Samurai reborn an isekai.., p.1
Samurai Reborn-An Isekai LitRPG Adventure: Episode 2, page 1
Zeph Baxter
Samurai Reborn-An Isekai LitRPG Adventure
Episode 2
First published by Zeph Baxter Press 2024
Copyright © 2024 by Zeph Baxter
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
Zeph Baxter asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
Zeph Baxter has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
Zeph Baxter is a pen name used by Muaz A. Niazi.
First edition
Cover art by Getcovers
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Contents
1. The Fall
2. Eclipse Inn
3. Betrayal
4. Parting Gift
5. Super-Samurai
Author’s Note
About the Author
Also by Zeph Baxter
One
The Fall
Help current stats
Level 1
MP: 100
HP: 60
Strength: 15
Intelligence: 60
Agility: 10
Charisma: 10
Stamina: 15
The moment Jace opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by a chorus of voices he had never heard before.
“Just look at this sword. Now that’s something I would love to behold in a fight. And you should see these amazing markings. I wonder where they came from,” said a man.
“You like the sword because you haven’t seen what’s inside his backpack. The supplies he has are the real find,” said a second voice, this time a woman.
The third man’s voice had a commanding undertone as he said, “That just means he has a sponsor with deep pockets.”
“Any ideas on what we can do with him?”
“Can’t we just abandon him here?”
“Uh-uh, that won’t work. He can report us and if he does that, we would never be able to set foot in a dungeon again.”
Jace winced as a throbbing headache pulsed through his temples, making him feel nauseated. He wondered who these people were and why they had attacked him.
He desperately attempted to speak, but the searing pain in his head silenced him, leaving him unable to communicate.
“Let’s get it over with, then.”
“Okay. You take his head, and I’ll lift his feet.”
Powerful hands carried him as easily as if he were nothing more than a small bag of potatoes. He tried moving but couldn’t. He wondered if they had tied him with rope or something. Should I summon Daelan now? He wanted to, but the memory of Daelan’s indifference from their last encounter held him back.
Jace’s heart raced, but he fought to regain control of his emotions. After several exhausting minutes of walking, his captors finally ceased their relentless pace. His eyes fluttered open, but the world appeared hazy and indistinct, a result of the earlier blow to his head.
{Urgent Mission: Fall imminent. Save yourself}
Inhaling deeply, Jace tried to release all his thoughts and worries, focusing on the calming rhythm of his breath. His attention was fixed to the sky, as he noticed how it had changed from completely covered with clouds to a clear, expansive view. It was an oddly unsettling day to find oneself in a predicament. With his heart racing, he couldn’t help but wonder what they had in store for him.
Before he knew it, he found himself being swung to the sides, slowly gaining momentum. A sickening feeling crept inside him as he realized what was about to happen. He closed his eyes and waited for them to tossed him over.
Jace wasn’t sure what woke him up. Whether it was the intense sunlight, the burning pain on his back, or the constant buzzing of flies around his face, he was grateful to have miraculously survived. Despite the pain it caused, the oddly comforting sound of the thud was at least something to hold onto. However, even during the fall and the subsequent rolling down the hill, he somehow felt that his time was not yet over.
Despite getting rid of his captors, his hands and feet remained tightly bound, intensifying his feeling of hopelessness. The ropes constricted around his wrists, reminding him of the urgency to break free, but the method eluded him.
Help current stats
Level 1
MP: 100
HP: 40
Strength: 15
Intelligence: 60
Agility: 10
Charisma: 10
Stamina: 15
He breathed in the acrid forest air. That was the precise moment when he first heard the growling of distant wild animals. The ground trembled beneath him as the thunderous sounds grew louder slowly but surely. He sensed the distant sounds of numerous footsteps growing louder, creating a symphony that built up to an expected peak.
{Warning: Possible eradication. Probability: 8/10}
He was aware of the need to act, but he was unsure of his options. He pondered whether he had any items in his game inventory that could assist him.
Help open inventory.
Inventory opened.
[You have the Doohickey. Equip Y/N]
The Doohickey sounded interesting. He wondered. Can I use it somehow?
The last time he had used it was in the test dungeon and it had completely dismantled the incoming robot saving him from imminent death. Could it help him again? It didn’t hurt to try. After all, what else could he do anyway.
[Mission prompt: Time running out. You need to complete the emergency mission]
He selected Yes.
{Doohickey equipped}
The smooth texture of the Doohickey felt oddly comforting in his hands.
[Turn Doohickey self-preservation mode on Y/N]
He selected yes.
His heart started to beat faster. Even though it was cold, he could feel the warmth of sweat running down his face, instantly freezing on contact. Come on, now Doohickey, do your thing!
{Doohickey self-preservation mode activated. Disintegrating ropes}
The thought had never occurred to him that the “Doohickey” had such capabilities. As it turns out, the weird thing is more than just a curiosity; it possesses some interesting functionality.
He felt his hands and feet getting free, but the sense of urgency didn’t subside. With deliberate and painful movements, he pushed himself up, feeling the resistance of every muscle in his body after the prolonged captivity.
His nose detected hints of foul breath, reminiscent of the stench he had encountered in the battle with the rabid weredog. He had to hide somewhere. But where? He looked around. Gazing to the Northeast, he couldn’t help but be intrigued by the sight of a prominent hill rising in the distance. From his vantage point, he could see the cliff to the South, a chilling reminder of the betrayal he had endured. As the sounds grew nearer and the growls louder, he limped towards the hill, his every step filled with pain.
He could now see a snow cloud on the side. He knew it was only moments before they arrived. Desperate to escape, he pushed himself to jog faster. He was almost a hundred feet away from the foot of the hill now.
The animals that showed up first howled in a rabid feeding frenzy, their eyes red, their mouths wet. Jace looked back realizing the hopelessness of his situation. It was the first time he missed not having any weapon.
Making ropes vanish had been a nice trick, but could the Doohickey help when faced with such a large and wild herd? The animals started gathering around him in a circle. He tried waving the Doohickey towards them all the while realizing its futility.
His attention was captured by a sudden disturbance among the weredogs. First, an animal soared through the sky, propelled upwards as though launched by a catapult. Then another. And one more. A blur streaked towards him, effortlessly tearing through the pack like a hot knife through butter. The animals at the front were now distracted, their ears perked up and their eyes darting around anxiously.
“Yahooo,” cried a voice.
His savior emerged from the shadows just when he thought all hope was lost. N stood there, resembling a knight with a sword that emitted sparks and an otherworldly glow, reminiscent of a lightning bolt. He watched as she effortlessly dispatched the last of the animals and faced him.
“Miss me?” she asked as she drew near, standing in front of him as a guard.
“I didn’t realize how much.”
Strewn before them were the lifeless bodies of countless weredogs, their forms sliced open and illuminated by the radiant glow of N’s sword. The rest seemed a lot less ambitious about coming closer. N menacingly moved toward them, causing them to retreat hurriedly.
“How did you find me?”
“Well, I found your stuff with your friends, and they explained to
With a grateful gesture, Jace accepted the backpack and sword from her.
“Were they so cooperative?”
“Huh. You’ll be surprised how persuasive I can be.”
“Uh oh. I better stay on your good side then.”
“So, where are they now? Those three. Did you just let them go?”
N chuckled.
“You needn’t worry about them now. I don’t think they’ll be troubling us anymore.”
Jace looked at N in awe. The woman had taken three warriors down, all larger than her, and didn’t even seem to have broken a sweat.
“Are you sure? What if they come back after us?”
“Jace. Stop worrying about them now. We needed you back and you are safe now, right?”
“Yes, I guess.”
“So, you just keep your end of the bargain. Your safety is our job. The only reason you got lost this time was because of the entry into the dungeon. Paul said this can happen.”
“I’m still worried because I haven’t figured out my role in the mission. I have done nothing at all to help the team.”
“You can go ask Paul. I am sure he’ll find some use for you.”
As soon as they were about to leave the ground, Jace turned towards a cave, where he thought he heard a whimpering sound.
“What are you up to now?” asked N.
“I just want to check on something.”
“Oh, is there some place important for you to go to? May I remind you, this is a battlefield, not your mom’s living quarters.”
“Just give me a couple of minutes, will you?”
“Okay, fine. One minute. And better hurry. We don’t know what other monsters are coming our way.”
“There are more?”
“Yeah, that’s how it is.”
With N closely following, Jace peered inside. In front of them was a weredog. It was clearly smaller than the rest and a lot friendlier, but there seemed something different about it. Seeing them, it started wagging its tail.
N unsheathed her lightning sword.
“Hey, stop. Why do you have to kill everything?”
“Didn’t you see what these beasts can do?”
“They were rabid. This one doesn’t seem even sick. Look at it. It’s cute and furry.”
“Hmm. Jace, we are not here for fun. What do you want to do with it? You can’t just keep him as a pet.”
“Why can’t I?”
“Are you even listening to yourself? Seriously. We are in a life-and-death situation, and you want to keep a pet? Did one of the rabid weredogs bite you or something?”
“Look. You told me you’ll keep me safe. So, keeping a regular weredog doesn’t hurt, right?”
N looked at him with a look that told him her disapproval.
“I only said I’ll try to save you,” she replied, her patience wearing thin. “But if you continue to annoy me, I will have no choice but to reconsider my decision.”
“Come on, now. N, please have a heart.”
“No, you are going to come with me right now,” she demanded, “Or I’ll leave you stranded with this so-called ‘pet’ of yours.”
“Just let me keep him. I’ll be the one responsible for it. I’ll do as you folks want me to.”
“You are utterly useless and a total pain to deal with. I am telling Paul I am not babysitting you after we get back. Not what I signed up for.”
Jace petted the animal, whose tail wagged faster.
“See, he is friendly. Look here, Auntie N. He’s strong, furry, and so cute. And just see his green eyes. Auntie N is not that bad. She has a kind heart.”
“I am not looking at him. And Jace…”
“What?”
“Hmm. Keeping a pet is a responsibility. If you keep him, you’ll have to feed him as well.”
“Yes, I know. But I have a hunch that he can do the feeding part himself. He might be small for a weredog or whatever weird species he is, but he is already the same size as a full-grown German shepherd. Isn’t he a beauty?”
N glared at him disapprovingly as they hurried along the path when all of a sudden, a loud sound startled them.
Two
Eclipse Inn
“Was that a troll that you all just defeated?” asked Jace.
“Oh, look who graced us with their presence,” Crete said sarcastically.
“Hilarious. At least, we came back,” asked N. “Didn’t we?”
“Yes, you did, but after we are done with most battles. What’s the rush? You could have waited till we killed the boss, too. I think the only thing left for you now is to collect the bounty.”
“Really Crete? I only went to retrieve Jace.”
“Couldn’t he have come back himself?”
“Apparently not. First, he’s new.”
“Who isn’t?”
“He also got himself in major trouble.”
“I still don’t recall the part of the contract where it says that is my problem. Or am I missing something?”
“On a separate note, first time I have seen a troll. And it was awesome,” said Dilara, trying hard to diffuse the tension.
“Was the troll awesome?” asked Jace.
“No, not the troll, silly—it was disgusting. Fighting it, however, was awesome,” said Dilara.
“With no help from either of you, of course,” said Crete. “Just saying.”
“Wow. That must have been something. So, how did you know it wasn’t the Dungeon boss?” asked N, ignoring the sarcasm.
“I think there would be some special effects, if we did that,” said Dilara.
“Folks, stop arguing. Yes, he looked tough at first, but he certainly wasn’t the boss. Maybe he might have been some kind of second in command or something,” said Paul. “But I have a gut feeling, though, that we are close.”
“Close to what? The Phoenix?” said Jace.
“Where did the ‘phoenix’ come up now? Jace, are you feeling okay, buddy?” asked Paul.
“I think I might have heard someone say something about a phoenix,” said Jace, his face turning red.
I if I am the only one who can see the AI notifications, maybe it is for a reason. I think I’ll stick with it.
“Hmm. It’s interesting, though,” said Paul. “If you heard about it from the bandits, then we might need to reevaluate things.”
“Phoenix? Isn’t that a mythical creature reborn from its ashes or something?” asked N.
“Yes, but I have never heard of one in real life or in a dungeon,” said N.
“So, if it is real, it might be an interesting monster to fight. At least, I won’t try to kill it using fire,” said Crete, chuckling. “It will just keep getting reborn in an endless time loop.”
“Yeah, that would be a total waste of effort,” said Paul, seriously.
“And speaking of effort, I am done for the day. It’s almost night-time, anyway. What do we do now?” asked Crete.
“I think we’ll do what every self-respecting warrior should do at the end of a tiring day.”
“And what would that be? Enlighten us?”
“We should find ourselves a cozy place where we can rest and recuperate. Lots of food, drinks, music, and comfy beds.”
“My aching back says that sounds too good to be true,” said Crete. “How are we going to find something like that here?”
“Well, if there’s a place like that, I say we should start looking for it right now while we have a few hours left of sunlight,” said N.
“Well. Let me check here in my dungeon connector. Aha. Look here folks, do you see this mark?”
They drew closer to look at the strange-looking device in Paul’s hands.
“Yes, what is it?”
“It is a locator beacon telling us we need to get up there,” Paul replied, pointing towards the mountains. “Seems distant, but I think it shouldn’t be far.”
“So, why couldn’t we have known about it earlier on?”
“Because they only turn on the beacon when it’s close to night time.”
“Are you sure about going there?” asked Jace.
“You are asking us like we have another option,” asked Crete. “Jace, where else would you have us spend the night—enlighten us?”
“I don’t know. It’s just my gut feeling. Maybe it would be safer if we camped outside.”
“With the monsters running around? Why would anyone want to do that?”
