The Dark Continent (Underdog Book #3): LitRPG Series

by Alexey Osadchuk

  Yes, I would!

  I listened to the voices and realized the captives were afraid of what the drak commander had in mind.

  Sitting behind one of the houses, I heard a quiet rasping voice from somewhere below me:

  “You again?”

  The surprise made me shudder and turn my head. Was that really for me? Gorgie isn’t around. He is coming a different way. So it must have been.

  “I cannot see you,” came the quiet rasp again. “But I know you’re there. You’ve been travelling behind us for many days. What do you want? Just so you know, I don’t give a crap anymore...”

  I finally saw who was talking. It was one of the merchants whose caravan we’d been following. Little. Scrawny. Blue-eyed. All covered in blood. Propped up against the wall of a house.

  He’s looking right in my direction, but somehow through me. He cannot see me. But thanks to some ability he can sense me.

  It came as a surprise to him when Gorgie showed up. He even forgot his pain for a moment. A knife appeared in his little hand.

  “Don’t even think it,” I told him from invisibility in halfling tongue.

  “W-who are you?” the wee man rasped.

  “Let’s say, for now – a temporary ally. Just don’t expect a lot out of me. I don’t know what you are quarreling over, but this is not my war.”

  “Are you an explorer?” the wounded man wouldn’t relent.

  “No,” I answered honestly. “But I am looking for something. Say, is the mage still alive?”

  “Boram?” the wounded man tried to move and gave a groan. “I don’t think so. Anyone like that – the draks slit their throats.”

  “A pity,” I said disappointedly.

  “What are you looking for?” the halfling asked.

  “Boram was using a form of magic in battle, which I am seeking the traces of.”

  I came closer to him, almost face to face, and started drawing the symbol of the hunters in the dirt.

  The halfling was captivated, watching the two intertwined fishhooks appear on the ground as if out of nowhere.

  “Here,” I said and stared at the wounded man point blank. “The mark I seek.”

  I tried to take in every single emotion on the halfling’s face. His countenance stretched out; his eyes grew larger. All of a sudden it dawned on me – he had seen this symbol before! He knows where to find it!

  “You help me and I’ll help you!” he said, his voice quavering with worry.

  “What do you want?”

  “Free my wife and daughter,” the halfling said with hope in his voice.

  Chapter 27

  “NO,” I ANSWERED shortly.

  “But why not?”

  “I stopped fighting other peoples’ wars some time ago,” I snapped.

  “But you want to find this symbol, right?” the halfling pleaded. “I’m the only one who knows where to find it!”

  I looked closer. Even I, a person who cannot read faces, can see clearly – he’s lying.

  “I can shake all the information I need out of you without having to worry about these creeps’ fangs and claws,” I chuckled and, deciding to spook him, added: “We’re just gonna quietly take you into the woods and have a heart-to-heart.”

  “Hrn,” Gorgie confirmed drily and moved menacingly toward the pipsqueak.

  The thing that happened next, to be frank, I could not have foreseen. The halfling started vehemently screaming at the top of his lungs! Where’d he even find the strength? That scream seemed to carry far, over the whole valley!

  I of course, was exaggerating. All because of the surprise. It’s just the moron’s action caught me unawares.

  The halfling’s cry trailed off into a fearsome guttural cough. Seems he’s about to cough up all his guts. Blood appeared on his thin lips.

  “Save them!” he whispered and, rolling his eyes back, lost consciousness.

  I should note, the bipedal lizards reacted fairly quickly. The menacing hissing from several directions let me know the building we were hiding behind was surrounded. And behind us is the stockade wall. We wouldn’t be able to run away. We’re in a trap.

  Clenching my fists until they cracked, I angrily whispered:

  “Idiot! If I survive, I’ll be sure to come finish you off myself!”

  The hissing came again, and a notification appeared before my eyes:

  — Attention! Your Mind score is high enough to activate the “Language of the Draks!”

  ― Attention! You cannot activate the “Language of the Draks” due to anatomical incompatibility!

  After quickly dismissing the pointless notification, I started to act. Time was short. Every second dear. The draks could show up at any time.

  Still beneath the canopy of invisibility, I crossed the small yard and took shelter behind its fence. As I ran, I recalled Gorgie. A clever stratagem he and I had been employing recently.

  Trying to breathe as quietly as possible, I froze. I tried not to look at the screamer so I wouldn’t make him even more mad. I understood in my heart why he’d done it. But in my mind I had already cursed him twenty times.

  The draks didn’t keep me waiting long. They came from two sides. Two individuals. Level twenty and twenty-three. Slowly turning their flat heads, they took a look around. Every couple seconds their long, split tongues slipped out between their teeth.

  They noticed the halfling on the ground right away. A level twenty-three drak, distinguished by a darker shade, slowly came up to the halfling and froze right where I’d just been standing. His split tongue, testing the air like a probe, flicked out another few times.

  Remembering Takeda’s instruction, I tried not to look right at them. I was only slipping my gaze over their scaly bodies.

  The drak unexpectedly gave a loud hiss. The second perked up sharply. The freak must have tasted something. Just the way their heads started turning.

  Finding my tracks unfailingly, the dark lizard braced himself and, opening his maw a bit, let out a throaty gurgling sound.

  There’s no more sense in lying low – I’d been found out. Activating ram and the summoning amulet at the same time, I rolled to the right.

  The lilac wave of my spell slammed into the bipedal lizards full force, splatting them against the clay wall of a house. Gorgie got his bearings instantly and dashed toward them, not wasting any time. But he wasn’t fast enough. A scaled carcass slammed down on him from the roof of the house.

  Before the harn and his opponent started grappling, I noticed the brute was level twenty-two. The two armored predators tangled into a ball, hissing and roaring in fury.

  I summoned the Ysh spirit and dashed toward the frozen draks. I had to hurry. They’d come to their senses soon.

  Running past the fight, I noticed that Gorgie’s rival had already taken quite the thrashing in the several seconds they’d been going at it. The left side of his noggin had turned into a piece of meat oozing dark blood. There was a deep laceration gaping in his right shoulder. Blood was gushing in spurts from the cuts. The drak was breathing heavily. Eyes bulging. Toothy mouth slightly open. Looks like he’s realized just how much trouble he’s gotten himself into.

  Unlike his enemy, Gorgie was in his element. He surpassed his rival in all figures. He didn’t even have to use magic. The drak was moving half as fast. Every blow the brute landed my harn answered with a powerful counterstrike. Plus, I cast an ice arrow at the lizard as I ran.

  I still had yet to reach the stunned draks when Gorgie’s rival stopped breathing.

  — You have killed Drak (22).

  — Congratulations! You receive:

  — Experience essence (4400).

  — Silver tablet (10).

  Then he finished those two off together. And just in the nick of time. Peeking around the corner, I saw the rest of the lizards rushing our way.

  It’s too late to flee, and at this point I don’t much care to. We’re feeling the thrill of the fight now. Just the way Gorgie is snarling in
impatience.

  I renewed the canopy of invisibility and said:

  “Let’s do what we usually do – immobilize them then finish them off.”

  “Hrn,” Gorgie agreed and hopped out from behind his cover, luring the lizards his way.

  As soon as the brutes saw what they were dealing with, every last one of them tore off down the alley. I counted six. Quickly wind-milling their clawed feet, they stuck their flat snouts forward as they ran. Their long split-tipped tongues were constantly slithering in and out of their fanged maws.

  Walking up closer, I sent a ram their way.

  — You have attacked Drak (21)!

  — You have dealt 290 damage!

  — You have attacked Drak (20)!

  — Critical hit. You have dealt 412 damage!

  — You have attacked Drak (23)!

  — You have dealt 283 damage!

  — You have attacked Drak (22)!

  — Critical hit. You have dealt 398 damage!

  — You have attacked Drak (24)!

  — You have dealt 203 damage!

  — You have attacked Drak (22)!

  — Critical hit. You have dealt 422 damage!

  While Gorgie raced off in long pounces to finish off the immobilized lizards. I noticed a quick movement out of the corner of my eye just a step away.

  ― Attention! You have been attacked by Guide Drak (32)!

  ― Critical hit. You have been dealt 1270 damage (absorbed by spirit of Longtailed Ysh)!

  Before I was sent flying back against the wall of the house and skidded a few yards on the ground, I saw a snake hood with an intricate pattern.

  Gorgie gave a snarl of rage that carried over the village. After quickly squashing the heads of the immobilized lizards, he dashed over to my aid. I felt all cold inside. My friend wasn’t fast enough. The guide drak landed another two lightning-fast blows. Thanks to some devious ability, despite the active canopy, the lizard commander knew exactly where I was at all times.

  ― Attention! You have been attacked by Guide Drak (32)!

  ― Critical hit. You have been dealt 1350 damage (absorbed by spirit of Longtailed Ysh)!

  ― Attention! You have been attacked by Guide Drak (32)!

  ― Critical hit. You have been dealt 1340 damage (absorbed by spirit of Longtailed Ysh)!

  He wanted to get another hit off, but I came to my senses and lashed the brute with an eel lightning. Before the drak commander’s body even hit the ground, Gorgie slammed down onto him in a frenzy. The fearsome sounds of bone crunching and flesh tearing made me give a loud gulp. A lump rose up my throat. The harn was on a rampage. A few swipes of his clawed paw split the chest and stomach of the still living drak, then he ripped out the still beating heart with his teeth.

  Looks like my dear brother was sincerely terrified for me and now he was taking out his fear on this lizard.

  — You have killed Guide Drak (32)!

  — Congratulations! You receive:

  — Experience essence (6400).

  — Silver tablet (10).

  Breathing heavily and shaking nervously, Gorgie walked over to me and nuzzled his sticky bloody nose on my chest.

  “I know, brother,” I said hoarsely, stroking my pet’s head. “I was scared, too.”

  But there was no time to cool off. I was slightly mistaken in my initial estimations – Gorgie sensed another two draks over in the middle of the village. They must have been left there to guard the prisoners.

  “Let’s finish what we started,” I said with a predatory smile.

  The harn shuddered, gave a gleeful snarl and dashed for the middle of the village. I followed after him as best I could.

  Gorgie’s senses did not lead us astray. We found the draks next to a wide animal pen full of halflings lying and sitting alongside the sheep and goats. It was mostly women, children and old men. I saw many wounded soldiers as well though. Defenders who hadn’t died during the assault.

  I looked around and winced. My stomach tied up into a vile knot. The whole middle of the square was thickly sown with the corpses of halflings and draks. The smells of blood, shit and the start of decomposition struck my nose.

  One of the draks, lazily leaning against the fence and grumbling in satisfaction, was stroking a disembodied appendage. The second was walking along the fence and keeping a watchful eye on the captives. He was the first to notice Gorgie standing still out in the open.

  A simultaneous cry of fear rolled over the rows of captives. The big huge scaled monster, impatiently slapping himself on the sides with his long tail made a big impression on the pipsqueaks. They must have thought the first scavenger had arrived at the scene of the slaughter.

  The draks simultaneously walked over and gave menacing hisses, which Gorgie answered with a loud mocking roar. The lizards had no caution or patience. I could partially understand them. The unknown quadruped’s size made an impression, but his level fifteen spoke for itself. The draks were probably hoping for a speedy victory as they ran. But they had a surprise in store for them in the form of a magic ball of lilac, which sent them flying a few yards back. The last thing they saw, lying on the ground like helpless ragdolls, was the wide fanged maw of a four-legged monster.

  The halflings, watching their captors get their comeuppance, hopped up and formed a single quaking heap. I must give the wounded warriors their due. Some sitting and other standing, with the last of their strength, they pushed the women and children behind them.

  When I appeared next to the big huge cat, which had just easily disemboweled two draks, they all looked surprised.

  Not letting them gather their wits, I walked up to the fence and loudly said in halfling tongue:

  “There are no more draks in the village! You are free! But before I leave, I would like to speak with one of you!”

  The halflings, still squeezed up against one another, started whispering quietly. The women tried to calm the frightened children. The men exchanged grim looks.

  Finally, two men broke away from the crowd and, trying not to provoke the beast boring into them with his eyes, slowly came toward me.

  They were obviously warriors who had defended the village. They were holding each other up as they limped over. It made the impression that, if one of them fell over, the other was sure to follow.

  When they stopped at the fence and in fact used it as support, I got a closer look at both of them. For their kind, quite tall and broad-shouldered. No beards. One redhead, the other with black hair. Crammed into suits of leather armor. As a matter of fact, neither had a scrap of unharmed flesh on them. Seemingly, the redhead had lost an eye in the battle. Blood was seeping out of a bandage running diagonally across his face.

  “I am Edal, and this is Lem,” the black-haired one started with no further ado. “After the death of the alderman, we answer for this village. You may speak with us.”

  “There,” I nodded without introducing myself. “Behind those houses lies one of your men. He owes me answers.”

  “Owes?” redheaded Lem asked.

  “Answers?” Edal added.

  “Yes,” I answered. “For saving his wife and daughter.”

  The halflings exchanged glances.

  “Is that who was shouting?” Edal asked.

  “Yes,” I winced, remembering the way the merchant betrayed me. “He looks wounded. He’s unconscious. Is there a healer among you?”

  The redhead unwittingly touched the bandage on his head and nodded.

  “Good,” I said. “Let the healer bring that screamer to his senses. As soon as he answers my questions, I leave.”

  While the redheaded Lem explained what to do to a lady that ran up to him, Edal sized me up with a frown. The halflings were so chatty it had me on guard. A second later, I realized why.

  “Yamira will try to do everything in her power, explorer,” Lem said, nodding toward the quickly receding lady. “Will you allow us to leave this pen?”

  My right brow crept up in surprise.
/>
  “I told you that you’re free,” I answered, perplexed. “And I am no explorer.”

  Then came the halflings’ turn to be surprised. I was forming the impression that the only humans out here were explorers. Beyond that, based on the halflings’ cautious and unwelcoming tone, they didn’t always get along well with humans.