Blitz
Page 27
“Fine,” he sighed.
“Even better, I have an item that allows me to skip ahead to level one-four and even control when I appear,” I said, closely gauging his reaction. “Cool, huh?”
The gamemaster pursed his lips together, not saying anything.
“I thought so,” I said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do.”
“Wait,” the gamemaster said. “I’ll make you a deal.”
“Oh?” I raised an eyebrow. “Tell me more.”
“You need to kill all three new players at exactly the same time,” he said.
I laughed. “Really? What do you have planned now? Them not having identification numbers really bugs you, doesn’t it? I think it bothers more than me not having one.”
The gamemaster frowned, his brow wrinkling even more.
“You still can’t leave,” he said, calming down.
“Try and stop me.”
I turned and stepped toward the portal to level one-four.
“Wait,” the gamemaster said.
I stopped and sighed, not turning around. “What?”
“You can’t keep bending the game, you’re going to break it.”
“Maybe that’s my way out,” I said. “Anything else?”
“I will find a way to stop you.”
While I couldn’t see his facial expression, I could imagine it.
“Keep trying…”
I walked to the portal to level one-four and stepped through. After stumbling into the brownies trying to take over level one-one as a first level fighter, I’d set Eric up then quickly leveled my new character. As a level twenty fighter, I was far from my previous strength, but I would regain my power and get out of the Tower of Gates.
Careful training had given me enough skills to pass myself off as an assassin. According to all my calculations, that was what Eric would likely choose given the opportunity. Thanks to his father, I knew how his mind worked on many different levels. Keeping him away from Sarah and the dumb one would be important for my new plan. The gamemaster could try to kill them all at the same time on his own.
I appeared on Captain Skids boat, surprising him.
“Who are you?” he asked, standing. “I’m not expecting anyone.”
“Don’t worry,” I said. “Just passing through to Gracoria.”
The skeletal captain pulled a scimitar.
“I asked your name,” he said.
“Really? Don’t you know who I am?”
“No, and you better tell me. Now.”
“But it’s me, Eric.”
“Eric?”
Captain Skids lowered his sword.
“Yeah,” I said, hoping he gave up some information.
“The others told me you died, but I didn’t expect you back so soon.”
“You know me,” I said, smiling.
“I do. Sit down. Time for a drink?”
“No, I should be going.”
“Hold on,” the skeleton player said. “Where’s your bracelet?”
“Bracelet?” I asked.
“Yeah,” he said. “The one I gave you.”
“I lost it,” I said, not knowing what he was talking about.
“You’re not Eric,” he said.
“Maybe not, but you don’t remember anything.”
I waved a hand in front of him, using my Ring of Erase Memories, then activated the first charge of the ring for the day, teleporting toward a familiar beach. Willkommen Island had refused me access to Gracoria as Magi Inyontoo, but they weren’t looking for a low-level warrior. I smiled as I appeared behind a pile of boulders a half-mile from the gate. While I hadn’t been allowed access myself, I had people on the inside.
Even better, I’d trained them with a secret word that would let them know if I was in disguise or appeared to them as someone else. News of my Magi Inyontoo character dying would get out eventually. I wasn’t too worried about that happening. At the same time, the longer the fools guarding Gracoria didn’t know I’d die, the better chance I would have of getting in.
I walked around the boulders and down the beach toward the gate. The mossy, white wall surrounding Willkommen Island couldn’t stop me any longer. I’d make it past their silly obstacle and explore level one-four until I found the Warp Zone. Finding it couldn’t be too difficult. The people who had built it were nowhere near my level of intelligence.
Two guards in chain mail straightened up as I approached. I raised a hand in greeting to let them know I wasn’t holding a weapon. They stepped away from the gate, each of them with a crossbow in their hands. I stopped a decent distance away, hands still raised. Captain Skids had no memories of me coming through his portal. All I needed to do was find a way in.
“Kabashalah,” I said in a low voice.
Both men looked at each other then back to me. One opened his mouth to speak.
“Don’t utter my name,” I said. “Not here. We’ll talk more later, I need to get in now.”
“Sure thing, boss,” the man on the left said.
“Anything else?” the other added.
“Yes, get Grimes out here to greet some people.”
“The yellow robes guy?” the second man asked.
“Yes, him,” I said, wondering how I got anything done with such stupid followers. “Make sure he doesn’t give away my identity either, okay?”
“Got it,” the first man said. “Good to see you.”
He smiled, probably still believing I was working to get him and the others out instead of simply looking for a way to escape the Tower of Gates myself.
“Remember,” I said, putting a finger to my lips. “Keep it on the down low.”
The two guards smiled then went back to the gate. One of them called for someone to let them inside. As they went to retrieve Grimes, I turned, waiting for the rowboat to arrive. Timing everything perfectly to arrive right when they hit level one-four had taken a lot of planning, but all the hard work would pay off.
Between the followers I had on level one-four and passing myself off as Eric, I could quickly get onto the first part of Gracoria and look for the Warp Zone. I still wasn’t exactly sure how I would get through it with the other safeguards they had in place, but if I could at least find it, I could study it more closely.
Having a superior intellect to everyone else made it almost too easy sometimes. I hadn’t killed the newcomers right away, making them think they had a chance against me, but I was done fooling around. They would get me to the higher levels where I could work in earnest on getting out of the game. Escape.
“Welcome, newcomer,” Grimes said.
I turned, resisting an urge to roll my eyes at his ridiculously bright yellow robes. He winked as he stopped near me. The two guards had taken up their posts as the gate closed. I kept my eyes on Grimes, still unsure if I could trust him completely.
“You’ll grant us access, right?” I asked.
He nodded then glanced over his shoulder to the top of the wall.
“You need to act like you don’t know me,” I said.
He leaned forward. “Is it really you?”
“Yes, and we’re getting out of here soon,” I whispered.
He straightened up, a smile spreading across his face.
“They’re here,” he said. “As always, you have perfect timing.”
I turned and saw a boat with four people heading toward the beach.
“Remember,” I said. “You don’t know me. Did you bring the fake newcomers, so I can blend in?”
“They’re coming,” he said, turning around.
I saw three mid-level mages appear near the gate. Their roughshod appearance would help hide the fact they also worked for me. With a bit of luck, my plan would work flawlessly for once. After so many failures, I was tired of messing around. I would escape the Tower of Gates no matter what it took. Nobody could stop me, not even the gamemaster.
As the boat neared the shore, the big, dumb half-orc got out and pulled it out of the water before the
others even got out. His strength would come in handy. I wasn’t completely done with him or Sarah. Once I got what I wanted, I would dispose of them both. They didn’t stand a chance. Grimes stepped toward them.
“Yoohoo, over here!” he shouted in a shrill voice.
I once again resisted rolling my eyes and took a deep breath to get into character. Without convincing them I was Eric, they might not help me find the Warp Zone. To do that, I would tell them I’d appeared early like Sarah and prepared, even finding a clue to finding the hidden Warp Zone. I smiled at my deviousness.
The Tower of Gates would bow to my will.
And then, the world.
Tower of Gates LitRPG Saga
Book 1 - HACK
Book 2 - HATE
Book 3 - HERO
Book 4 - BRUTE
Book 5 - BOOST
Book 6 - BLITZ
Book 7 - LUCK
Book 8 - LOCK
Book 9 - LOST
Book 10 - ENIGMA
Book 11 - ECHOES
Book 12 - ESCAPE
Tower of Gates Standalones
Roguelike
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