Dragon Magus 1: A Progression Fantasy Saga
Page 34
Logan let them fight. The two armies of spirit warriors rushed against each other, engaging in vicious combat. But he was displeased to see that his side didn’t prevail.
Logan would have to change that. The advantage of Elderwood Rangers wasn’t in their one-on-one abilities, but in their strategy. For in this world, strangely enough, none of the rangers were marked with the tattoos of Archspirits. Wherever such power resided, even Logan with his spiritual omnipotence, couldn’t produce it.
He gave the simulation another go. But this time, he tried a new angle of attack. He broke the rangers into three smaller armies, one comprised of bowmen, one of spearmen, and two made up of swordsmen. He let the battle play out, this time positioning the bowmen behind the spearmen, letting them shoot. The bowmen rained arrows down on the orcs, devastating their ranks as they drew closer. He used the spearmen to hold the line, splitting the spearmen into two smaller divisions, commanding them to move to protect the ranks of the bowmen. Just as he’d hoped, when the orcs closed in to attack the spearmen, forced toward them by the swordsmen, the two groups of swordsmen were able to close the flanks, enclosing the orcs and destroying them from all sides.
The plan worked. Logan’s losses were minimal, the orcs obliterated.
Just like with the weapons, he tried all sorts of combinations, all manner of tactics. And as his powers with the spirit simulation grew, he could create even more variations—new terrains and landscapes to battle upon. And the amount of soldiers he could command grew. In time, he was the general of armies of tens of thousands of men, doing battle with orcs and gnolls and goblins and demons and whatever other enemies he could imagine.
Between battles, Logan used his spirit simulation for more recreational activities. At first, he conjured women and sweetwine. But those only left him empty and no more drunk. Next he conjured the drum-circles of the Blacktooth Tribe, the wildmen who lived far south past the wastes. But the music never lifted his spirits more than battle did. He conjured the great beerhalls of the cities where wineale flowed and dice rolled in games of chance. Finally, in the quiet midwinters, he conjured up a small, crackling fire, and a memory of Aiden and the others warming their hands, talking of all the orcs they’d slay on their first campaign, eagerness on their faces and their voices braced with excitement.
Between the battles and the women, Logan had managed to create his own version of the Hall of Heroes. Though he enjoyed it far more than simply wandering the lands of his people, it all rang hollow—none of it was real. What use was becoming a great warrior and general if he couldn’t use it to fight for those he cared about, those he wanted to protect?
But Logan fought on. And as the years passed, he found himself growing. Not just in skill, but in maturity. He used his abilities to create realistic battles, ones he at times managed to convince himself were real. In time, he began to feel less like a neophyte, Rank One ranger and more like a battle-hardened, grizzled warrior.
Logan craved the chance to go back into the real world, to use his skills. He despaired at the idea of being trapped in the spirit realm for eternity, doomed to being stuck in this in-between land of neither life nor death.
His fears vanished, however, when he saw his first people—his first real people.
Grab War Wizard on Amazon today!
Facebook Fantasy Group
Want more books about magic using main characters? Grab recommendations and be with folks who share your love for magical books!
Join the Facebook group
Support DB King on Patreon!
Read books before they’re on Amazon, see exclusive artwork, and check out sneak peeks into the writing process on DB King’s Patreon.
Become a Patron today at: https://geni.us/DBKing-Patreon
Free progression Fantasy Novel!
Join my email newsletter to receive a free ebook of the progression fantasy novel, Hellion Mage.
Facebook Genre Groups
Do you like Gamelit & LitRPG stories? Check out the Gamelit Society Facebook Group for recommendations and fun!
What about Western Cultivation Stories? Check out Western Cultivation Stories.
About the Author
DB King’s stories feature competent main characters, magic and skill progression, and nothing too dark. While he doesn’t shy away from violence, he mostly avoids cursing and doesn’t have any adult scenes. Most of his stories aren't strictly Gamelit/LitRPG, but a lot of his magic and progression systems often feel like something you might find in a video game.