Oaths to Maintain
A System Apocalypse story filled with intercourse, swords and sorcery.
Disclaimer
All characters on this work of fiction are 18+ years previous, all occasions and characters are fictional, any likeness with something actual is completely in your head, however in all probability hilarious.
There will likely be acts of violence, of depravity, of braveness and debauchery.
Oh and intercourse. In all probability even anal intercourse.
The story takes some time to get to the horny bits, I hope you benefit from the journey.
This sort of story is a little bit of an experiment for me, so for those who suppose it could be enjoyable to learn extra, please depart a remark, ship me a message, or depart me a 5 star evaluate.
XXX
My respiratory was ragged, blood trickled from a couple of wounds I had probably not seen till now.
4 corpses lay round me, their emerald blood wanting unusual within the gentle from the moon.
Not very massive, thankfully, in regards to the measurement of a ten yr previous child.
However these had been no youngsters.
Goblins.
The staple of RPG’s all over the place, and now they had been a part of actuality. Unusual instances certainly.
As I caught my breath, I took a short second to examine my notifications.
I used to be right down to 18 well being out of 80, and my mana was at 33 out of 100. And I had solely obtained exp from 3 of these goblins.
With alarm, I willed the blue display to fade from my imaginative and prescient, and I used to be virtually too late.
A dagger was flying straight for my face, a vital hit for certain, if I had nonetheless been targeted on my notifications.
By reflex that had been developed surprisingly quick throughout this previous week for the reason that world modified, I managed to utter the phrase of energy and solid Magic Barrier.
The dagger hit the sector of glowing cyan power that sprang up between us on the final instantaneous, and slowed to a fraction of its pace, permitting me to simply get out of its trajectory, even when it did handle to interrupt via.
Magic Barrier was not meant for use to cease non magical assaults or thrown daggers, nevertheless it was my finest allround “oh shit” protection, so I had practiced and practiced throwing it up if I used to be startled by something. It would waste mana, however higher mana than blood.
The goblin cursed at me, and appeared round for one thing else to fling at me, clawing on the belt of considered one of its fallen brethren.
I used to be not feeling beneficiant sufficient to present it the time.
Briefly contemplating ending it with a spell, I felt I had higher preserve the mana for therapeutic, or I might be out of it for a very long time.
As an alternative I rushed it, skewering it with my trusted arming sword.
It was already closely injured, so it couldn’t do a lot to save lots of itself, making an attempt feebly to chase away my strike with its empty hand.
Extra emerald blood gushed, and it lived no extra.
This time I stabbed it a further time, simply to make certain. Or petty. I used to be in all probability simply being petty.
My notifications revealed I had gotten the expertise from it this time.
And I used to be down to twenty-eight mana. Solely sufficient mana left for a single therapeutic spell. I actually sucked at therapeutic, every of them price 25 mana, and solely healed me for as much as 10 factors every time.
It could virtually seem to be it was not value therapeutic myself for that low an quantity, saving the mana for extra fight, if want be. However the first therapeutic spell after you had been wounded was the candy one. As soon as your physique acquired slightly little bit of therapeutic in, many of the ache went away, letting you use and suppose extra clearly once more.
So with out spending extra thought on it, I healed myself as soon as for… dang… solely 3 factors this time.
Nonetheless, I sighed with aid, as many of the ache went away, and all of my bleeding stopped.
It could be virtually an hour of relaxation, earlier than I may solid one other, with 5 mana regained per 10 minutes of relaxation.
I needed to enhance that, and there have been quite a few ways in which I may.
For now, I used to be going to save lots of up for the Meditation ability e-book, that may let me multiply my mana regeneration by the ability rank of Meditation, if I felt secure sufficient to make use of it. Meditating the place you would possibly get attacked at any second was only a fancy technique to commit suicide.
For that motive, and 100 extra, it certain could be good to have somebody to type a celebration with, somebody to look at my again, however sadly, my whole gaming crew appeared to have been thrown to totally different actuality shards, when the System Apocalypse occurred, as folks had been calling it.
I had not had quite a lot of success getting anybody to type a celebration, most individuals, the authorities included, appeared to suppose that sheltering in place was the best way to go. Like this was one thing the federal government may one way or the other repair.
They could not even repair potholes, and but folks anticipated them to get a deal with on this?
It was exhausting to fault them, I assume. Most individuals had been in shock, having misplaced family members so lately. Ninety p.c of the inhabitants had been zapped away by the System, to another model of actuality, if the System Messages had been to be trusted.
They’d been changed by monsters, although fortunately not many spawned contained in the cities, as wherever inside 100 yards of a human was thought of off limits for spawns at the moment.
As I contemplated the craziness that had change into the best way of the world, I knelt down subsequent to every goblin, inserting a hand on them, and keen the System to present me their loot.
As I did, their physique would dissolve into quickly fading motes of sunshine, abandoning regardless of the system thought was an applicable award.
I acquired a couple of silver cash for my troubles, and one other poor high quality iron dagger that I may in all probability promote to the System Store subsequent time I acquired into city.
It wasn’t a lot by way of loot or expertise, and falling into their ambush like a silly beginner, it had been far too shut.
I ought to have been in a position to stomp them with ease, as I had for these previous few days with many like them.
Shaking my head, I began to fastidiously make my approach again house, taking my time to be additional sneaky, as I didn’t need any fight in any respect on my approach house.
Simply as a precaution, I had a mana potion in hand, able to quaff it on the first signal of hazard.
I used to be not going to make use of it simply because I used to be just about out of mana, as they had been thus far a really restricted useful resource to me.
Taking it slowly and cautiously, it took me just about an hour to get again to my house, giving me sufficient mana for one more therapeutic spell, however being an skilled gamer, and feeling nicely sufficient, due to the ache aid of the primary spell, I might at all times attempt to wait casting my therapeutic spells till I used to be close to full mana, giving me loads of mana for emergencies.
No less than when issues had been wanting peaceable, and I had sufficient hitpoints left to in all probability not get oneshot by one thing silly.
So after I acquired shut sufficient to my house to listen to the ruckus, I used to be at 21 well being and 33 mana. Not loads, however barely extra well being than I had had again at stage 1, and with a lot better spells at my disposal, even when the mana pool may have used a bit extra.
As I acquired near my new house, a small homestead that I had shamelessly expropriated, as soon as I used to be sure the earlier proprietor had been whisked away by the system. It had belonged to a man named Jefferson, who was satisfied that some calamity was coming, so had been a type of loopy prepper guys. Or I assume he turned out to be proper, in a approach.
It was stocked to the gills with canned items and all types of provides, together with quite a lot of handguns and ammo, that I didn’t dare contact, since phrase round city was that gunpowder was not very secure or predictable below the brand new legal guidelines of the universe. Whereas the legal guidelines of physics nonetheless did apply, largely, they had been subservient to the legal guidelines of magic and the weather, so sure types of chemistry and extra superior know-how like something digital, was prone to not work, malfunction or be a hazard to life and limb.
The whole property was surrounded by a series hyperlink fence that was partially lined in most locations by a tall hedge. I had been that means so as to add some picket spikes or a moat or one thing, however with solely hand instruments, and quite a lot of different issues that wanted doing, that exact thought had fallen by the wayside.
Maybe that was not such a foul factor, at the very least not for Amber.
As I rounded the nook, I may distinctly acknowledge her because the one straddling the highest of my 12 foot tall fence.
Amber, my previous highschool crush, had not in any approach change into much less beautiful since then. She had left for school a yr in the past, however I assume she had been house for a go to when the System got here on-line and ruined our world.
She was a 5’6″ pure blonde, blue eyes with only a trace of inexperienced when the sunshine was good. Her chest was someplace a B and a C cup, which match completely on her nicely educated 110 pound body. Most days she could be dressed like she was about to hit the fitness center, favoring leggings and sneakers, usually with a tank high, plus a hoodie if the climate was chilly.
In the present day she was no totally different in that regard. Sneakers, a pair of black leggings that hugged her legs like a coat of paint, a pink hoodie that actually stood out within the nightfall, and a small black backpack that I had by no means seen her with earlier than.
Now she was sitting on high of my fence, making an attempt to kick the snarling creature that was making an attempt to climb the fence to maul her.
It was second nature now to activate my Appraise Enemy ability, and a small blue window briefly flashed to life and pale once more, informing me it was a stage 4 Dire Badger.
That was the strongest critter I had but seen this near city, to my property even.
And I used to be not in ok form to take it.
Sighing with remorse, I downed first a therapeutic potion, then a mana potion, figuring out that there could be a value to pay for taking two potions so shut collectively. Nonetheless, it could be higher to be alive to pay that value, than be lifeless and never having used my potions.
If it weren’t Amber, and in the event that they weren’t preventing on my precise fence, I might need simply backed away, fairly than expend the ressources.
Many of the townspeople weren’t going to outlive anyway, they usually appeared unwilling to face the truth that the previous methods had been gone. With out adapting to the brand new methods, lots of people would die.
Solely ten p.c of us had remained after the System got here on-line. I doubted greater than ten p.c of these left would nonetheless be alive in a yr.
However I used to be not keen to face by and let some creature eat Amber.
“Get away from her, you filthy.. uh… beast!” I yelled, as I made my presence identified.
I adopted my exclamation with a couple of phrases of energy, and a trie of fireplace bolts streaked from my hand in the direction of the badger.
It actually had no technique to dodge it, because it was about midway up the fence, so every of the bolts struck it completely, lighting its fur on fireplace, inflicting it to howl and hiss with ache and anger.
It appeared very spectacular, however the badger was clearly not out of it.
Abandoning its meal to confront the bigger risk, it dropped down off the fence, rolling as soon as to place out a number of the fireplace, earlier than beginning its cost in the direction of me.
The nonetheless smoldering type of the dire badger, crimson eyes obtrusive at me, yellow fangs bared and snarling, was sufficient to make my bowels flip to water, however thankfully I had gotten quite a lot of follow at being terrified these days, so I didn’t let it cease me.
I managed to solid one other Hearth Bolt spell earlier than it reached me, inflicting it to stagger simply because it reached me. Its face was lit on fireplace by the only bolt of the three that struck it. Transferring targets are at all times loads tougher, because the spell isn’t very exact and the bolts are kinda sluggish.
It was sufficient to present me a bonus, and I took it. Sidestepping to keep away from the cost, I drew my arming sword and chopped at it because it handed, my off hand on the pommel so as to add additional power to the blow.
The badger took it, a strong blow to the shoulder and leg, that in all probability would have been sufficient to cripple somebody earlier than the System, however with the hitpoints the System introduced with it, issues like harm was usually extra summary. It was nonetheless attainable to be crippled by an damage, however the danger was low till your hit factors had been under twenty p.c.
Two Hearth Bolt spells solid thus far, that left me at 60 mana. I used to be making an attempt to maintain depend in my head, fairly than must name up my standing. I discovered the bars distracting and imprecise, so I used to be making an attempt to coach myself to not use them.
The badger floor to a halt about two yards away from me, turning in the direction of me, because it pawed at its nonetheless smoldering face.
“Shoo! Go on! GIT!” I attempted, keen it to work simply this as soon as. I had managed to not take successful from it thus far, and if I did not must, I might fairly not.
If I believed I might have been in a position to make it, I might need tried to scamper up the fence myself, as capturing it with Hearth Bolts from such a vantage level would make it loads simpler to take it.
Alas, no luck. Badgers had been identified to be cussed beasts, not keen to let go of prey even in dying.
For a second, it appeared just like the world slowed down, as we every studied the opposite.
I made certain to maintain my sword in a low guard, level in the direction of the beast’s coronary heart, permitting it no opening to hurry me.
In flip it crouched low to the bottom, leaning this manner and that, searching for to seek out a gap.
Clearly it knew both from prior expertise or from my blow simply now, that the blade in entrance of it was a mortal hazard.
Instantly issues sped up as soon as extra.
Crouching decrease to the bottom, it all of a sudden leapt up excessive, arching in the direction of my face.
It took me off guard. I had absolutely anticipated it to attempt to feint a technique, then rush the opposite, not this try at being a furry meteor of claws and tooth and dying.
Unable to course of absolutely in that very instantaneous, I fell again on reflexes, and solid Magic Barrier whereas additionally dodging frantically to the facet.
Because the badger reached the sector of glowing cyan power, it slowed down a bit, sufficient to let me virtually dodge out of the best way.
The spell was meant to cease magical power, so its impact on bodily objects was not wonderful, nevertheless it was the perfect allround protection I had.
It did purchase me simply sufficient time to not get my face bit off, nevertheless it nonetheless managed to strike me with a claw, as I attempted to get out of its approach.
From a standard badger, I doubt a claw assault would have carried out something aside from depart paw prints in your jacket, however from this System enhanced Dire Badger, it was loads worse.
Razor sharp and with highly effective muscle behind, it tore a gash via my pec and entrance of my shoulder, ruining my already tousled jacket even additional.
I attempted to punish it, swinging my sword at it wildly because it handed me by, however as there was no actual power in my swing, it bounced innocent off of its thick conceal.
Having discovered no goal to land on, and being thrown even additional off steadiness by passing via the surprising magic subject, it stumbled because it landed, struggling to get its ft below it.
I used to be on my ass myself at that time, so I used to be not one to present it factors for type.
As an alternative of spending the time to get again on my ft, I took a silly probability, and solid one other Hearth Bolt spell at it.
With its again turned for a second, and at this quick vary, it could not be capable of dodge in time.
Aiming all three bolts only a tad decrease than its tail, the night as soon as once more turned vivid because the fiery missiles flew the quick distance and slammed into the Dire Badger.
It howled in agony, as at the very least one of many bolts hit its nuts. That needed to be a vital hit for certain. Whereas it was not straightforward to get crippled below the System Guidelines, vital hits had been a factor. Going for the top or different notably susceptible spots would do additional harm, and the balls on anybody or something male was most undoubtedly thought of a susceptible spot.
The badger howled in ache, and rolled over to get its injured half away from me, with its whole rear in flames.
Earlier than it may protest additional, I managed to lurch ahead a yard on my palms and knees, and slammed one other Hearth Bolt straight into its maw, mere inches from my hand.
Its head exploded.
Most of it was blown away from me, thankfully, however I did take slightly harm as a couple of bone fragments lacerated my hand.
Checking my standing briefly, I seen I used to be at 82 p.c well being. Rattling, I had not wanted to take that therapeutic potion in spite of everything. What a waste.
However, it was a very good factor I had taken that mana potion. I didn’t have sufficient left within the tank for a therapeutic spell, not to mention one other Hearth Bolt.
Standing up on unsteady legs, I set free a breath of aid.
Glancing up at Amber, I spent a second to loot the badger, dismissing the corpse as motes of sunshine into the ether.
What remained was a roll of dire badger pelt and a pile of fangs and claws. I briefly regretted not butchering it myself, questioning what dire badger would even style like, earlier than deciding I used to be in all probability higher off with simply the system loot.
It’s not like I used to be ravenous or something, what with the stash of meals Jefferson had left me.
I assume it was simply the greed drilled into me from numerous RPG classes. By no means depart loot behind.
Nonetheless, the roll of pelt was going to be value much more than what would have been the consequence, if I had tried to really pores and skin it myself, so total I ought to simply be comfortable and depend it as a win.
Amber had fallen silent throughout my battle with the Badger.
Now she was simply sitting on high of my fence like a child having been caught stealing apples.
It appeared uncomfortable straddling a series hyperlink fence like that, and he or she was utilizing each palms to assist as a lot of her weight as she may.
“Night, Amber, what brings you to my humble house?” I quipped at her, as if nothing had occurred.
“You killed it!” She said, rudely ignoring my query.
“Ah sure. I did. I do apologize, I didn’t notice it was your pet.”
“It wasn’t! It was going to eat me!”
“That’s fairly ironic, contemplating that’s precisely what you advised me to do, final time we spoke. After I advised you I used to be not going to be your chauffeur or servant, if you weren’t going to a lot as give me the time of day when different folks had been round.”
Yeah, it had been a couple of years, and I had grown loads wiser. She had been my crush, and like many different boys all through the ages, I had thought that ready on her hand and foot would make her love me again.
It did not, and after I advised her I would not put up together with her utilizing me anymore, she had advised me to ‘eat me’, flipped me the fowl for good measure, and walked out.
Again then I had been fairly on the fence about it, desirous to beg her for forgiveness, simply to have the ability to be close to her, however in the long run pleasure gained out. She moved on. I did too, after a style.
“Uhm.. yeah… are you able to give me a hand getting down from right here?” She replied, wanting fairly sheepish, as she began to attempt to make her approach again down once more.
“Positive, why not. Then you’ll be able to inform me what it’s you might be doing right here, assuming you didn’t get chased all the best way by that dire badger.”
“Is that what it was? Ow, cautious. No, I used to be already coming right here when it attacked.”
As I helped her down the previous few ft, lifting her down by her waist and planting her on her ft, I seen she winced in ache and favored one leg. Analyzing her extra fastidiously, I noticed a few gashes on her leg, blood operating freely from the place the badger will need to have caught her.
“Fortunate you managed to climb the fence, otherwise you would have gotten worse than that.” I commented, as I gestured to the wound.
“Gotten worse than… oh? OW!” As she turned conscious of the damage, the ache all of a sudden began to register. It’s humorous how adrenaline does that.
She began to pale, and it appeared like she would possibly even faint, which might be fairly annoying.
Rolling my eyes, I picked her up and princess carried her all the best way inside my home. I might not have been in a position to carry her so simply earlier than the System, however having put a couple of factors into power as I leveled up this final week, had carried out wonders.
She didn’t protest, simply stored whimpering and asking me to carry her to the physician, which I might not do, after all, as it could be loopy to hold her that far whereas she was bleeding, luring in all types of critters, and in addition to, I might be capable of do greater than the city doc anyway, as soon as I acquired a little bit of relaxation.