The Alchemy Worlds: Enter T(he)rap(y): A LitRPG Adventure

by Victor Justice

  “At last,” Jaggen said, looking round with a gleam in his eye. “This expedition was well worth the sacrifice.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Matias said, grimacing up at a vehicle that looked like a cross between a shark and a rhino. Next to it was some kind of motorbike made completely of bronze spheres. “You have no idea how any of this junk works and, even if you did, how are we gonna get all of this back to Ironthorne?”

  Jaggen shrugged his shoulders. “We’ll figure something out. The main thing is we have the weapons under our control. That’s all that matters. Once we have them back in Ironthorne, we will have the upper hand against the Hateling. We’ll finish him once and for all.”

  “Hey, this is my most favourite place ever!” Jhondey called out from above.

  The two of them looked round and up and saw Jhondey sitting on top of one of the scorpion vehicles. He waved at them from behind the cannon. “Can I have this one please?”

  “Jhondey get down from there!” Jaggen cried. “Don’t mess with any of those controls!”

  “Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing,” Jhondey retorted. “I can figure this out. Hey, there’s something strange about this thing.”

  Matias caught a glimpse of movement near the steps. He turned in time to see a bolt of livid green energy hurtling towards them. He tried to jump out of the way before it hit but he was too slow. It surged above their heads and exploded like a firework, filling the gloomy pit with green light. A few moments later, thick vines exploded out of the ground around Matias, Jaggen and Shunz, and wrapped around their legs and torsos. Matias dropped his staff and struggled to break free of the vines, but they tightened around him with an iron grip. Helpless, he saw that Jaggen and Shunz were similarly incapacitated.

  A figure hobbled along the walkway towards them, clutching a long staff, and stepped into the low light. Matias recognised him as the kobold shaman. He grinned at his prisoners, revealing his rotting black fangs.

  “I should kill them now,” he called out behind him, as five ragged-looking kobolds armed with spears padded warily out of the shadows, “while the spell lasts.”

  Matias saw another much larger shape stomp along the walkway, and his heart tightened in his chest as he identified to whom it belonged.

  “That would be ill manners, Spitebelly.” The booming voice of General Oxgar was like an iron hammer banging against Matias’ skull. “Thorngrate and I go back a long ways. It’ll be good to catch up.”

  The Minotaur ambled forward to tower over Matias and Jaggen, and his musky goat stench filled the space between them. Ignoring Matias and Shunz, he leered down at Jaggen. “I thought it was you up in the gallery. I’d heard you were hiding out in the forests.”

  “I’d heard you’d drowned in the Vampire Sea when the king’s navy hunted down your pirate gang,” Jaggen replied, fixing the Minotaur with a hard stare. “And there was me thinking that wishes do come true.”

  The general let out a loud guffaw. “Don’t be like that, Jag. We’re old comrades.”

  Matias looked at Jaggen in surprise, and the Minotaur grinned when he caught his expression. “What’s this? You not told your young whoreboy here about us?” the Minotaur chuckled. “After all we went through together? I’m wounded, Jag. Truly I am.”

  “We’re no comrades,” Jaggen growled. “You don’t know what loyalty is. You style yourself as a general but you’re nothing but gutter trash.”

  The kobolds let out little gasps and Spitebelly’s eyes bulged from their sockets. Matias felt a slackening of the vines around him and he shifted position, preparing to try and pull them off him when the time was right. The shaman, however, noticed the movement and stared at him in concentration. The vines tightened again, holding him fast.

  “Kill them!” the little shaman insisted. “Their insolence cannot be tolerated!”

  Oxgar waved his claw for silence. “Quiet, Spitebelly! I’m talking. Besides, he don’t mean it, do yer Jag? He’s just forgotten all the good times we had when we rode together, haven’t you Jag? ‘Course that was many years ago before you became all respectable like and built that rat nest of a village. Quite the pillar of the community now, aren’t we? But that wasn’t always the case. No Jag. Do you think building a few huts and offering sanctuary to greasy bandits and whores will clean the slate? What do you think they’ll say if they knew about all the things you done? You think they’d follow you then?”

  Jaggen’s face was black with rage, but he remained silent. The Minotaur let out a bellowing laugh and swung his muzzle round until he was facing Matias. Sulphurous breath washed over Matias’ face as Oxgar grinned at him. “Shall I tell your little boy here? Shall I tell him what we used to get up to back in the good old days? Make him cry like a baby if he knew half our merry japes.”

  “I couldn’t care less what you two got up to, buddy,” Matias said nonchalantly. “It ain’t half as bad as what I’ve done, believe me.”

  Oxgar laughed at this, spraying his face with flecks of saliva. “Fancies himself a likely lad does he? Well, he won’t get the chance to prove himself. I’ll slice open your boy right in front of your eyes, from crotch to head, Jag. Question is, should I tell him all your secrets beforehand.”

  “Do what you will,” Jaggen replied flatly. “Better than listening to you shooting off your big mouth. If we’re going to talk about the past, then I remember how you were a force to be reckoned with in the old days and not just the errand boy to a Seelie wastrel. How the mighty have fallen, Oxgar.”

  That barb seemed to hit home, and Oxgar turned away from Matias. “The Hateling serves my purposes for now,” he said. “He’s only a cog in a much bigger scheme. One that will leave Sumarros in ruins. The little cluster of hovels you worked so hard to build up will burn in a heartbeat too, especially now that I have the gnome weapons. I got to thank you, by the way. Spitebelly’s magic got me passed all their pathetic traps, but I was really stuck trying to get through the fire dome. The Feral Gods were smiling down on me when you showed up. I thought I’d have to go back empty-handed. Now though, I got all these fine machines for my army, a thousand times more useful than stinking kobolds and dung brained ettins. Feysecret Forest will be blackened ash in a matter of weeks.” He went and gave the scorpion Jhondey had been sitting on top an appreciative pat.

  Matias suddenly became aware that Jhondey had been missing since he and the others had been captured.

  Moving away from the vehicle, Oxgar unslung his battle-axe from his back and hefted it in his claws. Its hellish light simmered in the gloom. “Spitebelly’s right,” the Minotaur said. “We got to finish this. It’s been nice talking about the old days, Jag, but I got work to do. It’s just sad that you won’t be around to see me destroy Ironthorne, but I know my duty.”

  The monster raised the weapon above his head, meaning to smash it down on Jaggen’s skull. The tough old man did not even flinch. Matias had to give him credit for that. He stared up at Oxgar with eyes of burning hate and braced himself for the end. The Minotaur chuckled. “I will enjoy snuffing you out at last, Jag. You always thought you were better than me, even though you were the worst of us.”

  Just as he was about to bring the weapon sweeping down, Matias saw something dart out of the shadows behind Spitebelly. Jhondey’s pale face appeared in the light and he smashed down the steam machine gun he was holding straight onto the kobold’s skull.

  The little creature staggered forward and collapsed on the floor. As he fell, the spell he was maintaining collapsed and the vines disappeared. Oxgar completed his strike with the battle-axe, but Jaggen darted out of the way now he was freed. The Minotaur roared and made to attack him again, but Jaggen darted out of his range.

  Matias, now free, lashed out and hit one of the nearest kobold in the jaw. Snatching up his staff, he hit another across the head. Jhondey was at his side now, his dirk unsheathed, and he was parrying the spear thrusts of another of the kobolds. Shunz came on and hit Oxgar
in the small of the back.

  The Minotaur roared and, lurching around, swung his battle-axe in an arc, meaning to decapitate the construct. Shunz crouched and rolled, dodging the attack. The battle-axe went sailing into the front of the scarab machine directly behind where Shunz had been. There was the sound of breaking glass as the weapon bit into its metallic surface. And when Oxgar pulled it free, hundreds of brightly coloured beads tumbled out of the gash he had made in it.

  The battle stopped dead, as all eyes turned onto the strange sight. Oxgar stood back, staring at the beads, and then hit the scarab machine again. The blow crushed its whole front section with surprising ease and yet more beads came pouring out.

  “What is this?” the Minotaur growled.

  Completely ignoring Matias and his companions, Oxgar hacked at a nearby scorpion and the same thing happened. He attacked another vehicle and another, all of them shattering with ease and releasing beads from inside.

  “I thought there was something funny about all this stuff,” Jhondey said. He picked up the gun he had hit Spitebelly with and, grabbing it at either end, snapped it in two, releasing a waterfall of beads. “See?”

  “False!” Oxgar growled, smashing one weapon after another and getting the same result. “All of them are false! Imitations!”

  As he spoke, a bright light filled the far end of the pit opposite the staircase. They all turned to stare up at the large disembodied face of a gnome, flickering like a hologram above them.

  “Our secrets are learnt and you have guessed the truth,” the face said. “All here is glamour and fakery, and one final trap is sprung. Adventurers, one chance of life is left to you. Reach the compartment behind me and it will take you to the surface, or pay the price of your greed with your lives.”

  The face faded and a section of the wall opened behind where it had been. Beyond was a large glass cube with a bronze floor and two gilt edged doors. The doors swung open, inviting them to step aboard and appearing to be some kind of gnomish elevator.

  Before any of them could move though, long black tubes fitted with fearsome serpent heads suddenly emerged from several secrets panels in the pit and started shooting out plumes of steam. A kobold too near to one of the serpents was caught in one of the blasts and shrieked as he was boiled alive in front of them. The serpents snaked forward, moving like living creatures to dispense some steam blasts at those left standing.

  That was enough to launch a mad scramble. Matias bolted for the elevator, but the plumes of steam made it almost impossible to see anything now and heat filled the pit, searing his skin.

  He heard Oxgar bellow in rage, and suddenly the Minotaur appeared at his side. Before Matias could get out of the way, the monster backhanded him with his claw and Matias was thrown against one of the scorpion machines several feet away. The blow left him stunned, and his health bar flashed up reduced by a sizable chunk. One of the steam serpents seemed to notice him and it turned to attack. A jet of steam shot out straight for his face. He yelled out and scurried out of the way before it could hit. As he did so, Oxgar came on again, meaning to cleave him in two across the torso. The Minotaur’s one good eye was wild with rage and froth was coming from his mouth.

  Matias only just got out of the way as the battle-axe came crashing down, unleashing a shower of blood red sparks. The steam serpent whipped round to attack the monster, but Oxgar moved with terrifying speed, bringing up his axe to slice the tube in half. It thrashed wildly, but two more rushed down on Oxgar and Matias.

  Matias didn’t stop to see what would happen next. He rushed away and almost fell into Jaggen’s arms.

  “Come on!” the older man said. “This way!”

  “Jaggen!” Oxgar roared. “Jaggen!”

  “He’s gripped by the Minotaur Butcher Fury!” Jaggen yelled, as they raced through the chaos. “He’ll be unstoppable!”

  Matias didn’t answer him. His lungs were like burning coals in his chest, and his right shoulder and arm felt numb. He kept on running though and glimpsed Jhondey and Shunz near the elevator. The sight of the way out spurred him on; however, he heard the Minotaur roar again and the thunderous crack as the battle-axe hit the floor again. He glanced round and saw that the weapon was glowing bright red and a ring of fiery orange blasted out of it. The ring was knee high and took him and Jaggen clean off their feet.

  Sonic Ring Blast Attack! Strength drained by 40 % and 30 % health damage!

  A message flared up in front of his vision and another chunk of his health bar was eaten up by the attack, along with much of the green.

  Matias lay helpless on his back, pain crippling him. Oxgar loomed up before him, battle-axe raised to deliver the killing blow. Through blistering eyes, he looked for Jaggen, but the old man was on his feet and darting into the clouds of steam. He had abandoned Matias to his fate.

  Matias let out a scream of rage and lashed up with his staff, which caught Oxgar just above the knee, knocking off his aim so that the blade of the axe swept down just a few inches from his right ear. Heat from the dark magic that had been worked into the weapon scolded the whole right side of his face and he screamed in agony.

  Oxgar lifted the battle-axe again and, this time, made to bring it down in the middle of his chest. Matias raised the staff up in front of him but it would prove no defence.

  “Mom! I’m sorry!” he yelled as the battle-axe came rushing down toward him.

  Out of the fog, Jaggen appeared again, clutching the body of one of the steam serpents in his hands. It thrashed against his grip and he gritted his teeth in pain. Stepping over Matias, he aimed the serpent’s head at Oxgar, and its open jaws sprayed the Minotaur with hot vapour.

  The monster’s scream was truly terrifying, and Matias scrunched up his eyes and covered his ears in a feeble attempt to shut it out. He felt hands on him and he opened his eyes as Jaggen dragged him to his feet.

  “Come on!” the older man yelled. “Come on!”

  Matias, realising he had just been saved, held onto Jaggen’s arm with one hand and, clutching his staff in the other, stumbled along with him to the elevator. When they got there, Jhondey grabbed hold of him and pulled him through the glass doors.

  “In his rucksack!” he heard Jaggen snap. “Get him a health potion.”

  Matias lay pressed against the doors of the elevator, staring out at the pit. The steam serpents writhed and spewed in a wild frenzy, killing what were left of the kobolds. Oxgar was staggering around, his claws covering his face and letting out guttural noises. Matias glared at him with every last ounce of hate in him and then spotted Spitebelly. The shaman was up on his feet again and protecting himself with a glowing magic shield of green light. He scuttled toward Oxgar as the steam serpents converged on the Minotaur.

  Matias was suddenly grabbed from behind and pulled round to face Jhondey, who rammed a small bottle into his mouth. “Swallow! Swallow!” the boy urged.

  Matias opened his mouth and gulped down the foul tasting liquid, until none was left. He pushed the bottle away and, a few moments later, a warm feeling flooded his body.

  50 Health Points restored, a message informed him.

  He sighed heavily and got to his feet.

  “Why is this thing not working?” Jaggen fumed. “Is it another gnomish trick?”

  “Here, pull this handle,” Jhondey said, yanking at the huge brass lever next to the doors.

  The elevator shuddered and shot upwards along the wall of the pit before sliding backwards by some unknown mechanism and up the length of the hall. Matias stared at the tube of rock they had entered as an aquamarine light came on from the floor. Within a matter of minutes, they were in bright sunlight as the elevator emerged on a wide plateau. The doors swung open and fresh air filled his lungs. They got out of the elevator as fast as they could and Matias looked down at the sprawling forest below.

  Jhondey, Shunz and Jaggen joined him on as he took in the scene and they shared a companionable silence. A few se
conds later, a message came up in the air a few feet away:

  Quest Completed: The Secrets of Kragg

  You have successfully defeated the Hateling’s expedition and discovered the secrets of the gnome colony.

  Experience points gained: 300

  Congratulations you are now at Level 4.

  You now have four points to distribute amongst your stats via the Sacred Shrine.

  Matias stared at the place the message had been long after it had faded, until Jaggen nudged him. He looked at the old man’s haggard face before staring at his hands. They were red and blistered.

  “Come on, boy,” he said in his usual gruff way. “Let’s go home.”