Path of Dragons - A LitRPG Apocalypse (BOOK TWO ON KINDLE SEPT. 2)

“You know,” Elijah said, running his hand over his smooth scalp. “I think being cooked is way worse than being digested.”

“I’m glad I don’t know enough to offer an opinion,” Sadie admitted.

“Right. Did I tell you about the time I was –”

“Yes,” she interrupted.

“Or what about when –”

“That too. We know all your stories, bro,” Dat said.

“Well, you two are just no fun at all,” he said, pushing himself upright. Then, he hiked his thumb down the hall, where a thousand refugees huddled together like scared sheep. “I should go hang out with them. They would be suitably impressed by my heroic tales of survival. I mean, I’m no Zhang Yue, but who is, right?”

“Long live the legend of Zhang Yue,” Dat intoned. “May he continue to inspire us to be better men.” He glanced at Sadie. “And women.”

She rolled her eyes, which was a curious gesture for her. So was the smile. Elijah felt like he was living in the twilight zone. Sadie looked the same as always, but she’d never been the sort to show much emotion. Or laugh. She’d made a few jokes during the Trial – mostly towards the end, when she’d gotten Sense of Sin under control – but even then, she had been a dour person.

Still, waking up to see her concerned face staring down at him had made everything a little better. He’d still been wracked by agonizing pain – being cooked alive was not a pleasant experience – but the sight of her was a soothing balm.

After regaining awareness, he’d been shocked to find that he was covered in severe burns. Briefly, he’d worried that he would be horribly scarred, but it seemed that, aside from a rough patch on his stomach, he’d escaped mostly unscathed. It’d taken most of a day for him to heal himself back to normal, but every time he looked at the former prisoners, he realized it had been worth it.

Now that he was healed, he mostly just missed his hair. It wasn’t the first time he’d had his hair burned off, but he hoped it would be the last.

“I really should stop and think about the consequences of heroism from time to time,” he said to himself.

That elicited a hearty laugh from Dat and a slight chuckled form Sadie.

“What?” he asked.

“You’re not the thinking type, bro.”

“You’re really not. You’re more of a charge-at-the-problem-and-hope-it-all-works-out kind of guy,” Sadie agreed.

“Ouch,” he winced, theatrically clutching his chest. He was still a little sore, but he was almost entirely recovered. “Seriously though – thanks for coming back in there for me. I don’t think I’d have made it without your help.”

“You would have done the same for either one of us,” Sadie stated.

“Yeah. But you two don’t make a habit of blowing yourself up, either. Seriously, how did I not know that would backfire? Enclosed spaces and explosions don’t usually mix well. I’m not fireproof.”

“It was the only way we could have won,” Dat said.

“We’re holding you back,” Sadie added. “If I had access to a Branch, I could evolve…”

“Nobody’s holding anyone back,” Elijah insisted. “It’s just a tough situation. It’s no one’s fault.”

But as Elijah focused his senses on Nico, who was almost a hundred feet away tending to the wounds of one of the refugees, he wasn’t entirely convinced of his own statement. Nico only had one job, and in that endeavor, he’d failed miserably. Whether that was intentional or not was a question Elijah desperately wanted answered, but he knew that if he went around accusing the Healer of holding back, he would draw Sadie’s ire.

She’d grown a lot since he’d first met her, but she wouldn’t easily endure accusations against her brother.

So, Elijah held his tongue, resolving instead to remove Nico from his own plans. If the Healer did his job, then that would be a nice surprise. But Elijah wouldn’t depend on him anymore.

With that resolution in mind, Elijah continued his own healing, casting Blessing of the Grove and basking in the cooling rain that came with it. He wasn’t unaware that, if he hadn’t cast that spell before passing out, he would be dead. It had already saved his life, and he knew it wouldn’t be the first time.

As he healed, Elijah focused inward and looked at this updated status: