Ash. The Legends of the Nameless World. Progression Gamelit Story by Kirill Klevanski (ink book reader .txt) 📕

Halting, the Stumps began to prepare themselves. Blackbeard put on his full-body armor and snapped close the strap of his helmet, shaped like a falcon’s beak. In his right hand, he held a heavy ax, the blade of which was adorned with runes and ornate patterns. The steel looked so heavy that it seemed impossible for anyone to hold.

Tul put on his leather armor, strapped his leaf-shaped throwing knives to his bracers, and put pistols in his boots and belt. He then turned to the side of the cart to take his musket, which looked more like a portable cannon than a rifle. The hunter and the tracker had two quivers on their backs, one with “normal” arrows and one with adamantium ones.

Lari sported a light armor, consisting of a breastplate, gauntlets, and greaves with knee protectors. A swordsman, after all, wasn’t a knight so he didn’t need to encase himself in steel to feel safe. He sacrificed safety for speed and agility for he planned to kill his enemy before they could make him regret the lack of armor.

Mary shared Lari’s opinion and sense of fashion, with one slight change ― she preferred leather boots to steel ones. Her way of fighting depended on acrobatics and steel would’ve only slowed her down.

Even little Alice came combat-ready. She donned a long, greenish robe and hung an amulet in the shape of a crystal eye around her neck. Two purple glows could be seen through the locks of her hair.

To complete the look, each of them threw a cloak with the Stump’s insignia over their shoulders. Ash was grateful that he hadn’t had the time to make one, otherwise, he’d have to explain just why he didn’t like their sense of fashion.

From here on, they’d have to go on foot. The horses were left at the nearest outpost, leaving only Seltz, the mule, to accompany the Stumps and drag the cart with their stuff. To no one’s surprise, Guido didn’t want to be left in the stalls, so he ran off in protest. Ash let him be, knowing that his friend would come to his rescue if he called for him.

Once she was done dressing, Mary turned to Ash and frowned. He was still wearing the same rags as before. All he had done was tie his scarf a bit neater and tuck the right edge of his shirt into his trousers that he had tied with a piece of rope he had found on the road.

Mary just shook her head. She knew well that it was useless arguing with Ash, so she had to work with what she had.

“Esh,” she called. The mage looked up from his very important task of putting doughnuts into his pockets and walked over to her. “Listen carefully because I’m about to tell you of the dangers that await us in these woods. Are you listening?”

Ash nodded. But the twinkle in his eyes gave him away.

Mary rolled her eyes and sighed.

“The Forest of Shadows,” she said, “is considered one of the most dangerous places on the mainland. Many of the vilest creatures known to the archivists dwell here, but even they’re not as dangerous as illusions are. Don’t trust your eyes in the woods. A root can turn out to be a fang of some beast, from the bite of which your skin will start to rot. A stump can turn out to be a poisonous shefleng, whose saliva leaves you paralyzed for a couple of hours. And that’s just to name a few, don’t make me start on the other, even worse monstrosities that live here.”

“I’ll keep my eyes wide open!” Ash said.

“Maybe we’ll get lucky.” Mary sighed, ignoring him, “and get through without a fight. Otherwise, we’ll be forced to fight to the death every step we make.”

Ash nodded and pretended to take a couple of notes by scribbling with his finger on his palm. A week ago, Mary would’ve lost her temper, but she had long stopped caring. Every adventurer had their quirks, Ash’s was feigned childishness. She had no doubt that he was putting on an act, but she didn’t care why he was doing it. She was an adventurer, not a judge.

“Alice, keep an eye on him,” she said, nodding toward Ash, who was “reading” his notes and seemed to be working on fixing spelling errors in them.

Alice snorted and covered her mouth with her hand, trying not to laugh. Ash smiled broadly at her and offered to read the notes out loud. She couldn’t help but laugh. Lari shot them a glare. He didn’t like the fact that she was getting so close to someone as suspicious and unpredictable as Ash.

“We look like jesters, not a troop,” she thought, consulting Tul’s map. “All right, people, let’s move out.”

Following their leader, the Stumps entered the shadow of the cursed forest. According to an ancient legend, a long, long time ago, the most beautiful girl the world had ever seen was born here. There wasn’t a single poem in which her appearance would be described the same as in the ballads already composed.

However, all the bards and minstrels agreed that her smile alone could make the rivers flow backward, cherry trees bloom in winter, and the sun rise in the west.

As all love songs would have it, this beautiful girl fell in love with a simple potter. The boy, they said, wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed nor the handsomest lad in the land, but the way he played the flute could make the sky itself cry or smile.

It was love at first sight and a life full of happiness. They were even expecting a child. But, no love tale would be a love tale without some tragedy.

On one not very beautiful day, the God of war and patron of blacksmiths, Raigo, was in a hurry