Berserker: A LitRPG Urban Fantasy Adventure (Apocosmos Book 1) by Dimitrios Gkirgkiris (phonics readers .txt) 📕

“Relax, man,” he replied, confirming my growing suspicion that this wasn’t going to be just a quick trip. “It’s still early. I’ll sign the consent form. But first, let me get you something.”

He picked up a tablet, very similar to the one he had gifted me, and after a few seconds put it back down on the living room table.

“Your delayed birthday gift will be here in a short while,” he said with a wide smile. “Why don’t you have a seat?”

“Leo, you know I don’t celebrate,” I said, but I sat on the sofa all the same. “I don’t want any gifts.”

“My best Cosmos friend just entered the Apocosmos,” he replied as he pushed a resistant Louie further up the sofa. “Of course I had to get you a gift! And I have a strong feeling you’re going to love this one. In the meantime, what do you know about planes? Not the flying ones.”

“Well I know the Great Wheel cosmology,” I said, not exactly sure what he wanted to hear.

“I mean the Apocosmos planes.” He took his place on the large leather sofa as well.

“I’ve seen them as filters on the marketplace. I thought they were something like planets.”

“Well, yes. And no. As the name suggests, they’re different planes of existence. Meaning they can have planets of their own, but might also be as big as this room, or even smaller.”

“Something like the realms and extra-dimensional spaces in D&D…” I said with more confidence now. “Wait, do you mean that D&D realms are modeled after…?”

“I mean that Gygax and Arneson were not ignorant of the Apocosmos,” he interrupted. “And the longer you live in this world, the more things like that will click into place.”

I tried to think of a clever comeback but ultimately couldn’t find any. The creators of D&D had used this world as their inspiration. I started thinking about how much of the lore and monsters in games were also part of folktales or mythology. Did this mean that these monsters and places were also real in the Apocosmos and seeped into our world?

“Anyway,” he said, waving his hands in front of me to snap me out of my thoughts, “some of the planes are temporary, created by items, while others exist on their own.”

“Okay. Why are you telling me this?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” he said, and as though on cue, there was a knock on the door I’d entered through. “Come in!”

The door opened and strangely there was no elevator on the other side this time, but rather a hallway with a staircase going up and down. The concierge entered the room and stood to the side ready to announce the visitor.

“Master Leonardo, you have a delivery,” he said and took another step back.

Crossing the doorstep next was a winged humanoid beast that could hardly fit through the gap. Its skin was gray and looked hard as stone, It entered headfirst so that its long ram-like horns would not destroy the doorframe. Its hands and feet ended in long sharp claws that clicked on the floor as it walked. I wasn’t sure if it was fear or Leonardo’s relaxed demeanor, but I didn’t move an inch from where I was sitting. I just stared.

Name : Freddie

Type : Magic Creature

Level : 40

Disposition : Friendly

HP : 966/966

Physical Attack : 226

Magic Attack : 157

Speed : 158

Attack Range : Melee

XP : 3323

Description : A gargoyle that was magically animated. Even though most of them were created by powerful spellcasters, they have free will and more often than not will only work for their creator until they can repay the cost of their creation.

“What’s up, Freddie?” Leo shouted and stood to walk toward the giant gargoyle.

“Hey, hey, hey, Leo,” the gargoyle replied in a baritone voice. “Haven’t seen you in a while. New robes? I dig them!” The gargoyle proceeded to clench its… his right clawed fist and bump it against Leo’s. They were… pals?

“Got them during our last raid,” Leo replied. “They’re top E-grade but were originally a dull gray color. No offense, obviously.”

“Har,” the gargoyle bellowed, turning into what was probably laughter. “None taken.”

“We also got this terrific dye, so… here it is,” he said and gave a twirl. “I know I’ll need new ones once I change my class at level 20 and unlock D-grade equipment but I just couldn’t resist.”

“Fabulous,” the gargoyle remarked, before looking at the small wooden box he was holding and then me. “Is the package for those two fellas?”

“Exactly,” Leo said with a smile. “My birthday gift for my friend Alex, who just crossed over to the Apocosmos, and his cute pupper, Louie.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” the gargoyle said.

“Come on, it’s not that dangerous, Freddie,” Leo protested. “No need to scare him like that. I’ll be there to protect him twenty-four seven.”

“That’s why I said it. Har har har!” The gargoyle laughed at his own joke this time.

“Now you’re just teasing,” Leo said and grabbed the box from the gargoyle’s hand.

“Please sign here,” Freddie—that is, Freddie the fucking gargoyle—said between laughs.

“Thank you,” Leo said as the giant winged humanoid turned to leave.

“It was great seeing you, Leo. And nice to meet you, Alex. And Louie!” the gargoyle said, waving as he walked away.

Louie was strangely quiet throughout the encounter and only perked up his ears when he heard his name.

“Nice meeting you too, Freddie,” I replied almost automatically.

The concierge slightly tilted his hat in salute before following the gargoyle out and closing the apartment door behind him.

“Okay. So many questions,” I said emphatically.

“Shoot,” Leo said and touched the box down on the table before us, something that prompted Louie to start sniffing it.

“That was a gargoyle?

“Yes.”

“Working as a delivery person?”

“Indeed.”

“And his name is Freddie? Freddie the gargoyle?”

“Well, it’s not ‘Freddie the gargoyle’ any more than you’re ‘Alex the human’,” Leonardo replied, apparently amused by my demeanor. “I don’t know his last name and, in fact, Freddie isn’t even his