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

he continued his gallop toward Garath and with Bill nipping at his lower legs and the Golem lumbering behind. Sharon and Maimon were each heading into the outfield as well to keep their teammates within the range of their healing Skills. Garath caught a glimpse of green light leaving Sharon’s grey feline form and a flash of light from Maimon. The Rabbi’s spell restored nearly a third of Auto’s maximum Health, bringing the Chimerist’s red Healthbar to just under full.

But Sharon’s cast hadn’t been a heal. A new debuff icon appeared below the Rabbi’s Healthbar. Garath willed more information to appear and skimmed the debuff’s details as he and Handsome each landed their second stack of Quickening Entropy on Auto.

Maimon is afflicted with Herbal Outbreak, slowing his casting speed by 20% for the next 9 seconds.

Garath smiled, proud of his old neighbor for taking the initiative to wreak some havoc on the opposing team, since her healing spells hadn’t been needed to that point. While channeling Mana into the third stack of Q.E. on Auto, Garath noticed that Maimon had lost about a quarter of his Health from the Blight and Plague. Auto was also taking a solid chunk of damage with every passing second. Between Garath’s Blight, Plague, and the stacks of Q.E., he knew Maimon would have a hard time keeping up as the DoT onslaught continued. Garath stole a one-second glance at the scrolling numbers displayed on his combat log as he finished his third cast of Creeping Death.

Begin combat log:

[12:23:04.013] Sharon’s Herbal Outbreak deals 14 damage (Nature) to Maimon.

[12:23:04.019] Your Quickening Entropy (3 stacks) deals 10 damage (Death) to Auto. (Base: 21, reduced by 50% for form size: Large)

[12:23:04.114] Your Blight deals 8 damage (Death) to Auto. (Base: 17, reduced by 50% for form size: Large)

[12:23:04.114] Your Blight deals 17 damage (Death) to Maimon.

[12:23:04.450] Your Plague deals 10 damage (Death) to Auto. (Base: 21, reduced by 50% for form size: Large)

[12:23:04.450] Your Plague deals 21 damage (Death) to Maimon.

[12:23:04.666] Handsome’s Quickening Entropy (3 stacks) deals 4 damage (Death) to Auto. (Base: 9, reduced by 50% for form size: Large)

[12:23:04.778] Handsome’s Blight deals 3 damage (Death) to Auto. (Base: 6, reduced by 50% for form size: Large)

[12:23:04.778] Handsome’s Blight deals 6 damage (Death) to Maimon.

[12:23:04.950] Maimon’s Weak Restoration restores 258 Health to Auto.

End combat log.

Garath was impressed at the amount of Health that Maimon restored using a Skill with a name like ‘Weak Restoration’. Effectively negating 7 seconds worth of damage from his DoT spells with a single cast, it didn’t seem very ‘weak’ to the Necrologist.

When Garath looked up from his combat log, Auto was almost on top of him. The snarling Man-Bear mutant had a sickening smile on his face that made Garath shudder.

“Hey, kitty, kitty,” growled Auto behind a mouth full of menacing teeth. The Chimerist swiped with his clawed right hand, his left just behind it.

Even with the improved reflexes of his House Cat form, Garath didn’t have time to dodge. Four dagger sized claws slashed at his side, slicing through fur and skin and causing his Healthbar to drop by over 20% in a single second of searing pain. The second swipe followed, slashing his flank and sending him tumbling through the left field grass. The pain was strangely tolerable, even as he gained a Bleeding debuff that would cause him to continue losing 11 Health every second for the next 10 seconds.

Garath’s red Healthbar informed him that he had just over half of his total Health remaining. The same Healthbar that he’d considered to be so large and impressive only a day before was nearly split in half with only two hits from the Chimerist.

Auto gave chase as Garath rolled to his feet and took off once again, this time with blood and grass staining his soft white fur from head to fluffy tail. The resulting image was like a Christmas experiment in Shou Tucker’s lab. Garath didn’t mind the new look though. Thanks to a certain chained ornament hanging around his neck, Garath still felt as pretty as a payday in Vegas.

Garath churned earth as he sprinted at Maimon, who was now standing near second base with his hands glowing white. Maimon finished the spell that he’d been casting, and the white light dissipated from his hands, lighting Auto up like some terrifying, hairy nightlight. The healing spell brought Auto’s Health up from about half to nearly three quarters full.

Seeing Garath heading his way, trailed closely by a gigantic man-bear and a trio of demons, the Preacher backpedaled to the pitcher’s mound. The grey tabby glowed green in Garath’s peripheral vision as he made it back onto the infield. Shortly after, Garath glowed green as well, as Sharon’s Nature’s Regrowth landed on his tiny form, healing him instantly for 215 Health. The 78-year-young Naturist cast a second spell, tripping Auto and giving Bill and the Dreadreaver the time they needed to catch up to the speedy Chimerist.

*Thanks, Sharon!* he called over their shared communication channel.

Another searing pain in his hind quarters let Garath know that he was still within Auto’s range as he got just close enough to Maimon to land a second Blight on both opponents. Garath ran past the Preacher toward home plate, looking over his shoulder every few seconds to keep one eye on the bear mutant. Garath’s heart jumped straight through his chest when he saw the jaws of death coming together, targeting his fluffy tail.

Garath cringed as he heard Auto’s jaws snap shut only inches behind him, but released a breath of relief when he didn’t feel his tail being ripped off. He stole a glance to see Bill clamped onto Auto’s rear, growling ferociously with a mouthful of Man-Bear ass.

*Good boy!* he shouted gratefully to the demon dog through their mental connection.

Bill’s clutch-timing ass-munching slowed Auto enough for the Dreadreaver to catch up and land a powerful blow to the back of his head with its club hand. Garath stopped fleeing and turned