Magus: A Supernatural LitRPG Saga (Apocosmos Book 2) Dimitrios Gkirgkiris (good english books to read .txt) 📖

heavy hood but it was evident by their stance that they'd noticed our arrival. If only they were willing to help us fight the beast.

The shadow panther leaped out of the thick bushes, its massive black body even more terrifying under the silver moonlight. The moment it was about to thrust its claws into Rory, a long staff appeared in the hooded figure's hand and with tremendous speed, they tapped it on the ground.

Every single blade of grass in the clearing flashed with bright gold light, extending outward from the bottom of the staff. The ravenous beast landed on Rory but only to use him as a stepping-stone to lunge backward. The birds stopped screeching and the shadow panther sprinted back into the jungle, as if afraid for its life.

Once we realized we were out of danger, we turned around to look at the person who had saved our lives. The staff had now disappeared from their hand, but I did notice a longsword hanging from the side of a bright blue belt. Then he removed his hood and I felt my jaw drop at the sight of him.

"Welcome, friends. Come sit by the fire. I want to hear your story."

Name: Ed Greenwood

Race: Human

Class: Reality Weaver

Level: 71

12

Holy diver

"Hello," I said, instinctively putting one foot in front of the other and reaching out to our benefactor. "It's so good to meet you in person."

"The pleasure is all mine," the white-bearded man said and extended his hand out to meet mine.

He spoke with an air of confidence. A wise power flowed out of his mouth with every word he uttered, while his long white hair only added to his calm, reassuring demeanor. It wasn't just because I had read his books and played into the worlds he had created. His eyes invited me as if we were old friends, lost somewhere along life's path only to be reunited at a critical crossroads.

I took a quick glance behind me to see all three of my companions cowering on the fringes of the forest clearing, looking at me as if I was crazy. Yet nobody had opened their mouth to warn me to stay away.

"Guys, this is Ed--" I started saying, but was promptly interrupted by Rory.

"What are ye doing there, half-Celt? Come back here and let's leave this place."

"We are terribly sorry, sir," the doppelgänger said and bowed her head almost to the ground. "We didn't mean to intrude. We will take our leave immediately."

"You're not intruding at all," the man said in a merry tone. "In fact, you're just where you need to be. We all are, and it's such a beautiful night. Of course, it's always night in this place, but company makes everything better, don't you agree?"

"Ah... of course. What's wrong, guys?" I said, looking back at them.

Louie was now moving toward me, tail between his legs.

"He's level 71," the woman said. "Why aren't you worried?"

"I know him," I said. "I mean, I don't know him, know him, but I've read his stories. And regardless, he just saved us."

"It is only natural to be wary of things you do not know enough about." The robed man spoke again. "An instinct deeply ingrained in our subconscious through millennia of evolution. Quite archaic if you ask me, but you're not here to hear me talk about my views on the direction evolution has taken. You're here because this is the end of your path. You've reached the place you need to be in order to fulfill the last part of your quest."

"Are you here to help us get the final quest item?" Louie asked and started to wag his tail slowly.

"I'm here not as part of your quest to bind your souls together, but as a curious bystander," he replied and opened his palms toward some carved rocks that surrounded the snuffed out campfire. "Please, please, have a seat and let me explain what I mean."

The man pushed his sword to one side to sit on one of the rocks and produced a long pipe from a pocket hidden in his robes. The long wooden stem moved and bent as if it was alive, stretching out until the Reality Weaver put it in his mouth and inhaled deeply.

Rory, seeing the purple smoke the man had exhaled, took a deep breath and sat opposite him. He took out his own pipe and raised it in salute.

"That is a fine pipe ye got there, Ed."

"His name is Erkin and we've been friends for twelvety two years." He took another drag, more slowly this time, and Erkin let out a soft crackling sound. "I've known him since he was but a sapling. Are you also seeking to bind your soul to this woman, good dwarf?"

He regarded the doppelgänger who was now sitting next to him, and Rory immediately flinched in disgust.

"With her? I'd rather shave me beard than share a cup with her."

"And I'd rather turn into a goblin permanently than hear you complain again," she retorted.

I thought I saw Rory slightly raise his eyebrow. "Ye don't like goblins?" He asked between his teeth.

"Who likes them?" she replied, and Louie barked before they were able to continue their argument.

"You said you would explain more?" Louie asked Ed.

"Indeed, I did," he said and a small ember lit up in the middle of the campfire. "You see, everything in the Apocosmos has limits. Even Dark Energy. Everything, that is, but stories."

The ember had now fully ignited and the wood picked up its flame, lighting up our surroundings.

"Every story is different," he continued, "and even the exact same story will never be told the exact same way."

"What about stories that are recorded and replayed?" Louie asked.

"Yes!" the man exclaimed. "Listening to a recording of the same story now will be different than listening to it five years from now, or five years before now."

"So you're interested in stories?" I asked.

"The moment you point your finger at a person who insists they are