Pangea Online Book One: Death and Axes: A LitRPG Novel by S.L. Rowland

Author:S.L. Rowland [Rowland, S.L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-09-30T07:00:00+00:00

***

The next morning, when I walk into the mines, Grayson does something he never does. He stops working. He grips my shoulder hard and looks intently in my eyes.

“You did it, kid.”

I feel like he wants to say more, like there is something he’s not telling me. His eyes dart away when Buzz comes clamoring down the tunnel.

“I finished watching all the highlights. You’ve got a lot of competition, no doubt about it, but I think you’ve got a real chance. A lot of them had just as much luck as you did, trying things that worked in other worlds. Some were just plain outright strong as hell and beat the zombies to a pulp. And Ryken had the unfair advantage of being the perfect role for that world.”

When the bell rings for us to work, Buzz runs through details that might be of use going forward. He knows my opponents’ strengths and weaknesses, what abilities they used, probably what they ate for breakfast. He will likely be my greatest asset going forward aside from my own skill. His desire for me to win is just as strong as my own.

I tell him about Merlin, my new spell, and the fight with the yeti.

“Oh, man, I’ve always wanted a pet. Can you imagine me riding a fire-breathing dragon? I would look so badass.” He mimics riding a dragon through the tunnel.

When we break for lunch, I ask Grayson and Buzz for their advice about sponsors. Grayson is the first to answer.

“I’d think long and hard about it. Once you leave the mines, everything is on you. Food, water, electricity, a place to live. If your sponsorships fall through, if you don’t make it to the next round and they drop you, what would you do then? Working here isn’t the best thing, but at least you know you’re taken care of as long as you go to work.”

“Like they took care of my mom?” Buzz’s voice shakes as he says it. Grayson and I sit in silence waiting for Buzz’s next words. “You’ve got a real shot here, Esil. I know you’re doing it for my mom and I love you for it, but this is bigger than her, you’ve got to see that. You’re in a position to change your life forever. To never have to come back into this dirty mineshaft ever again.

“You don’t owe anything to the mines. Or to me or Grayson. Hell, you don’t owe anything to my mom if you don’t want to. You owe it to yourself to get out of here. This is not something miners ever get a shot at. How many miners do you know who have ever made a name for themselves in the world?”

After Buzz speaks, the silence is so deafening that I hear a ringing in my ears. I know deep down that Buzz is right. If I don’t take this chance now, I might not get another. I might end up like Grayson, swinging the pick every day and wondering what might have been.

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