Scorching Ascension - [Progression Litrpg Apocalypse]

The buzzing of the angered scarabs was growing louder as the flames merrily burned the twisting, coiling roots. Ethan assumed the roots might be linked to this Rootmind he had to destroy, so he frankly didn't feel that bad seeing them wither and burn as the options hovered ahead of him.

"I've got a couple of minutes before the swarm of scarabs shows up," he said to himself, though he barely heard himself. Turning away from the burning flames around him, Ethan read the options available to him.

Select an enhancement-class tier-2 spell from the list below:

Serpent's Spine: Alter your spine with serpentine flexibility and coiled tension, boosting agility and rotational power. Form Bonus: Might, Toughness

Staglord's Hooves: Summon sturdy hooves reinforced for charge attacks, enhancing stomping force and balance on uneven terrain. Form Bonus: Might

Crag Lizard's Tail: Summon a muscular, weighty tail suited for balance, sweeping attacks, and anchoring to surfaces. Form Bonus: Might

Sphinx's Gaze: Grants insight into deception and magical illusions, revealing hidden truths and vulnerabilities. Form Bonus: Spirit

Greenwood Antlers: Summon antlers to empower your life-attuned magic. Form Bonus: Spirit

Oh! I got something for the eyes, Ethan grinned as he let one of the fireballs fly up and smack one of the scarabs out of the air before it could get the drop on him. It had tried to dodge, only for the homing spell to swerve and explode in a roar of flames punctuated by the ding that confirmed the creature's death.

Cool options in general, and while it's not draconic, it would do. At least until I get my hands on some draconic primagems, he mused as he read through the other options. Then he frowned. He was pretty sure he'd seen the [Greenwood Antlers] before, and now that he was thinking about it, he was pretty sure he'd been offered eyes in the past, but it most certainly hadn't had the illusion-piercing capabilities of these.

I think they'd been called [Banshee's Eyes] or something?

Ethan shrugged and accepted the prompts, and as soon as the spell appeared in his list, he slotted it in the Arcanum of Forms and activated it and immediately, the world flashed with odd lights, as if he'd just stepped into a bright room and slowly, his vision came back to normal. Though now, the roots reaching toward his feet through the smoldering flames looked a bit more vivid.

"So you're alive, huh?"

With a hop, Ethan leaped into the air, blew past the smoke and took in the rift's territory. Ignoring the clouds of angry scarabs that mottled the sky all around, Ethan quickly realized he was once more on an island but unlike the first rift he'd ever delved, this one was fully covered by a thick, dense canopy of deep green vegetation, and near the center of the island, a gigantic blood red bulb stood out, surrounded by equally massive protectives leaves.

That definitely looks like my target. The Verdant Rootmind, Ethan thought as the air ignited around him. Looking away from the giant flower, Ethan summoned his lance and planted it through the mouth of the first scarab that reached him and blasted a second with a point blank [Gout of Flames], sensing some of the heat leak into his chest. The ability of the heart wasn't ready, but he was looking forward to seeing how effective it'd be.

At least once I'm done with the swarm, I won't have to search for my target for long, he mused as he dismissed the lance and grinned as he caught the two snapping mandibles with his clawed hands.

"Let's take these bad boys for a run, shall we?"

Ethan released the left mandible and drove his bone-covered fist into the scarab screeching maw and felt the creature's jagged black teeth bit down and failed to crack his scales. A beat later, Ethan extended the claws and wrenched his arm back, spraying his own face with bitter blood.

Ugh, that was dumb, he cursed, spitting out what had gotten in his mouth as he summoned a [Wall of Flames] behind him. With a beat of his wing, he flew into the wall, unsure if the flames were going to burn him, but he only felt as if he'd stepped in front of a hot oven for a second. It didn't really burn him, but it sure helped charge the heart a little more.

Ethan swiped with his claws and tore a wide gash into the side of a scarab before he blasted an oncoming group with [Acid Orb] and right then, he remembered that [Acid Orb] was a tier-3 spell.

A lime-green orb shot out of his claws and hit the first scarab before exploding forward and splashing the handful of monstrous insects behind it, and Ethan winced as he saw the literal color and shell of the creature melt away like wax under a flame. He'd been on the receiving end of the spell a few days back, but by now, his Spirit stat was most likely twice or even thrice as high as when he'd first encountered it.

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He was sure his current cast was much stronger than that of the Lord of the Swamp. Then again, he hadn't taken one of these orbs pointblank either.

I kinda cheated in that fight, too, he remembered. He hadn't fought the giant swamp lizard fair and square. Technically. He'd just dropped down from the sky and broke its back before the fight even started.

Three fireballs zipped out and detonated in the midst of the oncoming swarm as Ethan dropped down, dodging a spray of sharpened wooden stakes and dropped on the back of one of the monsters. It swerved, screeching as it took him toward a tier-2 that looked closer to an urchin than to a scarab, and when they nearly met, Ethan released the energies that had been building up in his chest.

It was as if a [Small Fireball] had gone off out of his chest. A storm of contained flames pulsed outward along with a mild concussive blast, but unlike the pain he associated with the older version of the fireball spell, the heart's ability only felt as if he'd cracked a tense joint.

Leaping off the disoriented mount, Ethan eyed the damage and hummed. It wasn't that much, he most likely could charge it a lot more. And he'd have to. Because the tier-2 didn't take any damage, he realized as he eyed the creature buzzing toward him.

"But we'll get there," he said, enjoying the warm air under his wings. "Now, let's clear out this place."

***

Amanda's POV

With a couple of meat skewers in hand, Amanda walked with Gavin as they made their way toward one of the barracks. It was dawn and already, the town of Wyldrock was slowly waking up. There had even been a line in front of the community kitchen—which was just a modified cabin—but unfortunately, there weren't a lot of produce or fruits just yet. It was just meat. From whatever the local hunter had managed to track down and in this case, it had been some sort of evolved bovine. It smelled great but clearly, they were all still in survival mode.

We need grain. Farms. Would life specialized caster be useful here?

"The meeting went well, don't you think?"

Amanda blinked and turned her attention away from her musings. "It did," she nodded. "Though we didn't get much done aside from finalizing the list of counselors. But I have high hopes for the morning session. The official one, I mean."

While technically the first session had happened before dawn, she couldn't say it had been too productive. It had gone well, though it had been mostly casual where everyone introduced themselves and gave some details about their expertise before she listed the items they'd need to cover. For today, she wanted to focus on what Ethan had warned them about, specifically eldritch magic and tools that could be misused to force others to give up their properties. She wanted to establish some ground rules about common and potential crimes, taxation, and most importantly, the diplomatic issues that were looming above them. Which was what she was currently working on.

"We at least know what we'll be talking about," the man said. "Gives some time to think and prepare."

She smiled and nodded. "Absolutely."

Amanda liked Gavin. He was the perfect manager. He knew his own people well enough and could effectively lead them, and he was modest and reasonable enough to not overreach and impulsively try to impress anyone. He was reliable, which freed her up to focus on what was important. She could see herself delegate most things to him, at least when it came to executing what had to be done in Wyldrock.

They arrived in front of the barrack, and Gavin coughed. "You uh… you sure you want to start with her?"

Amanda nodded. "She's been in their city. Not for long, as it hasn't even been 48 hours since we left the tutorial. But before I talk with the representative—who'll probably be hostile—I want to get some ideas on what to expect. Anything I learn from her could help in the negotiations," she explained. But glancing toward the man, she noticed his lips were still drawn in a line.

He didn't agree.

A smile pulled on her lips, but she didn't laugh. Instead, she extended the wrapped skewers to him. "Can you hold these for a second?"

Gavin accepted and as he held the improvised breakfast, she brushed off her clothes and made sure she was presentable before taking them over. "So? What is it? You don't seem to agree."

Giving her the skewers back, Gavin let out a slow breath. "I wouldn't want to ruffle feathers," he said after a second. Then looking her in the eyes, continued. "I know Ethan put you in charge, and I don't meant to be disrespectful, but she's been through a lot. I'm worried that this might put too much stress on her."

Amanda listened, nodding, and the man's word only made her smile, which, for some reason, seemed to make the man pale a little.

"Gavin. Ethan put me in charge of running the day-to-day because he trusts me to work with everyone effectively. He didn't chose me to be a bully. So you don't have to worry about anything and I love that you're worried about her wellbeing. And I know she's not in a great place. That's one of the issues I want to work on. We're already asking around for mental health experts to set something up. Not just for her, but for everyone who'd need the help and trust me, we all do. But Ethan already briefed us about her specifically. She doesn't have to do anything she doesn't want. She can just be a kid for as long as she needs to be. But, we are still in a precarious spot, and the sooner we settle things with the Union, the safer we would all be. Her included. So I need… information. She's the only one who's been in their midst and who would be the least inclined to lie to us. I need… a baseline before I talk to the representative."

Gavin listened and she was gratified to see his shoulder relax by the time she was done. He nodded, a bit nervous, but the smile on his face was genuine. "Sorry. You're right," he said.

Amanda gently elbowed him, a big smile on her face. "There's nothing to be sorry about. And please make sure to tell me whenever you have any concerns. I try to think of everything, but I'm only one person. Can I count on you to remind me if I miss anything important?"

Gavin nodded decisively. "Of course ma'am," he said pleasantly.

"Great! I'm happy to hear that."

With the air and tension cleared, the two stared at the door, and after a few seconds, Amanda cleared her throat, raising the two still smoking skewers in her hands. "Can you get the door?"