Player Reached the Top. LitRPG Series. Book IV

by Rick Scar

  His wife was lingering. Not because she was putting on make-up; no, she was picking out the proper gear and weapons. They were going hunting. At the ruins of Akros, the undercity that was a special place for both of them. It was where Nanel had learned the terrifying story of her birth (or rather a part of that story) and Will had witnessed that incredible event, which had provided explanations to most of the mysteries he had encountered in this world since he had killed his first rat.

  Now they were going back for more answers and, if possible, a new part of Nanel’s story.

  “Nanel? I told you we can’t be late! It’ll take me some time to reach that guy.”

  “I’m almost done. Just a minute. Sorry.”

  “Five minutes before I leave for the third floor. Starting now.”

  “We have a date! Can’t you give me more time to prepare? You have no feelings at all. I’m choosing my weapons, not some stupid dress.”

  Her voice brought smirks to the faces of the four guards standing at the door. “I wish our real-world girls could hear you,” Will muttered.

  Eight minutes later and Will and Nanel had finally vanished into the portal, which had then disappeared at once, leaving Emin, Daltaro, and Rinnah staring at the spot where it had just been.

  “The king forgot to tell us he’d be putting the young queen through another ordeal before the Monarch’s Door.” Pacing up and down with his lips tightly pressed together, Emin struggled to calm himself down. He had been Nanel’s teacher ever since she was a little girl and he treated her like the daughter he never had, always doing his best to keep her out of trouble.

  “Seriously, Emin. You’re overreacting.” The Bruxa stopped him as he was about to start his next length. “My brother knows what he’s doing.”

  “I can’t believe you’re addressing him as brother. He is the king! He is young, yes, but still, you should have proper respect for him as a ruler.”

  “We’re good and old friends.” Daltaro was staring into space and hadn’t moved since the two had left.

  “Darling? Are you all right?”

  “Yeah, I am.”

  “Is Emin’s anxiety getting to you?”

  “No. I haven’t told you this before… but I’ve been to that place.”

  “You? When? Why are you mentioning it now?”

  “Because I can see why the captain is worried. And unlike him, I know what the threat is.”

  “Are you going to tell us more or what? Drop this dramatic act and spit it out!” Rinnah glared at the archer, while the captain shuffled his feet by her side.

  “Oh… okay. Listen.”

  ***

  The familiar way through the maze brought the couple to the abandoned city, and to the creature that was floating in the sky and serving as the local source of light. As he looked up at it, Will saw exactly the same information as he had before; even his current level wasn’t sufficient to identify this mysterious thing.

  “How are we going to reach it?”

  “I have a plan.”

  “Oh, really? Can you fly?”

  “Two for two. You’re on a roll, dear.” Smiling at her, Will activated the crystal and summoned the two subdued creatures. After waking from their sleep, they stared at him silently. “Protect her with your lives. And now, you.” Will put on his black mask that allowed him to look at the glowing creature without getting blinded and pointed at Shimiraz. “Toss me up in the air as high as you can.”

  Waiting for no further command, the creature grabbed Raven and flung him up like a stone.

  Oh, what an idiot. All brawn, no brains, Will cursed his living catapult as he somersaulted through the air at tremendous speed. Only just spotting the moment when his flight had started to slow down, he summoned a double, then applied Double Jump and Leap and, finally, spread his wings to flap them forcefully and move toward his goal. Thanks to his past experience of flying and well-coordinated moves, he gained height without losing much speed.

  The mysterious creature was growing closer. The rogue’s Wings expired once he was in the air over its head. Swishing through the air as he fell, Will grabbed the chain and slid down toward the prisoner.

  Attention! You have completed the first part of an epic quest chain: Eternal Light.

  Rewards:

  +120,000 XP

  Eternal gratitude of???

  Gripping the thick chain with his arms and legs and descending to the stranger’s right wrist, all while still regaining his senses after his mile-long race up into the air, Will realized the creature was at least twice as tall as a regular human.

  “Who’s there?” a rustling whisper asked. It was as soft and feeble as a dying man’s voice. Will had heard quite a lot of those during his service.

  “My name is Wi… er… Raven. Can I help you?”

  “Raven.” The barely audible voice grew a little stronger, as though it had been cheered up by realizing that his interlocutor was real and not just another voice in the head. “Has any observer of the heavens found a way back to this world?”

  “Um… Do you mean messengers of the heavens?”

  “No. I mean observers.” The creature spoke without looking up at Will. Its head was hanging low, as though it were too heavy to be lifted.

  Will realized that it probably meant the observer of the depths. “No. I’m not a member of that race.”

  After pausing for several minutes, the prisoner asked feebly: “Then… then how have you managed to climb up here?”

  “I know some ways. I see you have many questions, but maybe we should first discuss how to set you free?”

  “Set me free? Do you want to bring death upon your people?”

  “No. Not at all. I need them alive and thriving. By the way, what’s your name?”

  “My name… my name… oh. Ages have passed since I last said it.”

  “I see.” Will could tell that by the creature’s slow, feeble voice.

  “I’m Zakhel Eternal Light. Ruler of the observers of the heavens.”

  Raven whistled in surprise. A ruler chained up and hanging beneath the ceiling of this Dolf cave? Was it the Emperor of Obedience’s doing?

  “I’ll ask again, how can I get you out of these chains, Zakhel?”

  “Did you not hear my answer? Your people will be destroyed or enslaved if you do that. As mine once was.”

  “If you mean by the Emperor of Obedience, you can relax. He hasn’t been heard of for some four hundred years.”

  Upon saying this, Will felt the chains rock slightly. The observer of the heavens had tried to look up at him, but he was apparently too weak. “Is that… that scumbag dead?”

  “Considering his insatiable hunger for power, I wouldn’t bet on any other reason for such a long absence.”

  “Did someone destroy him?”

  Will smirked. “Sort of. And since he no longer poses any threat: how can I remove your chains?”

  “It’s not an easy thing to do.”

  “Just tell me, how do I do it?”

  “You must find the three locks that hold my chains in place.”

  Attention! You have been offered the second part of an epic quest chain: Eternal Sun.

  Description: Free the prisoner.

  Rewards:

  +150,000 XP

  Chance to learn the observers’ language.

  “Er… three?” Staring at the other chain, Will struggled to fathom where the third one could have been placed.

  “The third chain is invisible. It holds my soul. Why do you think I am still alive?”

  For a variety of reasons. Too many to guess.

  “How can I find the third lock?”

  “Oh. This lock is special. It can only be seen at night, once the darkness falls.”

  “Hey, wait. The third lock… is it the observer of the depths?”

  “Have you seen him?”

  “No. But I know he’s here. What about the other two chains?” Raven asked, leaving all his other questions for until he had
released this half-dead prisoner.

  “Climb up to where they connect to the ceiling. There… that’s where the seals must be. When you remove them the chains will fall off.”

  “I see they went to great lengths to trap you.” Raven looked up at the ceiling where the ends of the chains were fixed and guessed how much time this whole op would take. “Then, I will take my leave for now. I’ll do what it takes to free you. Hold on until then. Er… I’m sure you will. Sorry.”

  Having muttered these awkward goodbyes, Will started climbing up the chain, hurrying to reach the top before the light faded and the observer of the depths was out for blood. According to Daltaro, that thing was tremendously strong. But the only part that really concerned the rogue was the monster’s rank. His subdued Ogre was a count, but the enemy could be a duke and that was the worst-case scenario.

  ***

  Thanks to the Wings’ short cooldown, Will was able to fly down to the ground where Nanel was waiting for him. “How was it?”

  “The observer you met the last time isn’t the only one here. There are also observers of the heavens.”

  “Observers of the heavens?”

  “Yeah. That thing up there,” Will pointed a finger, “is one of them.”

  “Wow. I don’t think I understand any of that, but I’m impressed.”

  “Good girl.” Will walked up to Hades, sat down on the ground, and leaned back against the dog’s side. Then he crossed his arms on his belly and closed his eyes. “Now we need to wait for it to come.”

  “Do you think it’s wise to relax?”

  “Alas, there’s nothing else I can do in this situation.”

  “Maybe we should make some traps?”

  “There’s no point. We know too little about this enemy.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  “Are you going to sit down?” Raven nodded at the spot by his side. “The ground is soft.”

  Smiling with a chuckle, Nanel took her seat next to him.

  “How do you like our date? Are you bored?”

  “Not at all.” She stretched out her legs, put her rapier on her lap, and looked around. “How long are we going to stay here?”

  “I wish I knew.” Lying down with his eyes closed, Will considered this question. The seals… he would probably need help to remove them. His wife knew some ancient languages, but, a task like that would most likely require Daltaro’s help.

  Another thing he considered was the transformation of a regular NPC relationship into a romance. This question had been asked by many players already; after browsing the forums, Will soon came across a few options. The first was wooing the NPC by always being there for them or sharing their interests. An alternative option – albeit one that was more difficult to implement – was doing the right thing at the right time. For example, they could be impressed if you risked your own life to protect them. But Will could hardly impress Nanel with that; she knew he was immortal. So, the only way of doing this was to win her heart gradually if he wanted that Royal Legacy skill.

  It was almost 10 p. m. when, finally, the light faded, and the metallic echo of the chains was drowned out by a roar. The enemy was here, and it was impossible not to hear it in this large cave.

  Will stood up and activated his Star Shine scroll to illuminate his surroundings within a 150-yard radius. The ground shook with the enemy’s heavy footsteps, and soon Will was able to see it. Using Identification, he saw that this monster could be subdued, but Will needed to kill it in order to remove the third lock.

  Name: Observer of the Depths

  Rank: Count

  Level: 95

  Health: 170,000

  A count was good. The Ogre should be able to handle it.

  “Shimiraz! Attack! Nanel. I know you’re stronger now, but please be careful.”

  “Do you think I’m ready for that?” Glancing at the thirty-foot tall monster, Nanel clutched her rapier, which looked like a tiny needle against the approaching hulk.

  “You won’t know until you try. I’ll cover you.” Raven sent Hades into battle with a whistle and mentally commanded the pet to activate its skills by one.

  “Okay. I’ll do it then. I have a debt to pay.” She nodded and dashed off after the dog, her blade filling with a yellow glow and her body emitting a powerful aura as she went. She was Level 83, after all.

  The monster was genuinely huge. It looked like an overstretched hamster that was moving on its hind legs, while its head resembled that of a fish, flattened as it was at the sides, with bulging eyes. Its whole body was covered in bright-orange threads making it look like it had just climbed out of a pool of lava. This blazing-hot, clawing thing attacked the cursed Ogre who stood up to it quite well, despite being shorter. The fight was epic, with large stones and clouds of dust flying all around, threatening to bury any careless observer.

  Will split his attention between the monsters’ fight and Nanel. Instead of attacking the enemy directly, she hid behind a half-destroyed wall, waiting for a good opportunity until Shimiraz, having rebuffed another attack, rose its club in the air and cast a stun on the monster.

  Spinning ahead and using the blade’s momentum, her body sped up until it came to a sudden halt. As Nanel lunged at the monster, a yellow flash of lightning came off the tip of her rapier and, after hitting the mob’s body, started to envelop it. This skill was called Vines of Obedience and granted its user a few seconds’ control over the enemy’s body. Seizing this opportunity, Nanel forced the monster to dig its claws deep into its own leg. The amount of damage this caused wasn’t particularly large, but the queen kept attacking. Having strong support from the Ogre, she could use all her abilities and skills at the best moments as Shimiraz intercepted most of the observer’s attacks. The dog also used its attacks and skills to briefly distract the enemy, giving Nanel and Shimiraz enough time to land their blows and reduce the stretched-out hamster’s HP.

  But the enemy was still tremendously strong. It took the trio thirty minutes to destroy it. Nanel, sweaty and exhausted, lay down next to the giant corpse. Hades restored its HP and even gained a level by devouring the body. But the Ogre’s HP couldn’t be restored. This was probably the effect of being subdued by the crystal; Will had no idea how to fix it.

  “You were amazing,” he complimented Nanel, who smiled back wearily.

  His looting was interrupted by a message from Sarah:

  Hi, Will. It’s the Age of Ascension. Our apologies for not getting in touch for so long. The amount we discussed has just been transferred to your account. Don’t be too shocked when you see it (^_<)

  The rogue’s heart raced at these words. Warning Nanel, he exited the game to check his account. As he sent an online request, his heart skipped a beat and then…

  Money transferred to your account:

  + $3,918,959.48

  “Fucking hell!”

  Chapter 226. The Seal of the Heavenly King

  W ill had experienced lots of emotions over his lifetime. From terror to delight. From loathing to love… or something like it. But now, as he stared at this message, he was utterly confused.

  This money transfer hadn’t only completed his initial goal of making enough money to support his family; it had surpassed it, leaving Will with more than he had ever wanted. He remembered the happiness he had felt upon receiving the payment for his first video, but what he was feeling now was far, far more…

  Will’s face showed the range of his emotions. The burden of his money problems might have been relieved, but his other goal of conquering the floor was still looming far beyond the horizon. He could use his newly obtained money to accomplish this, instead of leaving it sitting idly in his bank account.

  “Hi, sis.”

  “Will?” Leah sounded slightly surprised, probably at his quavering voice. “Anything wrong?”

  “Yeah. I… we…”

  “Will? What’s wrong?”

  “Er… We have four million dollars.”

  “Sorry, bro. Am
I hearing things?” Her voice had reduced to a whisper. She was shocked by this piece of news and she even pinched herself hard to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.

  “No, sis. It’s real. Thanks to a big game event. I’ve just got confirmation of the money transfer.”

  She wept. “Bro… it’s… it’s… fan… tastic.” She sniffed, struggling to contain her happy tears. Will was her hero again. The one who was always there for her, who would give up anything for her sake. “I’m so happy, bro. You’re the best.”

  “Yes, I know.” Will smiled. “I’ll come visit this week. I’m gonna call Dad now and tell him.”

  “Okay. See you. Give my love to Dad. Love you.”

  “I love you too. Bye.”

  Will hung up and called his father but he was unavailable. He was probably busy being treated by the hospital staff. Deciding to call Darius later, the new millionaire went back to the game to collect the observer’s drop and say goodbye to Nanel, but…

  ***

  …but his return was noticed by the mobs moving up and down the ravaged streets, either alone or in groups. It was probably the observer’s death that triggered the population of this area by leveling-up mobs.

  “What the hell?” While he was killing whatever had started attacking him, the rogue glanced around for Nanel – and rushed to the sound of the battle.

  He was running around for some five minutes and encountered at least seven types of monsters on his way. One was a five-foot tall mole with bulging eyes, a fat body, and a pair of large tentacles over its mouth, like a moustache. Another was a tall, lean, six-legged, flat-faced prairie dog. They were no higher than Level 70, but as a mob they would still be able to overcome Nanel. She might even already be badly injured; the thought of this made Will hurry to her rescue.

  “Nanel?”

  After dodging a treacherous attack from beneath the ground, the young queen poked the monster with the tip of her rapier, activating White Demon’s Touch: a skill that was capable of stealing energy and HP from an enemy.