Berserker: A LitRPG Urban Fantasy Adventure (Apocosmos Book 1)

by Dimitrios Gkirgkiris

  I momentarily rested my swords on the ground as I flashed a thumbs-up with one hand and produced a healing potion from my inventory bag with the other.

  “Heal yourself,” I said as I uncorked the vial and poured it into my mouth.

  Immediately, I saw the icon of a red vial flash next to my buffs and my wound stopped bleeding.

  Now for the hard part.

  I knew I had to do it. I yanked the already melting crystal from my shoulder and saw my HP bar drop before it started picking up again. I glanced at the HP of the rest of my party members.

  Louie’s HP became full as a flash of light appeared from his side of the warehouse. Leo was only missing around 10% of his total HP, but Rory’s was down to two thirds and dropping as arrows and daggers struck on his helpless body along with small bullets of fire.

  I wasn’t too worried about him since the debuff would soon end and there was no way they’d be able to stun him again. This was either a trap containing a high-level spell or an extremely lucky hit. People like Rory with high constitution were extremely difficult to stun, or so he had told me.

  My relief turned to horror when I heard a shooting sound from the other end of the corridor and realized that the dwarf was now pinned to the ground. Not magically, or by some skill, but rather by a metal net held down by iron balls.

  “Oi! Ye bastards will pay for stunning me,” Rory said and tried to stand up, but was unable to move. Knowing the strength and size of his arms, I was sure he could have done hundreds of push-ups with Leo and myself sitting on top of him, but the net was so tight around him that he would have needed to push more than a ton to stand up.

  “Heal him!” I shouted at Leo who risked glancing above his hiding place, only to be met with an incoming arrow.

  “On it,” he replied as he ducked back down, narrowly avoiding the attack.

  I sprinted to the next available hiding spot, getting closer to where the attacks were coming from. I swiftly popped my head up and finally got a quick look at our enemies.

  Name: ???

  Race: ???

  Class: Occultist

  Level: 22

  Name: ???

  Race: Human

  Class: Hunter

  Level: 9

  Name: ???

  Race: Human

  Class: Thief

  Level: 7

  They had been waiting for us. They were hidden behind large stacks of boxes, with small gaps left between them so they could shoot their weapons and spells. The occultist seemed like the biggest threat to us for two reasons: first, because he was the highest level of them all and second, because of the two large horns on his head and the black leathery wings on his back.

  What the hell is this guy?

  I could think of no other way to fight such a spellcaster other than to wait until he ran out of MP and take him out quickly. I really didn’t feel good about this plan, but it seemed like the only way we’d be able to take them down without Rory.

  “Can you handle more pain?” I asked Rory, bending forward a bit to meet his eyes.

  “Aye,” he replied, having understood what my plan was. “I’ll drain the fucker.”

  The fact that Rory was out of the battle meant that the field was leveled out far too much for my liking. We had a high-level spellcaster, a low-level spellcaster, and a low-level fighter. They too had a high-level spellcaster and their two fighters were not much stronger than us, but still powerful nonetheless.

  “You made a grave mistake by coming here, human,” a guttural voice said as I prepared to make my move. “You should have been satisfied with the fact that you survived our assault.”

  I wasn’t sure if he meant to goad me out or was just enjoying giving the villain monologue. And little did I care. I rushed forward, jumping over a low stack of crates and dashing behind their ranks.

  Three things happened all at once.

  First, I activated my Mighty Slash and landed a critical hit on the back of the unsuspecting hunter, the only one who was still hiding here.

  Second, Leo let out a scream and I saw him jump back: the thief had walked around his cover and stabbed him.

  Lastly, and most importantly, the occultist had already taken flight and blasted Louie out of his spot with a baseball-sized sphere of fire. Louie’s yelp was the worst sound I’d ever heard and it echoed even worse now that I knew Leo was already trying to deal with a fighter in close quarters and would be too occupied to help him. I needed to end my foe quickly. I had less than a minute left before my buffs ended.

  I slashed one sword at the thief but he sidestepped, evading my blade. His face wore a disgusting smirk under the green illumination of a beer bottle shaped neon light.

  “You’ll watch your dog die, asshole,” he said and stepped forward, dagger in hand.

  I wasn’t sure if it was quick thinking or an instinctive reaction to him threatening to hurt Louie, but my leg rose much faster than it should have been able to, even with all the buffs. I front-kicked him and he directed his knife at my foot, probably assuming that I’d pull it back. But as the blade pierced my boot and then my skin, I put even more force into it.

  I saw the blade emerge from the bridge of my foot but I felt no pain. Only rage. The sides of my vision had taken on a red hue, no matter what color the neon lights around me were. The force of my kick pushed the thief’s hand back against his chest with so much force that his wrist twisted at an unnatural angle with a sickening crack.

  I heard another yelp from Louie and glanced around to see his HP bar drop to just above half.

  “Use the potion, Louie, lad!” Rory shouted.

  I need to end this now.

  I pulled my leg back, the dagger still gripped in the thief’s locked hand. I was surprised at how easy it was to step on my foot again, considering there was now a hole at its center.

  “You bastard,” he said and slashed the dagger at my face with his smashed hand.

  The blade whooshed in a downward arc just below my left ear, splitting skin and drawing blood. I did nothing to avoid it. I welcomed it.

  “You broke my—” He stopped mid-sentence as my left sword pierced his abdomen.

  I twisted the blade in him and swiped my other sword right beneath his ear. The force of the hit wasn’t enough to cut through the bone holding his head up but the blade lodged itself into the side of his neck, spraying blood on my face. His eyes were wide open. Disbelief at how his life ended. How could this have happened to him, no doubt the protagonist of his own story? I spat on his face and pulled both my blades out in one swift motion, leaving him to twist on the spot before hitting the ground.

  I rushed forward just in time to see Louie’s self-healing spell interrupted by an ice shard that hit him straight in his side. The remaining red color of his HP bar was now barely visible and this time he didn’t even make a sound. He was struggling to breathe.

  Leo had just landed a hit on his opponent but wouldn’t be able to get rid of him fast enough to help Louie. This was bad. The incubus, or whatever this person was, was getting ready to cast another spell directed at Louie.

  This was no trick of the light. My whole vision had adopted a deep red tint. I felt power rush through me. Ooze from my wounds. I felt the veins at my temples throb. I had no control over my body anymore. It was as if a crazed animal had taken over. My feet sprinted forward as I noticed a new icon next to my almost expired buffs.

  Name: Berserkir Awakening

  Type: State

  Level: 1

  Effect: Reduces Physical Defense by 5%, Magic Defense by 10%, Physical Evasion by 2. Increases Physical Attack by 5%, Magic Attack by 10%, Attack Speed by 5%, Casting Speed by 5%, Speed by 5.

  Time Left: ???

  Description : ???

  My mind started to become foggy as I thought I might not make it in time before the caster finished his spell. I was losing myself to whatever this thing was, more and more. I jumped on a wooden crate and launched
myself high in the air, blades first. So high. High enough to slash the bastard’s leathery wings with both my swords.

  Black blood sprayed in a downward arc as he lost his balance and the ability to fly. His spell was left incomplete and Louie was finally able to heal himself. With relief, I saw his HP bar fill up again, and yet I regained no control over my mind and body.

  “Fuck him up, lad!” The still-trapped Rory shouted words of encouragement but I couldn’t care less.

  The occultist struggled to get back on his feet, his wounded wings fluttering reflexively.

  “You’re going to pay for this once our—”

  “Shut the fuck up, insect.” My voice said the words, though they weren’t brought to my lips at will.

  I moved behind him and slashed his heels with both swords. He fell flat on the ground, not even managing to break his fall with his hands. I could hear the blood pumping in my veins as I held the swords above him. He barely managed to turn on his back before I plunged one sword on his shoulder, driving it right through him and pinning him to the ground.

  “You dare attack us?” I shouted, grabbing his horns in my hands. “You dare threaten my dog?”

  I placed my bloodied foot on his face and moved the weight of my whole body back, pulling as forcefully as I could. It didn’t take much effort before both horns broke off and I fell onto my back, holding the two bloody trophies. The man screamed in agony and I took great pleasure in it. I jumped forward, throwing the smooth horns to the side, and landed on top of him.

  I punched him, instantly breaking his nose. And then I punched him again. And again, and again. Until his movements had become sluggish and the man had no more to offer me to quench my thirst for blood. I held my sword against his neck with my right hand and placed my left foot on the blade. I pressed hard enough for the blade to sink into my boot, even though I was stepping on its dull side. The sharp side ran straight through the man’s neck, permanently separating his head from its infernal body.

  I was still thirsty. My blades were singing to me. They were calling for blood.

  “Aye, lad,” Rory celebrated as much as he could under the net holding him down. “Now come take me out of this shit.”

  I moved toward him. That much I wanted to do. However, his call was drowned out by the sweet desire of slaughter. I raised my swords, ready to strike at the dwarf’s most prized possession. His hands.

  “What the hells, half-Celt?” Rory asked.

  “Alex? Are you okay?” Leo’s distant voice asked.

  Just as I was about to strike, my vision still red, and the weird status the only thing left in place of my buffs, I froze in place.

  Louie was standing between the dwarf and myself. His fur was wet with blood. His ears flopped down against his head and his eyes were looking at me with… love?

  This feeling. It froze my body. A wave of coolness hit my face as Louie wagged his tail and spoke to me.

  “Alex?”

  That’s right. Love. Unconditional love.

  The coolness spread down my neck and into my chest. The status effect flashed a couple of times before disappearing. The pain in my foot, on the side of my face, and my neck suddenly registered all together.

  My knees were too weak to hold me up and my head too groggy to keep the lights on.

  I was out before I even hit the ground.

  “Wake the fuck up,” Rory said and I opened my eyes to see the warm bright light of healing envelop me.

  Louie barked excitedly as I opened my eyes and, at the same time, I heard Leo exhale deeply.

  “What happened?” I asked. “How long was I out?”

  “Only a couple of minutes,” Leo replied, before helping me stand up.

  “Are you feeling okay?” Louie asked. “You were acting… differently.”

  “He’s fine now. Ye can talk about yer feelings later,” Rory said in an urgent tone. “We need to hurry. There’s loot waiting for us.”

  17

  Of doom and death

  What the hell was that feeling? I could remember doing the things I did. I could recall making the choices and wanting to hurt that demon spawn with as much brutality as I could. But those actions didn’t sit well with me now that the status had disappeared from my buffs bar. I was certain I wouldn’t have done those things without it.

  I brought my hand up to the side of my face and felt the sting of the open wound. I traced it from its beginning, right below my left ear, all the way down to the side of my neck.

  “That’s gonna leave a mark,” said the dwarf before jumping into one of the rooms.

  “We healed you,” Louie added, “so you’re perfectly healthy. But I guess the scars need to heal naturally.”

  “At long last, the almighty Alexander MacFie has earned his first battle scar,” the dwarf said again as he rushed out of the first room. “This one’s empty.”

  “Empty here as well,” Leo echoed from the other side of the corridor.

  Louie and I went into the next room and were faced with the exact same things we’d seen on the second layer. Boxes upon boxes of neon lights.

  “Maybe there’s nothing here?” I asked as we exited our room, the look on Leo’s face showing that he’d had the same thought.

  Rory, however, wasn’t about to stop trying. He charged toward the locked door at the end of the corridor and bashed it with his shield. Yet again, the door gave in immediately and revealed the exact same unused server room as in the layers below.

  “Nothing? What the hells is this?” Rory bellowed. “A merged dungeon run and absolutely no loot?”

  “I thought you said only three layers?” Louie said from the end of the corridor. “But then why is there another portal?”

  “By the gods.” The dwarf rushed over to him. “A whole new layer.”

  “My information said at least three,” Leo responded as we all hurried behind the dwarf who had already crossed through the portal.

  The fourth layer had the same layout again, but everything was so much brighter. All of the neon signs on the wall were burning bright, throwing their colorful lights across the long corridor.

  “There won’t be any more monsters here, right?” Louie asked hesitantly. Rory was already turning the handle of the first door.

  “Highly unlikely,” Leo replied. “Since the creator of the dungeon is dead, the monsters should be gone as well.”

  “Goldpot!” Rory shouted and we rushed into the room he was in.

  Stacks upon stacks of black leather briefcases, similar to those used in Hollywood-style shady transactions. I guess this was just another thing the movies had “borrowed” since the briefcase in Rory’s hands was packed with hundred-dollar bills.

  “That’s…” I began, but couldn’t find the right words.

  I’d put myself through a day where I knew I would have to kill people, then I’d actually done it while being devoured by an unstoppable internal wrath. And now this. There must have been millions in those briefcases.

  “Same thing here,” Leo shouted from the room on the opposite side of the corridor.

  “Where are we going to put all this money?” I asked.

  “Ye got those magical bags just for show, lad?” the dwarf said, before throwing briefcase after briefcase into the air in front of him. Each of them disappeared after a brief purple flash and I was certain they were reappearing somewhere in his inventory. “Well, don’t just stand there. Stop looking and start looting.”

  I did as I was told and so did Louie. We emptied the room we were in and the one Leo had opened up in less than a couple of minutes. I was feeling the rush of getting rich fast but this time I wasn’t oblivious to its true cost.

  We went into the rest of the rooms and found a few more of the money bags along with weapons, armor, jewelry, and valuable gemstones. I glanced at the weapons, some of which had the faint glow of enchantment on them, and quickly realized why people would risk going over the safe enchantment threshold with their weapons. They looke
d beautiful. But I was mainly hoping we’d find something we’d be able to sell fast to jump-start our arrows production. Cash was good and all, but we’d have to transfer all this black money into our DEM accounts first and I doubted that would be simple.

  Most of the weapons had simply been thrown onto the shelves and weren’t anything special. A few of them, however, caught my eye.

  Name: Conjurer’s staff

  Type: Big Blunt - Staff

  Rarity: E Grade

  Physical Attack: 15

  Magic Attack: 17

  Special Ability: -

  Attack Speed: Normal

  Durability : 712/760

  Weight: 1060st.

  Description: The mana ley lines of this staff were weaved in such a way that it would favor spells and classes that specialize in creating things or summoning them from other realms. This particular design is the most commonly used starting staff for spellcasters that favor the summoning school of magic.

  Name: Swamp Orc Long Bow +5

  Type: Bow - Longbow

  Rarity: D Grade

  Physical Attack: 145

  Magic Attack: 47

  Special Ability: -

  Attack Speed: Slow

  Durability : 1033/1640

  Weight: 1840st.

  Description : A longbow that is mostly used by larger humanoids, especially orcs. Its flat design means that it can float on water and thus the bow is preferred by archers that hunt or fight around lakes, swamps, and other bodies of water.

  Name: Sword of Yellow light

  Type: Sword - One-Handed

  Rarity: E Grade