Scorching Ascension - [Progression Litrpg Apocalypse]

Ethan shoved his right claw deeper into the toad's eye socket while his left secured him, anchoring him to the bloodied and weakened monster. It was lying on its stomach, twitching and writhing, struggling to get its legs under itself. But Ethan didn't give it a chance. Smoke filled his nostrils, as he dug deeper with his talons, and after less than a minute of elbow-deep scouring into the creature's head, it spasmed one last time, then stopped moving.

You have defeated [Toad - Level 16]

You have reached Level 12. 1 stat point awarded.

Looking up, he saw Liz running to check on the unconscious Martha, while Gerald worked on tightening the sleeve he'd torn from his hoodie around her severed limb.

Ethan he let himself slide down the toad's back, panting and bloodied. He stepped around the creature, both awed at the size of it, then as he leaned over to collect the fragments, he paused.

Could I keep some for her?

She had helped. She had distracted the creature enough for him to close-in, so she had earned her portion and in any case, he didn't need that much for the Arcanum's title.

Glancing down at his bloodied claws, he slowly extended them toward the haze of gold around the tongue and before the fragments could be all absorbed, he will some of them to stay.

Just half. Give me just half.

The nimbus of glowing smoke flew toward his arm, and he noted surprisingly how some of it still clung on the tongue.

Lesser Arcanum: 11 fragments collected.

It was a good haul, though maybe not as much as he'd hoped. But he wasn't in the mood to celebrate. He was aware he couldn't guarantee anyone's protection, and he had warned them, but he still wondered if he might have done things differently.

Finding another path might have saved Martha's arm. But if this is the kind of threat we're going to face, I need the levels. And I need them fast.

Logically, he knew he hadn't done anything wrong. He didn't start this tutorial and hadn't put a giant monstrous toad in their way, but he still felt a bit of guilt at the state of the woman. He didn't know her, but she seemed terrified by everything that was happening. She didn't deserve to bleed out in the middle of nowhere like this.

I hope there's healing magic that can restore stuff like this… Fire-covered claws and crossbows were possible, so why not healing?

Ethan sighed. This was why he preferred being on his own. He could be responsible for his own safety and not have to feel like this.

I gotta adapt. Everyone has to.

Ethan took a step forward and heard a twang, followed by a whistle, and before he could fully understand what he just perceived, he jumped back.

Right where he had been a second ago, a blue, glowing arrow zipped by. It hit the stone floor and went clattering further into the room. It sounded as if it was made of unbreakable glass.

Ethan stared at the arrow, then at where it had come from while he ignited his claws once more. "Arrows. Eyes up," he called out and backed away from the tunnel, making his way to the other three.

As he heard the steps echoing in the tunnel, a wave of cold fury was spreading out of his chest and down his limbs.

That hadn't been an accident. The toad was clearly unmoving, and the arrow had come closer to him then it did to the toad anyway.

Someone just tried to take a potshot at him.

He would have been surprised, if this hadn't been the second time today. What was happening to people?

Eyes peeled, Ethan glared down the darkness of the tunnels as the steps grew closer. He couldn't afford to be on the defense against the monster, but with people… Well. He expected he'd be able to do better.

A few seconds later, the first form came into light and soon three people stepped out of the darkness.

[Human - Level 9]

[Human - Level 7]

[Human - Level 6]

The first and highest level was wielding a shortbow, with a blue glowing arrow already nocked as the middle-aged archer scanned the room. His cold gaze studied the toad, then flicked to the three people huddled together, two of whom kept nervously glancing between Ethan and the black, vest-wearing archer.

Looking at him Ethan guessed the man had been working security. Between the black vest, black tactical pants and the boots, he looked the part. Finally, the man's attention shifted toward him, and Ethan held his gaze calmly and when he saw the fake apologetic smile, he barely held back from showing what he truly felt.

Not yet.

"Didn't think there were people around," said the archer as he lowered his bow, eyes still boring into Ethan's. A small smile lifted the corners of the archer's lips, and Ethan noticed how the arrow was still nocked. "You folks need any help?"

Great. One of those.

Ethan was familiar with the archer's type. The kind that'd take a shot at your back if you'd give them an excuse and then blatantly lie and act surprised when they fail. The sliminess was too familiar.

Ethan glared at the man while Liz and Gerald stayed quiet. They must have picked up on the tension, and must have realized the same thing as him. That the arrow had been shot on purpose.

He let a slow exhaled. The man that had shot him in the head seemed to have lost it, but what's this guy's excuse?

Ethan wanted to pay him back for the attempt immediately, but he put his anger aside for now. There will be a reckoning. Oh yes. Ethan wasn't forgetting this. But for now, an innocent woman's life could be saved. She was bleeding out, and time was of the essence.

"Can any of you heal injuries?" Ethan asked as he eyed the other two. One was carrying a kite-shield, a stout man still wearing thick pants, boots, and a plaid jacket, while the third was in dusty suit pants and shirt, and had a thin, black wand out.

The archer slowly tilted his head back, eyes still on Ethan for a second before they flicked to his companion. They exchanged a couple of words before he looked back at Ethan. "We might."

Ethan kept the disbelief out of his face and waited. What a piece of shit, he thought while waiting for the "demands" to be voiced, but someone else cracked first.

"What is wrong with you people?" shouted Gerald. "She's bleeding out. If you can do something, just fucking do it."

Ethan, eyes still on the group, was impressed. But he didn't let that distract him. Pulling up his Arcanum's upgrade menu, he readied himself to duck behind the toad's massive body. He didn't trust these three, and he didn't think they intended on starting a direct confrontation. But just in case they started shit, he was going to be ready.

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General Arcanum upgrades

Arcanum Title: Acquire an Arcanum title, unlocking special abilities and effects for Lesser Arcanums - 30 fragments

Ethan paid the cost.

Congratulations. After taking account of your performance, two options have been unlocked.

Select a unique trait from the list below.

Arcanum of the Fire Elemental: Allows the user better control over fire spells and provides fire resistance.

Arcanum of Claws: Only the spell Claws and its upgrades as well as compatible modifiers can be used on this Lesser Arcanum. In return, the Claws spell is empowered.

Keeping an eye on the three, Ethan quickly parsed through the options, alternating between his interface and the archer every second.

"Well, you three are strangers. Some of you with some skill. Some without," said the archer as he eyed his still-knocked arrow. "We're within the first few hours and we've already had some of ours ambushed when they came up here. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

Ethan had already read both upgrades by the time the archer finished speaking. Both traits would lock him in a direction. He was tempted by the Arcanum of Claws. It seemed like the stronger for the short term, while the Arcanum of the Fire Elemental would give him more control—whatever that implied—and more durability against other fire-users. Could he condense the fire over his claws and make it hotter? Could he project it outward?

He looked up at the trio. Arcanum of the Claws would allow him to deal with them easier, but he wasn't allowing them to force his hand into his choice. If he was to worry about the most power for his buck, Ethan had already gotten Enduring Brawler as a trait. For this choice, he wanted something that could grow with him in the long term.

He made his choice and waited as a swirl of invisible, magical energies began swirling about him. His clawed hands warmed up and twitched as a rush of power surged through them and through the rest of his body. Up ahead, the wand-wielder lifted his arm and whispered something to the archer, who began raising his bow, an excited glint in his eyes.

In that fraction of a second, Ethan remembered what this new world was. A world where someone can shoot you in the head as you turn a corner for easy levels. A world where this archer who'd just made an attempt on his life was yet again raising his bow.

In a way, it reminded him of his childhood. Of the foster system and the bullies and abusers that infested it. This was a world where, if he hesitated, he'd be fragments for another. It made the next words easy to process and commit to.

"You attack me or anyone here, and I'm dismantling all three of you," Ethan simply said as he stood his ground, though he was still aware of the toad's body. He could be behind it in the blink of an eye.

His voice echoed in the hall, and the three strangers frowned.

"Is that a threat, boy?" asked the shield carrying man, eyes narrowed in a mighty frown.

Ethan gave him a mirthless smile and shook his head lightly. "A threat? No. It's a promise."

The silence stretched for a few seconds. The upgrading process was still ongoing, but he didn't feel it was blocking anything. The [Claws] spellform was still active, and flames were still merrily dancing along his digits.

Now they were all waiting for what comes next. Were things escalating, or was chaos about to break out?

Finally, the archer relaxed his draw, but he didn't lower the bow just yet. "My friend here says you're up to something."

Ethan smiled at them. It was a cold thing that didn't affect the even stare he was giving the trio. "A small, little upgrade while you three waste the time of that poor woman. Nothing to shit your pants about. So? Can any of you heal or are we done here?"

That had been more antagonizing that he would have liked, but honestly, it was getting more and more difficult to hold the anger back. It had been a while since Ethan felt such smoldering fury in his chest. Frustrated and irritated, sure. That happened often enough when you worked in a gas-station shop. But targeted ire like this?

Stay calm. Breathe. Fighting right now won't help anyone, he told himself as the magic finished sinking into his hands, and Ethan felt the tingle run down his arms. He might need some time to test his newly acquired control and see what it was capable of, but for now, he'd rather put a lid on his hostility and try to de-escalate things a bit. Especially if they could heal Martha.

Ethan nodded to those behind and decided to move things along. "They were captured by lizardlings. That explains the low levels. I got ambushed by someone who shot me in the head, but I already had a few levels, so that didn't take. I also cleared the lizardling camp they were in, and I killed that thing," he said, pointing at the dead giant toad. "That's how I got my levels. Not by ambushing people. I don't know about your people or who got to them. Now, are you going to heal our friend here or not?"

The archer eyed him for a few more seconds, while the two behind him shifted nervously. Finally, he lowered the bow. He whispered back, and the wand using man stepped forward.

"Let me see," said the man as he approached Liz and Gerald, while Ethan kept the archer in his field of view.

He didn't expect to ever be able to trust this man, but he could start learning a few things.

"Do you guys have a large group? Find a lot of survivors?"

If there were a lot more people, Liz, Martha, and Gerald could be fine among them. Things might be tense and they'll absolutely have to watch their backs, but Ethan couldn't afford to stay and watch over them. They were adults as well, and they could make their own decisions. The odds that this douche-bag was in control were low.

The archer shrugged. "We do. We're setting something up and we help each other out. Why, you're looking to join?"

It was clear from the tone what he thought of that. "No. Just looking for a spot for them. But it wouldn't hurt to trade. Food and tips and whatnot."

"We'll see," said the archer noncommittally.

Ethan approached the injured woman—while still keeping the archer in his vision—and saw the man pointing his wand at the gruesome stump. Green, smoke-like light was wafting off the tip of a simple-looking wand, and the injury was slowly closing up.

It wasn't pleasant to look at. But it was an extremely interesting spell to have.

Within a few minutes, the man slowly pushed himself up to his feet, sweat beading his brow, while Martha remained unconscious. She was still covered in blood, and must have lost quite a bit of it, but at least she wasn't bleeding out anymore. Now she had a healed stump that ended around her left shoulder.

"Well, I guess we'll be on our way. Our little camp is down that tunnel, then two stairs down. Can't miss it," said the archer as he finally dismissed the arrow. He looked from Ethan to Liz, then to Martha. "We expect you to repay this favor, by the way. But we can talk about that once you join us."

Ethan watched them leave and disappear back into the corridor. They were all quiet until Gerald spat. "Bastards."

Ethan nodded. "Yup. But honestly, I'm starting to think all groups will be like this. There's no group win here. Everyone's going to be out for themselves. As should you. And we'll have to be careful on the way there, in case they're full of shit and try to ambush us."

Liz went to bite her fingernail, then grimaced when she got the taste of grease in her mouth. "If it's real, it might be good for food and water, at least. A good starting area. And Martha can recover safely."

Ethan nodded.

Gerald looked up, anxiety still apparent in his features, but his eyes seemed steely. It seemed that the reality of this new world was finally dawning on him.

Ethan respected that.

"Are you going to stick around once we get there?" the man asked. There was no heat in his world. It seemed like a simple question.

Ethan met his eyes and Liz's, then shook his head. He needed levels. He needed to push himself, or he'd fall behind the likes of the archer and he would end up in their dust and worst of all, their word might become law.

Over my dead body.

Ethan wasn't surrendering his will to no one. "I'll be leaving to explore the area, but I might check back on occasion. We're here for a week. I intend to make the most of it." Then, recalling something he had thought of earlier but forgot to bring up, he asked the two. "Unrelated question, but did you guys step in the portal from Boston? Charlestown?"

The two shared a look, both frowning.

"I am. Why?" asked Gerald confused.

"I'm not."

Both Gerald and Ethan looked at her as she tilted her head, frowning. "Huh. I was in New Jersey when I stepped into the portal," said Liz thoughtfully. "I guess they mixed and matched."

Ethan bit his lip. It seemed that finding Luther might a bit more challenging than he'd expected.