Sun Forsaken: A Souls-like LitRPG by Griff Marcson

Author:Griff Marcson [Marcson, Griff]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2022-01-31T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

My abilities grow faster than my companions can keep up. When I first arrived, we were equals, more or less, and their support was invaluable on multiple occasions. I can safely say I owe them my life. But as I journey deeper into the dungeon and explore the second floor, I outpace them more and more. Even when they try to help, they struggle to keep pace. They rely on me, yet they only get in my way.

But I can't leave them behind… right?

- Weathered Journal, Volume Two

* * *

Arielle was back to her usual professional self the next morning, wrangling Philip and keeping him out from underfoot, encouraging Erin to speak and take an interest in things, and helping wherever someone needed her. She did everything but meet my eye. Was she embarrassed about her display the night before?

"Heading out today, boss?" Lucy asked as she offered me a steaming bowl of potato soup.

"That's right. A few final preparations after breakfast and I'll be off."

My stomach rolled at the idea. The soup was no longer as appetizing. It’d been what? Two weeks since I'd woken in the dungeon? And the memory of my first death still haunted me, the phantom pains catching me at the oddest times. Strange, the thought of pain would scare me after all I'd been through. All I’d survived.

All I hadn't.

Yet fear remained below the surface, when I should feel most safe. Only fading when I faced danger head-on. I’d needed the rest, but the constant peace was maddening. The camp's walls were closing in, the incessant noise growing louder. I needed to get away. To be back out-.

"Ciaphas, you okay?" Teija's warm hand on mine shook me free of my spiraling thoughts, and I gave her a strained smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I wiped my sweaty palms on my pants. "Nervous about later, you know? Got any alchemical supplies for me?"

Her eyes were still worried, but she nodded and forced a smile. For whose sake, I couldn't say. "Just the basics. A vial of alchemist's fire and two healing potions. Those samples of strangleroot worked nicely. Keep them coming and we'll be in business."

"Ranbir knows where it grows. If you ask him nicely, he may gather some during his supply runs. He won't like it, though."

That was a polite understatement. I hadn't been able to convince Ranbir to go within two rooms of the corpse pile near Helmfrid's old camp, nor could I blame him. I wouldn't have either, if the healing potions weren't so damn important.

"Need help? I'll be happy to fetch it if you show me how to make the healing potions?" Lucy asked, sitting beside us with soup of her own. Her hair was a warmer tone than Teija's, her smile brighter despite her captivity.

“Deal!” Teija said. “Hey Ranbir, got a second?”

I was happy to exit the conversation and listen as Teija and Lucy tried to convince Ranbir that yes, in fact, digging through a pile of decomposing corpses and extracting the weeds was worth it.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.