The Tree of Ascension: A LitRPG Apocalypse (Peril's Prodigy Book 2) by Craig Kobayashi (ebook reader 7 inch TXT) 📕

“One what?” Sharon asked, an unsure eyebrow raised in suspicion.

“A favor, Sharon. Whatever you want. Like an IOU with no expiration date. Please?” Garath pleaded. Despite Sharon’s grumpy demeanor and closed body language, he already knew she’d say yes. No matter how much shit she gave him for acquiescing, Sharon always eventually said yes.

“And what is this favor you need from me?” she asked, arms folded and looking suspicious.

Garath explained the situation hurriedly. Sharon wasn’t having it. Even after the Necrologist explained that a system-sanctioned duel would leave everyone involved alive and well after the fact, Sharon said no. It wasn’t until he admitted his feelings for Athios, and then went on to explain the Preacher’s ogling that led to the whole disagreement, did Sharon finally, begrudgingly, agree to help. It took more fast talking than he’d anticipated but, as always, Sharon said yes.

The Necrologist grabbed her excitedly by the hand and pulled her back to the waiting group for introductions and to let them know the duel was on. A few tense minutes later, Parties were formed and Garath read over the proposed terms of the duel.

Maimon has challenged you to a system-sanctioned duel.

You now have the option to Accept, Decline, or Alter Duel Parameters.

Duel Parameters

Team size: two

Form Restrictions: no flying forms

Victory Condition: death of opponents

*Note: ‘death’ does not occur in a system-sanctioned duel. Any party killed during the duel will be restored to their condition at the start of the duel.

“No flying forms?” Garath asked after reading the prompt. He chose to alter the parameters, verbalizing his changes as he made them within the system. “Let’s do no consumables too, then.”

The Necrologist sent his parameter changes back to Maimon, who then accepted and they both received an error message.

This is not a valid location for a sanctioned duel. Re-issue your challenge in a location with at least 50 square meters of open space.

Garath suggested a baseball field only a few blocks north of the Guild Hall. Provided that Rum’bah, or another Vy’thishrak Emissary for that matter, hadn’t made it that far yet and turned the whole place into a magical rainforest or something. With plenty of space to run around, and bleachers for those not participating in the duel to sit and watch, it would be perfect. It was quickly agreed upon and they set off north.

Athios stayed near the front of the group, just behind Garath. He could sense her icy presence but slowed to allow her to catch up.

“Why didn’t you want to be my partner?” he asked. “With your relocations and my damage-over-time spells we’d make an awesome team!”

“Why do you think?” Athios said coldly, arms folded and not meeting his eyes.

"Wait, what? Are you mad at me?" he asked, hands in the air.

Athios turned to face him with her hair covering most of her face. "No. Why would I be mad at you?"

"That's a really good question," said Garath cluelessly. He thought about it for a second. She was giving off serious danger vibes, but for the life of him, he couldn’t put his finger on what he could have possibly done to upset her. “I probably did something dumb. If I did, and you don’t want to tell me what it is, then I’ll probably figure it out later and apologize at that point. If you want me to apologize now though, I’m going to need some help. What did I do?”

She looked at him for a moment, with an emotion in her features that Garath couldn’t place. “Can we talk about it later?” she asked with a low voice.

Garath looked concerned, but nodded. The two of them continued walking together in contemplative silence as the group moved north toward the baseball field.

Chapter Thirteen – Warrion

Stealth had to be the single greatest real-life Skill that anyone had ever acquired, Warrion thought to himself as he quietly watched the scene in front of him. BeckyWinkerstaff and CindyWinkerstaff slept in nothing more than their panties and t-shirts and, to Warrion’s extreme delight, the ‘bimbo sisters’ spent their mornings practicing yoga in the room they shared on the Guild Hall’s third floor. It hadn’t been easy for the gangly Assassin to slip unnoticed into the room shared by the two fit-bodied blondes, but he was more than willing to put in the effort. Warrion found it difficult to keep his breathing easy and unlabored as the girls stretched and bent, but he managed. When the girls were done with their morning routine and once again dressed in tight jeans and the same t-shirts they’d slept in, they left to find some breakfast.

Warrion waited for the unsuspecting sisters to disappear down the hallway before he left as well, shutting the door quietly behind him. When the Assassin made it to the large main room on the Guild Hall’s first floor, he sank into a vacant couch and wondered what to do with the day ahead. Garath had probably been joking about making him try out in order to make the Dungeon team, but Warrion didn’t know the Necrologist well enough to tell when he was making a joke. It seemed like almost everything the glowy-eyed man said was a joke or, at the very least, Garath seemed to find humor in every situation. Either way, Warrion decided a little self-improvement was in order and he had a pretty good idea where to start.

He needed to get his hands on some herbs in order to make use of a recently purchased Ability from the Deadly Poison section of his Skill Tree. The problem was that he’d never heard of any of the herbs listed. The only herbs that the Assassin was familiar with were the kind that were put in a bong, and he was certain that Whiskersnout was a made up word, despite seeing it on a system-provided list for poison reagents. If he was able to get his hands on either Whiskersnout or Burning Twindleroot, he’d at