BladeDust Online: A LitRPG Adventure (Book 1)

by Corey Thompson

  I cleared my throat. “This sounds kinda hard,” I replied.

  “You will get the hang of it. Just try it for yourself and see. That is why you need to practice this skill.”

  Damn. This sounded like some deep stuff. I looked at the mana potion before I chugged it. There wasn't much of a taste but I felt a warm sensation. The sensation got stronger until it almost felt unpleasant. “This is really warm,” I yelled.

  “Don't worry. It's only temporary and is harmless,” he replied.

  The warm feeling began to move up my legs before arriving in my stomach. “It's in my stomach,” I replied.

  “Put both of your elbows against your belly. Do it now.”

  I put both elbows against my stomach and tried to imagine the energy flowing into my arms. But, it wasn't happening. Instead, the energy continued rising and began to grow weaker. “I feel it in my chest now. What's happening?”

  “You missed it,” he replied. “Let's try again.”

  I tried many more times, but had only failed. The NPC told me that it could sometimes take many practice sessions to master. I was beginning to grow frustrated, but then something happened. On my sixth try, I actually felt my elbows grow with warmness. “My elbows are warm,” I yelled with excitement.

  “Good. Now see the energy flowing through your arms and rushing out of your palms. Visualize it in your head and know that it's true. But, be certain to keep your elbows against your stomach. If you break the flow, the energy will be lost.”

  I visualized the energy flowing into my arms and actually felt it doing so. But, the energy wasn't rushing through my arms. Still, I continued to see it getting closer and closer to my palms inside of my head. Suddenly, the warmness quickly headed towards my palms. After that, there was a release and the dummy bounced backwards. “I did it,” I yelled with excitement. “Did you see that? The dummy just moved a little.”

  The NPC clapped his hands together. “Very good. There wasn't much power behind it, but you will get better with time. Just keep practicing.”

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

  “The guards will not come for you here,” the NPC replied. “Once you purchase a skill, you can practice for as long as you wish.”

  Yes. This was awesome. Practicing this skill would be way more fun than going back to my cell. But more importantly, I needed to master this skill and use it against Cosmo in the coliseum. “I want to practice until I master this skill,” I replied.

  “That is fine. Your mana levels are low, but you can deliver a more powerful stun than the one you just preformed. Once you get to your max level, I will let you know.”

  Time seemed to stand still as I practiced the skill over and over. I failed many more times, but my successes were getting more frequent. After getting better at the first part of the move, the NPC showed me how to preform the uppercut. After about two hours, I had gotten to the point where I could deliver the skill with certainty. I didn't want to tire myself out too much, and knew my fight with Cosmo was only hours away. I thanked the NPC and began to leave. Right before I opened the door, I had an alert pop up in front of me:

  Congratulations!

  You Have Learned A New Skill!

  Melee Combat: IronPush

  Awesome! I opened my Character stat sheet and noticed that I had a new skill listed:

  Walker Williamson – Level 6

  Human Male

  Statistics:

  HP: 20/20

  Stamina: 14

  Mana: 10

  Attributes:

  Strength: 18

  Persuasion: 4

  Intelligence: 1

  Willpower: 1

  Sneak: 2

  Agility: 3

  Skills:

  Melee Combat: IronPush

  Perks:

  None yet acquired

  Abilities:

  None yet acquired

  I realized Melee Combat was a whole separate skill tree. How many moves could I learn in this game? It all seemed so exciting. Eventually, I would have a ton of different moves under my belt. Then, I could begin to work my way up the coliseum and hopefully one day become Grand Champion. I opened the door and left the skill shop. Once outside, I knew the guards were coming for me. Near the water fountain, I saw the Grand Champion and his girlfriend. I began to walk closer to them, but was stopped by one of the guards. “Your free time is up for today,” he said while grabbing my arm.

  “Great,” I replied with sarcasm.

  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 actually remember me? I smiled at her, and she laughed. Then, with surprise, she smiled back and then waved at me. I couldn't believe it. She actually remembered me. The guard pulled me forward, but I couldn't leave without saying anything. “I am fighting tonight in the coliseum,” I yelled to her. “You should watch me.”

  The Grand Champion turned around and shot me an evil look. He looked at me like I was the scum of the earth. But, I wasn't bothered by it. I knew he didn't care about her. He was probably seeing ten other girls on the side. He yanked her arm and put one finger in front of her face. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but he seemed upset. Oddly enough, she didn't seem angry. Instead, she was laughing.

  I know it seemed pathetic, but her remembering my face gave me hope. I knew I couldn't compete with the Grand Champion, and she probably actually thought I was pathetic. Still, I knew I had a chance with her in the future. As we walked back to the dungeon, my thoughts quickly went in a different direction. My thoughts changed to the fight ahead of me. I wondered if I could really defeat Cosmo. I had everything I needed, but could I really defeat him?

  Chapter Thirty Three

  When I arrived at my cell, Douglas looked like he had been waiting all day for me. The guard tossed me in and slammed the door shut. Douglas clinched both of his fist together. Then, he began to jab in front of him. “I wish I was fighting tonight,” he said with a flurry of punches.

  “Yea. I am ready for this. I just wish tonight would go ahead and get here.”

  “Are you going to kill him? Please tell me you are going to kill him if given the chance. Right? It's a lot of fun. Trust me on that. So, you are going to kill him right?” Douglas asked with wide eyes.

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

  “The crowd goes crazy when you fight to kill. It's so rewarding.”

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

  “He deserves it. You know he does.”

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

  “Hey, it's me Tommy. We are all gonna watch the fight tonight. I can't wait to see you kick Cosmo's ass. That dude is a real loser. Just wanted to let you know that we will be there. Maybe tomorrow we can all grab some beer to celebrate your victory. That would be really cool.

  Tommy.”

  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 arrive. Douglas walked over and sat down next to me. “Just take as much damage as you can with the shield. Once the magic begins to accumulate on it, you can scrape the dust off and lace your blade with it. Just remember that the 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 it?”

  “Don't worry. You will see soon enough. Somethings are best left as a surprise.”

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

  “It's a surprise,” I repli
ed with confidence.

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

  “I just need some time to myself. Time to prepare for the fight.”

  “I understand that,” Douglas replied as he walked to the other side of the cell. “Some people need alone time, while others do not. Everyone is different.”

  We both didn't say anything else for the next few hours. Douglas just sat in the opposite corner and stared at me. But, it didn't bother me. I knew the troll suffered from a staring disorder and had learned to accept it. The time crawled by as my ears listened for the sound of incoming footsteps. I knew they had to come, but I just didn't know the exact time. Then, I heard something. There was one soft pound, then another followed. I jumped up and ran over to the bars and tried to catch a glimpse of the guard. The footsteps got closer and closer until I saw him. “It is time for you to fight in the coliseum,” he said while opening 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 come for him shortly. The cell door behind me slammed shut as the guard led me down a long hallway. A thin layer of sweat formed on my forehead as I continued down the hallway. After what seemed like the longest walk, we arrived at a small room.

  Shit. I had almost forgotten about the awkward little meeting they made us have before the fight. What the hell was the point of this? The guard pointed at the round wooden table and I took a seat. 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. Shit, I was tired of rice. They couldn't even give us a proper meal before a fight? Not even a banana? Come to think of it, I hadn't had a banana since arriving here. Crap. How low were my potassium levels? I was probably really low on potassium and didn't even realize it. It was something I had never really thought about.

  Suddenly, the door opened. It was Cosmo, and he looked more sober than ever. “Enjoying your rice?” he asked with a smirk.

  “It's the only thing I eat,” I replied.

  He pulled out a chair and took a seat. Then, he scooped up some rice and stuck it into his mouth. After finishing his rice, he drank some of his water. He wiped his mouth and rested his chin on his other hand. “I almost feel guilty even fighting you,” he said.

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

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

  “That's weird, I was just thinking the same thing. I was just thinking this was going to be too easy for me.”

  He took a sip of his water and gently put it down on the table. “I've been known to kill players in the coliseum. Did you know that?”

  Kill players? Shit. Those words hit me like a train. I didn't want to show any fear, but those were not the words I wanted to hear. Did he really kill players in the coliseum? The thought of becoming a lost soul in the middle of this fucked up glitch scared the hell out of me. With so many thoughts running through my head, there was a brief moment of silence. A brief moment of silence that might have appeared to look like fear. My head went from side to side as I tried to think of something to say. Something to show that I wasn't scared. “Fuck death,” I replied with a rock hard face.

  Cosmo slapped the table. “This is going to be fun. I'm going to enjoy tearing you apart as the crowd cheers for me.”

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

  Cosmo Dust – Level 19

  Human - Mage

  Level 19? Sure, he was a higher level, but I had a plan. A plan that I was confident would work. All of a sudden, there was a loud thud. Behind us, stood a guard. “It is time,” he said.

  Cosmo stood up and extended his hand out. I looked at his hand and then at his face. “Do you expect me to shake your hand?”

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

  I slapped his hand away. “Your a little bitch, and I can't wait to kick your ass tonight.”

  Cosmo looked at his hand but didn't say anything. 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 began our walk to the coliseum as we walked down the long hallway. At the end of the hallway, I could see the light. The light that came from the entrance of 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 this was the moment of truth.

  Chapter Thirty Four

  Fuck it. I didn't care what happened. I was going to fight until I died. If I became a lost soul, then so be it. All I cared about was beating Cosmo, and I wouldn't stop until I had beaten him. I quickly made sure I had everything I needed. I was wearing my DragonFrost Armor but still had to equip my Soul Hand Sword. I opened my inventory and equipped my sword and shield. The Shield of FlatStone was my most prized possession. Once equipped, I looked at my whole layout. Truthfully, I didn't look half bad. The white sword handle went well with my white armor. My shield looked pretty cool in its own way as I held it into the air and watched the sunlight reflect off it.

  I looked around at everyone watching us and realized the coliseum was even more massive than I had remembered. It was much more packed than the last time I had fought. Thousands upon thousands of random faces had their eyes on us. Damn, was the whole city watching the fight? The crowd roared as Cosmo scraped up some dust and threw it into the air. He pulled 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 some white flowers were thrown down to the arena.

  The guard looked at me and then pointed at the opposite side of the arena. “That is your position.”

  I began to run over to the opposite end of the arena. But, when I arrived at the middle of the arena, I stopped. I knew Tommy, Todd and Sonny were watching. Not only that, but the Grand Champion's girlfriend might have been watching too. I needed to do something cool. Something that everyone would remember. I looked at the cheering crowd around me. My head went towards the ground as I began to beat my sword on my shield. Then, I threw my sword and shield into the air. The crowd went crazy. The noise was nearly deafening, but it really got me pumped up. 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 had only a sword. Truthfully, I didn't expect him to have a sword. But, I suppose it made sense. Who would come to the coliseum fight without a sword when it was allowed? I wasn't scared. In fact, I was more confident than ever as I waited for the bell to ring. After a few moments, the crowd began to stomp their feet. The coliseum literally began to rumble as the loud bell rung. The crowd yelled “Fight, fight, fight,” over and over.

  Cosmo's body went into motion. He was far away, but was quickly getting closer. I took in 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 began to walk, but my footsteps were slow. Still, Cosmo waited. The crowd seemed irritated with my slow walk, so I began to walk faster. Eventually, my walked 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 into the air and let the bright sun hit the blade. “I'm ready to kill,” I replied.

  Cosmo spit on the ground. Then, he began to walk to his side. His eyes were locked on to me as my shield went in front of my body. “Come on,” I screamed. “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 it. The size of my shield was massive, and I was thankful for that. In a weird way, I almost felt like a turtle hiding in my shell while I held it in front of me. Cosmo seemed irritated with the size of my shield. “Come out from behind there,” he yelled.

  I didn't reply. 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 one swift movement, I lunged forward and hit him with the bottom of my shield. “Shit,” he mumbled while stumbling backwards.

  A sudden burst of cheers followed as I tried to make the most of my attack. My sword went over my head as I hoped to deliver a devastating blow. But, something strange happened. An invisible forced stopped my blade from coming down and my body flew backwards. I landed on my back. Shit, it hurt. With no warning, I saw his blade coming down towards me. I quickly put my shield over my chest and heard a loud bang. Then, there was another. “Die,” Cosmo yelled.