The Curse of Rion Castle (The Neuro Book #2) LitRPG Series

by Andrei Livadny

  I could see that Zander appreciated my effort. The well-chosen camera angle allowed you to see the mercenaries taking the brunt of the battle.

  "In addition to all this, I'll also give them the footage of our hydra encounter," I said. "The rest I'll keep under wraps for the time being."

  "They'll start grilling me about the details."

  "You've signed the non-disclosure agreement, haven't you?"

  "I have indeed," Zander agreed, obviously relieved. He chuckled, looking at the hologram. "You have a good eye for images. I don't think many people will want to lay claim to the castle after seeing this. And it will definitely improve our Reputation."

  In the meantime, the other mercenaries had started to turn up, followed by Platinus and Togien. They showered me with questions.

  "Is the interface working?" Platinus demanded. "Where's my lab? I'll need a smart NPC assistant, don't forget!"

  "Can we have a look at the castle?" Rodrigo asked.

  "This place is absolutely packed with scrap cargonite," Tylor said, choosing a couple of artifacts. "How much do you want for this?"

  "Right, guys," I said. "No guided tours, I'm afraid. Nothing personal. At the moment, the castle and everything in it is classified information. We can do some trading in the evening when you receive your bonuses. Now we have work to do. We need to go down to the dungeons. Everyone. You too," I looked severely at Platinus.

  "All right, all right," Togien boomed. "Show us where to go. What kind of dungeons are they?"

  "There're some old mines located right under the main tower," I said. "We can't port there. We'll have to walk. The entrance is here in this hall. I need to warn you that we can't trust the old maps. The demons broke into the donjon from beneath by splitting the cliff's base. I need to know what it's like there now. Fancy doing that?"

  "Why not?" Zander seemed to like the idea. "Let's go and take a look!"

  The others cheered up too. Purging an ancient dungeon meant treasure, unique items and plenty of XP. No wonder: it had stood abandoned for over a thousand years!

  * * *

  THE RUSTY HOIST screeched. Heavy chains drew taut, lifting the rectangular slab of stone. It rose reluctantly, revealing a row of stairs leading down into the gloom. The gaping hole breathed cold and damp.

  Our descent took forever. We checked every landing we happened upon. Most of them had three doors which must have once opened into ration depots. Over the past centuries, foodstuffs had crumbled to dust together with the bags that contained them; even the wooden crates had rotted away. The only mobs we met here were a few rats, skinny and weak.

  "I thought this place would be packed with gold!" Togien grumbled.

  I felt the familiar tingling sensation in my fingertips. There was a source of power somewhere below. I just hoped it wasn't another Altar of Chaos.

  I immediately remembered my encounter with the Corporation workers. Altars of Chaos were in fact their tools meant to ward off players, preventing them from discovering the Corporation's secret passageways that connected the game with the real world.

  Zander stopped and raised his hand. "Wait! This seems to be an entrance to a hall!"

  Water glistened in the torch light. Was this the level of the bog? Already?

  Disappointment washed over me. So much for our farming Spectral Dust! If the underground levels were indeed flooded, our little trading scheme with the Azure Mountain dwarves had just gone belly up.

  "This is a water reservoir!" Zander announced, taking a few more steps down. "It must be their emergency supply. Look at these levers on the walls! They were probably used to pump the ground water up."

  Virgil who was walking just behind him pointed at the mineral salt deposits lining the walls. "I don't think the pumps work anymore. The water level must have risen several times which means the floodgates are constantly open."

  I lifted the torch higher, studying the steps. Their edges had apparently been worn by the passage of water. Virgil was right: this place was regularly flooded but equally rapidly drained. It looked like the flood waters gushed down the steps and disappeared in the fissure made by the demons.

  We resumed our descent. The spiral staircase continued to bore into the castle's rocky foundations like a drill. Soon the surface of the walls began to change. They were covered in cracks and even occasional crevices that breathed cold and seeped water.

  In the last twenty-four hours, I'd really had enough of the doom and gloom. I'd have loved nothing better that have a stroll in the sun. Still, there was nothing I could do about it at the moment.

  "The mines I don't mind," Togien continued to grumble. "But you'd think they'd have some hoisting cages, wouldn't you? How were they supposed to transport the ore?"

  "They used teleports," I said. "They don't work at the moment. The accumulating crystal is probably flat."

  "Watch where you're going," Zander said. "Some steps are crumbling. Iskandar, I want you to bring up the rearguard. If someone trips up, you can cast Levitation on them."

  Soon we reached another hall which looked more like a manmade cave, judging by the rough finish of its ceiling. The large stone floor tiles were listing, some of them tilted on their sides like ice ridges in the wake of deep fissures covering the floor.

  Here I could finally see the gaping holes of the mining shafts topped with the rickety remains of hoisting cages. I recognized a rectangular block of stone amid the heaps of debris: a teleport platform, judging by the distinctive runic pattern.

  "Great stuff," Togien said approvingly, following my gaze. "You think you can activate it?"

  I could understand him. None of us felt like taking another hike all the way up.

  "Not yet," I said. "I need some teleport stones. I've run out of mine."

  Meanwhile, Zander approached one of the crevices and looked down. He cussed under his breath.

  "What can you see there?" I asked.

  "Nothing. It's all covered in Mist of War."

  "There's no such ability in the Crystal Sphere," Iskandar said with confidence. "Nor spell. You sure that's what it is? Not some kind of smoke or fumes?"

  "I wish," Zander stepped away from the fissure's edge which had begun to crumble under his weight. "Look for yourselves if you don't believe me."

  Indeed, a gray haze swirled beneath, concealing a treacherous drop. I could hear a far-off echoing sound ringing with metal, like a multitude of picks attacking rock.

  "Togien, go check the cages."

  He obeyed. The others waited patiently, casting curious glances at me and Zander. Platinus alone decided it was a good moment to show some initiative. He opened his robes and began studying the dozens of little pockets that covered the lining. Finally he fished out a vial containing some acid green liquid and offered it to me,

  "Try to throw it down the crevice. It might help."

  Remembering our woeful hydra encounter, I asked him, "Can you tell me how it works? You sure I won't lose levels for using this?"

  He took offense. What was he like!

  "Just read the label," he grumbled.

  Last Chance Potion. Cleans the air of all traces of acids, poisons, dust, smoke and toxins. Indispensable for mine fires.

  Okay. We might just as well try it. Climbing down through the thick haze didn't sound like a good idea.

  "Zander, make sure I don't fall."

  With his help I leaned down the crevice as far as I could, dropped the vial and started counting.

  Soon I heard the far-off sound of shattered glass. Immediately the gray haze began to disperse.

  A large underground cavity lay below. Now I understood why the castle's interface had failed to offer accurate information. This must have once been a complex maze of caves connected by snaking tunnels. Now it didn't look anything like it, all thanks to the hordes of imps scurrying around!

  For centuries they'd been mining ore and other resources here non-stop until they'd created a large underground hollow. All the caves and tunnels, incl
uding those dug during the storming of Rion — they had all disappeared, devoured by this enormous new location.

  There were hundreds of imps working here. Luckily, their groups were small. I could also see plenty of prisoners. Dark obelisks, however, were few and far between — not enough to affect all the slaves quite a few of whom were chained; they looked exhausted and emaciated. Mining ore in the absence of strength or agility buffs is no joke!

  A few groups were busy working at the center of the giant cave, away from its rocky walls. To my surprise, I noticed a few Dark conjurers among them.

  I forwarded the video to the group network, activated my Observational Skills ability and sent a chat message to Zander, Hold me tight!

  As I focused, lots of new details came into view. I studied the imps' tags, then those of their prisoners. The former were mainly workers levels 20 to 30. Very few warriors, which meant that Infernal creatures felt safe here. They'd been farming this location since time immemorial and weren't going to leave it any time soon.

  The Imps may be greedy, shameless and mean creatures but they know their job, that's for sure. They're good at mining. As they worked, they left certain places untouched, creating crude stone columns which supported the ceiling.

  This was a rather boring old cave of a quite unambitious design.

  The prisoners were mainly humans. I didn't notice any orcs: only a few dwarves and even a kobold.

  And who the hell was that?

  A warlock?

  Curiouser and curiouser. Level 50, not bad. He pranced around the cave as if the whole place belonged to him. What was he doing down there? He even had a retinue: a dozen liches and two dark casters, their levels slightly lower than his.

  I just couldn't work them out. I could still sense the tingling in my fingertips. The source of magic power kept reminding me of its presence even though I couldn't locate it quite yet.

  The warlock stopped and picked up a fragment of the broken vial. He cast a suspicious glance around but didn't look too alarmed: the broken pieces of the Last Chance Potion looked quite in keeping with the cave's grim insides.

  He waited for an imp to scurry past, then grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, lifting the poor creature into the air. The imp squirmed under the warlock's freezing stare as the man asked him something but failed to receive a satisfactory reply. Irritated, the warlock flung the imp aside. The creature hit his head on a column, losing a few hp, then scrambled back to his feet and scurried away.

  A nearby group of prisoners showed some interest in the incident. Two of them — an Elf and a Kobold shackled together — stopped hacking at the rock and focused their hateful glares on the Dark casters. The others — five emaciated peasants and three dwarves — slowed down, casting sideways glances at the scene.

  Aha, finally! A burly orc clad in tattered leather armor appeared out of the cave's gloomy depths pushing a wheelbarrow. He must have dumped his load and was about to resume work.

  His dull stare spoke volumes: the guy must have been here long enough to have lost all hope of ever getting out.

  In the meantime, the warlock froze, leaning on his staff.

  Was he casting a spell?

  I stared at him intently, memorizing the way he mouthed the words. It's not often you get the chance to watch your enemy in action.

  Wisps of dust began rising into the air, whirling together.

  Got it! My Spell Interception ability hadn't failed me!

  You've learned a new spell: The Veil.

  Creates an obstructive haze concealing a selected area from prying eyes. The size of the area: 50x50x50 ft +2 ft. per caster's level.

  Cost: 50% Mental Energy

  Requires level 37

  Dust billowed up, obscuring the view.

  "Alexatis, get out of there," Zander and Tylor pulled me out of the crevice.

  "What do we do now?" Zander asked.

  "We might try to climb down and see if we can purge the cave," I said, giving Platinus an approving slap on the shoulder.

  He beamed. The vials in his robes clinked softly.

  "You think you might have some more of those?" I asked him.

  "Absolutely. But-"

  "But what? Come on, spit it out."

  "The ingredients are rare. And expensive. It's not called the Last Chance for nothing."

  "That's not your problem. Remember what I promised? We'll get you a lab as soon as possible. Just wait."

  I turned to Togien. "What do you think?"

  "The cages are falling apart," he replied. "The machinery is all broken. But the shaft itself looks good. I've checked it. We can try and climb down here. The imps don't seem to use it."

  "Good. I still don't understand why the conjurer raised dust again. Any ideas?"

  "Simple," Rodrigo replied. "At least half the prisoners are free from the obelisks' control. The dust prevents them from banding together."

  "For what purpose?" Iskandar said. "I don't think there's much chance of rioting down there. Each team of workers has a caster to heal the weak and cast control spells over the discontented. The dust only makes working harder."

  "I know why he does it," I said.

  All stares turned on me, quizzical. I gave them a brief run-down of the Cohort of the Fallen story. "Did you notice that the whole area around the old mine remains untouched? That's why the warlock had cast the Veil over it: to prevent any legionnaires from ambling around the dungeon aggroing the imps."

  Iskandar didn't look convinced. "They must be hiding something here. I have a strange feeling about this place. I could bet all you want there's some crazy level-70 monster lurking at its center."

  "You mean we're not strong enough to do it?" Zander asked.

  "We could try," Iskandar replied. "Listen, Alexatis, fancy calling up an event? That could bring in more players from the city. The demons wouldn't like it!"

  "Absolutely not," I said. "This dungeon is part of Rion Castle. We don't want strangers wandering around. No, I think we should try and do it ourselves. You get one-third of the loot but I get the pick of the artifacts. Zander?"

  He nodded. "Sounds good to me. Can I have a word?"

  * * *

  "WHAT'S UP?" I asked him.

  "Who's gonna be the raid leader?"

  "Well, who do you think? You, of course. I don't have the experience."

  He cheered up. "Excellent. Togien, Platinus, come over here!"

  The two approached.

  "I need to know your abilities and available spells," he demanded. "What scrolls and elixirs do you have?"

  As the raid leader, Zander was obliged to know everything each player could or couldn't do.

  Togien didn't play hard to get. He owned an impressive supply of health elixirs. He specialized in tanking.

  Zander checked his stats. "Good," he nodded. "You'll stay in one line with me. Platinus?"

  The brief discourse that followed showed that Platinus was pretty useless as a sorcerer. His health was weak, his mana negligible, its regeneration rate slow. He didn't know any spells, either. His elixir stocks, however, boasted about fifty various potions.

  "You will stay with Rodrigo and Iskandar," Zander gave him an encouraging wink. "Use your vials sparingly. No good wasting them on imps. But once we get to the dungeon boss, you can use some medium ones against him."

  "Why medium?"

  "Because if you happen to deal him more damage than Togien or myself, you'll pull aggro to yourself. Which will cause a wipe."

  Platinus stared at him, uncomprehending.

  Zander chuckled. "You don't know what a wipe is, do you? Look. The amount of aggro decides whom a monster will attack. If he considers you the most dangerous enemy, he'll ignore Togien and myself and go directly for you. Which in turn will cause a wipe, meaning we'll all be killed on the spot. Understood?"

  Platinus gave a vigorous nod. Zander's instructions made him fidget nervously in anticipation of what was to come.

  "Thanks, everyone," Zander s
aid, dismissing them. Once we were alone again, he turned to me. "Alexatis, I'm not asking you any questions. Both you and your class are too special. If you don't want to tell me, I'll understand. You can just stay in the rear with Iskandar and Rodrigo."

  Oh. I was the clan leader now, wasn't I? Even my abilities were classified information. That felt weird.

  "Do you remember what happened to the hydras?" I asked him.

  He grinned. "Mortal Allegiance! How could I ever forget!"

  "At the moment it's the best I can do. But in order for it to work, I'll need constant heals and mana."

  "Got it. If the going gets really tough, use it. We'll try to clear you a path to the boss, whatever he is."

  "If push comes to shove, I have something to use, too."

  "What's that?"

  "I can summon a Fallen legionnaire for ninety seconds."

  "What level?"

  "Depends. But I might try and summon one particular character I have in mind. Also, if the boss starts summoning the Darks, I can cast Exorcism."

  Zander raised a surprised eyebrow, "Why didn't you use it when we tried to storm the castle?"

  "I couldn't. I only got it last night."

  "I see. So let's do it this way. You stay in the rear with the wizards, right up until the final push. You'll be our strategic reserve. If the warriors need your help, I'll let you know. No stupid solo pranks. Deal?"

  "Deal."

  "Let's go get buffed, then. Pointless dragging it out. This is how we'll do it: we'll keep to the center of the cave, as far from the dark obelisks as possible. The warlock is our priority target. We might even get a glimpse of the boss if we're lucky."

  "You think it's a good idea?"

  "If we move from one obelisk to the next, we'll get exhausted real fast. Some of my auras have as much as a ten minute cooldown. The warlock, however, can move randomly around the dungeon. Not a healthy scenario. So I suggest we smoke him first and then start purging the cave systematically. Oh, and one other thing. Do not use fire spells on the imps. It's either ice or mental damage."