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

“Louie,” I whispered.

“Yes, Louie is his name. And it is time you take the first step in remedying the wounds inside you.”

With that, she reached into her own extra-dimensional pouch for the source of the strong odor that had attracted Louie here. The juicy thick slice of bacon had my mouth watering now. She held it out and waited until I picked it up in my own hands. The moment I touched it, I saw another notification flash up.

You have successfully completed “A Man’s Best Friend I”. You have been awarded 2000 XP and Bacon of Communion.

Congratulations. You have advanced to level 4.

You have 3 skills ready for upgrade.

Name : Mighty Shot

Level : 2

Type : Active

HP Consumed : 0

MP Consumed : 18

Power : 71

Range : 60 feet

Precondition : Only usable with a bow

Description : A powerful long-distance attack. The arrow is imbued with mana before being fired, making it easier to pierce through flesh and armor.

Name : Mighty Slash

Level : 2

Type : Active

HP Consumed : 0

MP Consumed : 9

Power : 32

Range : Melee

Precondition : Only usable with swords, blunt weapons, or spears.

Description : A powerful melee attack. The weapon is enveloped in a thin layer of mana, making it easier to slice through flesh and armor.

Name : Mortal Stab

Level : 2

Type : Active

HP Consumed : 0

MP Consumed : 8

Power : 80

Range : Melee

Precondition : Only usable daggers and knives

Description : A rudimentary assassinating attack. The weapon is coated in a thin layer of mana. Once the weapon strikes, the mana is released into the victim’s vital organs. This skill’s power, stacks on top of the user’s Physical Attack.

Instantly absorbing the information proved to be somewhat disorienting as I tried to process all of the new data the quest’s reward had brought me. But I was mostly interested in the reward I was holding.

Name : Bacon of Communion

Type : Quest Item

Durability : 1/1

Rarity : B Grade

Weight : 2st.

Description : A delicious piece of meat, provided by the messenger of the fairy queen, Alieria, to those who have proved their love and devotion to their companions.

“What am I supposed to do with this gift?” I asked humbly, but also slightly impatiently as I didn’t appreciate the cryptic description provided.

The answer came from below. Louie’s paws landed below my knees as he reached up for the piece of meat. The fairy smiled again as she stood up. For someone who never trusted anyone, it was extremely odd and uncomfortable how much confidence and trust the magical being exuded. I smiled back politely and let the slice of bacon fall. Louie, well-trained in this exercise, made a small jump and grabbed the slice in midair.

It took him only seconds to chew and gulp it down hungrily. A few seconds later, he was enveloped in a blue aura and his eyes flashed white before returning to normal.

“What did you do to him?” I shouted at her and fell on my knees to pick him up, cursing the moment I’d trusted such a magical being. “Are you okay, buddy?”

Louie was looking me straight in the eye.

“Alex?” I heard a voice say. A voice originating from Louie’s mouth.

7

I wanna be your dog

“Is this some kind of trick?” I asked, not knowing what to think. Had I not been kneeling, I would have stumbled backward.

It was still him. My Louie. But he was different somehow. Something about his eyes. Something I couldn’t put my finger on. It was as if a person was looking at me through him. And the voice… it sounded so clear and familiar. Exactly how I had always imagined Louie’s voice to be.

“It’s no trick, Alex,” the voice said again, the movement of Louie’s mouth in sync with what he was saying.

Get a hold of yourself, Alex! Don’t you see how ridiculous this is? Your dog is moving its lips in sync with what he’s saying?

On any other day, I would have immediately lain down on the ground, waiting for what seemed like a bad trip to end. But now this wasn’t the strangest thing I’d experienced in the past week. Hell, not even the strangest thing today. Not after seeing a gargoyle delivery person and a key opening a door on a concrete wall into an open field. I held myself back from backtracking even more, giving this whole situation the benefit of the doubt.

“This is no trick, child,” the fairy replied, and again her voice filled me with certainty. There was something magical about how she talked and carried herself. She exuded this air of honesty. She seemed to me to be incapable of lying. Filled with confidence and having had put my worries put at rest, I opened my arms.

“Come here, boy,” I said and smiled at him.

Louie started wagging his fluffy hind uncontrollably as he ran to my lap, turning and swirling, touching his wet nose to my chin and then diving in my lap again.

“I thought I was going to lose you, buddy,” I said and patted his back softly.

“I’m fine,” he said, and I barely managed to not recoil at hearing his voice again. This would take a while to get used to. “I’m great actually. Better than ever, Alex. I can see so much more now. Not with my eyes. Things that didn’t make sense before. I can now understand them. I can…”

He suddenly stopped wagging his tail and sat down in front of me.

“I understand now,” he said in a lower tone. “All these years I’ve been sleeping in front of the door… waiting. She’s not coming back.”

I nodded. I felt a knot rising up my throat and couldn’t find the words.

Instinctively, we both leaned forward into a hug that was three years overdue. Tears ran freely down my cheeks onto Louie’s fur and I heard him whimper as his breathing became shorter. The fairy queen messenger walked a few steps back, giving us some privacy before flying up to the top of a thick tree, taking a small notebook out of