Ascension: Conquest: A Dystopian GameLit Saga, #1

By R. M. Mulder

Attorney by day, gamer by night. After a heart-crushing rejection, Allan Young blows off his responsibilities and escapes reality into the virtual world Conquest until his HUD starts glitching out. He wakes up the next morning to find that his neurological implant has fried yet again, and he begrudgingly decides to go to the office before he gets fired.

Allan Young is a highly skilled lawyer who has mastered his craft, honing his skills to perfection, and he's gambled his fate in a single, crucial securities contract. But when he unexpectedly meets his client one fateful morning, his entire world crashes down around him. Suddenly, Allan is the target of a brutal assassination attempt, and he finds himself caught up in a dangerous, unknown reality. Allan grapples with the shocking realization that supernatural forces are at work when his attacker transforms into a terrifying creature straight out of a nightmare, and it quickly becomes clear that something far more sinister is at play. Allan survives the attack and inherently levels up in real life, unlocking hidden powers and abilities he never knew he possessed. He finds himself embroiled in a treacherous game, where supernatural forces vie for control, and the stakes are higher than ever.

After getting knocked unconscious during the attack, he later awakens in a primitive prison of barbed wire and fencing. Allan realizes he has become a pawn in a larger game, with forces beyond his comprehension manipulating his fate. He determines that he must be inside the game CONQUEST and has entered a new level. His only ally is a mysterious vagrant who claims to have seen visions and prophecies about him who serves as a guide, offering valuable insights and guidance as he levels up and masters his newfound abilities.

As Allan delves deeper into this apparent spinoff of the game, he struggles to unravel the web of intrigue surrounding him. But will the hidden powers and talents he's discovered be enough to overcome the forces aligned against him, or will he fall prey to the nightmarish creatures that now stalk his every move? He must use his wits, strategy, and cunning to stay ahead of the competition and survive in this high-stakes world.

Allan's journey of self-discovery and survival is a thrilling adventure, filled with epic battles, leveling up, and supernatural forces beyond comprehension. He must master his skills and embrace his destiny to emerge victorious in this ultimate game of life and death.

• Language: English
• Publisher: R. M. Mulder
• Release date: Jan 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9798201888381

R. M. Mulder

Most of his friends from High School still don't even know his first name. Known only as either "Mulder" or "Agent", there was an unforgettable moment when a girl he was dating expressed her confusion when a friend approached him and called him "Richard". The ongoing joke was "Hey Mulder, where's Scully?" Ironically he later married a redhead... R. M. Mulder began querying agents for his novel CONQUEST back in January 2016. He then received some inspirational feedback from one of the editors involved in a query contest that had stated in part, "Honestly? Everything about this screams 'Blockbuster self-pub!!' Writing is sharp and commercial. Author has a plan. Go be Hugh Howey. I don't think querying is gonna go your way, and you've got big vision." Mulder ran with this inspiration, and has since become an Amazon Bestselling Author. His book CONQUEST also won 1st Place as Favorite Dystopian Book during Virtual FantasyCon 2016. Mulder invests his time and talents in his upcoming LitRPG miniseries which carry on the story of the Conquest Saga. Stay tuned by joining his newsletter for all the news about upcoming releases, super sales, and reader perks! http://newsletter.RMMulder.com

Book preview

by R.M. Mulder

Original publication date: June 2022

Copyright © 2016 R. M. Mulder

Digital Edition

This book is also available in print format.

License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Published exclusively by Indie Illuminati

Edited by Patrick Hodges

Cover art by Les

Ascension (Conquest: A Dystopian GameLit Saga)

Copyright © 2016 R. M. Mulder

ISBN: 979-8201888381

All rights reserved. Except for the use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, no known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the authors imaginations or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

This edition published by arrangement with the publisher.

www.RMMulder.com

For my dearest Alicia Ann

Thank you for all of the sacrifices you have made to make this book come to light. I love you.

Series Page

Conquest: A Dystopian GameLit Saga

Ascension (Book 1)

Deception (Book 2) Coming February 2023

Revelation (Book 3) Coming April 2023

Oppression (Book 4) Coming June 2023

Absolution (Book 5) Coming August 2023

Table of Contents

Series Page

Conquest: A Dystopian GameLit Saga

Table of Contents

Map: World of Zion

Prologue

Shadows of Darkness

Chapter One

Spawned

Chapter Two

First Stone

Chapter Three

Second Stone

Chapter Four

Surprise Attack

Chapter Five

Night Raid

Chapter Six

The BOSS

Chapter Seven

The Proposal

Chapter Eight

The Arena

Chapter Nine

Sleep Mode

Chapter Ten

Armor Up

Interlude

Haunted Memories

Chapter Eleven

The Phoenix

Chapter Twelve

Ice Demon

Chapter Thirteen

Strange Dreams

Chapter Fourteen

Attorney-Client Privilege

Chapter Fifteen

Vagrant’s Revelation

Interlude

The Leviathan

Chapter Sixteen

Unjust Detainment

Chapter Seventeen

Late Visitor

Chapter Eighteen

City of the Ancients

Chapter Nineteen

Internal Conflict

Chapter Twenty

Coronation

Chapter Twenty One

Rise to Arms

Chapter Twenty Two

Upper Hand

Chapter Twenty Three

Fresh Fodder

Chapter Twenty Four

Dragon’s Wrath

Chapter Twenty Five

Outmatched

Epilogue

Re-Awakening

About the Author

Map: World of Zion

Double-Click/Double-Tap to Zoom

Prologue

Shadows of Darkness

The voices in his mind were barely a whisper now, but they were always present. It had taken him hundreds of years to subdue them, and he feared his true intentions would soon be discovered. Though Timur Demyan had long ago yielded up his soul unto the Leviathan, he still followed his own agenda while he fulfilled the will of his Master.

Timur hid in the shadows of the park, slipping through the darkness from one shadow to the next. His prey walked quickly with eyes darting to each side like a bird wary of predators. A frantic look of desperation was plastered over the other man’s unshaven face as he flipped open his primitive cell phone device.

Come on... he heard Jason Bridger murmur to the phone as he approached the fountain. Answer already!

Allan, this is Jason. I know we haven’t spoken in a long time, but I need your help. I’ve stumbled across some disturbing information that involves one of your firm’s clients. I need to speak with you in private immediately. As soon as you get this, meet me on the east side of Buckingham Fountain. There’s little time.

The instant Jason ended the call, Timur stepped out of the shadows. Indeed, you have very little time.

Jason spun around with his concealed pistol cocked and ready. Back off, old man!

Ah. Timur limped forward with his cane in his crippled right hand while he brandished a handgun with his left. Not until you return what belongs to me.

I’m not letting you get away with this. Jason shook his head.

This scene is all too familiar. Timur chuckled as he cocked his handgun and aimed. This is exactly how your colleague died.

Without a second’s hesitation, Jason pulled the trigger. Timur fell backwards with the sudden impact that hit him in the face. Seconds later a strange greenish glow surrounded his body, and then he disappeared. Jason’s eyes grew wide, and then a bullet ripped through his abdomen. And then another through his chest. Clutching the wounds, he absently dropped his pistol as he fell to his knees.

Timur reappeared from another shadow and the strange glow around his body began to dissipate. He approached with a silencer affixed to the tip of his handgun and picked up the old thumb drive that had fallen out of Jason’s hand.

As I said earlier, you indeed have very little time. Timur sneered as he placed the tip of his handgun against Jason’s forehead. And I might add, your friend Allan has very little time as well.

Chapter One

Spawned

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void. And the Leviathan was upon the face of the deep: the darkness that doth corrupt all life and desireth to obliterate all light...

– Methuselah 3:1 –

Allan Young’s first time in such a vivid game setting sparked wonder in his eyes. His character sheet appeared in his NeuReality (NR) enhanced vision, the words hovering in mid-air.

Conquest: Player Stats

Name | @Helekith

Class | Warrior

Level | 1

Experience | 0

XP to next level | 50

HP | 100/100

Mana | 100/100

Strength |Total: 1 | Original: 1 | Level Ups: 0 | Bonuses: 0

Agility |Total: 1 | Original: 1 | Level Ups: 0 | Bonuses: 0

Stamina |Total: 1 | Original: 1 | Level Ups: 0 | Bonuses: 0

Intelligence |Total: 1 | Original: 1 | Level Ups: 0 | Bonuses: 0

Willpower |Total: 1 | Original: 1 | Level Ups: 0 | Bonuses: 0

Allan swiped away the stats and took in the beautiful view. He had never experienced NeuReality before, but he had also never expected the surroundings to feel so real.

Although, he felt he could have done with a little more clothes than a mere loincloth hanging around his waist, barely enough to cover his privates. And what was with the spear? He had no inkling of how to use that. In Real Life (RL) he was skilled with all manner of different firearms from his vast collection, but using such a primeval weapon — that was beyond his understanding.

Despite the lack of know-how he clutched the spear’s shaft tight and looked around, marveling at the wondrous and serene lay of the land. He knew this world was fantasy, yet the realistic nature of it made him feel as though he had passed through a secret time portal to a world abandoned in the past. The green mountains, the thick canopy of a large swathe of trees that stretched for leagues on one side and the grasslands sloping down the other, the muddy roads — he felt enamored by it all. It was nothing like the view from his office window of downtown Chicago where he spent his days slaving away behind his desk. It all reminded him of his youth going on hikes and campouts with his Boy Scouts troop. He missed spending time in nature.

Birds chirped in the hour of dusk, returning to their nests, trying their best to avoid the shadows of night. They almost seemed fearful of the moon and the twinkling stars above, very much preferring the bright sun and its warm rays shining in the sky. In the twilight, the hour between light and dark, the world around looked so beautiful that he felt perfectly happy, as though he didn’t want to ever log out of Conquest. It was calm and relaxing; RL had become too toxic of late. Life as a securities attorney was mundane, and boring. It was also because of that life that he had joined the game. He needed to escape.

Of course, his best friend was also to blame. Officer James Price had often tried to get him more into gaming, but he hadn't given his advice much thought until recently when a particularly difficult case had made him want to run far away. And here he was, having escaped to another word inside Conquest, and thankful for it.

He looked around. His friend was nowhere in sight, and a sigh escaped his mouth. No shocker, though. James was always late.

Perhaps he hasn't logged in yet?

Just as he thought this, a ruffling in some nearby bushes made him cautious. He turned, pointing his spear in the direction, wondering whether he could actually handle the weapon when it actually came to it. He took a bending stance, looking almost like a primate on a hunt. Breathing hard, he moved forward, slowly.

Stick and point.

He was sure that was the rule, like it was with all close-range weapons. How could a spear be any different?

A squeak sounded and a four-legged creature covered in fur lunged forward with its claws.

Threat Detected: Level 1 Rabbid

HP| 100/100

Strengths: These small rabbit-like creatures are rabid and can inflict an Instant Kill to lower-level players by biting them.

Weaknesses: [LOCKED]

He staggered, taken aback by the sudden attack, but raised his spear just in time. A delay of a mere second and the creature would have mauled him. Instead, now, its skewered corpse rested on the shaft of his spear, the bloodied point having gone through its entire body.

Impale: Easy

Instant Kill

[+5 XP]

Skill Unlocked: Impale

Delivers an Instant Kill when in close range. Chances of longer range accuracy are 25%. Greater chances for Instant Kill increase with higher levels. Requirements: Level ≥ 1, Agility ≥ 1, Stamina ≥ 1, Intelligence ≥ 1

Repulsed, he shook the corpse off of his weapon and wiped off the blood in the mud that was aplenty on the ground.

Well, I call that a start! a familiar voice said, coming up from behind.

He turned and saw his friend’s avatar approach, also wearing a mere loincloth. At first he didn't recognize him, but then his NR enhanced vision provided his handle: @DoomsDay16, which confirmed his identity.

You’re finally here, and no help. Allan said.

I logged in just now, but I didn’t expect monsters to attack so fast.

Allan smirked. Perhaps this game is above you, James.

Never! James scoffed. I’ll learn the game faster than you, and that’s a bet you don’t want to have with me.

Allan raised his hands in surrender. Not betting against you, man!

His friend laughed. Coward!

Allan’s eyes flared, but he kept quiet. He didn’t like anyone calling him a coward. But it was James, so he didn’t respond.

Well, what are these creatures? he asked.

His friend shrugged. Some four-legged monsters, no doubt. All I know is we gotta complete quests and kill monsters. We’ll know what these are when we have the knowledge stones.

"So you do know your game!"

Of course, I do. James scoffed, Who plays a game without having researched it a little?

Kills the suspense, doesn't it? he asked.

Depends on the person who’s playing. James shrugged, Me, nah. I love spoilers!

Now what?

We move forward, meet more monsters, and kill them!

Allan grunted. Meeting new monsters — now that was something he wasn’t looking forward to, but he guessed he had to. Oh, the irony. No matter the picturesque surroundings and the feeling of calm permeating the air, vicious danger was everywhere.

We move ahead, Allan said, agreeing.

It wasn’t like he could object. He didn’t want to be alone.

Not much had happened since he had skewered his first monster. Even though it did give him confidence, he still had shreds of doubt that he would survive in the game. Sheer dumb luck had helped him get rid of that creature. His fighting skills were less than ordinary. His training in law school most definitely would be of no use here. It’s not like he’d be able to negotiate his way out of a duel with a BOSS. It was almost like he was an entirely new being in this game with a totally different personality who learned things as the game progressed. Perhaps he would learn the fighting styles later on.

His friend James was busily searching around in the bushes. Allan wondered what he was doing, but he turned away. It was awkward seeing his friend in a loincloth as well. He knew it was a game and all that, but still... awkward.

Come on, man! What are you doing? he asked, his impatience finally getting the better of him.

I found a couple of stones, James explained. They were blinking, so I'm looking around to see if there are any more.

Stones? he asked, confused.

These are no ordinary stones. his friend said. These are spawn stones.

What? he furrowed his eyebrows.

Spawn Stones. Say for example if you die in the game, you will resurrect after a time. When you resurrect you will spawn at your last save point, which most of the time wouldn't be where you were last. So you can just use these stones or tokens to teleport to specific cities near the location you died. Each spawn stone is targeted to a specific city. These ones are for Samsiel, which isn’t far from here. Most of the cities are locked, but we will get to know more about them as we level up.

Sounds like I should find some too then.

Yes, you should too. James nodded, You never know. They might come in handy. And the more stones you have, the better.

He couldn’t help but agree.

They started to hunt for stones. After rummaging for what seemed to be a long while, they found a bag that kept blinking. Inside they found six more stones.

James handed him only a couple. When Allan scowled, his friend scoffed.

The fear in you shows. he tried to reason with him, So it’s not like you’ll be at the forefront of the fighting anyway. Leave the killing to me.

Allan was pissed, You already found two of your own earlier. Now you’re just being greedy.

Pointing at his four stones James continued, These stones... err... these are just for emergency usage if the monsters make it past me.

Not cool, man. Allan insisted as he held out his palm, Hand another over. Now.

What are you gonna do, sue me? James scoffed.

Allan shrugged, I easily could...

Fine. he huffed and handed him a third stone, Just don’t die early on me - or too many times for that matter.

Allan rolled his eyes, Dude. Chill out! I’ll be fine.

Whatever.

System Alert!

You are in possession of three Spawn Stones targeted to the gates of Samsiel. Do you wish to activate a Spawn Stone?

Yes | No

Allan selected 'No' and tucked the stones away in his inventory.

I'll save these for later.

James pointed toward a small settlement with thatched hay for roofs, Let’s head to those homes. Maybe we will find something else.

Allan shrugged. He didn’t know where else to go, so he just followed his friend. Regardless of the fact that they were both new to the game, Allan had to accept the truth of the matter: his friend had logged far more gaming hours over the past several years than he had.

If it weren’t for my constantly heavy workload, I’d probably be a seasoned gamer too.

So, Allan quietly agreed with his friend’s decision. It wasn’t like he could go anywhere on his own, and heading into that settlement did seem to be the most logical next step.

It didn’t take long to reach the settlement nestled against a lone hillock.

Settlement of Grimwell

Population: 36

Fortification Style: None

Strength: 0/0

Do you wish to proceed towards this settlement?

Yes | No

Allan selected 'Yes' as they entered through a stone archway. However, he noticed how quiet it was. There was nary a sign of life. Nothing. Not even a pin drop.

He looked to his friend, who suddenly appeared to be on high alert.

And for a good reason.

All at once, loud squeaks erupted from nowhere and everywhere at once. The four-legged creatures had returned! Only now they were surrounded by at least twenty.

We stumbled into their nest!

James slashed at one with his spear, killing it as it lunged at him, and then sliced his spear towards another.

Three of the creatures barreled towards him with their teeth snarling, eager to tear into his flesh. Skeptical still of handling the spear, he slashed with it anyway.

Slash: Easy

Instant Kill

[+5 XP]

Skill Unlocked: Slash

Delivers an Instant Kill when slashing your weapon at a small creatures. Greater chances for Instant Kill increase with higher levels. Requirements: Level ≥ 1, Agility ≥ 1, Stamina ≥ 1, Intelligence ≥ 1

One down. He slashed again.