Isekai Magus: A LitRPG Progression Saga

by Han Yang

  A sign reading Kesso’s Gaming & Rooms hung over a four-step entryway. A series of lads grabbed our reins when we neared the inner courtyard of the hotel. The building rose at least twenty stories tall with raw stone stacked thickly on top of each other.

  The interior of the courtyard was composed of brown and black granite with a slate like surface. Bell hurried inside while I waited with the horses.

  “So, if I wanted a nice stallion, where would I go?” I asked.

  A young man looked at me like I was crazy. He pointed back the way we came. “In the tunnel, turn left at the vendor market.”

  “Thanks,” I said, seeing Bell already coming back out.

  “Seventh floor with great views for ten Z or the fifteenth floor for five?” Bell asked.

  I shifted off my mare, getting down. “Seventh is fine,” I said, shifting to aid Tarla in getting down. “Are you going to be okay shopping on your own?”

  “After I see the room, yes,” she said.

  “It’s a gold per stable slot per day,” the attendant said.

  I went to pay, but Bell hollered, “Get a wagon slot for 7-D.”

  “Five per,” he said.

  Bell ran out to hand him the right coins. She then went back in to get our key.

  The hectic atmosphere reminded me of checking in at a busy hotel on Earth. The flow of people, the roar of a cheering crowd, and the bustling staff only added to the complexity.

  We arrived inside an odd barroom with a check in desk. The front half of the store held a few patrons eating meals, giving a sense of a calm restaurant. However, the backside was jammed with guests watching an arena match from floor level.

  The translucent wall rose ten-feet high and had to be magical, allowing the spectators to view two mythical bear men wrestling.

  Bell and Tarla waited patiently while I admired the barroom. Most of the construction was stone with a few fine wooden pieces for decoration. The wafting smell of roasting meat mixed with spilled mead had me licking my lips.

  Bell grabbed my sleeve, taking us to a stairwell.

  She said, “They do things slow here. A match an hour with no matches in the middle of the night. There’s a five-minute introduction with twenty minutes of bet setting. That’s how the city earns. They tax the bets, the rooms, and the market. Which, by the way, is better than Tarb.”

  Tarla pinched my butt as we went up the clean stairwell. I wasn’t shocked to see it made entirely from stone.

  “I take it they use stone for cleanliness?” I asked.

  “Geomancers are expensive. Remember Matty?” She paused at a flight of stairs. I nodded. “She dreamed of Tooties being like this one day. Each of these stairs are seamed together. Even to do a single stair is a day’s worth of mana. To do a whole building like this was probably ten thousand Z in mana recharges and years of work. If I had to guess, a lot died on both sides after the cataclysm, and their essence went into building structures like this.”

  “It sure is impressive,” I said, running my hand along the banister. “When I go shopping tomorrow, where do I send our purchased goods?”

  “We paid for a wagon slot under the building,” Bell said. “7-D is the room. It’s real easy to have the goods delivered to Kesso. Remember 7-D. They’ll do the rest.” She inhaled deeply in a satisfied manner. “I miss big cities.”

  “Me too,” Tarla said. “Visiting is nice. I did notice we can’t visit the noble’s market.”

  “We’ll be fine making do,” I said in a positive way.

  When we arrived on the seventh floor, a team of workers in maid outfits waited at the end of the hall. One of the gals, with golden locks and blue eyes, rushed forward to help us into our room.

  “My name’s Misty. If you need anything, just holler out the hall, and we’ll fetch it for you,” Misty said.

  “Three meals, a pitcher of ale, and a book on local history since the cataclysm,” I said.

  One of the young men in a butler outfit nodded, running over with a palm out. Bell placed a shiny coin in his palm, causing the lad to gulp.

  “After the meal costs, give yourself a tip. Then buy a bunch of books for Lord Damien,” Bell said.

  “Spend all of it?” he asked, stupefied.

  “Yup. 7-D has a wagon slot. Bring the one book back for Lord Damien and have a librarian pick out books for a new library,” Bell ordered.

  He nodded and left, Misty eyeing him with a sigh.

  “First day and you stick a palladium coin in his palm. Should be interesting. The hotel will cover any issues if they arise. Your room faces the arena, and I always say this; betting must be done by you, not through us. You can pay a fee to have a bet taker come to you, but we cannot facilitate your gambling. Lastly, the cage on the balcony exists for a reason. Try not to drop your drink. It is slanted and even the tables have catches.”

  “Is that all?” Tarla asked.

  “Enjoy your stay,” Misty said, cuing into her dismissal.

  We entered the lavish suite and saw lush carpet, wooden chairs, and a nice table. The overbearing stone had been finally removed to make the place seem more like home. Colorful decorative pillows sat on a couch that looked uncomfortable.

  Diverting my attention to the only door, I saw a massive four post bed with a tiny dresser next to the wall.

  “Damn, that bed could sleep ten,” I muttered.

  “I’ll set pillows and take half,” Bell said, avoiding the ‘who sleeps on the couch’ discussion.

  The room even had an attached bathroom with plumbing.

  “How do they get water pressure?” I asked.

  “How does water get in here for the shower and the toilet?” Bell asked, and I nodded. “Water mages walk to the roof and fill reservoirs that use gravity. My class has a lot of uses in a city. Come on, the next fight is starting.”

  “Sweet, excitement,” Tarla said, rubbing her hands together.

  “Actually, you and I are going shopping,” Bell said, and Tarla groaned. “We’re shopping for you know what. There’s a few gold coins on the counter if you want to gamble. Back soon.”

  The ‘you know what’ piqued my interest, but before I could ask, both ladies left awash in giggles. They were happy, and I didn’t want to spoil their mood.

  I headed to the balcony, hearing a broadcaster announce a fight between a spider queen with ten minions versus three knights. I was a bit surprised when the arena bellowed that the odds were starting at even.

  Taking my seat, I noticed at least a few thousand other spectators in balconies like mine. I was impressed by the grandeur of the space. So many balconies faced the arena with a slight decline that it reminded me almost of a square opera house. My seat was bolted down, and a high, thin rail protected idiots from falling.

  Down below, the main arena seating went three stories high. The flat benches - stepped up - at an incline, and the lack of free space, told me this venue normally drew a crowd. I gazed down, and waited for the excitement, and then waited some more as the betting continued, the odds changing only a smidge.

  The betting phase must have been torturous on the competitors. I cheered when the central part of the arena lifted with a trembling might. A plateau formed, and only a sole announcer stood in the middle.

  I saw the spider queen and her spiderlings tense, weapons no longer lazily being held. The ten minions spread out, arranging themselves randomly. I wasn’t sure who would win, but I did see a poise and determination in their movements.

  On the other side, one of the knights checked the other two, and all three dropped visors. Without a doubt, these were eager warriors. They patted each other confidently as if new and not worried. Their horses nickered and stomped the hard, dusty terrain until billows of dust lifted.

  I grew excited for the small scale battle and wished I could have bet on the knights. I’d fought spiderlings before and knew their prowess was lacking. I had also fought them when they couldn’t cast very well, and they routed quickly. The knights had runic
armor and valiant steeds.

  A knock on the door almost interrupted the start.

  I pulled out a dagger, not overly concerned while still being cautious. Misty let me know it was my food.

  I hollered for her to enter and set it on the main dining table. She noticed I was alone and asked if I needed a companion.

  I politely declined and grabbed an ale quickly, plopping back into my seat just in time.

  The announcer shouted, “Three, two, one… BEGIN!”

  The cavalry did what I expected, bursting into an epic charge with lances high to the crowd. The arena stretched for a mile or two, allowing plenty of time for the horses to pick up speed.

  A spiderling ran for the plateau that provided the only cover in the large arena. The spider queen and her group backed up to the far wall until it was at their backs. I frowned, not hating the concept, but not sure how swords would stop the cavalry.

  Sure, they wouldn’t charge head on, but maybe from an angle? The moment the three knights in their tight formation passed the middle plateau, the single spider unleashed a spike of ice.

  A blue shield flared over the lead horse. The shielding bursting the ice magic apart in a dazzling display. The crowd cheered and yea, I slurped some ale at the show. I had to wonder how much of the fight was scripted if any at all.

  The knights ignored the lone spiderling. The trio weaved left to set up a charge against the back wall.

  “She should have used the corner,” I grumbled. “Why aren’t you using magic?”

  The spider queen and the knights both didn’t react until the last second. The spiderlings ran out of the way, abandoning the queen to her fate.

  I gasped, figuring she was doomed.

  The queen leaped up, sticking to the wall higher than the knights’ lances could reach. The knights hastily cast, flinging a fireball, an arcane bolt, and a lightning strike.

  These knights were powerful, their spells far greater than what Tarla could manage. Each of the three forms of magic crashed into the queen.

  Her blue shield died with her. The spider’s torso exploded, becoming a gory mess that stained upon the wall.

  The knights fixated on the destruction, even cheering while gazing upon the dead enemy leader. The spiderlings swirled magic the entire time and conjured a dirt wall. At least three of them had to be geomancers.

  The horses couldn’t stop in time, and the knights continued to proudly gaze up at their target. One second they rode a mount, the next they hit a wall at full charge.

  Crack!

  A shudder quaked through the arena, the crash into the erected wall affecting even my chair. The horrific sight created an incredible cheer from the crowd.

  Impressive and terrifying. These are trained strivians. Their size deceived even me.

  The wall burst into bits of gray and brown. Each rider and horse separated, tumbling across the arena. Not wasting a second, the spiderlings rushed forward. Their four legs surged with power, flicking up tufts of dry terrain.

  I watched their mad dash, knowing none of the knights had a healer. One of the spiderlings meditated, linking to the queen’s orb. I gulped my beer greedily, knowing what was coming.

  Unable to contain myself, I plopped the ale onto the railed end table, and I stood, cheering with the rest of the crowd. The spiderlings reached the fallen knights and finished their gruesome work and slaying the humans.

  The heavens roiled in anger. The bright day beamed down a horrifically bright light and -

  BOOM!

  Across the arena, a cacophony of blue, shimmering shields strained against the wash of unkempt magic. When the spider queen returned to full form, she looted the dead, not touching the orbs, only the gear.

  Not a single loss. All because the enemy focused on the big target while ignoring the grunts.

  I had to think back on my fight with Tela. All those spiderlings were an untrained mob, unable to cast because they were so crowded. These soldiers were skilled and highly trained. I was impressed and would have to consider if the old adage of ‘kill the enemy leader and win’ was always valid. I certainly knew Charlie preferred that; the warhorse had done something similar in our tunnel fight, fixating on Tela.

  Yeah, I certainly was excited to get a new mount and to see what epic fight happened next.

  CHAPTER 46

  Lind Kingdom

  “You sure?” Tarla asked, trying to hold my hand longer.

  I grinned down at the delightful woman, pulling away to reach the door.

  “I spent all evening watching strivians, humans, and god knows what else kill each other yesterday. You girls literally shopped until you dropped.” I playfully shook my head with a snicker. “Even when we marched hard for hours, you didn't snore that hard.”

  Tarla’s brows raised, and her cheeks puffed. “Damien Moonguard, you do not tell a lady she snores. It is not true.” Her finger wag didn’t help her case.

  “I guess the farts at night don’t exist either?” I snickered playfully.

  She swatted my arm, not actually mad.

  “We saved a hundred and fifty Z for you to use shopping for animals,” Bell said, giggling at the silly banter.

  “I thought we had four hundred and something Z?” I asked in astonishment.

  “Indeed, we did,” Bell said.

  Tarla rolled her eyes happily when I affectionately kissed her cheek a hundred times. “You two… I’m trying to be serious. Wagons were cheap, and I may have grabbed a nicer one than needed, but it can be used with the portals or outside the church.”

  “That’s excellent news. So… where did all the Z go?”

  Tarla fidgeted and said, “We’re running low on the cloth and wool from the dwarves. We bought some finer cloth for soft sheets and less,” she tapped her chin, finding the right word, “gruff appearances.”

  “We don’t need fine clothing,” I grumbled.

  “I want a damn dress when we’re at home. And I’m not alone in that want,” Tarla said, not snapping, but asserting herself. I knew how this argument went and wisely kept my mouth shut. “Look, Damien, it’s time to realize we’re not going to Earth tomorrow no matter what we do. I called this place home because it is our home for the foreseeable future.”

  Bell immediately swapped gear. “Then there was the cost for the winter jackets. We’re going to experience winter soon, and only so many are buying the furs now. Best to buy them while we can and while they’re cheap. I tried to hire some crew, but no one was interested in traveling away from Lind, and to be fair, I didn’t disclose much,” Bell said.

  “Then there’s the tools,” Tarla added, and Bell nodded. “Cheap and in surplus. All Seqa has is mining gear and a few hatchets. We can turn on another smelter now, add a carpentry shop, and we even bought some fishing gear.”

  “I guess it all adds up quickly. The struggles of starting a new city. Alright, so, you ladies coming, or are you going to relax?” I asked.

  “Relax,” they said in unison.

  “Hey…” I hesitated. “Thanks for shopping. I know it's a risk for me to go out.”

  “No one followed us, and no one cares about Ostriva points here,” Tarla said with a sigh. “If we didn’t have a home, this would do nicely.”

  “I get it, I really do. Alright, be safe, and if I get into trouble, I’m running for the portal and my minions, not here,” I said.

  “No issues from the minions?” Bell asked.

  “No issues so far,” I said, taking my leave.

  I snatched the sack of Zorta off the counter, tucking it into an interior pocket. When I left the room, Tarla bolted the door behind me. The trip down the stairs had me reflecting on when I had last been alone in a city.

  The last city I had been in was Tarb, but I started thinking about Stri, the minotaur city.

  I wondered how that siege went and reminded myself that I should plan a trip to see Oskatriver. The big minotaur probably had an excess of Z for books.

  If anything, this t
rip emphasized how important trading was for us. It also showed the benefits of using the portal. Having neighbors to trade with would make a big difference. Of course, I realized there were enemies all around us. Arax was hunting me. Clearing the centaurs to find a route south might lead to issues too. Those were problems for another day.

  I exited the hotel, seeing the scattered clouds obscuring the sun. I flashed one of the lads a claim token, and he raced to get me a horse. Even if I wasn’t in fine armor, I didn’t want to walk among the masses.

  My face dropped when he arrived with a happy Charlie who continuously neighed proudly. The horse had clearly been up to something mischievous.

  “I tried to get one of the mares, but he scared them back. You’re welcome to try to swap them,” the young man said, handing me the reins.

  “Ha, no. He’d bite me for trying to pen him up again. Thanks for saddling him,” I said, sticking a foot in a stirrup.

  A few minutes later, we walked into the busy traffic of the capital. I stopped by a book shop along the way, picking up a cheap book on the mythical creature of Nordan. Its aged and weathered cover spoke of a time before the cataclysm.

  I then found a nice battle staff for a fire mage. At least the salesman told me it was impressive and a great deal. In actuality, it likely wasn’t because he had thrown in the book for free. The sentiment mattered. I returned to see the store guards admiring Charlie.

  When they asked about his heritage, I frowned, saying I didn’t know. The commoners did glance at Charlie a lot, and I had to wonder if I was making a mistake by replacing him.

  No, no I was not.

  I laughed to myself. The horse eyed me as if he knew my thoughts. I didn’t see gryphons, dragons, or wyverns in the sky, and if I did see them, I doubted a hundred and thirty-five Z would cover their cost.

  After we crossed into the tunnel, I felt eyes on me - not the kind watching the man on the nice horse eyes either. I scanned over both shoulders.

  “Hmm…” I muttered, clearly seeing I was being followed. “What an odd turn of events.”