Scorching Ascension - [Progression Litrpg Apocalypse]

While they waited for Martha to wake up, Ethan sat down with his eyes closed and exhaled slowly. Then, focusing on his right arm, he triggered his Arcanum. Mana rushed down his right hand, but it also wanted to head down to the left. Ethan's frown deepened as he tried to pull it back.

Only the right. Only. The right.

The mana heading to his left slowed, while a comfortable heat surged around his right. Opening his eyes, he saw the fire-coated claws only on his right hand, while his left was normal.

Ethan grinned, then grimaced at his sore posterior. He'd been sitting on the hard stone floor for the last half hour or so. Unfortunately for his behind, the uneven stone was not very comfortable, but at least he got some practice with his new abilities.

A quick glance around told him the other two were doing the same, with Liz having lined up a few dead lizardlings against the wall to use as target practice, while Gerald was swinging his sword in a chopping fashion, repeating the drill every few seconds.

His movements were less awkward than they'd been an hour ago. Same for Liz and her accuracy. She wasn't getting head shots, but she was hitting more dead lizardlings than she was missing them.

It was definitely gruesome, but they didn't have proper target practice, so he didn't begrudge her the mild desecration of lizardling bodies.

Ethan focused back on his own exercise and looked down at the flames licking up his hand.

Alright. With the Arcanum only active on one hand, this next part should consume less mana.

Ethan pictured a roaring fire. Heat that could melt whatever he touched.

Responding to his will, the Arcanum pulled on his mana hard enough for him to groan. But it was worth it.

The fire around his clawed hand went from an almost gentle coating to a roaring, blinding blaze that lasted for a few seconds before Ethan had to pull it back. Grimacing, he panted, leaning over, but even though he hadn't lasted any longer than the first few tests, the flames were much stronger this time.

Mana rushed into his chest as the Arcanum's mana regeneration continued its work, but it was a mere pittance compared to what he'd just burned through. Literally.

I need to invest more in the Mana stat. Having more on hand would help. For mana regeneration, I guess I need to upgrade the Arcanum's tier once more. But once my mana capacity is higher, the regeneration should be less of an issue.

Ethan did just that. He assigned the point he'd gotten from the last level, then slowly exhaled.

The unique Arcanum's title was worth it. He'd just barely started testing it, but it was clear; there was a lot that could be done with this new ability. He wanted to try condensing the flames. Or pushing them outward, like a flamethrower. But boosting and controlling the flames cost a lot of mana, so he needed to raise that.

He also learned he couldn't control the flames of the lit torches. Only his own flames obeyed his will and once they left his control, like when he'd set something on fire, they could burn him too, though his fire resistance helped a bit with that.

As he waited for his mana to recover so he could do some more training, Ethan glanced around and stilled.

Martha was awake.

***

With both hands alight, Ethan walked down the dark tunnel into which the archer and his companions had disappeared. Behind him Gerald was supporting a still dazed but understandably silent Martha, while Liz had her crossbow loaded and ready.

Ethan was ready for ambushes.

Their steps echoed in the dark tunnel. The air was more humid, with an oddly earthy smell coming through, carried by a soft draft, which made him think there might be an exit up ahead. Something that led above ground?

They continued quietly, passing empty sconces that lined the walls, and something tickled his mind as he recalled the first lizardling camp.

Where were they finding wood? Both camps had wooden torches.

I should have examined them closer. I was too focused on the fire to pay attention to the rest of the torch.

Ethan shook his head. He'd find out soon enough.

A few minutes later, they found the flight of stairs leading down. Ethan went in first, nerves on edges, but nothing happened. No ambushes. As his claws illuminated the space around, he found himself in some sort of antechamber with yet another flight of stairs leading down.

They had said two stairs down.

As they descended, Ethan noticed a slight difference in the stairs. They were in a worse shape, somehow, and when he reached the final step, his foot didn't land on cut stone.

They were in a cave; a cave that extended downward with mushroom-like growth that bathed everything in a clear blue light. Further down, he saw the small orange fires and movement around them.

The camp.

It took them a few minutes to get close enough to make out the details, and as the four cautiously approached, a couple of archers raised their weapons for a second before lowering them.

It was mostly people scrambling around to find a spot to rest or heal. Some were sitting near the improvised campfires, faces harried, while others kept themselves busy by helping with the watch or by bringing logs of clear purple wood. There were a couple of modern tents, somehow, but everything was still in flux as the participants tried to make sense of what was happening.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Beyond the camp, the cave stretched wider and deeper and on that side, a handful of people were holding watch and as his eyes adjusted to the distance, Ethan picked up more details and wondered if they should have stationed more.

There were more dead giant toads on that side, as well as the recognizable shapes and colors of lizardfolk and, further out, a small pile of bodies in modern clothing.

That made his stomach twist a bit. He didn't expect there to be so many dead already.

Seeing the few heads turn their ways from the fire camps, Ethan came to stop and exhaled. "This is my stop," he said, turning to face the other. "Guess I'll see you all soon. I'm going to go exploring a bit."

This was a good spot to let them figure things out on their own. Whether they wanted to group up with others, explore by themselves, or just take a step back, they could make their own decisions.

Gerald nodded to him and began helping Martha forward, only pausing when he was right next to Ethan. "Sorry. I… I don't know what—" he cut himself off. Took a deep breath, then met Ethan's eyes. "Thank you for saving our lives. And sorry for acting like an ass," said the man, then moved on.

Ethan smiled, and extended a normal hand. "Take care. And don't slack."

The man shook his hand with a smile, then both of himself and Martha headed down to the camp.

Looking behind, Ethan wondered how the toad they'd fought had made it up there. Considering it's barely been a few hours since this all started, it must have gone up before the tutorial's beginning.

Liz scratched the back of her head and smiled. She nervously eyed the camp for a second before speaking. "I really appreciate it. I think I'll… get my bearings for now. Maybe next time I can head out with you? No pressure, of course."

Ethan smiled. "Sure," he said. Then his smile faded. "I wouldn't trust that prick from earlier. Definitely watch your back."

Liz immediately nodded. "Yup. Planning on it. I think I'm gonna try and find some people to head out with. Once I catch up in levels, I'll look you up. Give you a hand?"

Ethan grinned. "Sure," he said. He didn't mind some company in the future, but right now, he wanted to go solo for a bit and rack in some levels. Then he recalled something. "Oh, could you ask around if there's an old man by the name of Luther Voss? I doubt he's around, but just in case."

Liz nodded. "Sure thing. Least I can do. Could you do the same? If you meet an Ashley Foster, let me know. "

With her crossbow still in hand, Liz eyed the camp and the archers above before glancing back to him. "You sure you don't want to come in?"

Ethan nodded. He didn't need the protection of the camp and, frankly, he just didn't trust it. Not when the archer he'd met a few hours ago had been eying him like a fine piece of meat. But Liz and Gerald should have no trouble blending in, and Martha could get some help.

"Well. See you around then. And thank for saving our bacon" she added with a grin, then turned and left.

Well. I hope they'll be safe.

Ethan sighed, then began making his way around and away from the camp. He attracted a few stares, but he ignored them. Even when some of the scouts tried to call out or warn him, he kept walking.

He was probably right in keeping his distance from this camp and its politics, but maybe he'll come back to check up on his ex-companions once he was confident no one in it could threaten him. There could be some interesting news for him, then. For now, though, it was exploration time.

Ethan eagerly let the fire dance along his talons. What kind of adventure was this going to be?

He couldn't wait to find out.

Ethan followed the downslope for longer than he expected. On his way down, he met two groups of participants, to whom he nodded while they stared. None of them were above level 8.

I wonder who's got the highest level in that camp. How about the whole world? It must be more than 12. I've had a lot of breaks and stops since this started, so I can't be the highest. Also, how in the hell is this place not collapsing on itself?

The blue-lit tunnel was almost the width of a stadium. Pretty damn high as well, and there were no support pillars he could see anywhere. It made no sense.

A handful of minutes later, the slope eased up and the cave somehow opened into an even larger cavern. One that was literally teeming with life.

Ethan couldn't believe his eyes.

Large—no, giant clumps of purple and glowing mushrooms filled the cave, while blue-tinted shrubs and vines spread around their stems. All sorts of animal calls reached his ears; some familiar, like the toads, while many more he had no idea of their origins. Some were screechy. Some were so sharp and high it made him flinch.

A rustle of leaves and the sound of broken twigs shook him out of his wonder, and Ethan immediately crouched behind a large boulder, peering over its side to see what was making the noise.

[Toad - Level 22]

A large toad hopped out of the brush. It was similar to the one he'd fought above, only maybe half-as large. With the same, vulnerable eyes.

Ethan tapped his claws on the rock hiding him. Could he take this one?

Nope. Well… That would be an insane amount of fragments. And levels.

As Ethan reconsidered his reticence and tried to hype himself to take the fight, another resident of this odd underground forest showed itself.

[Mystic Toad (I) - Level 31]

This one was slightly larger than the first toad, but its skin was gray instead brown, with blue splotches and almost purple eyes. And even if he hadn't seen the level, Ethan would have backed away. There was something ominous about this one. Something that made the hairs on his forearm stand on ends.

This one's bad news.

This wasn't a fight he had any hope of winning. Not yet. Though he looked forward to the day he could take a specimen like this head on. For now, he needed to start smaller. But as he backed away and considered the route he should take, he watched the two toads face each other. They started squeaking at each other. Then the lower leveled toad shot a purple-tipped tongue and smacked the mystic toad, who squeaked in protest, though it didn't look like it took much damage. Then, the larger toad opened its mouth, and a purple beam shot through the brown toad, splattering everything behind it in a spray of smoking entrails.

Ethan gawked from afar, heart beating fast in his chest. He couldn't help the smile that drew itself on his face.

He had his work cut out for him, that's for sure.