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

wanted a way out. Unfortunately, the only accessible way out was the way he’d come in. He did see a wooden hatch that presumably led below, but it was shut. There was no way his House Cat form could yank it open. If it came down to a choice between going back to his pathetic human form or dying it was a no-brainer, but Garath didn’t think it would.

By the time the 15-second cooldown elapsed and Blight was available once again, all three gnolls were bleeding from multiple open wounds and their Healthbars were already below half. Garath released another Blight just before taking a dagger to his hind quarters. Pain seared, blood sprayed, and Garath fled.

He leaped to the ledge then scrambled out of the tower and onto the peak of the domed roof, narrowly avoiding a desperate dagger strike that burst through the leather. He was only able to breath easily again when three lines in his combat log showed the Experience gained from slaying three Gnoll Rangers.

From atop the tower, Garath witnessed something truly unsettling taking place deeper inside the gnoll camp.

The gnoll that had split off from the campfire was walking out of the large tent within the camp, followed out by a taller, more muscular canid. The latter was adorned with feathers and wore dark leather armor. It held a staff in one hand, marking it in Garath’s mind instantly as a magic user.

The smaller gnoll, along with the two standing guard on either side of the structure’s entryway, knelt in front of the leather-clad magic user with their heads bowed. The big gnoll held his hands out and started chanting, using growls and barks in an arrhythmic cadence. Black fire enveloped his hands and weapon. The chant grew louder and more urgent as the gnoll worked itself into a canid crescendo. The three gnoll's howled together when the chant came to an end—and that’s when things got weird.

All three kneeling gnoll’s howls ended abruptly, and they each fell to the ground with their bodies suddenly blackened as if scorched by unseen fire. The bigger gnoll dropped to one knee and raised both hands, one still gripping its staff. It inhaled deeply and tendrils of the smoke rising from the dead gnolls twisted and writhed as they were pulled into the caster’s body.

The large gnoll exhaled a dense cloud containing the twisted life essence of its willing sacrifices. A gnoll-shaped figurine appeared atop the gnoll's staff as the dark cloud coalesced into a vaguely humanoid shape, growing darker and denser with each passing second until it solidified into a hulking, pure-black gnoll. A second set of arms sprouted beneath the first, and a Lochaber axe appeared in each black paw. It was the stuff of nightmares, standing about ten feet tall with rippling muscles and fur darker than the night around it.

*Guys,* Garath projected worriedly.

*I see it,* Auto replied. *Get down from there, Homie. We’re going to need everyone for that thing.*

A quick look downward updated Garath on how the Party had fared while he was watching the show. Not bad at all. The four gnolls at ground level were dead or dying. The tower opposite the one Garath was standing on had been utterly demolished, clearly the work of a Blast!-happy Elementalist. The battle to take the towers was won.

Auto was bleeding from a few nasty wounds, but the tank’s Health was still well over half. Sharon was putting her Potion of Endless Mana back into her Items panel with only a third of her blue Mana bar remaining. The healer’s Mana regeneration rate would be greatly increased for the next 60 seconds, but healing through another tough fight right away, especially a fight with this magic-using gnoll and its gigantic bodyguard, would be a hard ask for any healer. Daisy was low on Mana as well and followed Sharon’s example, downing her own blue potion before stuffing it back through the hand-sized rip in spacetime.

The behemoth gnoll and its summoner, standing together on the other side of the towers, did not allow the Party the courtesy of recovering their Health and Mana in peace. With tandem howls, they advanced. Auto met the black gnoll with a clash of claws and fur between the campfire and towers. Garath issued a command for Bill and the Dreadreaver to pester the magic user. It was never a good idea to ignore a magic-user, and this way they'd be away from the melee, giving Auto and Atlas a little more leg room. Garath leaped down from the tower and moved forward with Handsome, Daisy, and Sharon. He triggered Inspect on each of the monsters as they came into range.

Gnoll Necro-Shaman

Humanoid

Health: 2,100/2,100

Level: 27

Station: Mage

Mana: 1,540/1,540

Description: Gnoll Necro-Shaman use ancient, dark magics often involving the willing sacrifice of other gnolls. They can enhance the power of allies or summon new ones to fight for them.

Gnoll Abomination

Humanoid

Health: 2,850/2,850

Level: 30

Station: Summoned Creature

Mana: 0/0

Description: Summoned by a gnoll Necro-Shaman, a Gnoll Abomination is a creature of pure malice.

Garath tried not to be jealous of the caster's Class, but Necro-Shaman sounded bad-freaking-ass. Followed by Handsome flying a few feet over the ground, the white cat scampered past the three-way battle between Auto, Atlas, and the Abomination to join Bill and the Golem in taking out the Necro-Shaman. As he passed the melee, a panicked yip from the Necro-Shaman called the Abomination to attention. The huge black gnoll broke away from its fight with Auto and Atlas, running to the aid of its summoner. Unfortunately for the gnolls, the Abomination found it difficult to run with a several hundred pound Unibear digging dagger-like claws into its back. It continued its struggle toward its creator, seemingly unconcerned about its own life, as Auto and Atlas bit, cut, and stabbed at its sides and back.

The gnoll Necro-Shaman died like it was in a hurry, falling to Garath and his minions in mere seconds. The Necrologist whirled around to see the Abomination fading away to