Player Reached the Top. LitRPG series. Book I Page 21

  The list of problems was long. How could they get there? How would they find that jug being protected by such a monster? How would kill this flying monster? They had to search for the Guard. The island was most likely the place of its dwelling.

  Of course, they had certain advantages before the first Floors. Judging by this video, the height they would raise was more than two yards. After ordering the thieves to return, the girl gathered the clan leaders, and they began to draw up plans.

  Chapter 62. The Beginning of race

  Level up…

  Will stood away from shower of ashes and held a small doe-eyed miracle in his hands. It was a lovely girl with light green skin, with big round eyes and covered with small leaves.

  Inspection.

  “Name: Ukumi

  Level: 35

  HP: 3,600/9,300”

  “35 level?” Raven stared at this baby, trying to understand where such a low-level being had come from.

  She was still unconscious. Holding her in his hands, he went to Captain Dreyrok who was lying flat after using his most energy-intensive and powerful skill.

  From the sky ashes poured like snow on the Horgh. The captain’s chest slowly rose and fell, showing how hard for him this battle had been.

  “Drink, Captain. It’s a trifle, but you’ll feel better.” Raven opened the vial and poured it into Dreyrok’s mouth. “You were too strong, Horgh. You are indeed the greatest tribe.”

  Raven approached the bag of loot he had collected from The Demon’s Jaws. After looked through it, his heart skipped a beat.

  The was no shard.

  He did not understanding what had occurred. Will’s shard burned brightly, showing that another shard was somewhere nearby. The map confirmed. The rogue went around to the former location of the plant, and the shard flickered, indicating that the third fragment was here.

  Will inclined his head, looked at the little girl.

  “Oh!”

  He gingerly put the child on the ground, stepped away from her, and again retrieved the crystal. It pulsed quietly. Will approaching the baby’s tiny green body, and knew he was not mistaken.

  “It’s nonsense!? Why isn’t she cursed?” he wondered

  “Raven, have you found a shard?” Daltaro sighed wearily and sat down.

  “I’m not sure, but it seems so.”

  The captain rose, supported by the soldiers. “White Raven.” he said, his tone exhausted. “This child is wood spirit. Dryad. My tribe and them, always to help the friend in trouble. Ancient word.”

  The captain closed his eyes. His strength seemed to leave him.

  “Ah!” Will pronounced. “That’s why her skin color and dress is so strange. But I didn’t think a shard could be so small.”

  “Uhm…” His companion examined the girl. “It’s strange, but I’ve never seen them, it seems… I’m not sure.”

  “Well, when we collect whole puzzle from you, we will talk. Now the shard’s indicating her, which means the other one in this Dryad.”

  “Isn’t she… well…” Daltaro clicked his fingers, trying to remember the word. “An infected individual!”

  “You are really a nice guy!” Raven shook his head. “But sometimes you should keep your mouth shut. If she was infected, she’d either be dead, or she’d be something similar to that Demon’s Jaws.”

  “Well, well,” the archer said, nodding. “Stop. D’you wanna tell me I’m a fool?” His hand already held an arrow. “Think carefully about your answer.”

  “I-I meant him.” The rogue waved his hand at one of the silent soldiers whose name he had not asked before.

  “Well, you haven’t thought properly, but it'll do.” Daltaro grumbled, sitting down again.

  The soldier did not understand what was happening, but nodded at the captain.

  “Let’s return to the city,” Will said. “Maybe she’ll regain consciousness there. The shaman can help.” With that, the group moved slowly to Latakhorgh.

  This time it was light in the room of the shaman. Will, with Daltaro and Dreyrok, waited for the old man to speak.

  “Gkhm … She’s still unconscious, but I’ve restored her life forces. This plant you told me about was extending her life. As for the shard, it is indeed inside her, but why she hasn’t mutated, I don’t know. It seems the Demon’s Jaws learned to extend the life of the victim with the help of the shard. Usually these flowers just eat them, absorbing their life forces. But because of the shard hidden inside her, it could extract more than usual. We should wait until she regains consciousness and have a talk.”

  “Thanks, old man.” Raven told the shaman. “And how long should we wait?”

  “Twelve to fifteen hours.”

  “Ok. See you soon. I’m going to Skiavra for business. Captain, thank you for your help. We would be dead without you. Except you,” the shaman added.

  “Well, it does not belittle my sincere gratitude.” The rogue thanked him and moved to fulfill the tasks he had taken on long ago.

  On his way, he picked up some officinal herbs. When Raven came to the village, he closed two tasks at once and received a hundred gold coins. As for a net, he had no time to collect it. If spiders came, Will was too busy.

  Logging off, Will crackled his joints and headed to the kitchen, longing for a bite to eat. He fried sausages and boiled some pasta. Locked in the emptiness of his home, he tried to drive away all thoughts about the game. He needed a break from the constant intellectual tension.

  After deciding to arrange some time off the next day, he washed dishes and went shopping. His dad would arrive soon, so Will had to prepare something tasty. His father loved homemade food.

  He went, whistling some melody, and thought what to cook for their meal, considering how little money he had. Will did not know it yet, but while planning his day off, the website developers upgraded the game, after which Donate “input-output of real money and currency exchange” would become possible.

  In Ascension, there came a time of great guilds, influential corporations, and rich people. The race for possession of Floors began…

  Сhapter 63. A Priestess of an ancient stone.

  A day later…

  Will woke at seven a.m., had his coffee, and re-read the system notifications about updating (from the administrators of the game).

  “It has begun. Now it’s necessary to accelerate and buy up territories with land, shops, stores and other real estate. It would be ideal to have the right to dispose of the developed lands, but I have some unfinished business to take care of. …”

  Daltaro reacted in surprise when Will showed up. “What the hell you were doing?” You’re either gone for days or for an hour. And where exactly do you disappear to?”

  “You, my strong friend, should not worry about that!” Raven grinned. “It’s time to leave for Latakhorgh; we should learn how the Dryad is doing.”

  …

  “Hello, Grrakhkat!” The rogue greeted the shaman. He saw the little Dryad sitting near him.

  “Hi, e-e …” Raven forgot her name, but he could not apply "Inspection" while she was conscious. Reasonable beings understood when they were identified.

  “Ukumi,” Daltaro whispered.

  “I know,” said Raven. “I just didn’t know whether I should call her by name despite her being a baby. May be they have customs, traditions…”

  “Don’t wiggle-waggle!” The old man smiled. “They have no such traditions and rules. It’s your fantasy. In any case, she cannot speak now. According to the standards of their race, Ukumi isn’t an adult. A human voice appears only when they reach their full age.”

  “And when does that moment come? Will wondered.

  “As far as I know, when they are thirty. But now she’s only twenty. Therefore it’s possible to only communicate mentally with her, and with only one spell.”

  The old man spoke some low words, an the Dryad and Will were shrouded in green light.

  “Hello, Messenger,” an iridescent voice r
esounded in his head. “This grandfather told me you and your friends saved me. I wish to thank you. If you hadn’t saved me, I could not return to my parents and sisters, and most important, to my duties.”

  This adult girl, as it turned out, sat on the lap near the shaman and bowed.

  Raven thought it looked funny when the Dryad raised her head and stared at him in amazement.

  “Wait a moment… can she read minds now?!”

  “No, she can’t. The Dryads are empaths,” the old man said.

  “Stop examining me like some curiosity…” She frowned, making her look like a teddy bear. Raven looked away, but she felt his emotions. Ukumi sprang up from her seat with her tiny fists clenched in fury.

  “Hey!” her voice squeaked in his head. “How dare you make fun of me!”

  She stamped her feet and behaved much like a human girl. Eventually, he coped with the emotions and bowed, putting his hand on the heart.

  “Please, forgive me, dear Dryad. I wasn’t laughing at you. It’s just that your image reminded me of my sister who was once as cute and adorable as you are… Until she left home, and now she’s somewhere waiting for me. E-eh.” He tried to squeeze out a tear, but failed.

  Staring at Raven, Ukumi tried to understand if he was lying, but his emotions were calm. “It is true?” Her face became sad. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Why would I lie?” Will asked, surprised. It was true. His sister was away at school. He just did not feel the need to go into detail. “I was told I needed the cursed shard, which is inside you, for her rescue.”

  “Inside me?” The girl asked in astonishment.

  “Don’t you know there’s a shard in your body?” It was now the rogue’s turn to be amazed.

  “In my body, under the seals of the Senior Dryad, there is an ancient stone. If it escapes, it will profane the forest. I, Ukumi the priestess, inherited this position. Four hundred years ago, this cursed shard came to our forest, and our ancestors realized we could seal it inside our bodies. Afterward, we found more ancient stones in different parts of the forest, but our primogenitors were unable to seal them in bodies of young priestesses in time.”

  “Wow,” Will said, excited. “Tell me, great priestess, how many ancient stones have been sealed in your young girls?” His heart raced as he awaited for the answer.

  “There are two more aside from mine. We assumed this great position recently. We’ll die quicker than our sisters, but we’ll save our forest.” Ukumi lifted her head, and her eyes shone with pride.

  “May I meet your Senior priestess?” the rogue asked.

  “You? Mm … well, you saved me, so it’s possible. But she does not favor strangers.”

  “And if I tell her I’ve already cleaned seven locations from the infecting aura of the ancient stones in your forest, will the queen be glad?”

  Her eyes, huge on her small face, grew even larger. “Seven?! But how? They are protected by strong infected animals and the cursed place can’t be cleaned with any magic.”

  “Have you tried to clean those areas by using the shards, I mean the ancient stones?” Raven asked.

  “No…” She stood, trying to understand. Why they had not tried that?

  “That’s solved. Take me to your Senior priestess, and we will discuss how to remove the shards from you and clean the forest.”

  “Why remove it?” Ukumi puzzled. “They are there, touch nobody.”

  “Because you will die as time passes. And I will help you save your sister.” Raven clapped, picked up the tiny priestess, and headed to the exit.

  “And then, maybe, and I will unite the World,” the rogue muttered with a huge grin.

  Chapter 64. The Green lagoon

  “Put me down!” the girl squeaked, pounding on Raven’s shoulder with her tiny fists. “I can walk myself! I’m an adult! I’m an independent woman brought up by my wise elder sisters! Put me down!”

  With a sigh, Will set her down on the earth. “Try to keep up.” Then he ran in the direction of the forest.

  When he turned back, he saw Ukumi standing still, her eyes wide. Whether she had not expected Raven to put her down or confused by the speed of the archer and rogue, he couldn’t tell.

  “Well? What are you waiting for? We have to go to the forest. Can you run with us or not?”

  “No…” She shook her head.

  “Are you waiting for your friend the wind to pick up and carry you home?”

  “No… what friend?” Ukumi obviously did not understand that Will was joking with her, but when her empathy kicked in, she become angry.

  “I get it. I’m slower than you, so you should not have set me down.” The girl raised her arms up like a child.

  Raven scooped her up, the independent priestess brought up by elder sisters, and burst out laughing.

  “You…” She frowned then grasped his cheek and jiggled it. “Stop it!”

  “Hey! I got it, excuse me. Please show us the way.”

  Guiding the group along silent paths, Ukumi kept her senses tuned for monsters. An hour and a half later, they stopped next to an empty glade with a small pond in the center.

  “Now you can put me down, Raven,” she said in his ear, and he set her back on her feet.

  “There is a barrier established by our ancestors that strangers cannot pass through.”

  The girl began to wave her hands, her body swaying if she were made of water, flowing from one shape to another. Her dance was filled with the power of nature, shrouded by the Dryad’s small figure bathed in green light. A minute later a small window showing a completely different landscape opened before them.

  Daltaro, who had remained silent during their journey, broke the silence. “Every time I convinced myself that traveling with you is a good idea, a new day comes and proves me wrong.”

  The priestess wiped her small forehead and gestured at Will to lift her up again. “It’ll be closed in five seconds, c’mon!”

  “Daltaro, five seconds,” Will told the adventurer.

  The arched nodded and followed Raven.

  “Congratulations! You are the first to visit the Green Lagoon.

  +25 Influence points;

  +2 Endurance.”

  The saw small dwellings, only a few cubic feet in size, built on low trees. Everywhere there were Dryads, walking, jumping, flying.

  “Welcome to the Green Lagoon!” Ukumi smiled and spread her hands in the direction of a small town covered with dense crowns.

  “Welcome to the Green Lagoon!” Will repeated, also waving his hands at the green city.

  Two pairs of eyes stared at him.

  “Well, you can’t hear her, and she cannot speak with you, so I’ll be transmitting her words.”

  “Aha,” the voices of Daltaro and Ukumi merged in in the rogue’s head.

  Raven watched the opened view with interest. “Oh, wise, but young and beautiful priestess, will you take us to the Senior Dryad? On the way you can tell the story of your Green Lagoon. OK?”

  The girl didn't understand whether he was teasing or praising her. Hearing that the rogue wanted to know about her home place, she smiled and nodded.

  The group moved ahead, drawing the attention of every Dryad. They had not seen strangers for a long time.

  Ukumi chirped something about the history of their race and the creation of the Green Lagoon. Will looked around, pretending to be interested. He found it difficult to show his interest with feelings.

  The priestess stopped and stared at him.

  “What’s wrong?” Raven asked.

  “Why aren’t you transmitting it to your friend?” The Dryad kicked him in the shin.

  “Ouch!” the rogue yelped. “Keep going. I’ll retell everything later. Don’t worry.” He gave her a wink and resumed walking.

  “I find that hard to believe,” the Dryad said, following him on tiny feet.

  Ukumi brought them to the town’s largest house which had been cut into a thick tree trunk. She knocked on the door, then op
ened it. She was whisked inside, but not before asking her guests to wait. Five minutes later, the girl appeared and told them the Senior priestess was expecting them. She opened the door, inviting to enter.

  When Raven saw the Senior, he realized he had not idea how to distinguish her from all other Dryads. All of them looked to be coevals… who were ten years old. Trying to hide his curiosity, Raven slightly bowed and greeted the hostess. “My respect, Senior. I do not know your name, so I ask you not to take offense.” Sometimes he did not understand why he felt the need to use such elaborate expressions. Perhaps he had thrown himself into the role of the adventurer so much lately, he had begun to get used to speaking like one.

  Daltaro similarly greeted the priestess, viewing the decor.

  “Good afternoon, Messenger and friend. Thank you for saving my silly daughter.”

  Will was taken aback, but quickly composed himself. “Don't mention it.” He waved a hand as if he saved daughters of Senior dryads every day.

  “I also felt that the forest has become cleaner. Ukumi informs me that it was you who are responsible. I am grateful for your selfless work. But there are still many infected places left. I would ask you to continue helping us.”

  “You’ve cleaned 7/50 Cursed places in the Taargada forest. Clean the rest, and the Senior dryad will reward you.”

  “As much as I can, Senior.” Will said. “Your daughter has told why we’re here?”

  “Yes, she has. I never thought it possible. We’ve tried countless ways to cleanse the Cursed places; it was our ancestors who invented the means to seal the Cursed aura inside our young Dryads.”

  “Will you allow me to finish what we’ve started in exchange for the Shar... the ancient stones, knowing that it’s possible?”

  “You’ve proven that we can trust you. Today at sunset, we’ll begin the ritual of sealing off.”

  “You have saved the daughter of the Senior priestess.

  Current attitude status:

  The forest people of Dryads 33/100, neutral.”