Player Reached the Top. LitRPG series. Book I Page 16

  Will took a piece of paper from the desk of the captain, had a look at the map, and scribbled something down. “Here’s the address where the old librarian lived.”

  The captain read the address and frowned. “Lived?”

  “Yes. Yesterday we came to his house, but a Latian spy in his guise greeted us. We did not hide his corpse.”

  “A Latian spy? Why, what for?!” The captain obviously understood nothing. “But how did you know the was Latian? They are masters of disguise.”

  “We just asked questions which made him revert to his true form.”

  “And what questions were those? They don't call themselves ‘Spies’ for nothing. I know they are given adequate professional training and hired to solve any problem outside their home country.”

  Will related all that had happened. He showed the captain the shard and then told him about the book and the device similar to the transformer.

  “Cursed Nest? Erm… Ten years ago, there was a rumour that the Latians’ activities had intensified across all territories of our Floor. A search of some cursed items was mentioned, if I recall… but now you confirm that rumour. You, White Raven, have become a catalyst. But why was Shalvar Horsus into that stuff?

  “He had a soft spot for complicated puzzles. One might call it a hobby,” Daltaro wormed himself into the conversation.

  “It is clear. Thank you for this information, but, unfortunately, we cannot declare that the Swarm citizens have broken the Non-Aggression Treaty without strong evidence,” the captain said.

  “You plan to leave everything as it is?” Will asked, astonished. “What if your country is flooded with such spies. And what if your enemies have given up their attempts to find these shards?”

  “I’m not the sort to leave things to chance, Raven! Today the Council, headed by the King himself, will be convened.”

  “How sure are you that there are no spies in positions of power?”

  “Ninety five percent,” Emin replied, badly hiding his irritation. “Among the Latians, there are the elite that our methods cannot find…”

  “So you don’t know, and you won’t share this information?” Raven asked his questions with only one purpose in mind: to start the second step of his plan…

  “You may be famous, but you should stay out of our country’s affairs.” Emin answered in a voice tinged with pure ice.

  “You haven't heard the end of the deal yet, dear captain. I offer you a very effective way to find every spy in the palace.”

  “All the spies in the pal…” The man began to answer, the trailed off when he grasped Will’s idea. “Excuse me. This topic is unpleasant to me, and nobody likes being shown up. It’s our duty to catch spies.”

  “Yours? Don’t you have those who specialize in capturing them?”

  “Of course we do! But they are our subordinates. I would be grateful for your help, as would our country.”

  “Then convene a meeting and call as many guardsmen as you can. Who knows how many spies you may have.”

  …

  “Offered the task “There is nothing kept secret that will not come to… death.”

  Due to circumstances and events, you could provide Emin de Folker with an opportunity to catch any spies in positions of power.

  Rewards:

  +10000 XP for a spy;

  +15000 XP for an elite spy;

  +600 gold coins;

  Current attitude status: Trust.

  Condition: You will have to survive to the end of this meeting. If you fail, all rewards will be lost.

  Accept: Yes/No?”

  Chapter 49. “A pot with snakes”

  After accepting the task, Will logged off to grab a bite. It went without saying that he would be rewarded for nothing. If he wanted to get everything they had promised, he would have to go all the way.

  Having finished his meal, Raven logged in, meeting up with Daltaro at the predetermined location. Then they went shopping for some potions and skills.

  The best skills were known to be received either for tasks, from the corpses of rare bosses or monsters, or found in chests. As for thieves and rogues, they could steal them. But sometimes vendors had rare skills.

  Will found potions, but they cost a fortune. Despite their high price, he had to buy them,

  Eight gold coins a vial. But one was worth its price. The potion restored 300 Health Points instantly. However, the rollback for using the second one lasted a minute. After buying five potions for forty gold coins, he searched for skills. Daltaro went nearby and examined the city.

  They came to a tidy shop outside which hung a sign with a warrior fighting a magician. Bells jingled above the open door, and a young girl with a ponytail came out. A pair glasses sat atop her head.

  “Can I help you, gentlemen?”

  She smiled as if they were her most favourite clients. She clearly did not expect Daltaro to smile back. Confused, she soon regained her composure.

  “Hello. Can you show me your Rogue skills?” Will asked.

  “Specialty?”

  “No specialty yet,” Raven raplied, keeping in mind that he constantly received tasks which would him help get to the next Floor. But he had not joined the Shadow Order yet. “Just the Rogue skills, please.”

  “Only class skills. Just a moment.” The girl put on her spectacles and turned to a bookcase containing many catalogs. She traced them with her finger and fished out one near the end of a row. “Here you are. The prices are lower than those on the market, I promise you.”

  “Aha. Market prices,” the young man muttered and opened the catalog.

  There were many more choices here than with the old man in Skiavra’s shop. The skills, like the potions, were bleeding expensive, but his survival depended on them. He recalled his last few fights and how extra skills would have helped him in a pinch.

  In the catalog there were basic apprentice-level skills, basic master-level skills, as well as rare apprentice-level skills and rare journeyman-level skills. He closely scrutinized everything in the catalog, and finally chose one, which cost eighty gold coins.

  “Book of skill (Rare): "Clone".

  Active skill (Apprentice).

  Description: Creates your Double.

  Your clone has 50% of the original stat.

  Duration: 2 minutes.

  Energy required: 120.

  Cooldown: 10 minutes.”

  Fifty percent of the original would be nice if enemies had been at his level, but… The only way he could use it now was to throw a red herring across their path until the archer killed all the enemies.

  His eyes kept darting from the price tag to the skill while weighing all pros and cons. He came close to leaving, but remembered his forthcoming meeting and considered the skill again.

  His confusion was being monitored by the shop assistant and Daltaro. The archer knew exactly how his companion felt, but not the girl surveying Raven’s frowning, angry face.

  Eventually will gave the shop assistant coins and whispered, without looking at the skill, “Gimmi Clone… Please”.

  …

  The meeting began.

  Fifty-two people sat at a wide long table in the large round room Above them, two huge chandeliers burned with magic energy. Most of the attendees belonged to notable families, judging by their bright clothes. Will could not help commending the captain who had called even the people unrelated to the question. The captain wanted to seize all the spies and reveal the truth. And it was Raven who had to shake this pot of snakes.

  The King sat at the head of the table in a sumptuous chair. His name was Larius Galator the Ashy. He got his nickname "Ashy" because he had white hair despite being in his late thirties. The king had a straight nose and sharp cheekbones. His clothes were not significantly different from those of others but his governor’s crown, which bore a bright red ruby in the center, was. The man coneyed an imperious aura to all around him.

  He stared at the others with a stern intensity when he notic
ed Raven and Daltaro sitting on his left, in the corner. Having known about their plan, the King only gave them a passing recognition.

  “So,” Larius proclaimed at the top of his voice, “I apologize for this emergency meeting of the Council, but the information acquired by the captain of our guardsmen, Emin de Folker, must be discussed immediately. Captain?” The king glanced at the officer standing nearby.

  “I’d be honored, Your Royal Highness.” Emin bowed with a hand over his breast, then turned to face the gathered attendees.

  “Today I‘ve received information connected with our Armistice Partners. You must know who I mean. One of the Latian spies was found and killed.” Hoots of astonishment rose from the audience.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, please calm down. This one was not the first spy to have been found recently. The information obtained by the people who killed him is important. With His Royal Highness’s permission, I would ask that they be the ones to explain.” The captain made a bow and took his place.

  “White Raven and Daltaro Marius. Which one of you will tell us this important information?” The King asked.

  Will rose, bowed, and took the floor. There was no ring on his hand to make sure nothing went wrong.

  “I want to express our thanks and appreciation to the King. May I be allowed to stand up next to you for all to see, Your Royal Highness?”

  “What are you doing here, stranger?” said one voice.

  “How dare you say such things?” said another.

  “Be happy you’re allowed to sit at least at the same table with His Royal Highness!” said a third.

  “My king, do not allow him such impudence!” said a fourth.

  “Quiet, you lot!” The captain shouted. “Let the King decide on his own!”

  “Thanks, Emin. Sometimes they do not know when to stop.” The King gave the crowd a hard, cold stare. “White Raven, you may stand here!”

  Raven inclined slightly his head in obeisance of the king, then gave Emin a nod to be ready.

  Will did not approach the king; instead, he went to the opposite side, passing by every person present, and began his presentation.

  “Generally, the spy killed by us was a nasty, dirty creature.” He smiled slightly. The king would remember today’s show for a long time. “He was a coward. And this meek manure fly will be one of those ‘glorified warriors’.” Raven used finger quotes around the last two words.

  There was no reaction. Only skillful spies could be among the ruling circles. Such small provocations would hardly make them incriminate themselves. Still, he enjoyed blaspheming against their tribe with impunity.

  Some noblemen stared at the story-teller in bewilderment, trying to discern why the King would allowed such speech. If news about this fact was spread, there would be an improbable scandal with the Swarm of Latians. Their queen would not be slow to take advantage of it.

  “I asked that sissy why he was crying. I ordered that garbage to fight. But hiding in the corner, whining, he told me the Latians were not able to do it. All they could do was shelter themselves behind their mummy the queen. I hit the weakling Latian, as he squealed, “Mummy, this guvnor beats me! Save me!”

  “Shut up! Filthy jerk!” One man shouted, leaping to his feet and toppling his chair.

  Raven grinned, watching him transform. He moved to tear the rogue to pieces, but Emin cut his head off with one swipe of his sword. Daltaro's arrow pierce the beast’s chest for good measure.

  “That was a representative of the Chamber of Commerce,” the captain hemmed, dejected.

  All present cast nervous stares around, suspecting everybody to be an enemy spy.

  The young man continued, “And so he cried, begging his Queen to save him. I couldn't bear it, so I told him the Queen would not come, that she was making love with someone from Shadow Order and…”

  He did not finish speaking as two more spies, even without transforming, drew daggers and threw them at Raven. But the daggers were shot from the air by Daltaro.

  A man and a woman separated themselves from the table, transforming into Latians within moments and rushing in his direction. It happened without shouts and threats this time, though the eyes of this couple blazed with righteous anger. If anger could be objectified, Will would have already been burned down.

  In spite of their skill, both their heads were cut from their bodies, plummeting to the floor. The captain’s level was more than high enough.

  “Um… these two were aristocrats who disappeared six years ago, only to reemerge two years later. They claimed to have been abducted by gangs.”

  “As I was saying,” Will continued, “your Queen was making love with someone from Shadow … and I, forgot to clarify that there was not one, there were many of them, She did her best to satisfy everyone, but…”

  “You, lying bastard!” A woman wrung her hands at Will as if casting a hex on him. “Devil, devil, devil! I’ve fought only with warriors, never with magicians!”

  Raven worried for nothing. A sorcerer standing behind the column stunned the woman, who was quickly tied up and carried into a small room.

  Everyone remaining sat, stunned into silence, afraid to draw attention. And Will’s harassing of spies went on. The young men scoffed as three more infiltrators were revealed.

  Will’s fictitious narrative came to an end. It was time for his trump card. He wished himself good luck and put on the Shadow Order ring. Then he held it up to the light as if admiring a new thing.

  Raven followed the crowd’s reaction. Two people twitched, but not enough to suggest they might be spies. So he continued his speech.

  “When I joined the Order, I heard such stories about this Queen that were difficult to believe. All Latians, it is said, will betray the Queen for a copper coin. Their devotion to the queen is phony. And they will betray her as if she were a common whore, if only you show them a…”

  “Son of a bitch!” One of those he had suspected failed the next test. “Brothers, help me kill this piece of stinking meat, even at the cost of your life, and you will regenerate in Mother's bosom. You will put the Queen’s heart to rest. Do not allow this bastard to soil her name.”

  His speech was successful, as two more spies rose up. They were quickly rounded up and stunned. One of them had even had his hand cut off while the other had a hip perforated with a blade.

  The spy who had appealed to them fought desperately. He killed two soldiers before being decapitated himself.

  ***

  Oh, that was impressive, thought Raven. We have here the elite of the elite. Time to wrap it up.” He slapped himself on the forehead himself as if he’d forgotten something. It was the next signal for the captain to bring in his warriors and magicians.

  “I have forgotten, gentlemen! That squelching sissy shared a secret with me that the Queen would be ready to oblige even a pig if it brought this piece of glass!” Raven raised the shard in the air and grinned. “And further…”

  Will froze when five warriors and a magician began to transform.

  “Your Queen!” The face of the robber twitched.

  “…the King …but not of this country.”

  “Tartsius (The Latian- King): Level 100.

  HP:???”

  Chaos reigned. Even Captain Emin had hardly realized what just happened. He could not understand how long he had been serving a false king. Regardless, his sword was pointed directly at the enemy.

  “To kill all of them! Leave this human garbage to me! He must pay the price for insult of my Queen!” bellow the king in an imperious voice.

  The hall became the battlefield. Daltaro felled two 91 level spies. Those who had not transformed fled, with only three remaining to fight.

  The people had numerical superiority, but here the general power was equal because the Latians were stronger than ordinary guardsmen. The king tried to reach Will, who had already hidden the cursed shard.

  Emin stepped in front of the false king. The captain’s battle stance radiated an
ger. He did not ask how long a false king had been ruling his country. All that mattered was that this impostor’s reign came to an end.

  Their arms met, their collision sending a wave across the hall, mowing down people and Latians alike. Their swords clashed, over and over again. Raven watching them, remembered a similar fight between his Horgh allies Lekhor and Gikhor. The strength and skills of the captain and the king were both above 100 level. Nobody went near them while they fought, for to do so would mean death.

  “Will I be able to join the fight?” Will wondered aloud, irritated at having to hide behind others. The rogue usually hammered his enemies from far away or stealthily, hating the idea of being a bush-fighter.

  And this time he could be a cheerleader. All he needed were some pompoms. Torn, the rogue decided to help his companion instead.

  Clangs of metal swords, flashes of magic and shouts of the wounded had been heard for ten minutes in the hall. Many guardsmen were killed, and the Latians suffered heavy losses as well. Three Latians were now cornered, fighting off the warriors. The King and Emin looked banged-up and bloodied. The Latian’s wings and hands had sustained wounds, and there was a bad cut on his back. As for the captain, he bled from several gashes on his chest.

  Daltaro did not jump into action as quickly as at the beginning. The time between arrows had slowed. But the main battle had to be fought between the two standing in the center. Unless…

  Will rushed into the fray. “Captain, you have no more than a second, or I'm dead!” he cried out, retrieving the shard and using the active skill “Clone”. Smoke swirled around them, and two identical versions of the captain appeared. At six feet tall, they too had black hair cut short and wry smiles on their faces.

  “King! Catch it!”

  They swung these two shards from all sides, as if they were going to throw them from different directions. The king paused for a moment, trying to deduce where the real shard would be thrown. Any items that left the clones’ hands dissolved into thin air. It was the second Raven needed.