The Fourth Secret: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (Divine Apostasy Book 4)

by A F Kay

  Ping!

  You have learned a new Ability…

  Ability: Battlefield Promotion

  Level: 1

  Class: Fighter

  Sub Class: Commander

  Effect: Grant one member from each group the ability to create their own group. Each ability level extends this power to another layer.

  Type: Group

  Now when he focused on Hamma, he had the option of Promoting her, which he did. The City Council contained the Order, Merchant, and Mage Elders. In Chat, Ruwen spoke to Hamma again. Add Gabryel, Zahara, and Odalys to your group please. After a moment of thought he added. And Niall. Let me know if you also gained my Chat ability.

  Hamma’s group formed under her portrait, and a moment later she responded. Chat works for me.

  Ruwen knew he couldn’t speak with the members of Hamma’s group, he would have needed to take the Emissary Specialization for that. He focused on building the other group.

  The War Council contained the Fighter, Observer, and Worker Elders. So Ruwen added Vachyl, Drivyd, and Yana to the second group available to Ruwen since advancing Ringleader to level two.

  Ruwen faced Elder Vachyl, who was also a Warlord. “Drivyd will need to communicate with his Observer teams, can you facilitate that with a Battlefield Promotion for him?”

  If Elder Vachyl tried to hide his irritation, he failed. “This isn’t my first battle, child,” Vachyl said. “My Ringleader, Draft, and Battlefield Promotion abilities are all maxed, and Drivyd is in contact with his advance teams.”

  Ruwen didn’t let Vachyl’s tone bother him. He needed the man’s experience. “Thank you.”

  Battlefield Promotion worked on one person per group. Since Vachyl could form his own groups, and Drivyd could already Chat with his teams, Ruwen focused on the Worker Elder, Yana, and gave her the Battlefield Promotion.

  Yana smiled at Ruwen. “Thank you. This will help with organizing the Lodge.”

  Ruwen nodded at her and then looked around at everyone again. “These parties will serve as the mechanism for our communication. With such small groups, all decisions should be unanimous. If not, contact Hamma or I to break your stalemate.”

  “And if you die?” Vachyl asked. “How will we communicate?”

  That was an excellent question, and Ruwen tried to not read anything into the Warlord’s question. He faced Elder Vachyl. “Please reserve one slot for such an outcome. Since you have Draft, create a single group with Hamma, both Councils, Niall, and when they return, my parents and the Mage Tremine. Majority will decide issues.”

  Vachyl nodded. “As you command.”

  Ruwen looked around at the Elders, making sure not to let his gaze linger too long on the beautiful Merchant Zahara, who wore green leathers that left little to the imagination. “I think there are two things we should work out before I leave. How to use the Temple Guardians and how we split the next twenty thousand revivals between defense and infrastructure.”

  Ruwen had thought these decisions would be straightforward, but after thirty minutes of everyone arguing, it became obvious there would be no consensus. He believed in democracy, but he also needed quick and decisive decisions.

  “Thank you for everyone’s input,” Ruwen said. “You have all made many persuasive arguments. The reality is our needs are dire everywhere. So, the War and City Council will each receive ten thousand slots, splitting the revival baths evenly as well. We will reevaluate our needs in three days.”

  No one looked happy about that, which probably meant Ruwen had made the right decision.

  Lir, Ruwen asked, you told me we could repair four Temple Guardians once we had terium. If you fixed them now, approximately what percentage of the temple’s terium reserves would it consume.

  Forty-eight percent.

  That equated to ten thousand revivals. The four Temple Guardians were valuable, but probably not that valuable. Once his parents returned with more terium, they could reassess fixing those four.

  Ruwen continued. “I know how valuable the Temple Guardians are, and I don’t want to lose them. But in our current state, we need their contributions. We will divide the area between us and the invading army into two rings. Inside each of these rings, we will place a Temple Guardian in the air, near the ground, and underground.” Ruwen raised his hand to stop the objections. “We will set them to Caution, and they’ve already been reconfigured from assault to stealth. The remaining two will stay here at the temple.”

  Vachyl grumbled about the slowness of stealth mode and Gabryel muttered about leaving the temple undefended. Ruwen had always wanted to please people, but leadership seemed to center on limiting how unhappy you made others.

  Lir, I know you can’t modify interfaces, but can you update maps with the location of the Temple Guardians and any enemies they discover?

  I can.

  Please do so for the eight people in this room, Niall, Lylan, Sift, my parents, Bliz, and Tremine.

  Completed.

  Ruwen carefully communicated how he wanted the Temple Guardians distributed.

  As you wish, Lir responded.

  Ruwen stood. “You will receive map updates from the Temple Guardians in real time.” He faced Vachyl. “I’m leaving with my team shortly. Please let me know where we can provide the most benefit.”

  Hamma stood as well, and they left the room. Ruwen headed for the temple exit.

  “The City Council is urging me to stop you,” Hamma said. “As Uru’s Messenger, they believe you are too valuable.”

  Ruwen smiled at that and removed his totem, the Sublime Centipede of Solace, from his Inventory. It had taken about twenty minutes to fill the centipede with five thousand Mana, but now he could experiment using his Architect Role without utilizing the Spirit in his Core and triggering the Scarecrow Aspect.

  Putting the totem away, Ruwen responded. “Tell them Uru will protect me, as we protect them.”

  Hamma nodded. “Those people are never happy. I understand my mom better now. She complained all the time about the City Council.”

  The mention of Hamma’s Mom made Ruwen think of Niall, and his strange behavior regarding Hamma. She must have had similar thoughts because she grew quiet.

  Ruwen put an arm around her. “Thanks for helping me. I couldn’t do this alone.”

  Hamma smiled. “That’s for sure.”

  They left the temple and stepped into the morning sunlight to find Sift standing ten feet from the stairs, slowly turning with his eyes closed.

  Sift pointed at them without opening his eyes. “Lavender and Stinky.”

  “What in Uru’s name are you doing?” Ruwen asked.

  “Practicing against that demon’s new abilities,” Sift said. “I can’t see her, so I’m using my other senses.”

  “Ohhh, Lylan will make him pay for that,” Hamma whispered.

  “You shouldn’t call Hamma, Stinky,” Ruwen said. “Healers keep you alive and insulting them is dumb.”

  With all the increases to Ruwen’s Perception from Rami’s Codex choice, stacked with his Warlord Banner buffs he kept refreshed, he had a hundred forty-two percent Perception. That would clash against whatever new stealth percentage Lylan’s Thief Specialization had.

  Glancing around the area, Ruwen immediately sensed something odd near a pile of stones fifteen feet past Sift. The air there looked warped, like a heat mirage. Ruwen couldn’t see Lylan, but it made him feel better he could sense her.

  Rami, are you nearby?

  I’m circling above you. Lylan is even more impressive than before.

  “You know party members are the green dots on your map, right,” Ruwen said.

  Sift grew still and then stood up straight, turning toward the rock pile. “Found you!”

  “Cheater,” Lylan said from beside Ruwen.

  Ruwen turned, but Lylan wasn’t there. He felt the pressure wave in the air approaching him and he snatched the crossbow bolt from the air. Lylan’s distraction had almost worked.

&n
bsp; “Will you stop aiming at my heart,” Ruwen said to the now visible Lylan. “It’s creeping me out.”

  Sift faced Ruwen, his face serious. “Stay with the heart. You don’t want her aiming at other,” he paused and then whispered, “areas.”

  “That was mostly an accident,” Lylan said.

  “What do you two do when you’re alone?” Ruwen asked, shaking his head.

  Lylan raised her eyebrows. “Oh, now you’re looking for bedroom advice?”

  “Yeah, Starfield, slow down,” Sift said. He turned to Hamma. “He has some weird thing planned with oil, so watch yourself.”

  Ruwen handed Lylan her bolt back, and she looked up at Sift. “Demon?”

  Sift tried his best to look innocent. “What? Demons are hot. Remember that Plague Siren?”

  Ruwen groaned and Hamma shook her head.

  Lylan raised the bolt, as if to stab Sift.

  Sift stepped back and waved his hands. “Not hot, hot. I mean, she’s from the Infernal Realm, and it’s hot there. So, you know, she’s hot.”

  Ruwen left Sift to his fate and strode toward the city gates. He found Whiskers on the map and directed the cat to meet them by the lake. Rami landed on Ruwen’s shoulder and crawled behind his right ear. He gently rubbed Rami’s head.

  Ruwen focused on the bookwyrm. Great to see you.

  Ditto.

  Even though they were walking into danger, Ruwen had never felt better.

  Chapter 54

  Three days had passed since they’d left New Eiru, and they were currently forty miles south of the city. The late morning sun did little to warm the cold air blowing off the mountains.

  Since they’d left, only Whiskers and Lylan had glimpsed Naktos Scouts, but they’d disappeared before the party could collapse on them. Yesterday, Ruwen had given up on fighting anything when Rami had surprised them with a theory after analyzing the Temple Guardian data.

  The bookwyrm believed the enemy scouts had a forward operating base in the mountains that ran like a spine through Uru’s lands. Vachyl and Drivyd agreed, and they sent the Temple Guardians patrolling the inner circle to focus on the mountain range’s edge.

  The Guardians had found an anomaly underground, but the “caution” setting kept them from investigating. Ruwen’s party was the only combat team nearby, so if they checked it out and ran into trouble, they’d have no backup.

  To complicate things, at least some Cultivators had arrived north of Fractal’s Portal, and Ruwen feared the Elders might push them away if he wasn’t there to foster the relationship. His parents hadn’t returned either, and that worried Ruwen. Lir couldn’t sense them, which meant they were either in the sea to the east, or over the mountains to the west, and outside Uru’s Blessing. Worst of all, the invading army had significantly picked up their pace and might be here in less than a week.

  “Copper for your thoughts,” Hamma said as she stepped up next to Ruwen.

  “You’re overpaying,” Sift said.

  A buzzing sound came from Xavier, and Ruwen wondered if it was laughter. Lylan spoke before he could respond to Hamma.

  I found the entrance, Lylan said in Chat. Marking it now.

  Ruwen checked his map and a small yellow dot appeared. Lylan and Whiskers were two miles south-west of them, scouting the area where the anomaly had been discovered.

  Any indication of how many enemies are down there? Hamma asked.

  No, Lylan said. They’re doing an excellent job obscuring their trail. The geography is varied here, so it’s hard to see anything out of place. Plus, this is likely only one of multiple entrances.

  What do you mean about the geography? Ruwen asked.

  Lylan explained. Three mountain streams merge, forming a small lake, and a dense pine forest is broken up by giant granite boulders. This is a great place for an ambush.

  You should come back, Sift said.

  Ruwen summarized the situation. The bulk of the invading army has turned this way and will be here within the week. We’re alone, and that facility has an unknown number of guards. The fact it exists means they’ve put some forethought into their plans. Which means they’re prepared. Are there any compelling reasons to risk entering that base?

  Getting a glimpse inside would tell us its purpose, Lylan said. It might provide a clue to their plans. And it sounds like we need all the help we can get.

  Don’t talk like that, Lyl, Sift said. Come back. It’s not safe.

  Shade’s first rule: there is no safety, Lylan said.

  Kysandra, Dungeon Mistress of the Black Pyramid and Lylan’s boss, had told Sift and Ruwen the same thing what felt like a lifetime ago.

  “I hate those sayings,” Ruwen said out loud. Then in Chat he continued. Sift is right. You should return so we can discuss next steps.

  I’m already here. Lylan said. I can’t disguise myself as well as a Spy, but I remember the details of that Naktos Assassin that almost killed us while camping well enough to imitate him. I’ll be in and out. If I get cornered, I’ll kill myself and be waiting for you all back in New Eiru.

  Ruwen, Hamma, and Sift all spoke at the same time in Chat, making their pleas mangled and unintelligible.

  Stop! Lylan said. Arguing with me only serves as a distraction and makes this more dangerous.

  Sift strode over to Ruwen and Hamma. “We have to stop her.”

  “How?” Ruwen asked.

  “I don’t know,” Sift said. “Use that big brain.”

  Ruwen held up his hands. “Let me finish before you get angry.”

  “I don’t like the sound of that,” Hamma said.

  Ruwen locked eyes with Sift. “First, we can’t stop her. Second, she is the most qualified to sneak in there. Third, if she dies, it’s just the loss of six Attribute points and her gear. She’ll be waiting for us when we get back to the city and she can get new gear from the vault. Fourth, we can’t stop her.”

  Sift clenched his fists so tightly the knuckles popped. “She shouldn’t be risking herself. You dragged us into this mess.”

  “That isn’t fair,” Hamma said. “Lylan makes her own choices.”

  Ruwen nodded at Sift. “You’re right, and I take responsibility for all this. If I could change it, I would. I’m thankful you’re here with me.”

  “I’m going closer,” Sift said.

  Hamma held out her hands. “Wait, that might make it worse. If they see us, it might raise an alarm and increase the danger she’s in.”

  Sift rocked back and forth, his desire to protect Lylan warring with Hamma’s Wisdom. “Ugh!”

  Ruwen focused on Rami. Is it possible to show Sift and Hamma what Whiskers can see?

  I’m not sure. Focus on Whiskers and I’ll try.

  Ruwen redirected the cat toward Lylan and then forced his focus into the cat’s vision. After a moment, Sift stopped rocking.

  “What am I seeing?” Sift asked.

  “Whiskers is shadowing Lylan from a distance, and Rami is showing that to you,” Ruwen said.

  “It’s making me sick,” Sift said.

  “Do you want me to stop?” Ruwen asked.

  “No, no, no,” Sift said as he sat down. “Thank you, Rami.”

  “Rami, you’re amazing,” Hamma said, also sitting down.

  Ruwen remembered how disorienting the remote viewing was at first, but now he didn’t need to sit. Ruwen spoke to Rami. Why don’t I ever get any credit for thinking up these things?

  A single action outweighs a thousand thoughts, Rami said.

  Memories of the time compressed years he’d spent Step training with Rami in the Spirit Realm surfaced. She had been full of sayings like this.

  Well, I can’t argue with Hamma, you are amazing.

  Wisdom suits you.

  Ruwen smiled and then grew serious as Lylan came into the cat’s view.

  But it didn’t look like Lylan, it looked like a shorter, skinnier version of the Assassin that had tried to kill them during Big D’s camping trip. Ruwen had swallowed the Assas
sin with his Void Band, killing him. Lylan still moved with caution, as if she were a Naktos Scout returning from a mission.

  “That is really weird to see,” Sift said.

  Ruwen prayed whatever Thief abilities Lylan had used would hold up against the scrutiny of those guarding the entrance.

  As Lylan neared the entrance she’d marked earlier, three red dots appeared. One near the entrance and the other two five hundred feet on each side.

  Three guards. I updated the map. Lylan nodded at the sentries and disappeared into what looked like a cave.

  Whiskers stopped and crouched down in the pine needles.

  Smells funny in here, Lylan said. Tunnel at back of cave. Angles sharply down.

  Use your Scarf of Freshness, Ruwen said. They don’t need oxygen.

  Guard just past first turn. Left side on a ledge. Crossbow. Lylan paused and then continued. Scarf would draw attention. Smell is stronger the lower I get. Air is breathable. I’m not taking damage.

  “I hate this,” Sift said.

  Hamma reached over and grabbed his hand. “This is what she does. She’ll be fine.”

  Tunnel is circular and smooth. No other guards past the first turn. Air smells sweet. Overpowers everything.

  Ten seconds later, Lylan spoke again. Passed a group of four Scouts headed up. They spoke, but I couldn’t understand them. I just nodded and continued.

  Ruwen saw a Vertigo debuff appear under Lylan’s portrait, but it disappeared a moment later.

  I’m risking the scarf. Whatever is in the air here is making me dizzy. Oxygen seems fine as I still haven’t taken any damage.

  Sift and Hamma stood and Ruwen forced himself to stand still even though he felt like bursting from worry.

  “She needs to come back,” Sift said, his face twisted with worry.

  Ruwen nodded. Lylan, using the scarf makes this too dangerous. Come back.

  Lylan ignored Ruwen and continued her report. Air is full of moisture. Almost like a fog. Tunnel has leveled out. Possible cavern ahead. Four guards at the cavern entrance, water surrounds one of them, probably belongs to Haffa.