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

by Han Yang

  “When the digging became more than scratching a few feet underground, we stopped procrastinating and accepted our fate. As a species, we mastered the art of breaking, shaping, and digging though mountains. The gods cursed us while blessing us.

  “You need to understand that this didn’t happen overnight. We believe the gods orchestrated our hunger for gems to coincide with the wurm’s hunger for gems. They established a common goal, the gems, and therefore pitted land versus air against each other for the resource,” Marbern said.

  I grunted, not shocked in the least. “They erred in their deduction.”

  “By a lot,” Nick agreed.

  “Hey, we're right here,” Osawana said. “But you’re not wrong. The wurm lords were immense back then, capable of eating a dozen of us whole at a time.”

  Marbern snickered and said, “The same hunger we have for gems applied to them also. The wurms convert precious stones into fresh scales. If they go too long without eating gems, the surface fades into a dull coloration that is meant to be embarrassing for the wurms. For us, we simply sate our hunger.

  “We found ourselves falling into traps or being attacked without cause. I remember being swallowed for the first time. There’s a slight problem for them - they can’t digest us. We simply enter a meditative state, they endure tremendous pain, and we are nastily rebirthed into the world when we… pass.”

  “Gross,” I said.

  “Survival. You would be keen to always remember to do what it takes to survive. One by one, we were eaten or captured. All across Ostriva, we were taken captive. Our kind became a servant class, digging for our wurm overlords.

  “I tell this story to lead you to understanding Fere’orn. She took pity on us when we were useless. Well, not useless, but certainly not what we are today. All those years ago, she snuck us gems, had servants read to us, and treated us as more than slaves,” Marbern said sadly.

  “Like pets,” Osawana said sourly.

  “Still better than slaves,” Marbern said.

  You could hear this was a point of contention between the couple. I knew better than to butt in.

  While I couldn’t see him, I heard Marbern sigh painfully. “We made a trade. An exchange we regret every day. Freedom for our young that we provide, and in return, we were gifted gems. The hunger from the gods was all consuming. We desired gems over all else.

  “A new branch of edrino learned to call wurms their friends, parents, and mentors. We were shut out of the process, hidden away in distant corners of the wurm realms. Time passed, and our young began having their own young. Eventually, we were forgotten about, secluded and alone. Except for Fere’orn.

  “Most of us ancients lost track of time with little of matter transpiring. Our hunger stopped being fed, and the times were dark…until the cataclysm came, and the gods altered us yet again. This time, they gave us the power to magically meld all minerals. A feat cherished by the now mighty wurm lords.

  “Onto the surface the leviathans of the hollow holds sprung. They figured they’d be rulers of the world and were eager for conquest. Except their might was tempered, the surface dwellers were given magic of their own, and the easy victories became costly defeats against the armies from both planets.

  “The message from the gods was clear. Train, prioritize your Zorta, and expect your enemies to be just as powerful as you are. For us, we tried to pretend we hadn’t changed. Our children betrayed us though, revealing our new powers. Only Fere’orn told us to have patience, the rest saying we would die in our cells when the gods saw fit to remove our immortality,” Marbern said.

  “They did…” Nick said in dismay.

  “We’ll never confirm that and always deny. This Zorta system requires Zorta to stay young, and we’ve never aged before. But I digress. Our greatest gift remains our indestructible nature. However, we are now players in this… well, whatever it is,” Marbern said.

  “You’ve given up pacifism?” I asked.

  “No, and we will not help you fight, but we do define pacifism differently. Before, we wouldn’t even build a wall because the structure was meant to be a defense to an offense and thereby a tool of war. That way of thinking is gone, forever,” Marbern said.

  “Okay, you have morals that have loosened. What about Fere’orn. Should we expect to be followed all the way to Moonguard City? We have enough enemies,” Nick said.

  “I’ll get to that. First, Fere’orn lives on the eleventh floor, a pariah among her kind. She likes it that way, and she likes us. For a very long time, Fere’orn has said if she could free us, she would.

  “During the great drought of gems, she asked for us to stop trying to convince our children to aid us, and in exchange, we were promised this moment. For the last forty five years, the wurm lords have been licking their wounds, farming in excess, and preparing for another fight against the surface.

  “Fere’orn provided us with Zorta. The Mexiona Dynasty, which is the name of this wurm empire, has achieved the pinnacle of Zorta farming. Their infinite land, unlimited water, and only light fighting has been a huge boon. Our children, and even us at times, have carved out an ever expanding network.

  “The Zorta she pilfered mostly went to her. The rest went to us, her… pets. Now that everything is so good, even the Mexiona Dynasty wants a war. The great game of floors will shift as the overpopulation once again surges to the surface. It is Fere’orn’s opinion that aggression helps her grow in power when the armies are defeated,” Marbern said.

  “Interesting,” Nick said. “You would assume they would win. Would you not?”

  “There are armies with endless battle experience, and so much open space to pivot or defend. Attaining power, and knowing how to apply it are different. I think the wurm hordes will win at the start and we may even see the wurms themselves take the field. The early battles will decisively be one sided, but the war will be lost. Jeer and Podoni already barely fight each other,” Marbern said.

  “You think they will unite?” I asked.

  “I do, and we will be part of the why,” Oswana said.

  “How so?” I asked

  Marbern said, “The goal has always been to cover our escape with a war. The Mexiona Dynasty will shout their rallying cry of this great transgression. Our diversion routes will lead to Oponix, the Jeer capital, and Hergrin, the Podoni capital. The surface will push back these audacious trespassers in an epic campaign. Meanwhile, we will be forgotten in time. The cause of the war will be less relevant with each passing day.”

  “I think I understand,” I said. “And now that you are free, what will you do? I believe you said you could have left me and Nick if you decided to.”

  “Correct. We aren’t seeking a home or sanctuary, merely repaying a debt. We do find value in honoring our promises. You didn’t have to save us, and you clearly didn’t want to, but you decided to help. Nick came to our rescue in your place, and he died to free us. That will not be forgotten.

  “Currently, we are altering the terrain towards the Garo Region. We will help you prepare for your coming fight for granting us our freedom. If you want, we can ditch the skeletons and fly you home today,” Osawana said.

  “Uh, no. I don’t celebrate killing and avoid it if I can. Which is kinda odd for a necromancer. However, when I do kill, I try not to throw away my minions' lives. Even the raskers tend to serve a purpose,” I said.

  “We know. A lot about you was explained. Even with our help, you will likely fail,” a new female voice said.

  “Thanks for the optimism,” I grunted.

  “We deal in realities. Right now, we run through a tunnel towards the surface. Our escape will be complete soon, and you need to make some hard choices. For example, we can build you a city in the swamp,” Osawana said.

  Nick snorted with a chuckle. “You suck at fishing.”

  “Hey. Okay, maybe I do, but I want the option. We are living our best lives in that city. No, I will have it brought to a grander scale with walls so thick no on
e can break them,” I said with hunger in my voice.

  “We could build you a solid mountain, and another edrino from our descendants can simply dismantle it. Any wall we build, a titan can kick down. Does this make sense?” Marbern asked.

  “Ah, no indestructible fortress of doom. Is there a way to slow your children’s destruction?” I asked.

  “All beings are limited to mana. There are a hundred and forty three of us melding the planet to create our deceit and escape. We will need to recharge in a few days but will probably break the surface to keep running before diving back down if we must,” Marbern said.

  “Ah, so the alterations to my city will take time?” I asked.

  “Absolutely. I suspect a few weeks. When the fighting starts, we will simply dig under the terrain before leaving. If we haven’t completed it by then, expect our return,” Osawana said. “We tend to not make many friends, but friends almost always become family, and I bake a delicious gem cake.”

  “That sounds lovely, but hold the gems for us,” I said with a smile.

  Nick cleared his throat. “I’d like to record information and conduct interviews.”

  “We agree,” Marbern said. “Ensure your minions stay on the path, we’re about to cross a cavern over lava flows. Fret not, the lava golems will not pester us from so high.”

  The darkness transitioned away when a wall dematerialized piece by piece. Down below, at a distance that must have been thousands of feet, the orange and red hues of lava illuminated the space. Tiny ants moved across the surface of the lava with some the size of marbles. The creatures frightened me for unknown reasons.

  I decided to watch the edrino in action. They never flapped their wings once. Even more baffling, the casters rotated hands, but no magic ejected to show the spell. It just happened. If they weren’t waving their arms, I’d have pegged them for mind readers.

  The end of the bridge magically extended foot by foot. Sections of wall dislodged from both sides to extend our bridge while the tail end fell to aid the front.

  When I glanced behind us, the path into the cavern vanished. The seamless wall held the secret of our passage and most terrifying of all, the bridge floated freely in the air.

  The edrino could levitate, a feat that frightened me and defied logic. This continued over and over until an hour later, we exited the lava cavern.

  I released a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.

  My trip into the Jeer Coalition entered a rather unique exit. I just had to hope whatever chaos ensued didn’t harm us from defending our home.

  CHAPTER 21

  The Surface - Border between Jeer and Garo Regions

  Ten days later.

  “This is so good,” I said, enjoying the succulent rabbit.

  I even nibbled to the bone, having no qualms about devouring the little guy. After jerky for a week, some fresh meat was delightful.

  All around us, an army of minions camped, all of them postured aggressively. We sat in the middle of a forest to take an opportunity to cook a meal. The rest was well deserved for all of us.

  Three days ago, we had breached the surface, running hard to get out of Jeer territory. Scouts had spotted us, but no armies moved to intercept. I had a good idea of why they let us pass but couldn’t prove anything. They didn’t want to start another war, or maybe they couldn’t react in time.

  “I wonder where Perion is,” Nick said, finishing off his bushel of lettuce.

  “Likely replaced. Just a guess, but the council wanted to turn me over to King Korbi. He probably didn’t favor that. I -”

  “A blue dragon is flying up high, scanning the area. The dragon is flying Garo Region colors,” Osawana said.

  I had told them to keep an eye out for Jorma and Peth. Ossa and Leor should have been scouting portals and the elva fleet. Cecil could sense me on the move, and I expected a visit sooner or later.

  “That’s my trainee. Please guide her to us, if you could,” I said politely.

  Osawana blasted off the forest floor, whipping us with a whoosh of air from her sudden flight. I marveled because she flapped her wings, moving so fast she cracked the sound barrier.

  “Supersonic,” I muttered.

  “A term we do not know,” Marbern said.

  “When she creates a pop, science tells us that she has traveled faster than the waves of sound, thereby creating an explosion. I read about it in a thriller book. Anyway, she is fast,” I said, standing with a stretch.

  I tossed the remains of my bunny and the stick into the crackling fire.

  “We walk,” I ordered, leaving the campsite behind.

  Nick quickly trotted to my side while the minions extinguished the flames. The edrino truly were pacifist, not fighting the orders. I figured they had grown used to commands and therefore followed them.

  “Feels good to feel soil under my hooves,” Nick said.

  “Yes, it is something to be grateful for. I thought this forest would be hunted, apparently I was wrong,” I said.

  “Are you nervously deflecting?” Nick asked. “Worried about home?”

  I shrugged, not willing to admit the truth.

  The fact I was gone from my people for almost two weeks haunted me more than Harrin or Leetro’s deaths. I should be preparing defenses, helping raid portals, or doing a million other tasks. Instead, I relaxed in a comfy seat inside an ogre’s rib cage while my troops headed towards my city.

  We walked in silence, even the edrino taking a respite from their flight to stretch their legs. The last three days had been nothing but them enjoying the surface while constantly glancing over their shoulders.

  I let my eyes wander. The tall trees blotted out most of the sunshine, allowing sprinklings of light to illuminate the undergrowth. A light breeze swayed the upper branches and a few leaves danced over the away.

  The crunch, scraping, and general noises of my skeletons drove off any wildlife I wished I could hear. The setting certainly wasn’t serene, but it felt wonderful to stretch my legs.

  A snap from above piqued my attention, but I withheld glancing up, lest I get splintered twigs in my eyes. Sure enough, debris rained down, showering us as Jorma and Peth landed nearby.

  The dragon’s blue scales sparkled with the shimmer of water. Jorma bound her scraggly hair in a ponytail with a big smile.

  I waved, not stopping. Jorma hopped out of the saddle, running to join us. I figured she might try to hug me but saw her kneel instead.

  “Always the princess. Arise, my loyal friend,” I told her.

  “It has been too long, my King,” Jorma said. “Hey, Freninick. You’ve grown.”

  “I see I’m not the only one,” Nick said in a chipper tone.

  I tussled Jorma’s hair playfully. “It is good to see you. How are my wife and daughter?”

  She huffed a lock out of her eye and said, “Great, just great. The two are inseparable. Tarla is the boss while you’re away. Nee butted heads with her a few times but conceded Tarla was in charge. Why are you taking a stroll in the woods, and who are the flying rock people?”

  “Exercise. My legs ache from riding out of Jeer territory. These are new friends who actually need to go to Moonguard City now. Well, depending on what you report, but that outcome is likely,” I said. “Marbern, Osawana, and others, this is Jorma, a student and scout of my tribe.”

  “I’m Marbern, and we are the edrino. We are master stonemelders of renown who owe your liege a great debt. Part of that is to be repaid in restoring and upgrading your home,” Marbern said.

  Jorma tilted her head in confusion, her schooling taking a minute to catch up to the facts.

  “The edrino… lost to time. Interesting. Very interesting. You seem to attract all the chaos to yourself,” Jorma said.

  Nick snickered and said, “I had to explain that to other minotaurs we bested in battle. They didn’t understand why I’m drawn to recording the history of the necromancer champion named Damien.”

  I chuckled and replied,
“You know that one day, I’ll record all this myself, hopefully from a nice view in a peaceful setting.”

  “The dreams of the foolish,” Jorma scolded and even the edrino laughed. “Well I have good news and bad, take your pick.”

  “Bad.” Nick and I said at the same time.

  “The harbor is blockaded. A thousand ships pen in our dozens. It’s not just the Garo Region, the Podoni sent a fleet too, right now they’re playing nice with each other, a fact we plan to change,” Jorma said.

  I interrupted with a proud, “Ha! Excellent to hear. Get them to fight each other.”

  “Yeah, we have a few plans but nothing too awesome. The ships refuse to anchor since you sunk King Korbi’s diplomatic battleship. Cecil tried to float some skeletons out but the ships sailed outside his tether range,” Jorma said with a deflated sigh. “All were lost to magic barrages.”

  “Not fighting idiots, gonna need to surprise or do the unexpected,” Nick said.

  “Or forget the sea. Gunpowder is rare, cannons even more rare… or rarer, either way, we won’t be owning the sea anytime soon,” I admitted.

  I kicked a pile of dirt in my frustration. I really wanted to fish and exploit the ocean, instead my enemies did that while we stayed penned in.

  “It gets worse I’m afraid. Perion left, saying the Jeer Coalition has taken diplomacy from neutral to hostile. We still have to honor our deals if we want any hope of restoring relations. Apparently you started the mother of all wars and sacrificed a favored general or some such,” Jorma said.

  Marbern’s chortle didn’t help in the slightest.

  I said, “Yeah, not totally accurate, but not too far from the truth. We will honor our deals with them regardless, even become a manufacturer if we survive.” I glanced over to see Jorma wincing. “Oof, more bad news. Alright, lay it on me.”

  “Yermica died. She went to trade in a cyclops city. They killed her, stole the Zorta, and ate her body. We know this because we asked for it back. Well, a messenger did. The other trades went well, but we have minimized transactions and sent less vital people since,” Jorma said.