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

Still on my knees, I pulled my head forward, bringing the guy holding my hair with me. Then I snapped my head swiftly back, the hind part of my skull landing straight on his nose. There was a horrible cracking sound as his nose was smashed and I enjoyed it. But he wasn’t my target. The one who hurt my Louie was. I planted my right foot on the ground and launched myself forward, headfirst, toward the mage who had just started casting another spell. Since my hands were still tied behind my back, I did what any rabid being would do to somebody who hurt their loved ones. I put my mouth on his fucking neck and clenched my jaw as hard as I could.

“He bit me!” the man cried out as I spat out the piece of flesh in my mouth. “The fucker bit me!”

His first reaction was to push me away and put his hands on his neck, trying to stop the blood that was spraying everywhere. I wasn’t going to let him have it though. The bonds on my hands weren’t as tight anymore, and I flexed my wrists to snap them. Again, I went after him, my hands pressing on his throat, the blood coming quicker, spraying with even greater force.

“Die! Die!” I shouted as I briefly took my right hand off his throat only to smash it into his face, clenched and with all the strength I had.

However, before my second punch an arrow lodged itself into my palm. Not that this would stop me. Instinctively, I slapped the man with that hand, dragging the arrowhead across his cheek, piercing it through. As I was about to pull the arrow out of my hand, a kick threw me off the mage and down next to where Louie was cowering seconds ago. But Louie was now standing at the door, looking at me as he cast a healing spell.

“Run!” I shouted as another kick pushed me to the wall and out of Louie’s sight.

His spell wouldn’t land if he had no physical or eye contact with me. And they knew it. Another kick. And a punch. No, not a punch. Something heavier, on the back of my head.

HP : 32/183

MP : 24/59

They’re not using weapons anymore. They’re enjoying it.

“Run, Louie!” I shouted as another hit landed.

This? This is the fucking end? 35-year-old man found dead in his bedroom in a gory pool of blood?

HP : 7/183

MP : 24/59

“Run,” I said with the rest of my remaining strength as I heard a loud battle cry. No doubt the last thing I’d ever hear.

I recognized the voice but it didn’t belong to any of the thugs. I had no power left in me to brace myself for the next and probably final hit.

But in the end, it never came. Instead, the weight that was holding me down was lifted off me.

Not that I could stand up. I could barely roll over. If I was to die here, today, I’d die with my eyes open. Looking at my killer. Spitting in their face.

I pushed myself and managed to lie on my back, the move accompanied by the disgusting sound of liquids sticking on my shirt—my blood mixed with that of the mage. I opened my eyes, or at least tried to since my right one wasn’t able to follow my command, and looked at the person in front of me.

“Rory,” I said, but the blood in my mouth made it sound more like a gurgle.

The red-haired dwarf was holding what looked like a cross between a long sledgehammer and a war hammer. He was bringing it down on the head of one of the thugs who was already facing the floor. The weapon landed on its flat side with a wet squash: bones, blood, and brain matter. Rory spat on the corpse as he let his weapon fall on the floor with a thud.

“I’m out of mana, Rory,” I heard Louie say. “Can you help him?”

“I don’t have any potions with me,” he replied. “But I do have a solution I sometimes use while crafting.”

The muscular man walked over to me and fell on one knee. “They really did a number on ye, lad.”

“You should see the other guy,” I tried to say, though my head was too fuzzy to understand if I’d actually spoken all the words or if I just thought I had.

Regardless, the dwarf smiled, the complete lack of mustache on his face looking even more unsettling now.

“This here is something I use to fall asleep fast,” he said and produced a small pink vial from one of his pockets. “Sleeping increases your MP Regeneration Rate so I down this to restore me pool faster.”

“Who gives a shit?” I said and tried to push myself up.

“Shut up and down it,” he replied as he pinned me down and pushed the potion into my mouth. “Sleeping also increases yer HP Regeneration Rate.”

I swallowed the sweet liquid, an aftertaste of vanilla and rum lingering in my mouth. Immediately the pain subsided a bit and exhaustion took its place. I tried moving my hand, but it felt like I was trying to lift a car after a long workout.

“Let’s get ye outta here,” he said and he pulled my hand, hoisting me up on his shoulder.

The pain was all gone now and I was feeling like I was in orbit around Planet Unicorn. Fluffy pink clouds brushed my cheeks as I floated. The Kingdom Hearts theme was playing in the background. Even Louie was there, floating around too.

“Hey, buddy,” I said, but my voice sounded as if it was coming from the end of a tunnel.

“Yer friend will be fine, Louie,” Rory told him.

“Let’s just get out of here. We need—” were the last words I heard Louie utter before I entered the softest cloud I had ever seen.

13

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My bladder was full and