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

Gnawing Hunger rear up and smash a hand down on Camilla’s dark form. She darted aside just in time to avoid the worst of it but cried out as her leg was pinned below its bony hand.

Even without being so heavily burdened, Jacob could never make it to Camilla’s side to help her. He watched in helpless agony as she was plucked from the ground and thrown into the wall of the canyon.

Right over the sloping pit of the dead.

“Camilla!” Jacob cried out. He lost sight of her as the Burgon Beast came at him again, warily regarding the sword Jacob tried to wave in front of himself.

Green eyes darting between the advancing Burgon Beast and looking for Camilla, he backed away slowly to buy himself some time.

He spotted Camilla amid the clawing dead. A tide of bodies pulled her down into their midst. She fought against them and, for a moment, seemed to be able to climb out.

Instead of saving herself, she shot an apologetic look Jacob’s way and snapped her right arm out at the Gnawing Hunger. A whip of flame surged forth from her outstretched arm and wrapped around the creature’s throat.

The whip scorched the exposed bone and burnt what little flesh remained to ash. As Camilla was dragged beneath the thousands of grasping dead, the line of fire tightened and pulled the Gnawing Hunger along.

Claw and scrape as the mighty creature did, it could not break the hold of Camilla’s last act. The spell didn’t fade or waver. As Camilla vanished from sight, the Gnawing Hunger was pulled down into the pit as well, shrieking and raking large furrows in the earth with its skeletal fingers.

That gave Jacob an idea. Possibly the only one he could think of to turn the tide in his favor. He swapped the [Duskblade] to his left hand. The weight of the blade’s Guilt was already dipping the tip of the blade toward the earth.

Quickly, Jacob summoned his [Longsword] to his right hand. He was no good at dual-wielding, but that wasn’t the point.

Reversing his grip on the [Duskblade], Jacob kept the weapon held high. The Burgon Beast’s baleful eyes followed it with a single-minded concern. A concern that Jacob was all too happy to exploit.

The [Duskblade’s] notched and rusted edge glinted in the light of the Pyre, Jacob stalked the Burgon Beast. While the wounded monster was focused on the [Duskblade], Jacob tightened his grip on the [Longsword] in his right hand.

With his increased Stamina usage from the higher Guilt and his sluggish movements, there was no way he could keep this up. Just holding the [Duskblade] aloft to draw the beast’s attention to it was slowly draining his Stamina.

Only the Burgon Beast’s apprehension regarding the [Duskblade] kept it at bay, but already the effect was diminishing. The recognition began to fade from the Burgon Beast’s eyes as if something else was controlling it, forcing it to forget the cause of its fear.

He had to strike before it wore off completely.

Jacob bellowed and charged. He stabbed down with the [Duskblade] at an angle, driving the Burgon Beast to Jacob’s right. Halfway through the feint, Jacob pulled back to stop the blade from hitting the ground where there would predictably be nothing.

The Burgon Beast’s fear of the [Duskblade] placed it in the perfect position for his true attack. One he could never make as slow as he was without the Burgon Beast otherwise occupied. With his right hand poised, Jacob quick-stepped to line up with the Burgon Beast’s flank.

Hummingbird’s Kiss took the monster right in the flank. While it was momentarily stunned from the strike, he brought the [Duskblade] around, thrusting it into the Burgon Beast’s shoulder from above. Both blades were driven up to the hilt in the foul beast’s oily hide.

With as much strength as Jacob could muster, he pushed toward the sloped edge of the earthen bridge. Howling in pain, the Burgon Beast’s cry was soon joined by Jacob’s as the cold burning shadows that gathered around the monster seared his hands.

The Burgon Beast realized what was going on too late to react. Its suddenly scrambling paws - one that couldn’t even hold its weight - only sought to further crumble the edge of the dark earth.

Rusted blades snapped off in the creature’s hide as it fell to the side and began to slide down the packed earth slope. Jacob, hands burned beyond sensation, pumped his legs with all his might, propelling both of them to the greedy grasping hands of the dead.

The Burgon Beast hit the dead first. Their withered hands and chorusing moans grabbed at its matted oily fur and began to pull it down. Jacob joined it a moment later. Their clawing hands didn’t hurt nearly as much as he thought they would. It was barely more than the [Ring of Boundless Fury] did to him.

As Jacob was pulled under, he felt the blades slide free of the Burgon Beast. The cold black flames of the beast burned and licked at the dead until they gave up, focusing on the much easier target that had joined them. Jacob.

The clawing hands of the dead redoubled their efforts on Jacob, while the Burgon Beast struggled toward freedom. The deeper Jacob went into the pit, the worse the pain became. The crushing, bone-breaking pressure would have made him cry out if he had any breath in his lungs.

Even if he had any [Cinder Ampoules] left, he wouldn’t have used them. It would have only prolonged his suffering. He made his play, and it had failed.

You Died.

33

Waking up next to the Razor Pass Pyre, Jacob shook his head to clear it. It was a good thing he didn’t have any Souls lost because there was no way he would be getting them back.

But shaking his head did nothing for the pain that wracked his body. A glance at his Health showed that it was nearly gone, only a sliver showing he was near death. He crushed a [Cinder