Isekai Magus: A LitRPG Progression Saga
Page 14
Bell gave me a thumbs up in the background. I held back my eye roll.
“He’s not gone, maybe,” I said, and this time she glared daggers at me. “I have two magical classes that contradict each other. I might be able to fix him.”
Bell shook her head no, quickly yanking out a dagger. Tarla backed up, hands turning to flame.
“Tuck the claws away, ladies, that’s an order,” I said sternly.
Bell smirked and put her blade away. Tarla did not extinguish her fire that licked her hands.
“What are you saying?” Tarla asked.
“One day I’ll ascend, and I’m new to Nordan,” I said, getting right to the point.
The flames went out and she gasped. “A champion?”
“Yup, and an idiot for telling you,” Bell said with a sigh. “Since the secret’s out, I’m his high priestess.” She added with a humpfh.
“And your plan?” Tarla asked with interest.
“We need to kill the bear, claim the horses, and then raise the dead,” I said, and her jaw dropped. She glanced between Bell and I at least five times. “My plan is to resurrect your brother and then try to heal him tomorrow.”
“You can do that?” she asked in dismay.
I held my palms up haphazardly. I still held a sword after all. “Best I got, Tarla. He stole from us, killed our horses, and then got you killed.” I said and she nodded sadly. “But he’s still family.”
She paced, muttering to herself. Eventually, she stopped and eyed me.
“Yeah, if the roles were reversed, he would try your crazy plan,” Tarla said with her voice firming in determination.
“Raising the dead automatically means I gain Ostriva points. If you stay at zero, I cannot bring you back from the undead. Keep that in mind when you think about your current zero score. Also, I’ll be forbidden from ever entering a human city again likely after today. Unless I want to stay a healer, and I don’t,” I said.
“How does it work?” Tarla asked.
“All a theory so far. I’ve never done it. I just got a warning that it adds Ostriva points and that’s it,” I told her.
“I think the bear is unconscious,” Bell said.
Tarla glanced at me and then the sword. “I don’t have Z to refill my mana. And… even if I did, I wouldn’t waste it on something like that.”
I grumbled, manning up to the situation.
Bending down, I snatched a rock off the ground.
When I neared the beast, I hurled the rock.
Smack. Nothing happened besides the shallow breathing.
Edging closer, I approached from the charred busted leg. The breathing had slowed significantly since last I checked.
An urge to flee tinged through my body. I squinted my eyes, controlling my fear. When I reached a spot where I saw the blood being blown by the raspy breaths of the unconscious beast.
I lined up a great overhead chop for the spot behind the head. My blade raced down, and the bear never twitched or moved.
My cut sunk deep, spraying gore and fur until it hit bone. No orb appeared, and the bear’s breathing slowed further.
I felt like an eye would pop open or the beast would lunge like they did in the movies. Instead, I rotated to near the maw. When I lined up the eye, I jabbed the blade home.
A loud squish sent eyeball fluid squirting out. I frowned when the slimy juices soaked my hands. The bear breathed its last, and a big orb hovered over the body.
“We’re going to salvage the fur that’s not ruined. It’ll be worth the effort, and when she recharges her mana, we can semi preserve the underside,” Bell informed me.
“I’m glad he robbed us,” I said, knowing the words probably stung Tarla. “Not that he’s dead, but we all would have died. This… this bear is something else.”
“Ole Tunni, a local terror. He hits camps at night. His normal routine is to kill the party and eat the supplies. We heard horror stories of him killing entire groups. Other times, he kills one or two, chasing off the party and then they go back and revive the dead, or he runs when they fight. I always thought it was a bullshit story,” Tarla said and then added. “Yeah, he saved our lives with his greed.”
“Think he’ll tell us why he did it?” I asked, pulling my sword free.
“Jark loves the three-minute thrill between a woman’s thighs. Each person has their motivations. He wanted to be our father. While I respect our unique family, it wasn’t for me or a motivation of mine,” Tarla said.
Bell chuckled and said, “My mother has her boy toys and stooge husband. This one fell prey to her ways.” Bell thumbed me.
“So that’s why you’re so testy around him but still eyed him more than my brother. Jark bitched non-stop about that,” Tarla said. “Said he was better looking and fiercer, but you blew him off. Well, not literally. Err… anyways, thanks for sharing. I was wondering why there was so much tension between you two.”
“Are you going to raise the bear?” Bell asked.
I nodded.
“We’ll stand over here to talk about what comes next while you try,” Bell said. “I need some assurances if she’s going to continue with us. Good luck.”
The two of them chatted while they watched over me. I focused on my center, using a spell to cultivate the massive orb over the beast.
The resistance was too much, and the first attempt failed horribly. I huffed, finding a dry spot to sit cross legged.
When I found my center, again I reached out to the orb and it fought me to a point I thought I’d fail again. With my last bit of focus, I absorbed the orb.
Claim or Consume Zorta
Claim.
Claiming the Tarni Bear as a minion will result in you earning Ostriva points. Do you wish to proceed? (YES) - (NO)
Yes.
You selected claim a Tarni Bear. Consume 43.112 Zorta to summon this creature as a minion of the undead.
I went back to the top menu and selected consume.
Zorta: 43.112 - Consume (Yes) - (No) or (Drop)
I selected yes.
When I opened my eyes both ladies watched me with anticipation.
I said, “Follow me.”
I walked away from the bear and didn’t get more than a few feet before Bell asked, “What happened?”
“Needed forty-three Zorta to claim it as an undead minion,” I said with disappointment. “It rewarded forty-three, exactly the same.”
“Damn! That’s a lot of Z. Where’d it go?” Tarla asked, looking for an orb. “We barely earned that much as a party in Litroo and split it twenty ways with taxes.”
I said, “I consumed it for now. I’m giving you my spare Z. I have about two from Benny and the one landshark. That should be enough to help you level.”
Tarla mulled it over and nodded. “Yeah, some nice upgrades for certain. But two is not a third of the bear,” she said in a disgruntled manner.
“No, but we have charcoal and a ledger. We’ll keep it fair,” Bell said.
“Yes, until we get a splitting mage, whatever they’re called,” I said.
Tarla replied, “Zortamancer. Or parsing mage.”
“Yeah, one of those, I’d rather not have forty-three zorta not being put to use,” I said.
“As long as it evens out, I’m fine. Bell and I talked. I can… become more than I am as a disciple of Caitlyn. Or I can take my leave and return without my brother. I’m a bit emotional at the moment, so I’m going to sleep on it before deciding to join Caitlyn and her champions or returning by myself. Plus, I want to see what happens with Jark tomorrow night.”
I nodded. “We can stay for a day, set up some traps with bear meat, and continue to gain Z. Apparently, being a necromancer is super expensive. Maybe.”
I walked to Jark, contemplating if I should wait. His mangled body held an orb over the corpse, and I decided to walk past him.
Tarla lit a stick to illuminate the wagon crash for us. Our purses and supplies he had stolen lay scattered on the road.
&n
bsp; The bear had crashed into the wagon from below onto the road, busting the wagon against the uphill slope.
Both horses bore massive serrated wounds. They died quickly from what I could tell.
“Okay, this one is less mangled. Let me try it on a horse first,” I said.
“What if you can only raise the dead once a day?” Bell asked.
“Please, Damien,” Tarla said with a pleading tone.
“Save what you ladies can and hand her the spare Z you don’t need. Both of you upgrade while I work the body. We don’t have a wagon anymore, so I don’t really need a horse besides to be a pack carrier,” I said.
Bell and Tarla glanced at each other hesitantly.
“While we need a pack carrier,” Bell said. “Reviving Jark is a must if we can.”
I nodded, leaving them to return to Jark.
I sat down, not sure what this would entail.
My focus remained scattered, and I tried to corral his orb to accept my touch and failed.
A second try failed. As did a third. Deciding I likely needed to try a new angle, I went into my stats to see if I could upgrade.
Cultivation 2 -} Cultivation 4 = .013 Zorta. (YES) or (NO)
Nice, at least it is staying affordable for now.
A moment later, I had cultivation at level four.
A chant escaped my lips. “Death is power. Power is everything. Death is power. Power is everything. Death is power. Power is everything.” Each rotation was louder than the first.
I felt a bit off saying this.
However, my magic coated his orb, and the resistance buckled and broke under my new strength.
Claim or Consume Zorta
Claiming Jark Starski as a minion will result in you earning Ostriva points. Do you wish to proceed? (YES) - (NO)
You selected to claim: Jark Starski. Consume 4.191 Zorta to summon this human as a minion of the undead. This will incur 1500 Ostriva points. Do you wish to proceed? (YES) - (NO)
I had quickly selected yes up to this point. Now, I hesitated. There was no going back after I -
Yes.
The gravel trembled, dancing from the vibrations. I balanced myself the best I could as a spell swirled out of my being.
I opened my eyes to see black tendrils coated Jark’s body and bones snapped into place. A haunting image transpired, and I became transfixed.
Seeing the bones returned to place wasn’t too bad. It was the souls of the undead that stripped his skin off that caused me to want to vomit.
Gray ghoulish hands rose from the hard terrain. They peeled back the layers of Jark’s body rapidly. In less than a minute, all that remained was pale white bone.
I expected an explosion or some big bang to signify the spell was over.
None transpired.
Jark’s skeleton stood, his lower jaw moving in rapid fashion. He spun, seeing his sister and raced for her.
She flared fire, and I shouted, “No, don’t.”
Tarla extinguished her hands and let the skeleton hug her.
The jaw rose and fell, teeth clattering.
“He’s trying to talk but can’t,” Bell said.
“Come here, Jark,” I ordered.
The skeleton immediately reacted, abandoning his sister. While there lacked facial expressions, I could tell by his body language this saddened him.
“Run to the fire and back,” I commanded.
He sprinted at a full run as if he still had legs.
The ladies joined my side when he returned.
“Rebuild the wagon,” I said.
He placed palms up and shook his head.
“Build up the fire with collected sticks and then find a stick to make a spear out of,” I said, and he took off to complete his task.
“Not going to lie, that’s awesome,” Bell said.
“Yeah… so, tomorrow, you think he’ll grow skin? Well, all the other stuff too?” Tarla asked.
“That or the divine magic will ruin him and turn him to holy ash or some such. They’re counter magics after all,” I said.
“Well, it's Jark. He hugged me exactly the way he always does. I… I don’t want to risk him,” Tarla said despondently. “I guess we need to find an Ostriva to kill, summon as an undead, and then resurrect. That’s him. I… I love him. He’s my twin.”
“Sorry, I had to choose,” I said sadly.
“Yeah, well, you picked correctly,” Bell said a bit directly. I was trying to be nice, but it appeared to be grating on her.
“Damien cares about my feelings and yours. I’m not some random hussy in a bar anymore. I’m literally tied to you both in the hopes of saving my brother or at least seeing his final death. But yes, it’s going to be weird having a kind-souled necromancer as a traveling partner,” Tarla said.
I left her to go to the horses. I think that settled her wanting to sleep on the matter dilemma.
I reached the first horse and stared down at the gutted body. Guess that made it easier for the spell to consume the flesh.
I checked my levels real quick and saw more than a few needed upgrades, including healer to three and necromancy to two.
Healer 2 -} Healer 3 = 3 Zorta. (YES) or (NO)
Necromancer Level 1 -} Necromancer Level 2 = 10 Zorta. (YES) or (NO)
Oof. I had no idea what upgrading Necromancer from one to two did, but it was insanely expensive.
I kept my eyes open to cultivate the horse's orb.
Again, I chanted, “Death is power. Power is everything. Death is power. Power is everything. Death is power. Power is everything.”
The orb succumbed quickly to my spell.
Claim or Consume Zorta?
I hadn’t expected that. The retelling of Harvish mentioned no cavalry. So, why did he avoid using mounts? I selected claim.
Claiming the horse as a minion will result in you earning Ostriva points. Do you wish to proceed? (YES) - (NO)
You selected to claim: horse. Maximum minions per level already reached.
“Well, shit,” I muttered with a frustrated sigh. Then it dawned on me. If he was army size limited, maybe he valued two infantry over one horse and one soldier. I went into the menu for my stats and upgraded everything I could. I burned almost twenty Zorta.
Name: Damien Moonguard
Race: Human
Affiliation: Nordan
Zorta: 24.358
Nordan Score: 1100
Ostriva Score: 1500
Location: Targee Mountains
Magic Type: Healer
Healer Level: 3
Magic Type 2: Necromancer
Necromancy Level: 2
Necromancer Minions: 1/5
Fighting Level: Pathetic
Mana: 7/25
Mana Recharge: 3
Strength: 4
Stamina: 3
Dexterity: 3
Constitution: 4
Willpower: 4
Cultivation: 4
Intelligence: 25
Wisdom: 25
Charisma: 15
Tracking: 3
Endurance: 4
Perception: 6
Burst: 2
Reflex: 2
Healing: 3
Melee Combat: 2
Aim: 2
Hunger: 2
Thirst: 4
Aging: 47 years until death.
I cycled through the information. I had to guess I started with 1/1 and moved to 1/5. Does that mean I’d get 1/10 or 1/25 next upgrade? Hell, maybe 1/50. I didn’t even want to think of the cost to get Necromancer 3.
I saw my Nordan score jumped too. Killing the bear likely added points, the brute certainly had no qualms killing humans.
The clatter of a skeleton approaching told me Jark neared. In his bony hand, he gripped his staff for lightning magic. I raised an eyebrow.
“Cast a lightning bolt into the river,” I said.
He shook his head.
“Can you ever cast magic again?” I asked.
Another head shake no.
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“Can you ride a skeleton horse?” I asked, and he tried to explain a shape to me. Eventually, I guessed, “With a saddle?”
He nodded this time. Okay, that further stressed why no cavalry. Expensive to equip for a lord living in the wilds.
I huffed out a long exhale, pointing at his weapon. “Why show me your staff?”
He went to the bottom and uncapped a cover. At the end was a cheap metallic spear point.
“Will animals sense you?”
He shrugged.
“Smell you?”
Another shrug.
“Cook some bear meat and then start work on creating a barge,” I said.
“No, straight to the barge,” Bell said and Jark froze, looking to me for an override.
“Follow her commands as well,” I said and Jark ran to start working on our barge. “Why no food?”
“We can cook. Save him for the back breaking labor,” Bell said with a happy scoff.
Tarla went to help her brother. He was super animated when she talked to him, and I saw her smiling from the interaction.
“She’s handling it well,” I said.
“She’s full of hope, as am I. Hope that the skeleton horse carries my pack. What!? It's really heavy,” Bell said cutely. “How are you, though?”
“Numb, my dear Bell. I’m so numb. On Earth, we had stories of people coming to a new realm. They meet a pretty girl, or five, and decide to stay forever. Yeah, Nordan sucks. I miss the internet, yoga pants, and mundane library work,” I said despondently.
“Well, only one way to make go home is to preserve. And what are yoga pants?”
“Like underwear that is really tight - goes from your hips to your ankles and makes an ass look fantastic,” I said.
She folded her arms, glancing up at me.
“You haven’t tried to seduce Tarla, and I know she’s interested,” Bell said.
I nodded. “Caitlyn said to get a girlfriend. On Earth it’s -”
“I know what an attached lover is,” Bell said sharply.