The Bloodless Legend: A LitRPG Apocalypse

Kai fidgeted with the drained crystal and empty honey jars. With food and healing sorted, he had one last thing to do. He made sure he was comfortable on the ground. This better work. He winced in anticipation as he confirmed the required 20 points into mind.

Pain roared to life deep behind his eyeballs, as if someone was slowly sliding a knife into his brain. His vision swirled as he clutched his skull in his hands and screamed soundlessly into the empty tunnel. All he could do was focus on the headache, honing in on every sensation. Where it came from, how badly it hurt, and how badly he wanted it to stop. Seconds of eternity later, his mind cleared and the pain wracking his mind and body eased. His face lit up as neurons fired like shooting stars through his memories.

Mind: F-Awakened (0/40 points)

Thought speed, memory and mental resistance.

1 stat point to assign

Kai flexed his fingers while scouring his memories for lost knowledge. He didn’t feel smarter, but could think slightly faster and recall details more clearly. What he remembered was not what he searched for, but clearly his brain thought it was more important. Stupid brain. He recalled the Starforger rambling on about refining aura and manifesting one’s soul while Kai had been busy crushing his soul-planet smaller. Kai was glad for the insight, but equally frustrated that there was no immediate improvement in recalling his eight techniques. Wait… I can remember I have eight now? Good brain!

His spark of hope blazed like a sun and a grin dawned across his face. He was going to keep trying until he grasped his first form. Everything else be damned until I recall my first form, including the blasted trial! He rolled his shoulders, eager to find some Ooze hounds.

But before that, he had one new notification to deal with.

Mind, Body, Senses have all reached F-Awakened.

Vital Hunter has triggered a discovery!

Apex Bloodborn: Rarity upgraded by +1!

Apex Explorer: +1 choice!

Reward: Discover a vital trait

Claim: Yes / No

Kai grinned at Bloodborn and Explorer, improving his discovery. He wondered if individuals who did not balance their stats had specialised roles in teams. He suspected a balanced approach was the slower but more rewarding path thanks to the extra discoveries. However he was frustrated that he had no way of knowing for sure if just improving his body was best for him specifically.

Select one new Vital Trait:

Vital Trait: Breath of the Leviathan (Flawed)

Details: You are able to breathe in space and your lungs are resistant to some toxic gases.

Fusion: Scales with Senses

Vital Trait: Neural Regeneration (Flawed)

Details: Improved ability to function while in pain, minor cognitive restoration.

Fusion: Scales with Mind

Breath of the Leviathan would be useful if he wasn’t stuck underground; even once he got out, he was still on Earth, so breathing in space seemed useless. He suspected it was a discovery from witnessing the titanic leviathan the Starforger obliterated in space.

Not that it came close to what had caught his attention. Kai read the Neural Regeneration trait for the fifth time, before claiming it. Pain resistance and minor cognitive restoration.

His heart thumped as his fingers fidgeted in the dirt. Kai cleared his throat a few times.

“Test, this is a test. More testing. Yes! This is aw-awesome — son of a motherless goat!” His fists shook as he squeezed them. His speech had improved, but there was still a slight stutter. One more mind upgrade, I hope. Either way, the extra pain suppression would be supremely helpful given the thrashings he’d received.

Kai gazed at the white lines of faded scars on his hands and arms, his favourite passage rising to the surface of his mind: ‘Legends never die, they are written down in eternity. But you will never see the price it costs. Scars collected like stars all their lives.’

Looking at his open hands he understood the price he’d paid, and how much it may yet cost him.

Kai let out a slow breath to calm down from the one-two punch of an anxiety attack and a revelation; he was no legend, just a man running around in the dirt prioritising the recovery of his techniques more than his life.

I can’t stop now... I can’t.

He shifted his mind onto something else that was now bugging him, the severe reactions he’d had when upgrading his vital attributes. Perhaps it’s because I allocated all my stats at once? His physique could probably process the gradual removal of impurities or upgrading of muscle tissue over time, but not all at once.

Kai was tempted to put his last free stat point into mind, but it was impractical; his survival dictated body had to be first. Placing his last point into his body stat, his face flushed and his body produced a lone bead of sweat — but that was it.

I’m an idiot, Kai thought.

Kura chuckled, swelling with pride, her chest all puffed up, if she had a nose it would be haughtily in the air. Kai's face flatlined. Shaking his head, he made a mental note to gradually place points into his body stat. He glanced at Kura with a sigh as he rose to his feet. “Onwards, my flesh-eating friend!”