Finding a Body (The Dark Herbalist Book #4) LitRPG series

by Michael Atamanov

  The wood nymph took a heavy sigh and raised her huge wounded gaze:

  “That is all very, very strange... but I believe you, Timothy. But now that you’re all better, can you come visit me? Visitors are allowed in the clinic until ten, so you’ll have time. Tim, I’m so bored. I don’t have enough time to talk with you for real. I’m used to seeing you every day and now, after a few days apart, I’m just not feeling like myself...”

  A chat window flickered open. I figured it was my sister writing me something private, not wanting to say it aloud for some reason, but I was wrong. The message came from some corporate employee by the name support_013:

  “Timothy! Remember when you started working here and signed a non-disclosure agreement? There were points about information that may damage the corporation’s business reputation. So if you do not cease this talk at once, we’ll be forced to ban your Goblin Herbalist, permanently this time. And let us remind you that you still cannot leave your office for the next ten days.”

  It was a more than serious threat. I had to tell my sister with a heavy heart that I couldn’t meet with her today, and I’d have to see what the doctors said from there. Valeria got even more upset and nearly started to cry. But still she found the strength to hold back and answer the first question I asked:

  “Kira is mad at you. Really mad. But she seemed ready to make up. And she also thinks you got mad at her first: you turned off your phone, stopped coming to her house, and told some obvious lie... Anyway, that doesn’t matter right now. You’re both adults and you can figure that all out without my childish advice. But we really need to have a chat about you being the Dark Sovereign now with an army and land. I have some advice that I think you could use.”

  The poor signal message, which had been bothering me for the last few minutes, immediately disappeared. Our talk about in-game topics didn’t bother my overseers one bit. Such intrusive and unhidden censorship and tracking were a definite annoyance, though. I was planning to raise the issue in my next conversation with my employer, but I wasn’t ready yet. I still didn’t understand a lot of what was happening around me and was afraid to mess things up.

  “First of all, Tim, you should think about changing your goblin’s appearance. That big-eared silly little goblin is definitely silly and fun, which attracted an audience early on, but now that you’re the brutish, ghastly Dark Sovereign, it just won’t do! We need to make you a new look, much scarier and more hideous. I can do all the work...”

  “No! Definitely not!” it was rare that I argued with my sister on game issues, but in this case I had to put my foot down. “I’m used to this appearance, and it’s good enough for me! What’s more, I can use that contrast to make my gameplay more interesting. I have a bunch of ideas for how to purposely underline and play that up in my video clips. And I’m sure my audience will like it!”

  “Alright, Tim.” Having met fervent resistance, Valeria went on the backslide. “But sometimes, you’ll still need to look frightening to scare subjects or enemies. I guess I could put an illusion on you for that. I’ll think up a ghastly beast form for you tonight. I’ll look online for inspiration and make a spell.”

  Foreman skill increased to level 73!

  “Oh! I just got a quest from you about that,” the mavka chuckled and read the mission description. “And what an interesting reward: I can change my appearance for free. Very unusual! You can do whatever, but I’m definitely going to redo Valerianna Quickfoot so she looks like a proper sister of the Dark Sovereign.”

  Boom! A new character appeared inside the magic dome my sister had conjured:

  Castle Steward

  Omnipresent servant of the Dark Sovereign

  This one was little and with big ears... Bigger than mine even, although Amra’s ratio between ear and body size were truly astonishing. He had a predatory face, sharp little teeth and thick reddish-gray fur. Now, either that was a gremlin or I didn’t know a thing about fantasy races!

  “You can go through magical barriers?” the surprised mavka asked the Steward, and the Gremlin bared his teeth happily:

  “Yes, madam! Within this castle, I can move instantaneously and into any room regardless of locked doors or magical barriers. And I can bring one or two companions with me through my portal.”

  “And outside the castle walls?” I asked, instantly intrigued by the Steward’s unique abilities.

  That would make him a truly ideal thief. No walls, fortifications or bars could hold him! Pop up somewhere, take all the valuables and just disappear! What brilliant possibilities!

  “Outside the castle walls, I do not exist...”

  I sighed in dismay, although the Steward’s answer didn’t really surprise me. I mean, the programmers couldn’t make something so unfair. It would break all the rules and upset balance!

  “Very well, Steward. Bring Valerianna Quickfoot and me to the personal chambers of the Dark Sovereign!”

  Just as I finished that sentence, everything around changed. All three of us were instantly in a small round room with bronze lamps hanging on the walls and flickering away. And it also had a spiral staircase going up and down and five identical lancet windows going in different directions. Outside, it was already the middle of the night. And... there was really nothing else of note. No furniture, no luxury items, not even a bed. Bare stone walls and uncovered windows, which had a cold cross-breeze blowing through them. What a living situation! Not even spartan, this was for some ascetic hermit whose only purpose in life was to punish his body.

  In Valerianna Quickfoot’s room, where I ordered the gremlin to take us next, the situation was even more shameful. There weren’t even any lamps, just bare stone walls and a cold floor covered in damp mold. To my utterly justified indignation, the Steward just chuckled:

  “Sovereign, anything can be arranged for in your castle. Furniture from the rarest pink palm wood from the Isles of Eternal Youth, carpets made of albino sabre-tooth tiger pelts, windows of deep-earth crystal with large inlaid diamonds. Any fancy that might strike. But it’ll cost you! However, there is no money in the coffers at the moment. And as there’s no money, there can be no fancy!”

  “I’ve never come up against such an obvious and brazen demand to put money into a game!” Valerianna Quickfoot snorted, upset. But the Steward predictably ignored her references to the outside world. He continued:

  “You could of course have orcs and zombies make furniture and decorate, but I’m not sure you’ll like the result, Sovereign. Or perhaps...” here the Steward sharply fell silent. I even had to demand that he finish his thought. “I’m sorry, Sovereign, I’ve just realized I’m talking out of turn. But I wanted to say that you could demand however much money you want as tribute. Everyone in Boundless Realm knows that your armies are about to invade the Tori, Lars and Amathy provinces. The rulers of the kingdoms and free cities there are probably shaking in their boots and may agree to pay you off just to stave off attack!”

  My sister and I exchanged glances, struck by the novelty of the suggestion, and Valerianna asked:

  “He’s right, Tim. Why not try? You stand to lose nothing, and it will only improve your reputation as a ghastly Dark Sovereign. But we should at least find out how it is technically possible. Sit on the throne and spend a few Direct Intervention Points?”

  “Or visit the rulers’ palaces one by one through the crystal ball, threatening and issuing demands to each of them separately? But I don’t have any maps of large cities to allow me to see them through the Eye, and I have no time to waste on that.”

  But Val did not agree that I should write it off so quickly:

  “You can buy maps of big cities in the central provinces for pennies. The only expensive maps in Boundless Realm are of distant locations. The more players live in a place, the more supply is on the market, and thus the cheaper the map. So I would suggest, big-ears, that you start buying maps of the neighboring regions. The expenses will be minimal, and it will expand your possibilities greatl
y. Get to it today, because Direct Intervention Points are too valuable a resource to just throw around willy-nilly.”

  “Am I just throwing them around?” I asked in surprise. And Val took a heavy sigh and nodded:

  “Are you ever! Five points here, two there, then another eight... And none of it was strictly necessary! I was just shocked when you spent eight points to heal that Chef! Tondik was doing just fine without that arm, it had no bearing on his wedding. Look, Tim. With such a wanton attitude toward such a valuable resource, one fine day the Dark Sovereign may find he doesn’t have enough points to open a portal and move troops. Then that will delay some attack and your bosses at the company will be very upset!”

  My sister was of course overstating it a bit, but I was willing to agree that I needed to be more prudent with such a rare resource. Alright, I’d take it into consideration. I was ready to talk with my sister until deep in the night, but just then a strange beeping sound rang out like an alarm clock, and the Wood Nymph immediately jumped up:

  “Timothy, sorry but I have to leave Boundless Realm . I promised... my new friends we’d meet up tonight and go on a walk around the clinic garden. Alright?”

  Now that was news! My little sister, who’d had a single-minded obsession with computer games for many years was now telling me she was leaving the game to meet people in the real world! And at that, my sister was flustered and clearly embarrassed. Perhaps these friends she was going on a walk with weren’t going to all be girls...

  “And what might this young man be named?” I asked, casting a line at random. And I guessed right.

  The Wood Nymph went completely red and answered with her eyes pointed down at the floor in embarrassment:

  “His name is Andre. He’s a very fun and cheerful guy from a good family, a beginner street racer. Half a year ago he had a nasty accident on an electrobike... I mean you know how they drive. He lost both arms.”

  I wanted to quip that a racer without any arms was not exactly a beginner, more like a “done-r,” but I kept silent. I understood that this was a very painful and serious topic for my sister, and Valeria might get mad.

  “The day after tomorrow, Andre is having an operation. They’re giving him bionic prosthetic arms. He’s very worried, although he acts cocky and tries not to show it. He ordered a guitar to train sensitivity for his new fingers. He’s going to go back to street racing after he recovers. He’s constantly telling me about different models of electrobike and race tracks. Anyway, Andre is a very cool and positive guy. He’s very well read. I sometimes think he knows everything in the world. I’m very glad I met him. So, will you let me go walk with him tonight, Tim?”

  How could I say no? Regardless of my hang-ups, this was her fifteenth year, she was big enough to be independent, and interests often shifted at that age. What was more, I understood perfectly that Val would leave the game with my approval or without it. So, I allowed it. The Wood Nymph gave a shriek of joy, kissed my big-eared Goblin Herbalist on the cheek and sat down cross-legged on the floor, preparing to leave Boundless Realm . Half a minute later, the mavka’s silhouette flickered and disappeared, dissolving without a trace.

  There was no sense in me staying here in this dark room, and I demanded the Steward bring me to Ghuu Ghel All-Knowing. After all, I wanted to find out how the orc shaman was doing sending my messages through Boundless Realm .

  “I cannot, Sovereign. The shaman is not in the castle, he is performing rituals, sacrifices and dances somewhere in the open air. I can only tell you he is with a large group of shamans and assistants and they all went toward those distant mountains.”

  “Alright, take me to the palace exit!” I ordered, and the gremlin instantly moved me to the front gates.

  Successful check for Cold Resistance!

  Ugh, what frigid air and piercing wind! Without a tent, fire or hot food, a creature might freeze to death before morning. The wind from the Icy Mountains was burning, whistling and getting into my very bones. There were black clouds like shreds of fabric floating through the sky. Thankfully there was no rain, or the perhaps more likely snow. In the distance there were many fires burning. My squadrons of living creatures had set up tents, warmed up and made dinner. I didn’t see any creatures with no clear tent, and that was good. There was a decent chance that all my warriors would survive until morning despite the bad weather. The undead needed no tents or food, but they had also gone somewhere else, and were not dawdling on the wind-swept plain. I stood and looked around. Where could I find those shamans?

  And then in the distance, through wisps of damp cloud, I saw a column of bright green light descend through the gloomy sky!

  The spirits were favorable

  Your message has been sent to every NPC in Boundless Realm !

  The following positive effect has been received: every day, the Dark Sovereign will grow more attractive to potential NPC settlers. Also, a cumulative bonus will be applied, increasing each day by:

  Foreman +1

  Warchief +1

  Diplomat +1

  Animal Control +1

  Duration: unlimited

  Would you look at that! The effect had an unlimited duration... very unusual. That meant that sooner or later, every creature that could submit to my authority in Boundless Realm would declare me their master and stand beneath my banner. Meanwhile, the distant pillar of green grew dimmer with every second until it finally dissolved into the low black clouds and lashing rain. Apparently, I’d missed the big event, and now I had no reason to rush off.

  I could, of course, summon VIXEN or the Gray Pack and go off with them somewhere. But without friends or my sister, and with such nasty weather, I had simply lost the will to play. What was more, I was starkly reminded that I had spent all day in a virtual reality capsule, which flooded me with exhaustion and apathy. I also started feeling hungry. Not hungry like in the game. My character was almost full. And my Thirst for Blood was also at the top. My body in the real world needed to eat. So I took a heavy sigh and followed my sister’s example, also leaving Boundless Realm .

  * * *

  THERE WAS SOMEONE in the office. I realized that as soon as I lifted the lid of the virtual reality capsule. I could hear the clacking of high heels in the next room over alongside quiet music and other sounds that just couldn’t be coming from an empty office. Had Kira really come off it and tracked me down? With that anxiety-inducing thought, I clambered out and quickly got dressed. I didn’t want my fashionable girlfriend to see me in nothing but my underwear. I walked into the neighboring room... and froze.

  My boss’s assistant Tina, decked out in a fine golden evening dress and high-heeled shoes, was setting plates and wine glasses on the table. She had her bright purple hair up in an elaborate do and some of her locks had been dyed gold to match her dress, clearly preparations that had taken a ton of energy and time. I noticed many neatly arranged salad dishes with something interesting, a large dish covered with a silver lid, fruits in a crystal vase, a bottle of sparkling wine in a bucket of ice... Seemingly my sister wasn’t the only one who was going on a date tonight. But did I want all this?

  “Good evening, Timothy!” the long-legged beauty said when she noticed me. “I heard about your temporary living situation and decided to pay you a visit. I hope you aren’t opposed.”

  I didn’t know whether to be happy at this invasion of my personal space or not, but I of course didn’t tell her to leave and answered politely.

  “That’s great!” Tina replied happily. “Timothy, wash your hands and come sit down, you must be starving. I don’t know what you like, so I ordered for my tastes.”

  The atmosphere over our dinner was somewhat strained. Tina tried to joke and made variously obvious hints that she wanted to get closer to me, and I did everything in my power to “not notice.” Why? There were many reasons for it. First and foremost were the video cameras in every corner. I had noticed some of them, though I suspected there were in fact many more cameras. I was not use
d to such close surveillance. It had me very frustrated and feeling like I was in chains. Second, the very fact of my imprisonment, though forced and temporary, also got on my nerves. And of course the main thing was that I could sense something was fishy.

  How did Tina know where I was? It seemed to be the simplest of questions, but she could only dodge it or give sketchy answers. After that came the utterly logical thought that her entering a supposedly empty office with a tray of food would have been picked up on the security cameras. And if someone had seen her, the whole basis for my imprisonment came crashing down. If the NPC Taisha really could observe the building through its security cameras she would be alerted by this, guessing that the man named Timothy hadn’t died at all. Taisha was not stupid and would quickly realize who the food was for. And what, that didn’t bother anyone? What bullshit!

  Well, there was another fairly important factor in my cautious and even cold treatment of Tina — a different girl who was no less beautiful than “miss Boundless Realm ” herself. My relationship with Kira may have been in a vague and difficult place, but we hadn’t yet broken up, so I felt a certain moral obligation to my somewhat crazy but still elegant and gorgeous girlfriend.

  “Timothy, I’m gonna go home!” Clearly having understood that she couldn’t get more out of this than a dinner, Tina started getting ready to leave. “You must be bored sitting all alone here in the office. Would you be opposed to me dropping by for dinner sometimes?”

  Hmm, why the heck not? I was already feeling somewhat uncomfortable after one day of imprisonment. In a day or two, I’d be crawling up the walls and in a week I’d be damn near out of my gourd. This way I’d at least have some human interaction. All the better that it was with a pretty girl. So, I gave my consent. But now feeling bolder, Tina gave me a kiss on the cheek and, taking the tray of dirty dishes with her, went into the hallway.