Atlas Rising a LitRPG gaming adventure by Blake Severson (top 10 books of all time .txt) 📗

Threat and charged in. The first hit landed on the dwarf’s side. As he spun the staff for the second hit, his vision flashed a red tint. Pivoting his feet, he redirected the staff to block the new incoming attack. His swing knocked the downward slash of the axe off course and it sparked against the stone floor. Activating Counter, he thrust the staff forward and punched directly into the guard’s sternum.

A rush of air burst from his mouth and Atlas felt a small crunch against the bone. The dwarf’s axe hung by his side as he brought a hand toward the impact site. Atlas never slowed down and continued with Blade Chase and another Triple Threat attack. This time, the small man couldn’t do anything to stop him. All three attacks landed with solid blows before he finished the attack with Pursuit and Double Slash.

You dealt 5 damage to Tower Dwarf with Triple Threat. (Interrupted)

You dealt 5 damage to Tower Dwarf with Counter.

You dealt 18 damage to Tower Dwarf with Blade Chase.

You dealt 18 damage to Tower Dwarf with Triple Threat.

You dealt 5 damage to Tower Dwarf with Pursuit.

You dealt 12 damage to Tower Dwarf with Double Slash.

The poor dwarf fell to a knee and held himself upright with his axe handle as the bladed end rested on the stone. He heaved for breath, trying to regain some strength to continue the fight.

“Tell me where the prisoner is!” Atlas demanded.

“She’s two floors doon. Lest room oan th’ right. Wilnae dae ye any gud. Ye cannae beat a’ o’ us.”

“I don’t plan on fighting all of you, but I will if I have to.”

The dwarf grunted and hoisted himself to his feet.

“Ye have tae git thro’ me first,” the dwarf roared as he charged.

The speed of the attack surprised Atlas, and he couldn’t dodge in time. The blade sliced through his side and a line of burning fire flared to life along his ribs.

Tower Dwarf dealt 6 damage to you with Wild Swing. (Glancing)

Instead of rushing in for a volley of attacks, Atlas changed his strategy. He activated Entangle and followed the careful movement patterns. The dwarf looked confused at first before his eyes widened in recognition. His next charge didn’t make it very far before Atlas completed the spell and vines punched through the stone and grabbed the man.

Atlas grinned and activated Nature’s Wrath. He weaved through the motions and the two balls of glowing energy burst forth, hitting the dwarf in the chest.

You dealt 3 damage to Tower Dwarf with Entangle.

You dealt 16 damage to Tower Dwarf with Nature’s Wrath.

The dwarf was so weak from the attacks that it sagged in the grip of the vines. Atlas put him out of his misery and used Triple Threat. The first two hits connected, but an unexpected flash of red lit his vision and he spun. Another small axe blade dug into his shoulder before he could react.

You dealt 10 damage to Tower Dwarf with Triple Threat. (Interrupted)

Tower Dwarf died.

You gained 70 experience.

Tower Dwarf dealt 12 damage to you with Chop.

Two more dwarves stood in the stairwell behind him. One held the axe, now wedged into his shoulder. The other stood with a long musket raised to his eye. Atlas panicked and shuffled backward, pulling the axe out of his shoulder. He grit his teeth at the pain and growled to distract himself. The sight of the gun barrel pointed at him commanded his focus, and he couldn’t take his eyes from it.

The dwarf with the axe stepped to the side and fear blossomed in his heart as he heard the loud crack of the gun and watched a small ball of fire belch from the barrel. A pressure in his right shoulder caused him to rock sideways and stumble backward. Looking down, the edges of his clothes smoked around a small hole, now leaking a tiny trickle of blood.

Tower Marksman dealt 20 damage to you with Crack Shot. (Critical)

His mind caught up to what he saw as the pain burst to the forefront of his thoughts. Damn, that hurt!

The dwarf with the gun stood in the same place, desperately pouring powder into the gun to reload it. Angry at the turn of events, Atlas roared and charged for the man. His trip lasted two steps before the red flashed again and he spun toward the axe man. With a flash of rage, he didn’t even look at the incoming attack. Instead, he swung hard for the second dwarf’s head.

His attack was faster and a loud thump punctuated the strike. The axe pulled down and swung short. Atlas pushed harder and strung out the combo. He couldn’t afford to let the marksman reload.

You dealt 5 damage to Tower Dwarf with Counter.

You dealt 18 damage to Tower Dwarf with Blade Chase.

You dealt 18 damage to Tower Dwarf with Triple Threat.

You dealt 5 damage to Tower Dwarf with Pursuit.

You dealt 12 damage to Tower Dwarf with Double Slash.

The last hit knocked the fighter back and Atlas used Entangle again. The vines sprouted as the dwarf regained his senses. As soon as he saw the first vines grip the man, he turned and ran for the marksman. The dwarf was using a metal rod to pack down the contents of the rifle at a frantic pace. When he saw Atlas approaching, he tossed the rod to the ground and quickly pulled up the musket.

The weapon belched fire again, but the rush of the attack pushed off his aim and the projectile hit Atlas in the left bicep as he continued forward with his staff. A tiny blossom of pain registered in his mind, but the adrenaline of the fight helped him ignore the sensation.

The staff came around and began his devastating combo. The marksman was obviously lacking in hand to hand skills and couldn’t even attempt to put up a fight. The best he managed was trying to use his musket like a staff to block attacks, but he was so clumsy that