Forged By The Apocalypse - A LitRPG With Draconic Potential

Two.

“Okay, I think I understand.” Sure, the world was going crazy, there was a voice in Seth’s head counting down to the end and now he had an alien telling him he needed to end that same alien’s life. Not how he expected my day to go, but expectations went out the window for everyone about half an hour ago. The streets had already devolved into anarchy, and the sirens Seth could hear weren’t approaching, but heading away. In the chaos, he had knocked someone out for attacking a woman. The woman had run away, but his new “friend” approached in response.

Moving them both into an alley, Titus explained that a powerful godlike overlay to the world was about to appear called the System and that Seth was to be ready. Certainly sir, of course magic is real and aliens use it to become gods. What’s that? You want me to do that, too? Well, naturally. With the sonorous voice in his ears counting down towards an unknown oblivion, the idea that it was actually an opportunity was too appealing for Seth to simply ignore.

Of course, he’d always known he was meant for greatness. It was no great surprise that in the moments of clearest darkness, he would be put forth as a hero. Standing next to Titus, he did feel a little less built for purpose. The alien wore an earth-like business suit of grey and black with a few strange accoutrements which made it clear he was not originally from Earth. He produced a bizarre looking pocket watch from his breast pocket and grimaced.

One.

“The time should be near.” Titus’ deep voice continually kept Seth from freaking out, which he was starting to suspect was a type of mind control. The huge man with the too-perfect skin, too-straight teeth and strange eyes thrust a bag into the shell-shocked man’s open right hand. Into his left, Titus placed a knife. “You say you understand but are you ready?”

I guess you’d call this a dagger, not a knife, he thought dumbly as he nodded at Titus while staring at the blade. He could do this. Screams were picking up as the countdown nearing its end, and everything started to feel less real. The world seemed to slip away beneath them, the sky above awash with shooting stars. No, not stars, he realised bursting into a surprised laugh. The clouds above were flying across the sky at impossible speeds. The sensation of walking through a dream intensified.

Zero. System online. Good Luck.

The voice spoke and Seth’s skull tickled. Not forgetting his promise, he brought the dagger down hard on Titus’ waiting chest. He let go, and the two looked at each other for a second. Titus took a deep breath, despite the puncture to one lung. “To the right,” he choked out, pained. Seth could barely hear him, but he grabbed the dagger and drove the blade down again and again. Titus fell, his arms splayed. The giant man smiled as he died.

Ding! Level Up!

——————————————————————————————————

Once the haze faded, Seth came back to his body. He had been having an out-of-body experience, watching himself do as Titus had told him to without any real conscious thought of his own. The moment he returned, he fell to his knees and vomited all around the alley. A message pinged in his vision over and over, but it was ignored in favour of more consistent retching and screaming.

Eventually, Seth knew he had to move. There were still sounds of fright and chaos everywhere, but those sounds were taking on a different tone. From anger and confusion to true terror. There was a lull as the true change occurred and the world spun over his head, but now it was picking up again, with more ferocity.

This is what the alien said would happen, Seth realised. For the last twenty minutes, Titus had demanded Seth’s attention as he explained everything he could to him. Seth struggled now to remember it, believing most of it to be the insane ramblings of a madman. A few things stuck out and Seth locked them into his memory. Titus said that he was a nomad from a group called the Accord. He said evil was coming to Earth and that Seth was lucky enough to be in a position to stop it. Seth very much doubted that as a huge form loped past his alleyway.

Seth’s bladder threatened to burst as a dog the size of a large car prowled past. He pressed himself into the shadowed wall and thanked God when a yell of fear drew the beast away. It looked like a rottweiler which had been stretched, bone first, into a monster. It roared like a lion as it tore down the cobbled street after the voice.

He stumbled backwards and a new text box rose to join the first. Finally looking, Seth read them as quickly as he could. One was a level up, which led him to a page of numbers describing himself. He put two points into speed and three into fortitude, feeling an icy burn in his bones and a fiery scorch on his skin. Once those passed, strength followed. The fear he felt only moments before was swept away by the adrenaline and power coursing through his veins.

The other prompt was interesting, too. “Sorry, Titus.” He supposed Titus probably hoped he would loot him afterwards. He may even have told him to, but Seth hadn’t been paying full attention. He was upset with himself now, but there wasn’t anything that could be done now to remember those foggy minutes before the System descended.

Titus - Level 8

Would you like to loot Titus?

After choosing yes, it was only ten seconds or so of fumbling through screens before Seth found himself wearing a sword, a shield and a whole suit of armour. Each had an actual magical effect, including the armour which placed itself on straight from his inventory. Each item gleamed with magical energies, the golds and chromes glistening.

Item - Fatecutter Blade

Once delivered to an assassin meant to kill a god, the man died of natural causes that very night. Now, it is better used without a purpose so grand. More of the item’s secrets may become apparent as your strength grows.

Effect: The tip of this blade can destroy or dispel magical effects.

Item - Destiny’s Bulwark

Used to great effect by an emperor known for never being dismounted in a joust. Such were his victories, that his fief grew fives times in size. Only in death, was this shield’s effect discovered. More of the item’s secrets may become apparent as your strength grows.

Effect: This shield automatically attempts to place itself between the wielder and danger.

Item - Suit of the Bastion

Worn by a paranoid knight, this enchanted armour is nearly impossible to destroy. For the knight, it was used to escape many near-death moments. More of the item’s secrets may become apparent as your strength grows.

Effect: No scrying, tracking or similar scouting effects can be used on the wearer.

Along with four thousand gold coins and the equipment was a large, ornate crystal ball. Around the size of a tennis ball, the outside of the orb was glassy but inside it was filled with dancing colours. Red and gold particles swirled around within wonderfully, mixing in places to become a delightful bronze symbol which floated into view occasionally.

Aspect - Hero (Legendary)

Aspects are formed when ambient mana in an area becomes charged with a specific type of energy. If you have unbound attributes, you may permanently bind an Aspect to an unbound attribute.

Would you like to use the Aspect of the Hero to bind an unbound attribute?

Of course, his answer was yes. This all felt correct, not just based on what Titus had told him, but what Seth always felt his life should be. Heroic abilities and the magical equipment of a knightly godkiller were exactly what he always deserved. Even then, it was still surreal to punch into the alley wall and see the concrete crack, not his fist. Barely certain what was real anymore, excited and giddy, Seth stepped out of the alley and into the light.

It was time to be a hero.

——————————————————————————————————

A full day later, Seth made a vow to himself as he huddled within a storm drain that he would never go above ground again. However, once growls started echoing through the sewer tunnels he hid within, that decision was quickly changed. He was dead tired and just wanted to sleep. Even a dank concrete hole in the ground would have worked, if it wasn’t for the chittering and whooping everywhere.

It wasn’t that Seth was bad at fighting, which he needed to do often in the previous half a day. He was actually very good at fighting. The whoops and cackles got closer, so Seth groaned and pulled himself to his feet. He quickly set to slaughtering the newest group of hyena men to attack him but the fight forced him out of the drain. He didn’t want to get surrounded underground, but now it meant they were here. The haunted and terrified faces of people too shellshocked to get moving. The peanut gallery just watched as Seth’s skin was torn from him. His shield jumped to defend him, and he let the current of magic flow up his arm.

Skill - Heroic Strike

The final moment, everything on the line, you’ll never miss and never falter.

Whenever a perfect moment appeared, Seth struck out. More than instinct was guiding his hands now. It was magic. The energy within took Seth’s hand and slashed the sword for him, finishing the closest creature with one blow. The pack of Gnolls, as the weird messages that appeared above their corpses called them, fell quickly to his magical weapons and steadily increasing levels. Each one came with five attribute points to make him stronger or faster, making the next fight that much easier.

It was when the dust settled and the blood was drying that the real problems started for Seth. The battle had dragged him out of hiding and shown him to other humans who were trying to survive. The Gnolls were everywhere, and more of them began to charge Seth’s position. Seeing him kill their fellow beasts sent the ones in the surrounding area into a frenzy, all aimed at his throat. His shield continued to dutifully jump between himself and any attack, while Heroic Strike was simply a matter of timing. Soon, all the Gnolls were dead and the zombies descended. Luckily, he didn’t have to fight these people.

“What’s going on?” A panicky woman asked Seth. He jerked away as she tried to stroke his hair. The people were losing it.

“Do you know what’s happening? Where did you get that stuff? Show us! Why would you trust some idiot with a sword? Can you not see it’s a fucking magic sword, idiot?”

Seth quietened the questions by telling everyone they still weren’t out of the woods yet. The crowd had appeared quickly, drawn by the “safe” spot around. Seth knew what would happen, but he told the people to follow him all the same. Each time he had gathered a group over the last twenty four hours the same thing had occurred. Hopefully his attributes were high enough to stop this group from being completely overrun. He was tired of being the last survivor.

“We should get to safety. Westfields’ is over there, I can see it.” Seth almost kissed the man who suggested that. He hadn’t been able to form a coherent plan while surrounded by so much death and danger, but they could barricade the place at least. Of course, Seth didn’t actually show gratitude. The people were looking at him like the hero he was, and showing that he wasn’t in complete control would make them doubt him.

“Way ahead of you,” Seth said with forced confidence. He plastered a smile on his face and looked at the fifteen or so survivors from the immediate area. If he had to guess, there was approximately a one in ten chance for any of them to survive the mile between where they stood and the shopping centre. He decided to swagger regardless, sauntering forward casually. “Let’s go and save some more people, shall we?”

As though a divine watcher was guiding them, a System prompt appeared before Seth’s eyes, filling them with wonder and his heart with hope. Maybe he actually could survive this carnage, so long as the System decided to help. He strode forward, the civilians following behind. For the first time since this all began, Seth truly believed things would work out. Of course they would.

He was the hero, after all.

New Quest - Protect The Populace

A central area known as Westfields is the target of the growing horde. It has given sanctuary to some, but now threatens to become a wall for them to be crushed against. Defend the meek, and the protection you grant shall become permanent.

Reward: Random Aspect based on performance

Opportunity to form a System Sanctioned village

Safety