Ascension

by B F Rockriver

  Sidestepping an attack from an injured goblin, Eli shouted his reply, “Calm the fuck down. We got this; it’s just a fear effect. Fight through it,” he said while repaying the goblins attack with a slice along its wrist. “We just need to take out the undead first. Focus on them; hopefully, they can’t be brought back a second time. Then we go for the necromancer.” With now practiced ease, he put a red X over the top of the two zombies' heads, removing the one above the enhanced bodyguard. “You focus on them, aim for their heads. I’ll take care of this little bastard right here. Then we go for the boss.” Don nodded, but his expression still looked grim as he went back to back with Eli.

  “Well, would you look at that. Another new ability, Inspire Allies. You’re doing great. Keep up the good work.” The AI’s female voice said, slithering back into Eli’s mind as he readied another attack.

  Shut up. I’m kind of fighting for my life here—actually, our lives. Eli replied, bringing his dagger up to chest level, ready to strike.

  In unison, the two adventurers struck out at their targets. Eli thrust forward with his dagger, knocking aside his enemy’s weapon. With a fluid twist of his blade, he sent the Goblins' dagger flying, then angled his own towards the creature’s wrist. His dagger met flesh as it gouged a long slice down his enemies, only useful arm, severing tendons. Behind him, Don’s pace returned slightly, as Eli saw his friend’s stamina bar drop rapidly. The Turta was burning through his remaining stamina like wildfire through dry brush.

  Don’s staff swung in large arcs towards a pair of slow-moving legs, knocking one undead goblin to the ground. He then shifted his weight, moving his feet in a wide triangle formation as the other pressed on. The zombie grasped at his torso, trying to halt his movement before Don shifted his weight, causing the creature to stumble past him. Then everything went silent. The world seemed to pause, as several words of power echoed through the trees.

  Eli’s eyes narrowed as a bright flash of emerald light appeared to his right, and the world turned green. He knew the caster was calling up some unknown spell but had no idea what it would be. Raising a sandaled foot, he smashed it into his wounded enemy's chest and kicked with all of his might. The attack sent his enemy flying and him backward, straight into the zombie attacking his companion. Not a breath later, a bolt of eldritch energy, taking the shape of an arrow, flew through the space where he had just been. Green sparks lit up the sky as the eldritch bolt struck the staggered goblin in the face. The place where its head had been was now nothing more than a glob of molten flesh. Its legs gave out as its still twitching body fell to the ground. Below him, he heard a moan, as the undead creature he had smashed into clasped him around his chest with unearthly might. Sharp teeth dug into his clavicle and neck as the zombie started biting him. Searing pain shot through him as the monster began clawing deep gouges into his chest through his ragged armor.

  Blighted Goblin Scout (Undead) - LVL 4 Bites you for 25 damage!

  *Effect: Disease - You have been diseased! Health regeneration -50% | - 5

  Charisma for one hour*

  *Effect: Bleeding II - 2% of total HP drained per second for 10 seconds

  HP: 94/180

  Blighted Goblin scout (Undead) - LVL 4 Claws you for 15 damage!

  HP: 79

  Eli shook as he felt the toxic saliva enter his veins, the thick sludge-like fluid burning him from the inside. The flesh where the creature was still biting him burned like a hot iron. His health had been slowly draining from blood loss, but his natural regeneration slowed the effect. Now, it plummeted. The once full health bar had started to drop as the stacks of bleeding took their toll. He couldn’t die here, not to filth like this. People were counting on him.

  Rage burned the last of his lingering dread from his mind as he struggled to raise the hand with his dagger. The creature was insanely strong, undeath bolstering its usually minuscule strength. As he pressed against the zombie’s grasp, he heard ligaments and muscles tear and snap. Eli pressed his hands together, making a wedge, and pushed. With every ounce of effort he could manage, he lifted his arm free and slammed his blade into the side of the undead goblin's face, just above the ear.

  Eli’s knife entered his enemy's brain at an angle, and then the Goblins went slack. Again the creature was unmoving in death, hopefully for good. Sore muscles burned as Eli’s body relaxed on its own, his stamina nearly empty as he laid atop his fallen foe, the battle raging on around him. He looked up as the final zombie, and the bodyguard now entered the fray. His mind was foggy, clouded by exhaustion as he rested, wanting to sleep. For a moment, he watched as his friend struggled.

  Don had ended a second undead but was now entirely out of stamina. He was standing out of sheer force of will and struggling to stay on his feet. The strange adventurer swayed, his usually fluid motions stiff, and haphazard. He batted away the slow attacks of the last of the walking corpses with a pained look on his face, his wounds taking a toll. Bite marks dotted his skin, but he was still standing, still fighting. That changed the moment the empowered Goblin appeared, followed by another wave of energy coming from the Necromancer.

  Eli, not waiting to see what would happen next turned, and threw his boot knife towards the Goblin Necromancer. It flew, blade forward, and crashed into the still-active shield, causing it to crack. Dozens of tiny fractures sprouted from the point of impact, as another string of light sprouted from the shield and latched itself onto the empowered Goblin. The glowing emerald eyes of the bodyguard flickered, and a fresh fount of blood drained from its ears and nose.

  A flash of clarity overtook Eli as he realized what was happening. The shield was tapping into the life force of the Caster’s Minion. The Necromancer was using his ally to power his spells. Just as the thought entered his mind, the necromancer slammed his staff to the ground yet again. The mouth of the skull on the staff opened, releasing a glowing arrow. Dread overtook Eli as the projectile ripped through space, right at his friend’s chest.

  There was nothing Eli could do but watch as the arrow slammed into Don’s shoulder, throwing him back several feet. Don screamed in agony as he slammed into the ground, the strange energy melting through flesh and bone. The monk's health-bar dropped from half to less than ten percent in an instant. A moment later, it flashed, took on a greenish-black hue, then continued to drop. Eli knew that Don had moments to live, and that was if he avoided any more attacks.

  He grabbed a club from the clutches of one of the several dead enemies who littered the battlefield and rose to his feet. The weapon was small and felt more like a baton in his hand, but it would have to do. There were no other options; he had thrown his last remaining weapon. Summoning all of his strength, he leapt to his feet, his legs burning from exhaustion.

  Eli roared to attract the attention of the warrior who was walking towards Don to finish him. His enemies both turned to face him, now realizing that he would still pose a threat. Then they rushed him. He knew that it was impossible to damage the Necromancer, while his bodyguard was still alive. So he ran to meet him. The creature planted his feet, readying an attack. Eli pressed forward, blocking the crushing two-handed blow with his club. The two weapons met, and pain shot up Eli’s arm from the impact, but no real damage had been done. Using his size and strength to his advantage, Eli pivoted and pressed into his attacker's reach.

  Within striking distance, Eli unleashed several wild swings of his fist into the Goblin's face and throat. Not caring about where he struck, he didn’t bother to aim, choosing to rain blows until he felt his enemy’s strength waver. He only needed a moment, one opening. Then he would strike.

  His enemy's knee buckled slightly from the pain, and Eli seized the opportunity to circle to the goblins' side, reaching his free hand to the back of the goblin’s neck. With a quick motion, he grasped the warrior by the nape and slammed the butt of his club into its teeth. Blood erupted from the creature’s mouth as teeth shattered, pressed into its throat. Then the leader was upon him, twirling his now glowi
ng staff in a circular pattern with practiced ease.

  Eli hoped that the Necromancer would not want to engage. He needed time to take care of his companion but would not get it. The glowing, open-mouthed skull portion of the staff let loose crackles of energy as its wielder swung it towards Elis’ head. Eli threw the goblin bodyguard at the Necromancer, and dove to the side. The distraction caused the Necromancers swing to miss, as Eli rolled, narrowly avoiding a vicious blow. While rolling to his feet, his hand landed on the hilt of an obsidian dagger. He grabbed it, rising back to his feet in one fluid motion. Turning to face his opponents, Eli wielded a dagger in one hand and a small club in the other.

  A voice, from a distant memory, flashed into his mind, “Never stop moving,” the words were those of Kata’s father, Chief Chaveyo. The Chief had drilled them into Eli after he had proposed to his daughter, “If you are to marry my daughter, you must be able to protect her.” He had failed him, but he would not fail his friend.

  Eli’s face grew cold and fierce, all distractions fading away, leaving only focus and intent behind. His rage dissipated, it would not help him here. A club shot towards him, slower than before. He stepped forward and to the side, narrowly avoiding impact. One of the dagger-like stones embedded into the wood of the weapon caught him, tearing through his skin. Blood trickled down his arm in a small stream, and his health bar flashed. The attack did no real damage, but reset his bleed timer.

  The still-glowing head of the staff swung at him in an upward strike, to crush his more sensitive bits. Eli spun to his right, continuing forward. A rush of air flew by his face as the staff nearly caught the tip of his nose. Throwing his elbow out, Eli aimed an attack for the Necromancer's face. Again, the shield sprang into place; it's flash dimmer than before. Energy poured from the living battery, causing the bodyguard to stagger as health drained from his body.

  The Necromancer's staff stopped mid-swing and released a blast of eldritch power into Eli’s chest. The bodyguard wavered again, as even more of life force was tapped to power the Necromancers spells. An intense wave of nausea struck Eli, nearly forcing him to his knees. His insides burned as if being corroded by acid. New notifications flashed by.

  Blighted Goblin Necromancer - LVL 6 Uses Inflict Harm! You take 31 Necrotic damage.

  Effect: Poison -You lose 5 health per second for 5 seconds. *

  Effect: Sickness - Poison resistance-25%

  Effect: Nausea - Movement and attack speed reduced by 25%

  Eli was now at below a quarter health, still bleeding, and poisoned. He didn’t know how long he would hold out, but none of this mattered to him. Pressing forward, raising his baton sized club, he attacked. His movement was erratic as he slammed his club into the Necromancers shield over and over. Each attack drained the life from the goblin bodyguard, causing its movement to slow. The glowing field of protection flickered and cracked under each blow. Eyes growing wide in shock, the Goblin now understood what Eli was doing; taking a step back, he mentally pushed his bodyguard into action.

  Eli turned towards his attacker, avoiding a wide, slow-moving, blow with ease. Using his momentum, he swung his club and smashed it into the side of the barely moving goblins head, caving in its skull like a paper-mache globe. The necromancer's shield flickered out of existence in an instant, leaving him with little protection. But, he was still unharmed, and Eli now only had the stamina for one or two more attacks.

  The Necromancer danced backward, putting space between himself and Eli. It was useless. Eli had already turned and flung his club at his enemy. His status bar flashed yet again, as he read. Stamina: 15 / 130. One more attack, he thought to himself, as he used one of his new abilities, Lunge. Moving on its own, Eli’s body dug its feet into the ground before launching him forward. In an instant, he had caught up to his thrown weapon as it flew through the air. Reaching his foe just after his makeshift projectile struck home, he attacked.

  The Necromancer's nose shattered from the impact of the small club, spraying blood onto the damp stones and dirt. Then Eli’s dagger found a new home in the goblin’s throat. The viscous crimson liquid flowed from like a waterfall down the creature’s chest as he removed the dagger and stabbed his enemy again, and again, not caring about his depleted stamina bar. When his body would no longer move, Eli fell to his knees, and a notification flashed before his eyes. With a single thought fading in his mind, not again.

  *Warning you are out of stamina*

  Stamina: 0/130

  You are unconscious.

  With a single thought fading in his mind, not again, his world faded to black.

  Chapter 25

  Eli’s body felt weightless as he drifted off into unconsciousness. The battle had drained him of everything he had, and his body had finally given out. Seeing no timer, no sign that he was still alive, Eli panicked. He was back in the void. The strange limbo between life and death. His panic faded as a lack of sensation took hold, and his willingness to fight slipped into a feeling of calm. Once you get used to it, it’s not that bad.

  As he floated, weightless voices chimed in the distance—children’s voices. Eric and Savannah were playing. Their soft, nearly inaudible laughter brought a current of joy to Eli’s soul. He missed seeing them smile, missed helping them with their chores, and even breaking up their fights. That was gone. Everything was gone. The joy of their laughter, feeling the warm sunshine on his face as he laid in the grass of his fields. Those memories were fading with each new one that he created in his new life. Conflicted, Eli willed himself closer to the sounds of his children. He drifted instinctively, knowing how to traverse the foreign, formless mindscape. As he moved, a light in the distance took shape, forming a scene of a lavishly furnished room filled with alien-looking technologies. He was back in that alien world, so familiar, yet so distant.

  Moving images played out on hovering windows, showing scenes of war on a scale Eli had never thought possible. Weapons made of strange-looking materials fired bolts of light that looked like rigid lightning. A finely dressed woman spoke in the background, explaining the scenes as they played out. Tiny machines scuttled around the floor, cleaning up debris and placing what he knew were toys to their proper locations.

  “A resurgence of violence has become problematic for the creation of the United World Government. Groups of rebels from several countries have banded together to oppose the formation of the first worldwide governmental System.” The image of a tan woman in a pristine dress appeared on the screen, talking to her audience.

  The view changed to an unreal scene, similar to the one he experienced during character creation. Kata sat on a plush couch, holding a device that increased the volume of the strange picture box. “Kids, settle down, or go to your rooms. I need to see this.”

  Suddenly, a massive metropolis filled with flying vehicles and floating high-speed trains appeared on the screen—tall buildings acting as massive greenhouses sprawled into view. The image focused on the train, as a massive explosion tore through the cars launching it from its tracks. Screams erupted as fire, and the forces of physics ravaged people's bodies. As the image panned, nearly a thousand corpses littered the well-paved streets below.

  A moment later, the well-dressed woman returned, as they cut the audio from the gruesome scene, “The UWG has issued a general warning. Avoid public transportation, densely populated areas, and financial buildings. Multiple terrorist attacks have hit the megacities of San Francisco, Seattle, New York, and Los Angeles. We are KATU News.”

  The image vanished, leaving him in shock as feelings of intense remorse and sadness washed over him. No amount of weightlessness or lack of tactile sensitivity could erase what he saw. He wished he had been erased from existence altogether. Then the woman’s voice faded, being replaced by the soft, steady voice of a man.

  “Eli, you need to forget. Forget all of this and forget who you were before you were reborn.” The voice was his own, but more monotonous and devoid of emotion. “That is not your life anymore, thi
s pain, this suffering, it is unnecessary. You do not belong in that world. This world. The world of Entarra is your home now.” Eli felt the man speaking as if coming from within him. “Do not bother yourself with these tricks of the mind, these feeble images, and mental constructs. They are not real, and reality is all that you experience here, in your new life. You have a path laid out before you with endless possibilities. There is no need to suffer, to feel pain, or anguish in self-pity. Find new friends, new family, and live forever. That is what you-.” The words cut off as Eli felt a rush of energy and a bright golden glow replaced the endless darkness of the void.

  Eli wanted to stay, to listen to this strange being. He needed an explanation, needed to hear that everything would be okay. No matter how he struggled, he could not hold on to his place, his endless mental landscape. Then two words, their shimmering white lettering set in a golden glow, told him exactly what had brought him back.

  Level Up!

  Eli opened his eyes as a strange scene played out before him. Don, who was still bleeding, nearly missing an arm, was nudging him weakly. “Eli, wake up, man. You need to wake up. I know you’re not dead. I can see your health bar.” the Turta whispered as he prodded Eli’s side with his eyes closed, nearly unconscious himself.

  “I’m here, man, thank---” Eli started before being lifted off of the ground, his words cut off. His body locked in place while rotating into a standing position, three inches from the ground. Suddenly, the welcome golden light enveloped him holding him in place while a surge of energy coursed through his body. All the pain and emotional uncertainty fell away like shedding skin. Eli smiled, the first genuine smile since waking up in his new body. His friend was alive, for now, and he was back to perfect health. He loved leveling up.