New Game Minus: The Complete LitRPG Fantasy Trilogy
Page 117
In the final cell he found Alan. The Earthian looked tired and drained, staring up at them without much expression. Bloodwraith hefted his sword for a moment, then returned it to his back.
"I don't suppose you'd prefer to discuss this like civilized people?"
After staring at him, Alan gave an awkward laugh. "I don't think I really have a choice. I can't even pretend this isn't my real body or that I was able to contact Earth, because your friend there has become some sort of monstrous glitch."
Beside him, Meara gave a grandiose bow. "Monstrosity present and accounted for." She stopped smirking and glanced to Bloodwraith the next moment, however. "But with Belkarin dead, he's been making progress through the barrier. I think he'll be able to send a message or leave soon."
"Dammit, you even saw that?" Alan stood up slowly, dusted off his pants, and raised his hands. "Look, I don't know what to say. There's obviously nothing I can do to bribe you, and after all this I don't think I can threaten you."
"I'll tell you what you can say." Bloodwraith folded his arms and locked eyes with the Outsider. "Tell your people what the Mirror Court did. Blame them for all of this."
Alan immediately narrowed his eyes, brain obviously working overtime. "You want to incite war between Earth and the Mirror Court? No, you're not that reckless... and neither are we. You want us to write all of Alliandelle off as lost?"
"That was what I had in mind. You've said how expensive it is to send power between worlds, and this world has become an immense loss for you. If you decide to betray us and come back here... I promise you, we will make the losses far worse."
"Heh, I can believe that." Alan stared at him for a time, then slowly shook his head. "I was serious before when I said I liked you. Alright, fine. Frankly, this has been a disaster for me and for my whole organization anyway. It won't take too much for them to write this place off as too much trouble."
"Good."
"But I have to warn you: Earth might move on, but the Mirror Court won't. And though we designed the structures here, they were the ones who built the core magic. You won't be able to get through this without facing them."
Bloodwraith glanced at each of his allies, then back to the Outsider. "We wouldn't have it any other way."
After staring at them for a long time, Alan slowly nodded. He closed his eyes, then his body shrank down to a single point of light. It glimmered for a moment in the darkness of the cell, then winked out. All at once, the world felt empty in a way that it hadn't in a very long time.
Though Bloodwraith felt as though he should say something, no words felt appropriate. They all glanced at one another, then slowly walked back down the corridor.
The last time he had walked this path, he hadn't understood anything about what had happened to him. He had been thrown into a life he had never expected, surrounded on all sides by forces trying to convince him to follow one of the set paths. In the end, he had walked one that would have horrified him if he had been told about it when he last stood in that cell.
Yet as he walked out into the sunlight, Bloodwraith didn't care. He didn't even care that the peacefulness of the clearing was false and that the whole forest was constructed. What mattered was that they had survived and he was with the only people who mattered to him.
"Uh, is nobody going to say it?" Danniah walked ahead and turned back to look at them, before suddenly throwing her arms up into the air. "We did it! Whoohoo!"
"Not yet." Meara frowned, immediately drawing everyone's attention. "I admit the threat is over for the day, but if you think our battle is over, you're sorely mistaken. No, we have yet to do the most important thing we need to do now."
"What is that?" Bloodwraith asked.
"You need to bring me ten cureleaves. Look, it's right there in your quest log."
"Silence, impertinent strumpet!"
"But I'll give you my undying affection!"
"The great and terrible Ouchyghost demands silence!"
With that, the tension finally broke. Some laughed, some wiped away tears, some dropped down onto the ground. Gharavi pulled out her bottle of bloodberry cordial and passed it around the group. There wasn't much left after they all took a drink, but he could tell that she considered it worth it.
Danniah dropped her weapons to the ground and pulled off her helmet before moving to him. Bloodwraith removed his own helm to kiss her, but the kiss didn't last long before Danniah moved back. She smiled quietly at him, then flopped onto her back on the ground.
"It's over! I never want to grind for Vitality again!"
"I'll admit it's over, but..." Gharavi reached up to her neck, hesitating in surprise when she didn't find her bone necklace there. "But there will be more Outsiders. We need to-"
"Boo!" Danniah chucked her mace at Gharavi's head and Izzy cheerfully joined in by throwing a log at her. "No more talk about that kind of thing today!"
Though Gharavi went silent, Bloodwraith gave her a quiet smile. "The next time, we'll be ready for them. Starting tomorrow, we can build you a better way to detect them."
She stared at him for a time, then smiled. "I'd like that."
"Da!" Izzy threw herself at his head, but Bloodwraith managed to catch her, spinning her around in the air before letting her come in close to wrap her arms around his neck. "Da, it was so scary but then I felt you! I realized I could decide everything and so I made it so that I could eat the dragon and I started eating but now I'm worried that I won't be able to make the right decisions alone and-"
"I'm sure you'll make the right decisions, Izzy. But we'll always be here for you." He put his hand on her hair and she hugged him more fiercely, her teeth snapping together happily.
As relieved as they all were, beyond the artificially peaceful clearing, there was still a wasteland of torn up trees and fragmentary corpses. The Fellsilvered bodies had gone completely silent, but that didn't make looking at them peaceful. Danniah slowly got to her feet to join them and sighed.
"I guess this isn't the best place to rest, is it?"
"Maybe not," Meara said, "but I used to have a place around here. Let's go see if it's still standing."
They all agreed to that and began picking their way through the wreckage. As they walked, Bloodwraith looked over at Meara and she met his gaze. For a long time they said nothing, and it was enough.
Bloodwraith, the Corrupter of Worlds and Father to the Undead, went home with his family.
Epilogue
The Prince of the Mirror Court sat back in his throne with a sneer on his face. He had grown so very tired of all the nonsense that the other Aesidh brought to him. Some days he even dreamed of being a part of another court, though he was sure that they would be dull in their own way.
One of his advisers approached the throne and bowed, though not very sincerely. "My prince, we have made a discovery regarding the strange matter in Alliandelle."
"Ah yes, the diversion in Alliandelle." The Prince gave a small smile at the memory of that momentary amusement. "A few of our own disappeared, did they not? I must admit, it is a relief to see something end with a bit of mystery instead of the usual dull results. Do we know what occurred?"
"Not exactly, my prince. There is, ah... it is all a rather delicate matter with Earth, you see."
"Bah, do not speak to me of such things." The Prince waved away the name of the vile world, so filled with dullards. "We have no quarrel with them, and in any case such quarrels are so dull. What is one world, to empires such as ours? A few insignificant events are of no account unless they provide some small amusement."
His adviser slid back with a smile on his face. "But that is just it, my prince. We may not have unraveled the mystery, but we have uncovered something that may be able to answer our questions. You might recall that we were involved with the creation of the deeper magic on Alliandelle."
Despite himself, the Prince sat up straighter in his chair. "Ah yes, I believe I recall something like that. We helped the Earthians with one of thei
r curious systems, to create a foundation to enslave the people of Alliandelle. I recall some very tedious negotiations over who would have to do the work for them."
"Indeed, just so. But as it happens, with the Earthians leaving, we are free to take over the system as we see fit."
"That sounds as though it would be far too much effort. What is the point of getting involved with the workings of one of these muddy little worlds?"
"I have already taken the liberty, my prince." The Prince's adviser gave him a slight smile. "I went to the trouble of retrieving one of the toys we left behind in their world. She may be able to simply tell us exactly what occurred, and if not, we can still use her for some new amusements. The Earthians do create such quality slaves."
The Prince couldn't help but pay attention to that. Even his guards, who usually slouched at the edges of his chamber, straightened up in interest. Though guests could grow dull over time, new arrivals could entertain for a while. If the servant was notable enough, she might be worth torturing. Perhaps he would bother to engage with this little Alliandelle after all.
"Very good then, adviser. Have someone bring her in."
With a grand bow, the adviser moved to the doors that led to the Prince's throne room. He rapped once and the doors opened, revealing another Aesidh pushing a woman before him. She walked like a doll, her eyes completely blank.
"Hmm, how interesting." The Prince sat forward to admire her, eyes running over the woman's body. "Perhaps worth spending some time with, once we are done with her. But you say that she can answer our questions first?"
"Indeed, my prince. She is conditioned to obey."
"Well then... speak, slave! What occurred in Alliandelle?"
The woman was silent and the Prince felt a surge of anger. He sat further forward in his chair and was about to scream at her when abruptly he remembered a quirk of that little world. "Ah, yes, Alliandelle operated by one of those quaint systems of organized power. I once entertained myself learning such trifles... let me see if I can activate the proper systems to make her obey us."
He reached forward with his power, touching the magic within the girl. If he recalled correctly, it was a simple matter to change her affections, making her love or hate him as he saw fit. Soon a window of information appeared before the Prince and he smiled.
[Name: Meara
Race: Human
Class: Peasant
Affection: Go Fuck Yourself]
"What is this?" The Prince drew back, his amused expression falling into annoyance, but it was too late.
Meara reached into the shadows of her cloak and drew out an entire suit of armor... no, not a suit of armor, a man. As soon as he stepped into the court, the massive figure swung a dark sword from his back in a sweeping arc. It cleaved through the two guards standing before the throne, leaving their bodies to drop to the ground with their boredom fixed on their faces.
As the Prince and his adviser shrank back in shock, the armored figure stepped forward and raised his sword so that the point touched the Prince's neck.
"Good evening. I would like to ask you a few questions about some boxes."
X X X
With that, you've finished the New Game Minus trilogy! Thank you for reading this far. ^-^
I don't have a book to link you this time, but if you enjoyed this trilogy, you might be interested in my new epic fantasy series, The Brightest Shadow:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0856ZMG9Z/
It means a lot to me that you read one of my stories all the way to the end! If you believe in my work, please consider supporting me via leaving a review or dropping me a note. ^-^ Thanks for reading!
Here are some places you could keep up with my work:
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Acknowledgments
Thank you to all my alpha and beta readers for their feedback.
Thanks to GameLit Society and LitRPG Books for the community.
Appendix: Final Character Sheets
[Party Composition
Raigar - Level 20 Barbarian
Meara - Level 0 Peasant
Danniah - Level 18 Warrior
Gharavi - Level 19 Sorcerer
Izilthor - Tier III Undead Companion]
[Name: Raigar
Race: Human
Class: Barbarian
Alignment: Good
Health: 306/306
Mana: 52/52
Weapon Mana: 16/16
Stamina: 189/189
Level: 20
EXP: 163,242/2,435,800
Statistics:
Might: 78 (94)
Vitality: 44 (55)
Quickness: 52 (66)
Intellect: 27 (28)
Charisma: 14
Willpower: 24 (27)
Wisdom: 17 (18)
Luck: 21
Piety: 0
Combat Skills: Cleave (13), Fist of Rage (17), Sword of Rage (15), Shout of Rage (10), Skill Enraging (11), Lich's Rage (12)
Skills: Two-handed Weapons (20), Evasion (18), Survivalism (8), Herbalism (8), Manual Labor (2), Swimming (2)
Special Skill: Undead Companion (20)
Proficiencies: Greatsword, Heavy Armor]
[Inventory (Extra-dimensional Bag)
Equipment: Fellsword, Armor of the Tyrant (set), Leather Gloves of Strength, Fellwolf Cloak
Rings: Improved Ring of Might, Ring of Quickness, Improved Ring of Quickness, Ring of Might, Sandstrider Ring, Greater Warrior's Ring, Barbarian's Ring, Old Man's Ring
Items: Lodestone Greatsword, Peasant's Outfit, Health Potion x9, Mana Potion x9, Failed Potion x9
Key Items: Amulet of Reincarnation
Money: 0 G, 67 S, 13 C]
[Name: Danniah
Race: Half-Human/Half-Dwarf
Class: Warrior
Health: 463/463
Mana: 15/15
Stamina: 238/238
Level: 18
EXP: ???
Affection: 100/100
Statistics:
Might: 41 (58)
Vitality: 101 (119)
Quickness: 34 (39)
Intellect: 14 (17)
Charisma: 15 (12)
Willpower: 26 (28)
Wisdom: 14
Luck: 12
Piety: 12
Skills: Defend (21), Shield Bash (11), Shield Impact (13), Flame Blow (9), Flame Impact (5)
Proficiencies: Heavy Armor, Heavy Shield, Mace
Inventory: Cleric's Mace, Shield of Cresthaven, Vicious Helm, Frozen Breastplate, Drakeskin Gloves, Sandstrider Boots, Carapace Armor Set, Ring of Great Vitality, Necklace of Burning Fists, Ring of Might]
[Name: Izilthor (Izzy)
Class: Revenant
Unassigned Necromancy Points: 0
Health: 266/266
Mana: 27/27
Stamina: 0/0 (-50%)
Statistics:
Might: 56 (61)
Vitality: 35 (38)
Quickness: 67 (72)
Intellect: 20
Charisma: 14
Willpower: 19
Wisdom: 9
Luck: 12
Piety: 0
Traits: Revenant Body, Growth Factor (Aggression), Growth Factor (Support), Ally Coordination, Language Development, Consume Undead, Master Razor Teeth, Consume Injuries, Healing Saliva, Consume Magical Damage, Darklight Vision, Consume Veil, Equipment Slot x6, Ghoul Armor, Undead Regeneration, Improved Appearance, Spectral Bite, Consume Fellsilver
Skills: Empowered Bite, Ranged Bite
Inventory: Fellcrab Knife x2, Fellwolf Cloak, Drakeskin Jerkin, Stamina Forge Ring, Ring of Quickness]
[Name: Gharavi
Race: Half-Orc/Half-Aesidh
Class: Sorcerer
Health: 215/215
Mana: 107/107
Stamina: 183/183
Level: 19
EXP: ???
Affection: N/A
Statistics:
Might: 24
Vitality: 31
Quickness: 48 (50)
Intellect: 68 (82)
Charisma: 22
Willpower: 37 (38)
Wisdom: 27
Luck: 15
Piety: 12
Skills: Fire (18), Ice (17), Lightning (21), Wind (11), Earth (8), Necromancy (7)
Proficiencies: Custom Staff, Elemental Magic, Necromancy
Inventory: Godseye Axe Staff, Enchanted Armor, Fellsilver Cloak, Ring of Ice, Ring of Great Intellect, Ring of Willpower, Ring of Intellect]
[Name: Meara
Race: Human
Class: Peasant
Alignment: N/A
Level: 0
EXP: 0/0
Affection: NaN
Statistics:
Might: 0
Vitality: 0
Quickness: 0
Intellect: 0
Charisma: 0
Willpower: 0
Wisdom: 0
Luck: 0
Piety: 0
Skills: Herbalism (-1), Inspect (-1), Sewing (-1), Repair (-1), Steal (-1), Crafting (-1)
Equipment: Ring of Herbalism, 15,829 rocks]
Appendix: Izzy's POV
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The following is a short chapter from Izzy's POV. I didn't feel that an Izzy chapter would fit into the third book in the series, but I wanted at least one chance to write an Izzy chapter. This one is set canonically between the second and third books, but it's a side story written afterward. You can either read it here or after the last book.
Izzy couldn't get tired, but she was tired. She had followed Da and her friends into the wastelands to find important things, but the wastelands turned out to mean lots of walking. Lots and lots of walking. Even though Izzy could walk all day if she needed to, she didn't like looking at boring rocks and boring dust all the time. Sometimes they got attacked and she got to eat tasty things, but usually she had to wait a long, long time to get food.
Hopping up onto a protruding rock, Izzy looked around. More wasteland. Nothing tasty in sight, just lots of dust. Since the others needed to catch up, she turned around to look at her friends.
Da walked at the front of the group, of course, looking all nice and tall. Gharavi was beside him with her funny stick. Meara was talking to both of them with a very serious face. Danniah moved along behind, listening but not saying much.