Ascend: A World of Ga'em LitRPG (The Chaos Emperor Book 1)

by Dhayaa Anbajagane

  A minute or two later, I was sitting on top of the protrusion and looking down at the ground. I secured my footing, and gripped the part of the rope dangling down. I exhaled, and tugged hard at it.

  The elf jerked off the ground, but boy was she heavy. How the heck is a thin girl like her this heavy? I grit my teeth and pulled more. I held a part of the rope tight under my foot, using my body weight to keep it from sliding, and pulled the rest of it with my hurting hands.

  Five minutes later, the lady was on the protrusion, lying by my side. I gasped for breath, and shook my aching hands. I turned around and saw a large section of the city beneath us. I was higher than almost every building I could see, and I say “almost” only because the royal palace was easily twice the height I was at right now.

  I looked down, and to my left. I caught the sight of the guard outpost, and saw two men talking busily to each other. They shouldn’t notice anything for now.

  I tugged on the knot around the elf once again, making sure it was secure. I pushed her off the other side, down the inside of the wall, and slowly lowered her down with the rope.

  She touched the floor thirty seconds later, and I slid down after her, just as fast. I untied the bounds around her body, and the rope came loose.

  “What are you doing?” a voice squeaked.

  I froze. Slowly, I turned and looked behind.

  A young boy stood there—not older than seven or eight—and he stared at me with his large eyes. Damn it. I gritted my teeth.

  “What’s that?” He pointed to the cloth.

  “A package,” I said. “A very important package.”

  He looked at me. “What’s in it?”

  I glanced at my sides, and made sure there were no Knights coming along. I knelt to the boy’s side. “It’s top secret,” I whispered. “I’m carrying out a special mission.”

  “Top secret?” His eyes sparkled. “Can I help?”

  Got him. I grinned. “What’s your name, kid?”

  “Ron.”

  “Well, then, Ron. How well do you know the guards?”

  “Lots!” He threw his hands in the air. “My friend’s daddy is a guard.”

  That’s perfect. I continued, “Can you go talk to them for me then?”

  He frowned. “That’s it?”

  Ugh, he’s disappointed now? I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “It’s very important part of the mission,” I said. “It’s actually the most important.”

  His eyes sparkled again. “Okay, I’ll go talk to them!”

  “And listen.” I grabbed his arm. “Never, ever tell anyone you saw me.”

  “Because top secret?”

  I nodded. “Because top secret.”

  “Okay!” he squeaked. The little guy ran off to my left, toward the Knight outpost.

  I grinned. Kids are so easy. I turned around, and looked up at the hook still latched onto the protrusion.

  I scratched my chin. How do I get this thing off now? I couldn’t go up there to untie it, because then I’d have no way down. No safe way at least.

  “Should I break it?” I mumbled. If the guards saw this rope, they’d know something fishy had happened around here. Compared to that, losing the Spoon Hook was much more favorable.

  I sighed. Guess I really don’t have another choice. I gripped the rope hard and tugged. I heard a small tear from higher up, but the rope still stayed strong. This thing is way too stable for a frayed rope. I tugged harder, and a few tries later, a louder tear sounded.

  The rope split into two and both halves fell to the floor before me—one with the metal hook, and one without.

  DING!

  An item has been destroyed.

  Spoon Hook!

  Well, you’ve used this guy to get over walls plenty of times over the last few days. Guess it was time for him to go. This item can no longer be used. You may salvage the item for raw materials, if possible.

  I looked at the hook. The spoons were all bent and out of shape, while the rags holding them together were tearing apart already. Yeah, probably won’t salvaging these things anytime soon. I put it back into my Item Inventory, and looked down the left end of the street.

  Hopefully the kid is engaging those idiots. This route was the shortest way back to my place, and the shortest way meant the least people to face.

  I picked up the elf, making sure the cloth hid her, and strode forward. I kept to the walls, my footsteps treading softly through the streets. The outpost emerged fifty yards ahead of me. Loud laughter came from the guards there, and I saw them standing in a circle around someone, watching them.

  I turned into the straight one street, consciously keeping my footsteps soft. I looked back, and saw the kid through the gaps between the standing Knights. He was talking continuously, and then I saw him glance my way.

  He smiled widely, and I grinned back. Good kid. I turned around and strode down the streets, faster than before. “Helen was right,” I chuckled. “Working with someone does pay off after all.”

  The streets were pretty much empty, as I had expected, and I quickly made my way into the alleyway. The man from before still lay beside the sewer line. A ragged cloth covered his head, and a few sheets of old paper were sprawled over his body.

  Is he even alive? I headed forward, and laid the elf down just as I reached my door. I hope Helen didn’t come back early today. I turned the handle, and when it slid open, slowly, I peeked around the side of the doorframe and looked at the kitchen, then the cot. Yup, she’s not here.

  “I guess luck is favoring me today.”

  I picked up the elf and strode into my house. I climbed up to my room and laid her down on my bed. I exhaled, and ran my fingers along my sore hands. I should have gotten extra strength points for that, I thought with a chuckle.

  I stumbled to the small closet in the corner of the room and threw the doors open. It was completely empty inside, simply due to the lack of basic items in my pauper’s life. I looked to the elf. She’d fit in here, wouldn’t she?

  It was the only place I could hide her, and it was the only place I knew Helen wouldn’t look inside—because it was always empty.

  I lifted her up again, and pain shot up my arms. Ugh. I groaned and dropped her inside the closet. She fit pretty well, as long as she bent her knees a little. She’s going to freak out when she wakes up, I realized. But I could deal with that when we got there.

  The sounds of rough breathing came from beside me. The elf was exhaling hard now, and her face had a reddish flush that I hadn’t noticed before. What? I blinked. I touched her forehead. She’s burning up.

  My eyes widened. Oh no. I pulled up her sleeves, revealing her forearms. They were red and had scars along them, but they looked less like scars and almost like rashes.

  “Oh, freaking hell.” I clenched my fists.

  This was not good.

  ***

  “Why do you want to know what other healer we have around these parts?” Helen raised an eyebrow. “Mr Osorell is the best one there is.”

  I stood at the kitchen counter. “Yeah, but other than him.”

  She gulped down her drink of water, and then exhaled. “I don’t see the point to this. Did something happen?”

  I shook my head. “I was just curious. People around these parts only talk about Osorell, so I was wondering if there was someone else.”

  She frowned. “I’m still confused. Osorell doesn’t have a requirement for who his patients are, so anyone can go see him. Why wouldn’t you want to go to the best?”

  Because he’s too smart, I thought. I needed someone dumb enough to provide me with what I wanted without asking any questions. Osorell wasn’t the guy. Probably.

  “Well, there’s no one else,” Helen said. “No one else I know of, at least. Maybe you can ask around and see if anyone else knows something.”

  “Yeah, sure. Because one thing I have in abundance is acquaintances.” I chuckled.

  “Well, you go find them out, then.” Helen st
epped to the door. “I have to get to work now. I hope you’re fine with boiled vegetables again tonight. I got a potato from the market, though, so there’s that to look forward to.”

  “Thanks, Helen. See you later.”

  She smiled, and then left.

  I stretched out over the counter. Ugh, I sighed. Osorell it is, then. I’ll just have to improvise.

  A few minutes later, I stepped out as well, and walked deeper into the city. More people were walking the streets now, but not by much. Plus, it wasn’t like I had anything to hide for the moment. I didn’t have to worry about anyone barging into our house either. That was the good thing about living in a run-down place in the farther ends of the enclosure. No one breaks into your home because you have nothing.

  Fifteen minutes of walking later, I found myself approaching a two-story house painted in silver and green. There were two doors, and one had the words Healing Chamber on a plate above it. I walked up to that one and knocked.

  It slid open a second later and a middle-aged man peeked through. “Ah, Levi.” The door opened further. “Come in, come in.”

  I nodded and walked in. A sole desk stood in the room, and twenty cabinets were stuck to the walls—some stacked in columns of twos and threes.

  The man sat on the chair behind the desk and pointed to the one opposite to him. “Please, take a seat.”

  “Thank you.” I sat down.

  Liam Osorell. That was the name of the guy sitting across from me. His square jaw and high cheekbones made him look like he was maybe in his early 30s, but I knew for a fact that this man was hitting close to his 50s soon. He was a skilled healer, and had a brilliant network of merchants, all from faraway lands. This way, he’d built himself a trade route of herbalists and alchemists, and obtained many rare cures.

  “So.” He scratched the grey stubble on his cheek. “Helen’s back medication again?”

  “Ah….” I shook my head. “She’s fine for now. I came here for something else.”

  “Oh?” He tilted his head, and his salt-and-pepper locks fell over one eye. “What do you need?”

  “A few rare potions,” I said.

  “What kind?”

  I opened my Ga’em menu and worked through a few options. I sent him the list of potions I needed using the messaging service the Ga’em provided.

  A screen popped up in front of him, and he scanned through its contents. His eyes widened when he got to the middle of the page, and his mouth was gaping when he reached the end.

  I frowned. “Is something wrong?” I asked. “Are these potions hard to get?”

  Liam looked up from his screen, and his arms crossed. “Levi.” His voice was firm. "You wouldn't happen to have a sick elf somewhere, would you?"

  ***

  CHAPTER SIX

  Helen stood in the kitchen and slathered soap over the mountain of pans and vessels before her. “They must have had a feast after the procession.” She muttered under her breath, and scrubbed the metal utensils.

  The Henways were not the most extravagant family, but they did have the occasional feast and gathering. Most rich households did.

  Helen was always intimidated to come out to this part of town. It was much posher than where she lived now, and what’s more, it reminded her of a time she didn’t want to think about.

  She pushed the thoughts out of her mind and focused on her task. Her hands were raw from scrubbing, but she didn’t feel any pain, even though parts of her hand were bleeding now. She looked out the small gap in the closed windows and saw a yellow light outside.

  “Good, it isn’t evening yet.” She still had time to go and make dinner before Levi showed up.

  Helen found that child to be an odd one. He’d been going out of the city every day, for the past ten years. That was more than what some Knights did in a lifetime! And yet, he was still only Level 11 and had no special skills to speak of.

  “I’m not much to speak of, either,” she chuckled. She was a simple woman, a single mother with an adopted son just trying to make a living.

  “HELEN!”

  She rolled her eyes. She dropped the vessels in her hand and washed off the soap with a cup of water before turning around.

  A lady in a red corset gown stood in the kitchen doorway. Her blond hair flowed down her back, and the ends had been curled. Her grey eyes looked like a storm, and stared at Helen as she stepped closer.

  “Yes, Lady Henway?” Helen bowed.

  The lady’s mouth twitched. “The twins told me that your boy has been harassing them,” she said. “This has happened far too many times for me to ignore.”

  “Yes, Lady Henway.” She nodded. It was an obvious, blatant lie, but she couldn’t fight back. It wasn’t her place. Things didn’t work that way here.

  The lady raised an eyebrow. “What are you going to do about it?”

  “I will talk to the child. Hopefully he will—”

  “Hopefully?!” she yelled. “I do not want a ‘hopefully’. Get that brat in line or I will do it for you.”

  “Yes, Lady Henway,” she said. “I’m sorry for the trouble.”

  She scoffed. “You people are all the same,” she said, and walked out of the kitchen.

  Silence loomed over Helen.

  She turned back to the dishes and her sore hands scraped through their grime.

  “If only you were here, Ken.” Her voice was soft. “Things would have been so much easier for poor Levi.”

  ***

  “What are you talking about?” A nervous chuckle left my lips.

  Liam stared at me. His eyes didn’t blink, and gazed right into mine. “This is a very specific list of potions, Levi,” he said. “Have you heard of Elv Fever?”

  My chest thumped. This is why I didn’t want to come to this man. I flashed an innocent smile at him. “Never heard of it. What is it?”

  His fingertips tapped the wooden desk. “A disease. A very rare one. Only a handful of people within the city know about it, and I am one of them.” He paused for a few seconds, as if to gauge my reaction. “Elv Fever is a disease that is known to affect only elves, and is caused to a certain extent because of over-exhaustion. We presume there are other factors involved, but as humans, we don’t know them yet.”

  I pursued my lips. “I didn’t know there existed such a disease.”

  “Are you sure?” He smiled. “The combinations of potions you asked for combine into the only known human cure for the disease. You have asked for eleven potions, Levi. Do you really think it’s a simple coincidence that they are the exact same as the ones needed for Elv Fever’s cure?”

  This guy is so annoying. My fingers clenched into fists under the desk. “Mr Orosell, I am a young boy, and you know the kind of background I’m from. We hardly have enough money to make ends meet. Do you think I went to some kind of formal education?”

  “I am aware you didn’t.”

  “Then how would an uneducated bum like me know about such a wondrous potion?”

  Liam looked at me, and his eyebrows furrowed. “I … guess you have a point.”

  I nodded. “These potions are for three different people. They gave me these errands to do, and promised me money in return. That is why I’m here.”

  “Oh.” He scratched his stubble. “I did not know about that.”

  “It is not a problem. I am happy to know you are alert about these issues as well.”

  “It’s just that with the whole vampire thing last week….”

  “I heard,” I said. “Do you know anything about it?”

  He shook his head. “Just what the Knights said. The vampire was apparently hiding in the house of a retired Knight who had died a few weeks ago.”

  My eyes widened. “He killed him?”

  “That’s what they say.” Liam stood up and walked to a cabinet. “I honestly don’t know what’s going on anymore. This is the first time I’ve heard of a creature of darkness being found directly inside our walls.”

  I nodded. “Same
here. I was surprised when I heard, too.”

  “We all were surprised,” he said with a chuckle. He pulled out a few vials from the drawers—some round-bottomed, some thin, some square—each with a colored liquid inside, and placed them on his desk. “Hopefully the Knight force doesn’t let anything else of the sort come through.”

  They already have. I fought off a smile. “They’ll take care of it.”

  “I know.” He opened another cabinet and pulled out a few more potions.

  “Where do you think the vampire came from?”

  “I don’t really know,” he said. “Zevalon City is quite isolated from other places. The merchants who visit me take weeks to get here. The nearest city is Charon, and it’s close to a week’s travel from here, I believe.” He placed the potions on his desk. “There you go. All eleven of your potions.”

  I nodded. “Thank you. How much do I need to pay?”

  He chuckled. “Just take them.”

  “Eh?” My eyes widened. I looked at the potions, then at him. “For free?”

  “Well, that’s usually what I mean when I say ‘take them’.” He grinned. “Don’t worry about the cost. I know the kind of situation you and Helen are in. And Ken was an old friend of mine. This is the least I can do.” He pushed the potions towards my end of the desk. “I make more than enough money to do something like this from time to time.”

  Then allow me to take advantage. I smiled. “Thank you for your generosity. I will remember this favor.”

  “Think of it as more of a gift.” He chuckled. “You don’t have to pay it back.”

  I bowed. “Please let me know if you ever need anything.”

  “I will.”

  DING!

  You have found a new item

  Potion of the Vine Tree!

  The sap from the tree of hanging branches and vines is said to said to possess a potent healing power—if you can bear its horrid stench and taste, that is. Health will be restored by 100 points. Would you like to transfer this item to your Item Inventory?