Forge master a litrpg ad.., p.31
Forge Master: A LitRPG Adventure (Tower Book 1), page 31
Behind them, the plant continued to rage against the burning flames, smashing its bark-covered pods into the flames until they died out. However, the flames were stubborn, and before they vanished, they had consumed two of the vine whips and burned a dozen of the vines covering the ground. Though the vines made no sound, Thorn didn’t need his mental sense to tell that the plant monster was enraged.
He could feel the intense anger seeping into the air, causing a grim feeling that set the hair on the back of his neck dancing. It would mean death to stop, so Thorn didn’t, continuing to maintain his silent advance as he tried to outpace the vines that had started to sweep the area. Thorn was concentrating so fully on avoiding the plant monster’s vines that he nearly missed the pounce of the giant cat monster.
The only warning he got was when a single, huge, lamp-like eye opened up in front of him and a monster that looked like the cross between a giant cat and an armadillo threw itself at him. Without thinking, Thorn let out a shout and warped to the side, barely getting out of the way of the monster’s snapping jaws. Unfortunately, his Titan’s Step ability still wasn’t very strong and he only flashed six feet to the side, not quite managing to get out of the way of the creature’s shoulder. Feeling the thick armor plate slam into him, Thorn was thrown to the side, losing his balance and rolling over on the ground.
Slapping his hands against the ground, he launched himself forward, barely clearing the area as a bark pod crashed into the ground, splattering the cat monster into paste. Seeing blood splashing toward him, Thorn rolled over and pulled at the earth, forming just enough of a wall that it missed him. He could hear the blood corroding the earth and he knew he’d made the right choice. Unfortunately, as he stood up, he saw a dozen more lamp-like eyes opening around him.
This doesn’t look good.
[Less talking, more running, please.]
Thorn had never agreed with Eve more in his life. Crouching slightly, he shot off, no longer bothering to conceal his pounding footsteps, fleeing deeper into the ruin as the cat armadillos let out shrieks and gave chase.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Leaping over a twisting vine, Thorn stumbled slightly as he landed, his footing unstable as he ducked his head down to avoid the swishing tail of a pouncing monster. Scrambling forward, he felt a faint sense of danger and immediately used Titan’s Step, putting as much strength into his steps as he could. With a smoothness that defied description, he slipped through the fabric of the world, traveling eight feet sideways as a massive knotted bark pod crushed the ground where he had just been. Unable to maintain his movement pattern, he snapped back into the real world and took off running, ignoring the angry hisses behind him.
The cat armadillo monsters were intent on catching up to him and paid the whip-like vines no attention, despite the casualties the plant monster was causing. Clutching his shoulder, Akira rode with him as he sprinted, her head turning this way and that, searching for an opportunity. Running through the endless darkness, Thorn could sense that the concentration of mana in the air was actually getting lighter and the cloying darkness didn’t seem as thick. He had lost his lightning blade after falling from the platform, but he still had his magic to defend himself.
Eve, can you tell me what tier we’re looking at with these monsters?
[The plant monster is a ninth- or tenth-tier creature, and the lantern-eye cats are fifth tier.]
So you’re saying if I stop running, I’m dead.
[Effectively. Akira would possibly survive.]
[Maybe not,] Akira interjected. [That plant thing really doesn’t like fire. I can sense that it’s locked onto me. Master, we may need to split up.]
“Absolutely not.”
Sensing another lantern-eyed cat sprinting ahead to cut him off, Thorn turned at an angle, cutting straight toward it. The monster, surprised by his change in direction, turned to face him, only for him to vanish, leaving it staring in bewilderment as another lantern cat that had just pounced toward Thorn slammed into it. Hissing and spitting, the two monsters slashed at each other for a moment before rejoining the pack chasing Thorn. Thanks to his Titan’s Step, Thorn was barely keeping ahead of the monsters, but he could feel the toll it was taking on his body.
When he had been in Angoril, a single use of the spell Earth Step had taken him anywhere in the world he wanted to go, but between the pressing darkness and his lack of connection with the earth of this world, Thorn was forced to use the martial art he’d learned, Titan’s Step. The only silver lining was that the constant use was slowly driving up his level of familiarity with it, slowly increasing the distance he could travel with it after each use.
Feeling Akira tense slightly, Thorn was about to ask what was wrong when Akira suddenly pushed off from his shoulder, the force throwing him sideways. Slamming into the ground, he slid into a large structure, causing it to shake. Small items that looked like metal vials fell to the ground around Thorn as he sprang to his feet, his eyes seeking through the darkness to try to find Akira. A faint whistling rang out and three large bark pods pulverized the ground where Thorn had been running, causing him to swallow hard. If he’d continued to run, he wouldn’t have been able to escape from the range of the three vines, even with Titan’s Step.
[Master, it’s continuing to target me. I’m going to lead it away.]
“Akira, we need to stick together!”
Able to hear the edge desperation in his voice, Akira replied in a more serious tone than Thorn had ever heard her use.
[If we do, we will both die. I can keep the plant monster busy while you escape, and then I’ll join you later.]
“No, I’m not running away while you put yourself in danger.”
[Master, you’re the weakest creature in here at the moment. You’ll just slow me down. Don’t worry, I’m the best Ailuridae and the fastest too. I’ll be fine. Besides, our souls are connected, so you’ll be able to sense that I’m okay. And if I do die, you’ll just have to summon me again.]
Without giving Thorn a chance to respond, Akira ignited her flames, causing a crimson glow to spread out around her as her mana fought back against the darkness. A vine that was about to crash down on Thorn suddenly shifted its direction, flying toward her as she took off, drawing a red streak across the darkness. A lost feeling surged through Thorn’s chest as she vanished into the distance, but the lantern-eye cats weren’t about to let Thorn have time to mope.
[Snap out of it, Thorn!]
Hearing Eve’s shout, Thorn threw himself backward, rolling under a pouncing monster. Fury blazed up in him and he spat out an arcane command, conjuring a bolt of lightning that ripped through the air, only to splash against the lantern cat’s thick armor plates. Apart from a scorch mark, Thorn’s spell did no damage, but he at least realized he was able to cast spells thanks to the thinning of the darkness-imbued mana. Gritting his teeth, he gave one last glance toward the direction Akira was running and then split off and started to flee again.
As much as he hated to admit it, Akira was right. He was clearly the weakest party here. Sprinting into the darkness, he used his mental sense to locate the smoothest path, and as he ran, he began to realize why Akira had split off. All around him, he could feel the plant monster’s vines twisting and turning as they crept in the direction Akira had gone. Gritting his teeth, Thorn wanted to slow down and chase after his battle pet, but the chasing lantern-eye cats were too close, their giant glowing eyes staring unblinking at him as they raced along behind him. The only saving grace was that their armored plates made them just barely slower than he was.
More and more vines crawled past him, paying no attention to his running or to the monsters that chased him, proving that Akira had been right. The plant monster, for better or worse, was entirely focused on the flame-attributed Akira, leaving Thorn and the monsters chasing him to their own devices. Launching himself to the side, Thorn rolled out of the way of another pounce, racking his brain for a solution to his predicament.
Any ideas? he asked Eve, using his hands to push himself up from the floor.
[A few, but only one viable. I hesitate, however, as it is dangerous.]
More dangerous than this?
No sooner had he asked the question than a powerful force slammed into Thorn’s side, sending him tumbling head over heels. Groaning as pain shot through his back, Thorn twisted himself over forcefully and landed in a crouch, sliding across the floor. It was getting harder to keep ahead of the lantern-eye cats, as every dodge slowed him down. He could feel the bruising starting to develop on his back where the cat monster’s tail had clipped him. Taking off running again, he realized Eve hadn’t actually replied to his question.
Uh oh.
[Indeed. I am estimating less than a twenty percent chance of you surviving unless you can face one of the lantern-eye cats directly for at least three minutes. After three minutes, your survival rate goes up to seventy percent, as long as you do not aggro the plant monster.]
And if I do? Thorn asked through gritted teeth.
[Zero percent.]
Eve’s voice was completely flat and matter-of-fact, causing Thorn’s heart to drop. Secretly, he had been hoping he would be able to figure out a way to turn the situation around and help Akira, but reality wasn’t so kind. Still unwilling to believe there was no other option, Thorn was about to protest when Eve’s next words extinguished any hope he had.
[If Akira had not diverted the monster’s attention, you would already be dead. You are too weak to help, Thorn. You need to figure out how to survive for now and then work on helping Akira later. She is stronger than you think, Thorn, so let her be and focus on how you are going to stay alive. If you die, she is doomed as well.]
Suppressing the curse that rose to his lips, Thorn could feel anger starting to eat away at him. He was unwilling to abandon Akira, but he had no ability to help her either. The emotional part of his brain wanted to throw caution to the wind and turn around, but a ruthless pragmatism had taken hold of him. Never in his life had he felt so utterly helpless. That overwhelming desire to turn around and throw himself at the lantern-eye cats was ruthlessly crushed.
What’s your plan?
[Keep running. You need to gain as much distance as you can from the lantern-eye cats, and I need your permission to burn five Destiny Points.]
Fine.
Pulling his focus into himself, Thorn stepped forward, his foot shifting slightly as it landed on the stone floor, pulling him forward through the fabric of the world like a needle. Another step carried him even further forward, but the third step faltered and he snapped back into the world, feeling like he had run into a brick wall. Throwing the pain aside, Thorn forced his foot forward, crushing the frozen air with pure force as he executed Titan’s Step again. With each step he took his body groaned and twisted, but he completely ignored the discomfort and executed Titan’s Step over and over, each successful step carrying him further and further forward.
It was pure madness to practice such a dangerous martial art at a time like this, but Thorn was beyond mad. He was being forced to flee, forced to abandon Akira, and the feeling was tearing apart his soul. What was a bit of physical pain? As he pushed himself harder and harder, he could feel his heart pumping, sending out streams of earth-attributed mana to try and heal some of the damage he was suffering as he forced Titan’s Step to work. The mana that flooded his body pulsed along with the rhythm of his heartbeat, seeping out of his body.
Sensing a strange feeling from under his feet, Thorn abruptly stopped, his eyes going wide. Blood dripped from a dozen gashes on his legs where the force of stepping through the world had ripped his skin apart. The tiny distance he had opened up between the chasing lantern-eye cats rapidly shrank into nothing, and three of the monsters all pounced at once, their gleaming eyes flashing with excitement.
[Thorn! What are you doing?]
Unable to understand what was going on, Eve let out a shout, but Thorn seemed not to hear her. Instead, his brow furrowed slightly and he took a simple step to the side. Mana flashed under his feet and his body faded, reappearing twenty feet away. Slamming into each other, the lantern-eye cats fell into a tangle as Thorn took another step, this time walking forward. Once again, mana spread from the sole of his foot as he took a step forward. The air shimmered with mana as Thorn stepped through the world again, emerging smoothly twenty feet ahead of his position.
Hah! I understand!”
Elated, Thorn took another step and then another and another, traveling twenty feet forward with each step. It took him a moment to make each step, but as he kept practicing his new fusion of Earth Step and Titan’s Step, he slowly grew faster and faster at activating it. Originally, he had been unable to use them together in this world because of his lack of connection with the earth, but as he had been forcing his way through the world, he’d realized he was still holding on to his understanding of Angoril.
Before he’d left the lower world, Thorn had been intimately connected with it. In many ways, right before his ascension, he’d been the world. That feeling lingered and had been preventing him from understanding the earth-attributed mana in this new world he found himself in. In a peculiar twist, it was only when he finally accepted his weakness that he had been able to shake off that lingering sense of strength, allowing him to begin to understand how earth-attributed mana was organized in this world. The result was immediate and apparent.
With each step he took, the distance between Thorn and the lantern-eye cats grew, buying him a bit of breathing room. However, as he gained a bit of margin, worry flooded back into his mind and he nearly missed a step. Shaking his mind free of thoughts of Akira, Thorn quickly checked to make sure she was fine and, sensing no problems through their connection, refocused his mind on running away.
Three minutes wasn’t a long time, but to Thorn, each second felt like it was being dragged across his mind kicking and screaming. He couldn’t help but count down the time as he led the lantern-eye cats on a wild chase through the darkness. By this point, the darkness-attributed mana had grown thin enough that it posed no problem to Thorn, allowing him to breathe clearly again. As he raced forward, his Titan’s Step grew stronger and stronger, causing the distance between him and the lantern-eye cats to grow even further. When two minutes and forty-five seconds had passed, Thorn asked Eve what was next.
[Next, you need to turn around. We are heading for the exit.]
Are you serious?
[Entirely. We have traveled almost four miles, but it should not take nearly as long to get back. I will begin when you turn around. Oh, and brace yourself.]
With those ominous words, Eve fell silent. Swallowing, Thorn briefly considered asking her for more information, but something in him knew that if he heard what she was planning, he probably wouldn’t agree to it. Deciding to trust her, Thorn skidded to a stop and threw himself the other direction, heading back toward the chasing monsters.
[Wolf form.]
Nodding, Thorn narrowed his eyes and his body began to grow and stretch as he dropped to all fours. The transition to his giant wolf form was smooth and it didn’t stop him from using the Earth Step spell. Rushing into the middle of the lantern-eye cats, Thorn activated the spell and warped forward, appearing on the other side of them. Thrown into confusion, the monsters piled up in their efforts to turn around, but by the time they did, Thorn had nearly vanished into the darkness.
Sprinting ahead, Thorn could feel the darkness-attributed mana in the air growing thicker by trace amounts, but he was moving too quickly to take note of it. Eve’s words were still ringing in his head, and the sense of foreboding they brought was only growing stronger with every step he took.
[Whatever you do, do not stop moving,] Eve said, her voice quiet.
CHAPTER FORTY
About to ask what she meant, Thorn felt a prickling sensation on his skin as the air around him suddenly shimmered. He had felt this happen twice before, once when he attacked the nest, and again when he was attacked in Droukna. Recognizing it as the exhaustion of a Destiny Point, he was about to say something when the prickling feeling transformed into a deep burning sensation and the shimmer around him grew fierce. As it faded, Thorn suddenly felt a hole forming inside of him, a cavernous, devouring hole that began to pull the darkness-attributed mana from the air.
Startled, he directed his mental sense into his body, where he saw an astonishing sight. In the center of his chest, he could see the Atlas Star, a dimensional gate that emitted an endless stream of earth-attributed mana into his body. On the edge of it, in one of five blank spaces, was the totem for Earth Step he’d carved while he was in Nova Terra. What drew his attention, however, was a series of empty beads that ringed the outside of the device. Into one of these beads poured the darkness-attributed mana.
About to ask what was going on, Thorn saw the barest hint of a symbol beginning to form on the bead and his mind went back to the moment he had first gained the Stone Heart. During the furious fight against the mad mage Courdum the Stone King, he had watched as the Stone Heart had been formed through the concentration of earth-attributed mana the insane dwarf had gathered. He had even repeated the spell Courdum had used right before he left Angoril to provide his living simulacrum with a copy of the Stone Heart to power it while he was gone.
Now, he was watching the same thing happen once again. However, this time, it was happening with the thick darkness-attributed mana that flooded through the ruins. The burning in his skin began to penetrate deeper into his body, searing his muscles and burrowing into his bones, bringing with it a pain that felt like he was being ripped apart, little by little. Thorn had never been flayed, but he could only imagine it felt like this. Feeling single strands of skin, muscle, and bone being peeled away over and over, Thorn suppressed the scream that rose up his throat.
