The Chaos Emperor: Ascend
A World of Ga’em Novel
By Dhayaa Anbajagane
GATEWAY TO DANGER
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
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AUTHOR’S NOTE
Hi there!
This is just a quick ‘infomercial’ of sorts about the book you’re about to read. This whole series is part of a Universe called the World of Ga’em. I’ve written another series in this world before—The Eternal—and if you’re coming here after reading that, just know that this book takes place before that storyline, and most of the characters from that book don’t reappear here. However, if you have read that series, there are many Easter eggs, references, and some scenes that I guarantee you will enjoy! You don’t need to have read the previous books to understand this one but doing so will definitely give you a significantly different experience with the plot (in my opinion). Anyway, that’s all from me, and I hope you enjoy this book!
CHAPTER ONE
Do you think the world is truly fair?
The punch came faster than I'd expected. My back cracked against the tree bark, and I slumped to the ground, gasping. A trickle of blood ran down my arm, and fell onto the blades of grass I gripped, coloring the fresh morning dew.
“You’re weak, Ryder.”
Two blond men stood before me, staring with their stormy grey eyes. The dull shade blended in with the cloudy skies, and the flecks of gold inside their pupils shone like lightning within. They had identical faces, and would have looked like perfect twins if one of them wasn’t taller than the other. They weren’t too old, around the same age I was. Mentally, though, they were probably much, much younger.
And even that was an understatement.
“What are you glaring at us for, Levi?” The tall one knelt before my fallen form. He held a long tree branch in his hands and the thick, green leaves were streaked with blood.
My blood.
“What’s the glare for, brat?” He gritted his teeth. “You’ve gotten cockier since you turned eighteen.”
He swung the branch, and a stinging sensation cut into my arm. I gasped, and gripped my slashed skin, wetting my own fingers with more of the red liquid.
“He’s just going to keep wailing, Ben,” the short one said. He looked at the worn-out scroll he gripped between his fingers. “What do you even want with this thing anyway? Peasants like you shouldn’t have items like this.”
Why do I think the world is unfair? My jaw clenched. Ten years of effort lie in that scroll in his hands. And those ten years of effort are going to go poof, like a puff of smoke from a bloody noble’s hookah.
I lifted my bloodied arm, and more blood soaked the dew beneath. “Give it back.” My voice was firm.
The twins looked at me, then at each other. Laughter spewed from their lips, echoing into the air. Ben swung again, and more cuts opened over my body. I breathed heavily now, and my chest quivered with every puff of air.
Calm down, I thought. You know what’ll happen if you retaliate.
“You’re a pathetic existence, Ryder.” Ben plucked a few leaves of his branch, and let them float to the ground. “Consider yourself lucky. Jack would have hurt you more.”
“Oh, please.” Jack rolled his eyes. “You were the one that even wanted to take this scroll in the first place. I didn’t want anything to do with the shabby thing.”
“It’s a rare scroll,” Ben said. “It looks pretty old, too. I’m pretty sure there’s some value to it.” He looked at me, and a smile twitched onto his lips. “Isn’t there?”
I stared right into his gaze. “Give it back, Ben.” My voice was still firm.
He put his hands in the air and shook them. “Oooooh. I’m scared.”
The two twins chuckled, and the sound of their laughter echoed into my ears. My blood boiled. Calm down. My muscles twitched, raring to flex, but I stayed where I was, decorated in streaks of red.
Ben stood up. “You know, Levi….” He pulled a few more leaves off the branches and dropped them to the ground. “You wouldn’t be so easy to target if you weren’t alone all the time.”
"A loner doesn't have to worry about betrayal," I whispered.
Jack raised an eyebrow. "What do you know about betrayal?" He chuckled.
My heart twisted inside my chest. "More than you ever will."
The two of them looked at me, and then they sighed. “You’re a weird one, Levi,” Jack said. “Probably why you’re always alone in the first place.”
I stared right at them. My arms were painted in red now, and pain struck my body repeatedly. Yet, I stared at the twins, right into their stormy, grey eyes. “Give me back my scroll.”
“Wow, such desperation,” Ben chuckled. “Hearing you speak, you’d think you need this thing to live or something.”
“Oooh.” Jack’s eyes darted my way. “Is that what this is? You need this thing to live?”
“That’s unfortunate.”
He nodded. “We’ll make sure to give you a funeral, though. Don’t worry.”
A gust of wind blew through us, and a crack of thunder descended from the grey skies. The twins looked up. “We should probably get going," Ben said. “Mom is going to get mad if we get wet in the rain.”
I clenched my fists, digging my nails into my skin. So many bloody openings, I thought. And yet I can’t do a goddamn thing.
The branch came flying at my head and I threw my hands up, shielding my face from the jagged wood. The sharp edges cut into my skin yet again, and then, the branch thudded softly to the forest floor.
“Have a fun day, Levi.” The twins waved at me, and then walked away, as if they hadn’t just maimed me with branches and leaves. My head cranked, and I watched as their annoying forms faded into the horizon, with Ben gripping the scroll tightly.
I lifted my hand up. “I need that,” I muttered.
That scroll was everything to me. There was a reason I’d searched for it for ten years, a reason I’d scoured and hunted for information about it. And yet, that didn’t mean a damn thing anymore.
I needed that scroll. It was my lifeline. It was my way out of all … this. A small pool of blood soaked my pants. I looked up at the fading forms of the two men.
You don’t understand. I gritted my teeth. You never will.
***
“What’s with all the red, kiddo?” the man chuckled.
I walked to the o
utpost, taking small steps. Blood streaked my clothes, but the pain had subsided.
Well, it’s not like it bothered me anyway.
A large wall rose before me, thirty feet off the ground, and expanded both left and right for as far as I could see. There was a hollowed entrance within it—one of the only points one could use to get inside the enclosure.
A man stood beside it—a Knight in silver armor. He had a lone spear in his hand, but also had a small, empty scabbard hung around his waist, probably for a dagger. “You seem to have had quite the outing.” The man chuckled again.
I kept my eyes to the ground and kept walking.
“Quite talkative, ain’t you?” He slapped me in the back.
I stumbled forward, and a stinging sensation struck my skin, right where he’d hit me. I ground my teeth, but said nothing. I put my head down and walked forward, heading into the enclosure.
DING!
A screen of translucent-white appeared before me.
You have now entered Zevalon City.
I swiped through the air, and dismissed the screen. Yeah, like I didn’t know that. I looked ahead. Sometimes these Ga’em prompts are so annoying.
Small houses and run-down buildings stood a few hundred yards from me. They were all clustered together, wall-to-wall, with not a yard of space left wasted. Small streets broke into the clutter, and not many people walked through them.
A clap of thunder struck the skies again, and a quieter rumble echoed a moment later. I gazed up, past the bunched-up buildings. Larger structures rose behind them, and were located much farther away—maybe ten miles or so. Beyond them were even larger structures, and the trend continued.
My eyes traced the steady progression of buildings’ heights, up until I was looking at a large shadow, far off in the distance. The Royal Palace.
Its features weren’t really visible, since the larger buildings around it hid everything but the top, and the top—at this point in time—was shrouded in mist and clouds.
Another clap of thunder struck the air, and the skies dimmed. Clouds swirled around, much faster than before.
A storm was coming.
I stepped into an alleyway to my right, and a disgusting stench shot up my nostrils immediately. Eighteen years and still can’t get used to this smell.
A sewage line ran close to the wall, and the ground itself was littered was garbage and grime. I trod through, unbothered by the dirtiness before me. A form lay on the ground on the left, next to the sewage line. A large pamphlet covered his head, but his tattered robes were in full display, and had been smeared by the grime.
I paid no attention and walked past him. I headed to the door in the left wall a few yards after, and opened it carefully. I peeked through, and looked around. Silence echoed in my ears, and no footsteps sounded either.
Good, she’s not in. I stepped inside and closed the door, just as slowly as I’d opened it. A tiny kitchen lay to my right and a worn-out cot stood to the left. A steep, narrow flight of stairs rose in front of me, separating the kitchen and the cot. I climbed it, making sure I didn’t get my blood anywhere. The staircase turned to the left a few steps in, and I followed it up.
A small room stood at the top, about the same size as the previous room. Another cot stood in the corner, and an alcove sat at the far end of the room, looking over the small streets.
I pulled the clothing off my upper body and walked to the washbasin in the corner of my room. The tap was tight but I managed to open it a few tugs later. A brownish water flowed out, and sand drained down the basin. My nose wrinkled. There used to be an odd scent that came from this water. There probably still was, but I’d gotten so used to it now that I couldn’t smell it anymore.
I put my head under the flow of water. The liquid soaked my hair and pulled the blood out of it. The water trickled down my face and my neck, forming small streams that lowered down to my pants. Multiple stinging sensations struck my body, but I didn’t pull away, and kept my head under the running water.
I straightened a minute later and exhaled. A half-cracked mirror stood on the wall above the washbasin, and reflected my image.
A young man with black hair stared back at me, with the longish locks covering his forehead. Beneath that darkness were a set of sunset-violet eyes, with flecks of silver sparkling inside them. I had high cheekbones, a thin jaw, and had no scars anywhere, even though I’d been bashed up plenty over the years. Blood still soaked my long eyelashes and I splashed some more water onto my face to get it out.
I grabbed a small rag hanging next to the mirror and ran it under the water. I squeezed it a little, and then dabbed it against my body. The cuts over my chest and my arms stung as I cleaned them, but there wasn’t really much I could do about that.
I stared into the mirror, at the form that reflected within it. You don’t even look strong. I sighed.
A noise sounded from beneath the floor, and I froze. Uh oh, I thought. Helen. I quickly dabbed down the rest of my body, and got out the streaks of blood on my skin.
I turned off the tap and peered into the mirror. The cuts aren’t that visible, I noticed. I hope. I looked underneath my cot and pulled out a fresh set of clothes — a white shirt, a sleeveless grey jacket, and a pair of black pants. I quickly slipped into them and walked back downstairs.
A middle-aged woman was working in the kitchen now. She was in a blue dress a few sizes too big, and wore a smudged apron over it. Her grimy brown hair was pulled into a tight ponytail with nothing but a dirty string. She paused when the wood creaked under my footsteps and turned around.
“Ah, Levi.” Her dark eyes looked at me. “When did you get back?”
“Just a few minutes ago,” I said.
She threw a small piece of wood into a metal range and placed a pot of water atop it. “How did the outing go? Did you get anything good in the forest?”
I shook my head.
“I see,” she said. “I hope you’re fine with boiled vegetables for tonight, then.”
“As long as there isn’t any beetroot.” I grinned.
She chuckled. “By the way” —she pointed at my neck— “you missed a spot of blood.”
I clutched the side of my throat. Ugh. Of course she’d notice a single spot.
Helen poured water into the pot on the stove. “Was it the Henway twins again?”
I twiddled my thumbs and stared at the floor.
She sighed. “You know, those kids just pick on you because you’re always alone. You don’t see them doing this sort of stuff to anyone else.”
“Helen, not this again,” I mumbled.
“Levi, if they knew there was someone else who would stand up for you, then they’d be hesitant to keep doing this. Why can't you just try get along with the other kids? I’m not saying you have to. I’m just saying at least try.”
“Working with other people is bothersome,” I said. “They’d just hold me back.”
“And this lone wolf play is clearly working for you, considering the week has just begun and the Henway twins have already attacked you twice now. Clearly you’ve made so much ‘progress’ growing stronger.”
The sounds of boiling water entered the air. Helen picked up some cut vegetables from her side and dropped them into the pot.
“You’re going to have to get along with our neighbors. There are so many nice people around here. I’m sure they would be glad to know you.” She picked up a wooden ladle and pulled up her sleeves.
My eyes rose to her form, and my chest tightened. A large bruise bloomed on her right forearm. “Did you work the Henway house today?” My voice was quieter.
Helen looked at me, then back to the pot before her. “The tree isn’t much different from the apples that fell off it.”
My fists clenched. At this point, it was like we were the Henway family’s personal punching bags. Me every time I went out into the forest, and Helen every time she worked at their house.
Those lowlifes. I gritted my teeth. The Henw
ays were a rich family who lived closer to the centre of the city, which was where the Royal Palace was. They weren’t the most influential family here, but they certainly had a say in things from time to time. Of course, that just meant striking back at those twins was close to impossible. Unless I wanted to deal with the repercussions, that is.
But let’s face it. If I hit those twins, their mother would end up taking it out on Helen.
Sure, that wasn’t the only thing stopping me from clocking them in the head, but it was probably the most compelling one.
“What are you thinking about now?” Helen chuckled.
I shook my head. “Nothing.”
She raised an eyebrow, and then turned back to her pot. “Just try getting along with someone, would you? For me.”
“I’ll think about it.”
“That’s more than enough.” She smiled. “Oh, and by the way, Lady Henway mentioned there was going to be a Knight procession further inside the city, tomorrow at sunrise.”
I blinked. “So?”
“Don’t do something stupid. Just for tomorrow.”
“You have a lot of confidence in me, don’t you?” I chuckled. “Plus, the Knight Processions aren’t a big deal anyway.”
The corner of her mouth twitched into a smile. “Not one that has the princess coming along.”
My eyes widened. “The princess is coming?”
“Surprising, isn’t it?” she said. “You can see why this is a big deal.”
“She never comes out of the palace. When was the last time she even came out?”
“I can’t remember.” Her eyes narrowed. “She was still a little girl back then. Lady Henway said she’s coming out with the procession to celebrate her new mastery of some kind of magic.”
“Well, she always had a flair for the Magical Arts,” I said. “Especially the Light Arts.” Some people have all the luck in the world.
“I heard a rumor that the procession is actually to commemorate the capture of a creature of darkness.”
I frowned. “What?”
Ascend: A World of Ga'em LitRPG (The Chaos Emperor Book 1) Page 1
