Gloominess +2: Congregation. A LitRPG series: Book 2

by Elian Tars

  “We really have to discuss a lot of stuff,” I spoke aloud. “I don’t think that you like being denied control over your own body. I’m not pleased with this unwanted transfer and with the thought that you can take over. Well? Let’s talk. Do you hear me?”

  This time I waited for a whole minute. Alas…

  I cursed and started walking. Fine, I had other business to do anyway.

  I took out the Altar of Darkness from my inventory and, still walking, said,:

  “Thank you for the given powers! I dedicate my escape from the baron’s superior forces and Berg’s and Una’s rescue to the Darkness! Hail Darkness!”

  The black wood got pleasantly warm, and a system message appeared in front of my eyes.

  You have received 40 faith points.

  That wasn’t bad, my gift was duly appreciated. I almost had the same amount of points I had before using the Call of the Patron.

  I smiled, put the Altar back and opened the Elemental Types menu. There was a sign in the third column.

  Lives saved by the pure being: 187

  The addition of more than 60 souls could be explained only by the fact that the world counted the Warrior of Decay not as one, but as tens of souls, for it consisted out of many bodies. But even after such a gift I still needed 113 defeated enemies to activate the Altar of Light.

  I thought about seizing the moment and spending that half an hour I had on something useful. But the Wolves were now avoiding me instead of attacking. They were smart creatures that stayed away from those whose level was almost four times higher than theirs. I didn’t have time to look for willing victims to help me progress.

  I heard a nasty, but too familiar clicking noise. I turned around and chuckled — eight cloudy eyes belonging to a puny Little Spider Changed by Decay were staring in my direction. Clacking its mandibles, it rushed at me, paying no need to the huge difference in levels.

  Moving out of its way, I took out the pitchfork from my inventory. Strike. Strike. Victory.

  I totally forgot that these creatures felt at home here. This was the third time that I found myself near the cemetery and the third time I got attacked by a small creature of Decay. Was it a coincidence? I thought not. I was sure that this was how they usually behaved.

  I looked in the direction of the cemetery and listened. There were no sounds. If Una had come back and Berg decided to trust her, they would have followed my trail. I would have heard them and went back. I had about twenty minutes left.

  Getting a rough estimate of where the Little Spider had come from, I trotted over in that direction. Seems to be east… Thanks to the Tranquility of Darkness I had no problems with energy. After upgrading the skill to the sixth level, it restored thirty points of each stat per minute. I had almost completely recovered all of the HP that I had spent on teleportation.

  I took out the map of the area from my inventory. I didn’t know how much time had passed since it was printed, but according to it there should be no Decay anywhere nearby. But I could clearly smell that specific scent.

  I sped up, defeating three Little Spiders on my way and arrived at the edge of the dead forest in about eight minutes. According to the map there was no Decay there, but it was already spreading from the north. I went south, parallel to the border of the Decay. I doubted that I would be able to see the place where the decayed lands ended as I was short on time. I hardly had enough time to reach it, I had to go back.

  I got lucky! Two hundred yard ahead was a completely different scenario.

  “A few minutes won’t make much difference!” I thought without breaking my stride.

  I was a bit excited. As soon as I started feeling that I was about to get a hold of another secret of this world, my heart threatened to jump out of my chest. At least, my mind was focused and mindful of the surroundings. Another Little Spider appeared…

  For a while now I had been curious about the principle that defined the spreading of the Decay. It definitely wasn’t spreading in a single wave. It was as if it was throwing its tentacles forth and then pulling its main body after them.

  I wasn’t that far away from the truth. Reaching the furthest point of the decayed lands, about a mile away from the cemetery, I smiled smugly. It really was a “tentacle”. Or, at least, 50 yards long “appendage”. From my current location I could clearly see the “living” part of the forest.

  So from where was the Decay stretching its arms?

  I turned around and looked south. What was there? No matter how hard I looked I only saw the usual forest — high trees, hills, grass… While I was looking, a small cloud passed over the moon, obscuring it for a couple of seconds, and a hundred yards ahead of me I spotted a flicker of light. Eyes in the Darkness did its job. Something was hidden there.

  Chapter 4

  New Equipment

  Just as I expected! The Decay was really stretching toward something. The way it was spreading and its direction were not random. I wondered what attracted the Decay? What gave this awful phenomenon a reason to move further?

  I made a few steps and, hearing twigs snapping behind me, stopped. A few moments later I could distinguish Berg’s voice.

  “Bale! Bale! Everything’s fine! Come back!

  His timing was really bad… But I expected this to happen. Now I had to choose if I would take everyone and try to find out what Decay’s goal was, or if I would hurry after the treasure, hidden by Bon’s father. I decided not to reveal what kind of treasure might be hidden there so as not to get upset if the part of Zurtan really wasn’t there.

  What were the pros of checking out the area with the others? There were none; there were just my curiosity and desire to get my hands on new information. However, information was also a valuable thing; it would be silly to squander it. Yes, the Followers of Rugus and Berg were now my allies, but that didn’t mean that I had to share everything with them. I’d rather visit this place alone and investigate at my own pace. I could easily teleport back to the cemetery if I needed to.

  Also, we didn’t have much time at the moment. Although we did have a head-start, we could easily lose it. We definitely shouldn’t underestimate the baron of Leronta, who seized the reins of power in the big town for the sake of getting a piece of the Zurtarn.

  One moment the voices would sound near and then they would be far away again — the guys didn’t know exactly where I was and were moving in circles. I hurried to the sound, not wishing to reveal my exact location to them. I soon noticed four riders: Una, Berg and two men I didn’t know, dressed in dark-purple, hooded cloaks, were moving through the underbrush in my direction. One of them was holding the reins of the fifth Mueskan race horse. For me I supposed.

  Still hiding from my temporary allies, I identified the strangers.

  Jerome

  Level 91

  HP: 4010/4010

  Hulne

  Level 90

  HP: 3890/3890

  It was hard to distinguish one from the other with their cowls pulled over their faces, especially from afar. Hulne’s figure might’ve been a bit bigger.

  I hesitated for a moment and then started toward the group. They noticed me and came closer. Una introduced us to each other, and her companions revealed their faces. With a thick beard and shoulder-length hair, Hulne reminded me of a grim Viking. I would have thought that Einar or Bers, the Gods of Military Valor and Bloody Battles respectfully, would suit him better than Rugus. Jerome turned out to be a scrawny guy with a neat haircut — a typical sorcerer’s apprentice depicted in games and movies.

  “What were you doing there?” the girl asked once we were done with getting acquainted.

  “I went for a walk,” I answered.

  “You should have taken some rest,” Jerome lectured me with obvious dislike in his voice.

  I frowned, trying to understand the reason behind his behavior. Was he acting against his God’s will? Was he displeased by Rugus’s decision to help some gloomy fellows?

  “We’ll have a
rest on the way.” I replied.

  “Hmm, do you think you’ll have time for that?”

  “Jerome,” Una said in a low voice; the guy flinched. The sorceress turned to me. “I also think that it would be good for you get some rest. But, on the other hand, you can’t get enough sleep in one hour. There’s nothing we can do but sleep in our saddles,” she chuckled and shook her head. “I don’t like that at all…”

  “As if anyone does!” Hulne chuckled, dismounting. He tied the reins to a branch of the nearest tree and approached me. “We’ll give you some new clothes, fellow. You look really pathetic.”

  “Don’t forget to praise the Great Rugus for his generosity!” Jerome grumbled, glancing sideways at me. “His Followers paid for the equipment with their own money,” the guy turned away and spurred his horse. “I’ll check the area,” he curtly said.

  “Don’t pay attention to his tone, Bale,” Hulne said, materializing a pair of heavy leather boots and putting them on the grass before me, “he’s a little bit upset about what’s going on. It’s hard for him to come to terms with the fact that, instead of taking the powerful relic personally or telling his Disciples to get it, the Great One ordered us to help strangers in getting it,” he dumped a pair of thick pants and brown gloves, made of thick, scaly leather, onto the grass. Looking at them, I thought how even a German Shepherd Dog from the real world wouldn’t be able to bite through them. Though, I wasn’t so sure about the high-level predators in this dark game…

  I was surprised to find out that the mighty Disciple of Rugus was so honest. What game were the three of them playing? I had to keep my eyes wide open around them. The minions of the God of Control couldn’t be simpletons.

  A picture suddenly came to mind — a beautiful girl’s severed head lying in the grass. Dina… She was also a Follower of the God of Control. I don’t think that she was a Disciple, but still… She helped me. If it hadn’t been for my paranoia, I could have felt comfortable around her. And now she was gone, and I felt heavy-hearted.

  Maybe I should be more open with people? Maybe I should trust them more and…

  I stopped the stream of treacherous thoughts. Una had already abandoned me once and used me as a shield in order to escape. Later, when I helped Tael save the heir of Nelburg’s baron, Sir Crane also left me alone in the woods not far from the enemy’s town. Though he thanked me not only with words, but also by giving money and valuable things, the unpleasant aftertaste of betrayal remained.

  I couldn’t trust anyone.

  At least, not to the full extent.

  That meant that I should expect dirty tricks from Rugus and his minions; even though one of them laid out a good set of armor at my feet.

  “So,” I chuckled, “your friend doubts the God’s will?”

  “No,” the sturdy guy retorted, taking out of his inventory a beautiful crossbow with varnished limbs, emblazoned with an intricate ornament, and a black stock. I noticed that Berg’s eyes widened as he looked at the weapon. But Hulne continued speaking, as if nothing had happened. “The will of the Great One is our law. We don’t dare doubt it. However, for those who have just recently started hearing the voice of the Great and set their feet upon the path of a Disciple, it’s hard to understand his motives sometimes.”

  “The foolishness of youth,” Una chuckled. It was funny to hear something like this from her as she looked to be the youngest among the five of us. Physically at least. “They want Rugus to be the leader of the other Gods. That’s not only our Patron’s problem... Well, you know,” she waved her hand. Then she looked at Hulne. “Enough dillydallying. They are already impressed by our gifts. Let’s finish with getting Bale dressed!”

  “You ruined the moment,” the man shook his head. I almost cursed again. Hulne’s external simplicity attracted; he was a smiling man who liked armor and weapons. That was great! I could see myself drinking a mug of beer with him in some cozy pub and talking about life… But I had to remember that he was a Disciple of the God of Control.

  Every part of the armor brought from Rugus’ Abode gave stat bonuses and was “unique”. Compared to the usual clothes, the armor could change its size, adjusting to the new owner. It really fit like a second skin. Why did they use leather though? There seemed to be no such restriction as using armor according to your class, which was the norm in most games. This bothered me but I didn’t want to show my ignorance in public. I decided to ask Berg who, as if noticing my puzzled expression, casually enlightened me.

  “Be happy that you don’t have much strength and endurance. If they had brought you a suit of armor, you would be standing there like a training dummy, while we dress you up.”

  So that was it — there were no class limitations, but there was quite a logical limitation in strength and endurance. Any mighty warrior could be clad in heavy armor — though with the help of his servants or friends — but spellcasters and rangers couldn’t, for they valued intelligence and agility more.

  I was able to handle the scaly armor and gloves, though it wasn’t convenient to tighten the lacing alone, as well as the pants, the boots and the belt. I felt much more confident in this “unique” armor. Of my old things, I had only the rings and the cloak left. My stats, thanks to the gear bonus, looked like this:

  Level 55

  Vitality: 236

  Endurance: 123

  Strength: 152

  Agility: 140

  Intelligence: 171

  And that was even without the weapon which was usually in the inventory and not on me. It gave me a bonus only when I was using.

  The Fast Shooting Master’s Crossbow

  Unique item

  Damage: 115-145

  Agility: +45

  Requirements: agility (120)

  The increase in agility meant not only increased speed of response and speed in general, but also increased chance of a critical hit. The most impressive thing was the this marvel of engineering’s loading system — you didn’t have to bother with setting the crossbow bolt in the groove and pulling the string — all you had to do was put it into the right place, and the weapon would do the rest. You would just need to pull the trigger.

  And my greatest joy — a new trident. I didn’t even have the heart to call this weapon with a heavy shaft and three flat blades at the end a pitchfork.

  The Dagon Slayer’s Trishula

  Unique item

  Strength: +85

  Requirements: strength (150)

  “Well? How much will your generosity cost me?” I asked, waving the trident. What a magnificent thing it was.

  “In order to pay the deposit, you must get the next part of the Zurtarn at any cost. You will also return everything we gave you the moment we ask you to do so,” Una answered calmly.

  It took a great effort to keep a straight face. Did they want me to feel dependent? And then what? Would they tell me that all of these things were a gift once I get used to the feeling? I would be indebted to them then? To Rugus and his Followers?

  The hell with that! I had no idea what the God of Control was planning or what the Old Man’s end goal was — though I had some thoughts about it — but I wasn’t going to just give away my new equipment. I would do it only if they really needed it for some reason. And I would do it on my own accord. I definitely won’t take the clothes off my back just because they told me to do so.

  “Deal,” I chuckled and nodded toward the ranger. “Do you have anything for Berg?”

  “He’s already well equipped,” Una shrugged. Dismounting, she passed the reins to the disappointed ranger and came to me. “We couldn’t find a suitable helmet for you. It’s considered bad manners to give away garbage. However, there’s something, beside the armor, that could be really useful to you,” a pendant on a silver chain in the form of a maple leaf appeared on the girl’s palm.

  The Will Keeper

  Unique item

  Boost resistance against mind controlling spells. Stacks 5 times.

  Exceptions:
The “Effect of Decay”

  Active skill

  Cooldown: 24 hours

  Requirement: level 50

  Taking the artifact from Una, I examined it carefully for some time and then quickly put it around my neck.

  “It seems to me,” the girl mused, “that you don’t know how to fight against mind controlling spells, magical penalization and similar skills.”

  “I don’t,” I nodded in agreement. “And I would really like if my valuable ally, who specializes in that stuff, to tell me more.”

  I stared at Una. In fact, I was asking the sorceress to put in my hands a weapon that I could later use against her. Though they had just dressed me up, showing their goodwill, this was the moment that would define how much the Followers of Rugus needed me and what they were ready to secure mutual cooperation. Yes, they gave me the artifact that would help me resist mind control. But what good was a 24 hour cooldown skill against three people with similar abilities?

  “Yes, of course,” Una agreed surprisingly fast. “We can’t let somebody control you. So listen… It’s quite easy to get rid of mind control or paralysis cast by a person of an equal, or lower, level than you. You just need to have strong willpower and use all of your body’s resources — health, mana, and energy. You should synchronize them and fight. Five percent of each stat should be enough — all the three would be spent simultaneously.”

  It sounded too easy to be true. There would be some complications after. I could feel it.

  “In your case, it will be easy only with enemies below level 56,” the sorceress continued. “But if your enemy is level 56, you’ll need about 10% of each stat. Level 57 will require 15%. Each following level will cost you 5% more.” Una fell silent, thinking about something. Flicking back a strand of her black hair, she continued. “Levels aren’t just a numbers, you know. It’s a reflection of power and significance. That’s why there are such limitations. Willpower alone won’t be enough to resist Hulne’s, Jerome’s, or my mind control. Your health, mana and energy would empty fast and you’d die.”