Eden's Gate: The Arena: A LitRPG Adventure

by Edward Brody

  But, the fear of death, the fear of that intense pain associated with death, kept me holding on for dear life. I tried to formulate a plan as I looked around for anything to grab on to.

  Nothing.

  The grass and moss I was holding lost its rooting, and I slipped back again, and dirt sprayed into my eyes. I winced and formed a hard claw with my fingers, that stopped my hands right at the very edge.

  Divine Sight, I thought.

  As my vision cleared, I looked down to see the hard, rocky ground below, and I felt like I was going to puke. Not wanting to end up a pancake on the ground, I pulled again, and while I was able to lift my head up several inches, I was just too weak to adjust and fully pull myself up.

  A glow surrounded my body, the pain was eased, and I suddenly felt a lot stronger. A couple seconds later there was another glow, and all thoughts of the pain went away. Feeling more in control of myself, I once again used all my strength to pull myself up, and when my head was raised above the peak’s edge, I clawed forward to get a better grip, and then again. Finally, I was able heave a leg over the edge and roll my body until I was fully on top.

  I breathed heavily and lay on my back a few moments as I stared up to the bright blue sky.

  I made it. I actually made it.

  It was sloppy and it hurt, and if I had been even slightly slower or slipped an inch more, I would’ve fallen to my death.

  But I made it, thankfully.

  I pulled myself off the ground and saw Rina standing on the mountain path across from me. She must have run up the path as fast as she could so that she could get in range to heal me.

  “Thanks, Rina,” I said.

  “Of course, Gunnar!” She raised her staff in the air and healed me one more time to bring me to full health.

  I looked over the edge to see Jeremy throwing high-fives to Jax and Keysia. “You should get back down there. If I’m jumping down, your healing will probably be needed.”

  Rina smiled, nodded, and started back down the path.

  There wasn’t much at the top of the mountain peak aside from the green moss and the round, brown bird’s nest that was made of twisted twigs and dead grass. In the center of the nest were three large eggs, each about the size of watermelons.

  My initial thought was ‘How the hell did the harpies lay these huge things?’ However they did it, it must have been painful.

  I lifted one of the eggs, and it was like lifting a slightly less dense bowling ball.

  You’ve received: Harpy’s Egg. Durability: 1/1. Quality: Average. Rarity: Uncommon. Weight: 6.1 kg. ????

  I wasn’t sure if the egg was useful, but I opened my bag and tried slipping it inside. The circumference was a little wide for the mouth of my bag, so I ended up setting it back down on the soft nest and leaned over the edge of the peak to look at my guild mates below.

  “There’s three harpy’s eggs up here!” I yelled. “Are they good for anything?” It was only then that I noticed that my loud voice was echoing between the mountain ranges, and I worried that we might attracted unwanted attention if we stayed around for too long.

  “No clue!” Jax yelled. “Bring them with you if can!”

  “They won’t fit!”

  Jax turned to Rina and Keysia and they were saying something to each other for a moment before Jax looked back up. “Wanna try throwing one down?”

  “Throw an egg?” I asked. “That doesn’t seem like a good idea!”

  Jax said something else that I couldn’t hear to Keysia, she nodded, and then he looked back up. “We’ll try Keysia’s wind spell on the egg! If she can slow it down, I might be able to catch it!”

  “Ughh…” I groaned. “Okay!”

  I picked the egg back up and held it over the side of the peak. “Tell me when you’re ready!”

  Keysia summoned her fan, and Jax adjusted himself so that he was right under the egg.

  “Ready!” Jax yelled.

  I released the egg as gently as possible and watched as it sped towards Jax. Right about halfway down, Keysia pulled her fan back and swung it up towards the egg. I could feel the gust of wind all the way from the top of the peak. For a moment, it looked like the egg might have lost a little bit of speed, but it quickly sped back up and ultimately exploded the moment it met Jax’s hands. Thick clear and yellow slime covered Jax from head to toe, and a little bit of it splashed onto Fenris, who started shaking his head like crazy.

  Jax flung his hands towards the ground and started spitting to get the goop out of his mouth. He glanced back up to me, looking like he could fit in nicely with the forgotten ones. “Yeah!” he yelled. “That’s not going to work!”

  I chuckled. It was nice to see the poised hunter make a bad call for once.

  I looked back to the other two eggs and thought for a moment about how I might get them down but couldn’t come up with anything. The peak that I was standing on didn’t seem like something that a person of my level would normally be able to access, so I’d have to come back when I had a big bag and a better way of ascending and descending the peak if I wanted the eggs. I had no idea what they were used for anyway.

  I turned my attention back to getting the Bloodmoss and lay down in a prone position. I scooted forward slowly so that my head was dangling off the edge and I could see the side of the peak.

  There was lots of green moss growing up and down the side, but just in arm’s length was a large, red patch with a thick, circular lump in the center. I grabbed onto the center, pulled, and the roots of the moss crackled against the tension and then finally snapped free of the peak.

  You’ve received: Bloodmoss. Durability: 10/10. Quality: Average. Rarity: Common. Weight: 0.1 kg. A reagent with various uses.

  “Got it!” I yelled as soon as I had the reagent in my hands. “And it’s Bloodmoss!”

  A couple of the guild mates threw their fists in the air.

  I slid my body carefully around the peak and collected all the Bloodmoss that I could reach, which netted four pieces in total.

  After collecting it all, I pulled myself to my feet and dropped the Bloodmoss in my bag. I turned around and took one final look at the nest when I noticed the end of what appeared to be a roll of paper jutting out of the bottom of the bird’s nest. I kneeled down, lifted, and pushed the nest aside a little so I could tug the paper free. The paper was brittle and felt like it would fall apart in my hands, so I had to be careful when removing it from the nest.

  “Yo! Are you coming down?!” I heard Jeremy yell.

  “Give me a minute!” I yelled back. “I found something.”

  The roll of paper was tied with a loose green ribbon which easily slipped off when pulled. As I unrolled the paper, small pieces of the material started to chip off and the edges were cracked, but the center of the paper remained mostly intact. Another rolled paper that was inside slipped out and fell into the moss below.

  Do not fret, my son. For your skin may have changed, and you may have lost a limb, but you will never lose mine or your mother’s love.

  I cannot forgive our brethren for what they’ve done to you, and therefore, we will be leaving the Vale and returning to Village of the Ancients.

  That’s right, my son. The Village of the Ancients is real, and there, you can live with us all as one with no fear or depravity. There, you can find the foundations of your true heritage, and we will return your arm to whole.

  But, reaching the ancient village is no easy task, and only those skilled in special magic may return to it. Follow the path below, Aaranthol, and you too can join us:

  High amongst the tallest mountain,

  Cyclops roams, three rising fountains.

  None may climb, but those who rise,

  Will find a world absent of lies,

  Two-head demon, devil’s teeth.

  Between the toes and you shall meet.

  Emerald rise, a cliff descends.

  Step into death, your world begins.

  Please Aaranthol, take this scro
ll and exercise your skills until a time when you’re able to use it. When that time comes, you may find us in the Village of the Ancients waiting for you.

  Do not succumb to your pain, Aaranthol. Remain strong and remember that you will always be an elf and will always be our son.

  Eternal Love,

  Lourinthal & Theodas

  You’ve found a hidden quest: Village of the Ancients

  A letter to Aaranthol speaks of a hidden village that’s only accessible via special magic. Find the village to collect your reward. Optionally, locate Aaronthol’s parents and tell them what you know.

  Reward: Unknown, 30,000 XP

  Do you accept this quest? Accept/Decline

  30,000 XP? I thought. That was by far the highest XP offering I had ever seen in a quest. In fact, it was the most interesting quest I had ever been offered. A hidden village?

  “Hell yes, I accept,” I said out loud.

  You have accepted the quest: Village of the Ancients!

  I reached down and lifted the paper that had fallen out from between the parchment.

  You’ve received: Scroll: Levitation. Rise into and hover in the air. Requires 50 Intelligence. Arcane Magic Level 35. Mentalism Level 35. Durability: 2/10. Quality: Poor. Rarity: Legendary. Weight: 0.1 kg

  Holy shit, I thought. A levitation scroll? I felt like I had been in Eden’s Gate a while by then, and other than the Fellblade, that was the first item I’d encountered an item that I found truly breathtaking. At some point I might be able to fly?

  I leaned my head back and screamed loudly into the sky. “Yessssss!”

  “Yo! What are you doing up there, Gunnar?” Jeremy asked.

  “You’re taking a long time,” Jax said.

  “I’ll tell you when I get down there,” I yelled back.

  “Okay!” Jax yelled. “Are you ready?”

  I took a deep breath and wished there was room on the small mountain peak so that I could get a running start and jump back to the path that I had come from…but that wasn’t a possibility. “Yeah, I’m ready, I guess.”

  I’m ready for you, Sora projected in my head.

  I thought back to what happened when Jax caught the egg, and I hoped that it wouldn’t be a repeat for me. But I also knew the egg was small and aerodynamic. While I didn’t know the math behind it, I knew that If I could control my fear and go belly-first, Keysia’s wind attack would have a much greater effect on me. Another part of me was scared that I might hit Sora so hard that I’d live and she’d die. That would be even worse than if I killed myself.

  “Keysia, are you ready?” I yelled.

  Keysia held up her summoned fan up so I could see. “Yeah! I’ll do my best!”

  I was somewhat afraid of heights but heights were nowhere near as scary for me as spiders, and I had faced that fear multiple times since I entered Eden’s Gate. I had died multiple times too. I was ready for whatever was about to happen and put my maximum faith into my guild.

  “Here I come!” I yelled.

  I took two big steps and leapt off the side of the mountain peak with my arms and legs stretched as far apart as possible.

  I felt like a bird for a moment, but no sooner than I had that feeling, panic overwhelmed me as the speed of my fall picked up and the ground rushed closer to me. I did my best to hold my composure and not flail or rotate my body so that I wouldn’t go down feet or head first.

  Keysia swung her fan.

  The breeze of Keysia’s fan rushed up toward me, and I quickly slowed and actually moved upward an inch or two before I began falling again, fast.

  A second later Keysia swung her fan again, and again I slowed a little bit and moved up an inch or two.

  I was three quarters of the way to the ground after Keysia’s second swing, so while I was moving very fast the rest of the way, it had worked to reduce the velocity of my fall.

  Sora glanced up and adjusted herself so that she was aligned with my fall.

  There was a hard thunking sound as my crotch, chest, and face all fell hard onto the back of Sora, and I felt Sora kneel a bit from the force. She roared, and I bounced a few inches from her body before coming straight back down onto her soft fur.

  I only took about 65% damage from the fall.

  Before I could even gain my senses, Rina was healing both Sora and me, and the others were coming to check on us.

  “You okay?” Jax asked as he lifted my head from Sora’s back.

  “Yeah…” I groaned.

  “Dude!” Jeremy shouted. “That was awesome!”

  “You’re amazing, Gunnar,” Keysia called.

  Are you okay? I asked Sora, ignoring the compliments.

  That was quite painful, but I’m okay. Are you okay, father?

  I’m fine. And thank you.

  I slid off Sora, and Jeremy was the first to run up to me and throw me a high five. Jax and Keysia were right behind him throwing me high fives as well. Jax rattled my shoulder and smiled.

  “What does this mean?” Rina asked, holding her palm up awkwardly.

  “It’s a Reborn tradition,” Keysia explained. “They smash their palms together in the air when something good happens or during a celebration.”

  “Hmmm, okay.” Rina stepped up to me and also held her palm up high. I stepped into it and supplied her first high-five. She looked at her palm in confusion.

  I was on top of the world at that moment and felt like Eden’s Gate was teaching me more and more about myself the longer I was there. I looked up to the skinny, rising peak, and I knew that someone at my level shouldn’t have ever been able to get up there.

  Back on Earth, I used to be a solo player, and if I had stayed that way, getting the Bloodmoss off the side of the peak, or worse, getting on and off of that peak would’ve been impossible. I would’ve had to wait until I was several levels higher and had high-level skills and abilities that would allow me to rise and descend safely.

  But, with the help of my guild, and a little critical thinking, I was able to push myself above and beyond that of a typical level 19. Every single person in my group had played a part in me getting to the top of the peak and getting back down in one piece, and without any one of them, the whole idea would’ve been a fail.

  And now… I had the Bloodmoss we’d been looking for and a levitation scroll—a scroll that I couldn’t use yet, but one that could be incredibly powerful for me in the future.

  Getting that scroll was a special moment for me, because I knew it would push me even further down a path of magic. I had yet to see anyone use a levitation spell, and I could only imagine hovering around in the sky, shooting blasts of fire and arcane energy at those who opposed me. I had a long way to go to get there, but… one day.

  Thanks to my guild, of course.

  Thanks to Unity.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  1/27/0001

  “Wow. What happened to you guys?” Aaron asked as we rode into Edgewood Village. He was lying down on a log near our unlit campfire.

  Keysia and I hopped off Sora.

  “A few muddy situations in Nestle Rock,” I replied.

  “What about you Jax? You look nasty as hell,” Aaron said as the other three guild mates slid off Fenris. He squinted his eyes and homed in on Jeremy. “Hey, aren’t you that guy?”

  Jeremy waved shyly and smiled.

  “Yeah, it’s the same guy,” I answered for him. “He’s part of the guild now.”

  Aaron pursed his lips and dipped his chin. “Wait. Are you kidding me? You were totally opposed to letting him in just a day or so ago.”

  “He saved us in Nestle Rock,” I explained. “I’ve let him in on a probationary period, so if he causes any problems, he’s out.” I turned to Jeremy and gave him a strong glare. “Right, Jeremy?”

  Jeremy nodded. “You won’t have to worry about me. I’m problem-free from here on out.”

  Aaron raised his eyebrows. “Well, welcome aboard, mate.”

  Jeremy walked up to Aaron, and they bo
th grabbed each other’s hands and pulled each other into a shoulder bump.

  “You sure we’re cool?” Jeremy questioned. “I’m sorry about the other day.”

  Aaron inhaled sharply and shrugged his shoulders. “If Gunnar thinks you’re cool, then we’re cool. Gunnar is an asshole after all, so he doesn’t like most people.”

  “Hey!” I spat. “That’s not true.”

  “Hey guys!” Ozzy suddenly yelled. He was stepping through the trees, coming from the direction of Highcastle. “You guys are already back?”

  “Hey, Oz,” I said, raising my chin. “We just got here.”

  “Looks like you all need a bath,” Ozzy said.

  “Pretty much.” I pointed towards a massive gash and several dents in the front of his breastplate. “Looks like you had a bit of a bad day yourself.”

  “A great day, actually. I’m 2 and 0 now!” Ozzy stopped in front of Aaron and they slapped each other’s hands.

  “Hell yeah!” Aaron said.

  “Good job, man!” I said.

  Ozzy walk towards us with his hand raised for a high five but paused when he noticed Jeremy. “What’s he doing here?”

  “Part of the guild now,” I said.

  “So...” Ozzy raised his eyebrows “Change of heart?”

  “Something like that,” I said. “We’re going to give him a chance.”

  Ozzy shrugged and continued to give me a high five, then moved over to Rina, Keysia and Jax. When he made his way to Jeremy, he gave him a high five as well then pulled him into a hug. “Welcome to Unity, man.”

  “Thanks,” Jeremy said.

  Beside my home, the frame of a stable had been built. It was twice the size of any building that had been in the village thus far but didn’t have any open section for windows. A small feeding area with a trough was attached to the outside, along with a wooden pole and several pegs. It looked like all that was left was to put in some finishing panels and doors.