The Tree of Ascension: A LitRPG Apocalypse (Peril's Prodigy Book 2)

by Craig Kobayashi

  Garath

  Race: Human

  Class: Necrologist

  Level: 23

  Age: 29

  Health: 930/930

  (base: 720)

  Defense Rating: 285

  Mana: 1,410/1,410

  (base: 720)

  Exp to next Level: 32,185/75,000

  Attributes

  Vitality: 93 (items:+10) - Each point of Vitality provides +10 to maximum Health.

  Wisdom: 141 (items: +60) - Each point of Wisdom provides +10 to maximum Mana.

  Regeneration: 58 (items: +18) - As a Necrologist, each point of Regeneration increases Mana recovery rate by +1.11 per second; Health recovery rate by +.25 per second; and recovery from injury by +2%.

  Strength: 8 - In addition to making one stronger, each point of Strength increases physical attack damage by 1% and reduces damage received from physical attacks by .25%.

  Dexterity: 10 - In addition to making one more agile, each point of Dexterity improves the critical strike chance of physical attacks by +.3%; the critical strike damage of physical attacks by +3%; and improves chance to dodge by +.5%.

  Unused Attribute Points: 44

  Unused Skill Points: 22

  He considered saving his unused APs for a rainy day. Very briefly. If there was one thing Garath didn’t understand, it was stocking up points. It was like holding onto money in Monopoly. Sure, you felt like a baller with all that fake money tucked under your side of the board, but that shit isn’t doing you any good until you invest in some hotels.

  He did take a second to consider his choice to spend the points now, though. The only scenario he could envision making him regret it was the acquisition of an item with requirements he didn’t meet. In that case, having spare APs on hand to reach the threshold would come in clutch. In the end, Garath was not going to keep a stash of APs to hopefully be useful later.

  With that in mind, Garath got to work plugging his points. At first, he considered the fact that he was a damage-dealing caster, leaning him toward pumping all forty-four APs into Wisdom and Regeneration. With his role in group combat, he shouldn’t need more Health than he already had. Frankly, he went a little overboard on Vitality to make it through The Culling.

  That idealistic thinking wouldn’t keep him alive though, if he took more than 930 damage. He knew better than anyone that, in this new world, words like ‘fair’ or ‘likely’ didn't matter. Garath grudgingly placed seven APs into Vitality, bringing his total (including the Item bonuses) to an even hundred. He increased his Regeneration by twelve, bringing it to seventy, and dumped the last twenty-five into Wisdom. With a thought, he confirmed his choices and closed his eyes as the power surged through him.

  Each time he assigned his Attribute Points in the past, Garath had felt the improved stats wash over him in a wave. This time was... different, like a rogue tidal wave of power injected into him through an IV. True, he had never invested over forty points at once before, but he was still shocked by the overwhelming feeling. After a few seconds of enjoying the blissful surge of power, Garath smiled, congratulating himself on his choices.

  Garath opened a dialogue with Alice concerning his Dungeon team. He was surprised by the speed of her reply. The second he confirmed the prompt to send his message, her reply arrived in his inbox. The reply from the Lore Keeper looked almost like a corporate, ‘out-of-office’ template, stating that she was happy to hear from him and to keep her posted on his group’s progress. Garath shrugged, closed his MENU panels, and went on with his morning.

  Chapter Two - Nameology

  The weather felt as pleasant as any July day in the Pacific Northwest, but Garath could feel a summer storm on its way in from the west. The choppy ocean reflected stone grey from the dense clouds overhead. The dense clouds were moving east and toward the shore in a hurry. With his 300% improved sense of smell, Garath could pass as a weatherman just by sniffing the breeze. Rain was on the way. The Necrologist glanced south to check on the plume of smoke that had caught his attention a few minutes before.

  It had been only a minor concern with the column of smoke so far away, but his interest grew when Garath noticed it coming closer. It was strange. There was no fire in sight. Just a plume of smoke wandering through the broken city of Everett. It wasn’t until that moment, with the pillar of smoke rising out of a dense cluster of trees even closer to his position and The Band’s headquarters that Garath decided it was time to investigate.

  He nodded to reassure himself. Okay. A magic smoke cloud is heading this way. It’s probably not a big deal. Right? Just a friendly, wandering, fireless smoke cloud.

  He watched the plume of smoke for a handful of minutes without noticing any changes, so Garath decided he had a few minutes to do something he had been meaning to do for quite some time before investigating the anomaly.

  With a directed thought, Garath pulled his summoned demons from the confines of his mind. The Fel Hound looked up at him, open mouthed and drooling. The Flayer lifted off the ground with an easy beat of its wings and hovered in front of his summoner. Garath looked at the creatures fondly. My reliable little devil monsters.

  "I think it's time you two get your names," he told them.

  The Fel Hound looked intently at his summoner, then did a quick circuit of the area to search for possible danger. Apparently satisfied with their relative safety, it sat in front of Garath with its stubby tail thumping against the dirt. The Flayer glanced down at the Hound with an unimpressed expression, then transferred the same glare to Garath and folded its arms over its bird-like chest.

  Garath considered the Flayer. Its grotesque features and hideous scowl were anything but endearing. Still, the Necrologist felt a certain fondness for the lower demon. He didn’t see the two of them going out for drinks any time soon, but they had fought their share of battles together, and Garath appreciated the ugly little demon for what it was. A killer. With one hand on his chin, Garath grinned at the revolting creature in front of him. He had the perfect name for the Flayer.

  "I'll call you ‘Handsome’" he decided. Beaming in pride at his own cleverness, Garath raised one eyebrow in curious surprise as he received an unexpected prompt.

  Would you like to bestow the name ‘Handsome’ to Summoned Flayer?

  Yes or No

  Not seeing a downside, Garath chose ‘Yes’. If the prompt confirming a system acknowledgement was unexpected, what came next was a complete surprise. The Flayer flashed white, temporarily blinding Garath. When his eyes readjusted, Garath was not looking at a simple, lowly Flayer anymore. Handsome had... evolved? Instead of useless little legs dangling below him and gnarled, twig-like arms protruding from his shoulders, Handsome sported a much more humanoid form. He was still only about three feet tall and had devilish horns sticking out of his bulbous head, and his face hadn't changed in the slightest. But his arms thickened and elongated with tight muscle fibers, and his legs had bulked up as well. Cautiously, Handsome let his feet touch down and he stood, looking back at Garath a whole new demon.

  Congratulations, Garath! Your Summoned Flayer has advanced into a Cambionic Flayer. Born from the union between Man and Demon, a Cambionic Flayer has access to both the Blood and Death schools of magic.

  The following changes have taken place on the Cambionic Flayer, ‘Handsome’:

  1. Handsome's innate intellect has increased. He will be able to communicate with you mentally in one-word sentences.

  2. Handsome will no longer be on the lookout for opportunities to harm you.

  3. Handsome no longer has a desire to escape your control.

  4. Handsome no longer detests your existence.

  5. You now have access to Handsome’s Skill Tree and can guide his growth. *

  *See Summoned Creatures partition of your MENU for more information.

  *Thanks,* came Handsome's voice in his head. The sound was scratchy and high pitched, like a bird had been stepped on. Garath nodded at the Cambionic Flayer and dismissed it back into
his mind.

  Handsome has a Skill Tree now, huh? This piqued Garath’s interest. Handsome's maximum Health and Mana were now both over 500, dwarfing the Flayer's starting HP and Mana of between 80-100. Garath wondered why the system didn’t inform him that his summoned creatures would gain so much power from simply being given a name. Or for eating the hearts of monsters, in the Flayer's case, at the very least.

  He was reminded once again that he had a lot left to learn. Unfortunately, Necrologist was not a popular Class, and the forums held little information. Garath put it on his mental to-do list to create a thread detailing what he’d learned about the Class for other Necrologists to benefit from. He wondered if naming creatures under one’s control would always result in some kind of advancement, or if that was a demon-specific bonus. He made a mental note to ask Gary’s son, Brandon, about his experience naming his Tamed Crow, Dave, at a later time.

  He was excited to check out Handsome’s new Skill Tree but first, Garath looked at the Fel Hound.

  The demonic canine looked back eagerly, a nasty puddle of drool forming on the dirt below its gaping mouth.

  "And what should I call you?"

  The Fel Hound cocked its head at Garath questioningly, shaking free even more drool.

  "Mr. Eager Guy?” he asked the hound. The demon dog looked at him with an unreadable expression. “No. You’re right. That’s dumb. What about Captain? I had a dog named Captain once…”

  Again, the Fel Hound just stared at him.

  Garath scratched at the stubble on his chin, then took a seat with his back against a gnarled old oak. "Vlad? There was a badass Hell Hound named Vlad in that book Afterlife Industries. You may be a Fel Hound, not a Hell Hound, but it’s close enough, right?"

  The Fel Hound continued watching him, drooling and impassive, apparently nothing to add to the discussion.

  "Not Vlad," Garath agreed. He thought hard, trying to think of a name fitting of the protective and eager-to-please demon dog. Then he remembered that his mother always told him that she had wanted to name him William, as the meaning translated to 'noble protector'. Garath wasn’t sure about the noble bit, but the Fel Hound was unflinchingly protective of its summoner. "William?" he suggested tentatively.

  The Hound looked up sharply at him. The sickly-green, four-legged demon thumped its tail just a little bit faster at that.

  "Bill?" Garath asked hopefully.

  The Hound stood and spun in a tight circle, then sat back down and continued thumping its stubby tail against the dirt.

  Garath smiled. "Bill it is, then."

  This time the prompt wasn't a surprise.

  Would you like to bestow the name ‘Bill’ to Summoned Fel Hound?

  Yes or No

  Garath chose ‘Yes’, and looked away to avoid the blinding flash of light as the Hound transformed.

  The Fel Hound’s physical changes weren't quite as dramatic as the Flayer's, but there were some noticeable differences. Bill swelled marginally in size, growing to about waist height and thickening in the shoulders. The teeth protruding from his gaping mouth lengthened and darkened from a dull grey to a reflective obsidian. His stubby tail lengthened, and sprouted sharp prongs on the end that could surely be used as a weapon. But the biggest difference Garath could see was in the demon’s eyes. A new, heightened level of comprehension became clear to Garath. Bill wagged his new tail back and forth so fast that it looked like a deadly green blur connected to his ass.

  Congratulations, Garath! Your Fel Hound has advanced into a Cambionic Fel Hound. Born from the union between Man and Demon, a Cambionic Fel Hound has a deep connection to its Summoner.

  The following changes have taken place on the Cambionic Fel Hound, ‘Bill’:

  Bill has unlocked the passive Skill: Pack Mentality.

  Pack Mentality - Bill can now sense your intentions. Bill can summon himself if he senses that you are in danger and cannot summon him of your own volition; While Bill is active, you and any additional creatures under your control receive +10% movement speed and +10% perception.

  *Note: Pack Mentality may advance as your relationship with Bill progresses.

  Bill barked enthusiastically and reared up on his hind legs. Garath got the feeling that this was the Cambionic Fel Hound's version of a thank you. He patted the sickly-green mutt on his head before dismissing him. He wondered if keeping Bill outside of his mind regularly would be worth making Tarzan hate him. The fluffy Maine coon had made it clear that she was not a big fan of Garath’s demons.

  But there would be benefits to keeping Bill around. For one, the Cambionic Fel Hound would inform him of any potential threat long before he sensed it himself. Additionally, keeping Bill around him more may help to improve their relationship and potentially unlock additional bonuses for his pet’s new ‘Pack Mentality’ passive Ability. He ultimately reasoned that having Bill running around outside his mind as often as possible would be in his best interest. Without further ado, Garath yanked the Cambionic Fel Hound back into reality. Bill looked around, confused for just a moment, but then contented himself by circling Garath protectively, sniffing at the air.

  Garath broke some canned peaches out of his Items panel and snacked on the sweet syrupy fruit. While slurping down the sugar high that may or may not have ever grown on a tree, Garath pulled up his MENU panels and navigated to the Summoned Creatures Partition.

  Handsome

  Bill

  Garath chose ‘Handsome’ with a directed thought, and its profile page appeared, much like his own Profile but without the Raiment slots for equipped items.

  Handsome

  Race: Demon

  Class: Cambionic Flayer

  Health: 510/510

  Mana: 630/630

  Attributes

  Vitality: 51 - Each point of Vitality provides +10 to maximum Health.

  Wisdom: 63 - Each point of Wisdom provides +10 to maximum Mana.

  Regeneration: 24 - As a Cambionic Flayer, each point of Regeneration increases Mana recovery rate by +.81 per second; Health recovery rate by +.125 per second; and recovery from injury by +1%.

  Strength: 2 - In addition to making one stronger, each point of Strength increases physical attack damage by 1% and reduces damage received from physical attacks by .25%.

  Dexterity: 3 - In addition to making one more agile, each point of Dexterity improves the critical strike chance of physical attacks by +.3%; the critical strike damage of physical attacks by +3%; and improves chance to dodge by +.5%.

  Skill Tree

  Garath found it interesting that Handsome didn’t have a Level, or an ‘Experience to next Level’ section on his Profile. The Cambionic Flayer’s Profile was also showing no Attribute or Skill points to distribute. Garath wondered how he was supposed to power up the ugly little creature. On top of that, he wondered how Handsome’s Attributes progressed at all. They had clearly increased since Garath summoned and bound him but, because the little demon didn’t operate under any kind of Level system, Garath wasn’t sure how Handsome would gain additional points. He shrugged and opened Handsome’s Skill Tree to see if anything there could shine some light on the conundrum.

  Handsome’s Skill Tree, like his own, was broken down into schools of magic. But unlike his, Handsome only had access to Death and Blood magic. He guessed that made sense. A demon having access to Demonology would be a bit odd. It was too bad that Handsome wouldn’t be able to summon demons of his own, adding another group of demons under Garath’s control, but there was nothing for it.

  Garath opened the Death magic tab. But instead of an actual tree with connecting lines, this MENU partition had independent circles spaced evenly across the semi-transparent panel occupying the left third of his vision. As he read through the available Skills, it quickly became apparent that the Skills Handsome would have access to were the ones that Garath had already unlocked - with a few exceptions. The Masteries, for example, were not present. Most of the listed Skills simply listed the name of the Skill in
a dull grey circle, accompanied by their corresponding cost in Skill Points, of which Handsome had none. The only exception to that was Death Bolt. That one glowed brightly within a gold circle. By mentally selecting Blight, Garath learned how he’d have to power up his Cambionic Flayer in terms of purchasing new Skills.

  Would you like to purchase the Skill, Blight, for Handsome?

  Yes or No

  Cost: 1 Skill Point

  Summoner’s available Skill Points: 22

  Garath’s shoulders slumped. He’d have to use his own Skill Points to purchase any new Skills for his little demon. If it weren’t for his status as a Leader of Man granting him an additional Skill Point every Level, he wouldn’t spend a single point on the demon. But he did have a few points to spare. In truth, he’d been wondering what to do with them. He thought about putting a few points into the Masteries he’d unlocked at Level 20, especially Mastery - Pestilent, which would increase the damage of his DoT spells by 3% per Skill Point. Mastery - Pestilent was at Rank 1, granting him +20% increased damage to the DoT spells but would gain +3% with each subsequent Skill Point spent until Rank 10. After Rank 10, each point would increase the duration of his DoT spells by 1 second. Apart from the Masteries, though, he really only had to look forward to unlocking new Skills as they became available. Considering most of the new Skills he would get were likely to cost between 1 and 3 Skill Points, so he could afford to get a few new Skills for Handsome. He selected a few useful spells and made his purchase.