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

had shook her badly. She just couldn’t regain her composure. Try as she might, she was being overwhelmed by my intensity.

Whatever Ember was doing must have hurt too, because she brought her hands up to her temples and let out an ear-piercing scream. I took the opportunity and buried an axe deep into her ribs. As her arms instinctively dropped, I smashed the second axe blade into her neck. With the energy layer active it cut her head neatly off, just as she had done to Cassia.

I bent forward, letting out an exhale of relief.

Working in tandem, Ember and I were a winning combination once again. I turned around to face Ember and make sure she was alright. She was down on her knees, sweat pouring from her face. But she was alive and conscious.

“Don’t know how you managed to put her off like that, but we’ve killed our first Fystr, Ember.”

“I don’t know how the fuck I did it either. It’s took everything I had. She was so strong, but think it was just the sheer surprise. She couldn’t believe I was just chilling in your Mindscape. We must be doing something really unusual.”

I walked over toward the dead body of the Fystr. The sword was awesome. We had nothing like it in the ship’s armory or anywhere on this supply station. Bending down I grabbed a hold of it then carried it reverently over to Ember, placing it in her hands. “Here, and you should level up your throwing and controlling skill. That was an effective move she pulled,” I said, then looked sadly over to Cassia’s corpse. We had all become something like friends, and her death really hurt.

“This isn’t the game anymore, Shaun. You don’t just get skills like that. Of course, I’ll practice when I can, but I’m not just going to throw this sword away in a battle.”

“It was just a turn of phrase. I didn’t think you were going to level up for sword slinging.”

“Oh, my special Shaun. You’re really so very special.”

I was about to retort, when Gus interrupted, “That was amazing, you two, but it was also noisy.” He was kneeling on the floor holding the heavily bleeding Mick up in a sitting position. “There’s gonna be nine angry as hell Fystr breathing down our neck’s any minute. Mick is out of action. We need to get back behind the barricades or we’re gonna be massacred.”

“Hey Mick! Are you able to move?” I asked, moving my attention to the wounded man.

“No. I’m screwed. A lot of blood coming out here.”

“Decision made, then. You’re getting carried. We’ll be safer behind our wall,” I said, trying to stay positive-ish. Nobody likes to be patronized and we were totally going to die.

It didn’t take long before more Fystr arrived. Ember and I had climbed up onto the shelves either side of the barricade. Our plan was simple enough. Use Gus and Mick as bait. When the Fystr came, I’d jump down into the middle of them and hack them all to bits, or instantly die. While I fought Ember would try to protect my fragile little mind. Meanwhile Mick and Gus would try cover me with their rifles. That was really all we had. We were out of options and time.

A roar of pure rage came from the front of the room, “Man-monkeys. You have killed my mate. Now, I am going to kill you all.”

I couldn’t help but think this was promising. It sounded like only one Fystr had come in. He came around the corner to where Mick and Gus waited. I could see him from my shelf, and I can’t believe that I’m admitting this, but I was actually disappointed. I had hoped it would be the super huge guy with the crescent moon axe, because I wanted to kill him and take it off him. Even though that was possibly the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever thought. Because honestly, how the fuck was I going to kill that guy!

The Fystr that arrived must have been at least as tall as Ogun. He was a pretty faced man with the usual ageless look. He held his two swords aggressively, and his anger must have ruined his concentration because as soon as he saw Mick and Gus he hover-charged them. By that, I mean the motherfucker was levitating at speed toward them. Gus and Mick started shooting straight away, but he deflected their shots with consummate skill and ease with his charged swords.

I waited for my moment and just before he passed underneath me, I launched myself from the shelves in a swan dive, axes out. I was about fifteen feet up, and whether I missed him or landed on him, this was going to hurt. There were no good options. I’d hoped that he wouldn’t spot me in his rage. A moment later I decided to give up on hope, it never brought anything but disappointment. The bastard saw me flying down from the top shelf, and while still deflecting laser fire with one sword, raised his other sword to skewer me.

It all happened unbelievably fast, but I still managed to be overjoyed when I saw Ember’s charged sword fly out from the shelves, amazingly slicing his arm causing him to let go of his sword. I reached him in the split second after, swinging both axes, one at his head and one at his arm. They both scored sickening hits. I almost felt sorry for him. The four-pronged attack was too much for him in his enraged state, and so, a second Fystr fell to my axes.

My leg really hurt from the fall, but thankfully it wasn’t broken. As I lay there next to the body of the dead Fystr, Ember climbed down and stood over me. “Two for two, you incredible dipshit.”

“Both through teamwork, so less of that.” I put my hand out. “Here, help me up.” She grabbed my wrist and hauled. “I only saw one mad bastard