Legion: GameLit RPG Fantasy

by Riker Kane

  “Look out!” I shoved him out of the way as the minotaur came charging at him.

  The beast slammed into the wall. Before it could pull itself free, Nina pounced. She stabbed her blades into its back and pierced its black, leathery hide.

  “That’s it, Rose!” Quentin shouted. “Get him!”

  The minotaur roared and shook her off. She gracefully tumbled through the sky and landed back on the grass. Despite taking two stabs, the minotaur straightened up like nothing was wrong.

  “We’re gonna have to do a little better than that it seems,” Quentin said. “What do you got, Soul?”

  “If it bleeds, we can kill it.”

  “Wise words from one of the greats. That’s what I’m talkin’ about.”

  The minotaur slowly paced forward, dragging its hammer through the grass.

  “You think your Mana Shield can hold up?” I asked.

  “I didn’t put all my points into durability for nothing.”

  “Will Fire Slash work in the rain?” I looked at Nina.

  “Just say when.” She smiled then nodded.

  I raised my saber up and walked forward. “He likes running around. But he can’t beat us in a straight fight.”

  My blade by my side, I moved close enough to get him to raise his hammer over his head. Just before he slammed it into the grass, I rolled forward out of the way. The hammering thud made the ground shake but I managed to maintain my balance it enough to thrust into its knee. It roared in pain then spun around too fast for me to react. The blow caught me right in the center of the chest, sending me flying back.

  “Soul!”

  Quentin charged forward to get the minotaur’s attention. He activated his Mana Shield to block the brunt of the minotaur’s swing.

  Nina raced up and helped me back up to my feet.

  “That was stupid,” she said.

  My armor dented, I struggled to catch my breath. “Next time, I won’t be there for him to hit. Fire Slash.”

  She took a deep breath and nodded.

  I was still in a daze as I walked forward. Frustrated at being unable to get through Quentin’s shield, the minotaur turned its attention back to me and ran forward.

  I rushed up to meet it. An overhead slam from its hammer met the grass again as I slid out of the way. My saber found its other knee. Its scream was like something from a monster in a horror movie. Blood spurted from its wound as it tried to stay standing. I knew what was coming next.

  The minotaur spun around with a sideways swipe but I was already ducking so low to the ground it missed me completely.

  “Fire Slash!”

  I yelled out and Nina followed through. The Strider twirled into the air. Flames formed around her katanas and caught the minotaur right in the neck. The fire ignited its head and made it flail wildly with its hammer.

  Nina jumped away to safety and Quentin took her place. He raised his shield up and rammed his entire frame into the minotaur, knocking it down to a knee.

  I moved underneath the minotaur and as fast as I could, performed an Upper Thrust. The tip of my saber pierced its chin. I met some resistance but I pushed up. I immediately felt the improvement from the increased level. Skin. Fur. Muscle. None of it was able to stop my blade from impaling its smoldering skull.

  The minotaur flailed wildly, raising its hammer up to smash me.

  “Almost…”

  I gritted my teeth and stood my ground. It reared back but the strength it needed to swing had faded. The beast burst into a shower of Mana all around us. I fell back to the grass on my feet and let out a deep breath.

  “How you doing?” Quentin asked.

  Hit Points 50

  The display on my communicator indicated I’d lost half my hit points. And honestly, it felt like even more. Despite the pain in my chest, I wasn’t worried.

  “There’ll be time for a Med Bay visit later. Let’s get this Mana and keep going.”

  ~ ~ ~

  We headed back through the stone maze and down the path with the blue paint on the walls. It was a short walk before we stumbled upon a dark blue Obelisk. I held my hands out and let Quentin do the honors. He was more than willing to oblige. A violent charge shattered it into pieces.

  Blue Mana littered the grass along with an assortment of Mana Cores. Quentin bent down to pick one up and tossed it around in his hand.

  “It’d be nice if we could figure out which ones were valuable instead of having to take ‘em to an analyzer,” Quentin said.

  “There’s a way.” Nina walked forward and pulled a small device from her hip. It looked like a small gun but all that came out was a flashing red light. She held it over one of the Cores then showed me the display. “There. It’s common.”

  Common Mana Core

  Type: Weapon

  Bonus: Increase damage by 2%

  “We can scan all of the Cores to see which ones are valuable here.”

  Quentin put his hands on his hips and turned his head sideways. “Wait a second. Where’d you get that thing? You on the up and up or something?”

  He didn’t know about Nina’s ties to the LOD. I bit my tongue, holding back a laugh.

  “Why? Do you want one?”

  “Hell yeah, I want one!”

  “We’ll talk to Gage when we get back. In the meantime, we should try to bring as many Cores as we can. The ones we don’t use can be broken down to Blue Mana.”

  “If the weapon prices are any indication, we’re gonna need as much Blue Mana as we can get,” I said.

  ~ ~ ~

  It was a short journey to the last path leading to the Obelisk. Quentin did the honors as usual with a giant punch. He slapped his hands together with a satisfied smirk on his lips.

  “Piece of cake. What’s next, Defenders?”

  “It’s likely the other cadets have closed their Junctions by now,” Nina said. “Remember, this is probably our last chance to level.”

  I looked down at my Mana.

  Red Mana 2450

  Blue Mana 1150

  Green Mana 375

  I estimated I had enough for another four levels. But it still didn’t feel like enough.

  “We’ll head back for the gate,” I said. “We’ll stay here for as long as we can and take down Shadows on the way. Unless you guys have plans for tonight.”

  “As long as we make it back to the Square, I’m all good,” Quentin said. “I’m thinking burgers tonight sounds good.”

  “Rose?”

  The redhead’s hair was wet but managed to stay in its ponytail despite how violent the wind had gotten. “Burgers will be a lot more satisfying after a few more levels.” Just a subtle smile from her was all I needed to make my decision.

  “All right… Let’s see if we can find some more wolves who wanna test their luck.”

  23: Burgers, Fries, and a Knuckle Sandwich

  Liam Aldridge

  Level 18 Private Cavalier

  (900 Red Mana until next level)

  Hit Points 100

  Endurance 50

  Strength 16 (+2)

  Speed 14 (+1)

  Durability 13 (+3)

  Control 9 (+1)

  Red Mana 575

  Blue Mana 2725

  Green Mana 550

  I looked down at my communicator from my latest gains and the Mana I had left. After a trip to the Med Bay to deal with my bruised chest, I figured it was a good chance for me to spend my Red Mana. I gained seven levels and spread the points across as equally as I could.

  Quentin chomped on his burger and licked the ketchup and mustard from his lips. His cheeks bulging like they always did when he ate, he looked at the display I showed him.

  “What do you think?” I asked.

  He thought about it for a moment then swallowed. “You took a mallet swing right to your chest. I get the durability. Strength and speed are always useful. Control though?”

  “You never wanna take a stat for granted. There might come a time when I decide to switch t
o Harbinger. You haven’t given up on your dream of being a Strider, have you?”

  “No. But you’re doing great as Cavalier. Couldn’t ask for a better squad leader.”

  “It’s not just Harbingers. Control’s got everything to do with Mana. I saw some Mana abilities for the Cavalier in the shop. Just gotta get a high-enough Omega rank…”

  “It won’t be too long. World Boss is here. Trials are up after that. Then we can finally take the oath.”

  Nina sighed and got both of our attention. “Don’t take it for granted,” she said. “A lot of new recruits leave after their first World Boss. It’ll be a true test of your abilities up to this point.”

  Quentin shrugged, not caring how serious Nina’s tone was. “As long as the Squad sticks together, we can’t be beat.” He took another hulking bite out of his burger. The crunch of the lettuce and toasted bun was loud as he chewed with his mouth open. Nina tried to hide her smile but the look on Quentin’s face with his mouth stuffed looked as silly as anything.

  “Can you at least eat a little slower?” she sighed.

  “Hey! We were standing in the rain for hours. Who knew we’d be farming wolves for so long?”

  “Eat up,” I said as I put a hand on his shoulder. “Our Vanguard needs to be big and strong.”

  Nina and I finally joined him in his meal.

  Just like the pizza place right across from it, the burger shop in the Central Square of the LOD campus was crowded with cadets in uniform. Some sat at tables and others enjoyed the grass at the center of the Square like they were having a late-night picnic. LOD officers did their best to remain inconspicuous. I was too distracted by my food to notice anybody else though. The juicy patty in my burger had an aroma that made my mouth water. The salty fries were just as appetizing.

  “I’m glad everybody’s in a good mood,” I said. “It’s hard to tell we’re about to go up against something called the Emerald Basilisk.”

  “I think they’re all just enjoying the moment,” Quentin said. “I don’t see anybody who’s older than twenty-five around here. I wonder if anybody’s drinking…”

  “There’s no alcohol permitted on campus,” Nina said. “Especially before a World Raid.”

  Quentin took another big bite of his burger. “Probably a good idea. Imagine some cadet getting drunk off his ass and stepping into a Junction. Probably get his wig split and wake up in the Med Bay with a hangover while he’s being resuscitated. You ever get drunk off your ass, Liam?”

  Quentin’s line of questioning made me laugh. “I’ve had a beer or two but I was never the type. No bars. No clubs. No wild parties for me. Just… a regular guy. Or would that make me irregular?”

  “Same here. Partying was never my type of thing. Gimme some Internet access and I can keep myself busy for days.”

  “You’ll have time for that at the cafe after the World Boss is defeated,” Nina said. “Everybody’s given a temporary respite. You’re free to use your time as you please and watch your porn or whatever it is you occupy yourself with…”

  “Hey!” Quentin was offended enough to put his burger down. “I’ll have you know, I’m a pure connoisseur of the Internet. Sure, I have my moments of curiosity like any man my age, but that’s strictly for scientific purposes. Gimme an intellectual YouTube video and I’m all about it.”

  “It’d be a lot easier if you just admitted it,” Nina said with a half-smirk. Quentin couldn’t be offended because he was too busy holding back a laugh.

  I took a bite of my burger and laughed at their pointless bickering.

  “What about you, Liam?” Quentin said. “Don’t tell me you don’t browse certain parts of the Internet a young man shouldn’t be going to.”

  “Pet videos and game reviews are what I’m all about,” I said without hesitating. “Now that I think about it, I’m finally making some good use of my time these days.”

  “You and everybody else. Look around. Imagine what all of these people would be doing if they weren’t here. Sure, some of them would be going to college to do their part to contribute to society. But you know what they’d really be?” Quentin leaned forward and whispered like he didn’t want anybody else to hear. “College dropouts.”

  “What is wrong with you?” Nina rolled her eyes.

  “Be careful talking that trash, Q,” I added.

  “I’m just calling it like I see it,” Quentin said. “It’s not a slight at someone as beautiful as you, Miss Higashi. I think you’re the only one who has good reason not to be here.”

  “How charming.” She shifted her eyes away from him.

  “Of course, your grace.” He rolled his hand out to her like she was royalty, which only made her roll her eyes again.

  I hid my laugh behind another bite of my burger. “She’s right,” I said. “We’re all different squads but we’re all on the same side. We’re in this together.”

  “Damn shame about that,” Quentin said. “Some people are a lot cooler to fight alongside with than others.”

  He shifted his eyes to the side. I looked over and saw Rhys standing just outside of the burger shop. From the blond man bun to the way he rolled up his sleeves to even the way he puffed his chest out to make it look bigger, everything about him exuded an obnoxious arrogance.

  Gregory stood right behind him as usual like some bodyguard.

  “Even Rhys,” I said. “Just because a guy is conceited doesn’t mean we should hold it against him.”

  “Hey, I’m not saying I wouldn’t do it,” Quentin said. “But if I was a Vanguard on his squad, man, it’d be tough putting up a shield for him.”

  “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

  I picked up a couple of french fries and dipped them into some ketchup. The smell of the food was distracting enough I didn’t care who else was around us. But it was only a few seconds when I heard the smug voice I didn’t wanna hear right next to me.

  “Well, well, well… Look who it is.”

  I looked up at Rhys. His cocky smirk was a lot more annoying up close. Gregory stood close behind him, still doing the whole bodyguard routine.

  “And I thought I was gonna have a challenge for the Apex,” he said. “New recruit should’ve known better. The Thunder Brothers run this campus.”

  I coughed, nearly choking on my bite. Even Nina and Quentin had to hold back a laugh. Hearing the ‘Thunder Brothers’ never got old.

  “I’m the Apex,” Rhys kept going even though none of us at the table were listening. “That means I’m the Raid Leader. You follow everything I say. You do what I tell you to do. You got it, recruit?”

  “What are you doing?” Quentin said. “We’re all fighting together—”

  “Shut up, chubby cheeks,” he cut Quentin off. “I’m talking to your friend here. I know a noob who has trouble following orders when I see one. You’re gonna be a good noob and do exactly what I tell you out there, aren’t you?”

  It was obvious he was trying to bait me. And to my surprise, it was almost working. A part of me wanted to put my burger down and slug him just to see if my levels made any difference.

  “Liam…”

  A sudden hand on mine made me realize how worked up I was getting. Nina shook her head softly at me, getting her point across without so many words.

  I sighed a deep breath to maintain my composure and looked up at him. “Can’t argue with the Apex. An experienced Raid Leader like you knows what he’s doing. Let’s go beat that World Boss.”

  Rhys looked back at Gregory with the biggest shit-eating grin I’d ever seen. “That’s what I like to hear,” Rhys said. “A recruit who knows their place. And speaking of which…” He walked around the table toward Nina. “I know you. Word’s been going around. Some hotshot model decided to join the LOD. I have to say, you actually live up to what everybody’s talking about. After we win this thing, you should come back to my dorm room and spend some time with me. I’ll show you what someone with stats can do.”

  “No tha
nks.” Nina didn’t look at him, calmly taking another bite of her burger.

  “What’s wrong? Too much man for you. Don’t worry. Just because I’m a high rank who’s beaten bigger Shadows than you can imagine doesn’t mean I don’t know how to be gentle.”

  It was obvious how bothered Nina was. She was doing her best to remain calm but she was breathing so hard through her nose like she was about to pass out.

  “What do you say?” Rhys reached his hand out to touch her hair but she quickly slapped it away.

  “Don’t touch me,” she muttered through gritted teeth.

  My body took control of me. I jumped out of my seat without even realizing it. Gregory took a step forward to meet me.

  “Liam…” Nina said softly. “Sit down.”

  “Yeah, sit down, Liam,” Rhys repeated her.

  I didn’t listen to either one of them. And when I didn’t, Rhys’s arrogant smirk disappeared. He arched an eyebrow at me. His lip twitching, he took a step closer to me with Gregory watching close. Quentin got up from his seat.

  “It’s all right.” I put my hand up to Quentin and he sat back down.

  At this point though, it was already too late. The cadets all around us had stopped eating. They were all silent. Dozens surrounded us, watching closely as Gregory and Rhys looked down their noses at me.

  “What are you gonna do?” Rhys said with a shrug. “Are you gonna do something?”

  “Liam…” Nina said softly. “You can’t…”

  I swallowed down all of my frustration and nodded. “The only thing I’m gonna do is follow your lead, Apex.”

  Rhys’s smirk came back to him. “Good. That’s exactly what I expected from you, recruit.”

  He put his hand up and patted me on the cheek.

  I took it.

  He moved his hand down and poked his finger into my chest. “Know your role.”

  I took that, too.