The Realm Between: The Curse: A LitRPG Saga (Book 1)

by Phoenix Grey

  The closest tree to the silver nether was some 200 yards away, a longer shot than he'd ever taken before. At such a range, his odds of missing seemed better than his odds of hitting the beast. Maybe it wasn't such a good plan after all.

  Meanwhile, Lonnell had traveled downstream to cross the river at a fallen log he'd seen a ways back so that he could come in from the other side. The shots would be fired from the creature's right, so that's where it would be expecting the next attack to come from. Blinded, hopefully it wouldn't even suspect an assailant from the other side of the river.

  Azure waited until his friend was in position. Tension made him feel stiff as he drew an arrow and nocked it. Success or failure was on his head for coming up with this plan. And if they both ended up injured or dead, that was on him, too.

  Taking a deep breath, Azure drew back the bowstring, aiming at the eye on the left. He loosed the arrow and then cringed as it shot about a foot too high, hitting the stone above the silver nether's head and splintering into pieces. The silver nether grunted, its eyes moving twice as fast as it looked around for its attacker.

  “Shit,” Azure muttered, glancing over at Lonnell who was wincing at his miss.

  There was no time to waste. Azure nocked another arrow and fired again, this time shooting too far to the right. His accuracy just wasn't good at this distance. He needed to get closer. But that meant exposing himself entirely.

  As had happened many times in the past when he was a teenager, adrenaline pushed him to do something stupid. He pulled and nocked another arrow before leaving the safety of the forest to stalk towards the silver nether, bow drawn. The creature's eyes joined together for the first time, focused entirely on him. Its head jutted back, and Azure loosed the arrow. The unsteadiness from holding it for so long made it miss its planned target entirely, but at least it actually struck the silver nether this time. Lodging only about arrowhead deep into the creature's side, the silver nether let out a cry that sounded like someone choking on water and screaming at the same time. Clear liquid spilled over the corners of its mouth, wetting its skin and making it glisten in the sunlight.

  I hit it! Azure thought triumphantly. Though the damage was minimal, it gave him the motivation to draw another arrow. Moving forward cautiously, he loosed again, now aiming for the silver nether's rotund stomach. Again, the arrow stuck, and again the creature called out in pain, though this time it sounded more like a low croak.

  By the time Azure had drawn a third arrow, the creature had refocused on him. Ignoring its agony, its cheeks began to fill and bulge out. Its eyes narrowed into angry slits as it glared at him.

  They both fired at once. This time, Azure aimed for the silver nether's head. Thinking strategically, he figured that if he punctured one of its cheeks, it wouldn't be able to spit the vile acid. Liquid and arrow met in mid-flight, the spit coming out in more of a spray than a stream. The arrow was instantly incinerated. As the acid landed on the grass, it sizzled. Even the rocks and dirt seemed to deteriorate, the ground sinking in where the acid had fallen. Thankfully, it hadn't gone very far—sixty feet from the creature, at best. Unless the silver nether was highly intelligent and hiding its true range, Azure now knew how close he could safely get.

  A smell rose from the ground like fresh cut grass and spoiled milk mixed with moldy oranges. It came to Azure on a breeze, making his eyes burn. He winced away, momentarily worried that the acid had been carried on the wind to burn him. But the painful sensation was gone almost as soon as it had come, and he was quickly able to refocus on the battle.

  The silver nether's cheeks were full again. It was waiting for Azure's next move, knowing that one shot of its toxic spit could destroy its attacker's arrows. This was going to be a problem. He'd already missed his opportunity to take out its eyes, and it didn't look like there'd be another.

  “Well crap,” Azure said with a sigh, glancing over at Lonnell. He had been sneaking closer while Azure and the silver nether were engaged, ready to fulfill his part. It was way too dangerous, though. More of a risk than Azure was willing to take. They needed another plan, so Azure motioned at Lonnell to fall back and meet him at the river crossing. With a nod of acknowledgment, they both disappeared into the forest to make their way back downstream.

  While he was upset with himself for missing the silver nether's eyes, being closer to the creature did give him a better lay of the terrain around it, which birthed the idea for a superior plan, one with less risk and chance of failure. By the time Azure reached Lonnell, he had most of the details hashed out.

  “Well, that was an epic failure,” Lonnell commented once he had crossed back over to Azure's side. “What's worse is it knows that we're here.”

  “That's why we'll have to wait to attack again,” Azure replied, disappointment thick in his voice. It was the biggest disadvantage to their failure. More than likely, the silver nether would be a lot more alert and wary of its surroundings. “On the plus side, I've come up with another plan.”

  “Oh?”

  “I could climb the side of the mountain and make an overhead assault. If you could distract the silver nether from the front, I should be able to jump down and land a killing blow at the base of its spine.”

  “And how do you propose that I distract it from the front?” Lonnell raised an eyebrow in skepticism. “You saw the range it has. Not only that, but it's not a straight shot. The acid sprays out to the sides too, creating a protective arch around the creature.”

  “How good are you with a bow?”

  To give the silver nether time to calm down and become less paranoid, Azure wanted to wait to mount their attack until the following day. Lonnell, however, said they couldn't spare the time. Unsurprisingly, he was concerned for the welfare of Cragbell and his father's farm in the wake of the goblin raid and wanted to return as quickly as possible.

  Submitting to his friend's urgency, Azure began scaling the side of the mountain a good several hundred yards away from the mouth of the cave, far enough away so that the silver nether wouldn't be able to see him. It was an arduous climb.

  There was much concern about the dermal denticles that Lonnell had warned him about, but it was too late to reconsider now. He was on course, and Lonnell was preparing to mount his frontal assault as soon as Azure gave him the signal.

  Even stealthed, Azure didn't feel very surefooted, though somehow he managed to make it above the mouth of the cave undetected. His thighs ached as he perched above the silver nether, gazing over the four-foot jump he'd have to make to land on it. The momentum should supplement his lack of strength in driving the blade into it.

  As if the island was against him, his foot slid slightly from beneath him, causing dirt and debris to tumble down the steep rocky surface. It was reminiscent of the arrow splintering over the silver nether's head earlier. One false move and the beast was alerted to their presence.

  An arrow streaked through the air. Azure hadn't even given the signal yet, but apparently, Lonnell had seen him slip from afar and knew that it was time. Just as the silver nether's bulbous eyes began to turn upward towards Azure, they were redirected at the bowman who had sprung from the forest as soon as the shot was fired. The creature gurgled from being struck in the dead center of its stomach.

  Knowing that he was about to lose his footing anyway, Azure raised the cutlass above his head and made the jump. The blade landed in the center of the silver nether's head. He wasn't sure if it was the scaly skin or bone, but something made the blade deflect. Azure slid down the creature's back, holding the grip of the cutlass as firmly as he could to drag it down with him. His arms seared, and all he could see was red as his skin was peeled away, dropping his health a good 20% just from the impact. By the time his feet hit the water, he wasn't sure if the blood on the creature's back belonged to him or it.

  The inside of the cave was dark. What light that could stream in was mostly blocked by the silver nether's imposing frame. A terror the likes of which Azure had never felt before
took over him as he realized that he was practically blind. And though he didn't think it possible, that terror doubled when the silver nether began to turn its head. He was trapped. One spray and he was done for.

  “Over here, you oversized toad!” he could hear Lonnell yelling from outside.

  There was a sickening popping sound, like that of a water balloon bursting. The eye that had made its way around to land on Azure ruptured as an arrow hit it dead center. The silver nether turned its face to the heavens and roared—a pained cry that made the hair on the back of Azure's neck stand up with momentary pity. He would not let the advantage go to waste, though. Clutching onto his cutlass, he charged forward, slashing at the creature again and again and again.

  What is this thing made of? He found himself questioning as his cutlass did little against the beast. It was like hacking away at a tree trunk with a dull blade. The first few cuts barely scratched the surface, but eventually, he began to make leeway. Once the thick skin was abraded enough to be penetrated, Azure clasped the hilt of his cutlass, putting all of his weight behind pushing it into the silver nether's back. With its wall of protective denticles removed, the blade sank into the creature's soft flesh like stabbing into a rare steak. The silver nether flailed its stubby appendages, sending water splashing everywhere. Azure pulled his blade out and drove it in again, hoping to hit some vital organ.

  In a desperate attempt to save itself, the silver nether reared its head and sprayed a jet of acid into the sky. Jumping back, Azure was thankful that the mouth of the cave caught most of the damage. The rocks above them began to crumble and fall. A mist of acid blew back onto Azure's face, burning him and causing him to retreat even further into the cave. One wrong footfall on the slippery rocks made him lose his balance, the water dragging him until he collided with the silver nether.

  The creature screamed again, which Azure could only assume was due to some damage that Lonnell had dealt to it. He forced himself to his feet, taking up his cutlass and going for the same place he'd struck before, this time driving his blade in at an angle.

  “Die, damn you!” he yelled in frustration, wondering which would run out first, his stamina or the creature's will to live. Perhaps they had bitten off more than they could chew. Despite its obvious agony, the silver nether didn't seem like it was going to submit to death anytime soon.

  While it had been used as a defense mechanism, one of the outcomes of the silver nether dousing itself with acid was that it had washed off most of the blood on its back, giving Azure a visual of where his blade had sliced during his initial descent. Going for a new approach, Azure pointed his blade upward, pushing his palm into the pommel of his cutlass as he stuck the tip in where the skin had separated at the back of the monster's head. Using his remaining strength, he drove the blade forward. It collided with bone, making the creature shiver before stilling. With a final push, Azure slashed all the way through to the other side. A gurgling sound erupted from the silver nether's throat. Its body shuddered twice before it slumped forward. Azure nearly gagged from the smell of its bowels releasing. Being on the business end of things left his shoes drenched in excrement. His stomach turned, and he stumbled a few feet away to vomit against the cave wall.

  Defeated Level 6 Silver Nether. 54XP rewarded.

  “Fuck's sake,” Azure said in exhaustion as he cautiously made his way around the silver nether's massive corpse. Nothing felt better than seeing the sun and breathing in untainted air.

  Lonnell was smiling at him as he walked up to meet his comrade. Apparently, he had maintained a safe distance through the fight, sticking to the bow as his weapon. A quick glance at the front of the creature showed that his efforts hadn't been wasted. It looked like a pin cushion, the arrows having penetrated quite a bit further into the beast than when Azure had been shooting them. There was one sticking out of its cheek, acid and spit dribbling down the side of its face. That must have been why it had screamed in pain earlier and not tried for a second skyward attack.

  “Well done, brother!” Lonnell praised Azure as the two men clasped wrists.

  Laughter fell from Azure's lips. The relief of having vanquished the silver nether was too much to contain. Thankfully, Lonnell joined in, making him feel less maniacal.

  “Let us rest a moment.” Azure gestured to the riverbank, practically dragging himself over. Now that the fray was finished, his body felt almost completely drained of energy. “I was not sure we were going to be able to accomplish that,” he confessed, falling heavily onto the grass.

  “I didn't either,” Lonnell admitted. “When it sprayed up into the sky, I thought you were a goner. Speaking of which, you should probably mend your wounds.” He dug into his bag of holding and pulled out a small red vial which he promptly handed over to Azure.

  Azure drank the liquid with vigor and felt a tingling in his arms as the flesh and skin cells began to regenerate. Within seconds, it was almost as if he had never been injured at all.

  “Thank you,” he said graciously, lying back to stare up at the sky, thankful to have survived the ordeal.

  The final reward of the day came in the form of a notification.

  Your relationship with Lonnell has reached Level 3. Your relationship has been updated from Trusted to Comrade. The two of you have faced a great threat together. Lonnell now feels that he can count on you in battle. Congratulations!

  How many relationship levels were there? Azure wondered. And since they were now comrades, did that also make them friends? While Azure didn't feel particularly close to Lonnell, the notification had been right. They had faced a great threat together, and there was now mutual trust between them. He respected Lonnell and thought him to be a good teacher and have a well-tuned moral compass. He certainly seemed more reliable than Uden.

  Azure wondered if the half-imp was busy preparing for battle with the goblins. He also wondered if it was wrong of him to have wished he could see the battle, if not participate in it. He imagined it would be a spectacle to behold, but he was sure he'd hear all about it once they returned to Cragbell.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  THE REALM – Day 6

  They made little leeway in their progress returning to Baremire, deciding to stop early to camp and regain some of their strength. Azure wasn't sure if it was because the silver nether was dead, but game seemed to be more plentiful now.

  The trip back to Baremire was uneventful. Though they were now welcome in the sprite settlement, guards still came out to meet them when they returned, escorting them to the circle of sequoias.

  After a short wait, Karma walked onto the platform to greet them. “I see you have returned.” Her expression dipped when she noticed that Uden was missing. “What of your brother? I hope he is all right.”

  Azure was admittedly surprised by her concern for the half-imp. While she seemed genuine, he couldn't help but think that she wouldn't be disappointed if they reported him dead.

  “Uden is fine. He had other matters to attend to back in Cragbell. We ran into some goblins that were talking about mounting a raid. He went back to warn our people,” Lonnell informed her.

  “I see.” She gave a slight nod. “It is admirable that you continued on with your quest in the face of the danger against your land.”

  “Keeping good faith with the sprites is important to us.”

  “And were you able to find out what was causing the sickness?” Karma turned her gaze to Azure.

  Wanting to give credit where credit was due, Azure said, “Upon reaching Fair Rill River, Uden was able to determine that there was a silver nether upstream. We managed to kill the beast, so your people should have no more trouble from it.”

  She placed a delicate hand on her chest and sighed in relief, though her face was set in thought. “What was a silver nether doing on Crescent Island?”

  “That's what we were wondering as well.” Lonnell looked over at Azure before returning his attention to the Tree Queen. “They are not native to Crescent Island. Someon
e must have brought it here.”

  “I am beginning to think that this curse may not be the work of Finborh. He would not need to use such a creature to taint our water. Something wicked is afoot.”

  “I am inclined to agree. Worry not, though. We are determined to get to the bottom of this, but first, we must return to my people and make sure that they are safe.” There was a hint of urgency in his voice.

  “Of course.” Karma bowed her head in understanding. “We owe you a great debt for vanquishing this foe. I have prepared a gift for you. It is not much, but it should help you in future endeavors,” she told them before turning to one of her servants.

  Congratulations! Quest: Quest: Defeat the Silver Nether has been completed.

  It may have been slow and not very bright, but damn was it hard to kill. Your tireless efforts have paid off. The Tree Queen now has great respect for you. You have earned 70XP.

  A few minutes later, several sprites came flying from around one of the trees carrying a large cloth at its four corners. They carefully placed it at the feet of the adventurers. Azure's eyes widened at the small mound of coins and gems laid before them.

  With a slight smirk from Azure's reaction to the gift, Lonnell said, “It is a generous gift. More than we deserve. We are grateful.”

  “Yes. We are grateful,” Azure parroted, practically feeling that bag of holding calling his name from somewhere in Cragbell. Ruthren probably had one for sale. Now Azure was more eager than ever to get back to the little town.

  “I am glad you are pleased with your reward.” Karma gave them a genuine smile. “I understand that your need to leave is urgent, but you are welcome in Baremire whenever you like. If you have no other business here, then I wish you safe travels.” She began to turn but then stopped. “Also, if you do find out what is causing this plague on our island, know that the sprites will be ready to assist in whatever way we can.”