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

day. That is, if the gym was empty as usual and none of the mouth-breathing gym-bros had woken up early today. I tried to push the negative thoughts to the side and focus on my running and Herman Li’s solos.

No more than ten minutes later, I was already pushing my first sets on the bench press. The good thing about working out so early, apart from the lack of douchebags, was that I could alternate machines much more quickly, being able to work out more muscle groups in a shorter time. And so the minutes passed. With every push, my mind became more serene. The familiar breathing and tensing of muscles that had kept me going over the past years was welcomed by my body. Even when I felt weak after exhausting my muscles and having finished the day’s workout, I still yearned for more. But I didn’t want to leave Louie alone longer than I had to and Rory wouldn’t appreciate me being late for our call.

On my way out of the gym, I crossed paths with two jocks wearing varsity jackets. Varsity fucking jackets while the temperature was already in the low nineties. They were high-fiving each other as they entered the gym and I swiftly turned up the volume on my headphones to avoid listening to what was without a doubt a philosophical conversation of the highest importance.

“Loser” by Elvenking. The perfect song to match the situation.

I heard Louie rushing to the door as I turned the key in our apartment’s door. I was happy to see that these small things didn’t change, despite him having an intelligence stat higher than mine. He was still my pup. He still accepted me with all my faults and shortcomings. Still loved me unconditionally and was happy to see me return.

“What’s up, buddy?” I said as I fell to my knees and rubbed him all over his fluffy body. “Did you sleep well?”

“I wouldn’t mind sleeping more,” he replied and yawned loudly, “but it’s fine, ’cause you’re here.”

“I need to take a shower. Do you want to have one too?”

“Nooooo,” he howled and launched himself away, desperately trying to hide behind the couch. “I had one recently. Not again.”

“You had one a month ago,” I said, not being able to hold myself back from laughing. “Okay, we’re not having one today, but soon.”

With him pinned behind the couch for a few moments, I connected my phone to the wireless speaker and put on the music loud enough to mask the noise of the fridge opening. I swiftly retrieved the hidden stash of bacon I was keeping in there and took out a couple of thick slices. I hastily put the rest back on the refrigerator’s top shelf, hiding them from his view, and closed its door just in time for him not to see it as he dashed in the kitchen.

“I smell bacon. You got bacon? Where is it?”

“I do indeed have bacon,” I announced loudly. “The king of all foods.”

“The god of all foods,” Louie countered. “If bacon was a weapon, it would be a dark matter bomb. That’s how great bacon is.”

“If bacon was a villain, it would be Thanos,” I retorted, continuing our usual little game. “That’s how great bacon is.”

“If bacon was a villain, it would be Kefka. That’s how great bacon is.”

“I yield, wise dog,” I said and handed him the slices.

Before I was even able to let go, he’d bitten into them and run off to his usual dining spot by the door. Pleased that he hadn’t spotted the rest of my secret bacon stash, I took the speaker with me and headed to the land of cleanliness by the power of my showerhead.

Having cleansed myself, I glanced at the time and realized I had very few minutes before my call with Rory. I wrapped my lower half in a towel and hastily rubbed my hair with another. Since my hospitalization, I’d gotten used to having the sides of my head shaven, and I kind of liked it, so I continued doing it. It also meant my long hair was less of a hassle after bathing.

When I reached the kitchen counter, I heard the ringtone from the DEM tablet so I set it upright and answered the dwarf’s call.

“Ho-ho, ye’re built, half-Celt,” was the first thing the dwarf said, this being the first he’d seen me without a shirt. “But yer skin is smooth as alabaster. Ye’re young and fortunate.”

And just like that, my mood shifted. Young? Sure. But not fortunate.

“What did you want to talk about, Rory?” I said, my tone reflecting what I thought of his previous remark.

“Lighten up, lad,” he replied, oblivious to what caused my mood to change, “or ye’ll lose all that long hair of yers. We’re getting richer by the day.”

“I know. Which makes me wonder why you wanted to talk to me about production so urgently,” I said, and I saw him reach over to a table next to him to pick up his long pipe, revealing the robes he was wearing. “And why are you wearing robes?”

“These aren’t just any robes!” he exclaimed. “They’re top-quality C-grade spellcaster robes. Here, I’ll send ye a link and ye’ll understand why I’m wearing them.”

“Why would a link help me understand—” I said and suddenly two links appeared in the middle of the screen. I tapped on them and two smaller windows appeared with the images of the top and bottom halves of the robes he was wearing, along with their stats.

Name : Craftomancer Tunic

Type : Upper Armor (Robe)

Rarity : C Grade

Physical Defense : 74

MP Increment : 314

Durability : 2032/2150

Weight : 1980st.

Description : A tunic made of mana-infused silk. The superior quality of this tunic renders it a great option for all spellcasters, but its great boost in MP and mana regeneration makes it a crafter’s favorite sleeping and crafting attire. The tunic’s softness has beneficial qualities to the wearer’s face.

Name : Craftomancer Stockings

Type : Lower Armor (Robe)

Rarity : C