Reborn- Apprentice

  Reborn

  Apprentice

  Luka Petrov

  Black Rose Press

  Contents

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Thank You

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  4. Four Years Later

  Chapter 5

  6. Three Months Later

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Keep in Touch

  Future Books

  About the Author

  Title Page

  Reclamation Series

  Reborn: Apprentice

  Book I

  Luka Petrov

  Reborn: Apprentice

  Copyright © 2019 Black Rose Press

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication maybe reproduced, stored, on a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission of the publisher or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988 or under the terms of anybody since permitting limited copying issued by the copyright leasing agency.

  This book is the work or fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidences either are the product of the author’s imagination or coincidental. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events or locales is entitling coincidental.

  ISBN: 9781794505684

  Dedication

  ~This book is dedicated to those readers who love LitRPG~

  Thank You

  Thank you for reading this book. I sincerely hope that you enjoyed it.

  Please write review for it on Amazon. I truly appreciate any support or feedback that I receive.

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  Chapter One

  “Did you get everything in the truck, dear?” My mother said as she closed the hatchback door of my 1994 green Ford Bronco.

  “Yes, I’m sure everything is in the truck. College seems so complicated. I must bring a microwave, toaster, laptop. We haven’t even purchased the books I will need for my classes yet,” I replied.

  “We will after we arrive and get you settled, don’t worry. Also, it’s reassuring to know you’re only an hour away. If you need something, you can just drive down and get it. Your dad and I will follow you in our car during the drive,” my mother explained.

  “Thanks, I appreciate you guys helping me get settled. I must admit, I’ve been anxious about college. It has worried me I won’t make any friends, will I do well in my classes?”

  “Dear, you will be just fine. You graduated in the top ten in your class, I don’t know how you did it all.”

  “Thanks, mom, I appreciate that.”

  “Let’s get going, your dad is in the car, waiting.”

  The drive was pleasant, down the highway. Just as the commute passed an hour, the university of where I would spend the next four years emerged at the horizon, Cedar Ridge College. It was not my first choice, but they accepted me in my major, Biochemistry, and provided me with an academic scholarship, which was almost a full ride. I was planning on taking the student loans out when I entered medical school, so it was nice to attend a small university before going to a larger one for medical school.

  We parked right outside my dorm room's building on the college campus. Wow! It thrilled me to move out and to begin a fresh chapter in my life. Not wanting to have a roommate, I elected a single dorm. Sometimes, I found it painful and taxing on my energy to be among people all the time. Plus, I would need it quiet when I studied.

  I walked to my parents’ car and my dad rolled down the window. “Wait here, I will go register and get my key to the room,” I explained.

  “Gotcha, give me your car key, and your mom and I will make sense of your trunk.”

  I handed him my keys and made my way to the dorm building. Everyone was moving in today. Classes would begin on Monday, so this weekend was the time that all the students were moving in after the summer.

  As I approached the dorm building, there was a line for the check-in table where four students sat in front of signs, A-F, G-L, M-S, T-Z. I made my way to the T-Z line. Thankfully, my line was nice and short, being the end of the alphabet had its perks.

  When it became my turn to receive my keys, the student sitting at the table asked, “First and last name, please.”

  “Edward White,” I replied.

  “Found you right here. You’re in the dorm room numbered 610, initial here that you have received your keys,” as he pointed to a line next to my name.

  I initialed right next to my name. “Thank you,” I said as the student handed me a key.

  I returned to my parents, who were carrying boxes toward the building.

  “What did you put in here, Ed? Dead bodies?” My dad joked.

  “Funny dad!” I shouted and took another bag.

  My dad and I carried all the heavy boxes up from the car. Six flights of stairs were tough! My mom held the doors open and carried the lighter items while my dad and I were the heavy lifters.

  We were on our last trip up the stairs and were preparing to unpack when my dad dropped one box on the floor. It hit the floor with an unexpected crash. I recognized which box this was, and my heart fell into my stomach. “Dad! Careful with that box!” I shouted, seeing him handle my most prized possession.

  “What’s in here that has you all worked up?” My dad asked as he examined the box. A grimace appeared on his face as he says, “This isn’t those, those models are they?”

  “Yes, those are my… my er….. my models,” I explained.

  “You're aware, those could have stayed home. I don’t understand why you’re so attached to them,” my dad attested.

  “You wouldn’t understand,” I replied. He would not understand how much these miniatures meant. Some of my most favorite times, while I was in high school, were when my friends got together after school let out and played in one classroom that a teacher allowed us in. She stayed after school to grade English papers. My buddy, Rick asked her if we could use her classroom to play our favorite RPG tabletop game while she graded papers. We promised not to disturb her while she worked.

  I learned about RPGs from a friend who’s dad played. I didn’t understand the obsession at first, but once I understood the concept, I was hooked. I loved the verbal impersonations we would like the characters, and using cognitive skills, logic, and mathematics combined wi
th imagination was all I needed to keep playing. My favorite part of the RPG session when the DM came up with an NPC that our party would encounter. Those were some of my best memories. I hoped I would find a group in college. I’m sure it would not be as fun as my group in high school, but I loved to play.

  We unpacked all the boxes and settled the items in my new dorm room. I set up my computer, while my mom set up my microwave, toaster, and the bare dining wear I brought. My dad helped with connecting my printer and organizing the modest number of books in the bookshelf.

  I unpacked my miniatures. One by one, I placed each of them on my desk in order. The pewter miniatures were what I lived for. I used them in my favorite role play game. Of all the things I owned, these were my prized possession.

  As I arranged them on my desk, I picked up and studied the wizard, my favorite. There was something mystical about magic users, especially black magic. I enjoyed having offensive magic. White magic or healers were necessary but boring. Clerics and Druids are wise and connected to the divine. Bards, sorcerers, and warlocks are all about force of personality. However, wizards, wizards are where the true intellect, analytics, and mental drive besides.

  Wizards solve puzzles, gather information, and reach their true intuition. That is onto of throwing fire bolts or making things invisible. I have mastered spell utilization, and in certain sessions, they had allowed me to make my own spells, which only increased my intrinsic reward.

  It is difficult playing the wizard. First off, there is a lot of research. Could that with strategically using spells increase invisibility? Of the different schools of magic, I impartial to evoking magic.

  “Looks like we are done! Ed, welcome to your new home! Let’s go to the downtown and get lunch before we head back home,” my mom announced.

  “That sounds like a spectacular idea. Ed, where would you like to eat? Do you remember of any food places around here from your visits?” my dad asked.

  We got into my parents’ car, a drove downtown. They would drop me off back at the dorm after lunch and head home.

  As we walked around the inmate and small downtown, We passed by sushi place that looked tempting, “Hey, let’s eat here. It looks marvelous.”

  “I don’t like raw fish, down the street there is a burger joint, let’s go there,” my dad interjected.

  “Oh, that place makes a juicy burger. I wanted sushi though. When I visited the campus, one day I was here, they took us to that burger place, I think it’s called Burger Bar, it’s a nice little place. They serve craft burgers where you can add gourmet ingredients and they have a wide variety of fries. They have truffle fries with parmesan cheese on top, sweet potato fries, garlic fries, and regular fries,” I recalled.

  “Sounds fantastic, let’s go,” my dad said.

  We walked passed the sushi place and down the street to Burger Bar. I perused the menu and settled on a mushroom and Swiss burger. My parents each had the black and bleu burgers. We shared the truffle fries, one of my favorite things in the whole wide world.

  “College will be hard, son,” my dad started off. “You will need to buckle down to get into a good med school.”

  “Yes, dad. I realize that. That is my one goal, to get into a proper medical school,” I replied.

  “And don’t let girls impede your goals. They can distract you from your studies. They need continuous attention. My advice, stay away!” My dad iterated.

  “Come on, Carl. What if he finds the love of his life? He can study hard, and look for a wife in college,” my mother interjected. “I want grandchildren in the latter ten years.”

  “He can have all of that after med school, it will bless us to have a doctor in the family,” my dad defended.

  I refereed their humorous disagreement, “Time will tell what happens. I’m not looking to settle down right now or before med school, but if the right one comes along, that all could change.”

  “On the subject of your social life, dear. Try not to drink too much. If you drink, only have a beer or two,” my mother advised.

  “Charlene, he’s underage. He will not be drinking,” noted my dad.

  “Carl, this is college. Someone will buy it for all the underage students. We are naïve if we believe that.”

  “Great point, right, Ed. Do not drink too often, but a good hangover will reinforce that learning,” said my dad.

  “I’ll remember that I’ve never drunk before,” I assured them.

  “Also, don’t forget to wrap it up. You may not be looking for a wife, but there will be plenty of charming girls. In college, they like to be loose,” said my dad. Just as the words left his mouth, my mom choked on her tea.

  “Carl!” Shouted my mom.

  "What? That’s one thing I don’t want him learning the hard way. Between venereal diseases and pregnancies, all it takes is one misstep," my dad defended his advisement.

  “I will remember that,” I assured him.

  We finished our burgers and headed toward the car. We had parked the car down the street since we had walked a little downtown. Amid crossing the last intersection until we reached our car, a car blew the stoplight and was barreling toward my mom.

  I sprinted toward her, shouting, “Mom! Get out of the way.”

  Just as I reached her, I pushed her to the curb. That was a tight call, just then, I felt the impact of the vehicle propel me into the air. I landed several feet in front of the car. As I laid there, I heard my parents crying out my name, “Edward.”

  I could not respond to them and to let them know I was all right.

  My eyes fluttered open to a bright white light. I must be in the operating room of a hospital, I guess the anesthesia is wearing off. The doctor should give me more. Wait, a second. I’m wide awake, where are all the doctors? As I sat up, I felt no pain, weird.

  As I take in my surroundings, I see two chairs and a table in the middle of a starch white room. Where am I? I turn my head and see a man sitting in one chair. I pry myself up to ask the man where in the world I am. This is all very confusing. I need to get back to my parents and let them know I am all right.

  After struggling to get myself to my feet, I wandered to the table and chairs. Weird, I cannot see the ground beneath my feet, yet I can walk. I sat at the chair opposite the man. I try to focus my eyes on the man’s face, but cannot make his features out.

  “Do you know where you are?” The man asked.

  “The hospital, I believe. Will you release me to go home soon? Can I see my parents?” I asked.

  “Ed,” the man said in an amiable voice. “You died. The car hit you while you saved your mother. The driver had stolen the car just down the street and was attempting to get out of the city when he struck you. The impact killed you instantly. Don’t worry, you did not suffer. You died quick.”

  “I vaguely remember that. How is my mom, is she OK?” I asked.

  “Your mother is perfectly fine, however, she has entered a depression and hasn’t eaten for days. She has survivor’s guilt, but has your dad to lean on,” the figure explained. “This incident has been an appalling ordeal for her. She will pull out of this, but she is mourning the loss of her sole child.”

  “So, what happens now?” I asked.

  “You have three choices, Ed. Your initial choice is to reincarnate on Earth. You cannot remember anything from your previous life, I will move you to a distant country with a strange family,” explained the figure.

  “What are my other two choices?” I asked.

  “I was getting to those, Ed. Your other two choices are very diverse. The next option is you can go to, what you humans call, Heaven. You have sufficient merits behind you from this life and your previous lives on Earth, you have earned yourself a spot. Congratulations, that is a worthy accomplishment. Most of these conversations, I have to let the wretched souls know they must fulfill more of their potential before I allow them into the pearly gates.”

  “Huh… Thank you? Are you suggesting that should be my choice?” I
asked.

  “Well, no. I will not advise you on what to choose. I will only provide you with information. Your third option is you may reincarnate to an extraordinary universe,” explained the man.

  “I have already done reincarnation of the world I came from, so I do not have an interest in that. Please give me more information about Heaven and of the extraordinary universe?” I asked.

  The figure of the man explained, “Well, let’s see. I’ll try to explain both of the locations the best I can, knowing you do not have previous experience with them. Heaven processes the souls and places them into a greater multi-verse. The originating universe helps mature the soul to where it can function in the broader multi-verse, and thankfully, this last go around, your soul has matured to that level.”

  “Perhaps I should go there, since I finally earned a spot,” I reasoned.

  “Not so fast. Let me explain the third and final option. I base this extraordinary universe on magic, however, lately, it is running on a deficit. Too many souls are dying and not wanting to reincarnate there,” explained the figure.

  Puzzled, I asked, “Why is that?”

  The figure flipped through the papers on the table, and studied one page in the stack, “According to my data, it appears the reason that souls do not wanting to reincarnate there is because of the Demon Lord Abraxas.”

  “Demon Lord? As in the arch-enemy I am used to an RPG game?” I questioned, with a little excitement.

  The figure hesitated before responding, “That is exactly how this universe is, it is a real-life RPG.”