Goblin: a LitRPG Novel (Tower of Gates LitRPG Series Book 1)
Page 21
"I need you three to do a favor for me."
"What is it?" Eric asked, continuing to eat the mushy porridge in front of him.
"Deliver a message to Fort Bliss. We’ll be sending a third of our men to secure Esterhollow. If the people are ready to rebuild, they’ll need our help."
"We can deliver a message," I said. "Anything else?"
"To help you, I'm assigning you war wagon. It'll help keep you safe on your travels throughout the land. Now that you're on this side of the realm, you should have less problems, but these days you can't be too careful."
A war wagon wouldn't solve our problems, but it would help make our lives easier.
"Thank you," I said.
"No, thank you for your help and not attempting to wrest control away from me."
I smiled politely, happy we were getting away from him and the other men at the castle.
Something about them increased my anxiety.
"We can’t trust all of them, Kali. Be careful."
Thanks, Charlotte.
"What can you tell us about tree trolls?" I asked.
"Nothing I couldn't tell you," Eric muttered.
He pushed his crude bowl away from him and stretched.
Rathgar looked at Drex but said nothing.
"Go on," I said. "Forgive my rude friend."
"He's fine," Rathgar said. "None of us here are completely civilized."
"Please, continue," Eric said, motioning to Rathgar with his hands.
"As you probably know tree trolls regenerate quickly, so you must burn them. They're good at camouflage in the forest, so be careful."
"How do we get their blood?" I asked.
Rathgar grinned.
"How do you get maple syrup out of a tree?"
I nodded. It made sense.
"What should be store it in?"
"Glass containers. I've put some in the war wagon for you."
"Thanks for your help," Bernard said.
"Anything for you, Benji, and the other upcoming heroes of the realm."
I detected a sense of sarcasm in his voice.
"Do you have questions?" he asked.
"No, thank you," I replied before Eric could speak up.
"With that, I bid you goodbye. The letter to Sergeant Harris is in the war wagon too. Safe travels, and good luck on your quest."
Rathgar turned and left the room.
"Whatever you do, don't mention that it sounds easy," I said.
Eric grinned but wisely kept his mouth shut.
We walked outside to the courtyard where a tall and imposing wagon made of wood and metal stood. Two warhorses also decked out in armor were attached to the front.
"It's like one we saw earlier," Eric said.
"Yeah, they're not common in the realm," Bernard said.
I hoped Eric didn't go OOC to discuss the specifics.
"Does this one disappear into thin air like the other one?" Eric asked as he walked toward it.
Benji and I followed.
"Yeah, there's invisibility magic involved."
A short man limped around the front of the wagon.
"This one's not charged up all the way, but it's a short ride to Fort Bliss. You three should be okay. Captain Rathgar told me to get you guys on the road right away."
I didn't trust his crooked grin, but I kept my mouth shut as he opened the door.
"Benji and I will ride up front," Eric said, taking control as he always did.
"Fine," I said, climbing into the wagon. "I'll have time to read up on the magic of this world."
As the door closed, a magic ball of light lit the interior. Nice touch, I thought, leaning back on the padded bench. I cracked open a book. Instead of in-game help screens, we were being taught by in-game items.
The game had me hooked which frightened and exhilarated me at the same time. It was almost like logging into a multi-player game in VR the first time but more powerful. By a factor of a hundred.
I read and got drawn into the world of the Grabisco Isles. Were there other realms in the game? How did they all tie together? Questions multiplied like tribbles in the back of my mind as the wagon lurched forward.
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An hour later, I discovered a panel that opened, allowing me to hear and talk with Eric and Bernard as they drove our impressive ride.
"You two doing okay?" I called out.
"Good up here," Bernard said. "You got your nose in that book still?"
"It's good," I said then laughed.
"Fort Bliss," Eric said. "Sounds like a fun place."
"Don't get too excited," Bernard said. "The name is more than a little sarcastic."
"I figured," Eric said.
Bernard sighed then spoke, spilling more details of his experience in the game.
"After the Great War, the humans have been trying to rebuild and dominate the others again. That's when I died as a player character."
"You like to go OOC a lot, don't you?" I asked.
"I hate losing the xp, yeah, but when you've been in this game over ten years as an NPC and not allowed to talk OOC, you want to do it all the time. That make sense?"
"Yeah, I get it. Are you a first level rogue?"
Bernard nodded.
"I know the party needs a fighter and an actual healer, but we'll be able to hire help along the way."
"But will they be game-run NPCs or trapped player characters?" Eric asked.
"Exactly," Bernard said. "This game is messed up in so many ways, constantly drawing you in deeper."
"I can't imagine being in here for twenty years."
"We'll get out before then," Eric said, puffing his chest out and holding his head high. "We've just got to keep being careful and think about building the best party possible."
I rolled my eyes like a pair of d8s for damage.
"Here comes gamer Eric with the stats."
Bernard laughed.
"You couldn't do it solo, but with the right team we can do it."
"We get it, Eric," I said. "Trust me. We get it."
"I'm just saying..."
His voice trailed off. The words he spoke sometimes didn't match up with the tough and older exterior of his avatar. Did me being an elf effect how he thought of me?
The deep questions in the deep-dive of a VRMMORPG floated around in the back of my mind. Until we learned more about the game and why it'd been created, we had to survive.
"Is that the fort?" Eric asked, pointing.
"Yeah," Benji said.
"Looks like they have people waiting for us."
I saw a group of soldiers hanging around the open front gate of the wooden-walled fort.
"Great," Bernard muttered.
"What?" I asked.
"Two Great Tigers just walked onto the road ahead, and I think they’ll go for the horses."
"Let's get them," Eric said then hopped down to the dusty road.
I opened the door and climbed out the other side. Two huge predatory tigers inched toward us, ready to pounce on the poor horses at any moment.
As the first one leapt forward, I cast seven Golden Bolts and sent them toward the creature.
Your seven Golden Bolts MAUL the Great Lion for 21 damage.
You have 50(64) mana remaining today
Eric ran toward the one I hit. Before he swung his sword, the tiger pounced and bit into his arm.
"Be gone, filthy cats," Bernard yelled, joining the fray.
His mace hit the same tiger on the top of the head.
Meanwhile, the other crept forward inch by inch.
I began a repeat of the same spell.
The injured tiger lashed out, raking Eric with two sets of razor sharp claws. One of them hit him in the face. He screamed in pain and stumbled backward.
Your seven Golden Bolts MAUL the Great Lion for 28 damage.
The Great Tiger is dead!
You have 36(64) mana remaining today
&n
bsp; The second tiger noticed me and my dance moves. It pounced toward me, only to meet Bernard's mace a few feet later.
Eric lunged and pierced his new, shiny scimitar into the creature's hind quarters. The tiger hissed, growled, and stopped to take care of them.
As the other two fought the beast, bashing and stabbing it repeatedly, I cast a final volley of seven Golden Bolts, scoring a direct hit.
Your seven Golden Bolts WOUND the Great Lion for 18 damage.
The Great Tiger is dead!
You have 12(64) mana remaining today
You get 3200 xp divided by three party members.
You get +1067 xp
You have 14,391 xp
Congratulations, you are a level four Wizard!
Tip: Leveling
You will soon need to choose your specialization...
Inventor (levels 6 – 16) – practical magic
Warlock (can use weapons) (levels 5-15) – offensive magic
Elementalist (levels 5 – 15) – elemental / summoning magic
Wizard (levels 5 – 15) – defensive magic
I read the notification as I ran over to Bernard.
They need to make that an in-game skill, I thought with a chuckle.
"Give him one of the healing potions," I said. "You're still our cleric for now."
Bernard pulled one of our Potions of the Good Berserker and poured a few drops on the gash across Eric's face. The skin pulled together, but it left a scar.
"Drink this," Bernard said as he put the potion to Eric's lips.
"At least I didn't get poisoned," he said.
I shook my head.
"They didn't even help us, and they're going back into the fort now."
"I told you two we can't trust Rathgar."
"Should we take the war wagon and skip Fort Bliss?"
"No, we've got to deliver this message to them," I said.
"You two know he could have used a carrier-pigeon, right?"
"No," I said. "Are you saying he sent us on a fool's errand?"
"I'm just saying we need to keep our eyes open," Bernard said. "Expect the best but prepare for the worst. That's been my motto."
I resisted the urge to point out how long he’d been trapped as an NPC.
Eric stood up.
"Let's get into the fort," he said.
"You feeling okay?"
"Better."
"You have a scar," I noted, nodding toward his face. "But it's kinda sexy."
He reached up and put his dirty finger on it.
"Don't do that unless you want an infection."
"Benji, will you help me tie these big cats to the back of the wagon?"
"You're keeping them?" he asked.
"They make a good gift, no?"
"I guess."
While Eric and Bernard tied the beasts to the wagon, I climbed in and opened one of my books about magic. The new spells I had would be helpful on our quest.
A few minutes later, I felt the wagon moving forward. The wood and metal surrounding me wasn't claustrophobic. It gave me a sense of safety and security.
When the wagon stopped again, I opened the side door and stepped out. A group of weather-worn men in dirty clothes and bits or armor stood around, gawking and pointing.
Eric and Bernard climbed down from the front and walked over.
"We're looking for Sergeant Harris," Eric called out.
"I'm him," a man with a fur cap said as he walked forward. "You bring a present for me?"
He nodded toward the back of the wagon then laughed, causing his men to follow suit.
"I'm Drex, and this is Kali and Benji."
"We've heard of you three," Sergeant Harris said. "The bards are slinging some saucy and funny tales."
The men laughed again.
"I don't understand, Kali."
Don't worry, Charlotte. We'll be leveling soon, and you'll become smarter and understand more.
"I would like that very much, Kali."
"We need lodging for the night and food," Eric said. "We'll be leaving in the morning."
"Captain Rathgar sent word via pigeon to put you up for the night and send you on your way tomorrow. You'll leave the wagon here."
"That wasn't what Rathgar told us."
"It's Captain Rathgar, half-blood. You'd best remember it."
"Can you give us our horses, at least?" Bernard asked.
I loved his diplomacy skills.
"That's fine," Sergeant Harris said. "You can stay in the barracks of the men on third shift."
"Why are you training so hard?" Eric asked.
Sergeant Harris stepped forward.
"Are you a spy, son?"
Eric didn't back down.
"No, and you'd be smart to step back."
"Did I ever tell you the one about the one time I officiated a brownie wedding?" Bernard asked.
Everyone turned to look at him. I took Eric's hand and pulled on his arm.
He stepped back as Bernard continued telling his ridiculous story.
"When it concluded, I had to bathe for three days to get rid of the smell."
"That story makes no sense," I said with a chuckle.
Sergeant Harris walked away.
"I can't believe Captain Rathgar is doing this to us."
"Didn't I say we couldn't trust him?" Bernard shook his head. "I doubt they’ll give me any armor."
"Maybe it's better people think you're a cleric," Eric said.
"You might be right," I said.
"I'm good at disguises."
"We should rest. I want to study and learn my new spells tonight."
"Don't stay up too late," Eric said. "We should leave early in the morning."
"Yes, dad," I said in my best annoyed teenager voice.
Eric stared at me without smiling.
"I'm tired," he said, turning around. "Good night."
Bernard glanced over at me.
"I'm exhausted too. See you in the morning."
"Good night, Benji."
I smiled and watched as he walked toward one of the barracks near the gate to the fort. Instead of going to bother them, I went back to the war wagon.
We have it until the morning, so I might as well use it, I thought as I climbed in and shut the door. The magic lantern shed more than enough light for me to read.
As promised, the book given to me back in Mednia allowed me to level up.
> Stats
Name: Kali Tracaryn
Race: Elf
Class: Wizard
Level: 4
XP: 14,391 (8,609 for next level)
Alignment: +80 (Very Good)
HEALTH: 24 (24)
MANA: 12 (64)
Strength: 72 (+10%)
Dexterity: 96 (+35%)
Constitution: 52 (+0%)
Intelligence: 93 (+30%)
Wisdom: 43 (+0%)
Charisma: 44 (+0%)
I also went over my spell list to think of new ways to use them in combination, especially the ones I'd recently added.
> Stats Spells
Spells: Level One
Fish Slaying (1mp) - Slay fish in 10' radius per level of caster.
Golden Bolts (2mp per bolt up to 4+ lvl of caster) Each bolt dows 1d4 damage.
Glorified Cloaks of Bronze (2mp per armor adjustment up to 4+ lvl of caster)
Ladder of Dwarven Earth - (2mp per cubic foot of magic dirt created. Lasts 10 minutes per level of caster.
Identify – (5mp) Identify magic items.
New Level One Spells:
Shut the Front Door – (2mp) – Close and seal a door. Portal receives 10hp per level of caster and will stay sealed until it takes that much damage. Even the caster cannot unseal this door. It's shut.
Conjure Bronze – (2mp) – Need one gold coin to create one bronze coin. Prerequisite for higher level spells.
Spells: Level Two
Snares of Dust (3mp) – Clouds of dust particles rise in the air, often rendering a person unable to
do anything other than cough and stumble away. More mana may be used for more dust.
New Level Two Spells:
Mystic Therapy –(10np) – Target heals 1d10 damage.
Cloud of Marvelous Sound [Uncommon] – (15mp) – A cloud of sound surrounds your enemies, disorienting them. One foot radius per level of caster.
Spells: Level Three:
Divine Arrow of Energy [Rare] – (25mp) – send a blue energy bean up to one hundred feet per level of caster. The person hit heals 1d50 damage, regains 1d50 mana (if applicable), and receives a +10% to-hit bonus. Caster may not be the target of this spell.
(Choose One Level Three Spell)
The Three Lesser Chants of Platinum – requires conjure bronze
Portable Sword of Fire – 10mp – Wield a flaming sword for five minutes per level of the caster. Sword deals 1d8 + 1d4 fire damage. You must be skilled in the use of a blade.
Blessed Webs of Gold – 15mp - Cast an energy net to confine your foes.
Villainous Cold Auras – 20mp – Make a humanoid appear unlikeable and cold.
Fish's Virtue (Water breathing) – 5mp per minute - Requires Chant of Just Kill Fish
Shooting Discs of Lava – 5mp per disc. Each disc deals 1d6 fire damage.
Tip: At level five, you will gain one fourth level spell, and one more spell of each lower level.
I went with Shooting Disks of Lava. Without a fighter, I needed to become an offensive wizard.
The sacrifices I make for this party.
"I appreciate you, Kali."
Charlotte always brought a smile to my face.
Are you feeling smarter?
"Oddly, I am."
It's normal. Don't worry. Get some rest. We're leaving tomorrow.
"Good night," Kali.
After I said good night to my spider friend, I curled up on the padded bench in the war wagon. The boys can have the stinky barracks to themselves, I thought as I drifted off to sleep.
()xxxx[:::: Chapter 27 ::::>
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