Gloominess +3: Reign of Decay. A LitRPG series: Book 3

by Elian Tars

  What am I fighting for then? What’s my goal?

  Every time those questions would form in my head, my mind would kindly remind me of my purpose by showing me images of decayed beasts devouring some poor bastard’s guts with delight. I definitely wasn’t a hero, but if I could help somebody during this quest of mine, why not do it? The path I was walking would eventually lead to growth, prosperity, power, knowledge, an army…

  Unfortunately, sometimes I was missing crucial information. Like, why did more than half of the local pantheon decide to follow Rheingeit, who was in no hurry to fight the Decay? There had to be a reason for it. What if his decision really was the right one?

  Thoughts were buzzing in my head like bees in a hive, but I didn’t try to hide them from the Old Man. I looked at him and peered into the depths of his hood. Into the pitch-black Darkness.

  “Right or not — that’s how mortals measure it,” he said in his slow manner.

  “But I’m human, even though I’m a Gleam. Explain it to me, and keep it simple.”

  “I tell you, boy, Rheingeit’s actions hurt me. Just like all of the Ancients. Just like the whole world. I’ve told you many times, boy, that you’re doing the right thing. Your doubts upset me. Believe me. As a reward, when you complete the Zurtarn, I’ll tell you everything. I promise.”

  “Everything?” I asked with doubt. “Even how to return to Earth?”

  “Even that,” he added without flinching. “And now you have to go back to your business. I’ve already taken a lot of your time. Good-bye, boy. Don’t doubt. Don’t distress yourself. Don’t distress me.”

  He disappeared right when the world around me regained its colors.

  “The… An…cient… has… left…?” Lao Ri guessed. I nodded silently in reply. “Let’s… go… Wi…zard… I… will….give… you… the… meat…”

  Having already given her baby to somebody, she waved her staff in the direction of the cave and, turning around, began to walk slowly toward it. Frogoids parted, making way for their mistress. She cried out something to them in her gargling language, and her tribesmen slowly and reluctantly retreated into the forest. It looked like I was right — there was some kind of a village there.

  “Who are the Wizards?” I asked casually.

  “Men… of… the… An…cient…” Lao Ri answered, without even looking at me. She didn’t seem to be confused by my question at all. Had the Old Man already asked her to explain me even the simplest of things, like he had asked Berg, or did she realize that herself? Then again, no one had heard anything from the Ancient for many years; it wasn’t a surprise that their new Followers didn’t know a lot of things.

  “Well, finally!” Tael cried happily as soon as Lao Ri and I entered the cave. “I was starting to think that my head would explode!”

  His face was a deep crimson now. I was surprised that he could talk at all, let alone talk so enthusiastically.

  Stopping in front of the prisoner, the Matriarch tapped the floor with her staff and the vines that held Tael slowly went up.

  “Whoo! It feels so good!” Finally fee, Tael drew his knees to his chest, rolled over the stone pedestal and nonchalantly leapt to his feet. He walked over to us, smiling broadly.

  “Tell me,” I ordered, “how did you get to this island? There are no humans here.”

  Tael rubbed his wrists, stretched his back and neck, winked at Lao Ri for some reason, and then turned to me.

  “We heard rumors in Sautz that the Decay is very close. I was sent here to check out those rumors. I knew about the locals.” He nodded at the Matriarch. “But I still managed to fuck up and get caught. Tell me, you toothy beauty...” He turned to the Frogoid again. “Have your minions destroyed my boat? I really hope that they didn’t...”

  Lao Ri frowned, cocking her head to the side. Tael sighed and repeated his question louder.

  “Is my boat fine?”

  “The... Boat… Is… Fi-ne…” she answered with disgust for some reason. Seems she didn’t like my new companion.

  “Well, if nothing else is keeping you here,” he said, turning to me again, “it’s time to leave. You haven’t changed your mind about sailing away with me to Sautz, have you?” Tael asked slyly, his question sounding more like affirmation than anything else.

  “I haven’t,” I nodded. “How long will the trip take?”

  “A day, a day and a half,” Tael replied. “Depends on the wind.”

  Sailing to Sautz seemed like a better option than blindly sending Wing No. 1 with the shard. I had risked too much lately and without a good reason. Time spent on the journey would be compensated by finding out more about Tael. With his help, it’ll be easier to come to an agreement with the mercenaries about the campaign to Al-Harum.

  “Let’s sail, then” I said decisively. “Prepare the boat. I have to exchange a few words with the Matriarch.”

  Tael cast an examining glance at me, smiled slyly, and walked toward the cave entrance.

  “Dlyo shllolbn!” Lao Ri roared after him. One of the Frogoids answered back from the outside. She must’ve ordered them not to attack Tael.

  Having followed him out with my gaze, I looked at the Matriarch again. For a few seconds, we just stared each other.

  “Take it,” I said, finally making a decision, and handed her the shard. “Hide it somewhere safe.”

  She took it with great care and blinked.

  “Will… you… be-tray?.. The… An…cient?”

  Did the Old Man make her ask that question or were my doubts written on my forehead? No, she must’ve seen me appear near the shard. She must’ve thought that I could surprise-attack her and her tribe if I become her enemy.

  “I’m not,” I said firmly. “If you get in trouble, the Ancient will let me know and I’ll come to your aid. Just like I did today.”

  Lao Ri bowed slowly, showing her gratitude.

  “O… kay…”

  “And now I have to do something else.” I smiled, taking out the dead crow out of my inventory. The Matriarch shuddered, but said nothing. When I connected to Kane, I informed him that everything was fine, and that I’d go to Sautz by boat. I asked him not to worry and then disconnected.

  “You… don’t…. trust... him?” Lao Ri pointed at the entrance with the tip of her staff. I shrugged, unsure. “That’s… right… He… is… not… a… Wi…zard…”

  Lao Ri walked me to the shore. Gathered around a twenty-foot long boat with a small mast were a few dozen Frogoids. In it was Tael, ready to go.

  I bid a warm farewell to the Matriarch and her tribe, untied the boat at Tael’s request, and jumped aboard.

  “We’ll row for now,” Tael said, pointing at the four pair of oars on the broadside of the boat. “Take a board; you’ll want to be sitting for that.”

  On the stern of the boat was something akin to cargo hold that looked like a double-door cupboard. Aside from a couple of small barrels, rolls of blankets and ropes, in it were three wide boards. I took one, placed it across the boat, fixed it into the special grooves and made a bench for myself. I supposed that they had been put away to make room.

  Having caught a tailwind, we were soon on our course. We could now relax and have a meal.

  “Why haven’t you changed your name yet?” I asked, throwing a piece of raw meat to Vella. The Bullkorg had been swimming after us and had only recently climbed aboard. She was now taking almost half of the free space, despite trying to tuck her paws under her.

  “I got to like it,” Tael chuckled. “But you’re right. I think I can change it now.”

  For a few seconds his pupils were darting back and forth as if he was reading something, although he was looking at the monotonous blue sea. Finally, he smiled again.

  “Done,” he said.

  He decided not to rack his brains over his name and called himself “Tael the Handsome” once again.

  “I think it’s better like this,” I said, taking a gulp of wine right out of the bottle. “So you’re a
mercenary from the Island of Mercenaries, right?”

  “Yes,” he nodded. “And you’re a Gleam, right?”

  I tried to keep a straight face. The time I had spent in this world taught me that keeping your cards hidden until the very end was almost always the best course of action.

  “It wouldn’t be bad to be a Gleam,” I answered.

  “Oh, come on,” Tael waved his hand. “The stone near which you appeared and which the Frogoids worshipped had one very smooth side. Such stones are used as gravestones. I heard that Gleams need other people’s graves to resurrect. I also saw how they knocked down the Bat that was carrying the stone. So there’s no need to deny it.” He smiled broadly. “That’s one cool way to teleport, I have to say. Do you ask someone to kill you so that you could resurrect? Where was the Bat going anyway? To Sautz?”

  “Why would it go to Sautz?” I asked, not even trying to deny anything.

  “There’s not really anywhere else to fly to in these parts,” Tael chuckled. Staring at me, he quickly added: “Don’t worry, I’ll keep your secret safe. I don’t collect Fractions.”

  Those Fractions again… I remembered when Bon took control over my body and killed Una, who dropped a Fraction of Rugus. However, it was returned to the girl at once, because both she and Bon were Followers of the same God.

  But what were Fractions needed for, I still didn’t know.

  “Me, too,” I said. “I don’t get it though, what’s so important about them?”

  Tael got suddenly serious. “Really? Wait… You have no idea what Fractions are, do you?”

  “They are some, erm, artifacts that Gleams drop upon death.”

  “Hah!” Tael became cheerful again. “Artifacts, huh? A Fraction is a Fraction. It’s a part of a God’s power. If you collect a certain number of them, you’ll unlock a really cool skill!”

  So that’s what it was… Killing Gleams to get power. It was a simple and easy to understand concept.

  “Pity though, that it’s all just tales,” Tael chuckled, staring at the water. “Meeting Gleams of each God is a difficult task by itself... Not to mention that not all of them drop Fractions!”

  “So there are no records of anyone using Fractions?” I asked, looking carefully at my companion.

  “No credible ones, at least. Just tales, speculations and myths,” he answered without even turning to look at me.

  “And still, there are people who collect them?”

  “There have always been and always will be, fanatic fools hungry for power,” Tael said philosophically and sighed. “Bah, Fractions and Gleams! Decay take them! Tell me, what are you gathering people for? How many fighters do you need? Don’t look at me like that.” He chuckled. “No one comes to the Island for tourism and sightseeing.”

  He had a point. People like me had only one reason to come here — to assemble an army.

  However, I decided not to reveal the details to Tael. He wasn’t offended. Quite the contrary, he praised me for my secrecy.

  “That’s right. What if I tell everyone about it? You’ll get tired from the sheer amount of people in need of work and coin... You’d be up to your neck in applications! You should go straight to our thane. He’ll hear you out and choose the right people for you.”

  ***

  We were lucky with the tailwind. We reached the Island even faster than Tael thought we would. By the following morning, I could already see docked ships that reminded of longboats and galleasses, towering proudly over smaller boats.

  “Oh! Hello, my friend! You’ve finally got your name back!” We had hardly come to the pier, when a muscular man with tattooed blood splatters on his face came to Tael.

  Bernard the Throat-Ripper

  Level 95

  HP: 5,648/5,648

  “Hey!” Tael smacked his spade-like hand. “Yeah, got tired of being Bon. How’s it going?”

  “Well, I just got back from a mission…” Bernard glanced at me unkindly. Had I not been there, he would’ve told his friend the details. “Who’s that gloomy fellow? A newcomer? Where did you get such a dog?” He nodded at Vella. “Do you want to give it to the thane?”

  “Manners, Bernard, these are our client and his pet.”

  Bernard’s face changed at once. Bearing his straight teeth, he came to me.

  “On what business has our client come here? How many brave fighters do you need?”

  “I’ll decide about that after talking to the thane,” I smiled, trying not to sound rude.

  “There’s no point in bothering him,” Bernard said cajolingly. “We can do it without him. And you won’t have to pay extra customs,” he winked. Tael sighed and rolled his eyes.

  “Enough already,” Tael said pretty sharply. “We’ll know the details soon enough anyway.” He smiled broadly, glancing sideways at me, “This’ll be a big one, Bernard. I wouldn’t take new orders, if I were you.”

  “I got your message, my friend! Mister client, my deepest respect.” He bowed, looking silly doing so, and stepped back.

  “Let’s hurry, before we run into someone else,” Tael said, taking me by the forearm and dragging me along. Vella followed us indifferently.

  The town was a rather unusual place. Houses were mostly single-story ones, wooden, with gables, and very similar. Stone didn’t seem to be the preferred building material. Nobody thought about paving the roads either. Of decor, made of wood wherever there was any, I saw a bear, a wolf, and a fierce warrior.

  People were walking joyfully down the streets, often drinking from their bottles and wineskins, and smacking each other’s rears in greeting regardless of gender. They were also kissing and hugging each other fervently. One could say that Sautz’s atmosphere resembled that of a cheap tavern. We even met musicians with lutes and horns.

  There was a festival going on, and one could see children running between the stalls and other people. Boys, as well as girls, entertained themselves by playing war. Some had wooden swords and shields, other axes, and some even bows. When we appeared, the children got quiet, looking at Vella with admiration.

  The thane’s residence was in the centre of the town. It differed from the rest of the houses by its size, being taller, longer, and much more beautiful. There were no guards. Ten feet away from the porch, sitting on a bench, were four mercenaries (two men and two women). They greeted Tael and immediately started bugging him with questions. They were the seventh group that had stopped us on our way from the pier to the thane. Luckily, they didn’t bother us for too long.

  “Wow!” I gasped in surprise. Once we were inside, we found ourselves in a spacious hall with a high ceiling and long tables.

  “That’s where we hold feasts. Don’t get too distracted, you’re on business here after all,” Tael chuckled, striding to the furthest wall. “You can wait here,” he told Vella, who looked at me inquiringly. When I nodded, she went to the fireplace and lay beside it.

  We passed through the double doors, walked down a torch-lit corridor, turned twice, and stopped in front of a massive door, behind which voices and laughs could be heard.

  “Well, let’s disturb them,” Tael smiled mischievously, knocked on the door, and without waiting for a reply, went inside. “Greetings!” he declared.

  Couches covered with hides, a few tables, and a bookcase filled with books and parchments indicated that this place was a drawing room. A huge tub filled with water and foam, in which three couples were bathing, was standing in the center of the room. For a few moments, they observed Tael and me. One of the men sighed heavily, moved a beautiful, well-endowed woman from his knees, and stood up, shamelessly revealing everything one could reveal on a naked body.

  “Hello, Tael. I see you’ve changed your name,” he greeted with a smile. Reaching for a towel, added: “Who’s that with you? A newcomer? Or a client?”

  Chapter 25

  Liberty

  Horn, the Thane of Sautz

  Level: 142

  HP: 10,980/10,980

  Horn sl
icked back his wet, shaggy hair with his huge palm, lifted the lid of an oak cask, and scooped up some wine with his mug. He then put the mug on the table and filled two more. Having done that, he sat down in a vacant armchair.

  “My gloomy client, can I call you by your first name?” he asked, leaning back in his seat.

  “As you wish, Horn,” I answered.

  “Heh! Great! I hope you don’t mind, Ken, that Tael will sit with us?”

  “Let him sit, he has spent enough time hanging upside down,” I said with a smile. Horn frowned.

  “What do you mean? What happened?”

  He pushed the mugs to us and turned to Tael, who told him that he would’ve become the Frogoid’s dinner had I not shown up and made a deal with the Matriarch.

  “The details are unimportant,” Tael added, finishing his story. Horn looked at me as if he were examining me and nodded silently. I had a feeling that mercenaries often heard that phrase.

  Thoughtful silence hung in the air of the small study. Looking at Horn, I tried to guess how much HP he’d have clad in armor, when had almost 11,000 while dressed in nothing but a velvet robe. Though, I noticed that he had amulets and rings, so I couldn’t say that all of that HP came only from bodybuilding, but still…

  “Well, thank you for saving my friend’s life,” he finally said and lifted his mug with a jerk. “Dammit, we should drink to that!”

  We clanked our mugs and drank. Horn wiped the wine from his moustache with his sleeve and breathed out.

  “Well, let’s get to business,” he said in a serious tone. “What do you want, Ken? What do you need people for?”

  I decided not to beat around the bush.

  “I need to capture the city of Al-Harum. It’s in Ishiria.”

  Tael burst into laughter and choked on his wine.