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

by Michael Chatfield

  The first eight rushed the chairs. The barbers used enchanted metal wands that removed all beards, mustaches and fuzz.

  Sergeant Yi walked around to the other side.

  Buzzers worked rapidly, dropping hair on the ground, leaving the seated recipients with the same haircut. The men all had short hair with fades while the women had their hair cut to their mid-back.

  “Use cleaning spells. I want flames in your hands before you're formed up!” Yi yelled.

  “When there’s a seat free, move to take it! Others are waiting!” Baines yelled.

  Quickly, people flowed through the barbers. On the other side they all had the same clothes and appearance.

  Bai Ping saw Staff Sergeant Akachi leading in four reserve artillery squads.

  “Halt! Once Gunnery Sergeant Bai Ping's people have cleared the barbers, you will be next!” he yelled. Bai Ping moved to the side and Akachi met him to talk away from their charges.

  “How you doing, Akachi?”

  “Not bad. So, what's the game plan?”

  “Get them cleaned up, looking like they belong in the same army. Get their carriers together, run through specific training, then throw your group and mine together to make sure they can work together?”

  “Sounds like a plan to me.”

  Bai Ping checked his watch. “Say we start cross-training in eight hours?”

  “Can we call it ten?” Akachi asked.

  “Ten works for me. Let me know if you need more.”

  “Will do.” Akachi and Bai Ping turned to face their two groups.

  “What do you think of them?” Bai Ping asked.

  “Haven't seen them in action yet. Gonna have to shock them back into it. They haven't trained in a long time. Most of them got their position because they did well with math. All of them have completed their basic training, but fewer completed their sharpshooter course.”

  “Same with mine. Gonna have to squeeze in as much refresher as possible.”

  “What about if they get hit head-on?” Akachi looked over.

  “The mages should have some spells to protect themselves. Want to do a range day to get them checked on their repeaters?”

  “Yeah, all of them took defense courses. But it was years ago for some of them. Few have used the repeaters before.”

  “I'll put in the request for range time, but we only have seventy-two hours with them. We'll have to make every minute count.”

  “I heard that they want to get all the reserves prepped.”

  Bai Ping let out a breath through his teeth. “All of Dragon Regiment is back in Vuzgal. We should have all of Tiger back in a few days max. There is what, nearly a division worth of reservists? I hear the plan is to get them all qualified and checked out. Then if we have more time, we teach them and the recruits that are getting processed out of their training. We fill in the training that they don't have.”

  “With them all on defensive operations, it's a lot easier than training them to fight offensively in the forest.” Akachi shrugged.

  “Agreed.” Bai Ping couldn't help looking at their fresh uniforms. The colors were vibrant. Plus, their shoes were brand new.

  “At least we have healing spells for their feet as they break in their boots.”

  “Would suck if they didn't. We have thirty-five thousand reservists to dress, shave, clothe, and check to make sure they haven’t forgotten anything.”

  “Take us to what, close to fifty thousand under arms? Good thing we didn’t throw away the old armor and repeaters.” Akachi grinned.

  “Yeah, all the old gear is coming out of storage. The City Council is pushing to double the number of factories we have.”

  Akachi blinked, shaking his head.

  “‘Til then we’re handing out all the old armor we’ve got and formation medallions so that the reservists can link into the conqueror’s armor network. Most will just get the regular helmets with formations to see out of. Our people don’t really need them. The rifle companies are getting them though.”

  “Needs must. How long till they guess the sects will reach Vuzgal?”

  “Week and a half if they rush with nothing in their way.”

  “So, what, three batches of reservists before then?”

  “Yeah, two regiments are going to Vuzgal. Two will remain here. Way I hear it, they’re going to split us up, one reg force to every three reservists. Going to mix us all together. They fill the bodies; we bring the knowledge.”

  “Shit! I thought I was done training other people.” Akachi rubbed the back of his head.

  Bai Ping just grinned.

  Blaze stood in his command tent, facing another battlefield with another siege against a different Willful Institute City. The cities changed, the allies changed, but the mission remained the same, as did the self-serving Sects that employed him and his people.

  “What do you mean?” Blaze demanded from the Sect messenger.

  “Sect Branch head Hoazin, your employer, has expressed that he wishes to conserve our strength in light of the current situation.”

  Sect-speak for slow the attacks so they might get a better position. “We have the advantage. We need to hit them harder. If they have time to recover, build up their defenses, it will take twice the effort to get this far again.”

  “I am sure that your forces need rest too, Guild Leader. If you are so adamant, then we will have to ask to change your contract,” said the messenger, one of the sect branch head’s lackeys.

  What I’d give to punch your idiot face in. They were just hoping that more of the Willful Institute would be called away to fight Vuzgal so they could save more of their fighters.

  Blaze clicked his tongue. Such words would only cause more issues.

  “Ah!” Blaze kicked a random box in his tent. “Dammit! The loot, though! What about the loot? You think they’re going to keep it all there? As soon as they can, they’ll send it away! The longer we wait, the less there will be for us. I bet they’d consume their training resources just to spite us!” Blaze kicked the box again, apparently not paying any attention to the messenger, whose eyes shone with a hidden light. “Fine! I’ll do it.” Blaze leveled a finger at the messenger. “But I keep the agreed share, even if it has to come from your branch head! It’s not my fault he wants to wait and lose this opportunity!”

  “I will pass your sentiments on.” The messenger bowed and left quickly.

  The fire went out of Blaze’s body as he sighed. Fuck, I’m tired of all this positioning bullshit. He moved to his desk as a new shadow darkened his doorway.

  “Heard you might be in here,” Elise said.

  Blaze stood as his expression melted. She nearly toppled him as she wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him.

  He put his arms around her and kissed her back. A few minutes passed before they came up for air.

  “I missed you,” she said.

  “I can sense that.” Blaze grinned. “How long you here for?”

  “Not long enough.” She kissed him again and released him, pulling on her tunic.

  “Business?”

  “You know me, babe, business before pleasure.” She gave him a sly smirk.

  Blaze quirked his lips and nodded.

  Elise’s smile faded as she pulled out a worn ledger. “I have supplies from Alva. Production has increased to nearly two hundred percent. We’re producing faster than we can use it. Running us ragged to purchase supplies.”

  “How is it in Vuzgal?” Blaze grimaced.

  “The United Sect Army is pushing through the woods, day and night. Don’t know much more than that.”

  “And the First Realm?”

  “The armies are assembling. Don’t know when they’ll attack. The outposts are quietly redeploying. All reservists are being issued gear. Everyone was recalled.”

  “Yeah, I lost some people to the recall.”

  “How is the guild?”

  “Stronger and bigger than ever.” Blaze ran his hand through his hair.�
�And constantly fighting. There are a lot that take a few days or weeks off, but most of them come back to the fight. They can’t leave their people to fight alone, though, I’ve been getting reports from Jasper and the rest of the branch heads. Either the sects are attacking more aggressively, or they’re pausing, not sure of what to make of the attack on Vuzgal. Scared that the Willful Institute could get support and wash them out.”

  “Glosil wants to draw their strength to Vuzgal. Clear out the problems in the First Realm in one move, then support the Adventurer’s Guild to crack cities. If we can do that, then the Willful Institute’s support will dwindle.”

  “Sounds like a nice plan. Let’s see if it works out.”

  Elise shrugged and pulled out a scroll, handing it to him.

  “Yay, more paperwork,” Blaze said dryly, opening the scroll.

  “Well, if you finish up quickly, maybe you can have a little treat,” Elise said with a wink.

  Blaze’s brain short-circuited, rebuilt itself, speed reading through the scroll without letting anything slip.

  He stamped it, rolled it up, and passed it back in record time.

  Elise laughed as she took the scroll.

  Blaze grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. “Now, where were we five minutes ago?”

  24

  Silencing Eyes and Ears

  Roska looked at the soldiers and police officers gripping their weapons, standing ready inside the empty tavern. She looked through a crack in the wooden shutters. They closed with a gust of wind, then opened wider, giving her a clear view of the warehouse district.

  For the past few hours, she and her people had been preparing. Across Vuzgal, police officers backed up by Alvan soldiers were waiting patiently for their targets.

  “In position.”

  Roska heard the last squad leader report in as she took a breath. “Go!”

  The doors of the tavern were thrown wide open as the waiting squads rushed out with their weapons at the ready.

  “Vuzgal Police! Put your hands up! You’re under arrest!”

  Stunned traders looked around with wide eyes as police officers and soldiers appeared. They stormed out of abandoned buildings that seemed lifeless a second ago, pouring through the alleyways and roads, surging toward the warehouses. There was not a single gap for the traders or their guards to slip through.

  One man tried to draw his sword; several arrows pierced his body, leaving a tombstone as he collapsed.

  “Don’t try to stop me!” another yelled, pulling an axe from his storage ring. He coughed as arrows slammed home. His eyes went wide as he collapsed.

  The police officers reached the first traders and their guards, pushing them to the ground and securing them.

  Roska’s sound transmission device beeped as the special team members reported in.

  “Target Delta secured.”

  “Target Foxtrot secured.”

  Across the city they locked down the traders and guards linked to the Elsi family, as well as the spies that were connected to anyone but Vuzgal.

  Roska used her sound transmission device to connect to Director Elan. “We have the rats.”

  “Carry on. Send the spies not affiliated with the groups attacking us through the totem. The rest of them, bring them in for questioning.”

  Roska looked over the sad group of traders that were hauled before the court.

  The court had been sealed off, but there was a lawyer for each talking in the pews leading up to the front bench.

  “Good hunt?” Storbon said, sitting down beside her.

  “Not too much of a problem. You?”

  “Smoothly enough, just supporting the Close Protection Details.”

  The judge used a gavel to bring quiet to the room.

  “Jonas Elsi, you have been charged with smuggling, illicit gathering and selling of information, and conspiracy to harm Vuzgal. Please go through the information.” The judge waved forward a police officer who spoke about meetings, timings, and the contents of them, listing the items that were smuggled in and out of Vuzgal.

  Jonas Elsi paled. “I’m an Elsi. There’s no way!”

  The judge leveled her gavel with him and the silence spell returned peace. “If you cannot be civil in my court, I will keep you quiet to save us all a headache and wasted time.” She removed the spell and looked at the information in front of her.

  “In this case, I think that the verdict is rather clear. You will serve a sentence of fifteen years under contract. Take him away.”

  “Do you know who my grandfather is? He will have all your heads!”

  The judge hit him with another silence spell. “Yes, we do, even if you changed your name, Mister Elsi.” The judge raised an eyebrow as Jonas’s wriggling stopped and the police officers pulled him away.

  And so it went, through the ranks of traders and others that created information networks throughout Vuzgal.

  “What happened with the other groups?” Roska said.

  “Got a quiet chat from the Close Protection Details or a message to do their actual jobs and to keep their lips sealed, or to take a long vacation and not come back,” Storbon said.

  “Smart. I think we have enough enemies as it is. I don’t know how Elan keeps it all straight.”

  “Well, unless you want to watch this all day, beer?”

  “Oh, that sounds like a good plan. Beer it is.”

  The duo left the courtroom as the judge listened to the next case’s prosecution and defense present their arguments.

  Klaus stood at the top of his Fighter’s Association’s building, watching Vuzgal.

  He sighed and looked around the Association’s Circle. The other buildings stood proud and unyielding. Their gates closed as guards patrolled their grounds, mana barriers protecting them from the outside world.

  A messenger ran up on the roof.

  “What did Lord Chonglu say?” Klaus turned.

  “He read the letter and burned it. He said that he did not have time for the Associations until the Willful Institute was crushed.”

  Klaus sighed and shook his head. “He’s still too young.” Chonglu could escape with his family and Mira. The blame would fall upon the associations rather than him. What made these Vuzgalians so damn loyal to Erik and Rugrat?

  He thought of the weeks he had spent training the duo. His lips were sealed from telling anyone about their abilities and strength.

  They were powerful enough to bring many to their side. But they are just two people. They must have consumed all the resources that Vuzgal had to spare to get as strong as they were. The Willful Institute had fighters that were as strong as they were. Even if they defeated someone of the Seventh Realm, could they fight ten of them together? A hundred?

  Klaus looked up at the skies. Odd aerial beasts flew out in every direction, covered in wooden armor.

  “How is the evacuation going?” Klaus asked the messenger, his eyes looking over the city.

  “All family members and non-essential members have pulled back to other locations.”

  “What’s the situation at the totem?”

  “People are fleeing as fast as they can. The Vuzgal leadership is not stopping them, though, they do warn that all land that is left unattended for more than one month will be repossessed by the city, and they are not liable for damages.”

  “They make it sound as if they can hold back an army of hundreds of thousands with only a few thousand people.” A sad and tired smile spread across Klaus’ face. “They would have made fine members.”

  “Sir, the military and police conducted lightning raids across the city last night. They targeted traders and their guards. Most of them around the warehouse district.”

  “The trader community has a long memory. If they attack traders now, that could work against them. Turn the traders against Vuzgal.” Klaus frowned. “What is happening, and why am I only hearing about this now?”

  “They struck without warning in the middle of the night. We didn’t dis
cover anything was wrong until it was announced by the Vuzgal Police.” The aide took a breath. “They took out all the spies and informants within the city, too. They questioned them last night and have been dumping them at the totem. Spies of the attacking sects were sentenced. Several were executed, others banished.”

  “Just what is happening? They have been so quiet, meek even, not leaving their city walls. Is this really the Vuzgal we know?”

  “The news is causing more people to leave en masse. Vuzgal announced that they will stop people from leaving tomorrow morning. Everyone is fleeing while they can.”

  “They must have a reason for attacking the traders, or else they’ve just killed themselves no matter what. What are they thinking?” Klaus frowned, looking at the central tower that stuck up in the middle of Vuzgal. Why do I feel like I have been blind for too long?

  Early morning light fell on Alva as the members of Dragon Regiment organized into squads, talking to one another in low tones, checking their gear and trying to fill the remaining time.

  They held their heavy repeaters with comfortable ease. Weapons of war had become as familiar as a farmer's shovel. Their carriers and gear showed signs of wear and tear. Frayed scars marked some carriers, faded camouflage from having to scour the dirt out.

  “Move into formation!” Lieutenant Colonel Zukal called out.

  The groups pulled their helmets on, closing them off from the outside world, moving into position with the lazy competence of veterans.

  Domonos walked out into the training square. They had cleared out all the spies two days ago and locked down the totem and communications the day before. Only Alvans could communicate or travel freely. Now, just like in the beginning, Vuzgal had only Alvans and the associations within its walls. How things have come full circle.

  He looked at the men and women under his command. When they had defended Vuzgal, there were only one hundred of them. Now, there are nearly ten thousand in Vuzgal alone.