Player Reached the Top. LitRPG series. Book I Page 29

  The princess stared at Raven, then joined the adventurer.

  Will turned to the dark hole below and sighed, repeating, “If you win, you will be rewarded. If you are defeated, you will be cursed. Pass through all the tombs and become the great Messenger of Gods! How will I be rewarded and how will I be cursed?"

  Puzzled, the rogue began his descent. The darkness closed in like a shroud. The exit light above him shrank, then disappeared. Will tried to figure out whether the name of the tomb made sense. If it did, what wishes had the game spoken about? His own or the one who had created this tomb?

  The darkness was so close it felt like he could touch it. It grew colder and colder, and Will couldn’t wait for the moment when this damned ladder ended. But time passed, and he continued to go down, down.

  This descent seemed to have lasted for several hours. He searched for an inner clock, but did not find it.

  “Well, well. The damnation … It’s a game with time. How much longer I can keep doing this?” Raven encouraged himself. In the complete darkness, his voice sounded unnatural, as if somebody else had spoken. Acoustical hallucinations happened in such places.

  After the hike with the Rollin’ Dice, he had forgotten to buy something that could help him in the dark. He would keep that in mind.

  Climbing down the ladder, the rogue was thinking about infinity when he suddenly realized he was not going down at all, but up (!).The young man had not even noticed it. Steps rushed by, one by one. Losing patience, he stopped and ran. He ran upward until he noticed again that he was moving down.

  “How curious!” Will said into emptiness. “How long has it been?”

  As soon as he pronounced these words a message popped out.

  Do you wish to finish upward or downward motion?

  “ Hoo oo… I wish… stop! I wish? Uhm…” He decided to trust his intuition and closed the message.

  “Let me see, what will be farther…”

  ***

  This had been his longest day since the game started … Raven’s morale was shattered, his brain nearly turned to mush, he had a terrible headache leading to sleepless nights. Messages had popped out twenty times. His attempts to count intervals between them failed.

  The messages jumped out chaotically and irregularly. Every time the questions were worded differently, but with words similar to wish, wish, and wish. The system practically goaded him to wish so as to finish this test as soon as possible. Will had to confess, this idea was winning him over.

  This was taking too long. The game that exhausted his mind, and he suspected the Emperor had had some influence on this assault on his reason. He cherished the thought that he could be through with it at any time, if only he chose to accept the offer to finish his upward or downward motion. It would stop, and he, perhaps, would continue the test or fail it, but Raven knew he would be free from this never-ending game that had his nerves so jangle.

  He no longer wished to become the best, the strongest player, or to obtain a reward. He only wanted to know what would happen next.

  The thought plagued him that if he left without getting the answer, it would drive him mad. It pecked at his head like a woodpecker, haunting him. He had reached the limits of his endurance. But Raven kept climbing up and down, like a squirrel in a cage.

  Time. He had to know how long it had been.

  Do you wish to know what time is?

  “No, I want to know nothing from you, fat pig,” Will spitefully spat out. When he took the millionth step Raven suddenly realized that he was falling into an abyss.

  “Gor!” Raven cried.

  A tiny spot of light appeared, far, far away.

  Will hoped the next stage of his test began. Unfortunately, he was mistaken…

  It wasn’t so bad. He was falling and falling, but Will soon realized that he was rising up. It had been so long. Having reached the light source, he notied with horror that he had reached the entrance to the tomb.

  Then he saw the ladder again.

  “I’m doing something wrong.” He searched his memory.

  “It said ‘your brilliant mind and gumption will allow you to go all the way …” But where can I apply them? There’s only one road … Is it the only one?” He looked around. “If only one road can be seen, the other one should be found or created. But how can I find anything in such darkness? And how can I create a road without tools?”

  “Do you wish to find a way out?”

  “ Gr-rakh! Shut up and get out of my sight!” the rogue shouted. He was irritated by the system. It prevented him from thinking quietly.

  “Do you wish to cease receiving messages?”

  “Nice try,” Will hissed. “Ok, let’s give it a try. Sphere of revelation.”

  Zero effect. The rogue considered his skills, searching for something that could help him. The only thing he found was the skill Without Barriers. Will wanted to activate it, but changed his mind. It was a unique skill, so, someone else would likely not have it. And these tombs were intended for all players.

  “Everything had to be simple, I just haven’t seen it yet.”

  Deciding not to hurry, he took a seat on the steps.

  “The spoiled tomb of three wishes. Three wishes that will spoil? So will they age beyond recognition? If I answered the system question whether I wish to find way out, would it make hundreds or thousands of similar ladders? And would there be an exit among them? Harrumph! … For a start, I need to understand the meaning of the word ‘spoiled’.”

  He reflected over this word for many minutes, and came to three conclusions. Either his wishes would spoil something in this tomb, thereby giving him a chance to find an exit, or in this tomb there was something or someone who had spoiled it before by making three wishes. Then there was the last option, one that he inclined to most of all… that these meanings were connected.

  “Well, I have only three attempts. I’m mad tired, and I’m out of ideas. Time to begin.”

  “I wish to learn: did someone spoil this tomb before me?” His voice boomed into the void.

  “Are you sure this is what you want to wish for?”

  “What the shit? Now you want me to doubt my decision! Yes, I am.”

  At first nothing happened, and then he found himself in another place. He turned to find himself standing before an embryo of a black being hanging in the center of a large room. From it hung black threads resembling blood vessels that stacked the room.

  “So I’m apparently moving in the right direction. The source is found. Now I have to spoil it.”

  “I wish to spoil this being!”

  “Are you sure that you wish to spoil the being?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  Squeals came from the slime-covered black embryo and the room began to crack. The decomposing body fell to the ground.

  Raven was transferred to an open space where there were heaps, mountains of dead bodies. The stench was so foul it nearly knocked him backward. Fat sepulchral worms crept over the decaying bodies and inside them. Packs of crows flew, their caws an awful music for this panorama of apocalypse.

  Larvae of huge spiders lay inside some of the bodies. Nearby, a swarm of ants had built a home from rotten human remains. From above, dead bodies kept pouring as if they were rain, covering Raven who now stood in the middle of this realm of death.

  Bodies fell on him, crushing the rogue under their weight. Tens, hundreds, thousands of bodies buried him in this nasty decayed place. Slime of cadaveric masses filled his eyes, and their black blood clogged his throat.

  “Bloody Hell!”

  “I wish to stay here!” Will cried out, shuddering from the thought of what would be in store for him if he had incorrectly solved this riddle.

  “Are you are sure you wish to stay here?”

  “Yes, I am!”

  At first, nothing happened. Then Raven was expelled from the tomb directly to its entrance.

  Chapter 82. A Really mad reward

  “Congratulations! You
are the first player to pass the Spoiled Tomb!

  Awarded the title: “Striving for Top”.

  + 3 All Stats;

  + 2 Luck.

  You have learned the skill “Dancing of Time.”

  Rank: Epic (out of levels).

  Active skill: Apprentice.

  Description: You have successfully passed the test of the Spoiled Tomb based on the game with time. In skill range, you can control time, stop it, or accelerate it, influencing everything within the skill zone.

  Range: 33 feet.

  Expenses: 70 Influence points for one time.

  Duration: 4 minutes.

  Cooldown: 40 days.

  Restrictions: In some locations, this skill is impossible to use. Some ancient beings are capable of controlling time; therefore you should not use it against them.”

  Will was usually a methodical person. He only had extreme reactions when it came to his family and his finances. But now his face looked like a character in a horror film poster. He stood with wide-open eyes and mouth frozen open in surprise.

  This was indeed madness. This skill could affect the result of any battle, even he could only utilize it once a month. The rogue had a chance to fight alone against players ten to -fifteen players level above his skill range.

  “Raven!” Daltaro and the princess called him in unison, gazing at the rogue appeared from thin air.

  “You’ve returned already?” the archer wondered.

  Will stared into space and did not answer.

  “Are you okay? Were you injured?” the adventurer said with genuine sympathy.

  “White Raven!” Nanel piped up. “So what brings you back so soon?”

  “Come along, you two.” Will answered them. “Don’t you see, I’m just shocked about things that occur in life when you least expect it. By the way, how many days has it been?”

  “Days?” The princess looked at him as if he were mad. “You’ve been away for a couple of minutes, nothing more.”

  The rogue stared at her, unable to move. He dropped into a new layer of reality and it took him nine moons to recover. For the first time in his life, Will was shocked into silence.

  “F-For a couple of minutes?” he finally stammered. “Daltaro, I’ll be back soon. Log out.”

  The young man climbed out of the capsule and wandered to bed. His brain demanded an urgent reset.

  The next morning, he woke up with much less confusion. All of yesterday's tests just seemed so ridiculous now.

  After breakfast Will, called his father, who would be visiting in two days. He didn’t want to forget to meet his dad, so he wrote a reminder for himself. Then Will logged in and returned to the travelers, who had grown tired of waiting for him.

  Raven saw the stone, once again occupying the space where the ladder had recently been. Having marked this place on the map, he decided to sell this information to guilds in the future. He promised himself not to forget about the tomb when he ruled the country, hoping the princess would not act foolishly.

  “Hello, everybody. I hope you folks enjoyed yourselves?”

  “We trained a bit. I taught the princess a few moves.”

  “Well done. It’s time continue our search.”

  …

  For six hours, they rowed in a random direction. According to the map, they were heading south, deeper and deeper. Raven regretted not buying new clothes. The monsters would be stronger and stronger, going as high as 85+ level. He needed still had yet to achieve 57 level.

  Name: White RAVen

  Level: 56.

  XP to the next level: 60692/159800.

  They came upon a narrow stone roadway. The party did not know where Lamia lived exactly, so they continue along the road.

  An hour later, it led them outside the forest to an empty area of swampland. They saw a pyramidal construction in the near distance, a figure on top shining in the sun’s rays. It was a small statue in the form of a woman; it had been once covered by gold dust, but was now in poor condition.

  Despite missing one hand, the statue was beautiful. Its face, with a doubled tongue escaping from a slightly opened mouth and licked lips, drew attention.

  “I think we've found what we're looking for. It’s either her temple, or her altar. I guess answers await us inside.” The rogue walked ahead slightly, ready to response to any danger that presented itself.

  The closer they approached, the larger the structure looked. At its entrance, two guards stood sentinel. They appeared to be half-human and half-serpent.

  “They are Nags.” One of the girl’s guardians said. Raven could not remember his name, but knew it started with K, so he began to call the guardian Kay to himself.

  “Strong?” the archer asked.

  “Melee class. As you can see, it has four hands, and each is able to handle a sword.”

  “Well, considering I’m an archer, I think I can cope with one of them.”

  “Don’t even think about it,” Kay say. “Nags have reaction speed like serpents. They can cut arrows and bolts directly from the air, as if juggling their swords.”

  “Where’d you learn all that?” Daltaro wondered.

  “I had to fight them once. My party was trapped in the swamps not far from Adamarona. A gang of bandits settled there and plundered caravans who passed by.”

  “Got it. And what did you offer?” Raven asked.

  “During the fight, we found out that they are incredibly sensitive to fire. Our magician horribly burned them.”

  “Daltaro, do I remember you have a skill connected with fiery shots?”

  “Yes, but I’m nearly out of arrows. We haven’t been in the city for a long time.”

  “Why can't we talk with them?” the girl asked Kay. “You fought with bandits, but it’s possible they might be a civilized race.”

  “A race that lives deep in the woods and protects a stone monument? I supposed we can try. Nevertheless, it’s worth considering having a Plan B and C. So how many arrows d’you have left?” Will inquired.

  “Thirty.”

  “Can you make them on your own?”

  “Yeah, but I need some tools I don’t have with me. I forgot to bring them. It’s impossible to relax around you.” The adventurer sighed.

  “All right, stop complaining. Prepare all the arrows you have. The princess and I will try to settle this in a peaceful manner.”

  “What do we have to do?” Kay frowned. The second guardian remained silent. Raven couldn’t remember the man ever having spoken. “Nanel?”

  “Uhm… I’ll stay with Daltaro and watch the pyramid.”

  “Be careful, Princess.”

  “As always, Kartis.”

  “Kartis! I knew his name started with K.” The rogue cursed his memory.

  Chapter 83. Vakhaness Undercity

  The statue on the notched top of the pyramid stood one hundred and twenty feet high. Coming closer, they noticed some half-serpents in robes doing some kind of ritual. From this distance it was possible to distinguish blocks of the construct, rivetted with an unknown material. In spite of that, the structure resembled a slightly faded huge sapphire, reflected by rays of sunshine.

  Having noticed Will and the princess, the guardians drew their weapons and faced their guests rather severe miens.

  One guardian stepped forward, barring their way. “S-stop! Thisss city wasss built by our Priestesss. No admittanccce ex-xcept on sssacrifice!” It whistled and hissed, pronouncing f’s and s’s with a protruding tongue.

  “I will speak.” the rogue warned, leaning over to the girl. “We're not enemies. Tell us, warriors, is your priestess Lamia?”

  “And who elssse would be our priestessss?” The stern face of the guardian expressed surprise, as if astonished by the silly question.

  “Well, not everyone is aware of your hierarchy. Is it possible to see your priestess?”

  “No. Ssshe’ll call onyou herself. Or you can be her sssacrificcce. Ssshe likesss to sssuck the blood of young people.”


  “Suck? Or squeeze dry?”

  “Ha--ha!” The stern face of the guard expanded in a smile. “Asss luck would have it, yesss!”

  “And if I voluntarily offer Lamia my blood, will she agree to receive us?” Raven asked.

  The guardians stood still and swallowed, glancing at each other.

  “You sssaid voluntarily…?”

  Raven shrugged. “Why not, if she receives us?”

  Even if she completely squeezed him dry, he would revive and return with the princess to his… hmm… not yet his kingdom. Besides, if Lamia indeed revealed new information about the crystal, he would be able to complete the first part of the secret chain of quests that had accepted when he found the shard.

  “Do you know how painful thisss processs iss? How h-horrible it isss?”

  “It’s that bad?”

  “Do you want to change your decisssion?” the half-serpent asked, staring into his eyes with a contemptuous smile.

  “No, I just want to know,” Will answered, understanding that he was courting trouble. But they had to meet Lamia. So he decided to let chance decide.

  “Sh-sh … Have you ever had th-thousandsss of burning needlessss jabbed in your body?” The warrior asked, sheathing his weapon.

  “Believe it or not, it’ll be my first time.” Will felt a shudder pass through his body.

  “The girl will ssstay here. You'll be essscorted to the priestesss.” The guardian turned to the entrance, comprised of stone blocks, and shouting through the slightly open small gate. “Kassserisss! Essscort this willing sssacrificcce.”

  “Wait a moment! The girl must come with me. No other way. She has to meet Lamia as well,” the rogue declared.