“Look... The left one seems to be smiling... The other is growling,” Ivan noticed, keeping a safe distance.
The first head had a calm, even serene expression on its face while the hair on the second head was tousled and mouth spread wide in a cold grin.
“Rat!” I shouted at the pet who was greedily looking at the corpse and moving toward the shin bone that still had some meat on it. “What if it’s poisoned?”
The rodent snorted in displeasure but moved away, accidentally bumping into the third table in the process. The table swayed and the dagger almost fell to the floor. I managed to catch it at the last moment and took a look at it. It seemed decorative rather than practical. I doubted that it’d scare anyone away so I wondered why it even existed.
Turning it around in my hands, I hoped that the System would, at least once, give me a proper description of an item.
But it didn’t.
Eye of the Desert
Dagger
“And? What’s it for? How does one use it? Come on, give me something!”
***
While studying the greenish glass hanging of the dagger’s hilt, I happened to glance at the two tables through it. A description appeared above them in shiny text.
One will show the way, the other will bring dismay.
To activate, drive the dagger into the selected head.
Cooldown: 2 months
“Ivan, look at this,” I said and beckoned him over.
He read the message and froze. Then he carefully examined each head, hoping to find something that could help us. But no such luck.
“So, what now?” he asked.
“Fifty-fifty chance of fucking it up... I suggest we don’t mess with it. The Compass will show us where the fragment is.”
“Are you serious?!” he exclaimed, surprised. “Just ignore a riddle? What if the ‘correct’ head tells us some useful info about the Giant for example? And what can a severed head do to us anyway? Spit at us? Spew profanities? Oh, I’m sooo scared! No, no, we’re doing this, man.”
I looked at him. To tell that I wasn’t curious would be a lie.
“Okay,” I said and grinned. “Which one?”
He looked at the heads once more.
“I mean... The second one doesn’t look like it’s up to any good, is all I’m saying...”
I gave it a thought. He had a point. Everything about the second head screamed that it was a bad choice. However, knowing the Game and the System, and the fact that a light mage tried to kill us while the demon tried to help us... Nothing here was black and white.
“Don’t think about it too much. If anything happens, I’ll smash the head with my club,” Ivan assured me.
“Okay... Just... Be ready to act.”
Unsheathing the scimitar and calling the Rat over, I carefully approached the first table and sank the dagger into the smiling head. It immediately came to life and spoke as if nothing had happened.
“And I told him that I was tired of his foolishness! Just think about it! He wanted to cast a spell on me and see what would happen... I don’t think that’s normal!”
We stared at the talking head, which, despite the fact that it had no body and that a dagger was sticking out of its skull, continued to talk. Then, as if realizing that it had an audience, it stopped and looked at us.
“Where’s Dolk-Krovar-ps?”
“I... W-We don’t know,” Ivan stammered, clutching his bat.
“Ah... First time resurrecting a head? Well... Welcome. My name’s Loris. You’re lucky that you chose me and not my good-for-nothing brother... Move that stick away, big guy, you’re gonna poke someone’s eye out!”
Ivan obediently put the club aside.
“Hi, Loris,” I said. “My name’s Loki, and this is Ivan.”
“Nice to meet you two! Hopefully, you two turn out to be good folk... There’s all sorts of people walking about... One of them tried to put a curse on me! But that’s another story... You, Ivan, pick me up, will you? It’s not very convenient to talk to someone whose face I can’t see... I’d lean my head back but... Lack of neck and all that...”
Nodding, Ivan walked over to the table and carefully picked up the head.
“I just realized something...” the head said once it was at the level of Ivan’s shoulders. “You two are idiots!”
A tendril burst from the head and buried itself into Ivan’s shoulder. With a laugh, Loris slid out of Ivan’s hands and slammed itself into his torso, merging with it. Ivan went limp as his body and mind fell under Loris’s control. Picking up the club, he rushed to the nearest wall. I followed, but Loris, pressing an invisible button, disappeared into a passage.
Wrong head.
“Yeah, no shit, Sherlock!”
***
I had no idea where Ivan/Loris was. Running up to the well, I began to randomly tap on the stone in search of the button. But I couldn’t find it.
“Damn it!”
Third Eye was of no use. The lightning that had struck the tower had knocked out a few stones and turned the wall black, making it even more difficult to locate the button.
I worked on the wall for about five minutes. Finally giving up, I cursed, called Rat, and ran in the direction of the next floor hoping that Loris would appear somewhere within the Tower and not just sit in some hidden corridor. Before I reached the stairs, I took another look at the tables and froze.
The other head was still in its place, still growling at the unseen enemy. If Loris was the “evil” one, then this one could help me... Unless the System had lied and both heads were evil body-snatching thieves. But now I at least knew what to expect.
But how would I activate the other head? The dagger was still in Loris’s head and I hadn’t seen another one. Although... These heads could be considered magical items or remains of a player who didn’t want to part with this world and decided to preserve their consciousness however they could. If Progl-Log could turn themself into an entire location, who was to say that someone couldn’t put their brain into a monkey’s head?
If my theory was correct, then this head should be affected by the Heir skill. I was saving it for Piper as I hoped that I could do with his soul what I had done to Kay-Si’s but Ivan needed rescuing right now.
The Piper could wait a little bit longer.
***
I cut Rat’s paw open with the scimitar. Thick, dark blood oozed out of it, and I used it to draw a circle around the head. I had to hurry since Rat had high regeneration and the wound began to close the moment the blade left the skin. The end result was a bit jagged and crooked, but it was good enough.
“That should do it... I hope.”
The Rat obediently moved his paw, following my instructions. Once we were done, he licked the already healed wound with his thick tongue, and stared at the head with interest. I took a deep breath and began.
“Activate Heir!”
The head lit up with a bright bluish glow that burst from its eyes and mouth, and rose into the air, slowly spinning.
“Which motherfucker dared to disturb my slumber?!” asked a loud voice that seemed to come from anywhere but the almost motionless mouth.
“Warlock from the Gray faction. I need your help.” If I hadn’t known that Loris was the “evil” one, I would’ve already shot this head with a bolt and rushed to the lower floors. The “otherworldly” voice sent shivers down my spine.
“Fuck you, Warlock from the Gray faction! Are you tired of living, huh?! Is that it?!” The head, grinning viciously, came closer and hovered right in front of my face.
Having a decapitated monkey head with sharp teeth and a snarling mouth that spit viscous saliva into your face wasn’t pleasant. But I endured.
The Rat snorted and reared up, ready to tear the head apart if I ordered it. Well, or at least try to. I had no idea what level this head was and what it could do.
“It’s okay,” I said to the pet, trying to remain calm, but I clutched my scimitar. “Your bro
ther stole my friend’s body. I need to know where he went and how to kill him.
“Haha! Listen to him!” the head croaked. “LET ME ENJOY ETERNITY IN PEACE YOU FUCKING FUCK! Gah!” It sighed. “I’m Aslan... And since I’m the ‘good’ one, I have to help you out. As for Loris... It’s not the first time he does this. He was revived eight times... Eight! And me? Just three! Can you imagine that?! If I’m being honest, I’d rather be left alone... But the fuckin System won’t let that happen... If you’re looking for the passage, you need to press the bricks with vertical scratches at the same time... You can figure the rest for yourself.”
“Got it.”
“Do you have any of these skills? Theft, Copying, Inheritance, Night Thief, or Sleuthing?” Aslan recited as he flew from side to side.
“I have Heir...” I drawled.
“All right... I shall give you Visor. You’ll need it to take care of my brother. It’ll help you see where to hit him and how to safely remove him from your friend’s body. After that, pull out the dagger and CAREFULLY put it away. You can’t hurt Loris while he’s ‘inactive’ but he won’t bother you. Clear?”
“Crystal clear.” I nodded, accepting the ability.
“Then I’ll take my leave.” The head slammed back onto the table. “How long until this skill of yours ends?”
“About five minutes,” I said, looking at the scratches on the fall.
“Guess I’ll have to wait... No, not there! To the left... Yep, there. Press them all at once.”
There was the faintest sound of a grunting mechanism, and a section of the wall directly in front of me slid aside, revealing a tunnel. Musty, dry air, absolute darkness... I was about to step into the corridor when I heard Aslan’s voice.
“By the way, what are you doing here?”
“I’m looking for a fragment of the Key,” I said, brightening up, hoping that he maybe knew something about it. “Do you know anything about the Underworld? The System said that we could hide from the Giant there...”
“All I know is that the Underworld exists and that the Giant is a very rare sight... It’s like a hunting dog unleashed at the doomed. However, it isn’t as mindless as it seems... As for me... My function is to inform players about the passage to Heaven... Which I was asked about only two times... I suppose I could say that you’re the third...” Aslan said, grinning wide as if hoping to freeze with a nicer expression this time around.
“What about Heaven? That’s the second way outta here, isn’t it?”
“Ah, you might as well forget about it... You’re halfway to it, but I doubt you’ll be able to get there in time... Besides, you’ve chosen the Underworld... Things have been... difficult with the Heavens for the past hundred years... I’ll tell you this, though: don’t trust anyone in the Game. Me included.”
I waved at Aslan who nodded back and then froze, returning to his slumber.
***
The damn tunnel was steeper than any of the dunes! A little more and I would’ve fallen and broken a leg. The incline was so steep that it was practically vertical, making me feel like I was descending into a well. By the looks of it, it went down three floors.
Cursing, I carefully began to slide down, slowing down with my feet and back. Rat was behind me, leaning against the wall with his tentacles. Fortunately, Leshy’s body allowed for more agility than I had hoped for so I got down easier than I thought I would.
***
The door opened on its own and I found myself on the tenth floor.
Judging by the Compass, the fragment was close. Unlike Loris. I couldn’t find him or any trace of his presence. The entire tenth floor was littered with broken pottery; on some of the fragments, you could even make out intricate patterns that once decorated the amphorae, jugs, and pots. Under Rat’s feet, it all turned to dust. We couldn’t avoid it even if we tried to as there wasn’t a free square inch of the ground to stop on.
Whichever “genius” built this place had made it so that you couldn’t descend to the next floor without passing through the entirety of the one you were currently on. The staircases alternated from the south to the north end of the room.
On the ninth floor... There was snow on the ninth floor. I only felt it at first since my eyes refused to believe what they were seeing. Not to mention that I was blinded by the sun reflecting off the white snow. The temperature outside was no less than eighty degrees Fahrenheit, but here, inside, it was way below zero. There was nothing that separated this tundra from the desert. The lone window had no glass!
The cold immediately penetrated through my cloth armor and canvas pants, and settled into my bones. I shivered, trying to shake off the feeling that I was about to turn into ice. Rat, on the other hand, snorted cheerfully and ran into the nearest snow pile.
More interesting than this sudden Winter Wonderland was the altar in the middle of the room, next to which was a frost-bitten body frozen in prayer. The creature paid no attention to the two of us although I was certain that it heard my cursing and Rat’s happy squeals. Its furry ears twitched several times, turning in the direction of the newcomers.
The Red Monk
Level 56
The red suspiciously looked like blue to me, but I said nothing. And the Monk prayed to none other than the Giant: on the frost-covered stone was a ten-pointed star. The Monk looked harmless enough so I decided to leave it be and just walk past it to the staircase leading to the next floor.
***
The eighth floor was a rainforest. Endless rain was pouring from the clouds that had gathered near the ceiling, forming a huge puddle on the floor. The area around it was filled with trees, vines, and even tall grass. The plants had dug their roots into the stone floor and were somehow draining nutrients from it. I recognized a rubber tree and an oil palm. There were also animals: five colorful toucans perched on the branches of a sprawling tree whose name I didn’t know, sloths, and monkeys jumping between the vines... The staircase lay across a piranha-infested pond. One of them even managed to jump out of the water and bite Rat’s right leg. He was quick to grab it and pay back by eating it.
I chased the piranhas away from the shore with a weak lightning bolt, drank the clear water with relish, trying not to think how it got here and what other strange things I’d witness in the Tower.
***
Each floor turned out to be a world of its own.
There was a flower field on the seventh, a huge beehive on the sixth, a meadow with grazing goats on the fifth... But no Loris. The fourth floor was a pleasant surprise: in the middle of the empty room, barely lit by a few torches, was the fragment. I grabbed it off the table it was resting on and ran as fast as I could.
The third floor was littered with bones — I had no time to figure out to whom or what they belong to — and the second was a smaller version of the Hall. Several dozen statues depicting the various races were lined along the walls, and at the very end of the hall was a monument honoring the next fallen race. The first floor was decorated with carved ornaments but had nothing else of interest in it.
But where the hell was Loris?
I got out of the Tower and ran around it, burning my feet, carefully scanning the area — in the distance, perched on top of a dune, I finally saw the silhouette of my ill-fated companion.
Watching him, I finally understood Lors’s plan — every time he stole a body, he tried to make it to the Oasis, hoping to escape the Tower and his cursed fate. That was why there was a skeleton of a monkey near the water. Exhausted, Loris must’ve drowned, never reaching the portal.
And now... Now he had Ivan’s powerful body, capable of bearing the desert heat and rescuing him. He had every chance of success as I doubted that I’d be able to catch up with them. My body wasn’t built for this. Sensing that he was being watched, Ivan, that is, Loris, turned around and flipped me off.
“How the... How does he know what that means?” I shook my head. I had more important things to think about. “Activate Visor!” I shouted, runni
ng after him.
Two circles, one black and one white, appeared in front of my eyes. It was like I was looking through the scope of a sniper — the image was enlarged, and the circles marked Loris’s weak points.
I raised my hands in front of me, sparking with electricity, and unleashed several bolts of lightning.
After a few seconds, Ivan fell. The charred head detached itself from the body and rolled down the dune.
Chapter 13
SNOW
Aslan’s Visor really helped.
Had it not been for the skill I wouldn’t have seen Ivan’s silhouette: after all, a hundred yards was quite a distance... Who would’ve thought that I’d have to hit the crown of Loris’s head?
Burning my feet on the sand (I swear to God, it’s as if it had turned to lava in the last couple of hours), I ran to my fallen friend. The big guy was lying on his back, his thick arms spread wide. His shirt was soaked, and there were beads of sweat on his red face. But he was alive and didn’t seem to have sustained any serious injuries. Neither from Loris nor from me. I didn’t want to hurt him, of course, and I doubted that Loris wanted to damage the body that was to serve as his own in any way.
Ivan coughed, wheezed, opened his left eye, and stared at me in surprise.
“L-Loki...? What the fuck...? God, I feel sore,” he said and closed his eye again, grabbing his ringing head with his hand.
I breathed a sigh of relief. A headache was better than death.
Getting up, I walked over to Loris. The head was still in its active state; a thin ribbon of smoke rose from it, smelling of burnt fur. Its skin was covered with blisters, and it seemed that the lightning had penetrated into the skull, somehow missing the brain.
Loris looked at me angrily.
“I’ll see you again, freak,” he hissed.
Unlike many heroes from movies that engaged in a lengthy monologue or banter with their enemy before finishing them off (or before the said enemy pulled a deus ex machina), I got ready to put Loris out of his misery. Seeing my reaction, the head, which had begun to regenerate its skin and fur, burst out laughing.
Reborn: Evolution: A LitRPG Series (Warlock Chronicles Book 3) Page 14