Metem: A LitRPG Progression Fantasy

Four days; it took him four days.

Kopius read chapters in Manabolism, realized he needed to backtrack and spent the first day glossing through the Handbook of Universal Definition. He then returned to mana text with a better understanding of the books contents.

Day two was a waste as Kopius stomach didn't take kindly to a particular herb Cici had used, while day three was productive in the sense that he was able to get the gist of channeling mana to his boots.

For the first part day four, Kopius stomped and crushed every branch he had gathered without setting any aflame. After a few adjustments to his technique, and some patience, he set a twig on fire. The two men celebrated like cavemen first discovering flame.

Ten pieces of wood set on fire later and Cici said they were ready for Escher Pass.

***

Kopius stomped vigorously on a large tree branch, trying to set it on fire. Though the sun was high above he needed the flame and he needed it quickly. According to the bellow that came from Cici, Kopius was staring down a charging skinwalker and really need the flame.

This particular creature reminded Kopius of any random roadkill Cory might have seen on the street. One where the ants and maggots were helping the animal decompose; half its skeleton visible. If that decaying carcass grew to the size of a large wolf with vicious fangs and deadly intention; that was roughly what Kopius was facing at the moment.

Cici had mentioned that there were many dangers cutting through the pass, and that most travelers took the fourteen-day journey around Escher Pass to get to Cawbachu. They would need to remain vigilant, he had said. Many creatures, like the one charging at Kopius now, could be turned into a skinwalker. The monsters were dead, but their skin kept them 'alive' and moving.

"Basically, a dead creature in Escher Pass with at least half its skin, can come back to life. Not

life

-life… uh, dead-life," Cici had said while they were still back in the cave.

"What exactly is 'dead-life'?" Kopius had asked.

"I don't know, it's the best way to explain them to you," the big man had said defensively. "Dead on the inside; alive on the outside."

"Reminds me of a few ex-girlfriends," Kopius had quipped under his breath.

"They are fast, yet lack agility," Cici had continued, "but fortunately for us, fire can kill them very quickly. So keep up the practice with your boots and we will leave when you can light a flame with ease."

After setting his tenth piece of wood on fire Kopius had received an empty notification window. He had guessed it was him either learning the spell or a 'light a fire ten times' challenge being completed.

If Metem was going to function like a video game, Kopius was going to treat it as such.

Now, with death racing toward him, Kopius could not get the piece of wood to ignite. At first he stomped and thought of the magic word he had assigned to the spell in his head: Sparta. He quickly began to shout the word while he stomped as the beast closed the distance much faster than expected.

His heart had gone from a soft nervous pounding to thumping jackhammer in his chest in the matter of a few seconds. The monsters leaps and bounds made him rush until-with no time left-Kopius dove to the side. A snarling, rabid, fang-bared skinwalker lunged with outstretched claws, missing him by inches.

Kopius rolled to his feet as the skinwalker-wolf barreled through some bushes, having to make a wide berth in order to circle back. On instinct, Kopius summoned a sword from his inventory and faced the charging beast. His nerves were butter but he stood his ground.

Can't be brave if you're not scared, Kopius chanted in his mind, hopeful that one of his grandfathers idioms would give him some needed courage.

"That sword won't do!" Cici yelled as he scaled a large tree with ease. "Start the fire!"

"It's not working!" Kopius yelled back, breaking the mantra running his mind. "How am I–"

Kopius was cut short as he was lifted off his feet and sent hurtling through the air. His sword went flying in one direction and his body flew in another. He hit the ground with a loud thud, knocking some air from his lungs.

He rolled with the fall, stumbled back to his feet, all while he sucked in the air he had lost. His vision came to focus with just enough time for him to raise his arm in defense. The skinwalker chomped down on his forearm instead of his throat, sending the two crashing to the ground.

The beast feasted Kopius's appendage as the two wrestled and bucked; both fighting for top position. Kopius yelled in pain as the monster bit harder into his forearm, piercing the meager clothing, thin arm bracer and breaking through his skin. The beasts hollowed eye sockets were mere inches from his own but still managed to look deep within his soul.

The skinwalker twisted and jerked, trying to gain leverage. If the animal had still been whole, guts and all, it would have easily outweighed Kopius; the fight over before it began.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Yet with all its muscle, fat, and innards long gone, Kopius just had to endure the pain. The teeth clamped past his skin and entered the muscles, like a serrated knife strapped to a hydraulic press. He quickly feared the monster would sever the arm completely.

Kopius flailed his feet about, not giving the animal a chance to get any one foot leverage for too long. His legs swept back and forth, all the while trying forget the tremendous amount of pain ripping at his forearm.

In the briefest moment of clarity, Kopius thought of his healing ring, and in the same instant a cool relief rushed through his body–the pain in his arm subdued even with the beast still latched and lashing.

He used all his weight and momentum to roll the beast over and stand in the process. The skinwalker had released its grip, allowing Kopius to gain a few feet of space.

He immediately started kicking at the beast like he was breaking down the door of an unfaithful lover, yelling "SPARTA!" on repeat.

WHOOSH!

A flash of fire and a large plume of smoke exploded at the end of his outstretched foot. What had been a half-skin, half-bone skinwalker wolf-thing was now a gently smoldering pile of ash. It was like the thing had been a birthday party magician who had thrown a smoke bomb and disappeared.

Pain enveloped Kopius as he sensed the danger had passed. His mutilated arm looked like spaghetti noodles and minced meat. He was momentarily nauseous when he first looked at it.

Collapsing to the ground, he quickly tried his healing ring again. Nothing happened. His fingers were unresponsive below the mangled arm as the pain rushing back twice as strong. The beast had cut him deep enough to sever the tendons and ligaments. The only thing keeping agony from taking over his every thought was a combination of fear, shock, and anger.

A panic set upon Kopius. His arm began to throb at an incredible rate, a cold sweat forming on his brow. Kopius began to wonder in growing terror that he would lose his arm. His heart rate began to keep pace with the throbbing and whatever maintenance he had held over his self-control broke.

"I need a doctor!" Kopius bellowed.

He froze as he remembered his potions, yet still unwilling to give himself that kind of hope. Kopuis with the greatest of care summoned a healing potion to his uninjured hand. He removed the stopper with his teeth, threw his head back, and drank half. He then poured the remainder of the potion across his injury.

A few seconds later and Kopius could sense the easing of pain as it pulled back from the wound. A few more moments and the wound was closed. When he tried to move his fingers, they were still unresponsive. Much the same with his wrist.

The entirety of his arm below the injury had the icy-needle sensation that he would get when his leg would fall asleep from sitting in the wrong position for too long; except this was much, much more intense.

Kopius, holding his injured arm close, laid on his back, and closed his eyes. As he was getting his breathing to a more normal cadence, he heard Cici's lumbering footsteps approaching. The pinky on his injured hand twitched and Kopius felt another wave of relief.

He hadn't been sure that the healing potion would repair such extensive damage. The tingling he had first felt gave him the idea that it was working, but that was just a hopeful guess on his part. By the time Cici had reached him, all of his fingers had twitched at least once but he still had no control over them.

"Maybe you should have used a different word?" Cici eventually said as he sifted through the ashes of the skinwalker. "What is a sparta anyways? I have been meaning to ask."

With the pain mostly gone and his worry over losing a limb pacified, annoyance, on the border of rage, bubbled within Kopius.

"What the hell, man! Climbing a fucking tree–for reals?!" Kopius said, not quite shouting but headed there.

"It's safe in the tree," Cici replied innocently. "We discussed this."

"No, you said the other things couldn't climb! The moon-thingy!"

"They cannot climb–they float around, more or less. They do like to throw their acid though, so large rocks would be of great value."

Kopius raised his injured arm so that Cici could get a good look at it.

"Do you see this?" Kopius said, hostility in his voice. "This could have been my face!"

"But you managed to keep that handsome mug out of harm's way, didn't you?" Cici replied.

"That's not the point!"

"What is your point?" Cici asked, as he continued to sift the ashes of the fallen skinwalker.

"My point is, I thought you had my back."

"I was behind you."

"Behind me and up a tree! I mean, I thought we would fight together, you know, as a team."

"Yes, a team, otherwise why the journey?" Cici replied with a laugh. "I just thought you would light the flame and be done with it. Get all the experience."

Kopius cringed internally.

The big man was not only looking out for him, he had been a few steps ahead in his thinking. His fingers began to move so he stood up flexing his hand. The joints were stiff, his muscles sore, like he had gone through a rigorous workout. Cici had returned to sifting through the large pile of ash as Kopius approached.

"What happened back there, my boy?" Cici asked without looking. "It looked so easy for you before we left."

"I uh–" Kopius said, pausing to swallow some pride. "It's a bit different with death breathing down your neck." He finished with an uncomfortable laugh.

"Plans can get tossed aside when the swords are drawn," Cici recited, his accent making him always sound more educated. "Something an old teacher would shout in my ear. What she meant by it was, you must adapt quickly when your method is broken."

"That… makes sense," Kopius replied after a few moments of thought.

"Your plan did not work, so you adapted quickly."

"That was more instinct than anything else."

"You continue to go with your instinct, and next time I will stay out of the tree," Cici said with a laugh.

"Yeah, that was crazy how fast you got up there."

"I have long invested in my climbing skill."

"For this specific purpose?"

"It wasn't the original reason I invested in it, but it has been rather useful."

"Do I want to know the original reason?"

"Have you ever left a place in a hurry?" Cici said with a slight grin. "Sometimes you leave out the first exit you have."