RPG Warriors - Book 2 RISE OF THE SHADOWS: An Earth Apocalypse System Integration LitRPG Adventure novel by Craig Zerf

Author:Craig Zerf [Zerf, Craig]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-09-08T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Mike's frustration hit a boiling point as the training dragged on. He stalked back and forth, his boots scuffing against the rough stone floor, glaring daggers at the training dummies that lined the room. His fists balled so tight his knuckles cracked, and a fiery glow flickered uselessly across his fingertips. It wasn’t enough. None of it was enough. "What’s the point of all this damn power," he growled, voice a low rumble of anger, "if I can’t even use it?" He whirled and kicked a stone clear across the room, sending it skittering into the shadows. "I’m supposed to be a walking inferno, not some guy who throws one fireball and has to sit down for a nap!" His voice echoed, harsh and raw.

Kaelor, leaning against his staff like some wizened gargoyle, was unfazed by the outburst. The old man’s eyes twinkled with a blend of amusement and that all-too-familiar madness that never quite left his face. He clucked his tongue, wagging a crooked finger at Mike. "Ah, the impatience of youth," he said, voice dripping with exaggerated pity. "You burn too hot, too fast. Fire needs air to breathe, my boy, and time is your greatest ally." He tapped the staff against the ground, a hollow sound that reverberated through the chamber. The ancient runes carved into the walls seemed to flicker in response, as if the tower itself was laughing at Mike's frustration.

Mike stopped pacing, turning to glare at Kaelor. "And what the hell is that supposed to mean? Just give me something useful, old man."

Kaelor’s grin stretched wider, the corners of his mouth curling unnaturally, as if he had been savoring the moment for longer than anyone realized. "Ah," he crooned, his voice dripping with a sinister sort of joy, "you seek answers, do you?" His movements were slow, deliberate, like a vulture circling its prey. The tip of his staff scraped against the stone floor, the sound a jagged whisper that echoed off the walls. Each step seemed calculated to unsettle, a rhythm designed to gnaw at nerves already frayed.

"Very well," he continued, his crooked form stopping just shy of Mike, his grin still stretching that thin, pale skin over his jaw. "You wish to understand the truth of your power, the truth of all magic?" His voice dropped into something deeper, more intimate, the kind of tone that made you lean in, even if you didn’t want to. He let the question hang in the air like a thick fog, his sharp eyes darting between Mike and Jack. Jack, ever the statue, stood to the side with arms folded across his chest, eyes narrowing. Calm on the outside, but you could see the gears turning. Jack was always thinking, always calculating.

Mike, on the other hand, looked like he was about to explode. His fists flexed and clenched at his sides, fire itching at the edges of his nerves, begging for release. Kaelor’s antics were grinding on him like sandpaper, and the old man could sense it—hell, he probably fed off it.

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