The Fourth Secret: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (Divine Apostasy Book 4) by A. Kay (best short books to read .TXT) 📕

and a half percent. The Fighter ability Honed added ten percent damage, Havoc increased it by twenty-five percent, and the five levels in Warlord’s Warcry provided another fifty percent damage bonus.

Ruwen’s eighty-four levels of Viper Step training coupled with his other buffs increased his Critical Strike chance to ninety-two percent, adding fifty percent more damage if successful. Even without Scrub his punches would critical for around fifty damage and stunned targets would take one hundred damage per blow.

The Heavy Walking Stick wouldn’t benefit from all the unarmed bonuses but would still leave a mark due to its base damage of around twenty-eight. With Ruwen’s damage buffs it would hit for around sixty damage, crit for ninety, and strike stunned targets for an incredible one hundred eighty damage.

Though in practice, Ruwen could hit things far faster than he could swing the stick. His damage per second options heavily favored his fists.

For equipment, Ruwen wore his dried-blood colored Overseer armor, and his Bracer of Freedom that reduced impairment effects by fifty percent. His Hooded Pacifist's Cloak of Wandering covered his back and shoulders. Around his neck hung the Amulet of Leeches that applied a small Bleed debuff with every attack, along with a disturbing translucent leech.

For rings, he still wore the five Coiled Lightning Rings he’d gotten from Bliz for Big D’s camping trip. Each of those gave him five additional Energy per second. His Ring of Exploding Regeneration provided plus one to his Mana, Health, and Energy Regeneration and the Rock Serpent Ring of Health gave him an extra twenty-five Health. They had come from his original trip to Blapy what felt like a lifetime ago.

The last three rings had come from the Plague Siren’s lair. The Paranoia Loop doubled his chance at detecting traps or danger, the Watcher’s Ring of Travel gave him Whiskers, and the Revolving Ring of Elemental Immunity cycled through fifteen seconds of immunity for each of the four elements.

Ruwen squeezed Hamma’s hand as the party split. He and Xavier moved to circle behind the northern target Lylan had marked. Knowing the location of their target would help in getting close enough to attack. While Xavier moved silently, and Ruwen had improved, he still didn’t have the training or abilities of a Ranger or Scout.

Sift had a better chance of surprise, but not with Hamma there. They decided to act unaware of the enemy Scouts and then attack them when they got close. They didn’t have time to try anything clever, as the guards were probably already on alert.

Ruwen coordinated with Sift and Hamma as he neared his target. Xavier hadn’t said a word and floated silently behind Ruwen. The Overseer’s Cowl of Revelation completely covered his face, and he reached under the hood to pull the Scarf of Freshness over his mouth and nose. Sift and Hamma had done the same. Xavier didn’t have a mouth or lungs and seemed immune to any type of gas attack.

Ruwen’s Perception overcame the enemy Scout’s camouflage, and he forced himself not to look directly at the blur standing beside a gnarled pine ten feet away.

A blue light pulsed behind Ruwen, making his shadow stretch twenty feet. A loud crack echoed in the air as the dry dead pine next to the Scout erupted in flames.

The enemy Scout flipped up and off the ground, some sort of shield shimmering around him. He wore leather armor with vials and throwing knives down the middle of his chest. Two long knives hung from his hips and a small crossbow rested on his back. Ruwen’s enhanced Perception provided more details.

Name: Silent Spotter

Deity: Naktos

Class Type: Scout

Level: 30

Health: 598

Mana: 213

Energy: 1,171

Spirit: 0

Armor Class: 422

In a fluid motion, the Silent Spotter threw a knife at Xavier’s face, hidden behind the hood of his robe. Normally killing the Mage would be the smartest move, but the Scout had misjudged the most dangerous target.

Ruwen leaped at the enemy Scout and triggered the Fighter ability Rush to stun the target for one second. But the Scout jumped, catching a branch fifteen feet above, and quickly climbed into the tree. Like some sort of giant squirrel, the Scout vaulted to the next tree, and then another, before dropping back to the ground fifteen feet away.

The Scout threw a bottle at Ruwen’s chest, and he opened his Void Band as he sprinted toward the enemy. The vial disappeared into his Void Band, and he closed it with a thought. The Scout turned to flee, and with fifty Mana Ruwen cast Retrieve on the Scout's foot, tripping him.

The Scout turned and pulled two long knives from the sheaths at his waist. Ruwen could tell by his stance the Silent Spotter had trained a fair amount with them.

The Health bar under Sift’s portrait on the right side of Ruwen’s vision dropped, but immediately filled again as Hamma’s Mana bar dropped. They had engaged their target as well.

The Silent Spotter lunged at Ruwen, and he side stepped the attack. Rotating his hips, he kicked the Scout's exposed ribcage, doing forty-eight damage. The Scout staggered back, hunched over, and favoring his side. A translucent leech hung from the Scout’s side, as Ruwen’s Amulet of Leeches triggered, causing additional Bleed damage.

Ruwen stepped forward, faking an attack at the injury, which caused the Scout to overcommit to protect his wound. The Scout, seeing his mistake, lifted his wrist, and a bolt launched at Ruwen’s head. He could have dodged the bolt, but he’d have to sacrifice the strike and he wanted to end this quickly, so he continued forward.

The Scout must have triggered some abilities, as the bolt entered the slit of Ruwen’s hood and struck him in the eye. Against a normal opponent, a critical strike like that might turn the fight in the Silent Spotter’s favor. But Ruwen hadn’t been normal since his Ascension Day.

The bolt bounced off Ruwen’s eye, doing no damage, but the force of the impact made his eye itch terribly and caused it to water. He blinked the protective tears away,