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

mind, back to the point I was making. You remember how I said I couldn’t heal anyone else? Well, I lied. You see, I’ve only got so much power. If I use it to heal everyone, and I can’t save you because I saved some random doofus, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself. Forgive me for being selfish, but I intend to protect you, and I can’t do that if I’m drained. And don’t ask me to, because I’ll protect you from yourself as well.”

“Thanks, Axe. And, you’re probably right, but we’ll continue to keep it on the down low, so we don’t have any conflicts of interest with injured people. Ember is different though. What can you do?”

“Damn right she’s different. She is like your soulmate or something. A bit like me. Let’s heal her right up.”

“Maybe not all the way. Just enough to make sure she’s definitely going to be okay, like organ damage and stuff like that, and maybe bring her around. We don’t want anyone to catch on to what we’ve done,” I said in a whisper.

“See, you’re being conspiratorial now. I knew you’d catch on. Now, put me next to her.”

I did as I was told, and I could almost sense the energy transfer between them. Her eyes fluttered open. I sent a quick mental command, and the axe flew straight back to my hand.

“Shaun,” Ember said, waking. “Where are we?”

“It’s alright, Ember. We’re back on the ship now. Don’t worry, we’re safe. I woke up first, about an hour ago. I came to see you.

“Then went and claimed my axe. It turns out to be a living weapon and able to heal me completely,” I leaned in close. “He healed you a little too. That’s how you're awake.” I gave her a hug while I was down there.

“So, we’re saved and safe. What are we doing now?”

“I’m not exactly sure what Ogun’s plan is. He said that once we’re all awake, we’ll be briefed. Well, other than Mick who won’t wake for a few days yet. He’s doing okay, but gonna take a lot longer than us to recover.”

“Oh, that’s good to hear. Well done on your axe too. You’ll have to introduce us.”

“He’ll like that I’m sure.”

“I would like that. Tell her I like her too. She’s a good match for you, and I know we’ll be best of friends,” added the axe.

“He said you’re gonna be friends and that he likes you,” I said, passing the message on.

“Really! He’s that alive?”

“Yeah! He’s basically a person…” I stopped talking as the doctor came in.

“You have woken her up, Shaun.” He shook his head at me, but I could see a smile twitch the corners of his mouth. “If you don’t mind leaving us, I will assess Ember. I will let you know when she is ready to leave, but it won’t be for at least a few hours, so go and get some food.”

“I’ll be along as soon as I can be.” She waved me off.

I turned to her. “See you soon, Ember. Hopefully, it won’t take too long. If I’m not in the canteen I’ll be in the weight room behind the gym. I’m going to go get me some muscle.”

C8

High Steaks

I left the medical bay happy. Only a couple of days ago we were starving and had all but given up on life. There seemed to be no way out of our situation on that goddamn supply station. Yet here I was at full health, Ember was safe, and I had an awesome new weapon, which was also a new friend. Now all I needed to do was to get the physique of my dreams and, apparently, I’d be able to do that in a couple of weeks. I don’t think Ogun knew I was aiming for He-Man when he said that.

Before I did anything else though, I was going to go get some food from the canteen. I passed quite a few people on the way there. The ship was pretty big, but I wasn’t used to seeing so many people in the corridors. I didn’t recognize anyone, but they nodded to me respectfully, and I to them. I assumed most were from the other ship. Hopefully, they weren’t all assholes like the four I’d met already.

In the canteen, I didn’t mess about. I got two steaks and some vegetables, as I was advised by Ogun. To my shame and embarrassment, I couldn’t eat it all. I had to leave a full steak. I think a year in an immersion tub, and three days starving, may have shrunk my stomach beyond repair. I’d spent years stretching that bastard to hold copious amounts of fast food and beer, and now I couldn’t even fit two fucking steaks and a handful of boiled vegetables in it. In a highly depressing way, it was a massive victory.

There was no way I was going to embarrass myself by throwing a whole steak away, so I rolled the little shit up and put it in my pocket. I took my tray over to the waste disposal unit, free of my shame. The canteen wasn’t full, but there were people around, and they seemed to look at me often.

I left the canteen and headed to the gym. There were already two men in there, both well-muscled, which was annoying, but there was nothing I could do about my pale, skinny form except find the heaviest weights I could lift for at least eight reps.

I’d used gyms a lot in my younger days, so I had a rough idea of what I was doing. I trained mainly compound movements to hit as much muscle as I could, as quickly as possible. Before long, the other two people left. I think I’d weirded them out with my over the top training.

I went until I’d completely exhausted myself. When I went to pick the axe up I nearly fell over from the dizziness and fatigue.

“Eat