by Dakota Krout
Each of the chains snaked over to the ground and joined together. Once they were all linked, a thick… harpoon? A harpoon was formed. It lifted into the air, higher, higher… then slammed down into the ground, penetrating deeply and being forced further down by the jingling chains. A gout of lava geysered into the air, somehow being captured and forced into a shape by the magic of the ritual.
The lava continued to flow upward, spinning, spinning, and hardening into a multi-hued, inverted pyramid. The pyramid itself was filled with all sorts of material directly from the lava itself; everything from quartz, to diamond, and any metal that Joe could think of was present. Each chain retracted, and a dull thud echoed from the interior as they all went taut. The pyramid came down, cracking the perfect floor underneath with the pointed tip. All of the marble dropped away, allowing lava to boil upward until it reached a certain height; then it seemed to stop and form a shifting, superheated plane. Only a small walkway of pure-white marble remained, a path that led into a door that was forming on the side of the pyramid.
The ritual began to falter and finally finished.
Congratulations! You have successfully built ‘Pharaoh’s Pyramid of Panaceas’. Your chance of adding an additional effect did not activate.
Rituarchitect class experience gained: 3,000!
Reductionist class experience gained: 1,600!
Joe, one of the only people still on their feet after the powerful draining of the ritual, could barely wait to run up and inspect the building. As he got closer, he could see a huge column of lava extending into the base of the sphere, as well as what appeared to be invisible pipes pumping lava through the exterior of the sphere itself.
As he walked up to it, he realized that there was no heat coming off of the building’s exterior. He stepped up onto the stairs, climbing to the top and peering into the lava below. Joe reached out a hand, only to find that it was blocked by perfectly clear glass. Joe could only thank the crystalline aspects for that, as the original flooring was supposed to remain marble. He drew closer to the first wall and found that the entire structure was coated in the same smooth, clear surface. That didn’t bother him, but when he walked to the door, his heart sank.
Caution! The Pharaoh’s Pyramid of Panaceas does not recognize you as its user. Only a Master Alchemist or above may enter and claim this building. Any efforts to enter the building otherwise will be met with hostility.
Jaxon came up next to Joe and got the same message, then patted Joe on the back to make him feel better. “Welp. At least the volcano is calming down! Let’s go get a coffee and catch up. Since you think you’re gonna own this place, maybe you could put in a good word for me and transfer me into your unit? I hear there are health benefits to living in a sauna.”
Epilogue
Getting out of Gramma’s Shoe was simple after the walls had stopped being magically reinforced. Between the Dwarves and the automatons, several tunnels were rapidly constructed. Technically, they did not need the tunnels; as soon as they had captured the major fort and stopped the impending eruption, the option for rapid transit became available.
Most of the Officers took that option, but the rank-and-file had to go back the long way. Control of the fortress had been immediately foisted onto Joe, much to his consternation. Luckily, Captain Cleavage had stayed behind to teach him how to activate the respawning functionality. Then Joe understood why everyone else left as quickly as they could.
“This is… insane.” Joe looked at the numbers arrayed before him in horror. The sheer cost to respawn everyone was going to drain every bit of the resources that he had gained from Elfreeda’s ring. Joe had no idea how each nation managed to bring back its fighters and recover its losses, and he especially had no idea how they had done it for several hundred years.
Even so, it was incredibly satisfying to look at the ‘Ledger of Souls’ and see Major General Havoc appear as an option to bring back. It appeared that Elfreeda’s order to capture him instead of letting him die had failed. The thought made Joe shudder; their side had almost lost Havoc. However, before Joe made the mistake of bringing him back without good news to tell him, he looked further and found the only name that he had been truly scared that he would not see. “There you are, Francine. How about that? Havoc was right.”
Resources poured from his new spatial device and into the open air, and after a long moment, his mentor appeared in front of him. The Dwarf’s eyes were closed, and remained that way until a large cigar found a way into his hand. He took a deep pull from it. “Celestials, I hope I'm not an Elf.”
Joe couldn't hold it in anymore; he started laughing, nearly falling over as tears streamed from his eyes. He reached up to touch them, wondering why his face was so wet. He tried to force some words out and failed, until he looked up and saw that Havoc was preparing to ‘help’ Joe get himself under control. That sobered the human up instantly. “Major General. Are you ready?”
“For what, human? Disappointment? From you? Always.” Havoc took another deep pull on his cigar. “Although… to be fair, you surprised me a few times now. What have you got up your sleeve this time? Where are we right now, the capital?”
The human did not answer him, instead selecting the next name off the rolls and allowing only a slight wince to escape as all the beautiful resources vanished forever. A new Dwarf that Joe had never seen before took shape, coalescing into a blonde mustached body… a Dwarf with long hair. She was nobility as well? Her eyes popped open, a brilliant green that exactly matched Havoc's. Her deep voice echoed into the absolutely silent room, the confusion evident. “Where am I? What happened…? We were just about to finish the campaign… I overslept!”
Before she could panic any further, her gaze swept through the room and landed on Major General Havoc, who was trembling and staring at her with wide eyes. His cigar fell to the ground, quickly standing up and snuffing itself out. “Dad? What happened to you? Did you get hit by an aging spell? Your beard…! Who set your beard on fire?”
That was all she could get out before Havoc had enveloped her in a hug and swept her into the air. “My… my little love. I’ve been so lost without you. I…”
The pressure behind his thick lenses mounted too much, and tears spilled out. Tiny wiper blades appeared and washed the front, but couldn’t clean the source. Havoc’s top hat dropped off his head and landed on the floor, revealing wild white-blond hair. “I’ll never lose you again, Francine. I’m so sorry I left you all alone.”
“You’re freaking me out.” The startled Dwarf held Havoc tightly as she realized what must have happened. “Fifty years? I… I can’t imagine what you’ve gone through. But I’m here now, and you’ll never have to worry about losing me again.”
Joe decided it was time to leave the room, and quietly let the family reunion run its course. His task was complete, all the troops—Elven and Dwarven—that had perished in the assault were back as Dwarves, so all that remained was to reap the rewards. He looked through the flood of messages that had poured in as soon as the raid officially ended, then at his status sheet.
You are considered the main contributor to the destruction and capture of a major fort. Experience gained: 50,000. Reputation gained with the Legion: 1,000. Reputation gained with the Dwarven Oligarchy: 500.
Quest complete: Ranker. After review, your Candidacy has been accepted. Your preliminary rank in Dwarven society has been set to ‘Major General’.
Major accomplishments as a Candidate:
Bringing access to the Deities back to the Dwarven Oligarchy.
Granting an option for a Grandmaster to advance into the Sage ranks in two disciplines (Smithing, Enchanting).
Applying a buff to various Officers that arguably saved the lives of thousands of Dwarves, as well as the Officers themselves on 15 occasions.
Rebutting an invasion.
Recapturing a national memorial landmark.
Rescuing 8,891 Legionnaires from an ambush.
Capturing a hidden maj
or fort.
Building an Artifact-ranked Alchemy workshop for the usage of the Dwarven Oligarchy.
Pending review, your rewards will be as follows: Noble title (Major General). You have completed a task, or created something that benefited the Dwarven Oligarchy as a whole. In addition to your rank, you will gain 5000 reputation with the Dwarven Council, a small homestead, a command of your own, immunity from past crimes, and a large plot of land to do with as you will. Report to General Court-Martial to receive rewards.
Plot of land determined as: Gramma’s Shoe.
Welcome back to level 21!
Name: Joe ‘Tatum’s Chosen Legend’ Class: Reductionist
Profession I: Arcanologist (Max)
Profession II: Ritualistic Alchemist (1/20)
Profession III: None
Character Level: 21 Exp: 240,559 Exp to next level: 12,441
Rituarchitect Level: 10 Exp: 45,000 Exp debt: 6,590
Reductionist Level: 2 Exp: 4,636 Exp to next level: 1,364
Hit Points: 1,864/1,864
Mana: 6,788/6,788
Mana regen: 52.7/sec
Stamina: 1,524/1,524
Stamina regen: 6.46/sec
Characteristic: Raw score
Strength: 146
Dexterity: 146
Constitution: 142
Intelligence: 152
Wisdom: 133
Dark Charisma: 100
Perception: 137
Luck: 79
Karmic Luck: 11
“I… I did it! I can finally bunker down and forget the world for a few months!” Joe was almost screaming from joy as he browsed the changes that had occurred since he had landed on this new Zone. Now he had a chunk of land to develop however he wanted, and he could barely wait. “That's okay, though! No more deadlines, no more quests from random places. All I'm going to do for the next… I don't even know how long… is turn this major fort into the most powerful outpost for the Dwarven Oligarchy, and the most awesome base for The Wanderer’s Guild when they eventually catch up to me. Can I grind to my skills, train myself, and-”
“Joe! Get your rear over here!” Havoc shouted at him, poking his head out of the door to the one of only two buildings in the entire fort. “We have a war to plan! We're going to pay those elves back triple for daring to-”
“Nah…”
“Excuse me?” Havoc was taken aback by Joe’s noncommittal answer.
“Havoc, all I want to do is spend some time putting my fort together and getting more powerful on my own. I don't want to have to-” Joe was cut off by a rude snort from the Dwarf.
“Did I say we have to charge in right now, screaming like chickens? No! I said we have a war to plan! If the plan is to wait for a while, that's a stupid plan, but at least it's a plan.” Havoc smiled as he watched Joe slump. “Still got it. Listen, failing to plan is planning to fail. I'm here for you. I can never repay you for what you have done for me. But I'm going to try. Get in here, and let's map out your future.”
“I want base building and skill grinding for the foreseeable future!” Joe demanded petulantly. “Oh! How about we get a-”
“See, this is exactly what I'm talking about!” Havoc grabbed Joe’s shoulders and shook him. Joe hadn't even seen him cross the distance. “You’re all over the place! A leader needs to be focused!”
“With me by your side, my Apprentice…” Havoc’s acceptance made stars appear in Joe’s eyes. Then his ‘human culture class’ teachings came along and ruined it all, making Joe run into the building just to make it stop. “You’re gonna be drawn to more success than a moth going up Inflame!”
Afterword
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed Inflame! Since reviews are the lifeblood of indie publishing, I’d love it if you could leave a positive review on Amazon! Follow this link to be redirected to The Completionist Chronicles: Inflame Amazon product page to leave your review.
Don’t miss out on future releases! Sign up for my newsletter to stay up to date. And as always, thank you for your support! You are the reason I’m able to bring these stories to life.
About Dakota Krout
Author of the best-selling Divine Dungeon, Completionist Chronicles, and Full Murderhobo series, Dakota Krout was chosen as Audible's top 5 fantasy pick of 2017, has been a top 10 bestseller on Audible, and top 15 bestseller on Amazon.
He draws on his experience in the military to create vast terrains and intricate systems, and his history in programming and information technology helps him bring a logical aspect to both his writing and his company while giving him a unique perspective for future challenges.
“Publishing my stories has been an incredible blessing thus far, and I hope to keep you entertained for years to come!” -Dakota
Connect with Dakota:
MountaindalePress.com
Patreon.com/DakotaKrout
Facebook.com/TheDivineDungeon
Twitter.com/DakotaKrout
Discord.gg/8vjzGA5
About Mountaindale Press
Dakota and Danielle Krout, a husband and wife team, strive to create as well as publish excellent fantasy and science fiction novels. Self-publishing The Divine Dungeon: Dungeon Born in 2016 transformed their careers from Dakota’s military and programming background and Danielle’s Ph.D. in pharmacology to President and CEO, respectively, of a small press. Their goal is to share their success with other authors and provide captivating fiction to readers with the purpose of solidifying Mountaindale Press as the place ‘Where Fantasy Transforms Reality.’
Connect with Mountaindale Press:
MountaindalePress.com
Facebook.com/MountaindalePress
Twitter.com/_Mountaindale
Instagram.com/MountaindalePress
Mountaindale Press Titles
GameLit and LitRPG
The Completionist Chronicles,
The Divine Dungeon, and
Full Murderhobo by Dakota Krout
King’s League by Jason Anspach and J.N. Chaney
A Touch of Power by Jay Boyce
Red Mage and
Farming Livia by Xander Boyce
Space Seasons by Dawn Chapman
Ether Collapse and
Ether Flows by Ryan DeBruyn
Bloodgames by Christian J. Gilliland
Threads of Fate by Michael Head
Wolfman Warlock by James Hunter and Dakota Krout
Axe Druid and
Mephisto’s Magic Online by Christopher Johns
Skeleton in Space by Andries Louws
Chronicles of Ethan by John L. Monk
Pixel Dust and
Necrotic Apocalypse by David Petrie
Henchman by Carl Stubblefield
Artorian’s Archives by Dennis Vanderkerken and Dakota Krout
If you love LitRPG and GameLit, join these awesome communities on Facebook!
To learn more about LitRPG, talk to authors, and just have an awesome time, please join the LitRPG Group.
