“Good.” I turned around. “Reiner?”
“I’m here, Dire Totem.” The goblin farm lord approached the kobolds hesitantly. “How may I help?”
“I need a rundown of the town. Akzar’s leadership lives in the upper ring, right?”
The city was built of three concentric rings. The large outer ring was home to the commoners. The inner ring was saved for officers, rich merchants, and higher-end establishments. The upper ring was the most exclusive, allowing access only to nobles and the elite.
“Yes, Dire Totem,” Reiner confirmed. “The mayor and other nobles live in the upper ring, though it is the mayor who rules the city. I am told his manor is enormous and well-guarded.”
“Good, so all I have to do is kill him to take control of the city.”
Reiner’s eyebrows snapped together. “I’m afraid it won’t be that simple, Dire Totem. The mayor is no great fighter, but his bodyguard is a dreaded warrior that not even The Champion dares to challenge.”
That was worrisome. Bonecruncher, Akzar’s main champion, was a formidable tier 3 boss. If the mayor’s bodyguard was even stronger, I could be facing a real problem.
Damn. So if the mayor himself is not much of a fighter …
That complicated things. A tier 4 boss belonged to the second echelon of bosses. Tiers 1 to 3 were considered ‘common,’ but tiers 4 to 6 were not. They represented truly elite warriors, lords, and even monster kings. The upper echelon, 7 to 8, were unique elite individuals, the kind of monsters guilds fought each other over the chance to raid. Tier 9 were akin to gods, like Nihilator. Though unlike true gods, they had the freedom to roam and interact with the world. Their only downside was that once they died, it was for good. Nihilator was even more unique in that regard since he couldn’t be killed. He was pretty much the essence of darkness, after all, and you can’t kill the darkness. Not even with a magic missile.
“That’s not all,” Reiner continued. “There are also three commanders out here, in the outer district. They each control a third of the town’s forces. Together, they make up the army’s ruling body, and in the absence of central leadership, they automatically assume command.”
“So I’ll have to kill all three as well,” I mused.
“Yes, Dire Totem. And if I may make a suggestion … you should start with the mayor. As soon as word of the assassination gets out, the remaining leaders will fortify their positions, and the upper ring will become inaccessible. You also can’t take too long between strikes, since the mayor especially will be quick to return to life.”
That made sense. Low-level bosses respawned quickly, which only complicated things for me. “You are very well-informed, Reiner.”
He smiled back at me. “I’ve been hiding inside the cathedral for over a year. There’s not a lot to do here other than talking to the hob believers when they visit. I’ve learned a lot about the city, but I’m afraid I’m unfamiliar with its geography. I wouldn’t be able to direct you to the places you need to go.”
“That’s not good,” I said. “I need someone who can guide me through the streets and help avoid unwanted attention.” The last time I’d been here, Bob was that guide. He had lived in Akzar before and knew the city like the back of his hand. But Bob was gone…killed by that accursed player, Ragnar, just to hurt me.
I closed my eyes as the feeling of loss washed over me. More than a week had passed since he fell. And even though he was just a digital character, losing him hurt. He was my close friend and companion.
“I believe I might be able to find someone to help you with that,” the bearded goblin said, pointing at a female hob who was praying nearby. “That is Mya, a shaman apprentice. She has access to the upper ring. She’s a very devout follower of Nihilator, and I’m sure she’ll be willing to guide you through the city.”
I frowned. “That might be a problem. I’m a wanted criminal out there.”
Reiner shook his head. “She wouldn’t mind. Talk to her; you’ll see what I mean.”
I nodded and motioned for Lirian to follow me. The lone hob female looked up as we approached, and I took an involuntary step back when I saw her face. Deep scars zigzagged over her cheeks, crossing her lips, and nearly reaching her eyes. It was not the hideous disfigurement that made me pull back; it was the presence of dark energy that thrummed through those scars. Somehow, Mya had grafted some of Nihilator’s dark energy into her flesh.
“High Priest,” the hob greeted me.
I raised an eyebrow. “You know me?”
“You’re giving off a strong aura of darkness.”
“How can you tell?”
Her eyes blazed with ecstasy. “I studied long and hard to rise in the ranks of Akzar’s shamans, but it was the master’s dark power that helped me break my bonds and gave me the power I seek.”
I frowned. “So … those scars …?”
“Made by my own hands; a tribute to the master,” she said proudly.
“You and Kuzai will get along great,” I muttered.
She cocked her head at me.
“Nothing,” I sighed. “Reiner said you might be willing to help me.”
“Anything for the master’s high priest,” she declared. “For through his dark power comes pain, and through pain comes power.”
Vic chuckled in my mind.
I held back my own laughter. That was actually a good one, Vic.
Mya looked at me questioningly. “Shall we venture into the city, High Priest? Your visage will no doubt cause the guards to attack, but together, we will demonstrate the power the master rewards his followers. They will perish before us.”
“Yeah, you and Kuzai will get along just fine,” I said beneath my breath then shook my head. “That won’t be necessary. Reiner, do you still have some of the old slave collars we used?”
“Yes, Dire Totem,” the goblin replied.
“Bring two.”
The bearded goblin grabbed a passing worker and, after a brief exchange, sent him toward the back rooms.
Vic, think you can form a hood to cover my head?
Haha – no. I need to hide my features from the guards. If they can’t see my face, and I’m wearing a collar, they should leave us alone.
I know.
My purple Vicloak shifted. A heavy cowl grew around my head, pouring over my face and nearly reaching my chin.
I looked myself over and removed my armor. The mithril vest I was wearing was too noticeable and suspicious for a mere goblin. I also couldn’t wear my old Pyrolith Gambeson since the guards already knew what it looked like. Wearing a unique item had its downsides. I also unequipped my Dread Totem set. It was a dead giveaway. That left me wearing only a loincloth underneath my Vicloak.
“Father?” Lirian looked at me in puzzlement. “What are you doing?”
“Camouflage.”
A small goblin worker approached and handed me two slave collars. I put one around my neck and handed the other to Lirian. “Put it on.”
She obeyed without hesitation. “Shall I remove my armor as well?”
Though it was not an uncommon sight to see female slaves walking through Akzar’s streets in undergarments, the very thought of my daughter walking around half-naked made my blood boil. I reined in my emotions. “There’s no need. Your leather armor is high-quality, but not unique enough to draw too much attention.”
“Yes, Father,” the
goblinette said amicably.
“Alright, Mya.” I turned to the zealot. “Lead the way.”
***
I squinted at the light outside the cathedral. It was twilight, but even the dim sunlight was enough to momentarily blind me. It also stripped me of the Shadow-Touched bonuses my clanmates shared.
“Where do you want to go first?” Mya asked. “I hear the next arena challenge is about to begin. Bonecruncher is supposed to make an appearance. Blood and carnage guaranteed.”
“Ah, thanks, I just had a big helping of carnage at home,” I said. “Can you show me where the city’s three commanders are located?”
“Of course. Each of them is in charge of one of the three districts in the outer ring. They keep their offices in the barracks they command.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen them before,” I said. “But I need to know exactly where they’re located inside. Think you can show me around the barracks itself?”
The shaman frowned. “I think so. I’m just an apprentice, and we don’t usually mingle with the soldiers, but my rank should let us through.”
“Excellent, let’s go.”
This district’s barracks were not far from the cathedral and we soon reached it. The building looked similar to the one I’d constructed at Goblin’s Gorge, which stood to reason since our design was based on the hobs’ blueprint. This barracks was more remarkable though, reaching higher than mine with its four impressive and decorative posts. A roar erupted from within as the crowd cheered their favorite gladiator.
“They improved this place,” I said. “When I was here last, it only had three floors.”
Mya shrugged. “Warriors like to brag about the size of their … barracks. Darok, this district’s commander, is no exception. It’s this way.” She led us away from the arena entrance and toward a normal-looking doorway along the barracks’ exterior wall. No one questioned us as we passed through. We entered a circular corridor lined with many doors. Hobgoblin soldiers were stationed every few meters, and I noted that unlike the simple level 10 guards we had seen earlier, these were all level 20.
Mya led us through the corridor to the right, toward a section that was guarded by two, level 30 hobs in steel breastplates. They crossed their spears as we approached, but a scowl from the disfigured shaman had the two hesitantly withdrawing their weapons.
I kept looking around, searching for windows or other ways into the building, but all I found were seamless walls. The place was built to last, and it could be turned into a fortified bunker in a few moments’ notice. That wasn’t good.
We continued walking, and at last, we reached an ornamental door. I recognized it at once. We had the same door back at the clan. It was the trainer’s office.
The two soldiers guarding the doorway were both level 35. “The commander’s busy, shaman,” one of them said. “But if you wait, I’m sure he’ll be able to see you once he’s finished.”
Mya glanced at me, and I subtly shook my head. “No need,” she replied. “I can come back another time. Carry on.”
“Are you interested in selling the female?” the other guard asked. I gritted my teeth beneath my cowl when I realized he was talking about Lirian. “She looks strong; I can make some gold off her at the arena.”
“No,” the shaman said.
I tried exhaling my mounting rage as Mya led us outside the building. “Can you show us the other two barracks?” I asked her.
“Of course.”
We continued following her through the city. I had to give the hob her due. Being a shaman bestowed a prestige that easily opened doors, and she wasn’t shy about using it. No one objected to her walking anywhere she wanted with two goblin ‘slaves’ in tow.
The other two barracks were only three stories high, but no less secure than the first. Breaching them all to assassinate the commanders was going to be a real problem.
“Where to now?” Mya asked.
“I’d like to see the mayor’s house in the upper ring,” I said. “Can you get us inside?”
The hob frowned. “Normally, I would, but the entrance is guarded by one of the city’s elites. She’ll be able to recognize you despite the disguise.”
“So no, then. I’d like to see the entrance though and the elite guard.”
We walked into the inner ring without a problem. I even noticed The Dancing Shade along the way, my innkeeper’s previous establishment. The building was dark, and its windows were shuttered.
We passed the main road that cut through the inner ring toward the upper one and stopped a good distance away from the gate. A dozen guards protected the entrance, and a level 50, tier 1 boss hob was standing right in the center. It wasn’t Calger, though. I’d killed the previous captain when I made my escape from the city, and though he should have respawned by now, it seemed that he hadn’t returned to his previous job. The new elite guard’s eyes carefully scanned every individual that approached the gate.
“You can see the top of the mayor’s house from here,” Mya said, pointing at the tip of what must have been at least a three-story building. “I’ve only ever been on the ground floor. The mayor has offices on the second, and his quarters are on the third and fourth.”
“I understand. Can you take us back to the cathedral?” By now the sun had fully disappeared, and the streets were emptying quickly. The city’s mandatory curfew was about to begin.
“Of course.”
We followed the shaman back to the cathedral without incident.
The obstacles ahead of me were significant. I had an elaborate assassination scheme to carry out, and I only had two more days to do it.
I needed a plan. And for that, I needed allies.
***
The streets were already empty by the time I left the cathedral. Only the guards patrolled the deserted routes.
My shadow clone sped through the streets. At night, I was virtually invisible. I could go anywhere I wanted. It was a perfect opportunity to do some deeper scouting.
I raced up the deserted roads to the upper ring. The guards at the entrance were alert as ever, but they didn’t blink as I swooshed past them. I once again found myself at Akzar’s center of power.
The Shamans’ Tower loomed menacingly on one side and the mayor’s manor lay a few buildings away. The center of the upper ring was a large open garden. A row of high-end shops stretched across the other side of the plaza.
I eyed two of the familiar stores. One of them used to belong to Bartun Ravencaller, a hob trader who tried to recruit me to further his goals. The wretched hob had also intended to betray me to the slaver’s guild, but I’d beat him to it and killed him first. Bartun’s store seemed to have changed ownership and was now offering poisons of various types.
I studied the other familiar store. It was an alchemy shop owned and operated by the ‘halfling’ Ted Mercury. Finding a ‘civilized’ individual inside the upper ring of a monster city had surprised me at first until I found out he was actually a hob that’d been transmuted by a botched alchemy experiment.
Ted had also tried to betray me. Something about making deals with a goblin seemed to bring that out in the local population. But I’d caught him in the act as well, and to spare his life, the alchemist had struck a deal with me, promising to maintain trade relations with my clan no matter what.
A promise that was now broken.
I glanced at the mayor's house. I had time for a small detour before checking it out.
I swam through the shadows toward the alchemy shop, reaching it in a second. I manifested myself out of the shadows into a three-dimensional being and looked around. The entire building emitted a faint aura of magic that was easily discernible to my magic-made eyes. Just like any other building in this ring, the place was warded, blocking entrance.
I narrowed my eyes as I looked through a display window and saw a figure moving inside. “Ted Mercury,” I said softly, the voice coming out of my mouth hollow and menacing.
There was no reply.
> I rapped my knuckles on the door. The shadowy flesh of my hand dissipated as it came in contact with the protection ward. I set my jaw and channeled some mana to reform my arm. Then I flushed the limb with mana, making it more solid, and banged the door once.
There was a small explosion of light as the repelling wards fought against my enhanced fist, but my power held, and a loud thud rang through the shop.
“Who’s there?” a voice called from inside. “It’s past curfew; shop’s closed.”
“It is your long-lost trade partner,” I said as I heard steps approaching the door from the other side. “Let me in.”
There was a hasty sound of the door being unbolted. It swung open, revealing the alarmed face of Ted the not-halfling. The small humanoid instantly fell back. “A monster!”
“Quiet,” I hissed hollowly. “It is me, the goblin chief of the GreenPiece Clan. This is just a projected body. We need to talk.”
He stared at me fearfully. “What are you doing here? The entire city is looking for–”
“Let me inside . ”
The not-halfling hesitated for another second then stepped aside, allowing me to pass through.
I moved my cloned body into the store and looked around. The place looked much as I remembered; rows of potion bottles were arrayed on shelves next to lab equipment and jars of ingredients.
I turned to Ted as he closed the door behind me. “Why have you reneged on our contract? You made a vow in your god’s name to maintain trade relations with my clan regardless of my standing with Akzar.”
The alchemist swallowed hard. Apparently, my darkness-made body took a little getting used to. “I haven’t. Though it cost me a great deal, our Export Office is open and available for your clan.”
Using the Sense Emotions ability, I inspected the shape of mana his thoughts projected. There was a faint blue of honesty. He was being truthful, but he was keeping something back. “Then why can’t I purchase any more Viridium?” I demanded, raising my voice.
Ted flinched. “It’s not my fault. After you killed Terdamesh, it took him weeks to return, and he was furious. He kept looking for ways to get back at you. I even heard he contaminated some goblins with demon essence in an attempt to create a corrupted goblin that would infect others of your race.”
Life Reset: Conquest (New Era Online Book 5) Page 14