Rewind: A Grimdark LitRPG Series (Pyresouls Apocalypse, Book 1) James Callum (best large ereader .TXT) 📖

was in the middle of summoning the blade, he spun in place on one knee, turning a full circuit as ash flashed into the air and his blade appeared in his hand.

Seeing him moving with no weapon the Gekks came upon him with incredible speed. As the blade reappeared in his hand, their surprise was complete as he performed Reaping the Harvest, drawing bright yellow lines across their low faces.

Getting to his feet, Jacob planted his foot hard on one blinded Gekk and speared the other through the head. Its companion joined the first Gekk in death a moment later.

You defeat the [Gekk].

You defeat the [Gekk].

Awarded 800 Souls.

You gain 2 [Vials of Gekk Blood].

Your Sword Skill increases to Level 65.

Another wisp weaved through the air to strike him in the chest as Camilla finished off her Gekk.

When Camilla turned on him she opened her mouth and then realized it was useless.

“Wait, I heard you!” he said to her.

Camilla pointed to her ears and talked very slowly, clearly trying to get him to read her lips. “I. Can’t. Hear. You.”

But Jacob could hear her just fine.

It amounted to the same thing, either way. They still couldn’t effectively communicate. Looking at the hallway full of Gekk bodies, he must have been out for more than a few minutes.

Limping forward, Camilla begrudgingly let Jacob loop her arm over his shoulder and help her along. Together, they moved quickly through the corridor to a side path Jacob learned about.

Desecrated Catacombs

He was right, there was a Pyre here but it wasn’t in the asylum. It was through a broken section of the stonework that opened onto a massive black cavern.

With his hearing restored, Jacob could hear the sticky-footed sound of lizards running about in the dark and the sound of rushing water far below in the cavern they stepped into.

Down the sloping dark path they went. If Jacob didn’t know to look for the pile of bones on the floor marking the path to the Pyre he would have missed it. He turned and proceeded into a narrow roughly hewn tunnel.

It bent at such an odd angle that a casual glance would make it seem as if it were nothing more than a dead end.

Jacob knew better.

The tunnel twisted and turned, eventually opening up onto a single room with a pile of familiar ashes in the center. Jacob knelt to it at the same time Camilla did, her hands shook as she reached them over the pile of ash.

“You see it too?” he asked, but there was no reply. She wasn’t looking at him and obviously, the silencing enchantment was still in effect for her.

Reaching within himself, Jacob summoned the Fire Oppa by recalling the memory of the Pyre and its soul-warming flames. Something else shot out of his hand, a small flame that fell upon the ash and disappeared.

Wiggling out from the pile of ash came the ferret-like creature, the Fire Oppa. As his dark beady eyes focused on Jacob he seemed to give the man a wolfish grin. In an instant flames blasted forth from his fur and became his fur.

The Pyre caught and the flames jumped nearly five-feet high. Much higher than the previous Pyres had. The pleasing crackle and warmth of them had Jacob collapsing into a rough sitting position in front of them.

Pyre Ignited.

Your respawn location has been set to the Desecrated Catacombs (Upper).

The Fire Oppa stokes the embers of your conviction.

Health, Stamina, Ampoules, and Spell Gems restored.

You Kindle the Pyre.

+5 [Cinder Ampoules].

“That’s your third Pyre,” the Fire Oppa said, patrolling around the flame. “And you’ve learned how to Kindle. Interesting.”

“What do you mean?” Jacob asked.

“Kindling a Pyre makes it stronger, which allows me to confer better benefits to you. Like your Cinder Ampoules. I can now give you 10 whenever you rest at this Pyre.”

“Is it only this one?”

“Any that you Kindle,” the Fire Oppa said, slowing his pace and laying down in the glowing embers of the roaring fire. “Which you should be able to do now at any Pyre you visit. Even the old ones.”

“Why would I go back there?”

The Fire Oppa just shrugged his burning shoulders.

Jacob could only shake his head. He hadn’t even meant to Kindle the Pyre, it just happened. More than ever, he wished he could see Kim again. He didn’t understand how, or even why, but she had helped him. Immensely.

Doubling his [Cinder Ampoules]… he didn’t even know such a thing was possible. All of the information combed through the archives had no mention of such a thing being possible.

But now that he had, he felt the knowledge there in the palms of his hands. All he had to do was focus like Kim said. He shut his eyes, recalled her adorable pixie features, and cupped his hands as she had taught him.

A surge of warmth spread from his heart. It raced down his arms into his palms where a ruby-red fire blossomed and danced. Opening his eyes, Jacob stared at the tiny flame in his palms.

He stared at it for a long while. It wasn’t damaging, at least not that he could tell. Nor was it like any magic that existed in Pyresouls. This was not a spell inscribed on a Spell Gem.

Good thing too, because if he was going to be skipping the Corpse Garden he would be down a Spell Gem.

Off to the side, Jacob caught Camilla seated in a similar position with a look of serene peace on her face. All the blood was washed free of her and the wounds she sustained were gone.

No longer emaciated and skeletal, her cheeks were full and the faint smile on her face was genuine. Camilla looked like an entirely different person. Beautiful with long curling locks of raven black hair, pouty lips, and a healthy glow about her, she was transformed.

In her hands, she held an emerald bottle. Her lips were moving slowly like she was talking to herself.

“Can she see you?” Jacob asked.

The Fire Oppa lifted his head,