Rise of the Necromancer: A LitRPG Fantasy Adventure (Enora Unleashed Book 4) Read online

  RISE OF THE NECROMANCER

  ENORA UNLEASHED VOLUME 4

  ARLO ADAMS

  DUSTIN PORTA

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  28. Enora Unleashed Book 5 is being crafted!

  1

  Five undead frigates surged forward to take position on our port and starboard as I tugged on the main sheet for all I was worth. My palms burned, and I couldn’t believe we hadn’t found or fashioned a decent pair of gloves since Retribution had assembled itself out of the compass we’d taken off the undead pirate captain on Foggy Vale Island. The storm clouds always accompanying those undead frigates poured stinging rain.

  The bow of the third enemy ship tilted hard into the sea, succumbing to our cannon fire as a whirlpool sucked it down in our wake. The system had something to say about that.

  You have sunk an undead frigate.

  +225 XP

  An undead sailor has died.

  +127 XP

  An undead sailor has died.

  +124 XP

  It repeated a half dozen times until...

  You have defeated an undead captain.

  +250 XP

  At least there was that! I shoved the notification into one corner for later analysis as Sylas howled over the sounds of high, rolling waves crashing against our bow.

  “Get that sail sheeted in or we’ll stop having reason to call you captain!”

  When I shot him a fiery glare, my first mate spun the wheel hard to starboard, causing the ship to lurch in the opposite direction. Sails threatened to tear away from the mast.

  The undead frigate on that side turned to accommodate. While the response seemed sound, I wouldn’t have had the courage to pull off the maneuver. After all, our enemies weren’t human, and there was no guarantee they’d care if we rammed them.

  But Sylas repeated the motion in the opposite direction, and I found myself stumbling across the deck then swinging by the line as I held on for dear life. A cannonball fired from the port vessel but sailed harmlessly over the Retribution before splashing into the sea.

  A warbling sensation in my brain brought me to the rail and I peered over. A draconic shape cut through the waves. It breached beside us to reveal my half dragon, half manta ray sea monster. Ping! had grown when I last leveled and looked ready to rip the gizzard out of something. Unless one of us fell into the water, I didn’t plan on any aquatic melee today, but knowing she was there to watch for sea-born threats reassured me.

  She saw me watching and let out a gleeful sonar ping, but it was almost immediately drowned out as an explosion signaled the launching of another cannonball from our port side. It sailed through the high winds then slammed into the enemy ship just above the water’s level as the ship turned hard to adjust for our change in direction. Once I’d gained my footing, I sent out a thought.

  Party Chat

  [Kyra:] Nice shot, monk!

  [Flancil:] Thanks! Reloading.

  The gnome might not have been one for tugging lines, but he could sure as shit shoot a cannon. Added to his ability to punch the ghosts we’d recently expunged from our vessel, my reluctant companion proved his worth.

  Even if he was a snarky bastard.

  I stumbled when unexpected weight prodded my shoulder then the line I grasped in both hands was yanked free. After wheeling around, I found Sylas backpedaling. The sail filled with wind.

  “Get up there and steer. Keep ’em at bay.”

  A day earlier I might have questioned the logic in a noob steering while under fire, but now wasn’t a time to shit around. I hurried to the stairs then took them two at a time as I ascended to the quarterdeck.

  A line with a hook secured the wheel to the post to keep us from turning when Sylas left his station. I struggled to free it.

  Party Chat

  [Sylas:] Hard to port!

  The wheel spun to the left. The ship turned, spars rattling against the mast as the sails lifted, spilling wind. The undead frigate accommodated a second time. A moment later, a cannon launched. I envisioned Flancil firing on the starboard side, fighting the hard tacks to cross the deck then unleashing another projectile from the other.

  Four skeletons in the center of the deck swung their swords overhead in protest of my existence. The cannonball slammed into them, a green mist shooting out from it in every direction. Their rapiers clattered to the deck as their bones disintegrated. This time, my interface was intuitive enough to condense the notification for me.

  Four undead sailors have fallen.

  +492 XP

  Despite the tension grasping every muscle in my body, my lips spread into a grin.

  Party Chat

  {Kyra:} I’m really starting to like you, gnome.

  [Flancil:] Then stop calling me gnome, shade elf!

  Dammit, the asshole was right.

  I sent a quick apology then spun the wheel back to center. Sylas tugged another line, causing all the sails to expand with the wind. The frigates began to drift backward as the Retribution crept ahead.

  A birdlike creature launched onto the deck from the crew’s quarter below then zipped aft like the motion from the waves had no effect on her. After taking up position beside me, she thrust a feathered finger toward the southeast. “Land ho, captain! That’s the place!”

  I gazed at the horizon to find a perfect square sitting completely still amongst the waves. Although I had no idea what I was looking at, I steered for it.

  A huge wave rose on our starboard side. I turned into it but cut a little too late. Wood groaned as we tilted hard in the opposite direction then Atri grabbed onto a rail. Sylas stumbled on the main deck but righted himself quickly enough. He tied off the last line before hustling forward.

  The remaining frigates fell behind and stopped firing.

  I wheeled to call up to my current helmsman. “Why are they backing off?”

  He scanned the horizon, his head craned backward then pointed to the southeast. At some distance, the full length of a massive ship eased across the water. I watched with envy as it sliced through breaking waves, its many sails adjusted by ample crew. A billow of smoke from its port bow was followed by a loud crack that carried over the storm. A glowing red cannonball hurled skyward, cut through the crosswinds, then slammed into one of the retreating frigates.

  Boards shattered. A fire raged across the deck like someone’d poured gasoline then dropped a match. Within moments, a glowing green whirlpool formed beneath the wrecked hull then tugged it beneath the high waves.

  Sylas pumped a victorious fist toward the massive ship, which didn’t turn to pursue the undead. Instead, its heading crept to the north, and I gaped in awe as it sidled up next to us over the next few minutes. Once I could see the whites of the crew’s eyeballs, a system message popped up.

  The Stone Wall

&nbsp
; Level 25

  Type: Barque

  Sails: 16

  Cannon: 12

  Masts: 3

  You have discovered a new class of ship:

  Barque

  +350 XP

  An update pane flashed on the left side of my HUD but never swept to the center.

  Discovery Update:

  Barque — Discovered

  Command Ship — Not discovered

  Corsair — Discovered

  Cutter — Discovered

  Dhow — Discovered

  Dragoon — Not discovered

  Floating Fortress — Not discovered

  Fireship — Not discovered

  Junk — Not discovered

  Ketch — Not discovered

  Warship — Not discovered

  It really was a wall of a ship—high gunwales checkered with cannon ports; wide, square sails which hung out over either side like they’d been borrowed from an even bigger boat. Its hull stretched on and on so even the three impressive masts it boasted seemed inadequate. The prow jutting out from its front was half as long as Retribution itself. An array of banners, pendants, and telltales flew from the masts, all of them blue, and the center of the mainsail was marked with a single azure teardrop. Smaller, matching icons appeared over each of the crew members’ heads when I focused on them. I waved my thanks to the larger vessel, grateful for their aide, and even more thankful not to be on their bad side as they escorted us toward what my map told me was an island.

  The distant square closed in, sunlight reflecting off its metal face. Bulkheads attached to either side stretched in two different directions before turning in behind the structure. A stone seawall continued around the shore of the island, and patches of vibrant foliage stuck up over top of it.

  A glint of light called my attention back to the square before us. A sliver of sky glowed through in a perfect vertical line, splitting its middle then widening.

  I nudged Atri. “What the hell is that?”

  She leaned forward and squinted. “A sea gate. They’re like giant doors. See how they attach to the walls on either side? Defensive structures to keep enemy ships away from vulnerable sections of the island.”

  “That’s amazing. How in the hell do they build them?”

  She shrugged. “Not my specialty, Captain Kyra. But it probably involved divers and some big ships.”

  I wasn’t sure I believed that. The walls on either side were streaked with oxidation and rust, but the gate had the immaculate finish of mirrored bronze. My gut said there was magic involved.

  As we drew closer, the high metal doors yawned open, pushing white foam before them. I ventured a glance over one shoulder to find the remaining frigates turning hard back to the west. When I was sure our heading was sound, I turned again to find them disappearing into glowing green whirlpools. A moment later, they vanished.

  Ping! popped up where they’d gone down, circled a few times, then returned to keep pace alongside us. As the water calmed, Sylas pulled lines to curl a few sails and slow our pace while I scanned little black cylinders peeking out from the high walls attached to the sea gate.

  “Those are cannons. No wonder the undead shits turned back.”

  Atri nodded and shivered from head to toe. A feather popped loose then drifted toward the deck. “Impressive.”

  You have discovered Charport.

  This well-defended port serves as the waypoint to the island town, Wayfarer’s Rest.

  +1500 XP

  Before I could absorb the information, the discovery XP was credited, golden light surrounded me, a rolling tympani of horns played a tune I hadn’t heard before, then a strings section got in on the action.

  Congratulations!

  You have reached level 20!

  +1 Intelligence

  +1 Constitution

  You have four attribute points to spend.

  WARNING

  Now that you’ve reached level 20, all XP earned since your previous level will be lost if your HP reaches zero. This applies to PVP and PVE combat, as well as deaths incurred by the environment.

  The warning signaled a new twist in my virtual life, though I’d known that bit was coming. But fifteen hundred XP for discovery of the island was a massive boon compared to areas I’d entered before. My crew whooped and hollered, and my face warmed a bit. I swung one arm across my waist and the other out to the side as I bowed.

  Advanced Combat Professions Available!

  The following ACPs are available, according to starter classes you learned during your first twenty levels in Enora. Choosing any one of these classes will reward you with one weapon of rare (blue) quality. If you choose additional ACPs, you must craft, purchase, or win the appropriate item to equip the ACP.

  While there is no limit to how many advanced combat professions you can learn, you must rank each up from level 20 as they do not sync like starter classes.

  Note: ACPs allow for your primary and secondary attributes to flip from your current attributes when changing classes.

  I homed in on one bit of that message before proceeding. Only the first advanced combat profession I chose would come with a weapon. After a quick, affirming nod, I skimmed further as Sylas steered us into the port.

  Because you learned the Combustionist class, the following Advanced Combat Professions are available:

  Blademancer

  The Blademancer is a specialty class enjoying a special attunement to metals, allowing the user to give life to fallen enemies’ blades then wield them against single targets or crowds of attackers.

  Blademancer is a hybrid casting/melee class with powerful ranged abilities as well as brutal melee attacks.

  Role: DPS

  Armor: Cloth

  Weapons: one-handed scythe, two-handed scythe, one-handed sickle, and orbs from the Shadow family of magic intended for use in the off-hand.

  Primary Attribute: Intelligence

  Attribute Bonus: +3% melee damage from all blade attacks.

  Secondary Attribute: Wisdom

  Special Abilities: Call weapon, Blade Wind, Combine Blades, Puncture

  Ability Pool: Shadow Mana

  All Combustionist spells remain available for players or NPCs who choose this class.

  Mage of the Flames

  Masters of fire magic, Mages of the Flames boast a variety of spells aimed at burning enemies for burst damage as well as damage-over-time (DOT) spells. Unlike most classes in Enora, Mages of the Flames can summon a permanent flame demon in addition to their primary pet.

  Role: DPS

  Weapons: staves, one-handed scythe, two-handed scythe, and orbs from the Shadow family of magic intended for use in the off-hand.

  Primary Attribute: Intelligence

  Attribute Bonus: +3% damage from all fire spells.

  Secondary Attribute: Wisdom

  Special Abilities: Cauterize Wound, Wall of Fire, Fireball, Flame Furnace, Summon Flame Demon, Meteor.

  Ability Pool: Lava Mana

  Because you learned the Monk class, the following Advanced Combat Professions are available:

  (Note: All Combustionist spells remain available for players or NPCs who choose this class.)

  Ninja

  Turn from the Light and into Shadow then don a ninja-yoroi to creep up on enemies before bringing explosive attacks to bear. Selecting this class will also provide you with a complete ninja-yoroi uniform of Common (white) quality.

  Role: DPS

  Armor: Cloth or leather

  Weapons: daggers, shuriken, Ninjato (off-hand sword, class-specific), katana, claws

  Primary Attribute: Dexterity

  Attribute Bonus: +15% chance to avoid enemy detection when in stealth.

  +5% chance to dodge

  Secondary Attribute: None

  Special Abilities: Garrote, Execute, Lacerate, Summon Poisoned Shuriken

  Ability Pool: Energy

  All Monk spells remain available for players or NPCs who choose this class.


  Martialist

  Masters of martial artist’s weaponry and vicious hand-to-hand combat skills, martialist is a Light-devoted and exceptionally dangerous melee DPS class in Enora Online.

  Role: DPS

  Armor: Leather or chain

  Weapons: sai, nunhuku, maces, swords, three-sectional-staves

  Primary Attribute: Dexterity

  Attribute Bonus: +5% melee damage when wielding sai or throwing stars (shuriken)

  Secondary Attribute: Strength

  Special Abilities: Downstrike, Empower, Sai Throw, Choke

  Ability Pool: Energy

  All Monk spells remain available for players or NPCs who choose this class.

  Because you learned the Night Reaper class, the following Advanced Combat Professions are available:

  Necromancer

  Shadow casters attuned to Death essence, Necromancers can raise the dead to fight alongside them. In addition, Necromancers wield Shadow magic to cast power damage-over-time, or DOT spells, to enfeeble and injure their enemies.

  Role: DPS

  Armor: Cloth

  Weapons: one-handed scythe, two-handed scythe, and orbs from the Shadow family of magic intended for use in the off-hand.

  Primary Attribute: Intelligence

  Attribute Bonus: +3% shadow magic damage from all spells.

  Secondary Attribute: Wisdom

  Special Abilities: Raise Zombie, Conjure Skeletons, Plague Strike, Detonate Corpses