The Second Betrayal: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (Divine Apostasy Book 2)

by A F Kay

  “What metals are those?” Qip asked.

  “Mostly lead, zinc, and aluminum,” Tora said. “The next stations, in order, are silver, gold, copper, platinum, and finally terium.”

  “Copper is after silver and gold?” Qip asked.

  “Copper is less valuable, but it’s harder to melt,” Tora said.

  Ruwen had seen the spells for Melt and Harden but hadn’t really given them much thought. He could see how useful they were for the mine, though.

  The plate moved down each station, the metal fragments on the plate slowly decreasing. As the stations continued, the red and blue glow on the Workers’ hands increased as well.

  “Why is there a glass hood for the terium?” Ruwen asked.

  Tora had a huge grin. “That is what’s so amazing, and why I brought you here. It’s something most people don’t know. Terium is a sublimate.”

  Ruwen’s breath caught.

  Qip looked between them. “What does that mean?”

  Ruwen stared at the plate as it moved to the final station.

  Tora tilted her head for a moment in thought. “Okay, you know how ice will melt into a liquid, and then with some heat, it will turn into a gas?”

  Qip nodded.

  “Terium doesn’t have a liquid phase. At least not in these conditions,” Tora said.

  Ruwen’s mind spun.

  “How does it stay solid if it can be turned into a gas at this temperature and pressure?” Ruwen asked.

  Tora shrugged. “Isn’t it incredible? When I found out, I did a ton of research. Terium is naturally a gas. You know what is crazier?”

  Ruwen shook his head.

  Tora continued. “The only way to efficiently switch terium between gas and solid is with Melt and Harden. It makes Workers unbelievably valuable. This mine, all of Deepwell’s wealth, everything, wouldn’t be possible without us.”

  Qip stood up straight. “That is amazing.”

  Ruwen frowned. “If the natural state is gas, then how are we even mining? Why is there any solid terium at all?”

  Tora pointed at him. “That my friend is an excellent question. It doesn’t make sense. There must be some naturally occurring phenomenon that mimics our Harden ability.”

  “Or someone cast a really large Harden spell,” Qip said with a laugh.

  “That would be a big spell. There is solid terium throughout the entire planet,” Tora said.

  The whole planet.

  Before Ruwen’s Ascendancy, he would have laughed. But since then, he had met a goddess, fought in a tier-one dungeon, and created a mile-wide storm by meditating. The world was so much bigger than he could imagine, and the idea of a planet-level spell didn’t surprise him anymore.

  The plate had finished at the platinum stop and moved to the final terium station. The Worker held the plate in her hands. Ruwen squinted at the bright red light coming from her hands. He wondered how much Energy she channeled into the Melt spell.

  After a few moments, what looked like smoke climbed from the metal. Like a critical point had been reached, the metal dissolved, and gas filled the glass hood. As if it matched the exact density of the air, it didn’t rise or fall.

  Ruwen gasped, and he stumbled backward. Qip put a hand on Ruwen’s shoulder to steady him.

  “Are you okay?” Qip asked.

  Ruwen shook his head. He wasn’t okay. Not remotely. He had seen the gas floating in the glass hood before. In fact, he could see it right now if he wanted. All he needed to do was close his eyes and begin meditating.

  Because the glowing white ball of Spirit in his center looked identical to the gaseous terium.

  Chapter 22

  Both Tora and Qip stared at Ruwen in concern. He stood up straight and gave them a small smile.

  “Sorry, it just shocked me. I’m okay,” Ruwen said.

  A notification appeared.

  Gong!

  You have increased your Knowledge!

  Level: 39

  The intelligent know true power is held by knowledge. The wise know knowledge can be dangerous. Greatness is found between them.

  Ruwen rubbed his forehead as he closed the notification. Nothing that he’d learned about terium made sense.

  Tora gave him a long look and then nodded. They all focused on the last pair of Workers again. The man’s hands on the far side of the station glowed a soft blue. Carefully he slid them under the glass hood and held them there. Ruwen triggered Magnify to get a better look.

  Ruwen squinted as the blue glow from the Worker’s hands suddenly filled his vision. The white particles of terium seemed to grow heavy over the man’s hands, and they fell into his palms like snow. The Worker slowly moved his hand around the glass hood, collecting the terium. The particles still moved on his hands, but they couldn’t escape.

  When he had collected all the terium gas, he carefully cupped one hand over the other, and his hands emitted an intense blue light. Ruwen immediately turned off Magnify and blinked his eyes a few times to clear the tears.

  After almost a minute, the blue color faded, and the man opened his hands. A small white ball sat in his palm like a pearl.

  “How do they turn that into bars or coins or weapons or anything?” Qip asked.

  Tora nodded. “Good question, Qip. I’ve never been allowed to see the final processing. My guess is they use Air Mages to create molds. Then either someone figured out the right temperature and pressure to make the terium liquid, or they fill the molds with the terium gas and do something like we just saw. I wish I knew. My curiosity is killing me.”

  Ruwen could sympathize with Tora. He felt the same way.

  “What levels are their Melt and Harden?” Ruwen asked.

  “They need to max out their spell level, and then once they’ve Specialized in Mining at level twenty, they get access to a sixth level of the skill, and that allows them to do that,” Tora said.

  The Worker with the terium bead stood and walked to the wall. Two people materialized, but Ruwen quickly realized they’d been there the entire time. The man and woman didn’t appear to have weapons, and their clothes were a dull grey. Ruwen recognized the style though. They looked just like the clothes he’d been given in Blapy. The Worker opened a door about the size of a hand near his waist. He placed the bead inside it, closed the door, and then returned to his seat.

  “Who were those two?” Ruwen asked, pointing at the wall.

  Tora raised her eyebrows. “You saw them? Your Perception must be high. I usually only see them when they want me to. Like a reminder to behave. Those are Observers. I don’t know what Specializations they are because we rarely see them and never talk to them. They are the silent and invisible force here that keeps everyone honest. You never know if one of them is watching you.”

  When Ruwen looked at the wall again, they’d disappeared.

  “How much was that marble worth?” Qip asked.

  “More than everyone in the room will make in a hundred years. And that was a tiny one. I’ve been here when the end product was bigger than a bandball,” Tora said.

  Qip whistled.

  “Where does it all go?” Ruwen asked.

  “The church runs all this,” Tora said. “Terium is a critical component in the revival process. Without the mine, none of us would have Ascended so quickly. A lot of other countries don’t have this luxury. I’ve heard it takes months to revive in some of the southern countries.”

  Ruwen knew it took months to be revived in some places, but he hadn’t known a reason for that was a lack of terium. While it had incredible monetary value, terium’s contribution to revival gave it a critical importance that far exceeded mere wealth.

  Which, of course, made him think of his parents. They had been part of a group transporting terium. The wealth they were guarding must have been vast, but he still couldn’t believe it would have changed who they were or been enough for them to abandon him.

  “And that is where you come in, my young Band,” Tora said.

&n
bsp; “Me?” Ruwen asked.

  “There are mines scattered throughout these mountains. The priests use us to move the terium to the various churches,” Tora said.

  Ruwen thought about the disaster surrounding his parents. “Do they always use Bands?”

  “No,” Tora said. “A shipment could be urgent, and there might not be any available Bands. Or they could be trying to set an ambush for bandits.” She held up her wrist. “It is very dangerous to have one of these. Everyone thinks you are carrying thousands of terium coins, and they won’t be nice finding out for sure. That’s why most Bands avoid the mines.”

  “Why do you do it then?” Ruwen asked.

  “We all have our own reasons,” Tora said. “You boys ready to head back?”

  They followed Tora back to the floater tunnels. The floater that took them back had a different Air Mage, and this one didn’t try so hard to make them sick. As they approached the door to the room where Ruwen had gotten his green bracer, Tora stopped.

  “This is as far as I go,” Tora said.

  Ruwen crossed his arms over his chest and bowed. “Uru’s blessings, Tora. You have shown us great kindness.”

  Tora waved her hand. “None of that nonsense, we work for a living.” She held out her arm, and Ruwen grasped it. “First drink is on me at the Dizzy Judge. That’s in thanks to you taking my place.”

  Ruwen smiled.

  “The next five are on you in repayment for this stellar tour,” Tora said.

  Tora grabbed Qip’s arm. “You’re my witness, Qip.”

  Qip laughed and nodded.

  The Creation Mage scanned them again on their way out. They really were paranoid here. The Mage pointed at the windows opposite from the ones he’d used on entering. A Worker there checked Ruwen’s green gripper carefully and then removed it with a stone etched in runes.

  “Stand still,” the Worker said.

  The floor vibrated, taking Ruwen’s weight. The Worker looked at what appeared to Ruwen to be a Sketcher and then nodded at Ruwen.

  “You’re good. Up the stairs at the end of this wall,” the Worker said.

  Ruwen thanked him and removed his baton and dagger from his Void Band. He’d felt naked without them. He waited for Qip to get his stuff back, and then they took the stairs at the end of the wall. They passed more guards and had to go through another tunnel that briefly trapped them, but they finally exited the stairs and arrived at the original room they’d entered at the mine.

  They were right next to the bar, on the opposite end from the food. Ruwen heard Qip’s stomach growl, and he smiled at the big man.

  “You want to go outside and look around?” Ruwen asked.

  Qip’s face fell, and Ruwen laughed.

  “I’m kidding. Let’s get something to eat,” Ruwen said.

  They walked to the food and filled plates with meat, potatoes, and bread. Ruwen didn’t take any vegetables but added two cookies. Other than the cooks, there wasn’t anyone else in the room. Qip told stories about his time working with his brother in Stone Harbor and on the Frigid Sea. They were each on their second plate when the rest of the group trickled back from their tours.

  Hamma and Sift sat at their table, and Hamma looked a little sick.

  “Did you get to ride a sled?” Sift asked excitedly.

  “He kept asking them to go faster,” Hamma moaned.

  Sift pointed to a cookie on Ruwen’s plate. “You going to eat that?”

  “There’s a whole tray of them right over there,” Ruwen said.

  Sift took the cookie. “You should go stick the whole tray in your bracelet. These are delicious.”

  “It’s a band. A Void Band. Not a bracelet,” Ruwen said.

  Sift broke the cookie and offered half to Hamma.

  Hamma groaned again. “How can you eat after that ride?”

  Qip sat up straight, and a moment later, Big D appeared beside their table.

  “Did you two enjoy your private tour?” Big D asked.

  Qip remained quiet, so Ruwen answered. “It was amazing.”

  Big D looked down at Sift. “What did you learn about the Fighter Class here?”

  Sift’s eyes grew wide, mirroring Ruwen’s. Sift had no way to get quests.

  “I, uh, didn’t accept the quest because I thought it was only for the new Ascendants,” Sift said.

  Big D held up her right hand, which was full of metal Class symbols. “I’ll still reward you, if you learned anything.”

  Sift twisted his lip. “I would say most of the Fighters I saw were a distraction.”

  Big D tilted her head. “Really? You don’t think they serve as guards?”

  “Maybe a little, but the real security was much harder to see,” Sift said.

  “Very observant, young man. Not what I expected to hear from a Fighter,” Big D said.

  Big D handed Sift a Fighter Class symbol, one inch long, and then faced Hamma.

  “How about you, Hamma?” Big D asked.

  Hamma thought for a second before answering. “I learned the Order Class is involved in the entire process. From cleaning the air the miners breathe, to administrating the operation of the mine, to the use of terium in the revival baths of our temples.”

  “Good,” Big D said and handed her a pin shaped like a heart. “The Order Class shows us that terium is much more than wealth. It is life itself.”

  Big D put a hand on Qip’s shoulder. Ruwen thought the bodyguard looked miserable.

  “What about you, Qip?” Big D asked.

  “Like the boy, I didn’t think the quest was for me,” Qip said.

  “I’m still interested in your answer,” Big D said.

  Qip nodded. “To be honest, Ma’am, I’ve never been prouder. Tora showed us the extraction rooms. None of this would be possible without us.”

  Big D patted his shoulder. “Yes, one of the many things that make Workers special. Few people have seen what you did today. It makes me happy that you did.”

  Big D placed a small metal object shaped like the clasped hands of the Worker in front of Qip. Finally, the small woman looked across the table at Ruwen.

  “And what about you, young man?” Big D asked.

  Ruwen had learned a lot of things today, but the possibility that terium and Spirit were the same things overshadowed everything. Obviously, he couldn’t say that, so he settled on something else he’d realized today.

  “The more I learn, the less I understand,” Ruwen said.

  “Interesting,” Big D said. “I rarely hear wisdom like that from you Bands. Usually, it's all brains and no sense.”

  Both Hamma and Sift nodded.

  “Hey!” Ruwen said. “I have common sense.”

  Hamma and Sift shook their heads, and Big D smiled.

  “You never answered my question, though. What did you learn about the Worker Class here?”

  Ruwen had learned so much about Workers. Not just today, but ever since his Ascendancy. Void Bands alone made them unique among the Classes, and the ability to change terium from solid to gas was extraordinary. Something Blapy had said to him shortly after he’d discovered the book on Harvesting came to mind. They had been talking about knowledge and what constituted power. Blapy had reminded him that there was something more basic than comprehending knowledge: The ability to read it. I’ll let you guess how many of the gods figured that one out and planned for it when constructing their Classes.

  The other Classes might have been special. In fact, Ruwen was sure of it. But, it was undeniable that Uru had taken great care when creating the Worker. His Void Band, Hey You, and manipulating the hardest substance on the planet, were just a few of the things that demonstrated this. Like the sun melting the morning fog, the last of his bitterness evaporated, and the shame he’d carried since his Ascendancy disappeared.

  Ruwen sat up straight. “Workers are valuable and powerful, and we shouldn’t be underestimated.”

  Big D grinned. “That took long enough. For a smart kid, you have a re
ally thick skull.”

  Ruwen glared at Hamma and Sift before they could chime in, and everyone laughed.

  A notification blinked, and Ruwen opened it.

  Ting!

  You have completed the Quest – It Takes All Kinds…

  See Pit Boss Durn for your reward.

  Ruwen closed it and focused on Big D.

  “I suppose I can accept that answer,” Big D said with a wink.

  She leaned across the table and dropped a Class Symbol in front of Ruwen. It fell face up, the two eyes of the Observer Class staring at him. He gasped and leaned away. His eyes locked on the small metal object as his thoughts spun out of control.

  “Oh, I’m sorry. That slipped out of my hand. Forgive an old lady’s clumsiness,” Big D said as she retrieved it. “This is the one I meant to give you.”

  Big D replaced the Observer-shaped item with a Worker one. Ruwen forced himself to look up and meet her eyes.

  “Thank you,” Ruwen said, his throat suddenly dry.

  She knew. Maybe not exactly what Ruwen was, but she knew something. It had probably been his jump over the creek in the middle of camp yesterday. His displayed level didn’t allow it. Big D smiled at him, and it was so friendly, he wondered if maybe she really had made a mistake. Perhaps she didn’t know anything. But Ruwen knew better. His doubt stemmed from her Charisma clouding his judgment.

  Breaking eye contact with Big D, he picked up his quest reward and read the notification.

  Tring!

  You have discovered a blessing from Uru…

  Name: Class Symbol of Radiance (Worker)

  Quality: Uncommon

  Durability: 15 of 15

  Weight: 0.12 lbs.

  Effect: Emits light proportional to channeled Energy.

  Effect: Adheres to any surface. Bond strength equal to Mana used minus surface instability.

  Description: Attach with Mana and power with Energy for a blazing reminder of your importance to Uru. May your path always be visible.

  He placed the Class Symbol of Radiance in his Void Band. It would be nice to have an attachable light source he could control.

  Ruwen looked up to find Big D had moved to the next table, and he relaxed. As he glanced around the room, his gaze locked with Slib’s. Slib sat with his bodyguard, the man that had ambushed them on their way to the Lodge, and glared at Ruwen. Slib opened his hand, and fire danced in his palm.