Condition Evolution 2: A LitRPG / Gamelit Adventure by Sinclair, Kevin (black female authors txt) 📗

“If they can’t get in, they’re going to wonder why. If they’re looking for us, they’re going to know we’re in here beyond any doubt. And I don’t think a locked door will stop them for very long.”

“Shit, you’re right. Sorry, guys.”

“No sweat, dude,” I said. Then we moved off to the back of the storage room where we had set up a little barricade.

As we sat crouched behind the crates, Mick had the realization that we had overlooked something important. “Hey guys. We’ve no way to know if, and when, they leave the supply station.”

Cassia held her head in her hands. “How could we have been so stupid? They could be gone in an hour, but how will we tell? We could be sitting here for days when there’s no one even out there.”

“I blame Shaun,” Ember said.

Everyone looked at me, then Ember.

“How so?” Cassia said.

“Whenever something really stupid happens, he’s normally got something to do with it.” She smirked. No one else was in the mood to laugh.

“We have to decide how long we're willing to wait in here. I’m going to say that if no one comes in by midday tomorrow they should be gone, even if they’ve stopped to sleep. Unless they’re planning a prolonged stay, in which case we’re going to get found out anyway,” Cassia said glumly.

We all agreed her thinking was sound. The following day, one of us would have to leave and check. We didn’t settle on who it would be. Though, to my mind it had to be Cassia. She was senior and the most trained. Mick was a close second. Gus was too important with his technology skills. Ember and I were total noobs flying by the seat of our pants.

After just over an hour of sitting in silence, our boredom was relieved in a rather gut-wrenching way. We heard the storage room doors open.

“Ah! Here you all are, vermin,” came a cold female voice. “Come out now!”

We didn’t move, obviously. We just sat staring at each other in horror and hoping it was a bluff.

“The five of you need to come out now. I tire of this. If you understand anything of the Fystr, then you should be aware that I can quite clearly sense all five of you. Now, this is your last chance. Come out, primates, or I will kill you all.”

Cassia shrugged and stood up. “We’ve been found out. We might survive if we surrender.”

Nodding reluctant assent, we all got up and followed Cassia in a line through the crates and shelves. I was just behind her. As we reached the front of the storage room, I could make out the tall, fierce Fystr waiting for us.

I saw a flash of light from over Cassia’s shoulder. Instinctively, I jumped to one side and pushed Ember the other way. It all happened so fast. The Fystr who had first entered had thrown her sword with blistering speed and used telekinesis to add velocity. It took Cassia’s head clean off at the neck. Her head spun up in the air spraying blood like a pin wheel, while the sword continued to hurtle onward, narrowly missing both me and Ember as we fell to either side.

Mick, who was just behind Ember, managed to get mostly out of the way, catching a slice on his arm rather than decapitation. Gus escaped unscathed for now, but it was far from over. Once the sword had passed Gus, it turned around in the air and flew back. We all stumbled out of its way narrowly avoiding the new trajectory and watched helplessly as it flew back into the Fystr woman’s hand. Cassia’s body had slumped to the floor, head landing a few feet away with a sickening thud. The Fystr smiled grimly.

I realized that I hadn’t even gotten my axes out. We all had our weapons, but nobody had thought to use them yet. I pulled them from their sheaths and started moving towards the Fystr standing upfront. Had to protect Ember somehow. At least give her a chance.

“Didn’t you see what I just did, man-monkey? I could end you in a second. How dare you approach me with weapons in your hands!” she said, voice dripping with scorn.

At the same time, Ember cried, “What the fuck are you doing, Shaun?”

“Protect my Mindscape.” I replied telepathically.

“Ok, be careful,” came her response.

Satisfied, I then spoke to the Fystr woman. “You killed our commander, and I don’t think for a second that any of us are getting out of here alive. So, what I’m going to do is kill you. Then, I’m going to try my damn best to kill all of your crewmates.”

She started laughing hysterically as she began moving her sword swiftly around in a mesmerizing pattern. Without any obvious tell, she suddenly thrust the sword at me. Luckily, I’d had the foresight to charge my axes. I brought them up just in time to catch her strike. She looked more than mildly unhappy with the result.

That was when I felt her enter my mind and somehow still in control of her sword, continuing her physical attack. As amazing a display of skill as this was, I could tell she was no longer at full strength. Her sword work had definitely dropped in quality. For her, that was an acceptable trade off as she could attack my mind at the same time. Luckily for me, I had my best friend ready and waiting in my Mindscape to offer some resistance.

I continued defending her blows with all the skill I’d managed to gain, and I wasn’t doing too badly either, with defending at least. I’d yet to make any kind of counterattack.

I saw the moment of shock written clearly on her face when she must have encountered Ember. “How?” she mouthed.

I took that moment to throw caution to the wind, attacking with everything I had. It was clear she could no longer concentrate. We may have been weaker, but our double-fronted attack