Rewind: A Grimdark LitRPG Series (Pyresouls Apocalypse, Book 1) by James Callum (reading tree .txt) 📕

Soulworn, that’s the debuff Alec still has ten years later… is this what Alec feels every day?

The Burgon Beast’s sad, yellow eyes were consumed in crimson hellfire. It opened its maw to thump the air with a bassy snarl, revealing its gleaming dagger-sized teeth.

The Beast’s head contorted, and more burning eyes grew in a circle around its fanged maw. Its lower jaw split into two, revealing a barbed black tongue that lashed at the air.

Black ichor dripped off its greasy hide, splattering the ground with dark filth. Shadowy tendrils curled across its form like black flame as it charged at Jacob with startling speed.

He only just managed to raise his [Phoenix Tree Crest Shield] in time to absorb the blow. All but a single point of his Stamina was wiped out in that opening attack. The black, shadowy stuff that persisted after the strike chilled his bones and burned like dry ice, taking off a third of his Health.

His ring constantly sipped at his dwindling Health, burning steadily like a slow fuse.

Without any Stamina to counter-attack, Jacob circled the rebounded creature as it shook away the dizziness from the blow. Considering the size of the thing, he was surprised it didn’t knock him down entirely.

The glow from his shield’s crest flickered and dimmed momentarily before flaring once more. Dropping his shield to regenerate his Stamina faster, Jacob studied the creature’s sudden monstrous changes.

It seemed… wounded. Even as it was empowered, the creature appeared to suffer from it.

His brief sympathy for the beast vanished in a moment when it bared its teeth again and lunged at him. It was a simple, straight-forward attack. One that Jacob quick-stepped back and raised his shield to fend off the glancing blow.

This time only a quarter of his Stamina was taken and a fraction of his Health. As he stepped back, Jacob swung his arm back and up in an underhanded swing. Activating the [Vile Mace’s] corrosive heavy attack, Jacob struck with all his might into the Burgon Beast’s ribs as it passed by.

He heard a satisfying crack, and the creature’s fur was splashed with the corrosive ooze.

It also left Jacob with only a little more than 10% Stamina. As he let the green bar fill back up, he watched as the Burgon Beast landed awkwardly from the unsuspecting counter.

Black fur disintegrated where the ooze had touched to reveal sizzling skin that was eaten away by the attack. Growling away the pain, the Burgon Beast came on again. It leaped to the side, pivoted, then jumped at Jacob again from an entirely different angle than he expected.

Those gleaming dagger-point teeth clamped down hard on his shoulder and thrashed him about. Luckily, his armor ripped before the Burgon Beast could get a deadly hold on him, and he was thrown to the side, toward the opened black doors.

Jacob hit the ground hard, the breath blasted from his lungs. His arm was broken from the brief attack and likely dislocated as well from the waves of intense agony-laced nausea that assaulted him every time he rolled across the ground.

Spears rotted with age, rusted metal helms, and corroded shields broke or scattered as he crashed through them. Before he fetched up against that sword the Burgon Beast had looked at earlier, Jacob had his shield dismissed and summoned a [Cinder Ampoule].

Just one bite had severely damaged his armor, and taken off more than three-quarters of his Health. He could hardly block a full-on attack; it tanked his Stamina. And because of its elemental damage, it still hurt him.

But the Burgon Beast was so fast that dodging it was almost impossible.

With hardly the time to crush it and resummon his shield, Jacob rolled to the side to avoid the worst of the Burgon Beast’s next charge.

The beast snarled. Its low, guttural aggression turned to a surprised yelp of pain. The Burgon Beast swerved to the opposite side of Jacob, suddenly very keen on avoiding him.

Curious, Jacob looked over his shoulder, knowing full well the Burgon Beast wasn’t scared of him. The blood-red jewel set into the pommel of the sword glinted maliciously in the dim light.

Getting to his feet, he looked at the sword then the Burgon Beast. Head low, ears back with a low growl, the Burgon Beast circled Jacob looking for an opportunity to strike.

Jacob circled in the opposite direction, keeping that sword and the broken, tarnished armor between him and the Burgon Beast.

Growing upset, the beast leaped to the side only for Jacob to mirror its motion to keep the anchor point of that sword between them.

Jacob stepped up to the sword and reached out with his shield hand. As soon as he got close to the blade, the Burgon Beast snarled, whimpered, and whined while it came forward as if compelled to stop Jacob at any cost.

Taking his hand back, Jacob took several steps away. The Burgon Beast mirrored his movements, but only too late did Jacob see that it wasn’t precisely mirroring them. Instead, it was tamping down its rear paws for a springing attack.

It might fear the sword or have some connection to it that prevented it from getting too near, but there was nothing Jacob could do to stop it from sailing over the weapon.

Jacob raised his shield awkwardly as the Burgon Beast arced through the air and landed hard on his chest, bearing him to the ground. He managed to wedge his glowing shield into the beast’s maw as it thrashed around with all its might.

Metal groaned and squealed. Sparks flashed as the beast’s teeth grated across the shield like nails on a chalkboard. With all his might, Jacob struck out with the [Vile Mace] while triggering its corrosive attack.

Its breath was almost enough to knock Jacob unconscious, the stench was so overpowering. Only then did he remember that Camilla still had his [Ring of Covetous Breath].

He grunted and struggled, somehow managing to keep the shield wedged just right between the crunching maw that the beast’s lower jaws didn’t bite