The portal deposited him back onto the ledge. Zipp tossed him a healing potion, and the imp waited for Narbos to heal up enough to speak again. Narbos had set his pain feedback settings to ten percent, but even ten percent of nearly being cooked by a river of lava was not a pleasant experience. Charred hands fumbled for a moment before he was able to open the healing potion and gulp it down.
Other healing potions he had tasted in the game had either a mild mint or cinnamon flavor. This one smelled and tasted like rotten eggs. Despite the olfactory assault the potion caused, it did slowly heal his wounds.
Narbos took a moment to set his pain feedback down to the minimum of one percent; he had nothing to prove and no reason to experience that type of pain ever again.
“Did I get your attention? Ready to play nice and hear me out?” Zipp asked.
“I’ll hear you out. What horrible and annoying things do you have planned for me?”
“That’s the go-getter I know and loathe! We—or I should say you —are going to have a blast in the Hypogean Realm! The task I have for you is simple. This little slice of heaven is a small, newly discovered zone called Z1345x; we’re not real big on all the flowery names you surface-dwellers use.
“Normally, a newly discovered zone like this is a great opportunity for an imp like me to exploit its resources and find all kinds of fun things to play with and enslave. The problem is that I didn’t discover it—my sister did. Now we’re all one big happy family down here, but my sister and I have a teeny tiny bit of a sibling rivalry thing going on, and I would hate to see her get something I couldn’t take from her.” Zipp paused to pat the rat on the head, which Narbos noticed had become a named npc.
Snuggles, Level 16 Dire Rat. Snuggles leads the colony of dire rats that has been given to Narbos the Grimm through his Pact with Dark Forces ability.
“Hey, bud, you still with me?” Zipp questioned, snapping his red fingers as the imp noticed Narbos’s attention was on Snuggles and not the imp.
“Looked like you drifted off there for a moment, and this is the important part. My sister and I nearly depleted our resources during our last disagreement, and I’m just now starting to replenish what I lost in our battle. In fact, providing you with your new friends nearly cleaned out my available forces. I’m also hampered by the peace accord that our parents forced us to agree to.” Zipp magically produced an absurdly large pile of scrolls that the system identified as
“Neither I nor any of my minions can confront my sister directly for control of the newly discovered zone. Good news for me is that I happen to be the patron of one surface-dwelling dark overlord named Narbos, who owes me a favor. You see, you’re technically not one of my minions and are not covered by the contract between my sister and me.
“The rats are also now in your possession, so they can’t be tracked back to me either. It’s a perfect win-win situation. You get the fun and excitement of fighting in a completely new environment, and I get all the stuff you conquer. So how ’bout it, Narbos? We got ourselves a deal?” Zipp asked, his hand outstretched to shake Narbos’s as a flood of notifications began to appear in front of the overlord.
Your obligation to Zipzisilerpicazant has been called upon. This has created a unique game option to quest in the newly discovered zone of Z1345x. The underground realm of Hypogea follows a form of gameplay that is accessible by your class of Evil Overlord. You will be tasked with conquering the zone of Z1345x in order to fulfill your obligation to your patron.
Quest Issued: Dark Patron’s Demand. Conquer the zone of Z1345x for Zipzisilerpicazant.
Reward: Experience 1000–10,000 based on performance, chance to obtain new units from your patron, and upgrades for your existing forces. Hidden bonus objectives may be uncovered to grant unique forces or abilities.
Penalty for Failure: Should you decline this quest or fail in your mission, you will be teleported back to your seat of power in Bharga. The dire rats given by your patron will be taken away, and your patron will now see you as an enemy.
Accept Quest: y/n? *Note, accepting this quest will unlock a unique gameplay scenario that will need to be completed or abandoned before the player is able to return to the main game.
Narbos tried to take in all the information he was just presented with. A new gameplay opportunity was exciting, and the experience-gain potential was more than generous. He was worried about his zone, Bharga’s Crossing. The battle there to unite the place was just completed moments before and he was supposed to be joining the zone together to prepare for war.
“Before I accept, Zipp, what about Bharga’s Crossing? I don’t want to lose all the gains I made there while I putter about in Hypogea, trying to complete your quest,” Narbos asked.
“No worries there. I’ll put your friend that I just disintegrated—Dork Fellow, or whatever his name is—in charge while you’re gone. The little twerp will love a chance at a quest with easy experience,” Zipp flippantly added.
“I’m not sure you understand Darkfallow. He’s a bit of a hothead and not the best person to put in charge of an entire zone for any length of time, Zipp,” Narbos replied.
“No worries. I’ll check in on the guy once in a while and you won’t be gone that long. How much trouble could he get into anyway? You control the whole joint now, don’t you? Just trust me, Narbos. Despite how lovely it would look, I won’t allow the moron to burn the zone to the ground while you’re gone,” Zipp tried to assure the reluctant overlord.
With a sigh, and concerned he was making a huge mistake, Narbos hit yes and accepted the quest. Not sure what to do next, he asked Zipp, “Okay, now what happens?”
“Oh yeah, you might need this,” Zipp replied as he waved his hand, revealing a tunnel through the previously solid rock that the ledge was attached to. “Get on inside. You’ll find a big giant pillar thing. At least that’s what’s usually there. Once you find the pillar, kill the guardians before activating it. Don’t forget that once you activate it . . . AAARRRGGHH!” Zipp yelled and clutched his head in pain. Narbos watched as the imp lost half his health to the unknown attack. Slowly, Zipp recovered, downing several healing potions to restore the health he had lost. Narbos noted that the potions Zipp downed smelled of vanilla and not the rotten-egg stench of the potion that he had given Narbos.
“You okay, Zipp? That looked painful. Not as painful as nearly falling to your death into a river of lava, but painful nonetheless.”
“Never better, Narbos. Seems the contract between my sister and me prevents me from giving you too many clues. Just get in there and do your thing. Oh yeah, you may need these critters to help since you can’t summon your other forces down here.” With that, Zipp opened a new portal and the rest of Narbos’s fifty dire rats scurried through. As the reinforcements arrived, Snuggles grew larger than his peers. Now the height of Narbos’s shoulders, Snuggles’s muscles bulged under his matted fur. The dire rat’s chisel-like fangs gleamed with sharpened edges, and bone spikes emerged from the rat’s fur in random spots, giving Snuggles an ominous appearance.
Despite the ragged condition of its pelt, the rat had a small circle of soft fur just behind his shoulders. The soft fur grew in exactly the spot that Zipp liked to sit on. The system updated the rat’s information.
Snuggles, Dire Rat Champion, Level 16 Elite. This elite rat is larger and more powerful than its normal kin.
Dire Rat, Level 16 (49).
“I’ll see you again once you’ve taken over the place. Good luck, Narbos. I’ll be cheering for you!” Zipp said before hopping off Snuggles’s back and into the portal he had opened to summon the rats. Narbos shook his head in confusion at the strange yet powerful imp.
“What have we gotten ourselves into, Snuggles?” Narbos asked as he moved with his horde of rats into the tunnel that Zipp had opened.
***
“Do we really have to do this again, Dork Fellow? I’ve got stuff to do, other pe
ople to meet and maim. Waiting all day for you to respawn over and over again is not in my itinerary,” Zipp said to the newly respawned—for the fourth time—Darkfallow. The throne room of Bharga was still strewn with the bodies of the reavers and executioners that Darkfallow had summoned to his defense when the imp Zipp had appeared suddenly in the room.
“Fine, I give. What do you want? Trying to destroy everything Narbos and I built?” Darkfallow asked, finally realizing that attacking the level 40 elite creature was a losing proposition, even with all the forces of the zone at his command.
“Destroy everything Narbos built? Are you nuts!? Narbos and I are best buds. I’d never do anything but help the jolly fella. No, he’s off taking care of a problem for me. That’s what friends do; we help each other out. Now, I don’t consider you a friend. I consider you a moron. Unfortunately, you’re the only moron Narbos feels comfortable with holding the reins to his little empire. I have my doubts, but I did promise to help him . . . which means I have to help you.” Darkfallow watched warily as the imp paced the room, his little red arms behind his back as he espoused his plan.
“You paying attention, kid? Good. Okay, here’s what I’m going to do to help you and my friend Narbos out. You see, I have lots of friends, powerful friends that can help you in the coming war . . . if you help them. You’re going to get a visit at the transition point that borders Hayden’s Knoll. There’s a group of elves that I did a deal with years ago, and they need my help again. I’m a giving guy, you see. All I do is give.
“Anyway, these elves and Narbos have a mutual problem: Delling and his little soldier friend, Raytak. You can help each other out in a win-win deal for you both. The elves live in and have a foothold in Hayden’s Knoll. They also have an ogre problem. Help them with the ogre problem and—ta-da—you now have allies in the zone that Narbos is after.” The imp paused and looked at Darkfallow, who was worried he was about to be disintegrated again.
“I can see the gears turning in your mind, Dorkyfeller. Right about now you’re asking yourself, what’s in it for me? I appreciate that. I’d think the same thing,” Zipp said, holding up his hands in a just wait motion.
“Well, what is in it for me? I want to help my friend and all, but my character isn’t getting much loot or xp while I babysit Bharga’s Crossing,” Darkfallow asked.
“Take a look at this, chump,” Zipp said as a quest prompt popped into Darkfallow’s field of vision.
Quest Issued: Deal with the Devil. Zipzisilerpicazant has offered you a quest in order to help your friend, Narbos the Grimm. Seek an alliance between Bharga’s Crossing and the Ikbose Clan of elves. Provide them with expeditionary forces to defeat the Goreaxe ogres and they will join Narbos in his coming war against Hayden’s Knoll.
Rewards: 5000 xp, 500 gold, 1 epic-level item suitable to your class.
Penalty for Failure: Various bad things could happen to you based on the whims of Zipzisilerpicazant. Imps are notorious for their deals. Use caution whenever entering into a binding agreement with an imp.
“Woot, 5000 xp, gold, and an epic? Sign me up!” Darkfallow shouted while hitting accept, recklessly ignoring the warnings given by the system.
“There’s one born every minute here in the Limitless Lands. Good choice, Dorky. I recommend you gather the little army Narbos put you in charge of and head to the border. Saves time and aggravation that way,” Zipp said before opening another portal. He was halfway into the portal before he turned around, looking back toward Darkfallow like he had forgotten something.
“Oh yeah, just give me a minute. I had something for you,” Zipp said while rummaging in a bag that had appeared in his hands. “Here it is. One last one before I go,” Zipp said, raising his empty hand from the bag and pointing his finger at Darkfallow.
You have failed your save vs. death and been disintegrated by Zipzisilerpicazant. Respawn in 10 minutes. Experience loss 250, 72 gold dropped, wand of Empower Summoned Creatures dropped.
“Hahahahaha! That’s an oldie but goody. Classic. I’ve gotta run. Time to check out the competition and cause a little mayhem. Let the chaos begin!” Darkfallow heard the imp say as he waited for his respawn timer to finish counting down.
Chapter 2
I sat on the edge of the town well, watching as Holdfast slowly repaired itself. The fight against the Gul Dorg had been a brutal one, but our forces had prevailed thanks to the support from our allies in the zone. I only had two understrength squads still in the town. The rest of my forces, along with Sergeant Brooks, had gone back to Hayden’s Knoll.
In addition to the squads assisting with defending the town, I sent another two squads under Sergeant Wrend to accompany the Stonehold Clan as it tracked the remnants of the Gul Dorg that had fled the fight.
According to the dwarven runesmiths, the simple drones were all that was left of the vast horde we defeated. While still numerous, the drones that remained lacked the ability to infect others. Without a master or daughter to lead them, the drones were relatively ineffective but still a threat to the town.
My thoughts were interrupted by someone clearing his throat behind me.
“Ahhhem. Sir, may I have a moment of your time?” Private Blevins asked. The soldier startled me, and I had no idea how the orderly was even here; I had sent him back with Sergeant Brooks to work at our main garrison. Somehow, he had slipped away from Brooks and returned here to make my life miserable.
“Go ahead, Private. When did you get here anyway?” I asked, curious about how the private moved so quickly.
“Sir, I am assigned as your butler—I mean orderly. My position within the garrison requires me to attend to every important administrative need, even in these austere environs. I have arrived to organize the new garrison outpost, which needs your authorization to fully activate,” the private explained.
Private Blevins always seemed to rub me the wrong way. The man had such a pompous air for being only a private. It took an effort to not snap at him. What he said did grab my attention, however, and I wanted to see what a garrison outpost was.
“Very well, Private. Lead on,” I ordered.
“Right this way, sir,” Blevins said as he led me toward the northern gate of the city. Thankfully, the private was quiet during our long walk, only looking behind occasionally to see if I was still following. The gates to the city were open, and I was pleased to see they were now guarded by a pair of newly respawned town guardsmen; my soldiers were stretched thin and I didn’t want to have to garrison the town with my own forces for too much longer.
The town guards were now level 10, which meant that Delling must have leveled up from our addition of this town to the Imperium’s holdings in the zone. Their gear was also improved. The town guards sported chainmail armor and large, round wooden shields for defense. They had a decent-quality spear in hand and a shortsword at their side. After returning the salute from the guards, I exited the gate, feeling honored that the guards would salute when I wasn’t in their chain of command.
Two hundred yards from the northern gate stood what looked like an Old West frontier fort. Log walls stood ten feet high, and the towers raised on each corner of the fort would give a commanding view of the area. The gate to the fort was open and a small trail led from the northern town gate to the entrance.
Blevins led me down the trail from town and into the fort. Inside, there were low barracks buildings built along the northern and eastern walls. The western wall held what looked like supply rooms, an armory, and a small stable. The private gestured toward the southeast corner, where one of the long barracks buildings had a smaller separate entrance.
I entered through the low doorway and was greeted with the scent of fresh-cut pine and dust. The center of the room was dominated by a large table, upon which a map was spread out. Roughhewn shelves and an army cot were on the far wall, as well as a rack to store the garrison commander’s armor and gear. System prompts appeared in my field of view upon as I neared the map table.
Y
ou have activated the defensive garrison outpost for the village of Holdfast. Villages and towns that have a maximum population of over 1000 are eligible for a garrison outpost. The garrison outpost will spawn defenders who will patrol the roads along the controlled areas of the zone and respond to any attacks on the town itself.
The commander may use a garrison outpost to access the war table with all its options. The garrison outpost can also be selected as the respawn point for reinforcements while the commander is in the field. The outpost also allows for the immediate supply of upgrades purchased at the war table. *Note that some purchases may require shipping from other zones, delaying their receipt.
Do you wish to activate the garrison outpost at this time: y/n?
I hit yes and waited to see what would happen. This outpost would be a godsend; our lines of supply were getting stretched since they were coming all the way from Hayden’s Knoll. I moved to the open doorway and watched as soldiers began to exit the barracks and go about their duties. A garrison NCO spawned and moved quickly toward me before saluting.
“Sir, the Holdfast garrison is ready for duty. Any special orders, sir?” the sergeant asked.
“Report, Sergeant. What is the disposition of the outpost and what are your standing orders?” I asked.
“Sir, garrison is at its full strength of two platoons of regulars and a squad of scouts. Current orders are for one platoon to garrison the fort and provide local patrols of the town and its immediate areas. The scouts are attached to the other platoon, which will begin patrolling the main road up to the midway point between Holdfast and Hayden’s Knoll,” the sergeant responded.
Limitless Lands Book 4: Opposition (A LitRPG Adventure) Page 2
