcing her to tumble away. Seeing her turn a back handspring to try to get away, Thorn spoke, his voice echoing in the alleyway like thunder. As the words bounced from the walls, a rune appeared above Pattia’s head, forcing her body to slow as everything in the area solidified. Only the stone spikes continued to move, reaching toward her. Though the rune wasn’t able to stop her completely, its effect was enough to allow the spikes to catch up, stabbing into her legs.
Hearing her scream of pain, Gorver’s face twisted and he stared at Thorn, incredulous. He had never seen anyone casting spells so quickly, and while he was confident in his ability to kill Thorn, that close-ranged slash Thorn had shown twice gave him pause. Seeing the adventurer’s stare, Thorn’s lips parted, showing his teeth in a savage grimace. He could feel himself slowing down already, his body overworked from trying to escape the adventurers’ attacks earlier and his brain starting to overheat from the rate at which he was spinning up runes. Still, he faced Gorver with a fierce look, intent on dealing as much damage as he could.
“You surprise me,” Gorver said, two long daggers appearing in his hands. “I never would have pegged you for a mage. Though, given your qualifications as an artificer, I guess it makes sense that you know magic. Hah, shame you aren’t a bit stronger, though. You might have been able to take down another one of us. Unfortunately for you, there won’t be a next time for you to try again.”
Listening to Gorver chatter on, Thorn could sense the edges of his vision getting hazy as the effort he had expended through the fight began to catch up with him. Despite having a limitless power supply for a heart, he had overdrawn it considerably in the last few minutes, and while it had allowed him to survive, it was impossible to sustain. Tightening his grip on the silver sword he still held, he stabbed it into the ground, using it to help him keep his balance.
“Eve,” he mumbled, “how long?”
[You will be unconscious in forty seconds at the longest.]
The savage look on Thorn’s face eased slightly and he nodded. Forty seconds was just long enough to do what he wanted to do. Lifting his hand slowly, Thorn began focusing his mana, weaving it together in his palm. Across from him, Gorver hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he should attack or not. As more and more mana gathered in Thorn’s palm, he found himself torn. Clearly, Thorn was on his last legs and would soon collapse, even if Gorver didn’t attack him. Additionally, the spell Thorn was casting didn’t give off a sense of danger, so Gorver was loath to rush forward.
The seconds ticked by and Thorn saw, through his wavering vision, Pattia and the axe-wielding adventurer struggling to their feet. Both were badly wounded but still alive, causing Thorn to tsk under his breath. He had hoped to kill them, but they were too tough. Finishing the spell he was casting, Thorn suddenly straightened up and lifted his hand into the air. Runes flashed, darting out to surround the alleyway. Looking around, Gorver saw the air solidifying, isolating them from the outside world.
Unable to believe Thorn had just reestablished the barrier that sealed the alley from the nearby streets, Gorver looked back at Thorn just in time to see him sit down heavily, his eyes drooping. Completely exhausted, Thorn couldn’t even keep his grip on the sword. His body was bleeding from a dozen places and intense pain radiated from the stab wound in his shoulder. Normally, wounds of this magnitude wouldn’t be able to stop him, but he had expended so much energy trying to avoid losing his life that he was completely tapped out.
Realizing that Thorn was about to fall unconscious, Gorver took a small step forward, his eyes narrowing. He was unable to read Thorn’s actions and it suddenly made him nervous. Letting his eyes sweep the area, he saw nothing out of the ordinary so he took another step forward, his gaze settling on Thorn. The Titan was in rough shape, barely able to keep his eyes open, but the look on his face wasn’t the look of someone about to die a gruesome death. Shaking his head at Thorn’s bravado, a nasty grin stretched across Gorver’s face and he was about to speak when every single one of his senses went into overdrive.
The temperature in the alleyway abruptly skyrocketed as tongues of flame appeared throughout the air. Taking a quick step backward, Gorver was about to turn and run when crimson flames that promised painful death sprang up around him, trapping him in place as a powerful mental energy forced its way into his head.
[DIE!]
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Crimson flashed across the alley as Akira pounced, her claws carving through the axe-wielding adventurer’s chest with ease. A hoarse scream burst from his lips as he tried to throw her off, but she simply spun in the air, her tail slamming into him and sending him flying into the wall with a sickening crunch. Burning flames leaked from her eyes as she turned to glare at Gorver, who was still staggering, clutching his head. Across the alleyway, Pattia, whose legs were still bleeding from the damage caused by Thorn’s stone spikes, tried to retreat, but before she could back up more than a single step, Akira had crossed the distance, her claws flashing again, leaving a crimson streak in the air as they cut the adventurer in half.
[Master! Hold on!]
A holy light bloomed around Akira even as she shook the blood from her claws, shooting toward Thorn and covering his badly wounded body. Energy flooded into him as his skin began to knit back together and his damaged muscles began to reconnect. Sensing he was out of danger, Akira turned her attention back to Gorver, who had barely pulled himself together. Eyes narrowed, she stalked forward, growing larger with each step until she towered over him.
[You. Should. NOT. HAVE. TOUCHED. HIM!]
With every word she spoke, her aura intensified, pounding in Gorver’s head. Unable to bear the mental force of her anger, Gorver let out a strangled cry and collapsed, blood leaking from his ears and nose. Still furious, Akira lifted her paw and brought it down, crushing the adventurer into a pulp. Turning, her eyes swept the wall where the axe-wielding adventurer was coughing up blood. Flames flickered in her gaze and the adventurer felt his skin start to burn. Just when he was sure he was going to die a fiery death, a heavy voice spoke up.
“Akira, enough.”
[Master, he tried to kill you!]
“Sure, but we need at least one of them alive, and he’s the only candidate.”
Barely able to restrain the fury burning in her, Akira turned her gaze away, as if afraid she wouldn’t be able to restrain herself if she looked at him. Shrinking down, she ran over to Thorn, who was slowly getting to his feet. Jumping up onto his shoulder, she grabbed his neck and rubbed her face against his.
[I was worried about you!]
“Thanks. And thanks for the healing. I was pretty worried too. But you got here just in time.”
Slowly walking over to where the adventurer was leaned up against the wall, Thorn surveyed him dispassionately. The adventurer was dying, each of his shaking breaths bringing with it blood. Fear clouded his eyes as he stared at Thorn and Akira, unable to process what had just happened.
“Akira, can you heal him?”
[Master? But he tried to kill you!]
“Still, he’s no good to us dead.”
Only able to hear Thorn’s half of the conversation, the adventurer felt his fear growing. There was something about the dispassionate way Thorn was looking at him that caused his heart to grow cold. He should have been happy to hear that Thorn was interested in healing his wounds, but for some reason, he suddenly thought it might be better to die.
[I don’t want to!]
“Please heal him. At least to the point that he won’t just drop dead on us.”
Huffing under her breath and glaring furiously at the adventurer, one of Akira’s tails waved and a warm glow fell on the wounded adventurer, sending healing mana into his body. Little by little, the internal damage he had suffered cleared up, healed by Akira’s magic. Finding it a bit easier to breathe, the adventurer felt no better than he had a moment ago. If anything, the more he was healed, the worse he felt as he fully comprehended the sort of position he was in.
“Thank you, Akira.”
[Hmph. From now on, you can’t leave me at home, master. You could have died! No more wandering around by yourself!]
Grinning mirthlessly, Thorn looked around at the ruined alleyway. Akira was right—it had been a close call, and if his initial attack hadn’t worked, his life would have come to an end. For the first time since he’d arrived in this world, the gravity of his situation was clear to him. One wrong step, and he could be snuffed out. If he had been facing a bright-gold ranked adventurer or someone in the seventh tier or higher, he wouldn’t have even had the opportunity to attack.
Even facing Gorver and his companions, Thorn’s survival had only been possible because they had underestimated him so much. If Gorver had gone all out from the beginning, Thorn wouldn’t have been able to last more than a few moments. Thankfully, the thin adventurer had been extra cautious, allowing Thorn the breathing room he needed to stay alive. The entire fight had just reinforced how weak Thorn was, and he could feel an intense desire to improve starting to burn in his chest.
Up until this point, he had largely been going along with the flow, but now it had become a matter of survival. Thorn knew, without a doubt, that whoever had hired the Verka Fang adventuring group to come and kill him wouldn’t be stopped just because he had managed to survive. Instead, they would likely double down, sending even stronger people to remove him. Considering he had just barely kept his head this time, Thorn knew he had to get stronger. Letting out his breath, Thorn pushed the worries out of his mind and focused on the adventurer sitting in front of him.
“What’s your name?”
“Helwef,” the adventurer responded, watching Akira carefully.
“Well, Helwef, I’m sure you know what I want to know, so why don’t you just save us all a lot of trouble and start talking?”
Hesitating for a moment, Helwef finally nodded and opened his mouth to speak.
“We were hired to make you disappear. It was supposed to be a simple job since you’re just a black-iron ranked adventurer. Hah, what a joke. I have no idea who hired us. Gorver handled that and he’s, well...”
Seeing Helwef gesture to the crushed body of his former boss, Thorn nodded.
“Who do you think could have hired you? Do you have any ideas?”
Hesitating for a moment, Helwef shook his head.
“No, I don’t. I’m sorry.”
“That’s fine,” Thorn said, thinking for a moment. “Alright, lead us back to your base.”
Taken aback, Helwef’s forehead furrowed.
“Our base?”
“Yeah. Where were you staying?”
“Um, in the Adventurers’ Guild?”
“In one of the rooms? Is there a way to get to your room without a lot of people seeing you?”
Seeing Helwef nod, Thorn smiled and stood up.
“Perfect. We’ll go and check it out. But first, let’s see what we got?”
While Akira kept a close watch on the adventurer, Thorn searched the three other bodies, taking everything that looked like it had any value. He managed to get nearly fifty gold from the three of them, though most of it came from Gorver’s body. He also found a single gem and a few other odds and ends. After making up a sack from a piece of a robe, he piled everything inside and then asked Akira to burn the bodies up. With a flick of her tails, three fireballs flew out, landing on the corpses and quickly consuming them until nothing remained but ash.
Thanks to Akira’s healing spell, Thorn was feeling full of energy, so he closed his eyes and stretched his hands out, commanding the earth to reform. Broken stone smoothed out and the craters in the ground were quickly filled in until the only sign that there had ever been a fight was a faint scent of blood. Figuring that would blow away quickly, Thorn looked around one more time and nodded.
