“What now?” Mark asked as he put his arm around Sarah. “We start right away?”
“Accept all the quests and read through them. Once we’re done, I propose we take a stroll and check this place out.”
“And stay inside the dome?” Melina stressed.
“Yeah, and stay inside. I don’t want no accidents on our first day in here,” I murmured. “There are only seven of us left, so every life means more than we can afford to lose.”
“You make it sound as if a life can be paid for in goods,” Rita exclaimed.
“I’m sorry if it sounded wrong, but that’s how it is, Rita. We need to take care of each other, or the rest are fucked without the jobs they provide. We agreed on this, and now we have to step up and do what we said we will.”
I didn’t like people who changed their minds often and caused trouble, but I would give them the benefit of the doubt. In the end, having someone cook, clean, and do a lot of the chores meant I could focus on hunting.
“We will,” Donald interjected. “Don’t worry, Viktor, but you have to understand that we’ve been peaceful for all our lives. We never argued with our neighbors, never had any problems with anyone but Kihot, but that was mostly handing out pastries. We’re not used to the law of the jungle.”
“Then you’ll have to let us do the killing, it’s as simple as that. You do your part, and we do ours. That way you’ll reap the benefits of being in the same party without having to kill things. Anything else?”
My tone was slightly stronger than I should have used, but the sooner they understood that life had changed, the better it would be for all of us.
“I don’t think so,” Mark replied. “Give Laney to me, alright?” he said and was about to reach for the kid when I hit him on the wrist.
“And who the hell is going to protect your wife if something attacks?”
He opened his mouth to retort but closed it again and nodded. “I’m sorry, it’s just that she’s been carrying the baby all this time and—”
“And? She’s much stronger after opening a meridian, isn’t she? Has she been absorbing the crystals you brought home?”
He nodded.
“And then some.” Sarah chuckled. “We still got a few spares that I didn’t manage to absorb.”
“Does your back hurt? Or your arms? From carrying the baby, I mean.”
She shook her head. “No, everything’s great. Why?”
“See? She can handle it just fine. Trust your wife more to voice her opinion if she can’t handle it, right, Sarah?”
She shot me a glare but then chuckled. “You’re a strange one, Viktor. One would think you’re a coldhearted killer, but you’re kind and warm underneath, as well as understanding.”
“Depends on who you ask,” Melina murmured.
“Huh? You got something to say, milady?”
“Who? Me? No, I just coughed, is all.”
The group let out a hearty laugh, and strangely, I didn’t mind it was because of me. It felt natural and good, and as if I’d found a new family. Family. Why did the word sit so hard with me? Because I’d already lost one in my previous life, only to find out my child was still alive, and I would forever be barred from getting there.
“Alright, give us a minute to go over our quests and we’ll be ready to move out,” Mark said as the laughter died down.
I nodded and pulled my job quests up.
JOBS:
NAME: Miner, Level 1, 0/10
DESCRIPTION: Gather 10 ore inside the Rift.
NAME: Hunter, Level 1, 0/1
DESCRIPTION: Hunt 1 monster inside the Rift.
NAME: Smelter, Level 1, 0/5
DESCRIPTION: Smelt 5 ingots using ore found inside the Rift.
NAME: Smith, Level 1, 0/1
DESCRIPTION: Create 1 tool with ingredients from inside the Rift.
NAME: Survivalist, Level 1, 0/12
DESCRIPTION: Dig a pit and keep a fire going for 12 hours inside the Rift.
NAME: Armorer, Level 1, 0/1
DESCRIPTION: Create 1 armor/weapon using ingredients found inside the Rift.
NAME: Butcher, Level 1, 0/1
DESCRIPTION: Butcher 1 Monster using a cold steel weapon or knife inside the Rift.
I was surprised by how easy the requirements were to do the quests. Veles had mentioned they had levels, and that meant more work, but if it was worth it, I was happy to put in the time. We only had the rest of our lives to work on it anyway.
Melina was done first, or she just stopped reading when I moved.
“Hard?”
“What? You?”
“No, not me. Your quests, Mel.”
I sighed and rubbed my temples. Headaches were becoming more frequent by the day, and it had come to a point that I would need to figure out a way to reduce the pain or it could start affecting me.
“Oh, yeah, not that hard. You?”
“Likewise. I think we can do all the jobs over the week with ease.”
“But is it necessary?”
“No, not really, but if it helps, why not?”
Mark and Sarah were next, and then the older couple. Not waiting for any comments or chatter, I pulled the gladius out and held it in my right hand. It was shorter and easier to walk around with, so it was the better choice. I decided to check the stream first since it was the least dangerous.
I walked over to the edge and stared into the crystal-clear water. The small fishes swam around and enjoyed themselves from what I could see, and they were rather energetic. I looked up at the other side of the stream. It was still inside the boundary of the dome for about fifty paces, but beyond that was a void, pure nothingness.
The dome ran straight up into the sky, which told me it was possibly a dead end. Great. We could use the other bank for breeding once we had some cattle monsters, making sure they couldn’t escape.
Melina knelt and touched the water, cupped her hands, and took a sip. “It’s clean as can be, fresh, and cold. This is perfect.”
I followed suit and drank some as well. She was right. It almost tasted as good as drinking from a mountain spring.
“Yeah, but I want it separated before it reaches the fish. We should dig a small canal and reroute it into the stream again near the border where the water disappears. We’ll need to adjust the damn plumbing as well and get water for the showers and bath. Fuck, this brings a lot of problems with it.”
“I used to work in plumbing,” Mark said as he had a taste of the water as well. “It won’t be a problem, but we can’t get anything in here for the next week.”
“So I’ll have to take a piss every few hours over here where everyone can see me?” Melina gasped.
“Not just you, sweetie,” Rita whispered, but she was loud enough so everyone could hear her. “We all do.”
“Yeah, well, at least there’s fresh water to clean yourself with right away,” Sarah added. “Maybe some of the fish can nibble you clean if you ask them nicely.”
“Eww, what if there are piranhas?” Melina cried. “Or their equivalent and they bite your—you know? So disgusting!”
“Alright, girls, you’re going too far with your fantasies. Let’s move somewhere else.”
I let out a sigh as Melina caught up to me and chuckled.
“Oh, come on! No need to be a party pooper, you know?”
“It’s not that, Mel. I’m just worried about getting everything you need and deserve. I don’t want you to live in a damn wilderness without a semi-comfortable life.”
She gave me a blank stare that lasted for several seconds and then turned into something akin to admiration. “I got all I need, Vik, trust me.” She put her arm around mine and snuggled in close. My heart fluttered at her touch, just like it always did. “You know, I think I can say this now that no one’s around,” she said and looked around to verify no one was too close, and then she leaned in closer. “I think I love you.”
I stopped in my tracks and looked back at her, my mouth agape. “Wh
at did you just say?”
My voice was barely a whisper, but she heard me loud and clear.
“I love you, but you need to tell me what’s up. Ever since you woke up, you’ve been absentminded and strange.”
I put my arms around her and picked the woman up, then swung her around me. I felt as if someone had just handed me the winning ticket to a lottery. No, even more, almost as if someone had given me the keys to a kingdom!
“You mean it?”
She nodded hurriedly and then stopped as a frown set on her face. “Why didn’t you tell me you love me too?”
“Hey, I needed to be sure.” I laughed. “So here goes.”
I stopped and looked around, waited for everyone to get closer, then dropped to one knee. I fished through a bunch of pinkish daisylike flowers and knitted a ring then and there.
“What are you doing?” Melina hissed through her teeth. “Don’t you think you’re moving too fast?”
I just grinned and finished making the ring quickly, then held out my hand. “Lady Melina, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Sarah squealed, and Melina started to hyperventilate.
“Are you sure?” she whispered through clenched teeth. “You know I’m flawed, right?” she whispered so the others couldn’t hear her.
“If anyone’s flawed, then that’s me, Melina. So what do you say? Do you want to take a leap of faith and give yourself to me?”
“Aaah! Yes, I do! I want to become miss… wait, what’s your surname?”
I frowned. “Shit, I never said, huh?”
“No, you didn’t.” She laughed. “So? What is it?”
“Promise not to laugh?”
She shrugged and poked my forehead with her index finger. “If you can’t trust me with your surname, why would I trust you with myself?”
“Errm—yeah, that’s a good point,” I murmured. “It’s—”
A sudden chirping sound came from the gate. I looked past Melina, only to see a woman standing not even ten yards from us. I could have sworn she wasn’t there a moment ago, but now she was.
“His surname is Cerna,” the woman said, her voice a mask of… I had no idea what it was.
She sounded both hurt and angry at the same time. We froze at the same time, finally processing what the hell was going on. Was that Veles playing a trick on us? No one else could have come here on their own, now could they?
“What’s that about a marriage, Viktor? I thought we were still married.”
Scar appeared out of nowhere and trudged over to the woman, then pressed his snout against her leg. The woman scratched behind his ears and he shuddered.
“It’s really you,” Scar said out loud. “We thought you were dead.”
“Lana?” I whispered. “You’re… still alive?”
Lana walked up to us and stopped an inch from my face. Her hot, spicy breath thawed my frozen blood and sent my heart into overdrive. She was alive, and she was right here in front of me. But how? And why?
“I think we need to have a long chat, Vik, including that bad copy of me.”
Chapter Three
It could have been worse. Everything could always be worse. Imagine getting caught with your pants down when a monster attacked, or on the bad side of a God or a Goddess. This wasn’t far off, to be honest. Not only was I caught off guard with my pants down by a literal Goddess when it came to power and immortality, but I was caught off guard proposing to another woman in front of the wife I thought I’d lost in my previous life.
The group hurriedly walked off toward the inn and busied themselves doing… things and acting as if nothing had happened. I wasn’t sure, but I thought I caught Sarah chuckling. Bah. Damn woman. As if I didn’t have a hard enough time as it was.
“Lana,” I said as I stepped toward her but stopped as Melina glared at me. “I—this is quite an unfortunate situation.”
“Unfortunate? What the hell did you just say?” Melina demanded. “You proposing to me was unfortunate?”
“No, wait, come on! You know what I mean!”
“No, I don’t!” Melina snapped. “Pray tell me!”
“He meant the part where I saw him propose the same way he did with me. Back then he used pink daisies as well. Heh, some things never change, I guess.”
“Lana, please don’t go there. You have no idea what we’ve been through to get here.”
“And neither do you! I’ve been alive for two decades”
I opened my mouth to protest, but then shut up again as I tried to gather my thoughts.
“We need to sit down and have a drink before anyone says anything. Please.”
Lana didn’t say anything, but she nodded and placed her hands on her hips. I looked back at Melina and she shrugged.
“The fuck I’ve been even thinking,” she murmured. “I knew this kind of day could come eventually.”
She walked past me and Lana, but then the other woman grabbed her arm and stopped her.
“You knew he was married?”
“Yeah, so what? I also know both of you are from that Karmag place and that you have a daughter together. That a problem?”
Lana let go and took a step back, but then looked over at me and scowled. “You told her everything? And what did she mean by ‘have a daughter together’ instead of had?”
“Why would I lie to someone I’ve come to lo—”
“Love? Go on, finish that word!” Lana snapped.
“Yeah, I do love her! But I also think I love… you! Please, let’s have that drink first.”
Lana bared her teeth at me and threw a punch, hitting me right in the nose. I staggered back as a prompt appeared.
Damage Notification:
You have received 37 damage from Lana Cerna.
Do you wish to invoke a death strike on Lana Cerna?
“No, don’t kill Lana!” I yelled, sounding much louder than I had intended. Both women looked at me strangely and then frowned.
“Who are you talking to?”
“The damn rift! You attacked the owner of this rift, and it offered to kill you with a single counterspell!”
Now it was Lana’s turn to freeze. She looked up and then around as if searching for something, but the rift was everywhere and everything at the same time. It was a futile attempt to try to find it.
“Are you fucking with me?” she asked sheepishly.
I shook my head. “No, I’m not, so don’t do that again. It might attack next time without even asking me.”
I sent her an invitation to the party on instinct to try to prevent the worst outcome from happening. Even if it only happened in effect or by accident. Lana’s name appeared a second later after she received the invitation. Lana. It really was her, or at least so I thought. I had no idea who my wife used to be other than that my soul ached as she stood there.
I felt my heart both sink and rise at the same time. How the hell could this have happened? And today of all days. And how the hell had she managed to get in here? As if reading my thoughts, she explained her situation.
“Krajolik teleported me here after meeting me earlier.”
“Bastard,” I murmured. “He has a wicked sense of humor.”
“And he told me about our daughter. That she’s still alive and well.”
I rubbed my neck and face, then pushed my hand through my hair as I tried to stay on my feet. “I need that drink. Right now,” I growled and stormed toward the main inn building.
Melina hurried and caught up with me. She put her arm under mine and I let her. Why wouldn’t I? It wasn’t her fault, and only minutes ago I’d been proposing to her.
I slumped down on my usual place in the main dining room and leaned back against the chair. Melina didn’t follow me in but rather walked off toward the kitchen. She joined me several minutes later, holding a large tray in her hands. On one half there was an assortment of cut cheese and meat, while the other held a small bucket with ice, three glasses, and a pitcher of some clear liquid.
Even without tasting it, I knew it was strong. Very strong.
She sat next to me and placed three glasses on the table. One for herself, one for Lana, and one for me. The second woman walked in just then, tossing her long hair about and straightening her dress. She walked over to us and sat to my other side.
“Do you drink?” Melina asked as she held the pitcher in midair, waiting for Lana to answer.
Lana nodded and stared down at the glass. “Thanks,” was all she said.
In my book, it was still an improvement, especially after punching me.
“So, do you want to start, Lana, or do you want me to start?” Melina asked.
“Huh? What do you mean? What does this have to do with—?”
“Everything. I agreed to be with him despite knowing that a day like this might come, so I accept all responsibility, but not without telling you about it.”
“You don’t have to. Krajolik already told me everything,” Lana murmured.
“And you still hit me?”
“Hey!” she protested. “I left a great life behind to come back to you! Show some gratitude!”
I wanted to yell at her and say that no one forced her, but it had already happened, so now I had to deal with it. Melina’s hand tightened around the glass, and she looked away, staring out into the front yard.
“What now?” Lana asked. “I guess you’re not planning on leaving her?”
I felt Melina tense right next to me, but she didn’t say anything or even move. She just kept staring outside, waiting for my words as she drew in a deep breath.
“No, I don’t. She gave me a place to stay, took care of me to the best of her ability, and then that shit happened with all this… chaos.”
“It was no accident, Vik. Krajolik sent you to her. He made you go to that woman.”
I opened my mouth to protest but closed it again as I thought about Krajolik. Could he have gone that far? Sure, why not? It wasn’t like they cared about us. We were all a game to them, one to help pass the time better.
Crafting Death: A LitRPG Cultivation Series (Towers & Rifts Book 2) Page 2