Titan: A LitRPG Adventure (UnderVerse Book 4) Jez Cajiao (top ten books of all time TXT) 📖

“I’m going to throw a spell forward in a second or two, Grizz, and if you shut up right now, I might not ‘miss’ what I’m aiming for and ‘accidentally’ hit you. Maybe.”

“Yen, I really thought you had better taste, you know that?” I said, making myself sound disappointed in her.

“One night. A single goddamn night of weakness, when I was tired and filthy and we were hiding, and I swear I’m never going to live it down,” she muttered bitterly.

“One? What about…?” Grizz started to argue, and she growled to him to shut his mouth.

“Again,” I said, shaking my head disapprovingly, then I clarified my order, as nothing happened. “Magic them again,” I ordered slowly and clearly.

“Oh, thank god; I thought he was telling her to…” Miren started to whisper to Stephanos, and Lydia growled at her to shut up, even as her Flame Atronarch slammed its hands together, twisted them somehow, and then flung a Firebolt at the oncoming gnomes. That started the group off, as Miren made gestures of sealing her mouth to Lydia, and everyone that had an offensive spell started casting it.

Arrin was firing Darkbolts; fast and deadly, they impacted the shield and seemed to start it rusting. The necrotic energy clearly weakened the shields; the gnome carrying them started to screech in pain and fury as the barrage of Fireballs and Firebolts made one start to glow a cherry red.

The gnome shield bearer continued forward but kept up a furious screech that sounded like tortured metal, until he dropped both shields in pain and turned to dive back behind the gnomes that had been sheltering behind him. The next one swept the shields up and stomped forward, and I recognized the white skin.

“They’re using that stone skin ability or whatever it is; they’re acting as shields for the others. Hammer the little bastards over and over,” I ordered, growing more and more concerned that they would reach us and be impossible to injure.

“Oracle, I’ll bring the water…” I said, and she spoke up quickly.

“And I’ll bring the pain!” she finished grimly. “Arrin, lightning the water repeatedly; it’ll damage them all and hopefully let us kill the ones without the ability active, as well.”

I cast the fountain spell, sending the water soaring up behind the shields as the bearer stepped forward. The spray quickly soaked him, but didn’t give him the chance to plunge the shields into the water to cool them. Then the lightning started to fly, pounding one bolt after the other into the water as it spread and the little procession stumbled on.

Screams of pain rose from further back, but the leading gnomes simply grunted and groaned, then marched on. Finally, when they were within a dozen meters from us, the shield bearer gave up with a groan and dropped the shields as his ability ran out.

As soon as he did so, before the next in line could sweep them back up, Stephanos and Miren loosed their arrows, slamming a continuous volley into the gnome and staggering him back.

The blow was enough to block the next gnome in line, and as he frantically tried to shove his former comrade aside, we unleashed hell.

Two lightning bolts flashed forward, joined by three firebolts, and a Fireball from me as I stopped casting the fountains, now that my mana was down to forty-eight.

A necrotic black bolt flew ahead, taking the next gnome in the face and making him stagger. All attempts at order finally dissolved, and the remaining three gnomes shoved their way forward to sprint at us, relying on their stone coating to protect them.

“Boss, be ready,” Grizz said suddenly, grinning at me as he sheathed his sword and shrugged his shield aside. “I’m gonna try something…” As the spells cut off, he dove forward, sweeping up a section of broken vehicle from one of the crashed Badunkas.

The gnomes raced forward to meet him, the one in the lead brandishing an axe that glowed an unhealthy green. The tiny creature roared and drooled, the light of fanaticism glowing in its eyes.

Before it could reach him, Grizz spun, sweeping the four-foot section out in a low swing that connected with the gnome’s upraised arm and spun him about. He slammed into his oncoming fellows and took them all down, the crunching of stone and screams of fury rising… until Grizz stepped in, discarded the metal length, and grabbed the gnome by the ankles, then tugged him backwards into a clear section of corridor.

“Gonna need some room…” he grunted, swinging the gnome around by his feet and building up speed. We backed up as far as we could, Jian’s bonding meaning we didn’t have much room, but as Grizz got a handle on the weight, he grinned wildly. I watched in open-mouthed amazement as the mad bastard spun around, swinging the gnome, and slammed him into one of his companions as it rose from the ground.

The force of their heads colliding was enough, combined with the speed and weight, to break both their necks, and the now-familiar deaths head symbols I’d added oh so long ago lifted into the air.

I grinned, impressed, as Grizz spun the corpse around again, then flung it at the third gnome, who took his flying friend to the face, sending him to the floor in a screeching pile of rage.

“Well…” huffed Grizz, bending over and gripping his knees as he tried to catch his breath. “… I’m … not taking… them all…”

“Mad bastard!” I shouted, laughing as I lunged forward, rushing past him, even as I heard Lydia following me, along with more clomping footfalls.

I ran as fast as I could, managing to cover the distance before one of the injured gnomes could get the last uninjured one, whose stone coating was still intact, to her feet. She hissed up at me, hate clear on her face as I skidded to a halt over her, throwing up a spray of water