The Curse of Rion Castle (The Neuro Book #2) LitRPG Series

by Andrei Livadny

  I held my breath and stepped in.

  * * *

  "IT'S DARK," Lethmiel commented.

  He lit up a torch. A multitude of crystal lamps all around us reflected its uneven light.

  We were standing in the doorway to a large hemispheric room lined with massive bookcases. A library?

  An empty one, unfortunately. All the books and scrolls once kept here were now gone. Slowly Lethmiel walked between two rows of desks still preserving the dusty outlines of disintegrated manuscripts.

  "I don't understand," I struggled to suppress disappointment. "Okay, so they could have used up all the scrolls while defending the castle. But that still doesn't explain the absence of books. Where are they?"

  "Turned to dust, I suppose," the Elf replied. "Some knowledge can be too dangerous to pass on."

  "You don't mean the Disciples could have destroyed it themselves?"

  "Unfortunately, I can't think of any other explanation. I can sense the influence of the ancient power. The manuscripts crumbled to dust. We can't help that. But at least we can replenish the shelves! There are lots of books being found in castle rooms. I'll make sure they're handled with care. I will be allowed to come here, won't I?"

  "Of course. Seeing as the magic veil has already let you through."

  "In that case, I'll personally take care of all the manuscripts. Would you like to test the crystal you created?"

  "Why, have you discovered a portal?"

  "I have indeed," he began moving the massive carved desks and chairs around until he cleared a small area. "The accumulating crystal is broken — on purpose, I suppose. Barbaric as it may seem, drastic times demanded drastic measures."

  I crouched next to the portal, studying the socket.

  The crystal I'd built with Lethmiel's magic help seemed to fit it perfectly, both in shape and in size. Question was, would it work?

  I clicked it into the socket. The ancient symbols encircling it flashed momentarily, then expired.

  "Didn't work," Lethmiel commented sadly.

  "Wait," I focused on the item. I could see new data!

  Universal Accumulating Crystal

  Capacity: 10,000 pt. mana

  Status: activated. Requires charging.

  For your information: The use of dark transformed matter in the making of the item hinders the charging process, adding 50% to the charging time, and may result in 10% losses of the accumulated power.

  You can use the accumulating crystal in: 13 hrs.

  "Lethmiel, do you know of light transformed matter?"

  "Absolutely. Ancient temples worshipping Mother Nature and the Elements use a source of power different from this one. But there, the creation of transformed matter can take millennia. Why?"

  "You see, this crystal is made using dark transformed matter. That's why it has problems charging and staying charged."

  "Shame. It's normal, come to think of it. Does that mean we can't use the portal?"

  "Yes, but only in thirteen hours."

  "That's all right. We can wait. If I may offer my opinion, my lord, seeking for sources of light transformed matter isn't really worth it. What you need to do is use the power of the Elements because it's the one closest to the original Chaos. From what I heard, transformed matter comes in many kinds and can be farmed in all sorts of places. Inside volcanoes, for instance. At the bottom of the ocean, too, because water pressure can transform certain minerals. Also, elemental spirits often possess some truly unique resources provided you can talk them into parting with them."

  "Right. Let's go upstairs, then."

  I can't say I was happy. I was too used to receiving rewards for any effort. Then again, who was I to complain? Over a hundred surviving rooms, the Hall of the Elements, a library and a Practice Room guarded by a Cargonite Golem! Not bad for one day.

  * * *

  UPSTAIRS in the Hall of the Elements, Raoul and Platinus were already waiting for us, impatient.

  "Alexatis, I've found the lab!" Platinus announced. "The entrance is blocked! We need that thing you wear around your neck!"

  Aha, so they'd worked it out, then. I really should be more careful in the future. I had to find some useless cargonite trinket and put it around my neck: let them think it's the magic master key.

  It's not that I was paranoid or something. I just shouldn't be constantly flashing the unique artifact.

  "Okay then," I said. "Let's have a look."

  They pointed at one of the doors defended by the same kind of protective veil we'd just seen.

  Behind me, Lethmiel seemed to be listening intently to something only he could hear. He then uttered a few Elven phrases without really addressing anyone.

  I turned to him. "What's up?"

  "The castle seems to be restoring its old power! Magic veils have just sprung up everywhere. Workers report auras blocking their way which then turn rock hard upon touch. One thing I don't understand: why do they all belong to the element of Earth?"

  He was dead right there. The castle was supposed to be protected by all four Elements. What he didn't know was the damage to their runic sequences: Earth was the only one still active. Still, I wasn't going to tell him that. They could be my clanmates and all that, but I'd better keep a few things to myself for the time being.

  Lethmiel patiently awaited my verdict. Still, he had to take care of the practicalities seeing as the restoration works had all but stopped. "We might need to adjust the access," he offered.

  I had to reopen my interface and try to make some sense of it. I had no one to delegate it to. I had to do everything myself.

  Switching the protection off completely wouldn't be wise, even though we'd already lost three workers who'd tried too hard to force their way through the magic veil and had been turned to stone as a result.

  I opened the castle's 3D model. Lots of new markers flickered before my eyes. In addition to all the active portals, floor plans were now marked with thousands of doors which had suddenly acquired magic properties. Lots of corridors now bore the symbols of magic protection. The markers came in every shade of color from pale green to acid red.

  "I need some time to look into it," I told Lethmiel. "I might need your help."

  His eyes glistened with curiosity. "What exactly would you like me to do?"

  "We need to make some rings — or maybe bracelets — that could serve as keys. How many workers do we have now?"

  "Fifty cargonite collectors, not to mention the cooks and the castle staff," he replied, then added apologetically, "I'm sorry but my abilities don't include bulk enchanting skills. Mass production never interested me."

  "Platinus? You any good at mass enchanting?"

  "I seem to have a development branch that does it," the alchemist replied.

  "Never used, I suppose?"

  "It's level 1 by default. Hey, wait a sec! I don't want to level up Sorcerer! I need to study Alchemy!"

  "Cool down, will ya? Alchemy is a profession. What kind of stats does it require?"

  "Mainly Intellect. Oh, and also Spirit."

  "And how about Sorcerer?"

  "Intellect, Spirit and Stamina."

  "See? You can have it both ways, can't you?"

  "I suppose so. They have to be leveled up separately."

  We stopped by the lab's door. I wasn't in a hurry to disable the veil.

  "Please don't drag it out," Platinus begged. "I can't wait to see it."

  "Think you can help me with mass enchanting?"

  "All right, all right," he grumbled. "You can take poor Platinus and split him into ten, if you have to."

  "Sorry dude, but I can't help it. You're the only person I can trust with the job. Making Rings of Access isn't for everyone!"

  He was obviously flattered by my version of the truth. "Okay," he said, perking up. "But promise you'll help me with the development branch!"

  "Absolutely," I touched the veil, inscribing our nicknames on it. "In you go."

  The magic veil obediently
let us through. Still, this method was too time-consuming. I couldn't spend my days rushing around the castle doing it for all and sundry. Which was why I needed a bunch of enchanted rings.

  Platinus stepped in and froze, transfixed.

  Me, I couldn't care less. All those cobwebbed test tubes and coil pipes crowding the dusty tables didn't impress me in the slightest. Not so Platinus: the moment he saw the complex system of interconnected ancient vessels, he began shaking with emotion. Reverentially he blew the dust off some of the equipment, then darted for the shelves lined with millennia-old vials.

  He read a few labels and sank onto the nearest stool. A new debuff appeared over his head: Confusion. He'd just cast it on himself!

  "You okay?" an alarmed Raoul hurried to cast Vigor on him.

  "Yeah... I just need a breather... Alexatis, you can't even imagine... this is... these are..."

  "It's okay, Plats, take it easy. This is your lab now, just as I promised. But first you need to help me make the rings."

  "Anything! We should start now!"

  "First I need to have a look at this development branch of yours."

  "Not a problem," he zoned out, studying his own interface, then forwarded me the data.

  Okay, let's take a look.

  So! He'd jumped twenty levels since he'd joined the raid! Excellent. I checked the development branch. I didn't want his char to level up unevenly.

  Platinus had three specializations: Magic, Illusion Casting and Enchanting. Somehow I didn't think he was going to bother with Illusion Casting. Now Magic was different: you just couldn't ignore it. It had lots of spells and yet-inactive abilities for enemy control.

  Okay. What did Mass Enchantment require? Oh wow. Level 25! Plus five more spells he had to learn to gain access to the required slot.

  "Have you ever tried to enchant your potions?" I asked him.

  "No. Why?"

  With the help of my mind expander, I did a quick research of the relevant manuals, copied the most important information, then sent him the link to the resulting article.

  "Oh wow," he said, skimming it. "I knew nothing about this ability. How cool!"

  "If you go down this route, you won't be able to level up Magic or Illusion Casting until you reach level 50," I said.

  "That's not a problem," he dismissed my warning, impressed by this new possibility.

  "In that case, here's the tutorial. It'll show you how to distribute the available XP points. Just follow the scheme. I'm going to buy you the spells you need. Your job is to learn them."

  "Not a problem! One question: is there any difference between item and potion enchanting?"

  "You'll have a new ability in a moment: Choice of Treatment. It's allow you to choose what to enchant: the potion or the vial it comes in."

  "Sure!"

  Raoul stood nearby casting envious glances at Platinus. That was a good lesson for him, actually. The clan alchemist had just received a bunch of privileges: a unique lab, a rush through levels and some free spells.

  Very well. If that prompted Raoul to think in the right direction, that would only be a good thing.

  * * *

  IT TOOK US over an hour to make all the rings. Both Platinus and I had gained another level while experimenting. I'd used Object Replication to create rather plain-looking items (if you forget the materials they were made of) while Platinus enchanted them, inserting a magic marker into each. The latter we'd procured by combing through the castle's security logs.

  Apparently, the castle's passive shields were all set to Paranoid mode configured by the Disciples during the siege. I hadn't changed it. I was quite happy with the status quo at the moment. The only people who could walk freely around the castle were a few trusted clanmates as well as the rapid-response security teams I was going to create within the next few days. The danger of a Dark invasion was still too imminent; Moor Goblins too were a threat to be reckoned with. I was almost sure they'd try to infiltrate the donjon... in which case they were in for a few nasty surprises.

  "All done!" Platinus wiped the sweat from his brow. Item enchanting demanded a lot of concentration. He wasn't quite up to it yet.

  I scooped up a handful of rings and gave them to Lethmiel, then forwarded him the castle's 3D magic model with all the multi-colored protection barriers and their activation zones marked on it.

  "The rings are set to grant access to the markers from green to orange," I told him. "Each ring binds on equip. It can neither be removed nor lost. This is yours, with full access to all castle rooms. Raoul — take yours. All the zones you have access to are marked on the map."

  "Thanks," Raoul said, apparently pleased with his access level. "You won't regret it."

  "I need to hand these rings out, then," Lethmiel headed for the portal pad and disappeared in a flash of light.

  "How about you?" I asked the others. "You gonna log out? Or would you like to stay? It looks like we might have an impromptu party in a moment."

  "I need to take a look around the lab," Platinus said, impatient to get rid of us.

  "Very well. You?"

  "I'd rather log out, if you don't mind," Raoul replied. "I'll be back in the morning," his voice trailed away, bleak and cheerless.

  We left our alchemist to sort out his relic equipment and walked out into the Hall of the Elements.

  I motioned Raoul to stop for a moment. "You have problems?"

  "That's all right."

  "I'm serious. Is there anything I can do for you?"

  He faltered, then admitted, "I have a few debts to pay off."

  "How much?"

  "Seven hundred credits. For me, it's lot. It's not a bank loan. I borrowed it from some guys I know."

  "Why didn't you tell me?"

  "You really think I'd have asked you for money the moment I joined the clan? You just don't do that."

  "I know. Still, you helped us purge the dungeon. You can use your share of the loot, that's for sure. You have a way of converting in-game currency?"

  "Yeah," his bleak stare glinted with curiosity.

  "What's the exchange rate at the moment?"

  "One to ten," he replied in surprise. "As if you didn't know!"

  "Sorry, I've been too busy just lately. I've just transferred you eight thousand gold."

  "But there's no way I earned so much! If the truth were known, I should pay you for rescuing my char."

  "We'll sort it out," I proffered him my hand. "Log back in as soon as you've put your affairs in order."

  I didn't need to ask twice. Raoul gave me a hearty handshake, then logged out.

  Chapter Seven

  The Crystal Sphere

  The outer walls of Rion Castle

  I'D MANAGED to complete the walls inspection before nightfall.

  In the light of everything that had happened, we had to decide which fortifications needed restoring first.

  Togien had tagged along. To my surprise, he also had the profession of Builder.

  "Why would you need it?" I asked.

  He shrugged. "Use your head. Gwain and I, we work down the mines, right? If the framework got rotten or if the brickwork is loose, who's gonna take care of that? Unless you want the mine to come down on you, of course."

  Aha. That explained it. "Fancy an experiment?"

  "Why not? What do you want me to do?"

  "I'd like you to check your logs and see how much XP you received for a cubic meter of bricklaying."

  "Wait a sec. Aha, found it. A hundred XP per cube."

  "How much do you need to make the next profession level? Which one do you currently have?"

  "Level 9 in Bricklaying and 7 in Carpentry."

  "Can you check Bricklaying for me?"

  "Let's have a look... I need.... yes, I need to lay another five and a half cube for my next level."

  I pointed at a fragment of brick wall destroyed by a hefty trebuchet ball. "What do you think they used as cement?"

  He studied the split blocks of stone. "No i
dea. Can't see anything. Couldn't they have built the castle with magic?"

  "In which case the stones have to stick together automatically, right? How do you normally lay bricks?"

  "I use my Lime Mortar ability."

  "Fancy giving it a try?"

  "You have to be joking! There's no way I can lift any of those! You need someone with a 100 pt. Strength to do that!"

  "And now?" I cast Levitation, raising a massive rectangular block of stone in the air.

  Togien promptly pushed the block into place and lingered over it, mouthing a spell. Having finished, he pressed the stone down.

  It worked! A thin white layer of cement materialized momentarily below it, then disappeared. The stone looked one with the rest of the wall.

  "How about XP, did you get any?"

  "Sure," he forwarded me a system message,

  You've restored a fragment of ancient stonework!

  +100 XP to your current Profession level.

  "Oh wow," Togien looked lost. "Five more stones like this and I'll make another level!"

  I was more than happy with the result too. "So? Do you think we could invite some bricklayers over here?"

  "At this rate of leveling? They'll be lining up from here to Agrion City!"

  "I'd love to know more about this Magic Stonework," I said, focusing on the wall.

  The wall is in a state of disrepair. In order to gain access to its characteristics, please restore the wall first.

  I didn't even notice night fall. I got the celebrations under way, then found Lethmiel and asked him to speak to the village elders for me. Then I ported to the main tower.

  The terrace where we'd dined earlier offered a great view of the castle and its grounds.

  I could hear music playing in the inner yard. Torches cast an uneven light over the cobblestones. Fires were piled high; even from here I could smell the aroma of the finest Elven spices on the roasting meat.