Seventh Realm Part 1: A LitRPG Fantasy series (The Ten Realms Book 8)

by Michael Chatfield

  “What about the drill? Why is it drilling?” Delilah asked.

  “Well, that is more of a technical glitch than anything. We repaired everything according to the plans during the war, not the peacetime. Once everything was done, then it was like a switch was flipped and drill powered up.”

  “Can you turn it off?” Erik asked.

  “Yes, I can.” Egbert held up a hand to stop everyone. “Though I don’t think we should remove the option. If there is a time when Alva is in need, the drill can help us. Possibly save us. It was the hypothesis of myself and the other gnomes that there is an interconnected system of ley lines in the First Realm. If we can truly tap into them, then that is a massive amount of power under our command. Few, if any, people would be able to challenge Alva, even if we don’t hit a ley line but strike magma. Then the attribute power alone, purified by the different floors and by our dungeon cores, will massively increase our power stores.”

  Erik looked at Colonel Yui and Commander Glosil.

  “Egbert, shut it off for now. We need to show people that we have this under control.”

  “Very well.” Egbert’s eyes dimmed as the runes around the dungeon core powered down. Mana stopped flowing through floors. Erik saw formations in rings down the channel reaching through floors switched and altered into a new alignment.

  The mana density increased on the floor, bottling up like pressure.

  “What else can the formations in this dungeon do?”

  “Defensive spells and offensive ones.” Egbert’s eyes lit up as the pressure was released. Mana was once again directed upwards, each floor connecting to the one above before they reached the massive mana storing formation on the living floor. The runes to each of the mana cornerstones lit up, gathering and converting the power into mana stones.

  “When the gnomes were dying, we prepared this place to survive for a long time. One preparation was that once the dungeon was restored, there should be enough power for me to recover to my peak.” Egbert pointed at his rune-carved skull. “And two, we made sure if the descendants of the dungeon were attacked, they could defend themselves. But only if they completed the dungeon and showed me that they were worthy of the Gnomes’ heritage. And I guess you all are.” Egbert smiled.

  “What if you didn’t like us?” Rugrat asked carefully.

  “Then the defensive and weaponized formations would have been quietly destroyed and I would have destroyed my memories, effectively killing me and making sure I could never pass on my knowledge or the knowledge of the gnomes. What books and items I gave you, are just a fraction of the information in my brain. I was a pretty good wizard, if you don’t mind me saying.”

  “Well, that is at least one problem dealt with.” Delilah rubbed the side of her face. “It’s good to have you back, Egbert, and overall, it could be a benefit with the power of the Consortium growing to new heights.”

  15

  Thorns

  Lord Salyn rose from his bow as Lord Knight Ikeda addressed Queen Ikku.

  “The situation in the Beast Mountain Range is nothing like we predicted. We have heard reports of everything that is happening there, but it is far away, and we have paid little attention. For that, you have my apologies, My Queen.” Ikeda bowed again.

  “It is done. Now, we must learn from it. Why is it that I got a message informing me that I will not get slots within this Beast Mountain Range Consortium? What is it?”

  “It is the greatest academy in the First Realm,” Ikeda said in a grave voice.

  Salyn held his tongue, frowning.

  “They have teachers that have touched the Journeyman level. People that have tempered their foundations. With the beasts in the area and the small dungeon they located, it has turned into a training paradise. Even the mana in the Beast Mountain Range has increased compared to the surrounding areas. They are the epicenter of trade within the continent now.” Ikeda took in a breath, looking Queen Ikku in the eye.

  “My Queen, they are the strongest nation in the First Realm.”

  “What?” She frowned, leaning forward slightly.

  “On the outside, it is a group of outposts working together to stave off attacks from outsiders. Inside, it is a nation operated by Lord Aditya, with King’s Hill as their capital. The outpost leaders have largely retired, giving over management rights to Lord Aditya. They have created a noble class, while some outpost leaders have taken up positions of power within the Beast Mountain Range administration. Considering the rough terrain that they inhabit, other nations are not as willing to attack. Add in the trade that they provide and the consortium that trains up the younger generation, they have gained position and power without others realizing it.”

  “Surely, the other nations knew what was happening?” Ikku asked.

  “Yes, but the time to attack the Beast Mountain Range has come and gone. A network of well-maintained roads, complete with watchtowers and armed patrols, march along the borders and between King’s Hill and the exterior outposts. In hours, they can mobilize and move their forces to any outpost. The exterior outposts have swelled in size. Mercenaries flocked to the area to seek riches and strength. All the mercenary groups that reside within the cities have come to agreements with the outpost leaders, which are one and the same as the Beast Mountain Range Nation.”

  “A unified front agreement?” Queen Ikku said through her teeth.

  “Yes, My Queen. The mercenaries get favorable prices on what they buy and sell. In return, they will defend the outposts if they come under attack. A reserve force for their army.”

  “Army? They have outpost guards.”

  “That was when the outposts fought one another. To maintain neutrality and make sure that the outposts wouldn’t attack one another after the battles, guards were sent to King’s Hill and camps within the Beast Mountain Range. They might call themselves guards, but they created an army, neutral within the conflicts of the outpost leaders. A true army, as well. One with training, weapons, and armor. Not a peasant army thrown together under the command of knights and lords looking to loot one another’s lands.”

  “So, it was this Lord Aditya that hid and is using the traitors?” Queen Ikku tapped against her armrest, her eyes filled with plans.

  “Quite possibly.” Lord Knight Ikeda nodded.

  “If we were to launch a campaign, we would open ourselves up for attack,” Queen Ikku muttered. “Other nations looking to get on their good side would plot against us. The supply train for our armies would be overextended and vulnerable.”

  She was silent for a few moments.

  “Advisor Vesair, prepare to send an envoy to King’s Hill with gifts and an apology. Ikeda, Salyn, report on everything that you observed.”

  Lord Salyn bowed as he inwardly ground his teeth. Even Queen Ikku knew when to bow her head if the odds weren’t in her favor.

  Darkness blanketed the Shikoshi Kingdom as Lord Knight Ikeda entered the queen’s private office. She was sitting in front of the fireplace, holding a drink in one hand as she watched the flames within the hearth.

  Ikeda moved to the side and bowed.

  “Take a seat,” Ikku said, taking a sip from her cup. Flames danced in her eyes, her mind moving constantly.

  Ikeda waited calmly.

  “What if we attack them quietly, find the Earthers, and capture or kill them?”

  “Their guard leaders were as strong as my knights. Even if we called upon those training demons, I doubt we would be able to complete the mission.”

  Ikku wrung her hands, inwardly seething.

  “They’re powerful, and we don’t know where they came from.” She drank from her glass and snarled. “Gather more information. Let’s see what the other nations really think.”

  She stood still before yelling and throwing her glass into the fireplace, making the flames roar brighter before they calmed. “Damn them. They think they can steal those Earthers from me? They have them; they must.”

  She stared at the flames as t
hey started to settle. “We need to get the other nations on our side. With the lure of their trading and the Consortium, we have to act quickly before the others are enthralled by them. Let them fight over the resources. If we can get those Earthers, we can raise the Kingdom to be the strongest kingdom in the first realm.”

  16

  Institute’s Purge

  High Elder Cai Bo entered the area around Chensin totem, a city in the Fourth Realm controlled by the Willful Institute. It had been sealed off from outside transportation. Sect members dotted around the area had been pulled into groups. They were all over level fifty-five. Each wore at least one piece of Expert level gear, with no gear below the mid-journeyman mark. There were nearly a hundred and fifty people present, broken into groups of ten.

  She quietly surveyed them, all from different groups, all young and connected. She hid her smile. If things went how she planned, a war with Vuzgal would be a matter of time. While threats from the Head might not get people moving, anger from the different groups in the sects could definitely get them moving.

  Nico Tolentino walked into the area leading five groups. Each of them was wearing at least three pieces of Expert grade gear. As they stepped up to the totem, they pulled their cloaks tight, hiding their weapons and gear.

  “For the Willful Institute! We will destroy the Adventurer’s Guild halls! We will tear out their homes! Kill all that support them and whatever you find, you keep!”

  Cai Bo raised an eyebrow. Nico shot her a sneer and raised his nose, his group following onto a totem’s pad. One of the members in the group acted as the guide and they disappeared in a flash of light.

  Others followed afterward, disappearing by rank and seniority, be it personal, or their family connections.

  Cai Bo thought back to the meeting a week ago.

  “You will be at great risk. Vuzgal is an unknown. We do not know the true extent of their people’s power,” Cai Bo argued.

  Head Foster shot her a look and quietened her with a gesture. She quieted. He had been a quick man. Using rumors and her low position among the other elders, he’d diminished her support—on the surface. If she had not buried her real connections, then she’d be completely reliant on him for support.

  The only person one could rely on were those under a contract or those that needed the other. She would have applauded him if he hadn’t tried to do it to her. Now, she had to play the weak-willed and devoted supporter, which had pushed her own plans ahead by decades.

  “I will send word to the other families. If you are able to take the guild hall in Vuzgal, then it will be a great show of strength,” Foster told Nico.

  He gave some more praise, bolstering Nico’s ego. As Nico left, he leered at her as he passed. “Your time has passed, old woman.”

  The doors closed, and Foster gave Cai Bo a pitiful look. “The younger generation is so confident to step over the older one. Don’t worry; I won’t leave those that help me behind.”

  Cai Bo let out a breath, returning to the present as the last team disappeared. She turned, leaving the area around the totem with Lower Elder Kostic when a man in a hood walked toward the deserted totem.

  Cai Bo caught a glimpse of his face. She bowed her head as he snorted and disappeared in a flash of light. It was so good when her plans came together. Sho Tolentino had been in her way for far too long. Without him, the rest of the Tolentino clan would come into the fold nicely.

  A sound-canceling formation separated them from the rest of the realm.

  “What do you think of their chances?” Her sharp eyes watched Kostic.

  “Oh, I would think they are rather low, my lady.”

  They shared a nasty smile as she started walking again.

  “And your preparations?”

  “I communicated with the other nations around Vuzgal. Many of them voiced their displeasure. I am sure they would be willing to support us for the right incentives.”

  “Good. Vuzgal will be a turning point. If nothing else, that arrogant child will let us know what we are walking into.”

  Nico blinked away the totem light and entered the busy entrance area into Vuzgal. He pulled his cloak tight, joining the line that would allow them into the city.

  There were all kinds of people present, trade caravans and opulent carriages lined up on one side. Snaking lines were filled by people passing between cubicles with police officers checking everyone before allowing them entrance.

  Nico gritted his teeth at the wait. They would regret allowing him to enter their city. He wondered what would happen to the guard that let him into the city. would they be turned into a public example?

  He took solace in his dark thoughts. Scanning the area, he saw other members of his fifty-person group arriving in Vuzgal and lining up. They’d teleported to other locations first to not raise suspicion.

  “Next!” Nico walked up to the cubicle, stepping onto a sensing formation.

  The guard read some information on a formation away from Nico’s sight.

  “What is the purpose of your visit?”

  “Meeting with some friends to watch the Battle Arena,” Nico said.

  The guard scanned Nico, then tapped on the sign next to the serving window that listed Vuzgal’s main laws. “Make sure you don’t cause any trouble. Even if you’re from an association, we will arrest you if you break the law.”

  Nico’s lip half lifted before he nodded. “I understand.”

  “Good. Entrance fee?” The guard tapped another list.

  Nico took out the mana stones and put them onto the serving tray.

  The guard pulled them onto his side and then put them into a storage crate at the rear of the cubicle. “Have a good day!”

  Nico turned and walked on.

  Others in his group trailed after him.

  They passed through the defenses around the totem, moving with the streaming people. The area opened ahead of them, a large square filled with people waiting for those that were teleporting in. Large roads led to different areas of the city. Caravans of trade goods headed toward the warehouses to store their goods or drop them off.

  People dispersed in every direction while carriages carried powerful people off toward their destinations.

  Eastern culture mixed with western medieval design, with wood and stone creating the many two and four-story buildings that butted up against the street.

  In the distance, the inner defensive wall with the mana barrier towers reached up into the sky. At the center was Vuzgal’s main mana barrier tower, extending proudly into the sky. Between the pillars, Sky Reaching Restaurants pierced through the sky, glass shining like a sharpened blade.

  Nico led his people through the streets, following the map Kostic had provided.

  They reached a quiet street. It was darker now that the buildings were closer together. The businesses were closed, preparing for the night. Strings of mana lights lined the road, looking like used vines. The street was well-traveled and showed the signs of nightly revelry.

  Nico headed down an alleyway between taverns. It opened to reveal a large service area between businesses. It was deserted, with no deliveries today.

  The rest of the group appeared, one after the other.

  “Let’s go.” Nico led them down another alleyway toward the Guild District.

  The others loosened their cloaks, resting their hands on their weapons underneath or on storage devices, ready to draw.

  Seeing the group, people hurried on their way. The group spread out as they reached the main road. The inns and taverns gave way to trading stalls, smithies, and workshops, selling gear for fighters and resources for crafters.

  As the road widened, there were small planters dotted around, along with stalls selling food and drink. People wandered the area easily, wearing their guild emblems.

  Guildhalls lined the sides of the boulevard. Their crests adorned their walls and gates. Crafter and mercenary guilds stood next to one another. Guild members flowed through the area, be
asts, and carriages carrying important members to and from the halls.

  A group of mounted mercenaries rode out of their hall and down the boulevard to carry out some mission.

  The guildhalls were located in the inner city. Two Vuzgal Defense force barracks and four command towers lie around the district.

  Guild members stood at every gate, checking people’s identification before they entered.

  “There it is,” Nico said, his eyes locking onto the Adventurer's Guild guildhall.

  Nico sent a signal to the others who dispersed, closing in from different directions.

  Four guards were standing by the gate, checking identification as people entered and left.

  Nico could see the courtyard beyond the gate and the hall beyond that, its doors wide open as people entered and exited.

  A mounted group exited the guildhall, riding off.

  Nico felt a rush as he gripped his sword hilt. A shiver ran through his body, tapping into the power that had laid dormant, unused, and untested.

  “See you later, Tollin!” an Adventurer’s Guild guard said to a young man. He wore a simple shirt and pants, his hair grown long with an easy smile on his face.

  “I’ll be back later. I just need to get my sister from school!”

  Nico stepped in front of Tollin, holding out an arm to stop him.

  “Sorry about that!” Nico laughed easily.

  “I wasn’t watching where I was going.” Tollin tousled his hair, blushing.

  “Are you a member of the Adventurer’s Guild?” Nico looked at the guild hall.

  “I’m not. I’m just a healer. I wanted to join as a fighter, but I had some skill in healing. This lets me be in the same city as my sister. They’ve done so much for me. I hope I can join them on the front lines in the future.”