“We didn’t—” Salyn wheezed, trying not to cough. “—send people.”
A horn sounded nearby. Salyn looked around blearily and tried to stand.
Should greet them. Good word.
He got his feet under him and looked at Drev.
Drev jogged away to find out what was going on. Salyn tried to stand, groggily determined as his vision and head were swimming.
When Drev returned, he gripped the wooden pole that supported the dividing sheet, struggling to catch his breath. “They’re… coming.”
Salyn felt the power drain from his body. He grabbed the same pole and started to pull himself upright.
“H-orse.” Salyn tried to cough out.
“Soldiers,” a voice cried out across the outpost. “Your masters and lords do not care about you. Your kings and queens hide in their cities away from the battlefield. They send you forward to attack our outposts and people out of greed!
“They sent you here, not knowing of the sicknesses that came with the area. It is their fault that you have fallen ill! Surrender and we will take care of you! We have dealt with this sickness before, and we know how to treat it!”
They have an antidote? This is part of their plan! Drev helped Salyn up and supported him out of the room. Salyn leaned heavily on his guard captain. His wet feet chilled as he walked barefooted on the cold floor.
“The healers and alchemists only want your coin,” the voice continued. “They do not care for your lives! You have heard of the wealth of the Beast Mountain Range. It is a hard place, but it is fair. You will be treated fairly! We are in need of farmers, of laborers! We will heal you without asking for payment!”
Salyn coughed as Drev paused to gather his breath. Salyn wanted to punch him for slowing.
“We do not want more death. We were protecting our homes as you were forced to fight us! Surrender and we will heal you!”
“Move,” Salyn rasped as Drev continued huffing.
Drev looked at him in a way he had never in the past. “My... cousin—” Drev cleared his voice as he recovered his breath. “—was in Alva.”
Salyn looked at him, confused and leery.
Drev turned, hugged Salyn, and slipped a blade into his guts. He stabbed him again and again before dragging him out into the night.
Salyn covered his stomach and gulped for air like a fish out of water.
Drev dropped him between the bodies of the dead that were piled up outside the tent. He cleaned his blade on Salyn’s shirt, looting his rings and patting him down, then pulling out anything in his pockets.
He leaned down so Salyn could hear him. “Alva still stands even when you betrayed our trust.” The weakness left Drev’s expression as he stood, a different man.
Salyn’s head rolled back, looking up at the sky. Coldness came as darkness overtook his vision.
“What do you mean they surrendered?” Juri stood up from the mana gathering formation he was cultivating on.
“Sickness spread through their ranks. Apparently, it is a sickness of the area. All the soldiers in all the armies were affected. Last night the Beast Mountain Range offered them a concoction to heal their afflictions if they surrendered.”
Juri had been given this mission by Niklaus for the clan. It was supposed to be easy, but the kingdom's armies were useless. “Send a message to Niklaus immediately. Ask what he wants us to do.”
“Yes, sir.” The man tapped his Willful Institute emblem and left the tent.
Juri walked out of his quarters and across the rear camp for a view of the distant Hunter Frontier. In the massive camp of hundreds of thousands, few were moving.
He heard a commotion and saw mounted forces riding toward the Kingdoms camp.
“Please do not be alarmed! We are from the Beast Mountain Range Army! We do not wish you harm! Please surrender so that we might treat you! Your loved ones on the front line have already given up this illegitimate war! We will treat everyone, not just the lords and nobles!”
“To me!” Juri gathered his power as his guards and advisors ran over, less than ten in total, brimming with power.
Juri’s steps faltered with the rest of his people. His bones creaked under a newfound pressure.
“Well, what do we have here?” a woman asked as she walked out from between the tents. Her head was covered, like the two men beside her. She made a tutting noise. “Juri Kostic of the Kostic branch family, from the Second Realm. Made it up to the Third though, didn’t you? Not the brightest, but good at following orders. Niklaus has a soft spot for those loyal to him.”
Who is this that she could be this strong and want to come down to the First Realm? He couldn’t sense how strong the two men were beside her, like throwing a pebble into a lake.
“Who are you?”
“I am an interested party who wants to be left alone.” The woman’s voice dipped as the pressure increased. “Something your Willful Institute and the surrounding kingdoms are making harder.”
Juri’s body dipped under the new pressure before it lightened.
“Thankfully, you will make sure this little problem is dealt with.”
“Did Domonos put you up to this? The Silaz’s?”
“Who the hell is he talking about?” the woman asked one of the men beside her.
“There is a Silaz Trading house in the range.” The man tilted his head.
“Do you think I would take orders from a fucking merchant?” The woman yelled and marched forward. The pressure redoubled, dropping several of the weaker members to the ground and nearly doubling over Juri.
“No, My Lady, no!”
Fuck you, Niklaus. What fucking viper’s nest did you walk me into?
She let out a disgusted noise. “At least your dead will be useful. More to work with. The kingdom’s losses will create some interesting chaos. Other than my research, things have been boring.”
She had to be a dark mage. Why else would someone so powerful be in the First Realm? It would be easy to hide and people wouldn’t question her practices.
“Give them the contracts.” The lady waved her hand and walked away, one of the men leaving with her.
Four others, cloaked, walked out from among the tents, surrounding the group as the man she left behind pulled out a set of contracts.
The pressure decreased as two of Juri’s people ran out with a yell.
A cloaked fighter smacked one in the hand, breaking it, then kicked out, buckling his knee and dropping him with a stunned expression. The pain hadn’t set in yet. The cloaked fighter smacked him in the face casually.
The other Willful Institute fighter went down even faster.
“They’re fragile. Try to not kill them,” the man with the contracts said as if nothing had happened.
“These contracts will serve to save your lives. You will communicate with your superiors that this was a grave loss due to the stupidity of the First Realm kingdoms. You will do your best to persuade your superiors to not interfere with our lady’s experiments here in the Beast Mountain Range. If you reveal this information, your strength will self-detonate. Now, sign.”
The contract was put before Juri’s face with a knife. Gritting his teeth, he cut his finger on the knife and pressed it to the contract, binding him.
Pan Kun rode through the Hunter Frontier, seeing the destruction, ad hoc tents, and the dead laying everywhere.
He looked at the two camps that formed up on either side of the road leading to the Beast Mountain Range.
The dead were tossed into mass graves while those that surrendered had signed binding contracts before being fed the antidote from large pots and put to rest in large open tents.
It looked like one massive field hospital.
Nasreen rode up with her advisors. “Sir!”
“Nasreen, how are things?”
“They have all surrendered. Some have already recovered and are eating to build their strength. Lukas went out with ten thousand of his people to the camp.”
&nb
sp; A bird screeched in the sky and headed for the arm of Nasreen’s advisor. He fed the bird and passed the message to Nasreen.
“Good. Mages and construction crews will arrive soon to build defensive towers. In the meantime, organize the people, mix the groups up from different kingdoms. Have any families reunite and work out who has family and who does not. I want to know who everyone is and what their skills are.”
“Sir?”
“The Beast Mountain Range is expanding. Veli and Donner led their forces to capture their attacking armies and camp followers as well. For the first time, we’ll own land beyond the Beast Mountain Range to farm and harvest with towns and cities to support them.”
“Sounds like a lot of land to cover,” Nasreen warned.
“We won’t be covering it all right away. And it’s a good thing that we’re looking to hire more members into the Beast Mountain Range Army.”
“Still have to train up the guards from the different outposts, and our animal problem is getting worse.”
“Land of opportunity, Miss Fayad. We’re just here to keep the peace, protect the people, and keep the roads clear.”
“I’m feeling tired already.” Nasreen grinned.
“You did good; the army did good. Forty thousand against four hundred thousand fighters. Ten to one and we kicked their damn asses.”
“Most of them were farmers and peasants thrown into service.”
“Yes, but who else will be able to pull a force like that together?”
50
Ascend
Niemm opened the door to Erik and Rugrat’s shared office. The duo had one in Vuzgal, another in Alva’s dungeon headquarters, and this, the third, inside the command center that commanded Alva’s military forces across the ten realms.
Like all of them, this one had papers stacked to one side of the desk.
Erik opened one eye mid-way through rubbing his face.
“You ready to go?” Niemm asked.
“How are the preparations looking?” Erik finished rubbing his face and stood, stretching.
“Towers are going up along the new border staffed by the army with a few of the Willful Institute’s mana cannons defending King’s Hill. The former outpost lords are getting used to their new positions. People are returning to their outposts. Those that surrendered and clear their trials are being sent to the outposts to work on farms and other tasks they’re suited for.”
“Five days sure do change things.” Erik sighed. “First Realm secured. Now we need to direct all our energies toward Vuzgal.”
“Are you sure about this?”
“I remained down here one, to help out, and two, to be here in case shit went sideways. Now I’m not needed, and things are well in hand. I’m doing paperwork that other people can do.”
Erik walked out of the door with Niemm. The rest of his team was waiting. They fell into position, heading up and out of the Alva command center. Glosil and Yui were waiting at the gate out of the camp.
“Good work, both of you, supporting the people of Beast Mountain Range and training up the army. They might never know what you and your people did for them, but I will.”
“Thank you, sir,” Commander Glosil said. “Your performance with Evernight. Do you think it will stop the Institute from coming to the First Realm?”
“I’m not sure if it will. But it might confuse things at the very least. I guess we’ll just have to make sure that we give the Willful Institute something bigger to focus on. Egbert is building formations to cover the entire territory of the Beast Mountain Range. With them, we’ll be able to hide our presence completely, enough so that we can activate the drill again. It is an advantage we can’t let go of.”
The two men nodded.
“Colonel Yui, I will be waiting for your Tiger Regiment and Second Division of the reserves in Vuzgal.”
“Yes, sir. We’ll be there,” Yui said.
Erik shook both of their hands and left the camp behind. Outside the totem’s defenses, Storbon and his team were geared up and waiting. Erik took the lead with Niemm and Storbon behind him. Walking to the totem pad, the rest of the special teams checked their gear one last time. A screech came from the skies as Gilly flew over the defenses; she shrank and banked, landing on Erik’s shoulders.
He pulled on his armored vest and opened and closed his gloves, feeling the power surging through his body. “Egbert, Fourth Realm please!”
“See you later, Lord West!”
In a flash of light, they appeared in a new city. They paid their tolls and headed for the warehouse district, where they joined a convoy of traders.
“Off we go!” The leader of the convoy said as the carts rolled away from the warehouse district and toward the gates.
There were more guards than usual with the convoy, but it was the Fourth Realm, and bandits were part of a trader’s life.
Erik breathed easier as they left the city.
They rode for a few hours before coming to a bridge across a stream.
Mages used spells, causing the forest a few yards back from the road to open and reveal a new path. The carriages continued, the trees closing behind them as if waves were forming and collapsing around the convoy.
Erik watched the ground open, creating a ramp into darkness.
The lead cart ran over a teleportation formation plate, disappearing in a flash as the next followed.
They don’t even blink about it anymore.
Darkness consumed them as the ramp down to the teleportation formation rose, once again becoming a part of the forest above.
With the flash of teleportation, the light of Vuzgal’s busy under-city greeted Erik.
==========
Vuzgal City is under attack!
==========
Stats buffed: 15%
Enemy stats decreased by 10%
==========
Erik guessed that, being the city lord, there was no way for him to turn down the defense of the city.
He dismissed the screen, rolling with the cart toward the bunker complex when he heard a familiar voice.
“Erik! How was the vacation?” Rugrat yelled as the cart kept on moving.
“Thanks for the ride,” Erik said to the driver.
“Any time, My Lord.” The man grinned.
Erik snorted and jumped off the carriage.
Rugrat walked over with Roska’s team. The two hugged.
“You look like shit,” Erik commented.
“You look like you’re twelve without a beard.”
“Look who’s talking!” The two fist bumped as the Special Teams greeted one another.
“I heard that you pissed off the enemy commander.” Erik turned aside with Rugrat.
Rugrat opened his arms and shrugged. “Well, not my fault he’s more on the sensitive side.”
Erik laughed. “Fuck, feels good to be here, man.”
“How’re things down south?”
“All good, just what I sent in the reports,” Erik said.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get plenty of chances to shoot at something up here. Glad you took that, man, I’d be up the fucking wall, bored. Come on. Domonos is waiting, probably trying to figure out his retirement plans now that we’re both here.”
Erik laughed as Rugrat turned to the others.
“Fall in for the briefing. You’ve got your old quarters.”
“Don’t worry. We only took the best spots,” Roska assured.
“Four teams in one city. Shit.” Storbon laughed.
“Four teams? Hell, two fucking dungeon lords. I’m scared,” Niemm added.
“Fucking kids these days.” Rugrat gestured as he led the way.
“I know. they grow up so fast and steal all of our tricks.”
“Welcome to Vuzgal, the Willful Institute’s greatest and latest pain in the ass.”
“Gonna need some hemorrhoid cream soon,” Rugrat quipped.
Domonos smiled and pointed at the map. “Their forces have swelled, with near
two hundred thousand in fighters, and forty- five thousand in aerial fighters spread out across their camps.” He circled the W of camps facing Vuzgal. “From the left to the right we’ve got secondary camps one to four, main camp in the middle. Then secondary camps six to nine. Forces are split up among them, but most of the aerial forces are held in the secondary camps one and nine.
“Some people call them Parrot City, one on the left, and Bird House on the right, formerly known as secondary camp one and nine. Forecast is rain and thunderstorms in this area all day every day.” Domonos circled the area in front of Vuzgal. “Otherwise, we have cold days and colder nights. Winter’s coming, but that doesn’t matter much to you body-tempered freaks.”
The special team members chuckled as he continued.
“We’ve got three layers of defenses. The largest and farthest out is area one, or as we call it, the soup. Whole area is a bog with the constant rain feature. The soup is our special mess. Undead mages go around swirling it up and casting trap spells. Even if the enemy creates hardened ground, it’ll eventually get wiped out. Even if they can get through the soup’s traps, they have to come back through them if they retreat.” Domonos cleared his throat and tapped the second area.
“Area two is Deadman’s Fields. Major Hill here had a troubled childhood, loves digging holes and sharpening rocks.”
Major Hill smiled, getting nods of appreciation from his fellow warriors.
“Holes and trenches of all shapes and sizes, trending from the small to the large all throughout the area. The enemy has taken to creating different bridges across our fields. We don’t much like that, so we like to play a game of fuck your bridge. Most effective bridges are growing bridges, using plant life to span the area and cross after it. We made the ground wavy with ups and downs between the trenches. They seesaw side to side, up and down. Otherwise, they came up with a new bridge. Major Hill?”
“Sir, we call it the ballista bridge. Two ballistae are fired into Deadman’s. They have cables attached to them, between the cables are wooden slats. They wheel in the fired ballistae, hooking them into the edge of a trench. Then they run up these bridges with barriers. Can get a few hundred meters in. Once they secure ahead, they use these ballista bridges to cover our fields.” Hall stepped back and looked at Domonos.
Seventh Realm Part 1: A LitRPG Fantasy series (The Ten Realms Book 8) Page 58
