Inflame
The Completionist Chronicles Book Six
Dakota Krout
Copyright © 2021 by Dakota Krout
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Newsletter
Prologue
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
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Epilogue
Afterword
About Dakota Krout
About Mountaindale Press
Mountaindale Press Titles
Acknowledgments
As always, it is a true delight to release a new novel into the world. It looks good and is on time only ever thanks to my lovely wife, boss, and best friend: Danielle Krout.
I would like to make a special thank you to a few groups of people, as well as a few spectacular individuals. My followers on Facebook, thank you so much for sticking with me and getting as excited about the process as I do! My Patreons, thank you for wanting to be the first to have eyes on the work, and for giving me tips to make it all better.
Finally, to Aaron Walker, Jim Eleven, Mike Hernandez, Michael Pregler, Kyyle Newton, Garett Loosen, Chioke Nelson, John Grover, William Merrick, Justin Williams, Samuel Landrie, and Karnnie… thank you for doing so much, and asking for so little in return.
Newsletter
Don’t miss out on future releases! Sign up for my newsletter to stay up to date. And as always, thank you for your support! You are the reason I’m able to bring these stories to life.
Prologue
“Hello,” a musical voice called over as Joe peered around from the fluffy chair that he found himself in. He blinked as he locked eyes with an Elf. “Welcome to Alfenheim. You have a choice to make.”
“Welcome to Svaltarheim, and the choice should be an easy one!” the Dwarf on the other side called out. “Join the snooty Elves, and become a sworn enemy of the Dwarves-”
“Or join the unruly mob that is the Dwarves, and become the sworn enemy of the Elves.”
Joe tried to catch his breath, but every single moment felt like standing in the presence of King Henry. The Dwarf narrowed his eyes as he watched Joe struggle to breathe. “You… celestials above, human! You didn’t wait to break the mortal limit before you came here?”
“This one is clearly going to join the Dwarves; he must have no intelligence at all. I’m pleased to see that not every human that comes to this plane is going to be as talented and impressive as all the other ones that already arrived and joined us.” The Elf scoffed as Joe fully collapsed to the ground. “Look at him. This is a joke, for sure. Dwarf, you may as well leave; he has no physicality at all. He’s all mind characteristics, so there’s nothing he will want from you. Even if we have no choice but to accept him, he’ll certainly want to join the group that can actually help him.”
“Pah! That’s exactly why he’ll join the Dwarves!” The stocky recruiter stepped forward and reached out a hand to help Joe up. “He needs to beef up! Focusing on his mind above all else has made him as weak as a kitten, and he’s getting a chance to rectify that. Come on, lad, as soon as you join up with me, we'll go get a steak together!”
“Touch him…” The Elf threatened softly as the Dwarf reached out, “…and this is the last time we will see a peaceful recruitment. You know the rules. They have to make their choice alone, and anything we do besides informing them of their options will be seen as an act of aggression. Help him or hurt him before he chooses, and all potential recruits start spawning into a dungeon.”
A look of sorrowful hesitation crossed the Dwarf’s face, and he reluctantly dropped his hand. “I’m sorry that I cannot take this moment to do right by you, human. Arrow-Head over there has a point. There are precious few places where we can be in the same area without killing each other directly. If one of us messes this up, it will mean a demotion, at best.”
The Elf turned on the Dwarf and spat to the side. “Arrow-Head? Ah, my ears; I see. Yes, personal attacks are exactly what I expect from rabble such as you. Eventually, we will meet on the field of battle, and I will teach you that there are people beyond people, and heavens beyond the heavens. Your secular ways truly shine through with everything you do.”
Joe wheezed, but only frothing bubbles came out of his mouth as he tried to force his lungs to voice the words he wanted to speak. He couldn't get out more than a pained grunt, and the Elf and Dwarf were forced to watch without helping as the energetic environment of the second Zone slowly crushed and suffocated him over the next hour.
There was only one benefit to this terrible pressure: it counted as characteristic training all by itself.
Characteristic training complete. +1 Strength, Constitution, Wisdom, Perception. Caution: there appear to be massive downsides to training in this style!
You have died! Calculating: you have lost 4,400 experience! You will respawn in 12 of Zone Two’s hours!
Joe blinked and found himself in his respawn room. He sank into the giant bean bag cushion that appeared in the center of
