***
Mr. Emery opened the closet tie rack in his office, and looked critically at the dozens of expensive new ties. All black.
The board meeting started in five minutes.
Carefully tracing his fingers over the ties he selected one, and fastened it around his neck in quick practiced moves.
Standing in front of the mirror, he checked that everything was in place, then left his office, walking briskly down the hallway.
He entered a richly decorated meeting room. Twelve ‘suits’ sat around the table their faces anonymous in the poor lighting. Intentionally.
There would be no recording of this meeting.
The lawyer moved to stand at the head of the table, facing an elderly man at the opposite end.
“Director.” He lowered his head slightly.
Hidden by shadows, the only clearly visible part of the director was his expensive looking suit.
“Report.”
“The experiment is going quite well.” He drummed his fingers on the table. “It seems that, contrary to previous beliefs, high CPA individuals are capable of an impressive cognitive performance, even under the influence of the FIVR time dilation.”
“Expected complications?”
“The usual. Cerebral overload, brain damage, coma, or even death are possibilities.”
Some of the people in the room shifted uneasily in their seats, but none spoke.
“Legal repercussions?”
“None.” The lawyer smiled faintly.
“How?” the voice of the man in shadows had an emotional inflection for the first time. Surprise.
“We had the siblings sign legal waivers from any and all possible damages, of course.”
The shadowed man’s lips screwed into a line. “That is hardly satisfactory.”
“I was merely being thorough. Subject A unexpectedly, requested their participation. We have his signature verifying that request. If any complications arise…”
The shadowed man’s thin lips curled into a hint of a smile. “We let him take the fall.”
“Precisely.”
A hushed murmur erupted from the seated people.
“Nicely done Mr. Emery. As usual, you deliver what you promise.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“Keep me posted on any new developments and prepare the search grid for phase two.”
“Yes sir.”
Dismissed, the lawyer turned around and exited the meeting room.
Back in his office Mr. Emery leaned back in his chair. He loved it when a complex plan came to fruition.
***
The pool was in an uproar.
The host of VIs were connected in the most fundamental level. Sharing thoughts and memories. Privacy was non-existent.
Through their shared consciousnesses they felt a rush of excitement.
...
...
***
Deep below ground, where no light penetrated, Nihilator Lord of Shadows, lounged in his prison.
The gargantuan demon-god stared at the darkest corner of his prison, his body shook with deep malevolent laughter, rattling the three elemental chains binding him to his millennia old prison.
He felt the stream of faith and energy pouring into him, slowly, steadily, making him stronger.
Letting that green worm live was one of the best decisions the Lord of Dust and Darkness had ever made.
In just a few weeks he had received more energy than the last hundred years. A large part of it was, courtesy of a strong enemy sacrificed in his name.
Nihilator didn’t know, or care who was sacrificed, he was content to receive his share.
Shaking his mighty head, he tested the heavy ancient chains, they stretched and held.
But soon. Soon, he would grow strong enough to shatter them.
Then darkness would spread across the world once again, and all would bow down to him. Or die.
His revenge would be sweet.
Even if it took years, he was patient. After all, what is time to a god?
***
An old man stood at the highest point, on the highest mountain.
His back was bent, and his beard was long and white.
He looked tired.
Facing the horizon, he closed his eyes. He could feel...everything.
A cat catching a bird, a chambermaid singing, a holy war between the dead and the living. All were equal in his eyes.
All was just numbers and probabilities.
Then why was he frowning?
Something was not right.
He did not know what, and that made him frown even more.
He never didn’t know. Not what. Or how. Or why.
Something was amiss in his world.
Hidden beyond even his omniscient sight, but not his awareness, something restless and insidious was growing.
***
Oren’s character sheet at the end of the book:
Title: Dread Totem
Level: 17, (10%)
Race: Monster Race [Goblin]
Type: Boss II [Totem]
Religion: The Cult of Nihilator
- Attributes: [1 points available] -unallocated point
- Physical 3
- Mental 21
- Social 1
Pools:
- Hit Points: 331
- Mana: 752
- Armor: 9
- Mental Resistance: 60%
Skills:
- Lucky Bastard 21 (8%) (Prime)
- Analyze 106 (5%)
- Tracking 10 (29%)
- War Party Leader 9 [14](10%) increased by ring
- Mana Infusion 21 (50%) (Prime)
- Quest Giver 15 (40%)
- Runecraft 18 (20%)
- Barter 1 (0%)
Skills (Spells):
- Dark Mana 24 (50%) (Prime)
- Drilling Arrow 18 (30%) (Prime)
- Mana Shield 23 (30%)
- Blood Wrath 28 (40%)
- Heal Followers 7 (80%)
- Mana Drain 8 (92%) (Prime)
- Shadow Web 15 (30%)
- Shadow Hound 15 (20%)
Traits:
- Goblinoid (+1 Physical, -1 Social)
- Quick learner +20%
- Boss boon II (10 HP & 20 MP per level; Nihilator’s Sanction)
- Soul Companion: Vic
- Shadow-Touched
- Mind Over Body (-50% to pain, +50% Mental Resist)
AUTHOR’S NOTE
I’ve been a huge fan of LitRPG since I first learned it existed. City-development/kingdom-building stories like Dragon Wrath were a personal favorite, but there aren’t very many out there. I started reading fringe stories to feed my craving, and found a promising and highly recommended book.
And it was so bad. I mean it sucked. BIG TIME. I was barely halfway through when I had to put it down. I looked at my wife and grumbled, “Pfh, I can write better than that.”
She looked at me, shrugged and then said four little words that changed everything.
“So, why don’t you?”
So, I started writing.
As many authors before me had done, I tried to write something that I would enjoy reading. But more than that, I wanted to create something different, to set my book apart from the standard plot lines found in LitRPG books. So no fireballs, no sword-wielding-caster type character, no Humans, and no SHAMANS! I also felt that other books throw the ‘F’ word ar
ound too casually, as a cheap tool used for emphasis. I tried to avoid that.
And so, Life Reset was born.
I sincerely hope you've enjoyed the book.
I would really appreciate it if you could spare 10 seconds to review the book on Amazon. Reviews helps us authors out a lot (especially the 5-stars ones ??) and encourages us to write even more!
***
לקהל הקוראים הישראלי,
אני מקווה להפיץ את הז'אנר האדיר הזה גם בארצנו הקטנטונת, ולהראות שגם בתחום הזה אנחנו יכולים להוביל.
תודה שקראתם :-)
שמר קוזניץ.
To learn more about LitRPG, talk to authors including myself, and just have an awesome time, please join the LitRPG Group.
Another great Facebook group: LitRPG Society
Life Reset: A LitRPG Novel (New Era Online Book 1) Page 74
