Isekai Magus: A LitRPG Progression Saga

by Han Yang

  “Ah… A thousand per, and we’re out of your jungle come tomorrow,” I said with a charming smile.

  “You’re lucky your charisma is so high.” Her reply caused me to frown. She chuckled with a snorting head shake. “You need to work on your intelligence, though, your little brain was spinning for quite some time before you deduced my bartering position,” she said. I shrugged with a smile. “A thousand per. I’ll round it up to twenty thousand to include the ninety three orcs.”

  I wanted to argue but knew better. The orcs were likely a non-budge issue also. One thing to fight them fairly and win. Another to catch them in a weakened state and slaughter them. These would go straight to the war front with the Koor army.

  If I was right, the Nara Kingdom was in big trouble and these minotaurs would be incredibly powerful.

  “There’s five sloth type creatures in the mist. You want to buy them too?” I asked.

  “Banyous, they’re called Banyous. They eat the tops of trees and are lumbering jungle giants. They’re relatively useless with their lazy nature, thin hide, and you have to constantly feed them. You can avoid all those problems by turning them into skeletons. The jungle has enough, and the council will not care if you convert them,” Ambassador Treolina said.

  “Twenty thousand Zorta for the minotaurs, the orcs, and we leave tomorrow,” I offered.

  The big minotaur turned and walked to her party, yelling at the weak orcs and minotaurs to load into the wagons they had brought. The sassy female minotaur from before delivered four sacks of Zorta at my feet.

  A few minutes later, the delegation sped by the tail end of our caravan.

  “Damn,” Tarla said, coming to my side. She wore custom created mage’s robes, and I glanced down at her with a smile. “I wanted wagons.”

  “We’ll implement a run and walk rotations, including us. I want to stay in fighting shape even if luxuries of being a leader allow me to slouch.” I kissed her forehead, turning to see Nee talking with a new recruit. Yermica watched with Asha at her side. “Yermica!”

  “Coming, Boss.”

  Her feet scuffed the cobblestone, and her growing belly added another complexity to our logistical problems. A lot of our females were pregnant and we had children, far more than a war party should. It was another logistical problem I wasn’t sure if we should address.

  Babies meant more warriors, and we wouldn’t always be in a densely populated jungle. I needed the fighting power, and I could only imagine the backlash I’d get for trying to control reproductive rights.

  “How many goblins joined our tribe since yesterday’s report?” I asked.

  “Umm… at least a few thousand. Too many to process. We don’t have enough room for them. Almost all of them are starving level ones. We went through two full wagons of food feeding them,” Yermica said this last line hesitantly.

  My order had been clear; fatten the goblins into a healthy weight. Their body could handle the quick transformation after a day or two of comatose.

  “Change of plan. New recruits eat minimally to start but assign them two rotations of riding one of walking. Elder tribe members will get two rotations of walking, one of riding. Everyone sleeps for four hours,” I ordered.

  “As you command, Boss.” She pointed to the fading sun and said, “After camp, I can set up a schedule. This morning, we had our first orcs ask for sanctuary, the young kind. Normally they abuse trolls and goblins, creating unwanted children.”

  “No reason to dance around it. They rape lesser species?” I asked, and she nodded.

  “Can’t be having that,” Tarla said.

  I nodded, shaking my head in disgust. “We’re about to hit centaur lands where the males rape mares constantly. I guess we just have to pick our fights. Allow them in with rules. No violence and rape. Unless you think they’ll not follow said doctrine. If they won’t reject their claims. How about the new trolls not in the tribe yet?”

  “They’re converting to Tribe Moonguard quickly,” Yermica said. “We have Caitlyn’s church on a matogator. We set it down every time we stop and then stick mud around the base to make it a permanent structure. They go in, swear fealty, and then they’re tribe members. While that is great, we need a whole lot of supplies… for everyone. Especially with winter coming.”

  “Understood. Assign some helpers. I’ll be sending an advance team in a few days to visit Xastriban ahead of us. We shouldn’t get snow before then.”

  Tarla playfully swatted my arm. “Careful what you say. I’m going to release the cats. We need food now, and Zhogath is wanting to hunt.”

  She left, taking Yermica with her. My constant need to be surrounded by guards bugged me, but I let the issue fade. Asha parted the white haired dwarves and gnomes, coming to stand by my side.

  “Tarla said they paid handsomely.” Asha said.

  The two of us watched the caravan roll by. I rocked on my feet, knowing we would be out of the jungle by the next day.

  “The juice was worth the squeeze. Except without a market to use, it’s worthless. The good news is that I can almost get necromancer seven,” I said.

  “You sure that’s the best use of our Z?”

  I huffed out a long exhale. “Nope. Uncertainty reigns supreme in my head. As to the current influx of goblins, well, I was hoping to make great timing and use an extra hour after we stopped to train. That won’t happen now,” I said.

  “Nick will get us wagons. If not, we just march slower. I’d have to imagine that Prince Tao and his army are going to be slow as well,” Asha said.

  “My goal was to catch them, not siege Tarb.”

  He shrugged, patting me on the back. “I’m going to take Charlie to scout the Great Plains. If you would be so kind, let me take a contingent of crossbow trolls.”

  “Hunting?” I asked.

  “Yeah, I’ll need the last ten houseless matogators too,” Asha said.

  I nodded. “Take a few knights and horses so I can join you and check in.” I smirked. “How’s Charlie?”

  “Fit as ever. Ready to go. So… Boss. I get saving Bell, I really do, but are we going to march back to Seqa with snow on the ground?” Asha asked.

  I frowned, tapping my chin. “I enjoyed Tarb, and I didn’t. I enjoyed Seqa and I didn’t. One thing is clear. There hasn’t been a place besides on a deserted island that I’ve found peace. Even then, everything wanted to kill me.”

  “Yeah, maybe you should go home…”

  I sighed, considering that very option. I decided to swap the topic. “How come the elva didn’t farm?”

  “We did, just very minimally. Our secrecy is maintained by our small footprint. Many other hunters of various species ventured near, or through our lands, but we simply let them go, thinking the area devoid of life,” Asha said.

  “Makes sense, and I find that smart for a reclusive race. Send out hunters instead of building a massive target. Koor… Koor has no fear. Humans are too detached from Ostriva ways to realize what this jungle has become. It's literally a massive Z farm…” I said, trailing the word.

  Asha folded his arms with a nod and said, “Not our farm either. I think now that we’re this far from Koor, and after you rescued the young, they’ll allow Lumpy and his crew wreaking havoc. However, minotaurs are a race you want to be friendly with.

  “I find it humorous that both times they’ve dealt with you, they see you as an ant not even worth crushing. They’ll likely notice that you’ve proven a capable general. Run when you must, fight an easy win, and fortify on a close call.”

  “Thanks, I tend to rush into danger when in a skeleton though,” I said and he smirked.

  “Think about going home, Damien, there are only so many lucky breaks and greedy generals who abandon sound tactics. One day you might get squashed like an ant, and… I like living,” Asha said with a stern tone and a solid slap on my shoulder.

  He left my inner circle and I saw the last of the wagons approaching. My carriage waited off to the side for me to finis
h off my spell.

  “Finish the deed, Mini,” I ordered.

  My gaze shifted down, watching the neatly cobbled road while I pondered the recent changes. Taking a moment for myself, I checked my available upgrades. I went down the list, improving everything I could. For whatever reason, the big changes were my intelligence and wisdom. If I had to guess, reading more had helped.

  Name: Damien Moonguard

  Race: Human

  Affiliation: Nordan

  Zorta: 9187.811

  Nordan Score: 23,314,551

  Ostriva Score: 1,409,050

  Location: Quari Jungle

  Magic Type: Healer

  Healer Level: 12

  Magic Type 2: Necromancer

  Necromancy Level: 6

  Necromancer Minions: 2307/2750

  Fighting Level: Decent

  Mana: 300/300

  Mana Recharge: 9

  Strength: 14

  Stamina: 13

  Dexterity: 11

  Constitution: 15

  Willpower: 14

  Cultivation: 26

  Intelligence: 40

  Wisdom: 40

  Charisma: 30

  Tracking: 13

  Endurance: 14

  Perception: 19

  Burst: 13

  Reflex: 12

  Healing: 11

  Melee Combat: 11

  Aim: 6

  Hunger: 3

  Thirst: 4

  Aging: 59 years until death.

  I felt a gut punch. My strength, endurance, and other stats attributed to being physically active had gone down. I assumed I had never got a refund and returning to those level would be free of a fee, but it did prove a point.

  There also wasn’t any reason for me to pout. Exercise was needed in this realm, and I had best get used to that fact.

  I walked over to a smiling Tarla who held the door open for me. Deep in the blighted woods, loud cries from five big banyous being slaughtered reached our ears. This was the way, and it wasn’t like they had much life left anyway. My only regret was that we lacked the time to skin them.

  I sat down at the table, getting myself comfortable. “Zorta is power, life is divine. Zorta is power, life is divine. Zorta is power, life is divine.”

  A knock at the door stalled my spell. I adjusted, condensing my power and increasing the strength of my brewing magic.

  “Yes,” Tarla said.

  “It’s me, Nick. The griffin and dragon just flew over. They dropped a message.”

  Our wagon already jostled, leading us away from the area where all the remaining banyous and other animals were dying.

  I finished increasing my spell, calling upon the domination effect. The duo roiled in, begging to be unleashed. When the timing was right, I washed the entire area with my spell.

  The power caused the rams tugging my carriage to call out in submission.

  “You’re growing more powerful,” Nick said, still outside the carriage.

  I’d find out in a moment if we needed to turn the carriage into the blight. Tarla propped the door open, and the big minotaur climbed in.

  Tarla accepted the note, moving the chair away from the other end of the table so Nick could kneel. The big minotaur asked for the note back, and I nodded.

  I received forty seven pings in my display.

  You have connected to 21 parrots, 11 goblins, 10 rabbits, and 5 banyous. Select (ALL) (GROUP) (SINGLE) and consume or claim.

  I rotated, seeing the goblins were in the green icons near the banyous. I selected group, highlighting green on goblins and banyous, and then red on everything else.

  You have selected 11 goblins and 5 banyous to become minions for 93.334 Zorta. Confirm (YES) - (NO)

  I selected yes, and the reaper slid out my back. “It was getting angsty in there, thanks for the break. I like the changes you're experiencing though.”

  He gave an over the shoulder wave before sliding out of the carriage. It was odd to not watch the transformation for once. The magical thunder boomed in the distance, and I knew the ghouls stripped the dead.

  I headed to a viewport on the door.

  My revived minions rode their mounts around my carriage, their suppressed memories kept them a tad zombie like. I ignored them and said, “Tell Nee that the Archa Queen had dead goblins I revived,” I shouted, and one of them bounded forward. I slid the viewing window closed with a thunk, turning to Nick. When I was seated again, I said, “And?”

  “Umm… I think the humans have bad information. The Prince is requesting a parlay, saying he wishes to purchase the lives of his lost soldiers back. He is offering twenty Z per… How quaint,” Nick said.

  “Is that it?” Tarla said.

  “Well, no, he’s offering his troops returned to life in exchange for Bell,” Nick said. Before I could say it, my minotaur friend added, “You likely killed someone important. Most of the parchment is wasted space. The final bit says he’ll be in Litroo if you refuse and change your mind.”

  “Daddy is going to be pissed,” I said.

  “Likely,” Tarla agreed. “Best you write down all the names of the knights on your roster. I can send a reply that it costs ten thousand Zorta and a god to make an undead a real person again.”

  I shook my head. “He knows that. This is an opening step, and a way for him to monitor our army. I highly doubt he actually wants to trade Bell. He wants to barter and then decline the cost, keeping an eye on us the whole time,” I said with a sigh.

  “Is there no one special in our knights, then?” Tarla asked.

  I snapped my fingers, thinking I had found the answer. “There’s reinforcements coming. I could be wrong, and I bet they’re a ways away, but…”

  “A sound theory,” Nick said. “If they haven’t returned home, I’ll know when I head back to Xastriban.”

  I left my seat, sliding open the viewport. “Raise the black flag.”

  “No talking, interesting,” Nick said. “If there are reinforcements, they’d be weeks out.”

  “Likely, but the other option could be that your people have been hired,” Tarla said.

  “Oh…” Nick said awkwardly. “A possibility. Father would have argued against such notions, but General Karde is his own minotaur. I highly doubt that is it. Clearly, the enemy has burned their chances with the orcs. I also doubt they have the funds to hire the general. He’d want more gold than they have. The cyclops, not likely. A troll army in the south maybe. Or… he could be negotiating and needs your position at all times.”

  I danced my fingers across the table in frustration.

  “Either way, I’ll adjust. We’ll go deeper into the great plains before turning south.” I said, and then ordered my minions from the mists to return. “We’ll lose a day or two, but the safety seeing around us for miles should help.”

  “The herds will be settling down for winter. They’ll certainly be willing to trade and you can easily crush a few tribes if you so choose,” Nick said.

  I could feel the banyous running to catch up to our caravan. Their skeletons must have weighed more than an elephant.

  When I propped open a window, I saw the massive creatures towering over the nearby trees. Their long bodies ran almost like a dog with six legs. Thick bones and their sheer weight would make them tough to kill as minions.

  “First time we stop, I’ll need to upgrade these banyous. Sad that the enemy is hovering so close to us. I was hoping to follow the jungle, stripping the trees of life as we go south. I can still do that, but with increased risk. I think Asha will help us find something worthy to tide over our food needs and -”

  A knock on the side of the wagon distracted my sentence.

  “It’s Famo, Boss! I got a great idea!” The dwarf said excitedly.

  CHAPTER 66

  The Great Plains

  The warm sun fought the cool breeze as I reflected on the last five days. At first, I had fought Famo’s great idea, I really did, and then - by the time we exited the jungle - I came arou
nd to the concept. I had spent at least an hour canvassing the banyou frames with Famo while he went over his plans.

  Famo’s scheme was to relocate our siege force. Even the stolen siege weapons of the orcs would get a really nice range boost. I mulled over the decision because the sloth giants would be great at wrecking infantry. Our siege weapons already had decent reach. However, it could be the difference between controlling a battlefield and losing on it.

  When Famo offered to live on the platforms with worker goblins, that sealed the deal. The process took time and we lost two full days at the edge of the jungle to properly convert the banyous.

  The dwarves abandoned their wagons, freeing up a whole lot of storage space. Banyou one through four became massive walking platforms. Their decking was full trees stripped of vegetation and bound thick to thin with jungle vines. Mud evened out the rows of decking, and I was glad I upgraded each of the behemoth minions to three for eight hundred Zorta.

  Once the decking was installed, it created a large platform. The space was vast enough that the siege weapons were emplaced up high. The dwarves built foldable ramps at the back ends of the large sloths and a few ropes hung between gaps in the flooring. After the upgrades to the undead sloths, they towered over tree tops. Their thick six-legs helped support their immense size and our burdening weight.

  Even though the banyous were naturally slow, they could keep up with a wagon with only a modest jarring during the ride.

  The effort was intense, but we were never short on labor. With hard work, we managed to build semi even decking across each of the banyou’s backs. As a final touch, a few of the nicer huts were stolen off matogators and placed on top of the giants.

  The fifth banyou became my personal carrier. My carriage was stripped off the frame, converting the old platform into a flatbed. The upper half went up the ramp to my private deck and became a home above ground.

  The new placement allowed in some air through the bottom that we had to mud up. At first, I was concerned it wouldn’t fit on top of the long sloth’s frame, but when it was finished, the hastily constructed platform was at least half the size of a football field.