Condition Evolution 2: A LitRPG / Gamelit Adventure Sinclair, Kevin (good beach reads .txt) 📖

A glimpse of Ember in a long corridor appeared. The problem was that the flash of light and vision was heralded by an intense snapping pain in the center of my head. Utter darkness followed, and I couldn’t hear Ember anymore. I couldn’t open my eyes. It felt like I wasn’t even in my body anymore. There was nothing but silence, so absolute that it was deafening. I floated through that space for a completely, indistinguishable amount of time before I heard a voice.

“You have really surpassed yourself, and everything I have managed to achieve so far with the other subjects.”

I spun around and there was Ogun floating behind me. Huge, handsome and ageless.

“Oh, thank god you’re here. I never thought I’d be so happy to see you in my whole life.”

“I can well imagine! It would be all but impossible to get out of this place without guidance.”

“Sounds like the story of my life. I’m good at getting to places, but always needing help to get back.”

“That is not uncommon when you transcend. You’re not alone in this.”

“Transcend?”

“Yes. When you get back to your body, you’re going to find you have access to a whole new level of abilities. This will make everything else you have to learn, both harder and easier. I have absolutely no idea how you managed to do it, but you have forced open a pathway to your mindscape that should have taken you a decade or so to learn,” he laughed at me and shook his head. “Do you realize that no human, aside from the Fystr, has transcended since the Rebellion Wars? It is a true Fystr skill, normally only attainable through years of training and guidance.”

“No! I had no idea! When I was meditating earlier Cassia spoke of my center. It made no sense. I’d searched in the darkness of my mind and found nothing. But with Ember in my mind, I felt like whatever I was looking for wasn't in that darkness, but beyond it.

“I knew Ember was somewhere, or at least some part of her and I really wanted to see it. I tried really hard, and something ripped. Then, I was thrown into this place.”

“Typical,” Ogun responded, “that Ember would be the catalyst for you. I don’t think I have ever seen such a unique bond between two people in all my five thousand years of life. Of course, you nearly killed yourself in the process.”

“Yeah, I probably should have stopped when I felt the tearing,” I said felling a bit embarrassed.

“Ember has regaled me of your antics in Anatoli. She said that this kind of behavior is normal for you.”

“Did ‘dipshit’, ‘buffoon’, and ‘asshole’, also find their way into her story?”

Ogun laughed, “Very much so. She has a wonderful way with words.”

“That she does. If you don’t mind me asking, why can’t you just teach everyone to transcend straight away, like I just have?”

“Mainly, because human minds are not capable. They would, quite simply break down leaving nothing of the person left. I believe you were able to transcend only because you reached level forty in Anatoli. Still you are quite the anomaly, Shaun Sutherland, and you seem to be a catalyst for events.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing, really. It’s not even clear in my mind. My foremost concern at the moment is for Ember. If you have transcended, I have no doubt she will soon follow and make this leap too. Judging by her general personality, and everything I understand of your relationship.”

“Yeah. She’s totally not going to let herself get left behind.”

“This is going to cause an interesting imbalance among the crew. The newest member leapfrogging their own efforts to transcend.”

“You think others will resent us?”

“Oh, absolutely. From my experience, it doesn’t matter how enlightened and powerful we become, jealousy and one-upmanship are a constant. In fact, it probably gets worse. I’m unconcerned with other people's jealousy, and even more so, that you’re now potentially the second most powerful soldier we have in this battle, after me. Yet, you are the most naive and poorly trained.”

“Fuck me, Ogun. I thought we were friends,” I grinned.

“Oh, sorry Shaun. I didn't mean to be disrespectful. I’m giving an honest appraisal of the situation. But we can deal with all that later. For now, your consciousness has been thrown out from your body. Shall we get you back?” He floated over, touched my head, and boom! I was back in my body.

Ogun was sitting right next to me on the bed. It was a bit disconcerting to be honest.

“Okay, Shaun. That should never happen again,” he said as soon as he opened his eyes. "To you, at least. Though, I suspect I’ll be retrieving our Ember soon enough. And a word of warning before I leave, go carefully in those corridors. The doors open pathways to powers, memories and understanding. But also, to your darkest fears. If your instinct tells you not to enter, it is for good reason. There are doors I have never entered in all my long life.”

Ember was looking at me confused. Ogun spoke to her next, “Shaun has now transcended. He has somehow managed to force himself upon a pathway of power of which I’m certain he will drag you on, sooner rather than later.”

“That’s how it normally works,” she said, then turned to me. “You’re at it already? One day out of the game and your gaining powers like it’s nobody’s business. Why are you so ridiculous, Shaun? Just look at you sitting there with that, ‘Who me?’ stupid ass expression on your face. For fuck sake!”

“I will leave you to yourselves,” Ogun said with a smile and left my room.

“Come on, then. What did you do?”

“I don’t know exactly. Let me quickly check something.” I closed my eyes, blocking everything out, focusing on the corridor I’d seen before everything went pop. Instantly, I appeared in the place I’d only glimpsed earlier. A long corridor stretched off into the distance with the occasional door.