Reborn: Evolution: A LitRPG Series (Warlock Chronicles Book 3) Page 4

  “Yeah.”

  It was hard for me to speak. I was looking at two large (like, half of his face kind of large) yellow eyes of... of someone I used to adventure with. A friend? Would I call him a friend? I didn’t know. But the absence of even a hint of a nose, black sclera, wrinkles in the corners of the eyes and mouth... The hood that usually covered his face had been lost in the fight with Graybeard.

  Strangely, it seemed that Kay-Si was a demon, too. I didn’t know how the mechanics worked or whether there were any, but in front of me now stood the new owner of the Valley of Light — Demon Kay-Si.

  “A deal’s a deal.”

  “Yes... Yes, of course,” Key-Si mumbled, still examining his new body. “Here.”

  [Kay-Si Ed] wishes to give you [Magic Compass].

  Accept? Yes/No

  Attention! Accepting automatically triggers the [Heir] skill.

  “I accept.”

  ***

  Magic Compass was a rather strange skill. For starters, it was a Shaman skill but it was accepted by my ESP. It had no levels, was activated after the target was assigned, and it worked like a navigator. That is, it didn’t just point me toward the location but directly marked it on the mini-map. Another oddity was that when I selected Key Fragments in the search menu that appeared, instead of a large number of locations dotted all over the map, the skill highlighted only one in the northeast, next to the destroyed Beige base.

  Does this mean that there’s one fragment missing or that it’ll show me the location of the rest once I’ve picked up this fragment? Something tells me it’s the latter...

  As soon as I showed the marked location to Willow, her face contorted in fear.

  “That’s the Screeching Mountain,” she whispered.

  “Yes, I know how to read... What’s up with the expression?”

  “It’s one of the reasons for our fall,” she explained. “That is, what’s hidden in its depths. It’s somewhat similar to your mountain. Just smaller and full of mobs. Sharp-billed Screamers, the dominant species of the location, are only half of the problem. Something much more dangerous lurks in the depths... We haven’t been able to find out what. We lost five people and had no clue what killed them.”

  “Do you want to join my party? I need someone who knows the location well.”

  “Of course!” She nodded eagerly, touching her spiked green braid. “Anything is better than just sitting still. Not to mention that my people died there, it’s my duty, so to speak...”

  “You want to find out what happened to them?” I asked.

  “Yes!”

  “Then I’ll meet you at the industrial district at dawn. How many of your friends can join?”

  She thought for a moment.

  “Kristi and... White, I think, are dealing with totems, the other girls are nursing the wounded Goblins. Chernous can’t help either since he’s scouting. But I think Ronin can join.”

  A memory of the fight with the Burgundies popped up in front of my eyes.

  “Is he the strange little guy in a long hide who threw rocks?”

  “That’s the one.”

  ***

  Who would’ve thought that Pavel, who was skeptical about my participation in the Game and the abilities of a psychic, would give me full freedom while looking for the key? I was being too harsh. After everything that happened, his attitude toward me had changed. In his eyes, I was no longer the lucky guy who, by some miracle, got a second chance at life but someone who earned his place in this world. Though, I must say, my ability to deceive gullible people was a skill on its own.

  Still, some animosity remained. I wasn’t particularly fond of him so I didn’t mind that all our interactions boiled down to “I hate you, but I’m doing this for the sake of the faction.” I think he didn’t mind our little arrangement either.

  I wondered who I ought to take on the hike with me. Willow and Ronin knew the location well. My old group, Ivan, Valkyrie, and Amoeba already agreed to come along. However, this would mean that they wouldn’t be able to perform their usual tasks. Ivan was a member of the combat squad that was the first to react whenever a threat approached the base. Valkyrie helped raise and educate the Goblins, and Amoeba spent days in his lab, where he and Elf worked tirelessly on creating medicine. Spider was overwhelmed with work — after the fight with the Burgundies, several players and about a dozen Goblins were in critical condition — but he managed to leave his patients with Doc and his assistants. Assembling the old team proved difficult but everyone understood that finding the key was crucial if we wished to survive to see spring.

  ***

  However, the mission had to be postponed until dawn: night wasn’t the right time to travel, and the others had some things to finish before departing. Spider had to perform a complex surgery on the spinal cord of one of the unfortunate players. He planned to do it with his thin steel legs and with the help of his Goblin assistant who had recently learned how to use spider glands.

  I decided to make good use of our time off, so I tried to beg Elf to give me some Third Sight. I was curious as to what I’d see. Perhaps I’d see something that would help us find the key faster.

  The chemist, fighting the urge to fall asleep standing up, shook his head.

  “It’s not ready yet... not ready...” he kept repeating. In between turning me down, he kept mumbling something incomprehensible so I quickly gave up on trying to persuade him. Even the threat to tell Pavel everything didn’t help.

  “Loki, I know you mean well but I can’t put you in danger...”

  In the end, I waved my hands, grunted, and left the lab. But the moment I stepped on the threshold, an idea occurred to me.

  “Elf, what if I bring you something in exchange? Like... the supplies of that Lilac mage? He had several dozen jars of all sorts of powders...”

  “I don’t know...” He feigned doubt but I could tell from the look in his eyes that he was interested. “What if you get poisoned from the drug?”

  “We’ll keep it our little secret,” I said and winked.

  “Only if you promise to be careful... And not a word to Amoeba!” he pleaded, unable to refuse a batch of magic powders.

  ***

  In the short time that had passed since the meeting with Pavel, Elf managed to improve his experiments a little and, having ground Third Sense into a fine powder, figured that it’d be more efficient if it were smoked rather than ingested. This also proved to be a much safer way of consuming it: after the last time he had used it, Elf discovered that his stomach was covered with ulcers. I dreaded to think what would’ve happened to me if he hadn’t come up with a safer way to use the drug.

  Having closed the door of my hut and put the pets to guard it, I lit the rolled-up dried leaf with a small bolt of lightning, took a puff, and immediately bent over in a coughing fit.

  What am I doing? This isn’t tobacco! Though, I could get used to it... God, I sound like a junkie... Ah, this brings me back...

  I never used drugs, but I was an avid smoker who used to smoke at least half a pack a day. It was only last year that I reduced this number to just a couple of cigarettes. With great difficulty, I might add. So when the fragrant smoke entered my lungs, I was overcome with nostalgia. And not only for cigarettes, but for the life I once had. Life on Earth where I didn’t have to fight for survival and fight with mobs and other players... I took another thoughtful drag and observed as the smoke danced in the air.

  The third puff was even more pleasant and relaxing, and on the fourth, I felt my body gradually sink into sleep.

  As soon as I put out the cigarette, my mind went blank.

  ***

  The dream looked like a nightmare.

  At first, I was in total darkness. Elf had assured me that I’d have complete control over my mind... but not on what would be going on around me.

  This state lasted for several minutes and then I heard someone invisible whisper in my ear.

  “He’s coming! Ahaha... He. A
lready. Comes.”

  I almost screamed in fright, immediately turning in the direction of the speaker and reflexively hit the air with my fist.

  “Comes! Cooooooming!” The whispering voice repeated and I realized that my fist, like the rest of my body, was... missing. Luckily, this meant that I couldn’t have a heart attack because I definitely would’ve had one.

  The whisper suddenly turned into a scream and I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to cover my ears with my hands... but they weren’t there.

  A red ten-pointed star appeared in front of my eyes, which I also couldn’t close because my eyelids weren’t there either. It was the same as the star that was painted on the Hall’s altar. It grew brighter, unbearably bright, as if it was trying to burn itself into my retinas.

  The voice whispered again.

  “The Giant is coming... He’s coming... Protect the dungeon...” the invisible speaker warned, inhaling heavily through their nostrils after each sentence as if they were struggling to breathe.

  “Not much left... Seven parts... Seven... And then... Everything... Is over,” another voice whispered into my other ear and I realized with horror that the voice belonged to one of the many souls that had been imprisoned in the Gray Pilgrim.

  “HE’S COMING! HE’S COMING!!!” the first voice shrieked.

  I could’ve sworn that I felt a cold touch on my temple but that wasn’t possible. My body was missing! Still, I felt fingers grabbing my head as if to pull me closer.

  “The key! Seven parts...”

  The voices and the cold touch began to move away, and soon their cry was lost in the void.

  The image became so bright that I could no longer look at the star, which now seemed to have been drawn in blood. It trickled down, dripping from an invisible surface, and then disappeared somewhere in the darkness.

  I felt like I’d go blind if I continued to stare at this image. I couldn’t stand the bright light.

  I couldn’t!

  I couldn’t...

  ***

  “I can’t!”

  With a cry, I almost fell off the couch and onto the floor.

  “Everything okay?” Amoeba’s silhouette appeared in front of my blurry vision and he put some smelly leaf near my nose. “Your pets almost killed me... Why the fuck did you ask Elf to give you that thing?!”

  Chapter 4

  TO THE SHRIEKING MOUNTAIN!

  The conversation with Amoeba wasn’t easy. And even though I was technically above him in terms of status and was invited to meetings with the higher-ups, Amoeba still scolded me as he was older and much wiser.

  “Amo... Amoeba...” I tried to interrupt his preaching and say something in my defense. “It... was for the common good...”

  “Of course! For the common good!” He exclaimed, throwing up his hands in annoyance. “And? What did you learn that could help the common good?”

  Yeah... What did I learn? The number of key fragments...? The voices could be wrong... They could’ve been lying to me...

  The ten-pointed star was probably the Giant’s symbol, just like the yellow square inside an equilateral triangle was the Piper’s. Well, Kay-Si’s now.

  Amoeba fell silent after hearing my story, having paid most attention to the bit about the symbols and Kay-Si’s “rebirth.”

  “Interesting,” he said, “this is all very interesting...”

  “What is?” I asked, confused.

  “The symbols define the creatures,” Amoeba continued as if he didn’t hear me. “The symbol is their being... If that’s true, then... Ha! And Kay-Si? Yes... It’s definitely worth a try...”

  “What are you on about?!”

  “My friend!” he exclaimed. “Your rash act has given me an idea! No, no, no! Don’t ask me anything!” he quickly said. “Loki, I hope you won’t be offended if I refuse to go with you to the Shrieking Mountain.”

  “Okay, but why? Fine, fine, I won’t ask questions... Do your thing. But I have one condition.” It was obvious that Amoeba was on the verge of some breakthrough and that he wouldn’t tell me a damn thing until he was done with it.

  “What?”

  “As soon as you figure this out, you’ll tell me.”

  “Of course!” He smiled and shook my hand. “It’s a deal!”

  ***

  Exhausted, I was about to crawl into my bed when there was another knock on the door.

  Did Amoeba forget something...?

  “Loki, it’s Cap. Are you there?” a muffled voice inquired.

  “Yes, yes, come in...”

  The door opened and Cap walked in. He wasn’t different from the rest of the players who chose the humanoid form as the most familiar and most suitable for using weapons and tools.

  “I know it’s late, but this is urgent.”

  “It’s fine... What’s the matter?”

  Cap shifted from foot to foot, wondering about how to put what he had to say into words. As the leader of the armed forces, he wasn’t all that versed in talking unless he was shouting orders. The two of us never talked outside “work” so we weren’t exactly friends. No wonder he was confused. He didn’t know if he ought to talk to me on equal terms.

  “Cap, I don’t want to rush you or anything, but it’s really late...”

  “Khm, right. I’m sorry.”

  “So, what’s the deal?”

  “Right... Well... I’ll cut to the chase. I’ve got two questions for you. One, can you do what you did while we were fighting the Burgundies and make another big body, and if you can, when would you be able to do it? That’s a very powerful skill and I’d like to make use of it.”

  “In ten days. It has a three-week cooldown.”

  “Then my second question is: what’s your alignment? As far as I can tell, you have nothing to do with the military...”

  “Cap,” I said, “I can assure you that I never had nor ever will have interest in your position. I’m not good at being a leader. The fight against the Burgundies didn’t change anything. I’m still the field commander of my group, and you’re the head of the faction’s armed forces. At your command, I’ll create the big blob again. But keep in mind that we shouldn’t do it before the Giant arrives since we could put ourselves at risk.”

  “That’s true.” Cap smiled. “I hear you’re going after the second fragment? This is all too vague for my liking... If you had some concrete evidence, I’d immediately join you. Well, the least I can do is lend you two of our best cavalrymen.”

  “Cavalrymen?”

  “Goblins that can ride the wolves. They’ve already proved themselves in combat. Saddles are in short supply but... Anyway, Fang and Tail will be waiting for you at dawn. If you think they can help, take them with you.”

  ***

  After Amoeba said that he couldn’t go with us, I was afraid that the strength of the remaining squad wouldn’t be enough and that I’d have to beg someone else to drop whatever they were doing and help us. There were forty-one of us in total. Five were in the hospital, out of which three were in a serious condition. There was no way that I could get a quarter of the faction to drop what they were doing and go on a wild goose chase with me to get something that may or may not help us.

  Most of the Goblins were still too weak to go on more serious expeditions so Cap’s help was a godsend. He gave us two of the most highly trained members: the brave and sometimes unbearably sarcastic Fang and the silent Tail. And they came with two huge Werewolves that someone, probably Cap, named Gray and Rex. His plan to form a cavalry unit had begun to come to fruition.

  With the first rays of dawn, we moved westward.

  ***

  With barely audible clatter of chainmail, we made our way to the Burgundy base, which was on the way to the Screeching Mountain. Wearing a thick bearskin that he had acquired from a mob he had strangled, and armed with his iron club, Ivan scouted ahead of us. Valkyrie followed close behind on her ostrich legs, the joints of which were protected with iron plates. Her torso was covered with
strong chainmail, and she held a broadsword clutched in her hands.

  Behind them was Spider. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the time to make any sort of armor for his long thin legs. But it wasn’t like he needed it. The short hair that covered his skin glimmered with a metallic sheen. It wouldn’t be easy to break through his natural armor.

  They were flanked by Goblins, who rode in leather saddles strapped to the backs of hunched Werewolves. The wolves, as Amoeba had put it, were as tame as dogs at this point, which, in my opinion, was an incredible success. To think that they started as mindless beasts... And look at them now. The Goblins had no problems steering and controlling their powerful mounts.

  Behind them were Willow, Ronin, and me. She reminded me of Medusa with her hair untied: the little spiked vines seemed to have a life of their own. For some reason, they kept trying to hit me on the shoulder. Ronin was... well, Ronin. He was as silent as a grave. He had even refused to trade his hide for chainmail or leather armor.

  We were silent for a long while: the early morning and the lack of sleep didn’t help improving the mood but, over time, we engaged in conversation via Mental Transmission. There was no need to disturb the peace of the forest inhabitants, especially early in the morning when some of the nocturnal dwellers were still up and about. And since the Beiges were new, this was the perfect time to get to know one another.

  To break the ice, I was the first one to tell them a bit about myself.

  “I really liked working as a psychic. I never tried to swindle people out of their money, there was enough of it already. It’s really weird how many people turn to us rather than to psychologists, I have to admit. For example, my last client spent the last remaining hours of her life in the company of her new lower. Her husband’s body wasn’t even cold and she was already with someone else...”

  ***

  I had to embellish the truth a little, of course. I couldn’t really talk to the dead. I lied to my clients and engaged in, to put it mildly, dubious activities. It’s not like I charged millions, but I had enough to put food on my table. Lots of food.