Isekai Magus 3: A LitRPG Progression Saga (The Fantasy World of Nordan)

by Han Yang

  “The wurm lords know there is contentment, and they know that one day we will need to start thinning our overpopulation. This leads to them needing a catalyst. When you free the edrino, which I think you will, the wurm lords will march their armies onto the surface and a war like never seen before will ravage the lands,” Bearouth said.

  “Still, I’m a bit surprised you didn’t fight us,” I said. “You have to resent all the minotaur skeletons.”

  “Our power struggle was severe. We only have so many revivals and actually ran out. You may think you garnered most of the dead, but the vast majority deflected your distant attempts. When the fighting settled, I won. I get to make the rules now. You weren’t strong enough to break the orbs of my father and grandfather. I did that,” Bearouth said with a painful grimace. “And now, you get to rid our area of the edrino. It's the best day ever.”

  I understood what he did with those orbs. I knew I would never do something so vain for power, but humans throughout history certainly had killed their parents to become rulers.

  “I welcome a reprieve from killing foes who have loved ones that will miss them. I really do. I rationalize ogres are social and anti-social at the same time, but the matogators will make excellent additions,” I said. “If there is time, satyrs would be a great addition too, but they can run away.”

  “Yes, well, we too wish to end the bloodshed. You may have vexed our age by making us young again, but we killed each other. Peace can bring a better tomorrow, but not all foes will offer it,” Bearouth said sourly.

  “And you will help me against the waroni?” Nick asked.

  “That was the deal. The second you free the edrino, we part ways. I will not personally go, but I will send an emissary to guide your… advisor. Happens often enough where our delegations pass through their lands.

  “We are merely going to report to the core floors that an intrusion reached our city and we brokered peace. While allowed, it must be reported. The fact a breakout occurred has nothing to do with us,” Bearouth said as if acting out his defense.

  “And the matogators?” I asked.

  The minotaur thumbed back to the wagons and said, “We stick a ramp down, they waddle up one at a time, and you kill them. You should have enough food already to last you the perilous journey home. The beaches are packed with them if you wish to quicken the killing.”

  “I very well may. One at a time is not enough,” I said.

  “If you have any further questions, ask now. This is a good time for us to send our delegation forward at a run,” Bearouth said. “The rhinos can handle the long journey.”

  I hesitantly glanced at Nick. He patted me on the shoulder hard enough that it hurt.

  “I’ll be fine. You can’t always be the one at the front,” Nick said reassuringly.

  “Estimated time?” I asked Bearouth.

  The minotaur replied, “Six hours, give or take. The next floors are larger than this one. The edrino fly, so I expect them to carry your friend to this army before they initiate their retreat from the area.”

  “And how far until the matogators?” I asked.

  “Ah, that is covered in our deal. We will help you slay the beasts. If you want to switch to harvesting, we can do so now. We keep the population high on purpose,” Bearouth said.

  “Go ahead and send the delegation. Good luck, Nick. If something happens, I’ll bring you back,” I said before handing him my skeletal staff. “Take this with you. If you get in trouble, jab a finger into an eye, and it will summon me.”

  “Thanks, I suppose. I’d rather not die, but I appreciate the assurances. I shall return with new allies while you fight the matogators,” Nick said.

  Bearouth waved a section of troops who trailed to come closer. A dozen minotaurs trotted their rhino mounts next to Harrin, Nick, and I. A rider-less rhino held an open seat for Nick. He didn’t hesitate, hoping into the saddle.

  We watched them ride away in silence. The splashing, flopping, and grunting of gators being farmed continued in the background.

  Leetro approached and said, “Scouts have found sandy beaches littered with the monster sized variations. About halfway down the bridge, your Grace.”

  “Thank you, Leetro,” I said with a smile. “How many more goblin ogres?”

  “Twelve. Only the key mage types you specified. Healing, shielding, and beast healers,” Leetro said.

  “Excellent.” The goblin ogre smiled at my words and left.

  “I hate that you did that to him,” Bearouth said.

  “Yes, most do. I, however, value my goblins,” I replied.

  “It’s not the natural order. Our cleaners and servants are demanding changes. I made a half-dozen of these goblin ogres they incessantly talked about. It’s such a lie, too. None of them want to call it a goblin troll,” Bearouth said in a disgruntled tone.

  “Ah, at least you found the counter to the stench of my army. By better treating your servants, you lift all. Not trying to be preachy, and I generally tax my population heavily, so it's hard for me to hold the moral high ground. Goblins are meant to be used to your advantage, not killed for fun,” I said.

  He stared down at me in disdain.

  “You know what Bearouth, go home. Keep your hunters right here and pile everything they can kill high nearby. I will have the goblins manage it,” I said.

  While I figured he might sneer or quibble, he turned around, leaving without another word. And just like that, I was all alone with my thoughts again.

  I ordered the troops forward, hurrying across the smooth bridge to find this matogator area. The wagon train was decidedly slower to keep up with my horses pulling my platform.

  The thousand ogres who followed me created a cacophony of noises with their jangling armor and heavy skeletal footfalls. Harrin had stood between me and Bearouth that whole time, ready to react if the minotaur stepped out of line. Now he huffed in exertion from the run.

  The terrain below us continued to shift from boggy still water areas with patches of land to rivers and creeks. If I had to guess, the water went to farm fields for fertilization and water mages filled some reservoir from up high.

  Large snakes hung from trees, birds chased insects, turtles sunbathed, and the scene varied constantly. Without a doubt, I was extremely happy to be on the bridge where it was clean, almost insect less, and well, not a swamp.

  A half hour at a decent trot resulted in us arriving at a massive sparkling-blue river. When I glanced into the shallows, I saw thousands of fish darting between rocks. When I attempted to peer into the murky depths and failed.

  One thing was certain - life flourished here.

  A lovely scent of salt air wiped away the rotten stench of swamp. It was quite amazing how quickly the topography changed. The edrino magic produced wonders.

  All along the beaches, matogators sunbathed, ignoring the noise we made from the bridge. Based on what I saw strung out along this side, I had to assume the other side of the bridge was just as busy.

  “What’s the plan, boss?” Harrin asked.

  I glanced over the lip of the bridge, seeing a few of the twenty footers skittering away from my shadow. The fall was probably fifty feet and too much for an ogre to drop down. The siege weapons and the ramp rolled this way.

  “We wait. Stage your troops to ready spears for a volley. The moment we launch, I will send in the orc infantry,” I said.

  Harrin tilted his head sideways in confusion. “Uh… boss, why not ogres?”

  “Harrin, I don’t know if there are hydras or krakens in the deeps. I can use ten orcs or one ogre and face the same loss cost. I will use ten orcs as a test. Now, here comes the siege engines and ramps. Go get ready,” I said, thumbing toward the arrival wagons.

  The creaking wheels and neighing horses subsided after ten minutes of prep work. A silence hung over the area in that final moment.

  The matogators gazed up at the commotion, not concerned in the slightest. I held back on pushing the ramp forward, gu
essing that likely would spook them.

  I held up a hand and yelled, “Fire,” while dropping my hand to point at the matogators.

  Snap!

  Whoosh!

  The volley soared to those nearest the bridge. The immense gators continued to relax on the beach, only a few scrambling from the sudden noise.

  I watched the hundreds of spears and dozens of bolts zip across the distance, picking up speed with the aid of gravity.

  Pointed tips cracked the matogators’ tough exterior before violently impaling the beasts. In a split second, dozens died with many more rolling around in anguish from their sudden injuries.

  I grinned down at the tough bastards. I figured more would die, but this is why I loved this species so much.

  “Drop the ramp!” I commanded.

  Harrin bossed around the undead ogres, adjusting the long ramp until it went vertical at least a hundred feet high. The wooden ramp teetered, gravity dragging it towards the sands.

  I condensed my power and unleashed a spell.

  You have connected to 33 matogators, 17 satyrs, and 7 fish 1422.170 Zorta. You desire to claim all has been accepted. Confirm that you want to convert these beings into minions. (YES) - (NO) - Yes selected

  I muttered, “Nick must be having some fun.”

  The black magic rolled in, the clouds thickening overhead with the matogators fleeing into the water or up the grassy dunes.

  Thud!

  The end of the ramp impacted the sand with such a force it entrenched firmly. A dozen skeleton orcs wearing heavy armor and carrying long pikes descended down the ramp in locked steps.

  Based on the fact the matogators willingly dove into the depths, I figured they were the apex predator in the area. Deciding to risk it, I sent my ogres down the ramp behind the orcs but only into the shallows for the moment.

  The sweeping current worried me, even with them wearing so much metal.

  My newest matogator skeletons gleamed in the sun when the spell retreated. Unlike the minotaurs who normally hunted these beasts, I would be following the matogators into the deep.

  I watched the steady stream of ogres arriving on the sands before wading into the water. A few orbs from my undead fish floated to the top.

  I waited patiently, watching my minions descend into the water with careful steps. The matogators reacted by crossing the river, and I halted my advance. I wanted to control one side of the beach completely.

  The siege engines adjusted, moving down the bridge until they faced the side that was packed with the reptiles.

  Crack!

  Bolts zipped down, diving into the crowded targets.

  I raised twenty more matogators right in the middle of a thick clumping. While I worked I reminded myself to ask what a group of gators were called. If I had to guess, maybe a tooth. Yeah, that sounded about right.

  The black magic brewed over the dead. The siege crews continued to hastily reload, eager to help the cause.

  A few scampered into the dune, desperate to avoid death, while others hissed aggressively. When ghouls surfed out of the water, I cringed at the fiendish creations’ hunger. The swarm of translucent fiends cascaded onto the matogator bodies, causing the survivors to flee.

  My troops continued to arrive on the beach, spreading out further and further from the bridge. The twenty new skeletons chased down a handful of the slower matogators.

  Snapping skeletons darted in, wounding and maiming frequently to create easy targets to pick off.

  Over the next half hour, the progress was slow. The siege engines would snipe a few matogators, and the skeletons would add one or two here or there. When we moved the ramp to the other side of the river, the ogres charged into the thickest groupings.

  Finally, the matogators stopped running.

  I ordered my minions to retreat down the beach, killing methodically while ceding ground to prevent their own demise. I raised the dead underneath matogators attacking my ogre shield line.

  The reapers and ghouls dropped onto the big beasts, bringing terror to their hearts. The fifty became a hundred, and even the bravest fled. The problem for them was that my skeletons never tired and large gators were animals with only bursts of energy.

  I watched the chase ensue while constantly raising the dead. My army grew one by one. Time flew by while I rinsed and repeated my necromancy.

  The fighting continued beyond the sight of the bridge. I started to bring troops up the ramp and back onto the bridge, knowing it was a chokepoint.

  The snowballing effect of the dead only increased the destruction I wrought. I had a soul when it came to the minotaurs and ogres, but not for beasts. I trotted to the other side of the bridge. The span was so wide the trip took five minutes.

  When I glanced down along the beach, thousands more matogators sunbathed mostly unperturbed by the distant sounds of fighting.

  I broke off half my skeletons on the beaches and sent them in that direction. Each matogator was worth at least thirty Zorta, and I had six hours to kill. Cecil had said to reach level twenty, and this slaughter would certainly help that goal become a reality.

  I would do whatever it took to keep my friends and family alive.

  Intermission 1

  Asha Moonguard

  Pherr Empire - City of Hode

  “Everything is prepared,” the assigned agent from the merchant guild said. “Just imprint your thumb here.”

  Asha smiled pleasantly, happy to have all the paperwork finalized. He indented his thumb and wiped the print clean.

  Portal trading was a common occurrence within Pherr, something Asha was grateful for. A guard guided him and Bell into Hode, ensuring they made it to the proper processing station, and now he would be assigned a trade representative.

  He stepped out of the bank, finding Bell grooming Charlie. The immense city of Hode loomed in the background under an overcast sky.

  She fed the big warhorse carrots while stroking his neck tenderly. The white stallion pretended not to love the affection but failed miserably. The interesting woman had decided to come on the trading mission. It wasn’t that he disapproved, it was more or less the fact that Bell played such a critical role at home.

  Then again, so did he, and the tribe needed trustworthy people handling such large transactions. These trips were a break of the monotony, and with the enemy setting up for their coming siege, this mission was vital.

  “You look dapper as a human. I wonder what Yermica thinks with your ears snipped and your face changed,” Bell said in a quiet tone.

  Asha didn’t respond. He hated the fact he was altered to appear as a human.

  “How did it go?” Bell asked.

  “Good and bad. About how any trade should transpire. The bank forced me to hand over seventy-five percent instead of the twenty-five percent like we wanted. That means we will have to run back to get more Zorta or trading goods, assuming we find items at a good price. The method isn’t the worst,” Asha said.

  “Ugh, that ride is six hours, and Charlie hates going slow,” Bell said.

  “The Emperor’s own guards will escort us, and they are heading to await with our scouts at the portal to ensure no ambush is set,” Asha said with a smile.

  A light boom overhead preceded a drizzling rain. Charlie neighed happily at the cool drips.

  “Thank Caitlyn, the heat was bothersome,” Bell said happily

  It was raining in Moonguard City as well. Bell told him about how she wanted to enjoy a warm day without gloomy weather or dreary enemies closing in. Even he welcomed the reprieve of the heat.

  “Excuse me,” a soft spoken voice said from behind. “I’m your guide, Danbei.”

  Asha slowly spun to see a miscee in a merchant guild outfit of green and yellow. She carried a satchel on her side and smiled patiently while tucking her hands behind her back. Her fee was by the hour, so he doubted she was in a hurry.

  Asha grasped Bell’s hips and hoisted her into Charlie’s saddle.

  “Unhand m
e, brute,” Bell exclaimed in shock.

  He didn’t warn her so had expected this reaction.

  “The deed is done,” he said with a chuckle.

  “Ugh, you’re not still mad, are you?” Bell asked.

  He nodded, untying Charlie’s lead from the hitching post. “You deceived my friends. Your friends.”

  “Should I give you two a moment?” Danbei asked politely.

  Asha gestured for her to lead the way instead. “Our internal affairs will not delay our duties. Please, take us to your market. We seek metal above all else.”

  “The smithing guild is this way. Follow me, Sir…” She glanced at a note. “…Asha.”

  Bell jabbed her foot into his shoulder. “Just because you can hear the difference in footsteps and memorize them doesn’t mean that others do. We all have secrets, Asha, including you,” Bell said dismissively.

  While she had a point, he shook his head. “His parents should be gone. They should be hidden away somewhere safe. Except… they’re in Moonguard City with new faces. I hate that Tarla knows too. Damien will be furious when he finds out.”

  “No, he won’t. We are preparing to expand,” Bell said. “This is what his mother and father wanted until we could secure them their own city. They’ll do what it takes to stay safe while helping. Tarla approves.”

  She slipped, her voice cracking. For a moment she sounded like Tarla.

  “That’s another thing. You need to be careful pretending to be Tarla before Tarla kills you herself,” Asha said.

  “She loves me. I’m the second mother to her child, in official title,” Bell countered. “You speak of what you do not know.”

  Asha rolled his eyes. “You passed on your chance to woo Damien. Best to let it go.”

  “Our affairs are for us to deal with, not for you to meddle in,” Bell said. “If you must know, this isn’t about my pining for a taken man. Tarla wants me to feed Mags in her image. That’s it.”

  He groaned, realizing he had overstepped. “I apologize.”

  “A rare feat, and I accept. I understand your heart is in the right place,” Bell replied with a friendly tone of forgiveness.