The Crimson Quest: A LitRPG Adventure

by J. B. Smith

  The NPC clapped his hands. “Very good. There is n't a lot of power behind it, but you will get better over time. Just keep practicing.

  I wanted to practice for a long time, but wondered if the guards were coming to get me. "Is my time frozen here?" Or will the guards come and get me?

  "The guards wo n't come looking for you here," the NPC replied. "Once you've purchased a skill, you can practice for as long as you want."

  Yes. It was awesome. Practicing this skill would be a lot more fun than going back to my cell. But more importantly, I had to master this skill and use it against Cosmo in the Colosseum. “I want to practice until I have mastered this skill,” I replied.

  "It's okay. Your mana levels are low, but you can deliver a more powerful stun than you just achieved. Once you hit your max level, I'll let you know."

  Time seemed to stand still as I practiced this skill over and over again. I failed several times, but my successes became more and more frequent. After improving in the first part of the movement, the NPC showed me how to preform the upercut. After about two hours, I was at the point where I could deliver the skill with certainty. I didn't want to tire myself too much and knew my fight with Cosmo was only a few hours away. I thanked the NPC and started to leave. Just before opening the do or, I had a pop-up alert in front of me:

  Congratulations!

  You have learned a new skill!

  Melee Combat: IronPush

  Impressive! I opened my character stats sheet and noticed I had a new skill listed:

  Walker Williamson - Level 6

  Human male

  Statistics:

  HP: 20/20

  Endurance: 14

  Mana: 10

  Attributes:

  Strength: 18

  Persuasion: 4

  Intelligence: 1

  Willpower: 1

  Stealth: 2

  Agility: 3

  Skills:

  Melee Combat: IronPush

  Benefits:

  None yet

  Capacities:

  None yet

  I realized that melee combat was a completely separate skill tree. How many moves could I learn in this game? It all sounded so exciting. Eventually, I would have a ton of different moves under my belt. Then I could start to climb the Colosseum and hopefully become Grand Champi one day . I opened the door and left the skill store. Once outside, I knew the guards were coming to get me. Near the fountain, I saw the Grand Champion and his girlfriend. I started to walk closer to them, but was stopped by one of the guards. "Your free time is up for today," he said, grabbing my arm.

  "Awesome," I replied sarcastically.

  The guard led me past the Grand Champion and his girlfriend. Then, with surprise, I noticed her looking at me. What the hell? Did she really remember me? I smiled at her and she laughed. Then, in surprise, she smiled at me and waved her hand at me. I couldn't believe it. She remembered me. The guard pulled me forward, but I couldn't leave without saying anything. "I'm fighting tonight at the Colosseum," I shouted at him . "You should watch me."

  The Grand Champion turned and gave me a devilish look. He looked at me as if I were the foam of the earth. But that didn't bother me. I knew he didn't care about her. He probably saw ten other girls on the side. He pulled her arm out and put a finger in front of her face. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but he sounded upset. Oddly, she didn't sound angry. Instead, she laughed.

  I know it sounded pathetic, but the fact that she remembered my face gave me hope. I knew I couldn't compete with the Grand Champion, and she probably thought I was pathetic. Still, I knew I had a chance with her in the future. As we returned to the dungeon, my thoughts quickly went in a different direction. My thoughts have changed for the fight that awaits me. I wondered if I could really beat Cosmo. I had everything I needed, but could I really beat him?

  Chapter thirty-three

  When I got to my cell, Douglas seemed to be waiting for me all day. The guard threw me inside and slammed the door. Douglas clenched his fist together. Then he started to sting in front of him. "I would have liked to fight tonight," he said with a flurry of punches.

  "Yeah. I'm ready for that. I just wish tonight would move on and get here.

  "Are you going to kill him?" Tell me you'll kill him if you have the chance. Right? This is very fun. Believe me on it. So you 're going to kill him, aren't you? Douglas asked with wide eyes.

  “I don't know. I haven't thought that far yet,” I replied.

  “The crowd goes mad when you fight to kill. It is so rewarding.

  "I don't know yet if I want to kill him," I replied.

  "He deserves it. You know he does.

  I sat in the far right corner of our cell. He deserved it, but death seemed too real in this game. If I had the chance to kill Cosmo, I wasn't sure what I would do. I tried to clear my mind by continuing to wait. Then I got a new pop-up message alert:

  “Hey, it's me Johnny. We're all going to watch the fight tonight. I can't wait to see you kick Cosmo's ass. This guy is a real loser. I just wanted to let you know that we'll be there. Maybe tomorrow we can all have some beer to celebrate your victory. It would be really cool.

  Johnny.

  If I won, tomorrow sounded like a good day. My body began to rock back and forth with nervous energy. I just wanted the moment of truth to come. Douglas walked over and sat down next to me. “Just take as much damage as possible with the shield. Once the magic starts to build up there, you can scrape off the dust and lace your blade with it. Remember that dust will make your blade stronger. So put as much as you can on the blade.

  “I have a plan,” I replied.

  Douglas looked surprised. "What is that?"

  "Don't worry. You'll see soon enough. Better to leave something as a surprise."

  Douglas pushed my shoulder while showing a half-smile. “Come on. You can't just say that and not tell me.

  “It's a surprise,” I replied confidently.

  Douglas stood up and rubbed his hands. “I knew you had a plan. I could see it in your eyes.

  “I just need some time for myself. It's time to prepare for battle.

  “I understand that,” Douglas replied as he walked across the cell. “Some people need time off, some don't. Everyone is different."

  We didn't say anything else for the next few hours. Douglas just sat in the opposite corner and looked at me. But it didn't bother me. I knew the troll suffered from a gaze disorder and I had learned to accept it. Time passed as my ears listened to the sound of the incoming footsteps. I knew they had to come, but I just didn't know the exact time . Then I heard something. There was a soft pound, then another followed. I jumped up and ran to the bars and tried to spot the guard. The footsteps got closer and closer until I saw him. “It's time for you to fight in the Colosseum, ” he said as he opened our door.

  The guard grabbed my arm as Douglas quickly let the guard know he wanted to watch the fight. The guard informed Douglas that another guard would be coming to pick him up shortly. The cell door behind me closed as the guard led me down a long hallway. A thin layer of sweat formed on my forehead as I continued down the hall. After what appeared to be the longest walk, we came to a small room.

  Shit. I almost forgot about the embarrassing little encounter they had with us before the fight. What was the point of all this? The guard pointed at the round wooden table and I sat down. My eyes looked at the painting of the emperor on the wall. Was I really going to have to look at his crappy painting before every fight? On the table were two plates of rice and two cups of water. Damn, I was sick of the rice. Couldn't they even give us a good meal before a fight? Not even a banana? Come to think of it, I haven't eaten a banana since arriving here. Shit. How low were my potas sium levels ? I was probably very low in potassium and didn't even realize it. It was something I never really thought about.

  Suddenly the door opened. It was Cosmo, and he looked more sober than ever. "Do you like your rice?" he asked with a smirk.

/>   "It's the only thing I eat," I replied.

  He pulled up a chair and sat down. Then he picked up some rice and put it in his mouth. After he finished his rice, he drank some of its water. He wiped his mouth and rested his chin on her other hand. "I almost feel guilty even beat you," the aide there .

  I laughed. “Dude, don't even try to act like that. Don't act like you much better than me.

  He looked at the table below him. “It will be too easy for me. You know that, don't you?

  “It's weird, I was just thinking the same thing. I just thought it was going to be too easy for me.

  He took a sip of water and placed it gently on the table. “I have been known to kill players in the Colosseum. Did you know?

  Kill players? Shit. These words hit me like a train. I did n't want to show fear, but those weren't the words I wanted to hear. Did he really kill players in the Colosseum? The thought of becoming a lost soul in the middle of this damn problem scared me. With so many thoughts going through my head, there was a brief moment of silence. A brief moment of silence that might have looked like fear. My head was going side to side as I tried to think of something to say. Something to show that I wasn't afraid. "Fuckin 'death," I replied with a face hard as a stone.

  Cosmo slapped the table. "This is going to be fun. I will enjoy tearing you apart while the crowd cheers for me.

  I bit my lip. It didn't sound like fun to be torn apart. But these were just words I refused to believe. Next to s, I was sure it was nothing more than a figure of speech. I looked at its display name and noticed that its level had increased a bit:

  Cosmo Dust - Level 19

  Human - Mage

  Level 19? Sure, he was on a higher level, but I had a plan. A plan I was convinced would work. Suddenly there was a thud. Behind us stood a guard. “It's about time,” he said.

  Cosmo stood up and held out his hand. I looked at his hand and looked at his face. "Do you expect me to shake your hand?"

  His handshake lingered in the air. “I always shake hands with those I kill,” he replied.

  I slapped his hand. "You're a little slut, and I can't wait to kick your ass tonight."

  Cosmo looked at his hand but said nothing. The guard grabbed my arm and led me out of the room. Then he did the same to Cosmo. I stood on one side of the guard, while Cosmo stood on the other. We started our walk to the Colosseum by walking down the long hall . At the end of the hall, I could see the light. The light that came from the entrance to the arena. The closer we got to the light, the louder the crowd became. Then I felt it. I felt the sunlight hit my head. We had arrived at the arena, and it was the moment of truth.

  Chapter thirty-four

  Shit. I didn't care what happened. I was going to fight until I died. If I have become a lost soul, so be it. All I cared about was beating Cosmo, and I wouldn't stop until I beat him. I quickly made sure I had everything I needed. I was wearing my armor DragonFrost but I still had to equip my Soul Sword Hand. I opened my inventory and equipped my sword and shield. The FlatStone shield was my most precious possession. Once fitted, I looked at my entire layout. Honestly, I didn't look half bad. The hilt of the white sword went well with my white armor. My shield looked pretty cool in its own way as I held it up in the air and watched the sunlight reflecting off it.

  I looked at everyone who was looking at us and realized that the Colosseum was even more massive than I remembered. It was much more crowded than the last time I had fought. Thousands and thousands of random faces stared at us. Damn, was the whole town watching the fight? The crowd roared as Cosmo scraped off dust and threw it into the air . He took out his sword and pointed it at me. After that, he threw his sword into the ground and jumped up with a roar. The crowd cheered louder as white flowers were thrown into the arena.

  The guard looked at me and then pointed to the opposite side of the arena. "This is your position."

  I started to run towards the opposite end of the arena. But, when I got to the middle of the arena, I stopped. I knew Johnny, Todd, and Sonny were watching . Not only that, but the Grand Champion's girlfriend might have watched as well. I needed to do something cool. Something everyone would remember. I watched the cheering crowd around me. My head moved to the ground as I began to slam my sword against my shield. Then I threw my sword and my shield in the air. The crowd has gone mad. The noise was almost deafening, but it really turned me on. I ran to the opposite corner of the arena and took my position.

  I looked across the arena and saw Cosmo. He wore his black robe and only had one sword. Honestly, I didn't expect him to have a sword. But, I guess it made sense. Who would come to the Colosseum battle without a sword when it was allowed? I was not afraid. In fact, I was more confident than ever as I waited for the bell to ring. After a few moments, the crowd started to stomp. The Colosseum literally began to rumble as the bell rang. The crowd shouted "Fight, fight, fight" over and over again.

  Cosmo's body started to move. He was far away , but was approaching quickly. I took a deep breath and tried to plan my first move. I had six basic healing potions and one basic mana potion. Cosmo stood in the center of the arena. What was he doing? Was he waiting for me? I started to walk, but my steps were slow. Still, Cosmo waited. The crowd seemed irritated by my slow walk, so I started to walk faster. Eventually my walk turned into a run, and within seconds I was right in front of Cosmo. He smiled at me. "Ready to die?" He asked.

  I held my sword in the air and I left the sun glowing hit the blade. "I am ready to kill," I replied.

  Cosmo spat on the floor. Then he started to walk alongside her. His eyes were fixed on me as my shield moved past my body. “Come on,” I shouted. “Do something. Stop talking and do something!

  Cosmo swung his sword and hit my shield. Then he tried to hit me again, but I blocked him. The size of my shield was huge and I was grateful for it. In a strange way, I almost felt like a turtle hiding in my shell as I held it in front of me. Cosmo seemed irritated by the size of my shield. “Get out of there,” he shouted.

  I did not answer. I looked at him and noticed he was looking at his hands. They were glowing and I knew he was about to use his magic. With a quick movement, I rushed forward and hit him with the bottom of my shield. "Shit," he mumbled, stumbling back.

  A sudden burst of joy followed as I tried to make the most of my attack. My sword flew over my head as I hope to deliver a devastating blow. But, something strange happened. An unseen force prevented my blade from descending and my body flew back. I landed on my back. Damn, that hurts. Without warning, I saw his blade descend towards me. I quickly put my shield on my chest and heard a loud bang. Then there was another. "Die," Cosmo yelled.

  I jumped with my shield. I held him to my chest and focused on his sword. Cosmo wiped his nose and twirled his sword in his hand. Shit. This sword was a major problem. He was using his sword more than his magic. In truth, I did not know how much longer I could defend myself against his sword. But how was I going to get his sword? Cosmo lowered his head. "You are lasting longer than I expected," he said with a sly laugh. “But you won't last much longer.

  Suddenly his hands lit up with energy. My shield went past me and pushed against my body. Yes! The strength of my shield told me he had used magic. I touched the front of my shi eld and I noticed a small layer of dust on it. I wiped it off and looked at it. It sparkled white and almost looked like sand. I looked at Cosmo and smiled. "Is that all you got?"

  Cosmo raised his sword in the air and pretended to go down with it, but then stopped halfway. My shield went up when he kicked me in the left knee. I fell by my side while my shield supported my body. After that he punched the left side of my head. Then he grabbed my hair and hit my face on the ground. My fingers caught on the shield because I knew I couldn't let it fall. Damn, it hurt, and I could taste the blood in my mouth. I didn't realize how poor my health was and didn't have time to check it out. I held my shield firmly while feeling a tugging sensation. "Give me that," Cosmo yelled, trying to pull it
out of my hands.

  My body came up as he tried to pull the shield away from me. But I wouldn't allow it. I wouldn't allow him to take it from me. The force of the pull actually pulled me to my feet. Th before was a struggle, but I regained my balance. Then I ran full force as he continued to fire my shield. Using his own momentum against him, I kept running until he fell to the ground. I was above him and I was in control. My sword came down and took his sword. Our blades clashed for several moments as my blade moved closer and closer to its throat. For the first time, I saw fear in his eyes.

  I pushed his blade as hard as I could, but my body jumped back. Damn, he had used his magic again. I landed on my side and quickly got to my feet. Cosmo took out a potion of green liquid and swallowed it. Wait. Was it his mana potion? Was he already running out of mana? If that was the case, I knew his levels would be depleted soon enough. I quickly looked at my health bar. Shit. I had already stayed at 20/06? I ran a safe distance from Cosmo. I had to heal myself and didn't want to risk getting hit while doing it.