by Scar, Rick
Saying the last word, he grabbed Raven by the neck and put a claw to his throat. “You. Ha, ha. Do you get me? Hey? Nod if you do.” Tossing Will aside, he was about to run into the cave, but he hit an invisible wall.
“Ouch! What the shit going on here?” He glanced around, looking for the force putting up the obstacle. His gaze got caught by Will. “You bastard! Is that you?”
Springing up to Will, he kicked his face with force, screaming in a strange language. Darting after the rogue who was still in the air, he grabbed him by the throat and flung him to the ground. “Speak! You vile monster! What did I do to you that now you put up this wall? SPEAK! Fuck you. You! You wanted to steal my fun? Ahahaha. Then I’ll get it from you!”
Receiving one blow after another, Raven had no time at all to reply. Seething with fury, he realized he could do nothing to stop this madman whose level was beyond imaginable. It was not yet the time for revenge. All he could do so far was contain his rage and endure whatever else was to come at him.
“You…cough…will you…cough…let me say a word! You sick vermin!” He eventually seized an opportunity to shout these words.
“Hey! Am I stopping you? Am I? You speak. I just stand by. And I’ll hold you by throat to keep you from falling wherever you can fall here. Ahahaha.”
“You can enter this cave only by my side. That’s…cough…a privilege of the Messengers of Gods. As I’ve already said, we can access the places that no one else can.”
“Oh.” Hearing that, the boy grasped Raven by the hair and dragged him towards the cave. “Let’s see, shall we.”
Bowing dramatically, he waved a hand towards the dungeon as though inviting someone and, smiling to himself, he accepted his own invitation with a nod. “How do they say it? Er. Invisible gate—open to me! Obey my command!” Sniggering, he took a step and crossed the previously impassable barrier.
Assuming the job was done, he released his grip on Will’s hair—and was instantly thrown out of the cave as Will still remained outside the barrier.
“Fucking shit! Come on. Now!” Grabbing the rogue by the leg, he dragged him in, towards the unrestrained fun.
“Stop, you bastard!” This sudden shout made the demon freeze for a few moments, gaping at the body in his hand. “You’ll have to wait.”
Pressing Exit, Will saw the kid’s twisted grin. “You’re as good as dead,” he hissed, running his thumb across his throat. But Will could not help that. His sister was to come to visit in the evening, and it was already 7 p. m. He’d rather not keep her waiting. He had promised they’d spend that evening together.
Leaving the capsule, he washed his face and put himself in order. Then went to the nearest grocery store to buy some meat and potatoes.
***
The key clinked into the lock. Turning it twice, Leah swung the door open, entering Will’s apartment.
“If he’s still in his game, I’ll pour water into his capsule and drown him,” the girl mumbled to herself while removing her winter coat and heavy boots in the hall. But then she sensed something unusual—the smell of a delicious home-cooked meal.
“Is that? …” Sniffing the air, she opened the door into the kitchen to see a steaming cauldron on the stove, full of stewed potatoes and meat. Her stomach gave a hungry growl; she swallowed the saliva. “Yummy. Wow.”
Her brother was not there. He must be in the game, she thought, but, entering his bedroom, she saw the game capsule empty.
The balcony door opened, and Will came in, rubbing his shoulders and breathing into his cupped hands. The winter was really, really cold. He should have known better than to go out onto the balcony in only his T-shirt.
“Little bro.” Running up, she hugged him, then took two steps back. “How are you?”
“You’re just in time. I finished cooking the dinner literally five minutes ago.” He smiled tenderly.
“Can we have it now? I’m really hungry.”
“Sure. Go fill the plates. I’ll join you in a minute.”
“Okay.” Nodding, Leah headed into the kitchen.
Will stood in the middle of the room, closing his eyes. His mental condition was far from perfect, and he’d rather not let Leah see that.
Collecting his thoughts, he realized all of it was to end very soon. Flashing a grin, he hid it instantly. Time to spend some time with his sister.
Chapter 94. A Dungeon for Two
Y ou have found the Dark Chasm. You are the first player to visit this place.
+3% XP on this location,
+5% Chance to find hidden traps and hideouts.
This location is for 110+ level players
Note: A one-shot dungeon. Recommended party size: 6.
The shard is in a dungeon? What the fuck? And this level threshold…The farther I get, the higher the enemy levels I see. Looks like that first village was an ordinary starting location after all.
Will’s companion prevented him from spending any more time reflecting. Once inside the cave, Farris went sniffing and licking its walls—and even the ceiling. Then he took a deep breath and laughed hysterically.
“What fun, what fun we’ll have here! Ahahaha. I love that. I love. Hey! I’m running. Keep up.” Saying that, he rushed into the Dark Chasm.
“What a monster,” Will rasped. However odd that may seem, the safest place for him was by this crazy boy’s side. Realizing that, he ran after the demon as fast as he could.
***
The first monsters who crossed their way were destroyed by Farris in less than ten minutes. Will could see him struggling to overcome such a large number of enemies at a level almost as high as his. In the fights that followed, Will activated his Insanity skill, driving the monsters crazy. Losing control, they started to kill the other monsters around them. Farris had little to do but select one target and, laughing, he cut and sliced it as he liked.
The main enemies in this dungeon were short goblin-like creatures, with red skin and one solitary eye. Some two feet tall, they either attacked the duo, or guarded various monsters or technological items.
Will and his companion had already encountered these dungeon dwellers mounted on giant spiders. The name written over their heads read: Riders of Arrey. The spiders were three feet long and clad in electrifying body armor. The riders used their slings to shoot projectiles that exploded upon hitting their target, electrocuting it.
Although the spiders were not particularly strong, they were many of them. They only roamed the caves and passages in large groups.
At one point, they came upon a weird stone structure mounted on two pillars and apparently containing magic. Sitting on its top, beneath the transparent dome looking more like a helmet, was a small cave dweller with a menacing face, brandishing a magic wand. The wand cast spells powering the giant golem he stood on, transforming the lifeless machine and endowing it with great strength and speed.
Will would rather not get engaged in combat with such a thing—in these cramped spaces, he could easily get killed by a random blow—so he just watched Farris deal with the mobs, hoping the demon wouldn’t get knocked off while having his fun.
***
Their race across the Dark Chasm lasted for some four hours, and now Raven had to get into fights to at least distract some of the enemies from the demon. However desperately he wanted just to leave Farris behind, he needed the shard hidden in this cave. And the box.
The fights became lengthier. Although the boy was still laughing insanely, having more than enough fun, Will could see he wouldn’t last long. He was just too crazy to see the whole picture and understand his situation. Instead, he walked ahead without trying to hide, attracting more and more crowds of mobs.
The concepts of lurking or strategizing were apparently beyond Farris. Will wondered how he’d ever managed to follow and watch Cerberus for such a long time. Impossible. He’s just as good a spy as a crazy elephant would be.
At last, enduring three more hours of incessant fighting with enemies coming on
and on like a kaleidoscope, one madman and his hostage reached the last cave. It had a real door and even real guards.
…and a tremendously dark, cursed aura like nothing Will had ever sensed before. Looks like the shard stored here is much larger than the rest—or it’s something different…
The guards were the same short men, members of Arrey tribe or nation, but this time they were mounted on giant saddled rats. Their name was Guards of Arrey. Before this, the duo had encountered the Creators of Arrey, Scouts of Arrey, and even the Monsters of Arrey.
Killing the four guards, Farris, still laughing and taking no rest, landed a forceful kick to the door, sweeping it off its hinges. The door wings clanged down to the stone floor, producing a ringing metallic echo.
The whole room inside was blurred, with vague shapes barely visible through the dense violet aura, and the air was anything but clean. Will instantly retrieved the crystal; the violet smoke started to clear, absorbing into it.
“What’s going on?” a high-pitched, shrewish voice came from a completely invisible speaker. “Guards! Guards! Where’s the smoke going? Hey, ladies, get up. Some weird stuff is going on here. I’d rather not have any damage come to you.”
When all the smoke had finally gone into the crystal, a fantastic picture opened to the duo’s eyes: a large bed canopied by a transparent dome, a tiny man with a crown on his head lying on this bed, and a score of tiny naked women around him, clapping their eyes in bewilderment.
“Ta-da-da-dah!” The demon lifted his hands, giggling. “Hey! Who’s here? Oh, it’s Arrey himself! Arrey of El’Lako—the kingdom of lust and progress!”
So Arrey is a given name and not a nation or tribe. Well. Let’s see.
Name: Arrey, the exiled Prince of El’Lako
Level: 102
Health: 67450
“What are you doing, human?” Arrey shrieked at being inspected. “Do you know nothing of good manners? What a yokel.”
“What the shit going on here?” Will opened his eyes in bewilderment. Is that a dungeon boss? Why are things so far from normal here? Why can’t you just come, kill the mobs, kill the boss, take your reward, and then leave?
“You’ve intruded into the prince’s bedroom without permission, human. And you’re staining the air here with your foul language.” As far as Will could see, the prince pretended not to know Farris.
“Uh-oh.” Shaking his head, the demon clicked his tongue and laughed, licking his lips. “Aren’t you going to greet me?”
What the fuck? Why is he acting as a normal human? Raven stared at the demon, struggling to grasp what had caused such a sudden change to his behavior.
“Not for the world.” Arrey snorted. “You are the cause of my exile. I trusted you as a boy. I did what you told me to do. And what’s the result? I became insane without realizing it. You told I’d see a new world. A world where I could do everything. And what do I really have? These caves with a bunch of men and women. You deceived me.”
Hey, wait. What would other players do, coming here without this mental demon? Would they kill the tiny prince? What must you do to complete this dungeon?
Stop. The shard. The players should’ve had to take it. But how would they know it’s here? How would they overcome this cursed aura? They’d have probably got affected and failed the mission. And that would’ve kept happening until they found the solution.
What if they killed the prince without even listening to him? And without finding the shard? Would the dungeon have disappeared forever with the shard?
Will saw the boy starting to approach the prince in small, childish steps, smiling broadly. Gosh. Not now.
“Farris! No! I need him alive! Damn you, fucking bastard! He has the shard. If he dies, you’ll never be able to kill that dog!”
The child froze. Slowly, like a ball-joined doll, he turned to Will. “I’ve told you what I will do if you try to spoil my fun. Haven’t I? Tell me it! Now!” He already stood by the rogue’s side and, sticking his claw into Will’s belly, he slowly moved it up. “Come on, you piece of meat!”
- 560!
“RGAAAH! You no longer want to kill Cerberus, do you?” Overcoming the hell of a pain he felt because of his 100% sensitivity, Raven smirked. Blood gushed out of his mouth as he spoke, pouring over the ground.
The claw stopped. The demon’s face covered with ripples of transformation. His eyes changed, showing the chasms of insanity, with orange-red fire glaring inside them. His face also shed the cloaking illusion for a split second, revealing the scaly, spiky head of a legendary creature.
Shaking all over, the demon flung the bleeding rogue aside and howled, “I hate! Hate! Hate! Hate you! I hate this world! I hate these obstacles in my way! I hate every single piece of it! Where’s that wonderful world she once showed me? Hey! Ahahaha. No! I…I…I…I must kill this dog first. No more annoying obstacles in the way of my insanity then. Ah-ha. Ahahaha. Ahahaha!”
His screams resounded through the cave. The tiny man watching all of it was apparently unsuspecting of the true nature of his old friend who’d dethroned him and caused his exile. The prince trembled beneath his dome, clutching in both hands…the shard!
When did he retrieve it? And where from?
The demon finally calmed down. Dashing to the dome, he caved it in by pressing his face against it, scrutinizing Arrey as if through a magnifying glass.
“You tiny, tiny worm! You shouldn’t hide such toys. If you don’t give this thing to this boy over there, now, I’ll just gobble you up for lunch with giblets. No, though. No giblets. Fuck them.” Farris winced.
“You…Are you trying to say you will kill me if I don’t give it to you?” The prince struggled to believe the madman’s words. To believe them, one should have to be just as crazy himself.
“Sure. Have I ever told lies?” Lifting a hand, he continued softly, pointing a finger on his other hand in Will’s direction. “But someone…I’d rather not say his name…may fail to keep his word.”
The prince did not have much choice anyway. He could either keep the shard and get killed or give it away and hope he’d be spared.
“I’ll give it to you, human. I hope you’ll keep your word,” Arrey whispered.
“Wait. I want to know one thing first. Why aren’t you affected by this shard while you hold it in your hands?”
“Its energy is neutralized by the dome and transformed into sort of a party drug. A harmless and non-addictive one.”
“Wow. Who’s smart enough to make a thing like that?”
“Enough talking. I see your wound has healed. Wanna get another? Take this piece of shit and lead me to Cerberus.”
I must visit this dwarf’s native land. Looks like they’re a nation of great inventors. Must have some unique items there.
“For a start, I must warn you. Don’t. Touch. The. Prince. He must stay safe and sound. Or your dream, so close already, will crumble to dust.”
Chapter 95. Emperor’s Obedience Crystal
T he demon squinted. The atmosphere was heating up. The whites of his eyes filled with fire, the flex of his jaw muscles betraying his barely contained rage. Only the thin wall of his wish to kill Cerberus stood between Will and inevitable multiple deaths.
“Hey! You’re immortal but I can still kill you a couple of times when the dog’s dead. I, hey! Ahahaha. I want someone to vent my rage on. You will forgive me this guilty pleasure. WON’T YOU?” the demon screamed at the end, scattering the furniture to the corners, slicing the stone walls with his claws, and unleashing his fire magic to set everything within reach on fire.
“Shit! Shit! Shit! You’ll pay the hundredfold value of my calmness after I kill the mangy dog!” Saying that, he left the cave to find someone still alive to present with his condolences.
Whoever meets this demon will certainly deserve condolences on this occasion.
“Remember what just happened, exiled prince. When we meet again, I’ll ask you to return the favor. Now, please give me the shar
d. By the way—where did you find it?” Will inquired, accepting the stone item from the prince.
“Don’t forget you’re talking to a member of royalty, human. Although I am in exile so far, I will come up with a way to prove all I did was the fault of the demon. If we ever meet again, I will grant your request. You have my princely word on that. And the shard…well, my creators obtained it for me, sensing its aura in the nearby woods.”
You’ve saved the exiled prince’s life by not killing him and preventing others from doing it.
You get a reward for not using his helpless condition to plunder his treasure stored in this room.
Current attitude status:
Prince Arrey 32/200 − friendliness
This room had treasures?! I didn’t even see them. I was too focused on saving this shorty! Damn. Damn. Raven was mentally tearing his hair out because of the missed opportunity, blaming the demon. If not for this murder-obsessed madman, the rogue could have taken a better look around, remembering any exiled prince must have his treasury with him—apart from the shard.
“I don’t know if we ever will meet again but I’d rather thank you not only with words but also with a small gift,” the prince continued. “I’m a man who knows gratitude, not some ignorant peasant. Take this, you country bumpkin.” The prince handed the rogue a small locket.
Prince Arrey’s Locket
Rank: Unique Item
Arrey got this locket as a gift from a palace creator when he was a child. The locket has a protective spell to rescue its owner at the moment of mortal threat.
Characteristics:
+130 Defense
+4 Luck
Passive Skill: Final Chance
When death is inevitable, the owner is teleported to an attached location. You can attach only one location at a time. When a new location is attached, it automatically replaces the old one.
Cooldown: 14 days
Requirements: Prince Arrey’s attitude must be Friendliness or higher