by Elian Tars
I tried to reach it with my other hand. I tried to reach it from above, from below, from different sides, but didn’t manage to. I couldn’t get to the treasure. I’d have to return empty-handed. I was sure that if the effect of the Wanderer ended while half of my body was still in the wall, I’d die a terrible death.
“Well… What’s… In there?” Kane asked through the Wight as soon as I got my physical body back. Our unemotional necromancer was definitely intrigued.
“Treasure. But I can’t take it now. Let’s go upstairs. I did plan to visit the treasury. Do you think it’s here?”
“I have… No idea…. Maybe… Yes…”
There were three floors in the building, aside from the basement. We walked briskly up the stairs to the upmost door. I felt like it was on the third floor. Where could a secret passage in the mayor’s office lead aside an underground passage? A treasury, of course!
But if I was right, then it was strange for them to make it on the third floor. In my opinion, such a place should be in the basement. But, on the other hand, there already was a prison there, as well as an escape route. The first floor was always full of people who came to the town hall seeking answers to their questions. Perhaps the third floor was a good decision in this case.
The lock took me some time again, but, just like the last time, I succeeded in getting it open. After opening the door, I waited till Wanderer’s cooldown had ended and entered a big, square room.
“We’re… Late… Again…” the Bat said with an effort.
“They left us something,” I disagreed, looking around.
There was another door that led into the vault — the main one. The one we got through was clearly a secret entrance. The moment we shut it tight, it became indistinguishable from the wall. I supposed that a treasurer was responsible for the treasury, even though the mayor had round the clock access to it. Was the mayor an elective official? It seemed so. But his power, apparently, didn’t have a limit.
The entire vault was filled with opened chests, full to the brim with coins of different denominations.
“How much coins can fit into an inventory?” I asked my companion.
“A thousand… Per slot…”
“Well, it looks like all of my financial problems have been solved!” I couldn’t hide my smile, and I plunged my hands into the nearest chest.
“We got lucky… Whoever had been here before… Cracked… Open… The locks…”
Glancing at the Bat, I saw him looking at the doorpost intently. “Hurry up!” it cried suddenly and rushed to the chests. Diving into one near me, it disconnected.
I grabbed the chest with the Bat with both hands and put it into my inventory. Getting the maximum possible speed out of my upgraded mind and body, I managed to put all the chests that were there into my inventory before I got pierced by a stone spear that emerged out of the floor.
The horrible pain made me gasp for air. It looked like it pierced a hole through my right lung. It was hard to breathe…
Twilight Wanderer.
In the blink of an eye, the vault turned into impenetrable blackthorn bushes. Had I still been in my physical body, I would’ve been riddled with holes. Needless to say, the spear left me with a Major Injury. Here, in the Twilight, I didn’t feel pain. But it was unlikely that I’d survive much longer after the skill ends. I had no more of Restoring Potion 3. What would the point of using it now be anyway?
I dived into the floor, as if it was water, and swiftly swam through the masonry to the cache. The space became stretched, and I got to the silver coffer before Wanderer ended. I outstretched my arms to it, entering the hemisphere up to the shoulders, and waited patiently.
A thought flashed through my mind: I got really lucky with the treasury. If I had to go through the defenses myself, I probably never would’ve gotten to the chests. Also, the cooldown of the treasury’s defensive spell seemed to not depend on time, but on the amount of stolen goods. This defensive system must’ve been expensive if they’d rather let several hundred coins be stolen if the first security cordon fell than make it have a short cooldown. Whoever was in the treasury before me knew about this and didn’t take more than necessary. I wondered who the smart guy was. The treasurer?
Anyway, that didn’t matter now. I simply had to take these things into account for the future, in case I ever decide to visit somebody’s treasury again.
All in all, the whole operation went without a hitch. We robbed the place and saved Una without making much noise. But where were the Mothers? They knew that I was in Ekheim. They saw me through the eyes of the defeated Spiders, but didn’t try to catch me. My first meeting with a lady of their kind that appeared out of a Spider only arose more questions. I was really glad that I managed to avoid dealing with level 150 monsters, but I just didn’t get how it had happened. What was the point of letting me off the hook? We were enemies, right?
Feeling that the Wanderer was about to end, I cast unnecessary thoughts aside, and…
I had been killed more than once before. Hell, I had a stone spear pierce my body just a few seconds ago. All of that was really painful, but that pain was nowhere near the one I felt when I materialized inside the masonry. My body immediately exploded into pieces, because it wasn’t supposed to be where it was. At least I was ready for my doom and I had put all the strength I had into touching one of the cold sides of the silver-plated coffer with my fingers the moment they got their physical form back.
Into the inventory, my dying brain commanded.
You were killed by a higher force. You will be resurrected at your designated location.
Chapter 6
A New Challenge
Choose your designated resurrection point:
“Athefeh’s Gravestone”
“Shard of Zira’s Gravestone”
“Shard of Sherr’s Gravestone”
When I appeared in the pitch-black darkness, for some time I just… Well, the only appropriate word to describe it would probably be “existed.” I had no thoughts, no feelings; I was just floating in the darkness. I had no body, only a soul.
And even though the most excruciating pain that I’ve felt when I got stuck inside the masonry lasted only for a couple of seconds, I was yet to recover. And what better place to do it, if not in the world of total Darkness?
The pain returned soon. It wasn’t so sharp anymore, but rather dull and nagging. It wasn’t my pain, but that of the master of this world.
Haven’t you recovered yet? I addressed the space around me, but received no answer.
Well, there’s no need to bother him any longer. I have a lot of things to do.
However, my priorities had changed. At first, I thought that I should escape from Ekheim with the help of Elusive Darkness, meet up with someone and, twelve hours later, go to Zira’s Gravestone, where I’d have to die.
But I died now, and Elusive Darkness was still combat-ready, so I won’t have to die in the near future.
Shard of Zira’s Gravestone, I thought, determined. Darkness around me swirled, and a moment later, cool water embraced my body.
I found myself at the bottom of the Lake of Grace.
Having greeted with a nod the Shaman, named the First Awaken by the Old Man, I waved at the three Guardians, each of which grew to be the size of a calf. I glanced around — the Lake had gotten significantly bigger; the old tadpoles had grown to be the size of hogs, and there were also new ones. It was nice seeing something that you had helped create grow. My efforts hadn’t been in vain.
However, I had to hurry because the energy source was deep underground, and there was no direct exit out of it, nor was there an entrance into it. The only reason I managed to get there was the Shard that I had dropped into the Lake before the battle.
But unfortunately, unlike the Frogs, I couldn’t breathe underwater.
I quickly materialized three buckets that I had prepared beforehand. As soon as they appeared, they got filled with Essence’s Storage; my limi
t for carrying magic water had increased significantly after the Lake became a full-fledged energy source.
Feeling the water pressing my chest, I put the filled buckets back into my inventory, waved to the Frogs again, and activated Elusive Darkness.
I was quickly out of there. The moment I appeared in the Darkness, I immediately chose the Shard of Sherr’s Gravestone and found myself near a small rock in a dense forest.
“Wooo?” My appearance surprised the five Wolves that were lounging nearby. The gray predators lifted up their heads, sniffed the air, and, recognizing me, calmly put their heads back on their paws.
After walking some hundred yards, I arrived to the camp. The villagers had built tents using their bedcovers and were living under them.
“I suspected that you’d come soon,” Kane said quietly, being the first to meet me.
“Senior Disciple?” Gira, Greiv’s wife, blurted out, passing by with a bucket of water. “Welcome back! Hey!!!” she shouted at the top of her lungs. “The Senior Disciple is back!”
The former residents of Ilyenta, now homeless Followers of the God of Darkness, started gathering around me. People asked me questions, interrupting each other: how did it all go; did I manage to save the Gleam of Rugus; had anything bad happened to me?
“I’m pleased to know that you worry about me, my friends,” I said loudly, spreading my arms, looking at the Old Man’s congregation. Having lived in Ilyenta, and after two deadly battles against the Decayed and against Baron Tsunter’s forces, I got accustomed to these people. I even felt partly responsible for them. I felt like I was their shepherd even though I wasn’t. And as a shepherd, I should lead them to their destination. If they’re given too much freedom, they’ll scatter and become food for the predators.
“I’m fine,” I continued. “Together with Disciple Kane, who helped me through his familiar, I managed to saved Una. But, unfortunately, the news are not all good. Ekheim has been captured by the creatures of the Decay. Unlike you and me, common people can’t hold long against those monsters. And although Ekheim was governed by our old enemy, Carl Tsunter, who had destroyed Ilyenta, innocent citizens didn’t deserve such a fate. Had they all been Followers of Darkness, they would’ve had better chances of survival. Their Gods didn’t come to protect the city even though there are fourteen temples in Ekheim.”
People thought my words over in silence, until Greiv exclaimed: “Damned Gods! They don’t think about people at all!”
“Right!” Chief Shawn supported him. “And idiots like… What was his name? Tsun…”
“Tsunter!” someone prompted.
“Yeah, yeah, that one! So, as I was saying, idiots like him will happily butcher civilians on a God’s whim, dammit!”
“Right!”
“That’s true!”
“And the God of Darkness fought for us in Ilyenta!”
“Yeah!”
“With the God of Darkness we are strong!”
“If only there were more of us…”
“Come on, Shawn, tell the Senior Disciple!”
The commotion subsided as fast as it had began. People made way for the chief, making room around him and leaving him alone with me. The man hesitated, staring at the grass.
“What’s the matter, Shawn?” I asked as warmly as I could.
“The thing is, Senior Disciple,” he started unsurely. Getting a little bolder, he lifted his gaze. “You ordered us to ride the Wolves and check the surrounding area, right?”
I nodded, confirming his words. He smiled and continued even more boldly: “Well, we saw villages nearby. But the Decay has gotten pretty close to them. If the beasts attack, people will die. I bet they will, and no one will save them… Do you understand, Senior Disciple?”
I liked his way of thinking, but I decided to let him say what he wanted to say.
“What are you suggesting?” I asked.
“Well, you know… Go talk to them and offer to save them if they swear their allegiance to the God of Darkness. And then we could move them here with all their stuff. We’ve discussed it with the guys.” He nodded toward where the other leaders were. “Nobody seemed to be against it.”
“I’m against it, Uncle Shawn!” said Erg, our chief “medic,” angrily. “As if they’re going to join us just like that! You and I, as well as the rest of us understand the power of the God of Darkness, but the others don’t!” The fellow turned to me and made a couple of steps forward. “Don’t be mad, Senior Disciple, but I have a feeling that Uncle Shawn’s plan will fail.”
“Are you doubting the powers of the God of Darkness, you fool?!” the chief exclaimed, coming close to Erg and grabbing him by his shirt.
Heh, I thought that you were a smart man, Shawn. Don’t you understand which of you is right? Or, worse, you do, but you think that it’s your duty to blindly believe and be an example for others of how deeply and heartily they should worship the God of “Darkness?” I wouldn’t be surprised if that was really so. Still, Shawn had little experience in people management; he could’ve instinctively chosen to behave like that…
How could I settle this dispute without risking either of their authorities?
“Calm down, both of you. Please,” I said. The chief let the young man go without question and turned to me. “I think that you’re both right. I’ll think of a plan that’ll please everyone…” I started thinking and glanced over the villagers again. “How many villages are there nearby?”
“Three, Senior Disciple,” Shawn answered readily.
Taking out my map, I tried to figure out which settlements we were talking about. I supposed that the furthest one was a little more than an hour of riding away from us.
“Could you scout for the Decayed?” I turned to Kane, who was standing silently to the right of me. “Could you inform Shawn if they started an organized movement?”
“I could.”
“Okay, then,” I turned to talk to the rest of the Followers. “You should always be combat ready. You know that Darkness shows its true power in the most critical of moments. When the creatures decide to attack one of the villages, you’ll show up and find new brothers and sisters in faith. Don’t forget to make them swear their loyalty to the God of Darkness.” People started nodding, but I saw discontent on the faces of some of them. Pretty sure of what they were thinking about, I quickly added: “But first of all, I’d like to ask you, Shawn, to meet up with the chiefs of these villages. Who knows, maybe they’ll listen to your words and join us before their lives are endangered.”
“Yes, Senior Disciple! It’ll be done!” The man nodded happily.
“However,” I added, hurrying to curb his enthusiasm, “you’ll go meet them under the watchful eye of one of Kane’s familiars. Upon your return, you’ll choose longer routes and cover your tracks. Who knows, maybe some of them will turn out to be Disciples? The enemy Gods may follow you. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Senior Disciple,” Shawn answered in all seriousness.
I exchanged a few more words with them, said something to the chief personally, and saying that I had things to do, went to my tent that was situated at the foot of a smooth rock near Kane’s.
“How’s Mara?” The necromancer was walking beside me, and we could finally speak in private.
“She’s sleeping,” he said.
Although he tried to seem indifferent, I remembered well the fury in his eyes when Aerida burned the girl.
“Is she any better? How much time will she need?”
“No less than a week,” Kane answered calmly. “What treasure have you managed to find?”
He asked so impassively, as if he wasn’t interested but just wanted to change the subject.
“I haven’t taken a look yet,” I said and shrugged. “I have a lot of chests to go through. Do you want to help, maybe?”
“I’ll help,” he sighed.
My relationship with Kane was a strange one. Just like with Una, I couldn’t tell if he was my friend or just a b
rother-in-arms. In this damned world, it was hard to figure out who was who and who you could trust. Not taking the Old Man into account, the list of people I could trust was a short one. First place belonged to Vella, even though she seemingly found a new master since she had become free. However, this was partially my fault. Second place belonged to Berg, and third to Kane and Mara. After them were some of the former residents of Ilyenta… Una wasn’t even in the top ten.
Despite that, I didn’t want to open the silver-plated Coffer in front of Kane. However, I could entrust him with sorting the valuable stuff. Would he, like any other ordinary rascal, try to cheat me out of my money? I better make a couple of things clear.
“I’m sorry I haven’t told you my plans about the treasury. I wasn’t sure if it’d work. As for the money, the people need it.”
“Let me guess… You’re the only one who knows how to spend it wisely?” he chuckled, as if wishing to remind me that he, unlike the villagers, could see right through me.
“Yes, and I’m sure that you, too, understand what it should be spent on: artifacts, potions, stat and skill points for those who really need them.”
I could’ve sorted out the mayor’s cabinets and treasury chests alone, but that would’ve been very annoying and exhausting. Once the cooldown of Elusive Darkness ends, I should at once move to my third resurrection point. But before doing that I needed to deal with the more pressing issues and get some rest.
“Okay, I’ll come over in about ten minutes,” Kane said, returning to his tent.
Is he purposefully giving me some alone time? What a smart guy...
Pulling the cover down, I hid the inside of my tent, that is, its one rock and three fabric walls, from prying eyes and took the Coffer out of my inventory.
When I was in the Twilight, I couldn’t read the inscription on the mysterious thing, but the system could now identify the item and even give me its description.