Tears of Alron (The Alchemist Book #3): LitRPG Series

by Vasily Mahanenko

  Tailyn fell silent, not expecting an attack that powerful from Sadil. Shaking with fear, his first instinct was to agree to everything just to make sure he didn’t get hurt, though there was a part of his consciousness that pushed back. Still, even that part knew all too well that he couldn’t take Sadil down with a frontal assault — there was no way he was going to win an argument or prove some point. There was just one sliver of a chance he had at regaining his freedom, and Tailyn decided to take his shot. If it didn’t work, he was going to have to... He didn’t want to think about that.

  “My great achievement earned me the right to a meeting with the provost,” Tailyn said as he fought to keep his voice steady. Sadly, it came out as something approaching a squeak. “I’ll make my decision after that meeting.”

  Sadil’s face twisted into a menacing grimace, and Tailyn kissed his life goodbye. Only a fool or someone set on sudden death would enrage the head of security. And Tailyn didn’t fancy himself the former.

  “You mongrel! Who do you think you are, demanding something like that?” Sadil wasn’t yelling, but every word lashed Tailyn harder than any whip.

  “Still, he has the right, Master Sadil,” came the provost’s even voice. The boy suddenly realized there was an intercom on the table in front of his terrifying interlocutor, and the provost had heard the entire conversation. He continued.

  “I have a free minute, and I happen to be here at the academy, too. Send Tailyn over to my office right now, Master. The usual security measures are fine.”

  There was a click as the provost hung up.

  “Forian told me you’d find a way out of it,” Sadil said with a suddenly kind grin. “I was even starting to think you’d give in and throw up your hands. I don’t need weaklings, boy. If you’d agreed to leave Forian, your time at the academy would have been over right here and now. I’d have locked you up on the fifth level and stuffed your hacking full of crystals. But whatever, we’ll come back to that later. One! Take him to see the provost. Standard security measures.”

  “Commander,” Sadil’s deputy said with a nod, gesturing for Tailyn to follow him. The boy stood up to find that his legs were shaking — his whole body was trembling from the shock of facing the security head’s wrath. Doing his best not to wobble, he walked stiffly out of the office, only letting his emotions out when the door closed, and his face guard slide into place. Tears poured down his cheeks. And there was nothing he could do to stop them. Leaning against a wall, he broke into sobs. Never. Never would he become an investigator. Turn into Sadil? Not for anything in the world.

  The standard security measures turned out to be a shimmering gold belt Tailyn wrapped around himself on top of his outfit. No sooner was the knot tied, than the boy twitched — the associations weren’t great.

  You’re under the influence of a legendary Isolation Belt. You cannot use your inventory, cards, or other magic equipment. All weapons have been deactivated.

  Tailyn could only snort. And the mages had complained about not having isolation cages? Just one belt was worth the lot of the cages since it blocked off the boy’s inventory, which he had access to inside the cage.

  The provost’s floor — yes, the provost had an entire floor — was located right at the top of the battle magic department’s tower. Or, as Tailyn had grown used to thinking of it, at the tip of the scorpion’s tail. Accompanied by the surprised looks of the academy’s elite students, One walked Tailyn over to a separate elevator. And it was only when they got to the top that the boy realized it was the only access point. There were no stairs, no other elevators, no windows. Raptor fairly quickly built a floorplan of the floor, and Tailyn frowned when he saw only a third of the space show up. Everything else was hidden to his scanner.

  “Master Provost will see student Tailyn Vlashich in five minutes,” said the secretary. She was beautiful, if not nearly as much so as Finiel, let alone Valia, but still beautiful in her own right. But she seemed somehow unnatural to Tailyn. Her emotionless expression impressed him most of all, as she only ever smiled with her lips. Her eyes remained calm and lifeless. Shivering, Tailyn did his best not to look at her as she offered One a cup of tea and the boy a glass of juice. His perception identified her as Personal Secretary to the Academy Provost. There was no level, no age, no race. Even the gray-clad imperial killers had offered more information.

  There was a gong, and the secretary opened a door.

  “Don’t be stupid, Tailyn,” One said just in case. “Touch the belt, and you’ll be blocked as well as kicked out of the academy. Don’t be rude to the provost; don’t ask for anything impossible. Act naturally. Okay, let’s go.”

  Those instructions seemed superfluous to the boy, though they did help him get past the jitters. Invigorated with the assurance that he was doing everything right, Tailyn walked into the office.

  And that was when he was hit with a small panic attack. There was an unpleasant sensation of danger, to the point that he wanted to activate his shields and back away, prepared to fight off an attack.

  Tailyn had already seen interior design like what the office featured — it had been the same back in the Crobar founder’s tomb. Metal, glass, and even lines, all without a single corner. Everything was smooth; everything shone. It was shiny and impressive. All around were ancient devices the god had apparently been fine with not getting rid of. And the provost himself was on the other side of a desk that defied the imagination — Tailyn would never have guessed that something so perfect could be made out of metal and glass. It was multilevel and equipped with clear metal figurines. And they were indeed metal, and not glass, though Tailyn more sensed than knew that. The provost’s thick fingers moved one figurine as he broke the silence.

  “Check. Okay, I have a meeting, so think about your next move.”

  It was only then that the red-bearded provost turned and bestowed a pleasant smile on the boy.

  “Tailyn Vlashich. Finally, I have the chance to personally thank the student who has caused so many problems for the academy. Have a seat. Care for some sweets?”

  The provost motioned toward the empty space between him and the boy, and a moment later a table and two chairs appeared. Already prepared for surprises, Tailyn took that in stride. However, when he tried the treats the provost offered him, he instantly forgot why he was in the room in the first place. He’d never tried anything so delicious. Not only that, but they also came with a buff, albeit not one as strong as Valia’s blessing:

  You received a Sweets of Gelon buff.

  All your parameters were boosted by 2% for 24 hours.

  “It’s been a long time since I last had the kind of arguments with the emperor where I thought they’d kick us out of the empire if I don’t turn you over. You’re aware the viceroy demanded we give you and Valia Levor to him, right? You should hear the kind of accusations he’s leveling at you.”

  “What’s the point?” Tailyn couldn’t help but ask. He was there for a particular reason, though the provost had touched on a topic the boy found interesting. “Why can’t we just call on the god to witness that we weren’t responsible for the explosion?”

  “It’s not that simple, Tailyn.” The provost dipped a hand into a pocket and came up with a piece of candy. Unwrapping it, he popped it into his mouth and began chewing as he continued. “You can’t call on the god more than three times in a row, and the viceroy knows that. If this goes to court, they’ll make you confirm your name first. Then, that you’re not being controlled by another creature. After that, it’s that today is Tuesday or any other day of the week. Only at that point will they ask if you were responsible for the explosion, and you won’t be able to call on the god for another twenty-four hours. In that time, you’ll be sentenced and have your head lopped off. And nobody will be there to insist that real justice is served. That’s the fate that awaits you if you decide to leave the academy, Tailyn. And now, first-year student, tell me why you want to stay with Forian Tarn. Under Magistrate Sadil, you’ll be
able to reach unheard-of heights, so if you want the advice of a wise mage, I recommend becoming an investigator. Your help would be invaluable to the academy. If you help us ferret out enemies, you’ll save so many lives — an investigator with hacking could find out who killed twelve academy students in a matter of moments, just to take one example. I mean, you could have even prevented the blast in the first place! Are the lives of your friends worth you not wanting to switch mentors?”

  The provost’s trusting tone, not to mention the argument he was making, so impressed the boy that he was starting to doubt whether staying with Forian was a good idea. Really, if he boosted his hacking, he’d be able to get access to logs, inventory, everything. For him, anybody he came across would be an open book. Nobody would be able to get away with anything. But is that what he wanted? Was he looking to spend the rest of his life in the academy basement?

  He’s creepy. Fighting the guard was easier than talking with the provost — he pushes so hard I feel like I’m about to turn into a pancake. And he wants me to switch to Sadil for some reason, Tailyn thought, feeling an incredible sense of relief as he did. That was an advantage none of the provost, the dean, his mentor, and his trainer was aware of. If the adults thought they had him isolated, they couldn’t have been more wrong. Never again would he be on his own.

  Don’t give in! If Sadil gets his hands on you, we won’t make it back to Mean Truk, came Valia’s answer in Tailyn’s head. He’d already managed to tell the girl about his meeting with Sadil and the fact that he was off to see the provost.

  “Yes, Master Provost, it’s worth it,” Tailyn said firmly. That was much easier with Valia’s support. “I don’t want to be an investigator. Perhaps, when I’m grown up and as wise as you, I’ll bring some value to the academy. But in the meantime, please transfer me back to Forian. I don’t want to work under Magistrate Sadil. That’s my request.”

  A shadow of frustration flitted over the provost’s face when he realized he hadn’t been able to talk the boy out of his decision. Still, he was nothing if not a stickler for tradition — if someone earned the right to a meeting and had a reasonable request, he was going to hear them out.

  “I accept your request, Tailyn Vlashich!” the provost said grandly before getting to his feet. “It’s the only one you get, Student, so study hard, and perhaps you’ll earn yourself another meeting.”

  The door opened to let in the secretary. The provost returned to the table with the figurines, one of them moving from one surface to another.

  “That’s the way it’s going to be, is it?” the academy head said with a snort. “Good move. In that case, I think I’ll...”

  Tailyn didn’t hear what the provost was going to do. The smiling secretary with her lifeless eyes was already escorting him to the elevator, where One was waiting for him. It was only when they got to the bottom that the legendary isolation belt was removed.

  “You’re free to go. Magistrate Sadil has already been informed of your desire to remain with Forian. From now until final exams, you can be sure we won’t bother you. And now, activate this card and show me your logs.”

  Would you like to update your academy map?

  All old data will be deleted.

  “It’s required,” the investigator said. “Everyone who visits Sadil’s office has to do it, so finish and send me your logs.”

  Tailyn had no choice but to comply. The map he’d gotten from the investigators spread out in front of him once more, and while Raptor immediately began to update it, the scanner was limited to a radius of thirty meters. And Sadil was far below that.

  Sitting down on the stone steps of the main academy building, the boy dug into his settings. There was no way anything like what had happened in Sadil’s office was going to repeat itself — nobody would tell Tailyn which attributes to invest in. With fourteen free points, he knew he had to be careful about how he used them, focusing on Vargot first. And he ended up having to spend quite a bit even with Valia’s buff.

  Intellect +2 (17).

  Armor +2 (17).

  Strength +3 (17).

  Agility +3 (17).

  Mysticism +2 (17).

  Just like Raptor, Vargot had been modified. It and the other named equipment had adapted to fit its owner’s class, the changes underlined to make things easier on Tailyn.

  Vargot. Description: universal adaptive tactical alchemist’s outfit belonging to player Tailyn Vlashich (cannot be stolen or used by anyone else). Current Vargot level (VL): 6. The built-in universal protection can withstand the impact of 15 * VL strikes, keeping them from the wearer. Maintains a hermetic seal for VL + magic attack minutes. Fire resistant, cold resistant, with a built-in cleaning system, mimicry, an area scanner that reaches 100 meters, and a lamp. Integrates with magic cards and elixirs in quick access slots. When worn, restores 15 * VL mana and shield per hour; has VL slots for expansions (can be purchased at the store). Additional parameters: shield level: +200 * (level + Enhancement + VL); mana level: +150 * (level + Enhancement + VL); magic attack: +20 * (level + Enhancement + VL); additional property for Vargot level 5: Alchemy +5 * VL. Requirements: Strength (20), Agility (20), Intellect (20), Mysticism (20), Armor (20).

  On the other hand, Matilda took some thought. Getting it back just meant boosting Tailyn’s resilience from fourteen to seventeen, which would have been enough to get the staff on his back again. The only problem was that he only had two free points left, and he wasn’t sure it was worth spending a crystal. As it turned out, they were a challenge to find. Getting your hands on them took some doing.

  Resilience +3 (17).

  It wasn’t an easy decision, but it struck Tailyn as the right one. Having Matilda active meant a solid boost to his mana regeneration rate, and that was important when it came to making cards. After looking around furtively to make sure nobody was watching, Tailyn went ahead and used a crystal. Unfortunately, the new property didn’t really impress him that much, something that was true of the rest of his equipment, too. They could have made it better.

  Matilda. Description: defensive alchemist’s staff belonging to player Tailyn Vlashich (cannot be stolen or used by anyone else). Current Matilda level (ML): 6. When held, restores 15 * ML mana and shield per hour. While in a workshop, boosts Alchemy skill by 5 * ML. Reduces damage taken except of an energy or physical nature by 2 * ML%, but no more than 50%. Additional parameters: physical attack +100 * ML; magic attack +100 * ML; mana +100 * ML. Additional property for Matilda level 5: Alchemy +7 * ML. Requirements: Strength (20), Agility (20), Intellect (20), Mysticism (20), Armor (20), Resilience (20).

  Tailyn changed right there on the steps. His parameters all shot skyward, and he practically jumped for joy — Vargot was far more comfortable than the level three outfit. A click from behind his back told him Matilda was in place, too. Suddenly, it struck him that he’d really missed all his equipment. It was like a part of him had been gone, leaving a gaping hole.

  “Out of the way, dog!” Tailyn had been so lost in his named equipment that he’d stopped paying attention to the world around him, something he ended up paying for. Somebody slammed a foot into his back in an attempt to dislodge him from his spot. Clearly looking to get a laugh at the expense of a first-year student, the boy’s opponent instead found himself squealing in pain as Vargot absorbed the impact. Tailyn didn’t move an inch. However, the assailant’s armor wasn’t nearly as advanced, meaning he took the full brunt of the kick himself.

  “Ronan,” Tailyn said when he stood up and looked around. Facing him was the viceroy’s son, the third-year student in the battle magic department who’d had his dreams of a betrothal to Valia dashed. A fire was kindled in Tailyn’s chest. If he let everyone kick him around, he was soon going to find himself at the bottom of the food chain.

  “You’re so weak you can’t even move a first-year student?”

  “I’ll squish you like a bug, you bastard! The arena!” Ronan quickly got over his numbed leg. “I’m going to shove you right b
ack into the dirt you crawled out of. Oh, that didn’t make you wet your pants, did it? Why don’t you run off to your little girlfriend? All you know how to do is hide. Coward!”

  Ronan’s short speech was a complete surprise to Tailyn. Just in case, he decided to make sure, figuring Valia would know the answer.

  I need your help. Are duels between students allowed?

  Yes, but only in the arena. Whoever receives the challenge gets to set the terms, and anyone can place bets. Wait, who did you rub the wrong way this time?

  Well, Ronan’s right here...

  Tailyn, don’t even think about it! He’s too strong!

  Too late... He started it.

  “Ronan, what are you even talking about?” Surprisingly, Tailyn didn’t feel so much as a twinge of fear even surrounded by the third-year student’s friends. It just made him laugh, actually. Reading fiction really was useful — not only did the books take up space on his bookshelf; they also sank into his subconscious only to reemerge on occasion with the oddest phrases. That was the case in that moment. A year before, the boy wouldn’t have known how to respond, just slinking off. But he wasn’t about to slink anywhere then. Regardless of his position, the viceroy had managed to create all kinds of problems, and that meant he needed to be sent a message. And sending that message via his son wasn’t such a bad idea, particularly since the son was such a scumbag. Tailyn knew Ronan was stronger — the viceroy had to have equipped him with all the best and latest. He probably had the kind of cards Tailyn could only dream of, but backing down wasn’t an option. Instead, he needed to put his opponent in the kind of position he’d never been in before. And Tailyn knew how to make that happen. The risk was enormous, but the boy saw it as his only shot at a win. He’d seen how Ronan trained. A frontal assault was out of the question, be it hand-to-hand combat or with cards. That left just one option... But first, Tailyn needed to dictate the terms, so he kept up the pressure on Ronan.