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

smile. “Right you are, right you are.” He bent down and took out a small cuff. “I’m just going to take some vitals, don’t mind me. All very routine stuff.”

The doctor kept up a stream of pleasant conversation while he performed his examination. Jacob always thought he had an excellent bedside manner.

Unfortunately, Jacob had seen him do this before. And it was always with terminal patients or those with wounds too great to heal, but to leave the person to die without treating them would be even crueler.

Which meant something was wrong. He wouldn’t be constantly talking, trying to keep Jacob at ease otherwise.

He didn’t know much about medicine besides what it took to stitch himself or a friend up in the field and keep people alive until they could get proper medical help. But he knew that it wasn’t typical for routine vitals to include a blood draw and a spinal tap.

That last procedure hurt. Jacob was still curled up on his side when Ian said, “There, all done. Nothing a knight like yourself doesn’t get out in the field I’m betting! So, you’re all set, would you like some time to yourself or shall I let the circus back in?”

As much as Jacob wanted a day – two, preferably – to rest and relax, he shook his head.

His goal was to get back into Pyresouls, to fix all of this. Besides, he didn’t like the feeling of being pulled out from Pyresouls. He wasn’t sure whether it was his mind playing tricks or some side-effect of the process, but he couldn’t get warm.

Everything felt so cold. Colder by far than Lormar. It seeped into his bones, his joints. It hurt. The longer he was away from Lormar, the more he yearned for the warming comfort of a Pyre.

“Suit yourself, son. Try not to overdo it though, okay?” With a final pat of farewell, the doctor left, sliding the vials he collected from Jacob into a coat pocket.

Alice and Alec were quick to return and though he could tell that Alec was trying to give him some space, Alice was having none of that. Jacob raised a hand to quiet her down. “It worked,” he said, launching into his story.

Technically speaking, he knew he had all the time in the world to tell them every last detail and ask for tips and tricks from Alec in return. But he couldn’t shake the sense of urgency within him.

A large part of it – though he didn’t want to admit it – was the lack of this cold despair that suffused his every cell back in the past. He forgot how used to it he was and being suddenly pulled back into that was physically painful.

No amount of time would get rid of that feeling. So, while he had all the time he might need – barring an attack that could destroy the machine, bunker, or his body – he kept the conversation as brief as possible and only asked about the exact location of the knight’s body and a few other pertinent locations.

Time definitely didn’t flow correctly between the two points. It had been hours in Pyresouls but only minutes back on Earth. That meant if they planned on sticking to the one-hour window, he should be beyond the Steps of Penance and into the Asylum of Silent Sorrows by the time they pulled him out again.

Somewhere he never wanted to go after hearing the horror stories of that wretched, dark place. Pyresouls was scary enough on its own without leaning heavily into the horror aspect that seemed tailormade to his fears and phobias.

“You will give us another brief in an hour,” Alice said. “We will not know when things change, remember this, yes? Only you will have the memory of how things used to be.”

Jacob nodded, ready and eager to return to the past. To a brief period of adventure and a lack of constant pervasive bone-deep pain. Even within the bunker with its heated purified air, there was a chill that lingered as if the warmth of the world had gone out.

Already hooked up to the FIVR pod, it didn’t take them long to get Jacob settled in again and ready for his return trip. He shut his eyes and counted back from 100 again, losing track somewhere around 87.

August 30th, 2035 – 14 days remain before the Collapse.

The first thing Jacob realized upon being shunted into Pyresouls once more was that time travel, was not an exact science.

Still tasting blue raspberry, Jacob opened his eyes in the darkness to find himself already on his back being ripped apart by the very Graceful Penitents he had last seen falling down from their hiding spot.

You Died.

“Lovely,” Jacob said, finding himself sitting back at the Pyre. At least it didn’t hurt.

“Time travel is a tricky business,” the Fire Oppa said, grooming one paw. The moisture from his tongue hissed and created tiny puffs of steam. “I would generally not recommend it.”

Leaning forward, Jacob pet the Fire Oppa and laughed to himself. The shock of dying so suddenly was more than the pain. He was barely in control of his body, let alone capable of feeling anything when he died.

“Better go get my Souls back,” he said by way of goodbye and ventured out of the room into the cramped halls beyond.

Originally, it was his intention to do one more circuit then call it quits. A lanky Penitent came out of the alcove on his right and he snapped the whip out at center mass.

Predictably the creature fell to its knees and began chanting. Without breaking stride, Jacob dismissed the whip into a cloud of ash and summoned forth his [Mace].

He twisted his hip, gripped the weapon in two hands and swung like he was trying to hit a home run. The heavy head of the [Mace] obliterated the creature’s skull.

It was almost too easy.

You defeat the [Graceful Penitent].

Awarded 350 Souls.

You gain [Anima].

Finally, he thought.

With that second death, he was