TAKE ON ME [Survival LITRPG Apocalypse]

A low, swirling fog hugged the ground like a shroud, cooling Tom's feet. He blinked rapidly, trying to dispel his disorientation.

Seconds ago, they had been in a chaotic battle with the Headless in the street; now, the Damascus family and Robinson family were standing inside a vast cavern.

"What the hell?" said Kate. "Where are we?" Her voice echoed off the stone walls around them.

Tom moved next to Kate and his children, and held them close. "I have no idea."

Ancient stone obelisks surrounded the group, cradling small pools that shimmered with swirling motes of light, like fireflies on a summer night. Occasionally, a mote leaped from the water and took flight around the cave, leaving a shining trail through the cave.

Deeper in the canyon, giant stone columns reached high into the air, merging into the cavern's roof.

Thick jungle foliage grew in patches across the stone walls. Bright turquoise waterfalls cascaded down the walls to crash into a great underground lake. There was an unusual taste in the air, like cellulose mixed with salt.

As if drawn by an unseen force, the families slowly moved toward the obelisks and their glowing pools.

Tom's eyes widened at the sight of their names etched onto the tombstone-like pillars overhead.

Loo pointed to the moving lights around them, following one with her finger. "Cool!"

"Don't get too close!" snapped Tom, pulling her back. "We don't know what they are, and we don't know what's going on here—"

A striking gowned figure stood at the far end of the cave on a raised dais. Only her side profile visible, her golden iris gazing upon the pools, a half-smile on her pale face. Her soft and enchanting voice resonated through the chamber.

"Welcome back, families. We have already met once, even though you do not remember it. I am afraid that particular meeting must remain a secret." She smiled again. "My name is Balance. Caretaker Balance, to be precise."

What the fuck?

"Please allow me to speak uninterrupted. Your time here is limited, and you have important decisions to be made. The Damascus family and the Robinson family have entered what is called a 'Soul Contract' with each other. This comes with several perks; one of which means you share all experience evenly among yourselves. Another perk is that you all visit this place together, allowing you to collaborate before selecting your abilities."

With a fluid movement, Balance turned to face the opposite direction. She transformed into a suave mustached Indian man wearing a tuxedo.

Tom blinked.

Balance's golden eye flashed; as before, only his side profile was visible. Though his voice was deeper, it retained its gentleness and charm.

"From this point forward, each time you level up, you will find yourselves here. The duration of your stay will depend on the circumstances of your leveling. Regrettably, your time is brief this visit, given the ongoing battle around you. Within this chamber, time follows a peculiar rhythm. Approximately one minute here corresponds to one second in your battle outside. Thus, you have about five minutes to select your Level 2 abilities before returning to the fight, your memory once again veiled of this place."

It's official. I'm in a coma somewhere.

"However, during future visits to this chamber, you will regain the memories of previous encounters, so that we do not need to go through an explanation each time. For now, I will allocate just two minutes of your five for inquiries."

A cascade of questions surged forth.

"Where are we?"

"Who are you?"

"Why is this happening?"

"Can you help us?"

"Soul Contract?"

"Can you fix my arm?!"

With a raised hand, Balance silenced the inquiries. His voice was gentle but commanding.

"I am aware that your group has accessed the tutorial. Indeed, your world has undergone irrevocable changes. Magic and monsters have become undeniable truths. Life will never be as it once was. You are now engaged in a battle for your very survival."

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Tom's breath hitched as he grappled with the knowledge that this was it; it was not going to go back to the way it was.

A palpable energy radiated from Balance. It felt almost physical against Tom's skin. He wondered if he was about to make a fool of himself. "Are you God, or a god?"

Balance shifted again. Now she faced the opposite direction and was back in her female form. Her serene features were illuminated by the cavern's dancing glow. "No . . . well, maybe. In a sense. We have what could be considered god-like powers." She shrugged. "We are the creators of this universe. However, we harbor no desire for worship or dominion. We see ourselves as Caretakers; guiding and assisting you during these frightening times."

Hana's eyes were wide "What do you mean by 'we'?"

"Those prompts we saw," said Kate. "Your name was on one. I think I also saw Caretaker System, and Caretaker Purge?"

Balance's delicate features softened into a reassuring smile. "There are many Caretakers. In the vast expanse of the New World—and also within this chamber—it is possible that you will encounter others. With a group such as yours, someone is bound to draw the interest of a Caretaker." Balance winked at the children.

With another fluid transformation, Balance became the handsome man in the tuxedo. "Please, families, I encourage you to approach the pool bearing your name. Please select your abilities, and immerse yourselves into the water to receive them. I must remind you of the time limit, and urge you to get started immediately. Once in front of your pool, you will not be able to converse with each other, and you will not be able to leave without making your level-up selections. You will, however, be able to speak with me if you have questions. I will leave off with this piece of advice; if the ability does not feel like the right fit, then do not force it."

"Try to pick safe stuff kids," Tom said, looking at each of them.

Amber rolled her eyes.

"Safety first or expect the worst, Amber," Tom said with a small smile.

Tom's eyes were drawn to the massive, tombstone-like pillar that bore his name; an eerie reminder of his mortality.

Do they look like that on purpose?

Tom watched his family move to their pools, then walked over to stand in front of his own. He turned to the kids and tried one last time to emphasize the importance of selecting spells for their collective safety, but found he was unable to speak to them.

Hope they pick smart.

Hope I pick smart.

Tom's focus was pulled back to his own pillar, which displayed a list of glowing words under a larger glowing font [Fighter Abilities]. The options were overwhelming.

There must be literally thousands! How am I supposed to decide this in two minutes?

[Probing Attack]

Execute a strategic, probing strike, allowing you to learn more about your opponent's defenses, and potentially identify weaknesses for future attacks. More information available upon request.

[Feint]

Employ deceptive maneuvers to distract your foe, forcing them to lower their guard, and opening an opportunity for a precise counterattack. More information available upon request.

[Survival Instincts]

Tap into your primal survival instincts when your health falls below 25 percent. Enhances your parrying and dodging skills, and makes you more elusive and difficult to hit as you fight to endure. More information available upon request.

[Frenzy], [Tactical Instincts], [Vital Strike], the list went on.

Sweat beaded on Tom's forehead. He needed to decide quickly, but it was crucial to make the right choice for his family's survival. He considered his role as a tank within the group.

A lot of these could be useful, but I need something more defensive.

[Survival Instinct] seemed promising, but with Kate and Finn's healing abilities, Tom hoped never to reach that critical threshold.

"Excuse me, Caretaker Balance? Can you help me filter this list?" Tom asked.

She nodded. "You may speak directly to the stone and interact with it."

"Is it possible to see only tank abilities, please?"

"Do you mean abilities relating to your [Sponge] specialization?"

Tom winced. "Yes. I think of it as tanking, though. And also, is this everyone's abilities, or [Fighter] only?"

"The list shows only abilities you can obtain with your class. However, I would not call them all 'Fighter only', as some abilities are shared across classes. For example, [Feint] is also found in the [Rogue] and [Ranger] classes."

"Thank you." Tom focused on the task at hand, and spoke to the large stone in front of him. "Tank-only spells . . . uh, please. I prefer passive abilities, if available. I'm no expert in combat, so I prefer a straightforward, robust, easy-to-use build."

Good old KISS method. Keep It Simple Stupid. The easier it is to tank, the easier it is to stay alive.

The list shifted once more, still appearing extensive.

[Evasive Maneuvers]

Hone your evasion skills; avoid incoming melee attacks by swiftly maneuvering out of harm's way.

[Ironclad Defense]

Fortify your defenses, entering a steadfast stance that significantly boosts your armor class.

[Dense Resilience]

Imbue your body with a dense, resilient energy, requiring enemies to exert more force to inflict harm. Increases your effective hit points against physical attacks.

[Dense Resilience] seemed reasonable. He squinted at it, and the description expanded to show more information, in a way that reminded him of his ability panel.

[Fighter Ability]

[Dense Resilience I]

Passive Ability.

Your body undergoes a modification upgrade and becomes denser. Requires greater power from your foe to cause you harm.

Ability Power: XS.01 (Extra Small - Power Rank 1 of 100).

Mana Usage: S.01 (Small - Mana Drain Rank 1 of 100).

10 Copper to upgrade; you cannot do that here.

That works! I need to hurry!

"I'll choose [Dense Resilience]."

Another list materialized before him. The [Sponge Abilities] list was also vast, and Tom badly wanted to dig into each available ability.

Balance's urgent voice echoed through the chamber. "Hurry families, you have but moments!"

"Excuse me again! Are you allowed to offer recommendations?"

Balance nodded her approval. "I am happy to help."

Tom's list was reconfigured, revealing [Skin Modification] and [Muscle Modification] as the top choices—both reminiscent of his [Bone Modification] skill.

[Sponge Ability]

[Skin Modification I]

Toggle Ability

Masters of adaptation, Sponges seamlessly merge the essence of absorbed materials with their very skin, unlocking unparalleled potential.

Skin Modifications: 0/0

Current Modification: N/A

Ability Power: XS.01 (Extra Small - Power Rank 1 of 100).

Mana Usage: S.01 (Small - Mana Drain Rank 1 of 100).

10 Copper to upgrade; you cannot do that here.

[Note: Iron reserves have been detected in your body and will be applied as your first default Skin Modification. Caretaker Balance.]

[Note: The information tags—example Extra Small - Power Rank 1 of 10—will be removed from ability description prompts at Level 3. By then, it should be understood that XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL, and XXXL represent levels of power. Caretaker Transparency.]

"I choose [Skin Modification]," Tom blurted.

The choice was made, and the stone illuminated the two new abilities he had chosen.

Tom looked around; everyone but Bo had already stepped into their pools. With an exchange of nods, Tom and Bo submerged themselves into the luminescent waters.

The floor of the pool dropped out from under him, and Tom was adrift in a sea of twinkling Christmas lights. The swirling grew more intense until two motes of brilliance zipped forward and entered his chest. It was a warm sensation, pleasant and reassuring, washing over him as he was again enfolded in a bright white light.

*****

Tom shook his head as a wave of dizziness passed over him. He struggled to get his bearings. Two Level 1 Pygmies were in front of him.

A message popped into Tom's view.

[You have ascended to Level 2!]

[Well done on your journey so far. May the path ahead be filled with glory and triumph! Caretaker Balance.]

Tom dismissed the message as Loo's clear voice cut through the disorientation.

"We have more spells!"

"Yeet!" Amber called.