Isekai Magus: A LitRPG Progression Saga

by Han Yang

  His mind hadn’t realized yet what was transpiring.

  The pain racking his body broke his ability to focus on anything else. For a brief moment, I felt bad for him. And then I thrust his dagger into where I figured his heart lay.

  Zeedodan’s eyes flared wide as he suddenly realized death knocked on his door. He glanced at the blade and then at me.

  “But you’re a meek human,” he said in dismay.

  I yanked the blade out, and he died a second later.

  When I raced to Serriavian, I saw his eyes glazed over in death and his body also coated in the weird burns that the resurrection had caused.

  “Holy shit,” Asha said, stumbling in shock.

  He glanced down at his hands, clearly confused as to what was going on. Even I was surprised by his sudden transformation from his brief skeletal form.

  Yeah, he was Elva again. Almost. His body was elva, his skin, muscles and tendons returned, and now he is very much not a skeleton. However, he had all white hair and menacing black eyes with zero pupils.

  “Sorry I had to suppress your memories earlier,” I said, and he gave a terse nod. “We have time to catch up later. Five centaurs will be coming soon and likely the village too. Bell, pack our tent, please. Jark, Asha, arm yourselves. Tarla, cover me.”

  “Yes, master. I shall exact revenge on those who tormented me so,” Asha said with reverence.

  He sped away at a rate I struggled to track, astonishing me even more. Jark tried to keep up, racing after the modified elva. I had a short dagger and was pathetic at combat fighting. It was something on my to-do list of fixing.

  I realized I had to trust them while I tried to raise my final minion.

  I walked over to Zeedodan’s orb and sat cross legged. I closed my eyes, found my center, and chanted with a deep voice, “Death becomes me, I become death. Death becomes me, I become death. Death becomes me, I become death.”

  Yeah, I hate the words, but it’s an ‘adapt or die’ sorta deal.

  I reached out and beat Zeedodan’s resistance aggressively. Every time he tried to fight my retrieval, he failed. Only a minute later, I held control of his soul.

  Claim or Consume Zorta?

  I selected Claim, and when it required six Zorta that I didn’t have, I went to the consume menu.

  Consume 6.302 Zorta (YES) - (NO) - (DROP)

  I consumed the Z with glee. Finally feeling like I achieve a milestone. This was the downfall of converting Asha into a minion. It had left my reserves almost empty.

  I shifted my ass, hearing the thundering of hooves approaching.

  When I reached out to Serriavian, his resistance fought me and won handily. A minute later and the sound of swords clashing rang loud.

  The hairs on my arm rose, and a crack of lightning burst from the nearby trees.

  Shifting my attention, I tried again, digging deep into my core and forcing out my vile chant again. Every bit of my concentration went into fighting the spirit of the younger centaur.

  The battle of will sparked magical auras high. This was my battlefield. This was my purpose.

  I exuded every ounce of power until Serriavian angrily broke his resistance. I sighed in relief when his prompt arrived.

  Claim or Consume Zorta?

  Claiming the Serriavian Swifta as a minion will result in you earning Ostriva points. Do you wish to proceed? (YES) - (NO)

  You selected to claim: Serriavian Swifta. Consume 5.227 Zorta to summon this centaur as a minion of the undead. This will incur 1500 Ostriva points. Do you wish to proceed? (YES) - (NO)

  I immediately selected yes, rising to my feet. The soil below my feet quaked until the dirt danced. As if the undead god was angry, a massive ghoulish hand breached the ground and slammed down into Serriavian Swifta.

  The body smushed, turning into a pulp, and a second later, a centaur skeleton remained.

  “Defeat all foes, Sven,” I said, not wanting to butcher his name.

  The centaur stumbled, snatching one of his knives off the ground. I used the brief respite to see Bell running from a centaur casting a pink spell. She lunged out of the way, the magic crashing into grass. The spell popped with a crackle until it encased the spot in weird webbing.

  Asha burst from the treeline and across the clearing. The elva leaped high and slammed into the centaur’s upper torso.

  The duo went down in a tumble, and Asha’s arms moved inhumanly fast. The glint of blades told me he was driving daggers into the centaur’s body.

  A flaring orange light grew behind me, catching my attention. The swirling mass of fire gave enough warning for me to flounder onto the grass.

  Twang!

  Searing pain erupted in my ass, and I cried out. When I checked over my shoulder, I confirmed what I figured had happened. An arrow jutted out of my right butt cheek.

  Whoosh!

  Tarla sneered with rage, unleashing a fireball that smashed into the centaur who had shot me with his bow. The humanoid strivian roiled in pain as its skin melted. When he collapsed heavily with a thud, an orb hovered over his body.

  I heard Jark fighting in the background. Asha zoomed by us to help.

  I yanked the arrow free and healed my ass quickly, feeling a wee bit woozy, either from the pain or my mana levels.

  “Retreat!” a voice called out. “Argh. Get off me you demon. Help Tar-”

  The voice stopped suddenly. A minute later, a second set of loud deathly cries pierced the quiet night.

  Asha, Jark, and Serriavian returned, unfazed by the fighting. Jark handed me a broken pinky finger again, and I couldn’t help but snicker.

  “Load him up,” I said, pointing to Serriavian. “I need you to cover me while I try to abandon minions.”

  I flicked a finger across my orb to turn on my Nordan menu. I hastily messed with the interface.

  The upgrade prompt blocked my way, and I quickly applied upgrades to healer level, strength, constitution, willpower, cultivation, and two points into melee combat.

  Apparently, stabbing a downed foe gains good rewards.

  Name: Damien Moonguard

  Race: Human

  Affiliation: Nordan

  Zorta: 24.358

  Nordan Score: 1100

  Ostriva Score: 3100

  Location: Lafin Valley

  Magic Type: Healer

  Healer Level: 4

  Magic Type 2: Necromancer

  Necromancy Level: 2

  Necromancer Minions: 5/5

  Fighting Level: Pathetic

  Mana: 7/25

  Mana Recharge: 3

  Strength: 5

  Stamina: 3

  Dexterity: 3

  Constitution: 5

  Willpower: 5

  Cultivation: 5

  Intelligence: 25

  Wisdom: 25

  Charisma: 15

  Tracking: 3

  Endurance: 4

  Perception: 6

  Burst: 2

  Reflex: 2

  Healing: 3

  Melee Combat: 4

  Aim: 2

  Hunger: 1

  Thirst: 1

  Aging: 47 years until death.

  I found a back option and opened a new menu.

  PROFILE STATISTICS.

  MINIONS.

  I selected Minions.

  Serriavian

  Asha

  Jark

  Horse 2

  Horse 1

  I selected Horse 1 and found no way of removing the being. I spent the next three minutes not finding a way to unbind the trapped horse.

  Making a command decision, I said, “Quickly extract the orbs of the centaurs for later.”

  Imagine my surprise when Asha channeled and broke the spirit of the centaur he had daggered down.

  “That was fast,” I blurted.

  “Those you kill yourself tend to surrender quicker, already having been defeated by you,” Asha said, and my jaw almost dropped.

  I forgot that he was not some random undead being anymore.
Exactly what he was, well, I’d ask later.

  “How do I get rid of the horses in the centaur village?” I asked.

  “I’ve only read the texts. Flee a hundred leagues or manually touch them to unsummon,” Asha said, retrieving another orb quickly.

  Tarla showed up and said, “The village is stirring, and I’m out of mana.”

  “Done,” Bell said, patting Sven’s loaded frame.

  “We need to get moving,” I muttered.

  Asha handed Bell the orbs and turned to me, “Which direction do you wish to travel?”

  “Northeast,” Bell said, stuffing the orbs into a pouch on her jerkin.

  “The dwarven holds?” he asked.

  I frowned and said, “Yes, but not too close, though.”

  I opened the bag for her to start stuffing the items into the case. At least the bag was empty. Jark eagerly ran over, bringing me a bow and arrow. Everything was happening so fast.

  The others worked like professionals, and everyone glanced at me for guidance.

  I’d never been in charge of anything in my life before besides an odd science project or during a study session. Literally, my existence revolved around me the moment I had joined society as an adult.

  Now... Now I was a champion, a new man. The changes felt uniquely natural.

  “Thanks, Jark. Can you fire this bow?” I asked.

  He shook his head.

  “I can,” Asha said, accepting the weapon.

  I placed a hand on Jark’s shoulder and said, “Loot everything and then race to catch up to us. Asha, take us to the northeast. Sven, follow Asha’s trail. With any luck, we’ll get too far for others to pursue.”

  With Sven loaded up, I glanced around, seeing a littered battlefield. Somehow, I hoped crossing the centaurs wouldn’t cause problems.

  CHAPTER 17

  Yabbi Hills

  Our party ran for the next twelve hours, desperate to be free of the farmlands. After hours of charging through the woods, we turned onto the old miners’ road. Not long after, Asha led us even higher up the mountainside.

  After some steep climbing, Asha picked a big ledge with a stunning view to rest on. We collected whatever sticks we could and built up a fire for a soup lunch.

  We ensured the small area was secured and everyone besides Jark and Sven relaxed. I set my skeleton duo to watch the trail up and down to our location.

  I adjusted, finding the stone ground against my boney butt lacking comfort. The fire crackled, the midday sun beat down its summer rays, and a cool mountain wind felt delightful.

  From up on our ledge, I gazed out, seeing mostly trees stretching to the horizon with the occasional cleared fields of former farmlands.

  As my vision stretched across the landscape, I finally found the demarcation line of Nordan and Ostriva. The area seemed to be at war with natural vegetation from both planets competing for space.

  The Ostriva section held more blues with darker greens, and the trees were shorter. Maybe there was more coloration, but those were the only differences that I could tell from this far.

  “It was a tumultuous day,” Asha said in a solemn manner, seeing where I gazed.

  “What are you?” I asked, finally finding an opportunity to talk without panting from exertion.

  He chuckled, the others listening aptly as they plucked boots off. I joined them because my feet ached endlessly. I did upgrade my stamina, endurance, and burst quickly while he contemplated how best to answer.

  “Since the water is going to take a minute, let me start with what I know. I’m an elva, a relic of a forgotten time. Eons ago, my kind lived in the valleys, reaping the natural wonders of Nordan. Humans came with their destructive and loud ways which clashed with our culture. Where we fled, they followed. On occasion, we fought, we won the battles, but not the war,” he said, letting out a long and sad sigh.

  “But that was well before the time of Karn,” Tarla said with furled brows of confusion.

  He nodded. “Indeed, it was. I was, and am, a very old elva. I’m getting to what I am by going through who I was. Elva still exist, but we keep our homes a great secret. Do not expect me to reveal where my kin hide to this day.

  “For ages, I lived a boring and dull life. That changed. I found an unexpected lover recently. I was out hunting for Zorta to help our aging population become young again. Against common sense, I heard a cry of help and ran to their aid.”

  “A trap, it's always a trap,” Bell said with a finger wag.

  He shook his head, a wide smile on his face. In the daylight, he appeared normal besides the white hair and the all black eyes. His hand went over his eyes to shade them while he squinted. His skin appeared vibrant and young. The big slice his neck had suffered just days ago was not visible at all.

  He continued, “Yes and no. Indirectly, yes. A young female yabbi was caught in a centaur trap. Our species are similar and very compatible. She thanked me for saving her under a waterfall closer to her home. Sennoia did such a great job of thanking me, I came back for seconds.

  “After a few months, we started trading with the two of us being the connection. Finely crafted bows, horses, and even strivian slaves. In return, we received Zorta. No, human, I’m not calling it Z.”

  Bell opened and closed her mouth.

  I chuckled and asked, “What went wrong?”

  “Ah yes, the probability of odds. You can only venture out from the safety of your nest so many times before fate arrives,” Asha said, his tone souring. He covered his eyes from the sun in pain. “Can you Nordan heal me, please? Not the undead kind.”

  I frowned, not understanding.

  “Heal me with Ostriva magic at night, Nordan for day. It will change the effectiveness of my vision but cost you mana,” he said.

  I closed my eyes and found his aura receptive to my interaction.

  Elva Minion: Asha.

  Health 27/27. Level 2.

  Sapient Elva.

  Fighting Abilities: Highly proficient.

  Memories intact.

  Upgrade Available. Consume 241 mana and 92 Zorta (YES) or (NO)

  Repair daytime vision: 3 mana of 17 available.

  I finished the repair, and the spell was a quick golden aura around his eyes. One second his eyes were all black, the next his eyes were natural. Remembering my other minion, I dug the finger out of my pocket and sent it to Jark for a repair. There went another two mana.

  I really needed to figure out a weapon system that revolved around me not relying on others because I had no offensive magic, and my spells would consume mana often.

  Asha waited for me to finish before he continued, “Thank you, and sorry for the conversational interruption to fix my pain.”

  “Ah, yes, nothing to it. It may not seem it, but I’m not a bad guy,” I said with a sad tone.

  He hid his reaction well, likely wanting to avoid offending me.

  “I promise to continue, but you’re not what I expected for a soul sucking necromancer. At this point I feel it's fairer for me to ask what you are, exactly,” Asha said.

  “I was a bookkeeper, a fairly mundane one, until a nice set of tits and a big smile lured me into my current predicament. I promise I’ll try to remember your vision problems. If I forget, hold up three fingers,” I said, waiting for him to ask why. When he didn’t, I continued, “Return to your story, please.”

  Asha nodded. “Fate is fickle and Sennoia was my mistress. Literally. I was also not her husband. Our secret rendezvous likely would have never drawn attention if we both stuck to being the hunters we were. The moment we became traders, well, everyone can trade. Finding a secret meeting shifted to stealing longing glances at each other in her village.

  “A few months into trading, and she slipped me a note. Meet at the spot I’d rescued her. The note was sincere, and her lustful eyes spoke of a desire I missed. I too was a sucker for a nice pair of baby milkers.” He chuckled at his word play. “My mind was clouded by thoughts of pleasure not rationale.
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br />   “When I arrived at our initial meeting spot, there was no double cross or angry husband waiting for me. Instead, I stumbled upon ten centaurs wrestling down a filly,” he said.

  I snapped my fingers.

  “A filly, ah, that’s what I was trying to think of before. I saw a colt earlier, and the female variation confounded me,” I said with a frustrated sigh.

  An audible groan escaped Bell and even Tarla snickered out, “A young female horse bothered you so?”

  “Ah, I knew of a colt, but not a filly. Which bothered me as a word connoisseur, but alas, I lived in a library and in a massive city, not the wilds. Sorry, please continue,” I said.

  “An elva is naturally fast. At least nine centaurs peeled off their catch to chase me. Right away, I was hit with that damn pink spell from a lucky shot. The one that binds you better than any rope. The only positive was that Sennoia saw my apprehension and managed to flee without pursuit.

  “For the next six months, I waited to be rescued by my people or hers. Let’s be honest, the centaurs are idiots with only minimal defenses. Initially, I played the placated good slave until I realized I was only getting out if I escaped. The centaurs... they’re fast, and after three breakout attempts, I was stuck in a closet and confined with rope.

  “Hope faded into abject horror. I succumbed to the reality that I had been forgotten, not worth the risk of rescue. Then you showed up and the inevitable happened, I’d been deemed worthy. My death sated their desires to get rid of me and exploit you.

  “The rest of the herd is probably resting safely in their walls, no idea that we killed seven of their members. Honestly, you would have lost if you didn’t pull off that sly move of resurrecting me while being held. Also, the rebirth removed my suppressed memories and let the warrior in me free.”

  “I wasn’t sure it would work, and I’ve felt like I’d see the herd charging down on us at any moment,” I said.

  “I trusted you,” Tarla said with a smirk, her brown eyes playfully lingering on me with puckered lips.