Etherious: Fresh Beginnings: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure, page 6
Testing his limb a few times, Arthur noticed it felt a little stiff as if he’d slept on it, but he retained the full range of motion. As he retrieved his trusty spear, he paused to observe his defeated foe. The dead shadow panther looked much like it must have before it evolved, the regal lustre it held in life now lost in the cold embrace of death. Sighing wearily, Arthur sat down next to the corpse. This was the third time he had nearly died since the system’s arrival- the first time fighting a cat, the second against some strange lizard. By all rights, this last encounter should have been his end. It was only dumb luck that he was still alive.
“I’m sorry, mate, but you had to die,” Arthur said to the corpse. The panther had never shown him any hostility; it hadn’t even tried to attack him until he did, and it maybe never would have if he hadn’t provoked it. But the potential threat had been too great for Arthur to ignore, and he didn’t believe in half measures.
Arthur had killed it so he could live comfortably, knowing that such a terrifying monster was no longer out there in the wilderness, growing stronger. If the system’s description of the beast was accurate, he had managed to eliminate a massive problem at its roots. As he looked at the corpse again, something in its skull glittered in the moonlight. Identifying it, a wide grin spread across Arthur’s face.
Shadow Panther Core (Epic): Monster cores are consumed by other beasts to grow stronger. This core was formed prematurely and is just as likely to help one grow as it is to lead one to an early grave.
Identify has reached level 3
The item’s description explicitly stated it could only be consumed by other beasts, but hope quickly blossomed in Arthur’s chest. If this fight had taught him anything, it was that he desperately needed to get stronger just to survive in this new world. His current rate of progression wouldn’t cut it anymore. Maybe if he hadn’t come so close to death, he wouldn’t have considered such drastic measures, but fighting the panther left him feeling weak and vulnerable in a way nothing else ever had. Perhaps traces of its depressive magic were affecting him still. There was a path to power, dangerous as it was, right in front of him. He’d be a fool not to take it.
Perhaps if his system was working properly, he wouldn’t have to resort to such extremes. But if years of studying science had taught him anything, it was that even the most volatile sources of energy could produce explosive results if handled properly. Well, hopefully not literally explosive. And Arthur already had a pretty good idea of how to consume the core. He prayed he wasn’t being stupid.
Looking at his canteen of blood gel, he saw that there was very little left. Arthur hoped it would be enough for what he had planned. Now, he just needed to get the core through the tiny opening and into the bottle of magical blood. He hoped it would mitigate the core’s risks with the healing properties of the red gel. Since the core was far too large to fit through the lid, Arthur decided to simply slice the top off the bottle. Regardless of the outcome of this crazy experiment, this would be the last time he used the metal container- his blood-gel reserves were virtually gone.
On impulse, Arthur added some of his own unique blood to the concoction, hoping it would increase his chances of success at least a little. The dark red mixture began to take on a purple hue as the monster's core rapidly dissolved into it. This might actually work, he thought.
By the end, it looked terrifyingly ominous- pale violet with streaks of black running through it. Identifying his creation, Arthur couldn’t help but laugh.
Shadow Elixir (Epic): An elixir created in the hopes that, through its consumption, the creator can absorb a portion of the shadow panther’s powerful magic and agility.
Chances of success for host's consumption: 74%
There was nothing else to it. Either it would work, or it wouldn’t. The description didn’t mention it being poisonous or anything of the sort. Picking it up, Arthur quickly put the metal rim to his lips before indecision could creep in. Closing his eyes, Arthur drank.
Current progression: 15,400/43,000
Arthur Ward
Level- ???
Unspent Stat Points: 16
Strength- ???
Vitality- ???
Endurance- ???
Constitution- ???
Agility- ???
Intelligence- ???
Willpower- ???
Charisma- ???
Health- ???
Stamina- ???
Ether- ???
Chapter 7
Unlocking The System
It had been exactly five days since the System's arrival on Earth. Five days since everyone had disappeared. Five days of killing, slaughter, and destruction. Arthur woke up to greet the new morning, feeling stronger than ever before. It felt as if his entire body had been remade over the past few days- completely reforged: more durable, flexible, tenacious, and most importantly, faster.
Much, much faster.
Upon consuming the shadow elixir three days ago, Arthur had more than tripled his previous speed, no doubt because the shadow panther it was derived from was an agility-based predator. Coupled with the strength he had gained, Arthur was now an entirely different person from the helpless individual he had been when the system first arrived.
The magical prowess that the panther had displayed during their brief fight was still beyond Arthur, but he could feel its incredible abilities lying dormant within him, just beneath the surface, ready for when he was finally able to use magic- or so he hoped. It would be a crushing disappointment if he were still unable to use ether properly, even after unlocking the system.
Looking down at his hands, he saw they had become rough and calloused from wielding the Boar spear so much- a far more familiar weapon now in his slightly more experienced hands. Speaking of which, it stood upright near the bed he’d slept in last night, the once shiny, enchanting weapon now a dull grey, its point chipped. But to Arthur, it was more beautiful than ever, each blemish a story of its use and his victory.
Okay, stop being melodramatic.
Sadly, it meant Arthur would need a new weapon soon, but he held on to this one for sentimental reasons, as well as the fact that it still had some life left in it. It had helped him survive to this point, and Arthur was loath to cast it aside just because its usefulness was waning.
Okay, I think I have attachment issues.
He also had the option of using the weapon he had found in the bedside cabinet, a seven-inch combat knife. Whoever this house belonged to, they were either a serious knife enthusiast, or they were paranoid. Arthur was more than happy with the blades he'd collected from a knife shop he'd chanced upon, however. They were of incredible quality and cost far more than he'd expect any sane person to spend on them. It was a good thing he'd gotten them for free.
Yawning loudly, he stretched, preparing for the day. Arthur had lost much of the urgency he’d felt in the first few moments after the System's arrival when he realised that animals didn’t grow in levels explosively as he had first believed. They seemed to all reach level 10 quickly, evolving at level 5 without fail, before their growth slowed to more manageable rates. That was the only reason Arthur was still alive without access to the system. And it shows how stupid I was for drinking that elixir just because I was panicking. I must have been out of my mind.
He was incredibly lucky it had paid off. The highest-level animal Arthur had seen in the city was a level 23 wolf, which he had wisely decided not to engage. While he could now handle his fair share of level 10 monsters, Arthur wasn’t confident enough to fight a beast twice that level- nor was he that desperate for ether. All in all, it had been a productive few days, as his progression counter could attest.
Current progression: 42,780/43,000
In all honesty, Arthur could have easily finished his collection quest yesterday, but he had decided to wait for a new morning to take the final step rather than unlock the system as night was approaching. Dawn was a time of new beginnings, and it had taken all of Arthur’s self-control not to go after and kill the level 8 horned rabbit he had seen. But caution, as well as past mistakes, had taught him never to be too hasty.
Arthur had no idea what to expect when he finally unlocked the System, but he’d feel like a fool if he died just as he was completing his quest because he had been too impatient to wait and take things slowly.
Unfortunately, none of the monsters he’d killed had dropped another core, and yes, he had checked every single one, which highlighted just how rare and special the panther he had killed was. It made him feel relieved that he had been able to prematurely end such a great threat before it had time to grow into the city-destroying monster its description had suggested. Apocalypse beasts had jumped to the top of the list of things he needed to research.
Slapping his cheeks, Arthur tried to psych himself up. Come on, Arthur. This is the day you finally unlock your goddamn system. Look a little lively.
Walking out of the bedroom where he’d spent the night, Arthur carefully made his way down the stairs, listening intently for any sounds from the first floor. Thankfully, he heard something. The sound of pots and pans crashing to the floor echoed from the kitchen, loud and clear, and he wondered how he had even managed to sleep through the racket. Arthur smiled wryly; it seemed the frenzied chihuahua he had lured into the house last night still hadn’t found a way out yet.
That would make his life a whole lot easier. He didn't need to go out and search for prey. Arthur quickly made his way to the kitchen.
Holding his pocket knife in a firm, confident grip, he swiftly opened the door. Immediately, the tiny, mad dog threw itself at him in a suicidal charge, spittle flying from its razor-sharp teeth, its red-rimmed eyes filled with insanity- thanks to its frenzied status.
It didn’t get far. Moving much faster than humanly possible, Arthur sliced his blade through the air, cleanly bisecting the enraged beast into two perfect halves- so cleanly, in fact, that not a single drop of blood landed on his clothes. Damn, that was smooth.
Feeling the familiar rush of energy flow into him, Arthur braced himself for something momentous to happen. Nothing did. Remember, Arthur, your system’s slow, it doesn't work properly. Just give it some time, he reassured himself, trying not to let panic set in. Just as he was about to start worrying that something was wrong, the familiar blue of system messages assaulted Arthur's vision. For once, it wasn't unwelcome.
He smiled.
Ether progression: 42,160/42,000... Required ether absorption reached... Quest completed... Re-establishing a proper link with host... Integrity 27%...28%...29%...40%...
The numbers continued to rise rapidly, and Arthur waited anxiously for something big to happen.
98%...99%...100%
Arthur staggered as he felt a massive amount of energy infuse itself into him, simply absurd in its magnitude, before the system messages continued appearing. It almost made him blackout from the sheer quantity of ether flowing through him.
Link established… Reconfiguring to match host… Adapting… Adaptation complete… Welcome, host Arthur Ward, to the System… It is advised that you find a secure location as you will be losing consciousness in the next 30 seconds…
"Oh shit!"
Cursing the system that now seemed to have developed some twisted sense of humour, Arthur quickly rushed up the stairs to the bedroom he had just left. Barricading the door with everything he could find, Arthur practically fell onto the bed in an undignified manner, unable to even position himself properly before darkness claimed him.
Chapter 8
An Enlightening Conversation
Arthur woke up, freefalling from thousands of feet up in the sky. “What the fuck!” He screamed, both in terror and confusion as the air whizzed past him. A sense of vertigo gripped him, and he reflexively closed his eyes to block out the irritating wind. The last thing he remembered was the system telling him he’d lose consciousness and then... this. What the hell was going on?
“Calm down. Calm down,” a voice suddenly called out to him, doing little to settle Arthur's fears.
“You're not actually here, kiddo. None of it's real. It's all a figment of your imagination. Unfortunately.” The last words were mumbled so quietly that Arthur wasn’t sure if he had just imagined it, but if his senses hadn’t failed him, it didn’t bode well for what was happening right now. Did this guy want him dead?
“Hey, kid. Stop looking around for me. I’m not the bloody air,” the strange, grouchy voice grumbled. “Or maybe I am the air. Who knows what that bitch Aria was plotting?”
The voice sounded confused and unsure of itself. The last words were muttered quietly, clearly not intended for Arthur's ears. But with the way the voice seemed to come from all around him, Arthur heard the statement loud and clear, as if the words had been shouted directly into his ears. He stopped frantically looking around for the speaker. Judging by the man's tone, he too seemed a little unsure about what was going on right now, though Arthur was certain the strange individual knew far more than he did.
Instead of trying to save himself from imminent death as a pancake on the ground, Arthur instead asked the first questions that came to mind. “Who- no, actually, what are you? And where the hell am I?”
His questions were answered by the loudest sigh he had ever heard. It was as if the entire world itself was tired of his bullshit and just breathed out in resignation. Arthur bore through the casual indifference as his rapid descent was abruptly halted.
“This is why I should never have listened to Aria,” the man grumbled. “Meeting uncultured savages from infant worlds is the worst. No sense of propriety. Why did the real me even agree to this job?”
Arthur was shocked by what the man had said so casually and ignored the rest of the grouchy voice's continued complaining. Though not the main focus of the strange man's speech, Arthur zeroed in on two specific words: 'Infant worlds.'
These words raised countless questions but also answered so many others. Arthur was beginning to get a sense of what had happened to Earth and who it was that he was currently speaking to. It was only a small suspicion, but his gut was telling him he was on the right track- and that feeling terrified him. If Arthur was right, he was so far out of his depth it wasn't even funny.
"You created the system, didn’t you?" Arthur asked quietly, unsure if he was doing the right thing by voicing his suspicions.
Everything suddenly went silent, and Arthur felt the incredible being's full attention focus on him. It made him feel infinitesimally small, like a tiny bug to be crushed underfoot, and he wondered if he had made a grave mistake by being too forward with his questioning. Thankfully, it seemed he was mistaken.
"Well, no then. Who do you think made the system? The fucking goblins?" the voice retorted sarcastically.
Arthur was taken aback by the strength of the man's response but didn’t question the vehemence in his voice, too busy thanking his lucky stars that this strange individual didn’t seem to care about him. No attention was good attention when it came to this man.
"Wait, why are you still here anyway, kid? Shouldn't you have gone off by now?" The voice asked him. It paused for a moment, and Arthur felt a wave of energy wash over him as the being brought its focus to bear. "Actually. Wait. Wait. Don’t... don't tell me you can’t."
When Arthur nodded, the voice yelled in frustration, the sound like a thousand thunderstorms, cursing to the high heavens. "That bitch, Aria. She said they’d be able to skip the introduction if they wanted to!" Muttering a string of inane curses, the voice added, "Remember what Syrus always said: 'Don’t trust a succubus longer than you can fuck them!' Which is usually in the realm of three seconds."
"Excuse me," Arthur tried to get the voice's attention. "Where am I, why am I here, and who even are you?" Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to be rude to a seemingly all-powerful system creator, but Arthur was quickly growing sick of this charade, and judging by the way the voice had acted, it didn’t mind a little disrespect.
"You're a feisty one, aren’t you?" The wind seemed to whisper. "But I like that. It reminds me of myself when I didn't know better. I hope you don't have to learn the hard way, boy. Some lessons leave you scarred for life."
After a pause, the owner of the voice seemed to come to a decision. "Might as well do this bloody job properly."
"Young goblin, I shall honour you with my name. Be delighted, for you are in the presence of Sir Rufeus III: Earth-shaker, Dragon-friend, and Master of the Seventh Order," Rufeus grandiosely stated.
Seventh Order? What’s that? And Dragon-friend? A title or something? Arthur wondered.
"Ah, forget it. It's not like I'm going to exist for longer than a few minutes anyway. Who cares if some child doesn't know me?"
Confused, Arthur asked, "What do you mean you’ll only exist for a few minutes?"
"Aha, ever the curious little goblin. That's good. As the old saying goes, 'Curiosity helped the goblin grow, and then die not long after.' Stay curious, and you might actually make something of yourself," Sir Rufeus advised.
That can’t be an actual saying. And what does this guy have against goblins?
"As for what I meant," Rufeus continued, "Well, to put it simply, I technically don't exist."
Seeing the puzzlement on Arthur's face, Rufeus mumbled, "Too confusing, hmm? I thought so."
"Well, it's not like you can ever hope to understand everything in life anyway. As for why you're here, well, your guess is as good as mine. The only explanation I can come up with is that you're significantly stronger than you're supposed to be for a citizen of a newly evolved planet. But that can't be the case," the old man mused. "The system was designed to only integrate onto Tier 1 worlds. It's impossible to find someone beyond its parameters on a baby world."
"Well," Arthur interrupted, "That might just be the case."
Over the next few minutes, Arthur quickly summarised the events and strange circumstances that had culminated in this specific, bizarre moment. Maybe he was being too trusting of this senile entity, but Arthur desperately needed answers, and this was probably his best chance at getting them- from the source, no less.
