“I’m giving you two minutes to tell me everything I want to know, or you’ll end up like that screaming bitch over there!” I hissed and slapped him so hard his head shot to the side just as Gary’s guandao slashed through one of the crying bastard’s arms.
I held his head like that until Gary was done with one of the legs, but first at the ankle, and then at the thigh. Shit, that guy was really enjoying this. I almost regretted it but didn’t say anything.
I heard Melina walk up to us, but she didn’t say anything and just stood there with her arms crossed.
“Shit, they’re still alive!” she exclaimed and ran over toward Aiko.
The woman stirred and looked up. She coughed and spat a wad of blood.
“Aiko? You—you’re still alive!” Kang cried.
He dropped his spear and rushed to kneel next to his wife. Melina’s hands pressed down on her side where a deep gash ran. The woman started crying as she looked down at her hands where she held Akiko.
“No! Don’t save me! I want to go with her!”
I looked away as something within me snapped. It hurt so badly, just like when I’d learned my own brother took my baby and wife from me. Bastards. Fucking bastards, all of them!
“What’s the Green Dragon Gang, and where do they operate from?”
“Huh? You don’t know?” The man snickered as he glanced over his shoulder at Aiko. The woman noticed his snicker and lunged at him, pulling his hair.
“Aiko, stop!” Kang snapped. “We need him for now!”
“No! He needs to die! Now! Let me at him!”
Kang pulled her off the man and held her in his arms. Melina shuffled over again and placed her hands against the wound and coughed. I frowned. She didn’t look very good.
“Melina, that’s enough. She’s not going to die. Take two crystals and heal up.” I pulled her off Aiko and handed her the crystals. “You too, both of you.” I handed one each to Kang and his wife before I turned back to the Green Dragon scum.
“Green Dragon Club over at East-Central.” He chuckled, almost as if that should mean something.
“Good. That’s a good start,” I replied as I knelt next to him. “Why did you do this?”
“Why? Hah! Why he asks?” The bastard snorted and looked around as if for support. Idiot. “We were paid to do so! That brother of hers gave the boss fifty crystals and several pieces of equipment. I have no idea where he got them, but they were some fine items!”
“And that’s why you killed women and children?”
He shrugged. “We do as ordered, or our families pay the price.”
“Oh? And who would have known if you killed the women and kids?” I tried to sound calm, but underneath the surface I was paddling like a duck, trying to remain calm on the outside.
“Sandro. He wanted everyone dead. His request.”
Melina burst out into tears anew, finally releasing everything she’d kept inside over the last half hour. The deaths of our new friends and almost family members. It was easy to get attached to people, especially if you shared life and death with them. Shit. This wasn’t right at all. Fucking bastard, and all these fucking bastards.
“Do what you want with him, Aiko. He’s yours.”
I picked the man’s sword up and handed it to her, then looked over at Gary and what he’d done to the other guy. The piece of scum lay there without arms and legs as Gary stood over him, promising the sweet release of death if he sang. That wasn’t who I was, and that wasn’t who we were going to be.
I walked over to the man and stabbed through his heart. He didn’t die instantly, but seeing how he stopped twitching and crying, I achieved what I wanted to do.
Gary looked up at me with a scowl on his face. “Why did you do that? These scum deserved even worse!”
“Yes, they did, but let me ask you something. What if we became like that? Is that something she would have wanted? We need to bury our dead first and get revenge after.”
He clenched his fists and stared at me. “Our dead? You mean my dead! All of them were my family, not yours!”
“Don’t!” Kang snapped. “Enough!
Gary bit his lower lip as it quivered. I stepped up to him and put my hand on his arm. He didn’t shrug it off or snap at me again. He cried. The big man cried like a child. Who could blame him? His girl had died, and so many others he loved for so long. Shit. Damn the Gods and their game! Damn this boss and this cursed place!
I stumbled over to Melina as the last Green Dragon screamed from the pain. Aiko was doing a number on him, and a big one at that, so I looked away. I wasn’t interested in torture. If I wanted them dead, they would die without much fanfare.
Melina scurried up and toward me. She put her arms on my chest and I hugged her. It was the only thing I could do as I did all I could to try not to cry myself. So much death and pain. And why? So someone could have their fun with us?
“I failed all of you,” I whispered. “I really did it this time. Not just my own life, but everyone else as well.”
Exhaustion and pain finally caught up with me when she whispered something. The pain returned full-on, and I let go of the only good thing I had left and dropped to my side. Exhausted and in pain, I closed my eyes and only thought of my revenge. If I managed to live through this, no amount of love for Melina would stop me. People could be very evil, and I would make it my goal in life to punish every single one of them.
Chapter Twenty-Four
I woke up in a dark place, the same as when I met Krajolik. The main difference was that it was round and not square. Hundreds of shades sat around what looked like a round table, one that I stood on.
“Welcome, Viktor,” a familiar voice said. “It’s good to see you again.”
I turned around and saw Krajolik sitting in one of the chairs. A wave of nausea struck me, and I suddenly had trouble breathing despite not having to breathe.
“You? Don’t tell me I’m dead again!” I snapped and then caught myself. “I… I’m sorry.”
A thunderous chorus of laughter filled the room. It was deafening to the point I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed my hands against my ears. I didn’t even care about them laughing at me, the pain was so intense!
“He’s so cute. Just look at him,” a female voice called out.
“You think every damn mortal is cute if he’s hung anything beyond the ordinary!” a man’s voice responded.
Numerous others joined in and started bickering amongst themselves, but I remained silent. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake again. Their chatter seemed to go on and on as I stood there. It died out when Krajolik put his hand up and snapped his fingers.
“Viktor, you’re here because you’ve managed to beat one of the rifts and finished the quest chain in the time limit. We wish to reward you, as is only fitting for the second man who cleared a rift since the game started.”
“I wasn’t alone,” I said, interrupting him. “So many people died! Return them to life if you want to reward me!”
“Unfortunately, that won’t be possible. You see, we don’t bring back the dead, and we never will, as this game can last for centuries depending on what you humans do, and we’re very interested in the outcome. If we were to make exceptions for you, then we’d have to do it for everyone.”
“But no one will know. What kind of reasoning is that?”
“Those around you would. And do you see what came of trusting those around you?”
“No, I won’t accept this, Krajolik! You can’t do this to me, not again!”
“Viktor. Viktor! Come on! Don’t be like that. You don’t want to show weakness in front of thousands of Gods, now do you?”
“I couldn’t care less, Krajolik! I don’t care about my pride! I want my people back!”
“Viktor, there are two things that will happen now. One of them is you can get a patron from among those present here. A sponsor or a helper, if you will. The second is the chance to inherit a rift. Since you’re the second human
who managed to clear a rift, you still have a good chance of getting the top prize.”
I remained quiet for a moment, mulling over what Krajolik just said.
“Can I ask something? I’ll try to be brief.”
He nodded, and I could see numerous Gods and Goddesses look away, but some leaned in closer as if to better hear me.
“Two things for a start. Second human, and inheriting a rift. Are there other races who are participating in this game as well, and if so, will the rifts connect us?”
Krajolik opened his mouth to reply but closed it. He opened it for a second time and closed it again.
“Am I allowed to speak on this matter?” he asked and looked up at the ceiling. He nodded several times and then shrugged. “You’re lucky, Viktor. Since you’re the first to ask such questions, they’ll allow me to give you a reply. Are you sure you want to hear the response, though?”
“I want to know what we’re dealing with and what to expect!”
“Alright then. Think of this game as a tournament. Whoever gets ahead moves into the next round. The rifts are seats at a table, a large round table where numerous players will fight it out. Is that enough?”
I nodded, not wanting to get ahead of myself and waste this opportunity.
“Thank you, all of you.” The assembly started murmuring amongst themselves, and I could see a few of them nod appreciatively, liking the question. “But I’m still not giving up on my people.”
I was far from done asking, but even this much information was already worth a lot to someone who basically knew nothing.
“We’ll see about that, but first put your hand in this box,” he replied and snapped his fingers.
A large white box appeared in front of me and gave off the same kind of feeling as the pouch did, but on a much grander scale.
“It’s like bingo or something?”
“Put your hand inside and pick a ball. We’ll do the rest.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as I reached for one of the round orbs. They were tiny, the size of a pore on our skin. I wrapped my hand around a number of them and squeezed, sending them flying. They felt strange, almost as if wanting to intrude on me. All except one that stuck to my skin by a thread of lightning.
“Scar?”
He didn’t reply. I didn’t even feel his presence, much less his thoughts.
“Have you chosen?”
“I guess,” I replied and nodded. Might as well go with that one since I had to rely on luck. I didn’t know why, but it felt different than the others, almost as if the element of lightning was calling out to me.
“Are you sure?” he asked again.
“Yeah, this is the one.”
I opened my palm and the small invisible ball suddenly grew to the size of a fist. The ball started flashing and groaning as if it was about to burst wide open, releasing a mass of energy into the darkness around me.
“I won’t call you out by name, but this is highly unprofessional,” Krajolik snapped. “He was supposed to make his own choice.”
No one made an effort to respond. I didn’t even want to ask what he meant. Why the hell would I? No one would care to tell me anything anyway. But I felt somewhat played if someone had chosen for me. It might turn out for the best, though. If they liked what they’d seen up to this point, they might even be beneficial in the future.
“What now?” I asked after a long moment of unbearable silence.
“Now you’ll wake up in your ryokan, the place you’re bound to.” He was about to say more, but stopped and looked up, then nodded again and met my eyes. “You will be given a choice since the things that dropped from the boss are very valuable. They’ll allow two revivals in total in exchange for all that dropped, including the crystals, the weapons, scrolls, gems, and even an upgrade to your system.”
I felt as if someone just punched me in the gut. We’d sacrificed so many lives, yet here we were. I had the chance of bringing two of them back to life in exchange for God knew what.
“This isn’t fair. At all!” I snapped, not giving a shit if they were going to do something to me. “You’ve done this two times already! Wasn’t the first time enough?”
No one reprimanded me, but Krajolik coughed once to draw my attention.
“Make your choice. Now.”
I closed my eyes as I trembled with rage. “I’m not doing this!”
“Then all of them will remain dead!” Krajolik snapped.
“You can’t do this to me! If you do, I’ll pay all of you back once I’ve joined your ranks, and trust me, I’ve got enough motivation to do so!”
The whole room plunged into silence at hearing my words.
“Is that how you want to play this?” he asked.
I nodded. “Fuck that! Yes, that’s how I’m going to play it! Take everything I got from the boss! Take half of my life, but give them back!”
Krajolik put up his hand as he looked up, and I suddenly lost the ability to speak.
“Hold that thought,” Krajolik whispered as he nodded his head several times and then finally grinned like mad.
“They have an offer for you, but you’d better think about this very hard. Do you want to give up your entrance right to the Karmag? If you do, we’ll revive them all.”
My heart skipped a beat as I tried to step toward him but couldn’t.
“What did you… what was that?”
“You heard me, Viktor. Now give me your answer.”
A searing pain shot up into my chest, and blue flames enveloped me, eating away at my very being. I could feel all the rage wanting to manifest, all the pain and suffering, but I closed my eyes. What kind of man would I be if I preached one thing to Gary and then did the same? Do what’s right, no matter the cost. At least that was how it should be.
I let out a deep sigh and nodded. “I take the offer.”
“Hah! I knew it!” a voice called out from among the spectators.
One of the invisible shapes stood and joined us on the round podium. I couldn’t make out if it was male or female, but it didn’t matter. They were Gods and could probably change appearance at will.
“You’re acting totally inappropriately. Again,” Krajolik said angrily.
Was that the God who had taken an interest in me and guided my hand with the rifts?
“I might be a trickster, but if a man gets betrayed two times by those closest to him in two separate lives, I think he deserves a patron. I’m willing to be yours, Viktor.”
“Who—what’s your name, if I may ask?”
I had no idea how to address “it,” but that didn’t matter right then and there. Was that the real reason why they were interested?
“Veles. God of mischief, lightning, drink, and music. One of the Major Gods.”
I bowed low and stayed there for a few seconds too long probably, but it seemed to enjoy the act. The way it accented the word major in the Major Gods still resounded in my mind.
“I accept, Veles.”
I didn’t know what came over me, but the lightning part had something to do with Scar, or at least I thought it did.
“Good, good. Now, give me that ball, and I’ll open a portal for you after I charge it with enough of my power.”
I handed the seed over and just stood there without a clue as to what to do next. But then I turned to Krajolik just to make sure about the deal we just struck.
“Yes, Viktor, they’re already alive. You have my word.”
I nodded and bowed once more, first to Krajolik and then Veles. “Thank you. All of you, whoever you may be.”
Krajolik chuckled and got up himself, then walked over to me. It seemed like he was interested in something, but I had no idea what it might be. Not even in the slightest.
“Why didn’t you ask about your past?”
My heart skipped a beat as the question processed in my mind. Why? Because no one told me I could!
“I would, I would. Still, it’s strange. I can’t get over the fact that you’re so obsessed with a woman you just met, is all.”
“You’re not the only one, Krajolik,” I whispered. “You’re not the only one.”
“Ohh, come on!” A new voice spoke. It was obviously female. “You tell him, or I’ll do it for you!”
I looked up at Krajolik and then in the direction where the voice came from, but didn’t speak.
“You’re no fun at all, Aphrodite, but you’re right. Viktor still has some favor left even despite having all the dead revived, but I’m not going to tell him anything. He wouldn’t be strong enough to handle the information.”
What the hell was he saying?
“See, the trick is being tricky,” Veles said. “Trick him into doing something he wants to prevent. It’s very simple, if you know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I guess he’s too embarrassed to tell me after saying I couldn’t handle it,” I blurted out in response.
“Ohh!” Veles laughed. “Now that was a blow worthy of a champion!”
Only then did it dawn on me what I said, and when I looked over at Krajolik, I knew he was disappointed, but I’d called him out on it, so if he was allowed to, the divinity would tell me the worst thing possible.
“I didn’t think it could come to this,” he said calmly as the Gods stopped laughing and shouting, “and no one is to blame but yourself. Is that clear?”
“Yeah, it is,” I replied with a slight bow.
“Your child is still alive and lives with the Ascended Gods on the Karmag.”
The room was deathly silent. No one even dared breathe, afraid they’d miss what was to come next. But nothing came. I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t move, and I couldn’t think. What the hell did he just say? My child was still alive and back on the Karmag. Worst of all, we’d just made a deal I was never able to get back to the Karmag.
“Tell me it ain’t true,” I finally whispered after I gathered my thoughts and was able to move my lips. “Tell me she’s not still alive.”
Beginner Quest: A LitRPG Cultivation Series (Towers & Rifts Book 1) Page 30
