Player Reached the Top. LitRPG series. Book I Page 19
He examined himself. He wore the easy rider's jacket he had had on during his “death.” Now the rogue would not be able to use the “Two-faced” skill.
While Will sat in the cemetery, he tried to remember the characteristics of the items he had found and placed in the storage.
“I have to visit… I think it would be better to do that in my own house.”
The young man stood from a tombstone and ran to the soldiers expecting him.
…
At the gate of the palace he was met by guardians who pressed hands to breasts and stood to attention.
“Dear White Raven, we are glad to see you alive. Our colleagues told us about yesterday’s events in the palace. The horror! Anyway, we were asked to warn you that the captain awaits you in the big hall.”
“Thanks, gentlemen.” Raven waved a hand at the soldiers as he passed them.
“I’ve said these messengers are normal. But you demons, demons! Drama Queen,” said one voice.
“Hey! Do not imitate me by your female voice!” said another.
“My voice isn’t female!” said the first again.
Will, listening to these shouts, approached closer and closer to the doors where Daltaro lay on the steps near them. Who could think this was the legendary adventurer?
“Daltaro! It’s no time to lie down. We're going to do great things! Ru-ha-ha!” Will laughed devilishly.
The archer raised his head, shaded his eyes from the blinding sun, and looked at the rogue. “Oh. You’re back.”
“What did you expect...? Charlatan?” Will smiled. “Tell me what the Latian said.”
Daltaro looked seriously at him before answering. “You are an idiot!”
“Huh?”
“Didn’t you know that bodies of messengers disappear after death?”
Realization dawned on Will, and he smacked his own forehead. “I’m the GOAT!” He had so planned so carefully, risked XP, game time, and put his mind on the line to expose the bloody secrets of enemies. But he had not taken into account such a trifle. “No, no… it's impossible!”
The rogue clasped his head with his hands, tousled his hair, and squatted down.
“Hey, bro, calm down,” Daltaro said. “You’ve forgotten that the spy was under the Soul Oath. Having seen your body scatter, the captive flew into a rage, but told the story he wanted to share.”
“Really? Why the hell didn’t you say so at the beginning! Let’s go to the captain. It’s high time to learn this info…
Emin de Folker sat at a small table in the big, empty room when he heard a knock at door.
“Come in.”
“Captain! As I promised, I’m alive and… live, generally speaking.”
“Glory to Gods,” he said, exhaling in relief. “I thought I had truly killed you. You’ve been gone a long time. So what's happening out there?”
“Out there? I was bored!” Will sighed. “You’d better tell me that story our garrulous friend promised you.”
“Sorry. I’m just happy to see you’re all right. You’ve done right by us. So, word for word, here is what he said.
The story the spy had recounted turned out to be plain, without any useful information for them. The captain and the others listening, would not have understood anything if Daltaro had not informed them about their travel with Raven.
About four or five hundred years ago, there lived the Dolfs race. This race had powerful mental magic and could operate the living against their will. But they wanted more. To strengthen this ability, their emperor created a blue crystal from pure mental energy, pressed in an alchemical way.
This crystal was able to amplify Submission Magic with the help of a special device invented for this purpose. After that, the “Submission era” began. The emperor at the head of his army won the neighboring lands, subordinating enemies, and cutting out their cities as if they were cattle for slaughter. They marched through the continent, taking it over.
They planned to invade the next continent, but water was not their element. The Mental magic of the Dolfs could not function in such an environment. None of them knew where the second continent was, so they set sail, heading out to sea… and never to be heard from again. Rumors about the lost army and the device spread all over the world.
The conquered countries and empires gathered and erased the other Dolfs from the face of continent so that none of them would become the new “Emperor of submission” in the future.
The last words of the spy were:
“We are descendants of that race which disappeared.”
Chapter 57. Demon’s Jaws
“This is the story. The shards are cursed parts of that crystal. The device sketched on the librarian's parchment that is where the collected crystal must be inserted. If the Latians are this race’s descendants, it means not all the Dolfs were killed.
Why did their magic weaken? Swarm's ancestors probably had some special techniques developing their abilities. The Latians knew the librarian had information about that device, so they sent the spy to watch him. As a result, the Latian noticed that the old man disappeared into some strange portal.
They desired Shalvar’s secret. Having discovered that the librarian disappeared and appeared at the same place, the spy waited for Shalvar Horsus, and then attacked him when he returned. Since there was no shard, the magician must have used some spell of transfer and sent it somewhere.
The Latian could only glance in his superficial memoirs, as the old man was one of the strongest magicians and could counteract their influence on his mind.
Now the Swarm is looking for that place, so they need the shard and the pendant for transferring. After scouring the old man’s house, that spy could not find the pendant, nor did he understand it was this that he needed. I would not have notice either it if I had not had its description.”
Raven pondered. He breathed a sigh of relief because it now, finally, started to make sense.
…
The house he had been given was about six hundred and fifty square feet, single-storey but with high ceilings. A young servant girl with a lovely smile greeted him and showed him around his new abode.
First, Raven went to his room and inspected his storage. Inside, Raven found one item he had not been able to remember at the cemetery.
“Rock-climber's Raincoat
Rank: Silver
Requirements: 53 level.
Characteristics:
Falling from height of less than 12 meters takes away only 10% HP;
+8% Physical attacks;
+3 Agility.
Restrictions: None.”
It was better he wear the raincoat than leave it off. In the light of these developments and system messages, he did not notice the one that said his gloves had been sold. Now he had one thousand, four hundred and twenty-three gold and forty-six silver coins. The reward for the capture of spies was very good. He needed seven more levels to obtain the joker's ring.
When he came out of his bedroom, Daltaro was having tea and chatting with the servant in the living room.
“Haven't your flashbacks and experience shown up yet?” Will asked him.
“No. I’ll tell you once if I feel something.”
“Well, it’s time to visit the forest. The next shard’s waiting for us. And we’ll take my companions for hunting.
“Companions?”
“Yeah, c’mon! I’ll tell you on the way.” He headed for the door, then snapped his fingers, remembering something. He turned and threw three gold coins toward the servant. “Set the house to order in my absence.”
“Yes, sir!” The girl bowed and pressed the money to her breast with a happy smile.
…
Hours later, they stood at Latakhorgh. Will expected Dreyrok and his two warriors, but Gikhor and Lekhor were overseeing the mine so they could not help.
“So Horghs are your friends, aren’t they?” Daltaro asked in astonishment. He’d heard Raven’s stories about his previous adventures bu
t hadn’t believed them.
“Yeah. They’re great miners and soldiers. But their language takes some getting used to.”
“Ah-ha! I can't even imagine!”
…
After a short search, they found the next cursed place. They killed infected monsters, and Will loaded the crystal. It activated in his hands and pulled the group somewhere deep into the forest.
The forest had never changed this quickly before. The process of its birth and death always happened in stages. But, going after the shard, the company understood this was not the case here. Everything was black except for thin violet veins pulsing in the ground, as if the forest’s heart was infected.
Raven warned everybody, especially captain Dreyrok, reminding him about the last time they had encountered this phenomenon.
“My know how to hunt. That monster my revenge. Work to hide emotions.” said the Horgh. “Now OK. Conduct.”
“Daltaro, be careful,” Raven told the archer.
“All right,” the adventurer said. “Let's get this over with.”
Darkness fell unexpectedly, as if they had crossed some invisible barrier separating the external and this black-violet world. The archer pushed forward, silently moving between trunks of trees while the others were awaited his return. Within minutes, he reappeared near them.
“Raven, you ever think about what lies ahead of us?”
“Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to.” Will frowned. Daltaro's words meant that the enemy was too dangerous, even for him.
“Ahead,” he looked in the direction he had just come from, “there’s a huge carnivorous flower covered with this cursed aura. We called such plants Demon’s Jaws. They have long tentacles coated with paralyzing poison and a tongue they use to catch eat victims. They react instantly to any movement.
“Once I met such a flower. Not a pretty sight. Are you sure you’re ready to risk going near one?”
Raven was not ready at all. He did not want to die… again, but most of all he did not want to lose warriors who might help in this area. Especially Daltaro. He had accompanied him a long way and was skilled in any fight with enemies. But nevertheless he had to check this Demon’s Jaws level to predict their chance of survival
“Wait here. I’ll be right back.” He activated his stealth to reduce this flower’s aggro range.
Climbing trees, he moved ike a dexterous monkey. His Agility points increased his speed of reaction and maneuverability.
When the rogue felt he was close to the enemy, he activated the “Twilight Walker,” dissolving in the forest darkness.
Will saw it. The flower was massive, about twenty-seven feet high and resembling a mutated sundew.
“Name: Demon’s Jaws (Viscount)
Level: 85
HP: 34,000”
Chapter 58. People change, but not Horghs
Its long tentacles were pulling a big animal being paralyzed by the plant’s toxic substance. Its tongue reached its victim, twisted it and filled its stomach. The big animal, similar to a bear but with a trunk and covered with small scales of bone outgrowths, slid into the plant’s extended jaws with room to spare.
Raven knew it was not worth attacking this unknown enemy. If they did, only one would come out alive. It would be him, but only after one, possibly several regenerations.
Will could not find a discrepancy. Around the monster there was no violet smoke, though its strength was imbued with the cursed aura.
Then, Will noticed someone's body tied to the bottom of this giant. He could not see who the body belonged to, but it didn’t look like it would last much longer. The monster extracted something from the body, filling itself with unknown power. Raven could only watch as the monster’s health points increased.
“Name: Demon’s Jaws (Viscount)
Level: 85
HP: 34,100.”
“Something’s wrong. What’s going on?!”
Raven kept watching the flower.
Name: Demon’s Jaws (Viscount)
Level: 85
HP: 34,200
“Yes, ichi your mother! So it was not such from the very beginning.”
If he left it here even longer, he would never reach this monster’s level. The rogue returned to the group and told of what he had seen. Daltaro frowned. He had not noticed the body despite his acute eyesight.
Maybe it was because he had not examined it properly. Having seen its size, Daltaro understood. The monster would have to be killed.
“Raven, what d’you offer?” the archer asked.
“My offer was to address you. My work here is finished, it’s your turn now!” Will answered, expecting suggestions.
“Gr-rkh … I not to see big eat-eat, but small often to beat. Dexterous, fast, difficult the enemy is.” Dreyrok shared his impressions. Two others were silent, as they had never fought similar plants.
“Daltaro, will you share your ideas?
“My idea is to get the hell out of here and summon an army! You’ve seen its tentacles! I trust you and promised to help you to become stronger, but I didn't sign up for suicide.”
“Call the Army… Captain, this monster will threaten your city and hunters extracting food in the forest, won’t it? If it’s already this large, how big will it be in a week, a month, or half a year? It’s up to you, if you want to leave everything as it is. By then, it may be too late.”
“Gr-rkh …” Dreyrok knitted his brows, not liking Raven’s prediction. If it weren't for this rogue searching for something in the forest, his people would not have discovered this Devil’s Jaw soon.
“My to go learn about eat-eat.” Dreyrok ordered two soldiers standing nearby to wait for him and headed in the direction Will had come from.
Will fixed the archer with a concerned stare. “What we're doing here is wrong. We should have gone there together.” And as if struck by lightning, Dreyrok went alone! Looking at him, you wouldn't expect him to hide from enemies.
“Daltaro, catch him, quickly! The captain is a berserker. If something pops into his head, he’ll do it no matter what.”
“Gr-ra-a-akh!!!”--The Horgh’s war-cry was heard in the distance.
“He hasn’t caught…” Raven whispered sadly, pulling away with two soldiers.
They came across Dreyrok, fighting against three tentacles while trying to break its body. The archer dodging other tentacles while throwing stones and pieces of trees at it. His arrows were useless, caught by several free tentacles.
The rogue examined this infernal plant once again, concluding that retreat was necessary.
“Name: the Demon’s Jaws (Viscount)
Level: 85
HP: 34,500”
Then the complete opposite happened.
“Warriors! Distract its tentacles!” Raven and ran at Dreyrok. The tentacles clicked like whips, reacting to the new enemy. They rushed to catch Raven but the soldiers stood in their way, defending him.
One tentacle snaked behind Will, but one of the warriors used “Cutting”, “Sword will”, and “Flying Steel” skills, which caused long-range damage. The tentacles, as if separate organisms, thrashed furiously at their offenders.
Raven was approaching the captain when he activated a “Twilight Walker,” moving closer to his body. He knew they had to be isolated from each other, or something awful could happen.
Perhaps it was one of those cases the developers had written; the monster was obviously evolving. It had found a different way to use that cursed energy.
The Demon’s Jaws physical and magic attacks intensified, but did not affect him. His speed was diminishing, and his chances to reach a body were 0%… though less than 0 % was more than enough.
The skill was running out of time. One of the tentacles diverted from Dreyrok, drawing its attention to the rogue, as if expecting him come out.
7... 5... 4... 2 … 1
“Torture!”
Time slowed down. Will had only four seconds of time in which he was 30 lev
els above the monster.
The tentacle rose and whipped against the ground behind Raven. Will was shaken, and fell down near the body. Without delay, he rolled from the blow above and jumped, waving his dagger. He sliced some of plant’s substance from it and… what?!
“Ruy-iui-ii!!! - the plant squealed. All its tentacles flailed at Will, trying to take its body back.
One second …
Whistle.
Whistle.
Whistle.
They cut nothing but air, their only purpose to kill the rogue. Seconds later, it came into Raven’s mind to use what was left of the small body of an unknown race being as if a shield. He was not able to scan now. The rushing tentacles stopped directly near the improvised “shield.”
Will sighed with relief, but the devouring aura behind forced him to return the body to its original location. The plant squealed plaintively, then whipped the earth around Will with its tentacles, trying to use its tongue to grab him while another tentacle reached to reclaim the body.
The Horghs and Daltaro tried to distract the flower, but it refused pay attention to them. It was time to take this thing down.
“Raven!!!” the archer cried, blocking a flurry of the tentacles’ blows. “I don’t know what you’re doing there, but do not stop! If you die, so do we! Hold on at least six minutes. If he draws no attention to us, we can kill it quickly.”
Will somersaulted, evading the accursed tongue. He’d died once already, and had no desire to relive the feelings of his last death. Unfortunately, he realized he wouldn’t be able to hold on for three minutes, much less six. He wasn’t used to being in the center of fight. To appear at the last moment and then change course was his thing. But then, he had never been the focus of the enemy attack.
“Yours …! “Soul Cry!”
- 450!
“Ruy-iui-ii!”
“Ha!” Will froze up, staring at the flower, now decreasing in size.