I wasn't in a hurry to reply. The map-making plugins took time to work.
"Are you dumb or just stupid?" the voice demanded.
His avatar looked vaguely familiar. Where might I have seen him?
"So, noob? Remember me?"
"Not really. Mind giving me a hint?" I said, purposefully provoking him because I'd already remembered who it was. Sarcastic nonchalance was the best tool against the likes of him.
"Shut your mouth, noob," he said, gulping non-stop. "We've got your noobs here."
Noob seemed to be his expletive of choice.
"I remember you," I said. "And your PK friends, too. How did you like our debuff? Or should I say, how did the mobs like you?"[ii]
"You piece of-" he choked on his fury. "We're gonna cut them up and mail the bits to you!"
"Cut what up, their avatars? Please. The fact that their prisoner status prevents them from logging out doesn't mean anything."
"Oh yes it does! One of them is an old fart who used some artsy technology to log in. See, I know a few things about them. If I take my sword and poke him in the heart a few times, you really think he'll survive it back in real life?"
Enea turned pale as a sheet.
"Quit your bullshit," I said. "What is it you want?"
His face twisted with rage. It took him some time to get his wits together.
"Okay. If you're so smart, listen up. I offer a swap. I want those two dwarves who cast the debuff on us. You give them to me and I'll release one of the three."
"How about the other two?"
"I could swap them for some cargonite. Say, two hundred pounds each? Good enough?"
"I think so. When do you want it?"
"Scared, aren't we? Good. You shouldn't mess with me, noob. You have sixty minutes. And time starts... now!"
"Not good. Not enough time to find the dwarves. Would you rather accept cargonite?"
"No, I wouldn't. That's your problem. Sixty minutes!"
The picture changed. Now I was looking at a well-equipped top-level orc:
"Don't you play no dirty tricks," he warned me. "If you file a complaint, we'll raze your castle to the ground. Is that clear?"
"Raze my castle to the ground, really? Now who might do that? Not you, surely?"
"Don't you get smart with me! Or I might come for real. Your moors won't stop me. There's no such thing as an undoable location. I want you to remember that. If you grass us up, you're toast."
* * *
TEARS WELLED in Enea's eyes. "Who are they?"
"Just some PKs. Togien and I crossed paths with them in the past. The call was coming from the Ravens' castle. From what I heard, they took it from the Ravens during a recent raid."
"How do you know?" Archibald asked.
"I have a Celebrated Pioneer achievement and a map-making app that comes with it."
"We can't storm a castle," Togien mumbled.
"No. But the prisoners aren't there, anyway."
Enea began to shake.
"Get a grip," I told her. "In a few minutes, I'll need you as a team member. They're not gonna hurt him, trust me. They won't have time. The PKs may have buddied up with the Ravens but they know nothing about the teleport scrolls we have. They have no idea what I can do."
Archibald frowned. I could see the situation was out of his grasp. "How do you want to deal with them?"
"We keep the admins out of it. We can do it."
"Alex, are you sure?"
"This has nothing to do with the admins! Hostage taking is part of the gameplay. The PKs know it. Togien, I want you to find Gwain. I'll give him access in a moment. He needs to lie low for a while."
"Thanks. Will do."
"Why, what's the big deal?" Archibald looked at us. "Don't you think you're going a bit over the top? What kind of threat is that? A bit of sword-tickling, so what? Enea, you don't need to be so upset! All your father needs to do is get up and walk away from the console."
I didn't have the time to tell him how neural implants worked. I had to limit myself to half-truths. "Enea's father uses one of those new-generation capsules. They're fitted with sensory gel responsible for the authenticity of the experience. Trust me, it'll hurt enough. I'm afraid, an emergency rescue mission is our only option. Thanks to my friend list and my map-making app, we know the prisoners' exact coordinates. We'll use a scroll to port there."
"Sounds good," Togien agreed. "It's not as if we're going to storm the Ravens' castle. I just wish we knew where we might land," he added, apparently remembering our first clumsy attempt to port to Rion.
I waved my hand, materializing a crystal screen, then forwarded the image to it.
Archibald studied the picture. "I see. I'm pretty sure they keep the prisoners in the hut. It's easier to defend. I'd say the PKs are about ten in total. There isn't enough place for them in the hut," he placed a few markers. "I'd say, two are inside, the rest are outside."
"How about the barn?" Platinus asked.
"It has no windows, does it? How are you going to survey the area? I don't think we're dealing with brainless dorks. I'm pretty sure they're outside and they keep their eyes peeled. It might take an hour or so for them to finally relax around the campfire."
"We don't have the time!" Enea cried out.
"Wait. This is the best-case scenario. There's another one which is also quite probable. Presuming the Ravens have indeed buddied up with some PKs and have even had the audacity to do some newb hunting, they must have had a very serious reason to do so. Two hundred pounds of cargonite sounds good, of course, now that people start to realize its value, but still gold is much more popular. And real-world money is even better because that way you don't risk exposing yourself by converting it. Alex, I don't think you're telling us everything. I can bet anything you want that the Ravens have their best warriors posted by that hut. The PKs with their stupid claims are only a smoke screen. In which case I just don't know what they want from us," he squinted at me. "What is it I don't know? Tell me."
Togien and I exchanged glances. The dwarf gave me a reluctant nod.
It looked like I might have to tell him about Gwain and his Humble Bow ability. Archibald was right: risking the admins' wrath just to lay their hands on some cargonite was a bit stupid. The PKs must have told the Ravens about Gwain's unique ability. So they wanted Gwain, then: getting hold of the monk was worth any amount of risk.
I gave everybody a quick rundown of the Ravens' possible motive.
"In which case they're anything but idiots," Archibald concluded. "They must have top players there. We can't go there blindly."
"What do you suggest?"
"I'll go there."
"What's the point?"
"The point is, we'll get some logs and screenshots. I'll need some gear. I'm not risking mine."
"Archibald, you don't have to do it!" Enea exclaimed.
"It's all right. As long as they don't cast control on me, I'll be okay. If I don't get killed soon, you'll have to play it by ear, I'm afraid."
Arwan stepped forward. "I have a better idea. I'll go instead."
"Sorry, man," Archibald said. "You can't do much against their top players. You'll be dead before you even know it."
"That's if I port directly to the clearing. Take a look," the Elf pointed at the map. "You see this small glade nearby? If I port there, no one will notice. I'll climb the tree and feed you the intel. Once you're there, I can cover you."
I paused, thinking. A sniper lurking in a tree! It sounded tempting.
I had to decide fast. "Right. You both can go. Arwan, you climb the tree and keep quiet. Archibald, you walk out into the opening. Tell them you're a hunter who got lost chasing a rabbit. They'll keep you there. If they cast control on you-"
"They won't. I'll play it rough if needs be. I like your plan. If we port right on top of them, they might get suspicious."
"Here's the scroll. I've entered the coordinates already."
* * *
THEY DISAP
PEARED in the flash of a portal.
Time stood still. Archibald had to walk about fifty feet to the hut.
After a minute, he respawned in a green flash, minus weapons and gear.
"They smoked me!" he announced excitedly, hurrying to put on his backup gear. "Fifteen warriors and five wizards. All levels 50+. Don't think we can do it."
"At least we can try!" Enea snapped.
My point entirely. We couldn't wait much longer. I checked Archibald's logs. He'd been right. The enemy was nothing to sniff at. Still, I had a couple of surprises for them, especially for the wizards. With Arwan covering us, we just might rescue the prisoners and port out.
"I'll port us as close to the hut as I can," I said. "Raoul, you do the healing. Platinus, the moment you're there, attack them with Disintegration potions. If the door is locked, bring down its durability. Everybody else, try to distract the warriors while I cast the spell. After that, Archibald and Enea will rescue the prisoners."
"We're too few to tackle them," Archibald grumbled.
"That's exactly what I count on. The Ravens won't think much of us. Enea, take this. This is a backup teleport scroll. If they start smoking us, grab your dad and port him out."
Okay."
"Breaking the hut's door is our main objective. We need to do it fast. Archibald, you've got the biggest job: to barge in and kill the guards. Highr," I gave the kobold a stern look, "you stay out of it and don't budge."
He nodded, playing with his halberd.
"Remember, everyone: we rescue the prisoners and get the hell outta there!" That's it. Raoul will buff us up now. Off we go!"
* * *
THE LANDING knocked our feet from under us. The coordinate teleport was akin to Russian roulette: it could kill you — but the surprise effect was worth it!
The Raven warriors were posted all around the clearing, controlling its perimeter. The arrival of our group at the center of their cozy little camp dumbfounded them. By the time they realized what had just happened, read our stats and had come up with a strategy, Enea had already struck with Inferno.
The grass caught fire. The moss started to smolder. A small haystack turned into a humming pillar of flames that raised clouds of acrid blue smoke, hindering visibility.
Platinus was busy hurling his vials right, left and center. A thick acid mist hung in the air, devouring the enemy armor's durability. Cussing, the Ravens recoiled. No wonder: their expensive shiny gear began to corrode, their precious clothes were falling apart and even the leather straps holding their armor together started snapping.
The air was blue with expletives and the stomping of feet. An orc with two one-handed swords was the first to lunge at is, taking in the situation as he ran. He went for Highr, probably thinking he'd found our weakest link.
The smoke had prevented the enemy wizards from reacting promptly. They were still lingering in search of a good position. Only one of them attacked us with SubZero, sending cascades of ice crystals to extinguish the flames.
The grass around us wilted, breathing steam. The spell crashed into our raid buff — all it did was nullify our additional defense. But the Aura of a Predator exuded by Enea's staff worked like a dream. It slowed the orc down just as he was about to make mincemeat of Highr, thereby breaching our ranks.
I mouthed a spell.
The ancient magic spread a circular shock wave of energy. The enemy casters froze, enshrouded with Muteness: a powerful debuff which lasted a whole ten seconds. Even more importantly, it affected all types of magic which meant that the enemy wouldn't be able to port the prisoners out.
The hut door cracked under pressure: that was Archibald and Platinus joining in.
Now we only had the warriors to tackle. Some of them were a good 3 or 4 levels above both me and Togien — but we still had more aces up our collective sleeves.
Alpha the Black Mantis flitted up Enea's shoulder and buried his sting in a Raven warrior's face. The warrior screamed and stumbled to the ground, dropping his weapons. His eyes glazed over with the bumper dose of the neurotoxin he'd just received. Alpha soared in the air, looking for a new target.
The orc did get to Highr, after all. He lunged onto the kobold, breaching his defense and halving his hp.
By then, Archibald had already barged into the hut and engaged with the two guards. Togien's battle hammer surging with lightning broke his opponent's shield, stunning him.
Raoul was busy healing the kobold. I blocked a combo and looked around me, searching for the Muteness-affected enemy wizards. Too late: Arwan had already smoked all five.
Excellent.
The spell expired. My interface blinked with the reactivated magic abilities icon.
Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Enea launch an Ice Spear. One of the warriors attacking Archibald staggered. A crit!
I lunged at another one, killed him, then rolled over the ground to get to yet another: a level-49 Paladin. His armor was in a bad way, its durability seriously affected by the Disintegration Potion.
The crystals on my sword's hilt glowed, emitting a purple aura. I concentrated, activating one of them. The accumulated mental energy poured down the blade, activating the runes. I invested all my strength into a slashing blow impregnated with Mortal Allegiance. Still, the Paladin escaped unharmed, saved by a promptly cast Impregnability.
I activated another crystal. This enemy was too dangerous. I had to finish him off while his cooldown lasted. I promptly attacked the paladin with a combo, disrupting his healing attempt.
Everything was happening too fast. Three more warriors were running toward us from the opposite side of the clearing, right into Arwan's sights. The Elf began loosing off arrows at a frightening speed until his targets resembled porcupines. Their lives dropped dangerously low. Doubtful they'd ever reach us.
Another arrow landed in the paladin's shoulder. A crit! I shrank back a couple of paces to catch my breath.
Roaring, the orc lunged at me. Our swords met. I managed to parry his first blow but not the second one. Blood gushed from my slashed wrist. My mouth went dry. My heart raced.
Arrows kept coursing through the air. Arwan was doing his best. In the absence of a healer, two more Raven warriors died on the spot.
"Alex, we're done!" Archibald yelled.
My back felt the heat behind me. The hut was ablaze.
"Enea, port us out!" I croaked, struggling to fend off two more enemies. Despite Raoul's best efforts, my life kept dropping. I activated the last of the three crystals and went for the orc. He staggered and dropped to his knees. Still, the aura cast by the paladin prevented him from dying.
Very soon they'd overpower us.
"Serry ranks! Closer!" judging by the accompanying sounds, Enea had to enforce her order with a few hearty punches. "Good! Alex, Togien, back off!"
We retreated.
Arwan would have to fend for himself. He might have to get himself killed to get out. Still, there was no other way.
The teleport flashed open.
Rescue mission completed!
* * *
AT FIRST, none of us said a word.
We gasped. Our clothes and armor were soaked in blood. The game designers hadn't skimped on that particular feature.
So this was Mr. Friedrich White, then. The one who'd once done a fine job trying to "apply pressure" on me with the help from some high-level NPCs. Infuriated was the right word to describe him. He had a black eye; his hands were chained, his life halved, his lips smashed. His two bodyguards looked a sight, too.
"Raoul, would you please give our guests a heal and cast a Breaking of Shackles," I said, trying to sound as polite and hospitable as the circumstances allowed. "Gentlemen, please don't mind the blood. It'll disappear in a few moments. I have clean clothes for you to change into, if you wish."
"What the hell was that?" Mr. White demanded, furious.
"I'd say it was hostage taking for ransom. Which in prospective might have escalated to a new war, I suppose. W
e've just rescued you from the Ravens clan — currently the strongest and most powerful in the Crystal Sphere."
"How dared you let it happen!" Mr. White accused me.
Enea looked uncomfortable. "Dad! Please. I need a word with you. Sorry, Alex. We won't be a moment."
"That's okay," I said.
The respawn area flashed green, releasing Arwan. Without his gear he looked feeble. You wouldn't have thought this guy was capable of loosing off two arrows per second. I checked his stats. He'd gained three levels, excellent. He deserved it, too.
Not at all embarrassed, he waved his hand to us and hurried off to get his backup gear.
"Alex," Mr. White walked back to us, "I'm sorry for being so harsh," he proffered me his hand. "Can we try again?"
I didn't play hard to get. With a wink to Enea, I returned his handshake. "Let's go, then. I'd like you to see the castle. We can discuss everything at breakfast."
His two bodyguards — nicknamed Ylien and Stevenal — kept a low profile. Both looked around them with curiosity but refrained from asking any questions.
* * *
THE CASTLE had left a crushing and conflicting impression on our guests.
I could understand them. It can't be easy, stepping out of the 22nd century technosphere into the Dark Ages steeped in magic. The sheer realism of the experience provided by the neuroimplants must have affected them deeply. Besides, you could tell that Enea's dad was the VIP type not really used to having his ass kicked. Judging by the state of his bloodied face, his kidnappers didn't make concessions for his untouchable standing.
All that porting up and down using the castle's portal system had given Stevenal a serious bout of motion sickness. Pale, he pressed his hand to his mouth and rushed out onto the open fortification platform. After a while he was back, looking subdued and embarrassed.
"Please come in," I swung open the doors of a room restored specially for this purpose.
Everybody took their places at the table. I pulled a heavy chair up for Enea. "It’s gonna be okay," I whispered.
She gave me a barely perceptible nod.
The Curse of Rion Castle (The Neuro Book #2) LitRPG Series Page 27
