Rise of the Crimson Order: A Crematoria Online LitRPG Novel

by Matthew J. Barbeler

  As we followed James, I pulled out my pipe and held it with my lips. I retrieved the pouch of focus powder from my coat pocket. I took a pinch of the dried leaf, packed it into the pipe, struck a match, then inhaled.

  I'd tried smoking when I was a lot younger. I think every young guy tries a cigar at some point. All I remember about the experience was acrid taste of the smoke, then coughing so hard I almost blacked out. It was a one and done kind of deal.

  The smoke that flowed into me as I sucked back on the Focus Powder was sweet and smooth. Everything came into sharp clarity. I saw the individual hairs on the back of James's neck in detail. The texture of the rock walls around us looked like the alien surface of the planet Mars.

  A buff appeared in the top of my view. The cost of my Precision Strike ability was reduced by half for the next five minutes.

  Then we came to the end of the tunnel, and the expanse that opened in front of us stopped me in my tracks.

  An enormous cavern rolled out before us. A steady slope from the end of the tunnel led down to a military staging area. A couple of permanent stone buildings had been erected near another, much larger construction site. Temporary tents and marquees had been set up at intervals, and troops of Sanguinari warriors drilled in precise military formations.

  There were hundreds down there, and space for thousands.

  "That is what I wanted to show you," James said, pointing towards the construction site at the far side of the cavern. "That is the Gate of Blood and Bone, or it will be once it's finished. We use the bones of the creatures that live in the world above as our building blocks, and we mix their blood with concrete to set it. Once it's finished, we will open a gate into your world and take back what is rightfully ours."

  The situation clarified itself in an instant. If that gate opened, Crematoria was doomed. It would start with Dregswyk and Eldin, and once they had taken both cities, they would fortify their location and spread. Ellie and I needed to end this right here and now.

  "This Crimson Queen - Andestra, you said her name was? Is she going to be coming with you in the initial assault?" I asked.

  "Not immediately. Our Queen is currently indisposed tending to her latest clutch. Once the children are born and placed within their vessels, then the Queen may be able to accompany us. But initially, we will clear the way for her."

  "How long do you think it's going to take to finish that gate?" Ellie asked.

  "A few weeks, at the very longest. I had put my recommendation forward that we should begin harvesting more organic matter from the world above to hasten our arrival, but the Queen has decided otherwise." I could tell from James's tone that he wasn't happy with that decision.

  "What do you want from us?" I asked.

  "You're going to join us and help bring about the glory of the new Sanguinari Empire." James grinned at us like he'd like given us a winning lottery ticket, but Ellie and I had other ideas.

  I could tell by the look in her eyes and the set of her jaw that she was thinking exactly the same thing as I was. It was time to take this clown down. My flintlock pistol was still loaded and in my holster from the fight with the Sanguine Monstrosity. Ellie's grip on Paragon's Might tightened.

  James saw it too.

  "Don't," he said simply. "I don't want to kill you, but I will."

  "You're welcome to try," I said.

  In one swift motion, I cast Expose Weakness, pulled my Antique Flintlock Pistol from its holster and immediately cast a half-cost Precision Strike.

  Thanks, Focus Powder.

  At the same time, Ellie raised her shield and let her hammer loose. My arm moved of its own accord, bringing the Antique Flintlock Pistol right to the side of James's head, which was exposed as a prime weak spot. I was too close for him to dodge. He was distracted by Paragon's Might, which was flying right towards him.

  Or so I thought.

  James raised one hand to the barrel of my pistol as I pulled the trigger.

  Gunpowder exploded.

  The fire and smoke obscured my vision, but surely my bullet had at least disabled one of his hands. I lowered my gun and drew my sword, but as the smoke cleared, I realized just how screwed we were. There, held fast in his palm, was my bullet.

  He glanced towards me with a smile as the bullet fell, and then without even looking back at Ellie he wheeled around and delivered a powerful open-palm blow to the side of Paragon's Might only inches away from his face.

  His blow diverted the path of the hammer, which spiraled off into the tunnel behind us. Ellie summoned the hammer back immediately.

  We were fucked.

  James was far more powerful than either of us had realized.

  "Such a disappointment," he said simply, then delivered an open-palm strike to my sternum so powerful that my bones crunched. I flew through the air and landed in a heap, and when I got back to my feet it was difficult to breathe.

  James unclasped the buckles holding his gauntlets in place and let them fall to the ground, revealing his arcane tattoos. He would be able to incinerate us if he wanted to. I just hoped that he wanted us alive enough that he wouldn't use them.

  He proved me wrong as he summoned a greasy liquid fireball into his right hand. He looked me in the eyes as it grew, and I thought for sure that he was going to throw it at me.

  Then I heard Paragon's Might flying through the air. James spun and threw the fireball right at the oncoming hammer. It was a dead-on hit, and James dodged out of the way.

  How could he dodge like that so perfectly?

  I remembered way back to the character play-test where I had access to the higher-level Investigator powers. Back then I had access to a power called Split Second, which allowed me to judge every possible outcome of an action before I made it, allowing me to choose the absolute best possible outcome. It felt like James had access to a powered-up version of that ability that he was using against us.

  The hammer returned to Ellie in an arc, but this time it was on fire.

  Ellie panicked, not sure whether she should hold out her hand to catch her hammer or let it pass. She raised her shield in front of her and tried to deflect it, but it struck dead on and sent her flying backwards too. The fire exploded like napalm and stuck to every surface it could. Her shield was on fire, as was her hammer. A patch of armor on her leg caught, and so did one of her hands. She rolled the flames away, but Paragon's Might still burned. It had taken the brunt of the fireball.

  James marched over to Ellie. The bastard hadn't even drawn his sword yet. When he reached her, he offered her his hand.

  "I don't want to kill you," he said. "Of the two of you, you show great promise, Eleanor Rooker. I'm going to give you one chance to join me. Kill Lucas Hutchins, and I will bestow upon you the gift of the Crimson Queen. Or refuse and perish."

  Ellie laughed. "Ultimatums don't work on me," she said.

  "I didn't want to do this," James said with a sigh. "If you won't kill him, then I have no choice but to leave two bodies in my wake. You've both forced my hand. Such a pity."

  Ellie left Paragon's Might behind her, still engulfed in flame. She launched herself at James wielding only her shield. James looked on in amusement as she approached.

  "You don't really think-" James began, but Ellie didn't let him finish.

  Ellie crouched down at the very instant before she collided with James, then delivered a spinning shield bash right into his guts. He stumbled back clutching his stomach, gasping for breath. Ellie was relentless. She didn't give him a chance to recover before smashing her gauntleted fist right into James's face.

  He wheeled back, stunned. Ellie thrust her hand backwards, towards the flaming Paragon's Might. She summoned the hammer back to her, then at the last moment dropped her hand and spun out of the way like a matador peeling away from a charging bull.

  The hammer flew through the air, not changing course. James didn't even see it coming as it smashed into his chest, sending him flying backwards. Paragon's Might landed with a dull
thud, still aflame.

  When James rose again, blood spilled from his nose, mouth, and eyes. He made retching noises, as though he was about to throw up. He turned from Ellie and strode towards me as a Sanguinari parasite emerged from between his lips. He moved like lightning. James was right in my face - the parasite surged forward, and it sunk its fangs into my neck. My health bar was already low, and it started to drop rapidly.

  He drank of me with a voracious appetite. His broken nose and split lip healed themselves as I felt the life draining out of me. Healing himself was not his only intention. He meant to kill me by exsanguination. He was going to suck me dry.

  Ellie launched into him from behind, partly with her shield, partly with her fist, but all of it was ineffectual. While he had a constant source of vigor infusing him, he would be unstoppable. He was like a bulldog latched onto its prey. Nothing would break that bond until he was dead.

  Then I saw James's eyes shift from my face to the tunnel behind us. His eyes went wide, but I couldn't tell whether it was surprise or fear. The parasite immediately let go and sucked itself back into James's mouth.

  I spun and saw a face that I recognized approaching from behind.

  Black cloak, muzzle-like mask covering his lower face, and black hair slicked back with gray streaks at the temples. Wearing heavy black armor with a simple scabbard hanging from his hip. It was the man who had been in audience with King Malidar when we arrived in the Trash Palace. The man that made James react so strangely.

  I had no idea who this guy was, but if he scared the shit out of James, then he was A-Okay in my books.

  "You!" James shouted. "You were there with the Rat King! I could smell you from miles away. You're one of us, so why do you fight us?"

  The newcomer didn't answer with words. He burst into action and became a blur. He moved just as fast as James did! I didn't see him draw his sword, but it was in his hand by the time he reached James. It was a simple blade with a folded-steel pattern like waves breaking upon a shore.

  The blade flashed as the man in black tried to take James's head off, but James matched his speed. The sword passed within an inch of James's neck as he wheeled backwards. In one smooth motion, James used his arcane tattoos to summon a fireball with his left hand, while his right hand found the grip of his pistol hanging from the holster on his hip.

  James lobbed the flaming fireball towards the man in black, and he dove to the side to avoid it. Small embers fell away from the fireball as it sailed through the air. One of them landed on the man in black's flowing cape, which immediately caught fire. The man in black extinguished the fire with his gauntleted hand, and suddenly James was right next to him. His pistol was loaded, raised, and aimed right at the man in black's chest.

  Right at his heart.

  James pulled the trigger.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  The Wayward Son

  The moment I saw James reach for his pistol, a crazy plan came to me. In one fluid motion, I loaded my Antique Flintlock Pistol and got it ready. James crossed the distance between himself and the man in black, with the intent that he was going to execute him.

  My Expose Weakness ability was still active on James Treborn, which meant that I could use three Precision Strikes in an attempt to change the flow of battle.

  James appeared in front of the man in black and raised the pistol to his chest.

  I raised my pistol and waited until James pulled the trigger.

  Concentrating on the explosion of the gunpowder, I focused on the bullet that was propelled out of James's pistol.

  From only a pace away, I activated my Precision Strike ability and pulled the trigger. Time seemed to slow down.

  My bullet was guided by my Precision Strike ability, and as the bullet from James's pistol crossed the distance to the man in black, I focused on it.

  One second stretched out as the two bullets converged and collided.

  Dropping my pistol, I threw my entire weight into a stabbing Precision Strike, aiming for the Sanguinari parasite that lived within James's body.

  My Concentration Points dropped by another 25%.

  James was fast.

  Too fast.

  He used his rapier to deflect my strike. My bullet had deflected his bullet, and now his sword strike deflected mine. Two attacks, and two damage nullifications.

  I spun away from James's blade and immediately cast Precision Strike one last time. My Concentration Points dropped to zero.

  My sword arm moved in one smooth motion and struck out at James's leg. The blade of my Acid-etched Sword sunk into the meat of his thigh. He screamed out as the leg buckled beneath him. The strength went out of his wounded leg.

  James pulled out a vial from his coat pocket, uncorked it and held it in front of his lips. His Sanguinari parasite emerged and sucked down the vial of blood.

  "Oh, no fair! That's not fair!" I called out as I watched the flesh on James's leg knit together.

  He retreated from us, then in a puff of smoke, he disappeared. When he reappeared, one of his arms was around Ellie's neck, and the other was pinning her arms behind her back. She struggled, but with James back at full strength, she couldn't break free.

  "Let her go," the man in black said. His voice was a deep rumble, like the shifting of tectonic plates.

  "Not a chance!" James seethed. He staggered backwards, out from the mouth of the tunnel and down the walkway that led to the invasion staging area below.

  "Not one more step," the man in black warned again, but James didn't listen.

  A horn sounded in the distance, and that infuriating grin crept across James's face. He had won the day, and he knew it. The army performing drills below us had seen him emerge from the mouth of the tunnel. A platoon of Crimson Initiates ran towards us. There was absolutely no way we could triumph against their overwhelming numbers.

  The man in black roared in frustration, then locked eyes with me.

  "We cannot linger," he said.

  James laughed triumphantly. "You almost had me! Oh, Lucas. I didn't think you had it in you! It almost worked, too. But you're just not strong enough to stand against the might of the Crimson Order."

  "Let her go, James!" I shouted.

  "No. Ellie is going to join us, aren't you?" James yanked on her arms, causing Ellie to cry out.

  Tears streamed down Ellie's face as she realized what was happening. "Lucas, you need to go!" she screamed.

  "No, I can't! I won't leave you behind!" I shouted back.

  "That wasn't a question! You need to get out of here while you still can!" She pleaded. "I'm not going to go down without a fight, you can be absolutely sure of that."

  "I look forward to that," James said. The tone of his voice made my skin crawl.

  Ellie and James struggled, and Ellie managed to get one of her arms free. With a staggering shout she managed to escape James's grip, then wrenched his hand behind his back. She turned him around so they both faced Paragon's Might, which was still on fire further down the tunnel. Ellie let go of James and punted him forward with a straight kick between his shoulder blades. He rounded on her, but his focus was broken when he saw Ellie's outstretched hand, which was summoning Paragon's Might back.

  The flaming hammer slammed into James, which knocked him face down into the dirt. Ellie caught the hammer again, then turned towards me. "Lucas, I need you to listen to me and listen close. I'm going to do something, and when I do it, I need you to turn around and run as fast as you can."

  "No! I'm not going to leave you!"

  "You've got no choice! I can hold these assholes at bay for a few minutes, but you need to promise me that you're going to get out of here. Go and get that Celestial Offering and come back with a whole god-damned army! I can't destroy the Crimson Queen on my own, but I can help you escape! But that's only half of the deal. You need to come back and get me out of here."

  "Okay," I relented. "You do what you have to do, and I'll come back as soon as I can!"

  A brill
iant light erupted from Paragon's Might. It burned in Ellie's hand and shrouded her in luminescent smoke. Then she threw the hammer at James again, who was rising to his feet. It slammed into his chest and sent him flying backwards – right into a platoon of Crimson Initiates approaching from behind!

  James slammed into the warriors, and blue arcs of energy surged out from him and into the other Crimson Order warriors. They were also pushed backward with smaller bursts of force, but there were more Crimson Order warriors coming. Too many.

  The smoke dissipated and Ellie turned back to me. Her eyes burned blue.

  "This is Might of the Paragon, my hammer's ultimate ability, but I can only keep this up for three minutes!" Ellie roared. Her voice echoed like she was using reverb. "That was the signal, numbskull. Run!"

  I hesitated for a moment, and the man in black's hand fell on my shoulder. "We have to go!"

  I turned and ran, following the black-caped warrior. Behind me the roars of Ellie's rage echoed down the tunnel.

  We ran until I thought my legs were going to give out. Until it felt like my lungs couldn't hold any more air. Until stars swam in front of my eyes. The man in black's pace was relentless, but the threat of certain death chasing us down was good motivation.

  The sounds of Crimson Initiates behind us echoed off the stone walls. The clanking of their armor. Their heaviness of breath. Their footfalls.

  We reached the end of the tunnel, and the man in black veered away from the path that led back to the barracks. He led me along an unpredictable path through rocky outcroppings, winding our way up a jagged mess of rock. I snagged my leg on one of those rocks, causing another tear in my war-torn suit.

  The man in black turned in a tight corner, doubling back onto a higher path. This path was clearer, with fewer rocks to sidestep as we ran. The platoon of Crimson Initiates passed below us. One of them launched a spear at me, but it went high. It hit the rocks above my head and bounced off ineffectually.

  "Not much longer! Get ready to jump!" the man in black yelled.

  I didn't have much choice.