The Gene of the Ancients (Rogue Merchant Book #2): LitRPG Series

by Roman Prokofiev

  Olaf and Abbot were furiously arguing. Going by their words, the pyramid was something called a Ziggurat, one of the rarest and most desirable anomalies of Helt Akor. Thing was, it couldn’t be taken, not while it was guarded by a Colossus — that nasty-looking statue sitting on the throne. It was an automatic mechanism of the Ancients that the players didn’t yet know how to defeat. Legend said that the colossi had been built by the Ancients to battle gods, and their attacking and defensive capabilities were unsurpassed. Nothing could bring them down.

  “Have you seen the videos of the Damned?” Abbot said. “They are the second in world progress on the Paths, farming Layer Thirty and beneath. Even they couldn’t take a Ziggurat.”

  “There must be ways to do it. Someone does farm them,” Olaf argued. “Where else would ray guns come from? Have you seen the Colossus blueprints? Some of the components are taken from them...”

  That was true, and I was inclined to agree with Olaf. Studying the Ancients’ anomalies gave the players access to technologies for building astral ships, ellurite reactors, elemental engines, outpost magic shields... Helt Akor was the only source of some of the rare artifacts; there was a good reason why Forgeworlds dromonts actively bought the Ancients’ loot, exchanging it for blueprints and reputation.

  “We have Cat with the Ancient Gene. The guardians don’t aggro at him. Now that we know how activators work, he could try entering the Ziggurat.”

  “If only things were that simple, everyone would be farming them,” Abbot said, doubt in his voice. “The Ancient Gene isn’t a cure-all, you know that!”

  “No harm in trying!”

  A narrow winding staircase led down into the cave, interspersed with several platforms. Its width allowed for only three of us to pass at once, and as we descended, we warily watched the mass of the pyramid looming in the dark. The colossus didn’t flinch as it sat with its hands lying on the armrests of its stone throne. I couldn’t quite believe that such an enormous statue could truly come alive.

  The bluish-green streams of ellurite slowly rippled in the transparent pillars, pulsing inside the numerous clusters of edra. I had never seen a deposit of that rare material before. Highly poisonous in its pure state, ellurite required special tools for its extraction and processing, and only high-level miners could hope to achieve that. After being refined, it was used in almost all types of crafting: as fuel for magic reactors, as the base for powerful elixirs, as an ingredient for enchanting. Ellurite was liquid arcana, the essence of magic. It transformed the stone around it, turning it into edra — the material that absorbed magic like a sponge.

  The rocky floor of the cave was covered by strange purple plants. At that point, we had to encounter our first enemies, as bright red and green slimes, each of them the size of a large bear, rushed to attack the raid. They spat acid and completely ignored physical damage, but as it turned out, didn’t fancy fire. Leaving withered black clots in its wake, the raid cautiously moved along the wall of the cave, circumnavigating the Ziggurat.

  Inker, one of our flank scouts, either grew too careless or too curious in his stealth mode and came up a little bit too close to the monstrous structure, crossing the invisible line of its range.

  Something moved at the foot of the pyramid, and several nimble metallic bodies reminding me of huge armored tigers swiftly slid forward.

  Abbot: Steel Predators! Inker, (censored), drop dead! Don’t even think about leading them to us!

  Leaping with a catlike grace, the Predators stopped, tensing as the plates of their armor moved apart. An amazing low roar, almost infrasound, sent a wave across the plants, the fluctuations of air reaching even us. A Sonic Boom! Inker was thrown out of stealth, and a second later, the guardian beasts took him down in just a few blows.

  Abbot: We need to raise him. We have less than a minute. Are the healers close?

  Damian: No! They’re still pretty far!

  Abbot: HotCat, try to do it. They won’t touch you.

  Olaf: Renew See Unseen on him!

  HotCat, again HotCat. I wondered who would resurrect me if those Predators deemed me their prey, unlike the gladiators? But at least I had the Soulbinding Stone with me.

  Fortunately, the creatures, who were slowly returning to the pyramid, didn’t pay me any attention. Inker’s resurrection timer was counting down the final seconds when I ran up to them and clicked “Assist,” rescuing him from his dying state. The scout didn’t waste time, immediately dashing away from the Ziggurat’s aggro range. The Predators startled and turned around, but quickly stopped and resumed moving. Then they jumped on the first step of the pyramid and froze as unmoving statues. I saw similar creatures on the second and the third tiers, as well as others, resembling giant spiders. Were they another type of guardian beings created by the Ancients?

  Olaf: They aren’t touching you, Cat. Go to the Ziggurat, try to get inside.

  HotCat: And how do I escape if I get killed there?

  Olaf: Calm down, we’ll pull you out. I have a certain artifact. If it comes down to it, I’ll use it, I promise.

  HotCat: Fine...

  At last, I could examine the Colossus from up close. Its reddish-blue-green metal looked just like bronze tinged with patina. The statue definitely depicted a human man, but not an athlete, more like a hunk. He wasn’t armed, but wore scalemail and a weird helmet with five divergent spikes that made it look like a crown. He had bulging eyes, a beak-like nose, and thin lips. The only way to describe the expression on his round, beardless face was “malevolent.”

  None of the creatures paid me any heed. The metallic statues on the steps of the Ziggurate — the Ancients’ guardian beasts — didn’t flinch. I couldn’t help but shudder as I walked past them. All of them were hideous, both the already familiar Predators, the scary-looking centipedes, large spiders the size of a small house...

  The entrance was between the feet of the Colossus, a wide staircase leading up to it. At the end there was door, or rather a stone plate covered with a pattern of bodies merging together that I had already seen. One of the handprints glowed with the blue light of a trigger. Time to put up my hand.

  The stone slab silently went up, revealing a stairway disappearing into darkness. It looked pretty creepy. All right, Cat, it’s just a game! I pulled out an everburning torch, lit it up, and went inside.

  A triangular corridor, shadows dancing on the wall in the glimmering light of the torch... and nothing else. The passage was completely empty, bereft even of dust and cobwebs, the usual inhabitants of such places. The stairs led up, straight as an arrow. I stopped on a platform with two dark entrances on both sides. Should I take a look? I didn’t really feel like it, but wasn’t that the reason I had been sent inside?

  Holding the torch in front of me, I entered the right doorway only to recoil on instict. A metallic six-legged spider hung right above me, filling the entire space of the narrow room. Torchlight illuminated its menacing jagged limps and sharp mandibles. The spider didn’t flinch. Was it a guarding device? Oh, screw it. I carefully retreated, walking backwards. After that, the left door looked even less enticing, but I forced myself to go on. Just as expected, it had one more monster just like before.

  Moving up, I encountered another platform. The doors there were closed and covered with a glowing inscription of Kann-Elo runes. That was clearly a cypher of some king. My gut told me to move on, not touching toys I knew nothing about, and I gladly obeyed.

  Up, up, and away. I had a nagging feeling that the real purpose of my journey lay still ahead, at the end of the narrow staircase.

  That turned out to be the case. As I stood on the doorstep of a large hexagonal building, I blew off my torch — the light shining from the cracks in the walls was more than enough to illuminate the way. I had climbed to the very top of the Ziggurat, the Colossus’ horned helm peeking out from one of the lancet holes. So what have we here?

  All in all, it was a curious place. An altar room, a cemetery, or a command center? Maybe
all at once. Rows of rectangular stone blocks were covered with the writings of the Ancients. An elaborate web of ellurite-carrying cables ran over the walls and the ceiling, crawling up to the weird stone sarcophagi, as if powering them. Most magicables converged in the center of the room, around a large throne built from pure edra. It held a grinning skeleton in a strange robe. Its pose felt somehow familiar.

  Warily, I approached it. The sound of my steps reverberated through the hall. The dead man was taller than most, almost seven feet tall, and had an unusual egg-shaped skill. The hands clasping the armrests were also peculiar, almost spider-like. Suddenly, I recalled the images of the Ancients on their paintings and shivered. Was that a real skeleton of an Ancient?

  A long scepter was propped against one of the armrests of the throne. Its knob was shaped as a bright red gem in a clawed hand. The system helpfully displayed a series of question marks next to the item — it was unidentified. Like the rest of the Ancients’ gear — the robe, the belt, the curved dagger on his lap — was outlined red, meaning that...

  Attention! This property belongs to someone else! You will be attacked upon taking or using this item!

  That was unexpected. So I could look, but couldn’t touch, else I’d be attacked by the guardians of the Ziggurat? Quite likely. I wasn’t going to take any risks, so I carefully went around the corpse and squinted, my attention drawn to the item lying on a tall stone cube next to the throne. It was outlined blue, meaning that it could only be seen via See Unseen.

  It was a band cut from a whole shard of edra, translucent like fishbone and also unidentified. Blue Kann-Elo characters ran over its surface, forming an inscription. The red color on top of blue meant that using it was also forbidden. I made a screenshot and PM’d it to Alex.

  HotCat: Can you translate?

  AlexOrder: I could try, but I need time.

  I stepped back and peered straight into the empty eye sockets of the skeleton. At last, I realized why its pose looked so familiar.

  The Colossus was sitting on the throne just like that, sprawling its feet and clasping the armrests.

  Abbot: HotCat, are you all right? Get back.

  Olaf: We have a problem. Its’ the Succubate.

  The room had an exit to the top of the pyramid. It opened at my touch, releasing me outside. I stepped out above the head of the Colossus, just next to the back of its head, close enough to pat the triangular points of its crown. So how about it, man? Ready to work for the good of others?

  * * *

  A cloud of succubi swarmed above us in the hazy mist of the cave. It suggested that there were openings allowing them to get inside by air. The timer showed more than three hours before they were supposed to respawn. The Succubate came too early!

  I hadn’t known yet that demons had special faction abilities decreasing respawn time. And there was one other thing, too...

  “What are they waiting for?” Olaf whispered impatiently. “Are you ready, Cat?”

  I nodded, not saying anything. The raid closed ranks, waiting for the enemy to act, but the succubi didn’t seem to do anything — other than increase their numbers each minute. Looking up, we watched them, having made all possible preparations.

  Abel: I lost count at six hundred. There are more of them than before.

  Abbot: They’re better equipped, too. They came to kill. Olaf, what do you think, do we stand a chance?

  Olaf: There’s always a chance. But I believe in Cat.

  A solid grey ball of winged figures broke away from the horde of succubi and lunged at us like a cork shot out from a bottle. The Watchers covered themselves with shields, and a wave of coordinated movements rolled over the ranks as warriors put their weapons at the ready.

  The earth slightly trembled. A ring of huge grey-winged demons stood before the raid, winged giants with grotesquely oversized muscles, twisted black horns, large fangs, and malevolent red light in the slits of their eyes. The Succubate’s Consorts, rank three NPC, powerful tanks that we had already slain in the battle at the staircase. They were exceedingly cruel, and at the moment, there were more of them, and they were armed.

  The wall of shields came apart, breaking the circle. A tall slender demoness wearing form-fitting black armor stepped out, swaying her hips. I came out from among the Watchers to meet her, cold in my gut.

  Raven-black hair tied in a bun sticking out from a special opening in the back of her horned helmet, eyes burning ardent blue, black armor of a rather...peculiar design glowing with magic, purple wings spread behind her back, sharp claws in the folds. Mara, Supreme Succubus. Had the Succubate chosen a new queen?

  “Where’s the crown?” She wasn’t asking, she was demanding, looking at us as if we were dust beneath her feet. I felt a tinge of fiendish glee. That looked familiar. The lady needed to be taught a lesson.

  “How about introducing each other first? And as for the crown, we can come to an agreement.”

  “Cats don’t negotiate with mice. The only thing they can do with them is play a little bit...” Mara sneered, baring her inch-long fangs.

  “A cat like me can win over any mouse!” I made a pun.

  “Today, we aren’t in a mood for wordplay,” the demoness hissed. “We came to kill.”

  Several grey-skinned consorts rushed at me, but froze in place as Aelmaris spun right before their fanged faces in a merciless whirlwind. The blade was glowing bright blue.

  “One of the Seven?” The succubus flinched back. She glanced at the sword, then back at me. “But it doesn’t change anything. I want to know where’s the crown!”

  “The crown? There!” I casually pointed at the Ziggurat with the tip of my sword. “Go on, take it, if you can.”

  Mara turned around. Undoubtedly, she could see the crown that I had meticulously placed on one of the tines of the Colossus’ headdress, as a bestial roar came out of her throat. A part of the succubus swarm hovering above us flew there, obeying her sharp gesture. I watched them, curious to see the much-vaunted Colossus in action.

  When the demons crossed the invisible boundary of the area controlled by the Ziggurat, the giant statue moved. We heard a drawn-out scraping noise. Abruptly, blue fires lit up in the slits of its eyes. Not bothering to rise from the throne, it turned its massive head, and two rays of unimaginably pure white light shot out at the Succubate.

  The simultaneous gasp of the Watchers blended with the cry of pain let out by the demons. In place of several dozen succubi, only dust remained, dissipating in the air. Now that was some power! And the Colossus hadn’t even gotten off its backside.

  Suddenly, Mara was uncomfortably close to me. She glared at me, furious.

  “You hid it there!” A curved purple nail at the end of her elegant finger was pointed at me in an accusatory way. “That means you can get it back!”

  “I’m not saying I can’t,” I grinned. “So, are you ready to talk?”

  “What do you want?”

  “Oh, I have a list,” I didn’t break the eye contact. “Here, look at the contract. Only four conditions, and the faster you start to deliver, the sooner you get the crown.”

  “How insolent!” the succubus hissed as she walked around me, examining me with interest. “You’re not only one of the Seven, but also a merchant. What a strange combination. Hmm! I don’t even know what I want more — to kill you or — “

  “I don’t recommend you try. Daine did, and where’s she now?”

  “I hope you realize what you’re asking of me,” she stared right at me. “To fulfill the terms, you need to have our blood!”

  “Then give it to me!”

  “Well, you chose it yourself.” A predatory smirk appeared on Mara’s face as she turned around to her guards, the grey-skinned giants, and looked them over, choosing one. Then she commanded,

  “Harv! Kill him!”

  One of the demons immediately covered the distance between us, turning into a hazy streak. His black axe flashed like lightning. My only salvation was the reflexe
s instilled into me during the Liberty training sessions, as my body reacted faster than my mind could.

  Evasion! Fiery Lightning!

  The blue fire came pouring out of the blade, turning the enemy into a twitching charred corpse.

  Abbot: Raid, to battle! On my mark, target one...

  Olaf: No, stop! They aren’t attacking anymore!

  “What are you doing?” I snapped. “Do you want to join Daine?”

  “I’m only fulfilling our agreement, darling!” she laughed. “So, what are you waiting for? Take your reward!”