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

by Andrei Livadny

  "Okay. Now... the Vambrace of Retribution. Item type: Relic. Part of a set. Requires level 50. Restrictions: Only Paladin. Effect: deflects 30% incoming damage back on the enemy when worn on the blocking arm."

  "Is it a no drop?"

  "No, it's not," he sounded suitably impressed.

  "What else?"

  "A Vambrace of Regeneration. Item type: Relic. Part of a set. Requires level 50. Restrictions: Only Paladin. Effect: +10% to the hp regeneration rate in combat. 5% to the wearer's chances of restoring his or her Health after receiving a critical hit."

  I could tell he was itching to have both. Still, with these kinds of decisions one should never rush. These were unique items. I might have some Paladins joining my clan at a later date, too. "Okay. What about the gadget?"

  "I really can't tell."

  "Oh, do me a favor."

  "Seriously. It has no stats, only question marks. It's a sphere about a couple of feet in diameter, covered in runes. Oh. I think I do know what some of them mean."

  "Can you translate?"

  "It says, a Citadel. That's the best I can do. Listen, how about I swap my share of raid loot for these vambraces? Provided I can keep the rune as well."

  "But how about your group members?"

  "I'll sort them out. It's not your problem, anyway."

  "Are you sure?"

  He maintained a moody silence, awaiting my decision.

  No wonder. Between the aura-boosting rune, the ten-percent regeneration, the chance of receiving a full heal and the thirty percent of incoming damage deflected back on the enemy, his leveling would be a dream.

  And what would I get in return?

  All of the gold, weapons and cargonite we'd farmed, plus thirteen runes, the fragment of the Altar of Chaos and the mysterious spherical gadget. "Don’t you want to discuss it with Iskandar and Rodrigo first?"

  "No, I don't. I told you I'd sort it out."

  "Very well. You can have them. And the rune. Now can I have the sphere, please?"

  My inventory promptly became one item richer.

  * * *

  NO MATTER how long I stared at the sphere, it remained blank. No prompts, nothing.

  I'd managed to work out, by scientific trial and error, that the cargonite segments of the sphere could move independent of each other, changing the runes' respective positions — but that didn't seem to serve any purpose.

  Never mind. It still remained a valuable item. I might have to find out the runes' meaning before investigating any further.

  I replaced the sphere in my inventory and headed for one of the small adjacent caves. There used to be four of them in total but at the moment, this was the only one free from rockfalls.

  Never mind. We had plenty of time to get to the rest if needs be.

  I entered the cave. A torch cast a dim light on a table laid with neat rows of stone and cargonite tablets covered in ancient writings. A stack of yellow parchment scrolls, some of them sealed, was heaped up nearby.

  I took screenshots of the scene just in case, then collected the precious loot. This must have been the dwelling of the warlock. That's how he must have gotten his uncategorized spells and unique abilities — by studying the Founders' magic.

  I seemed to have a moment to spare. The Elves were busy flaying the demon's body and removing the armor plates while the dwarves were still trying to hack through the rockfall to us. I could afford to turn my attention to riskier experiments.

  I cast a glance at the kobold and the two Guards of Gloom who kept following me around like a bad smell. "Mind stepping back for a sec, guys?"

  "Why?" the kobold growled. "Are we in your way?"

  He pointed at the molten part of the wall from where the golems had appeared. "What if the portal starts working again?"

  "It won't. Please."

  Reluctantly they obeyed.

  I approached the still-metamorphing fragment of the Altar and focused.

  Manifestation of Chaos

  Item type: Relic

  The number of elements controlled: 4

  Interaction rate: 50% (requires boosting components)

  Effects when used: random (requires stabilizing components)

  For your information: in order to use a Manifestation of Chaos, you must possess Level 5 in both Synergy and Enhanced Perception

  This was really bad timing! I did have some available points to invest into both — but then again, once I made level 45, that would open a new development branch. I really didn't feel like wasting my precious strategic reserve on the developers' whim.

  But what could I do with this, eh, manifestation? Should I put it into my inventory? Not a healthy idea, really. But leaving it here would be equally imprudent.

  The best thing would be not to touch the damned thing at all — but the news of the new Infernal visitors left me with no choice. Following the gargoyles' recon mission, the main forces of the Dark were bound to arrive — possibly, temporarily forcing us out of their dungeons.

  I bent down and picked up a rotting spade handle lying on the floor. Gingerly I used it to touch the altar.

  It reacted in the most unexpected way. The old wood exploded in flames.

  You've successfully attempted to gain control over the Fifth Element

  Status: control granted.

  Interaction rate: 2%. In order to increase your energy intake, you need to move the Altar closer to sources of live energy.

  That was quite spectacular.

  Exclamations of fear and surprise came from everywhere. The Elves stopped working, staring at me. Each of them had lost 2% life — while my hp numbers had grown considerably.

  What the hell was this thing? What would happen if I did take it outside — would it syphon all life out of all living objects?

  This little experiment had given me a lot of food for thought. There was no way I was gifting it to the Darks. This thing was way too dangerous. They could use it to bring untold suffering to our world.

  I opened my interface. Unflinchingly I invested the necessary number of points into both Synergy and Enhanced Perception, then focused on the fragment of the altar again.

  It began to vibrate, glowing brighter. It seemed to transform faster, too.

  My head swam momentarily. When I refocused, I saw a new message in my interface:

  A new unique ability unblocked: Elemental Control.

  For your information: in order to interact with the elements, you're required to use one of the Founders' artifacts built for that purpose. Direct interaction is available from level 10.

  Requirements:

  Intellect, 25

  Willpower, 25

  But this wasn't a Founders' artifact, surely? I was probably not thinking straight, what with the stress and exhaustion. Never mind. Let's do it again.

  I focused on the altar.

  Manifestation of Chaos

  Item type: Relic

  Aha! Its name had become clickable!

  I swiped it with a smooth motion of my eyes. A drop-down menu appeared,

  Create a new Altar of Chaos (unavailable at your current ability level)

  Install a stabilizing component

  Boost your interaction rate with the Element of Fire: currently unavailable. The boosting runic sequence is broken.

  Boost your interaction rate with the Element of Air: currently unavailable. The boosting runic sequence is broken.

  Boost your interaction rate with the Element of Water: currently unavailable. The boosting runic sequence is broken.

  Boost your interaction rate with the Element of Earth: requires the installation of a stabilizing component

  Create an interaction link with the Element of Chaos; currently unavailable. The boosting runic sequence incomplete.

  Create an interaction link with the realm of Nature: currently unavailable. The boosting runic sequence not found.

  I pressed the Install a stabilizing component button.

  The mysterious sphere promptly disappear
ed from my inventory and materialized outside, encasing the luminous fragment of the altar. The sphere's runic segments shifted and started falling into sequences. One of them lit up, glowing from the inside.

  Congratulations! You've restored the source of magic power of Rion Castle!

  You've activated the runic sequence of the Element of Earth!

  +250,000 to the castle's passive shield

  +100,000 to the castle's attack potential

  Quest update alert: The Renaissance of Rion!

  You've received a new level!

  Warily I touched the sphere. It was cold.

  Still, how was I supposed to transport it?

  I tried to place it in my inventory. As if!

  Unauthorized operation

  Would you like to activate the teleport system: Yes/No

  I clicked Yes, then waited with bated breath. It's not every day you get to build an artifact of this caliber.

  The sphere blinked, disappearing in the blue flash of a teleport. A moment later, the ground shuddered underfoot.

  "Alexatis must have a contract with the gods of Earth," Togien's voice came from a tunnel which now gaped open behind me. "The rocks just parted! What kind of magic was that?"

  A torchlight dispelled the tunnel's gloom, followed by Togien himself. "You all right? You can come out now! It's safe! Only..." Togien's gaze betrayed fear and confusion. "The sides of the crevice have come together. It's completely gone! Can you imagine? All you can see is the wooden framework poking out! Alexatis, did you do that?"

  Chapter Five

  The Crystal Sphere

  Rion Castle

  WE PORTED out into the castle's first defense level. The sun was about to set, its warm rays still drenching the ground.

  The peasants crowded nearby, looking lost and fearful. They'd had their fair share of grief. The clan's combat section lined up in the central square to receive their orders.

  "I'm gonna log out now," Zander said, giving me a hearty handshake. "You know where to find me if you need me."

  "Nothing from Virgil and Tylor?"

  "No. I'll try to contact them IRL now."

  We bade our farewells. Neither Rodrigo nor Iskandar had even bothered to say goodbye. All three disappeared instantly which was perfectly normal. You don't notice things like that in a game.

  Togien didn't look too eager to stay, either. Not that I minded. He had his work cut out for him for the next few days.

  Raoul, however, wasn't in a hurry to leave. He needed to change his bind point and check if it worked correctly this time.

  "Can you wait till I sort out everyone?" I asked him.

  The cleric nodded. "How are you gonna house them all?"

  Good question. All the newcomers needed beds, food, some rest and new tasks to keep them occupied. Last thing I wanted was for them to idle about the castle.

  I looked around me. The place lay in ruins. A long time ago, the first defense level had been nicely built up with streets, shops, taverns and even a market. Now it was a wasteland overgrown with weeds.

  All eyes were on me. I could physically sense them. The newcomers watched me expectantly, apparently waiting for their clan leader to work his magic and turn the surrounding desolation into a bustling town.

  I made up my mind. "I want to talk to your elders."

  Back in the dungeon, I'd noticed that peasants seemed to belong to several groups. They were all men: apparently, the demons who'd kidnapped them weren't interested in women or children.

  Five peasants approached me.

  "How long have you been in captivity?" I asked them. "Where are you from? How far are your villages?"

  "Have a look at this, sir," a scrawny man in torn dusty clothes offered me a well-used piece of leather. I unfolded it. A rough map of the area was clumsily scratched into the leather, looking more like a child's drawing. I could make out the castle and a smattering of tiny isles around it, some of them linked together by man-made paths.

  I peered at the villages' names: Hinterwall, Chaffinch Creek, Owl's Valley, New Forest and Anglers Corner. They were spread out at more or less the same distance from the castle: about two hours' walk as the crow flies.

  "There's no sun underground. No idea how long we've been here," the man whose name was Quieton gave me a heavy look. "You think you could help us get home? Our wives and children probably think we're dead."

  "It's getting late," I said.

  "It's all right! We know the area, don't we?" he scratched his beard. "We saw some boats by the shore."

  "They're all rotten!" exclaimed Smarty — a young, lanky and very freckled kid clad in tattered leather armor. He threw his hands up in protest, "You touch them and they fall apart! Do you want us to become fish food?"

  I wanted to ask Platinus if he had any ideas but stopped just in time. I kept forgetting this wasn't the real world.

  I immediately thought about the siege tower abandoned in the vicinity hundreds of years ago. Its wood remained as hard and as sturdy as ever. Wasn't there some spell cast on it?

  Did I have something similar, by any chance?

  I opened the Uncategorized Spells and Abilities tab. Immediately I saw what I was looking for:

  Object Replication

  Level, 1

  Allows you to create items and devices using existing or imaginary templates and source materials.

  Successful frequent use of Object Replication allows you to level it up, opening new possibilities.

  "Right," I said unhesitantly, "let's go see those boats of yours." Leaving the farmers here to sleep rough wasn't going to improve my popularity.

  We'd run out of mana vials a long time ago. Still, I'd managed to collect about a dozen fully charged Snow Obsidians back in the cave. They'd have to suffice.

  We walked through a large breach in the castle wall onto the high river bank. Rotten wooden steps led down to a small stone pier. The untroubled waters were tinted with the crimson of the sunset. About a dozen waterlogged boats were moored by rusty chains.

  They didn't interest me. I walked over to the large fishing longboats lying alongside them. Although equally waterlogged, they looked sturdy and spacious enough.

  A small crowd of onlookers lined the bank behind my back. Curious Elves, dwarves and orcs joined the farmers, eager to see what I was going to do.

  I pulled a fully charged Obsidian out of my inventory and clenched it hard in my hand, praying I wouldn't faint in front of my new vassals. I then focused on the steps, visualizing them as strong and brand new.

  Soundlessly I mouthed the Object Replication spell. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. My plan was too crazy even for a fantasy world. I had no idea how the spell might work. This was uncategorized magic. Did I have enough energy and concentration to complete what I'd started?

  The undergrowth rustled in windless air. An uprooted pine tree bobbing in the water nearby suddenly rose into the air and exploded, forming a cloud of wooden dust.

  My mana bar shrank dangerously — but by then, the Obsidian I was clenching in my hand had already begun to release its centuries-old energy.

  The cloud of dust reached out for the steps and was immediately absorbed by the woodwork. The steps and the balustrade changed color to a lighter shade. They now looked freshly built.

  I had to show everyone a good example. I was just about to mount the staircase I'd so ingeniously restored when the kobold beat me to it. In one long leap his lithe body landed on the top step. Before I could react, he'd run the entire length of it. Once down, he tilted his head toward us and growled,

  "Behold the Power of the Founder Gods!

  Even I was suitably impressed — let alone the NPCs who'd just been witness to this new manifestation of the ancient force that had been feeding their legends.

  "You can come down now," I told the farmers. "I want you to drag the longboats onto the shore."

  I didn't have to say it twice. Everybody got to work. Soon all five longboats were sit
ting on the narrow strip of dry land overhung by the cliffs.

  In the next half-hour, I'd used up all of the Obsidians I had. The XP bar next to the Object Replication icon was already one-third full. My head had begun to ache. Still, it was worth it: by then, a small fleet of boats capable of taking at least a hundred people was rocking on the waves by the shore. Even though I hadn't built a single new item, it didn't really matter. The farmers' stares filled with wary admiration said it all: the castle had just regained part of its ancient influence. Rumors of tonight's miracle were going to spread, growing all sorts of implausible details. At this initial stage, the castle could definitely use this kind of unofficial publicity.

  "Go back to your families," I took the chance to laud an appropriate send-off speech. "From now on, your dwellings are under my clan's protection. If any of you desire to come back and bring your families along, or start a new settlement nearby, I'm fine with that. Tell your village elders that the Dark reign is over!"

  Quieton and Smarty jumped back into the water and waded toward me. "Thank you, Alexatis. We'll never forget it."

  "I'll be back!" Smarty added. "I'll go see my family and come back to join you. I'd rather be a warrior!"

  The boats set off. Twilight fell. Torchlight glistened in the dark waters surrounding Rion Castle.

  I climbed the stairs back up and lingered, watching the boats' lights which by now had parted, each taking its own route.

  "Let's go back to the donjon," I told the warriors. "Time to set up camp."

  * * *

  TOGIEN AND PLATINUS had already logged out with the promise of coming back early next morning.

  The only player still left was Raoul.

  As we climbed toward the third defense level, I checked the auction. It was the only marketplace available in this part of the Crystal Sphere.