Isekai Magus 3: A LitRPG Progression Saga (The Fantasy World of Nordan)

by Han Yang

“A powerful god who smites ants like you,” the preacher said.

  Bell’s boots echoed as she strode to the podium. “Terinor the Beneficial. Benevolent was probably taken. Smash it.”

  My guards rushed to the podium, raising sledge hammers high before sending them crashing down.

  “Terinor’s church is under attack,” a disembodied voice said.

  A golden light burst into existence near the portal. A centaur god stretched as if waking from a good sleep. “Urga, what is the -”

  “Sorry to spoil your nap. We’re almost done here,” I said.

  “How dare you defile my -?”

  Boom!

  Powerful energy shot over the city, and I heard a whimper in my ear, “More. Me likey.”

  “Caitlyn is humming in my ear,” Bell said.

  “Next,” I said.

  “I’ll kill you. You’ll die for this you heathen,” the priest said.

  Bell whipped out her sword, strode to within striking range, and readied an overhead chop. When he raised forearms to stop her, she kicked him square in the nuts.

  He groaned, fell over, and was quickly restrained. My guards hoisted him off the ground and proceeded to dump him into the church where a long string of minions would be cycling prisoners back to Moonguard City. Once there, harpies awaited to immediately remove the prisoners.

  My guards burst into the next church, finding most of them to be generic churches. Each time we broke a podium, Caitlyn was rewarded. The process was simple until we reached the ruling god of the city.

  The church was magnificent. Thick columns rose five stories high to support the expansive roof. Gargoyles were just the start. On each pillar, animals were carved into the stonework. Each window contained a painting in stained glass.

  The double doors to enter were silver and reflected the evening sun with a brilliance. Slate stone with red and oranges covered the flooring. The church really was something I could stare at and admire.

  “Petrion said this church is an original,” Bell said, raising her voice.

  The sound of fighting intensified, and in the distance, I saw soldiers trying to mount a defense. A few magical spells bloomed over the city, but for the most part it was like a portal had opened right in the heart of a defenseless city. A portal without limits.

  I ignored the invasion for the moment, focusing on one of the prime targets - the Duke’s private church.

  This invasion was always about riches, not territory. I would need to find all the well-guarded places of wealth and rob them.

  Glancing down, I saw the slate flooring in front of the majestic doors pooled with blood. A dozen finely dressed Karack soldiers laid in awkward poses; either slain by crossbow bolts, claws, or swords.

  A half skeleton clawed toward the sound of battle. I noticed more than a few skeleton parts among the dead.

  I let my necromancy healing magic condense until it begged for release.

  Swoosh!

  Repair 17 lidka and 12 waroni for 592 mana. Only 300 mana available. Repair all minions for 300 mana and 292 Zorta. Confirm (YES) - (NO) - confirmed.

  Billowing black magic flowed out of me like a rolling fog. The energy shifted with snaking curves as it sought its targets. The repairs darkened the area, and bones zipped back to bodies.

  “Whatcha doing later, handsome?” Tarla asked with a grin.

  I pinched her butt and said, “I got a city to conquer, but after that, I might be free.”

  Bell groaned at our cheesy banter.

  The battle inside the church intensified, and we stayed the hell away. Giving commands and talking in the rear was my job when I used my real body - even if I wanted to get in there and charge through my healing cloud.

  When the magic cleared, I saw a thirty foot tall bearoni statue fighting with frustration against my minions. The massive defender barely fit in the interior of the church. My skeletons swung their war hammers, chipping away the guardian bit by bit.

  The paws swiped out with flayed claws. The right swipe tore a skeleton, bursting it into bits and sending the parts clattering off the wall.

  My guard rushed to aid my struggling troops who swung furiously at the legs. The statue cracked, sending chunks and bits flying from the onslaught.

  Flecks of stone falling added up until the repeated clubbing created fissures.

  A stomp squished a human guard into mush, spraying the area in gore.

  “You will pay for this!” the statue bellowed angrily.

  A backhanded swipe flung three skeletons hard against the wall. The bones burst apart, and a second later, orbs hovered over the impact sight.

  Crack!

  The statue’s right knee buckled. It gazed at me as if knowing I was the cause of its demise. I didn’t charge in or taunt the defender, staying well out of his reach.

  I even stepped back a few paces when the body slammed down after its teetering fall.

  My troops leaped onto the fallen figure, swinging hammers into the frame over and over. I let him die with honor.

  When the body turned to rubble, I entered the church. To my right, between the pews, golden light shimmered, vibrated, and a god burst into reality.

  The bearoni stood twice my height. Its snout leveled at me, and disappointed black eyes gazed down in a judging way. He wore an expensive looking adventuring set. I waved without a worry.

  “I need him. That one,” the bearoni said, pointing to a priest being dragged out. I held up a hand to stop the priest's extraction. “May I have a word, young sir?”

  “Uh, yeah, I guess,” I said, walking to the podium. The god hurried to join my side. My guards tensed but didn’t react. “What do you need?”

  “This is like a baby to me. Do you understand what that means?” he asked.

  “Manners maketh the… bearoni. I’m Damien, this is my Queen, Tarla, and this is my High Priestess, Bell.”

  “I love it when he gives us titles,” Bell said with an elbow jab to Tarla.

  Tarla shook her head. “Timing.”

  Yuri ignored the exchange but waited for them to stop. “Yuri, Yuri the Understanding,” he said with a slight nod. “I’m a bit stressed by this sudden turn of events.”

  “Yes, well, a church’s destruction rewards my goddess a great deal, and she hungers for them,” I said.

  “And she is?”

  “Caitlyn the Temptress,” Bell said.

  “Oh dear,” Yuri replied.

  I reached the podium to see the stats on the church.

  This church is dedicated to Yuri the Understanding. Current level 35. Portal level 25. Vault level 30. Defender level 10 (defeated).

  “And why does my goddess deserve an ‘oh dear’ reaction?” Tarla asked.

  Yuri glanced at Tarla, Bell, and then me. He shifted uncomfortably.

  “She started the war. It’s all anyone talks about in the upper realm,” Yuri said.

  “The golden zone of gods and goddesses,” I said. “She triggered the Leo gods into a fight where they lost some of their power because I opened a door to rescue her. This would have happened regardless. The mere fact they tortured her with intent to kill was a precursor of a looming battle.”

  “Not all see it that way. I certainly don’t. If we had given sacrifices to the demon gods, they would have focused on finishing off the resistance on Earth. Except more and more forbidden portals seem to find a way to open,” Yuri said.

  “I have enough problems on my hands. The issues of the divine are beyond my concern. As to your earlier question, I have children I cherish, so I hear that you value this church. What did you want to say to persuade me from its destruction?” I asked.

  Yuri didn’t directly answer me. Instead, he kneeled down to his priest and said, “Gerin, if this church is destroyed, they will anoint a human god in my stead. You will be cast out if not killed. When the church is ruined, this army will strip it of valuables. They might miss some, but you won’t get to keep them once the empire retakes this city. Are you following
me?”

  The priest sneered at me, his eyes watering with tears. “What would you have me do, my wise God?”

  “Empty the vault, empty the hidden troves, present it to the Champion, and plead for mercy,” Yuri said to his priest.

  “Can’t I just take it all anyway?” I asked, interrupting their exchange.

  “No. You wouldn’t find it all with your limited time. A destroyed church does have its vault break. However, the items dropped are random and never a full amount. The duke has been hoarding items for quite some time, treating the vault as one of his personal banks,” Yuri said.

  “Zorta?” I asked.

  “We collect the portal tax here. Just the portal tax, mind you. A few hundred thousand are hidden in secret spots with fifty thousand in the open, so we can disperse it as needed. However, the majority of the items are raw materials. You can take your pick, and Gerin will extract the materials,” Yuri said.

  The hint of hopefulness resonated in his tone gave me pause. I had imprisoned the guard from earlier without hesitation. Emotions needed to be cast aside for the greater good, or so I told myself.

  Yet… I felt compelled to deal with this god. Maybe because he had something to offer me?

  “Okay, you turn over the loot that I may or may not have found. You open your vault and let me cherry pick what I want… but I could just have rolled the dice and gotten most of it anyway. The big thing is, I don’t get the rewards for destroying this church. Did you fight to save Caitlyn?” I asked.

  Yuri shook his head sadly. “God of Understanding. Not a warrior god. Although, I do wish I could smite down your invasion.”

  “What else do you have to offer? Because I’m not loving this option.”

  “Gods are limited. I can’t create a million Zorta for you or make you a demi-god. I can bless you with knowledge or bless a weapon as a boon,” Yuri said.

  “A Dagger of the Creator has my friend trapped and…” Tarla started to say but stopped.

  Yuri tilted his head in confusion until he frowned with concern.

  “Ah, the Six. They watch you. The Creator is clearly off-limits. Sorry, not sorry. I value my life more than this church. I can give you a vital hint to your coming fight against the elva, though. Only after the city is vacated and my church deemed safe, which might take a week or two,” Yuri said.

  “You have my curiosity,” I admitted.

  “You face a foe you do not comprehend, and a foe you will lose to if you are not prepared or lucky. In exchange, I would need a guarantee you would never destroy a Yuri church anywhere on any of the four planets,” Yuri said.

  “Four planets? Not six planets?” I asked with curiosity.

  “Gillin was created as a place of advancement by the six. The AI were given free reign. The Six lost control of the planet, and the only god that is worshiped there is the Creator. Leo has their own deities.

  “I have churches - albeit small and obscure in some places - on the other four planets. The terms are: the valuables and knowledge for the preservation of my church and no further destruction of me or mine,” Yuri offered.

  “And this does not include your allies?” I asked.

  “I will specify the mine. My priests or churches. Oh, and any in my church seeking shelter, like that child huddled in the corner,” Yuri said, pointing to a frightened little girl who cowered behind a planter.

  “And if that child was the Duke or Duchess of Karack?” I asked.

  He sighed. “They would be protected, but only we know. I promise to swear our deal to secrecy,” Yuri said. His eyes closed in disappointment. “I know, not ideal, but it is worth the risk. In my opinion.”

  “I don’t like it,” Bell said.

  Tarla bobbed her head in agreement.

  This moment was big. Bigger for Caitlyn than me. I had just given her a bunch of rewards - a lot in my opinion. Skipping this victory could save my life. That was something important to us both, and in the end, that was my primary concern.

  “I, Damien Moonguard, will honor the terms as offered, the gods as my witness.”

  “I, Yuri the Understanding, will honor the terms as agreed to, the gods as my witness.”

  A thunderous clap of power blinded me.

  In a flash that quickly faded, I found myself outside the church. The big silver doors were sealed shut, and a magical shield stopped Bell from trying to go up the steps.

  “Oh, hell no. He kicked you out and played you,” Bell said with hands on her hips. “Caitlyn is going to be so pissed.”

  “No she won't,'' I said dryly.

  “He screwed you good,” Bell said. “Locked you out and even removed all your forces with nothing in return.”

  A few minutes passed where we anxiously waited.

  “I figured it was a trap,” Tarla said, folding her arms angrily.

  The door popped open just a smidge. The priest poked his head out, and I sighed in relief. He tossed a sack at my feet then slipped back inside. The door slammed closed.

  “You were saying?” I asked, peering at Bell.

  “Hey, I thought you got played too,” Tarla said with a grunt from hoisting the bag. She frowned, set it down, and kneeled down to inspect the content. “Damn, there’s a lot of gold, jewels, and Zorta in here.”

  “How much?” I asked.

  “Uh, going to take me a while to count, but at least a few hundred thousand?” Tarla said. “The Duke probably wanted to keep his treasures segregated. Yeah, at least over two hundred thousand and still going.”

  We gasped. That Zorta would change a lot of things. I had a decision to make while I watched Tarla shifting through the bags. Did I want to raise the dead here, or did I want to start planning out how best to utilize our treasury? I mulled it over while scratching my short beard.

  The priest exited the door with a slate tablet. Tarla stopped sorting and stared up at him in confusion.

  “What’s that?” Tarla asked.

  “A handy tool for managing the vault storage. It unlocks and detaches when it reaches level fifteen,” Gerin said. “Careful what you select because it will fill the street. When Yuri is safe, expect a message to be delivered to your god’s church. Your High Priestess will know it has arrived. Leave the vault controller on the stairs when you’re done and never come near a Yuri church again.”

  I accepted the tablet, and he quickly fled back inside.

  “Suddenly has courage now that he’s behind a shield. What’s in the vault?” Bell asked.

  “Damn. Well, everything we need. Like everything: soil, timber, stone of all sorts, and the list keeps going. There’s no way we could haul all of this, and it will just be sacks of stone or captured humans who can walk themselves sort of deal.

  “If we defeat the army that is chasing our goblins, maybe we can move most of this stuff before the empire reinforces this city. That’s a big gamble and not worth the risk, though. Gems, jewelry, and the weapons will have to do. I’ll select the raw metal, but I doubt we’ll get much of it moved,” I said with a sigh.

  “What’s the plan?” Tarla asked.

  “We’re limiting the fighting. There shouldn’t be more than a few hundred dead. I can go to necromancer eleven, but it would be pointless.” I tapped a foot until I made up my mind. “I will wait to upgrade, see what happened to the city leaders, and steal the Zorta from the dead not easily recovered on the way out.”

  We backed up, and I selected the items I wanted. A half dozen piles of iron ore filled the street two stories high. A pyramid of gems cascaded down from a key point and Tarla let out a happy ‘oh’. The gold and Zorta formed their own piles. I immediately ordered my minions in this area to make the loot a priority over prisoners.

  I returned the vault tablet onto the stairs and decided to survey the city.

  “The fighting sure has died down,” Bell said.

  The upper keep was always my focus. During my plotting, I figured it was best to kidnap and rob the folks who held the riches.

 
We exited the church area and entered a circle intersection with a fountain. Off to our left, we saw makeshift barricades staving off an attack from lower city soldiers. Goblin ogres deflected magic, and both sides traded arrows.

  I turned right, walking up a nicely laid cobblestone road. Deston came running from the upper keep. The lad was a panting mess, and he had to stick his hands on his knees for a breath.

  “Count Maron... has secured... the Duke Farl of Karack. He shot down... his griffin and the Duke... needs a revival. The Duchess Nomi escaped. Countess Carlina is demanding... an audience,” Deston said, trying to recover from his exertion.

  I grunted in displeasure. “Nomi was the primary target.”

  “Countess Carlina put her dragon in front of her mother’s griffin,” Deston said. “The beast died for its sacrifice.”

  “Not everything can go perfectly to plan,” I sighed.

  I patted him on the shoulder then walked up the road. The inner keep’s portcullis rested up with the doors wide open. Dead guards lay sprawled out randomly, most of their eyes opened wide in shock and frozen in death.

  Korb workers hovered over the dead, individually pilfering their Zorta. Everything was going to the treasury. Our defense mattered, and we certainly could use having just about everyone upgraded and supplies for the coming siege.

  I didn’t need new minions yet, and I had more than enough for the time being. Once the Jeer Coalition paid me, which might take days, I would jump a few levels and turn my attention to increasing my armies might.

  My boots splashed through the pooled blood from the dead, pulling me from my thoughts. A korb stripped armor and piled the valuable into a sack. The sounds of the dying faded, and the cries of the desperate obscured my hearing.

  A string of noble families marched with hands behind their backs and orcs watching them with swords at the ready. I didn’t enjoy the sight. Actually, I hated it, and I seethed with frustration that the war even existed.

  For most of my victims, they had no cards on the proverbial table. They were merely pawns caught up in a game of chess they wanted no part in.

  Thankfully, I could sleep well knowing they were going to be returned for a price. If I killed them, well, I think that was reserved for those actively trying to harm me. At least that is what went through my mind as I passed the nobles.