Hidden quest alert: Victorious Spirit. Quest completed!
You've proven your right to leadership.
You've gained control over the Cargonite Golem
You've gained access to the Disciples' combat practice room
You've gained access to the clan's reserve storeroom.
Reserve storeroom? How cool was that? Could it be on the floor below, down that spiral staircase?
"Alexatis, I got a new level and an achievement," Raoul told me, beaming. "This is my first achievement in the Crystal Sphere! How totally awesome! It wasn't even that difficult, after all!"
"We've got new levels too," the two Guards of Gloom didn't try to conceal their pride at the fact.
"Great job," I told them. "You've done good. Arwan, where are you?"
"I'm here," he stood nearby, peering at something. "Hey, look what I've found," he hurried toward us, holding an unusual-looking bow and three quiverfuls of arrows.
"Mind if I take a look?" I said.
Bow of a Marksman Archer
Class: relic
Made by ancient Master craftsmen
Permanent effect: +2 to Agility, +10% to attack strength, +25% to range.
This looked like a remarkably light and easy to use weapon. The arrows too deserved a mention. They came in three types: the armor-piercing ones with cargonite arrowheads, the flaming ones treated with some alchemic concoction unknown to me, and some with a 5-sec paralyzing effect, with a Paralysis spell cast over them.
"They're yours," I handed them to Arwan. "You've proved worthy of them."
The Elf turned pale with emotion. "Sir, I didn't even dare hope-"
I still couldn't get used to them constantly "sirring" me. I'd never had to deal with NPC clan members before.
This small act of generosity seemed to receive everyone's approval. Arwan beamed. Kray and Ikhtar's gazes betrayed respect. Raoul grinned and gave me a thumbs-up, then slapped Arwan's shoulder.
"Right," I said. "Now go have a look around."
I walked over to the fallen giant surrounded by rock debris.
I focused, peering at him.
Cargonite Golem
Class: Relic
Status: Awaiting orders
Durability: 99%
Status of accumulating crystal: Charged. Charge: 15%.
Available modes: Standby, Bodyguard, Property Protection, Site Protection, Patrolling, Practice Combat, Escort
To activate Practice Combat mode, please enter the desired aggression level (unprovoked attack, provoked attack, passive aggressive defense).
Warning! The Golem is powered by the castle's source of power. Please make sure his accumulating crystal is fully charged before taking the golem out of the castle limits. The crystal's charge is enough for ten minutes of autonomy.
Shame. He was no good in a raid. And even within the castle's walls using him wouldn't be that easy.
It was probably best to leave him here in the practice room. We could use a good sparring partner.
I began fiddling with his options until I managed to put him on charge, then activated the Site Protection mode.
Chapter Six
Crystal Sphere. Rion Castle
The Disciples' Combat Practice Room
THE RESERVE STOREROOM hadn't lived up to my expectations.
I walked down the spiral staircase. A glowing defense veil let me through. I found myself in a large room all done up in light-green marble, with a disabled teleport pad at its center. The room's ceiling was decorated with large inserts of transparent crystal exuding a soft light. Weapon racks and armor stands made of sturdy wood lined the floor. Some still bore name plates.
And that was the extent of it. The century-long siege had exhausted all of the castle's resources. This wasn't the right place to look for unique armor sets and precious weapons: I'd have more luck searching for them amidst the ruins marking the places of fierce street fighting. I just hoped I could still retrieve some of the artifacts.
Neither the teleport nor the storage room itself were marked on either the floor plan or the castle's 3D model. That left little doubt to the fact that the castle was permeated by a complex web of secret rooms connected with teleports available only to a chosen few. What I found strange was that apparently, I didn't yet belong to their number.
Reluctantly I activated my map-making app. It looked like I'd have to find and investigate secret locations myself and make my own map of them, for my own personal use.
A broken accumulating crystal lay on the marble tiles next to the teleport pad.
"Raoul, everything okay?" I bent down to pick up the crystal fragments. Each of them contained a pulsating charge of energy. Transformed matter.
"I wanted to come down but the veil won't let me through," Raoul replied. "It may look like some glowing air but the moment you touch it, it turns rock hard. Your two bodyguards here are a bit restless."
"I'm coming now."
I was dying to find out where the teleport might take me. What a shame I didn't have any charged crystals with me. I made a mental note to always carry a few around. This secret portal system was bound to resurface in other places too.
As I walked back up, I checked the auction. Oh. Depending on their size and capacity, accumulating crystals could cost anything from 25,000 to a 100,000 gold.
In the light of this, Mr. Borisov's dismissal of "major cash injections" began to sound rather questionable. I'd love to know who made accumulating crystals.
My mind expander helpfully kicked in and did a quick online search, then offered me the result,
Requirements for building an accumulating crystal:
A fragment of transformed matter of a required size;
A Jeweler (level: Renowned Master or above)
A Sorcerer in possession of level 30+ Item Enchantment ability
They didn't want much, did they? Okay, I might actually have enough of the transformed matter lying around. But as for Renowned Jewelers, this part of the world had a definite shortage of them. From what I'd heard, there were some qualified masters making crystal armor and stat-boosting stones on some of the Yonder Isles. That was a good month's trip from here — and even then, to the best of my knowledge, there were no sea routes laid there yet. All the items available at auction were either rare archeological finds or loot dropped by top-level mobs.
Wait up. How about I talk to Lethmiel? He's over three hundred years old, for crissakes! He must have done his fair share of traveling, surely?
The magic defense veil let me obediently through.
The Cargonite Golem was already at full charge. He slowly turned his head this way and that, keeping a watchful eye on Raoul who was busy collecting some stuff by the entrance.
"Can you make it a bit lighter here?" I asked him.
"Alexatis, I've found some very interesting moss!" he replied, totally consumed by his discovery.
"Raoul, please, I need some light."
"In a moment!"
The crystal inserts overhead lit up, emitting a bright powerful glow.
"How did you do it?" I asked. "Is it a spell?"
"It's an ability I have. All magic sources of light switch on in my presence, dealing minor damage to all creatures of the Dark."
"What do you need the moss for?"
"I decided to study Alchemy," Raoul replied. "You can never have too many elixirs. A cave like this right in the middle of the castle, isn't it awesome? I've already found some very rare fungi. When I see Platinus I'll ask him to ID them for me. I can't do it myself for some reason."
I looked around me. The size of this "practice room" was indeed impressive. The huge boulders littering the floor weren't cemented down so you could use Levitation to move them around, creating dungeon models. A large flat strip of level ground nearby must have served as an obstacle course: it had all sorts of practice elements as well as several training dummies.
According to my clock, it was already half past three. I needed a break and a
bite to eat, really. I still had to inspect the surviving floor of the east tower, the one that used to billet the Disciple wizards.
* * *
THE MOMENT I thought about food, Lethmiel contacted me. "Sir, Master Platinus is back."
"And?"
"He made some wine using ancient recipes. The lunch is served on one of the main tower's conarps. I've marked it on your map."
"Good. I'm coming now," I said without specifying what the hell a conarp was. "You gonna join us?"
"I have too many things to do, Sir."
"You could use a break. There's something I need to talk to you about."
"Yes, Sir."
I dismissed Arwan and both Guards of Gloom. Raoul declined my invitation, too busy inspecting the castle's secrets. I could understand him. Players rarely buff themselves with food unless absolutely necessary.
I located Lethmiel's marker on my map and ported to the central tower.
A long succession of lush halls took me to an open terrace overhanging the tower and ringed with a crenellated parapet. The castle's architecture was in fact quite peculiar. The builders had cut the defense structures into the peaking cliffs, using the cliff ledges as natural fortification platforms.
So that's what the ancient word meant: Conarp, a cliff ledge. I might need to remember that.
The air was warm and windless. In the past, the platform must have been used as a catapult position to control the approaches to the castle. The view from here was awesome: all three defense levels lay below me in full view.
I could see the farmers unload food supplies from their longboats. Gradually, the castle was beginning to bustle with life again. Elven hunters had already returned with bountiful game; the workers hired by Lethmiel had already cleared the water well and were now busy freeing the inner yards from vines.
Togien joined us, looking utterly pleased. Apparently, leveling Mining was working well for him.
The table was laid for six. Lethmiel shrugged in response to my quizzical stare: what if I wanted to invite some guests?
"How are the Moors doing?" I asked, taking my place on a high-backed chair. Comfortable it was not.
Platinus pointed at two tall wicker bottles. "Ancient recipe. Instant ageing. I've made three more barrels of it for the party but not as good as this one."
"Okay. We'll sample it now. Just please keep in mind that we need spectral dust more than we need wine at the moment. We need it in industrial quantities."
"Of course. I've also farmed some ingredients to make my Disintegration Potion. But where do you want me to make it? I have no lab!"
"You'll have it today," I assured him.
Lethmiel poured out the wine, then took his place at the table. Admittedly, he looked more aristocratic than all of us put together.
We took our time over our meal. Recently, I'd had my fair share of camp rations so now I was enjoying the excellent wine, the food, the view and the company. What a shame Enea wasn't with me! I hadn't heard from her since.
"Lethmiel, who cooked the food?" I asked.
"I hired some kitchen hands," he replied. "The castle staff is now kept to a minimum as you asked."
"Have they begun inspecting the rooms?"
"They have indeed. They started from the lower floors and moved up. Plenty of items but virtually nothing really valuable yet."
I paused. "If I may ask you... Have you ever been to the Yonder Isles?"
Lethmiel nodded. "I was lucky to be born at the time when the Founders' portals still worked," he explained willingly. "When I was young, no one called them the Yonder Isles. They were right at the heart of it — an amazing city, the epicenter of crafts and trading, built on the archipelago's many isles connected by bridges. Over the centuries, however, the ancient power dwindled to nothing, rendering portal travel impossible. Trade collapsed. Finally, a big earthquake destroyed most of the city. To the best of my knowledge, the isles are now home to some primitive tribes who've long forgotten their ancestors' glory. There are a few jewelers' settlements there, however, who've preserved their ancient secrets."
"Aren't there any new trade routes?"
"The sea is treacherous there. Lots of powerful storms. Sea monsters attack ships, too."
"There must be some old maps of the Isles, surely!" I said.
He nodded. "There are indeed. Unfortunately, they're no good."
"Can't one use the map to enter the coordinates into a teleport scroll?"
"Unfortunately not. Scrolls have range limits."
"That's not true," I said. "I know nothing about any range limits."
"Okay, let me put it this way. A wizard strong enough to create and charge a scroll capable of transporting a person thousands of miles hasn't been born yet. But even if the entire wizards' guild joined forces in order to create such a scroll, it would still be too risky. The old maps aren't very accurate. Where firm ground once stood, now the waves are licking around. A lucky traveler might find him or herself ported to an island inhabited by unspeakable monsters prowling the ancient city ruins."
"Does that mean that without the Disciples' portal system the world split apart?" Platinus asked.
"Unfortunately," Lethmiel admitted. "The Savage Lands never used to be a problem for travelers. Now they're forced to hack their way through virgin forests inhabited by monsters. It's like this everywhere."
Togien nodded and rose from his seat. "I'm off, if you don't mind. Time to use my pick. I want to put in another couple hours' work."
"Sure. We won't stay much longer, either. We need to find Platinus a nice room for his lab."
Togien left. Platinus — who didn't enjoy digital food much, either — wandered off to check out some plants in the cracks between the crenels.
"Alexatis, mind if I take a look around?" he asked. "You never know, the wind might have blown some rare plant seeds here.
I nodded. He darted off looking definitely much happier with his new life compared to his boring old Agrion stretch.
"Why all this talk about the Yonder Isles?" Lethmiel cast me a sharp look. "Are you going to travel there?"
"In fact, I am. Not because I want to," I admitted, laying the fragments of the broken crystal onto the table. "This."
He perked up. "Transformed matter? May I?"
"Be my guest. How many teleport pads are there in the castle?"
"Nine hundred and three," he replied mechanically without taking his gaze off the tiny clusters of energy lurking within each fragment.
"How many of them working?"
"Seventy-two."
"Now you understand? The Isles are the home to the only surviving community of Master jewelers capable of shaping fragments of transformed matter into crystals," I heaved a sigh. "Some eight hundred crystals! The mind boggles. No idea how I'm going to pay for them. And I'll still have to have them charged."
"Do we have enough transformed matter?" Lethmiel's voice betrayed a sudden agitation.
"Oh yes, we do."
"But that changes everything!" his eyes changed their color from a soft emerald to an acid green. "Traveling to the Yonder Isles is too risky! Even if we hire a sturdy ship and a convoy, we might not make it. Think of all the sea monsters, the storms and especially human greed..."
"But I need more teleport crystals. The castle is too big for us. We can't control it without being able to port instantly around."
"I couldn't agree with you more!" he said passionately. "But if you'll allow me to speak my mind..."
"Please do."
"The Founders' legacy is virtually unstudied," he tried to compose himself. "My people have spent centuries researching its mysteries, piecing the ancient wisdom together crumb by tentative crumb. This legacy triggered wars the kind of which the modern world has never seen. Whoever manages to decipher the ancient knowledge will rule the world."
"Got it. What's your point?"
He paused, looking me in the eye. "You're a Neuro, aren't you?"
Oh. What an interesti
ng conversation. Now how would he know that? NPCs can't see players' stats. They have their own ideas of leveling, abilities, characteristics and whatnot.
"There's a legend that claims that all living beings share the same origin," the Elf continued, apparently acknowledging my right to remain silent. "This quite agrees with our information. From time to time, there's a Neuro born into this world, regardless of race. You can't tell the difference just by looking at them. What makes them special is their natural aptitude for the Founders' magic."
"What makes you think I'm one of them?"
He suppressed a smile. "The castle walls have eyes and ears too. The Elves of Light told us how you'd disembodied the dark spirits in the dungeons below. Last night you helped the farmers by rebuilding their boats for them. That's at least two ancient spells you've used, which is impossible for a mere mortal!"
Uh oh. Rumors spread fast here. "Very well. Let's presume I'm a Neuro possessing some ancient magic. How would that help us restore the teleports?"
"You can create things," he passionately assured me.
"Can I really? What does that make me, a god or something?"
"No. One can't turn a rock into a living being. But to shape an item using an existing sample — you can most surely do that. If I may suggest, it's much easier to facet a crystal than to rebuild a rotten boat! All you'll have to do is remove all extra stuff. You don't even have to do it artistically: you don't need to be the proverbial sculptor liberating a statue trapped within the block of marble."
He had a point.
Lethmiel's eyes burned with agitation. His fingers shook as he pieced together the broken crystal. A whispered spell fell from his lips, binding the fragments. Now the crystal looked whole albeit still cracked.
"Should I send someone to see Master Togien?" Lethmiel asked. "We'll need a piece of the dark obelisk he's working on."
"We'll need?" I repeated, taken aback.
The Curse of Rion Castle (The Neuro Book #2) LitRPG Series Page 16
