Helen nodded as she stirred the pot. “A few people on the upper side were talking about it—a vampire has been captured within the city walls.”
“A vampire?” My chest thumped. “There was one here, inside the enclosure?”
“A grown one, too. Don’t know how he survived this long. So don’t go running around like a crazy person, okay? Though this city is generally safe, there are still things like that here.”
“Yeah, I got it.” I waved my hand in the air. Not that any of that really matters. My fingers curled into a fist. None of this changes the fact that I lost my scroll.
“Anyway,” Helen said, “lunch will be ready soon.”
I smiled. “Thanks. I’ll be up in my room ’til then.”
“Sounds good.”
I trod back up the stairs, and into my space. A rumble echoed from above me, and a flash of lightning shone through the windows. I sat myself down on the window seat in my alcove, and peered out the glass pane. Drops of water fell onto the streets, and in a second, a storm was pouring from the skies.
I stared at the larger structures in the shadows—the posher regions of the city.
I gritted my teeth. Damn those Henway twins. I lay against the wall and thought about what Helen had said, that I wasn’t growing any stronger.
I can’t grow stronger. It isn’t time yet.
A bolt of lightning struck the air right next to me, and a loud boom of thunder echoed a split second later. My fingers curled into a fist. "I'll get that scroll back." A drop of blood slid down my fingers. "I have to."
***
CHAPTER TWO
“You worry too much, Albion.”
Horace sat on a throne carved from crystal. The shadows filling the air wove around him, and slithered into the clear gemstones, infusing them with darkness one moment, and leaving them in their glittering glory the next.
He looked at the young man who stood before him, and a smile curled onto his face. It had been a long time since someone had approached him seeking his help, and for something so wonderful at that!
The young man — Albion, he called himself — looked up. “Can it be done?” he asked, for probably the fiftieth time.
Horace held up a finger, and a multicolored flame burned above the tip. “Are you questioning my ability, human?”
“No.” He looked down at the floor. “I am just ensuring things will go according to plan.”
Horace chuckled. “Things I do always go according to plan.” He gripped the armrest of his throne. “The wheels have been set in motion. What you have asked for will happen.”
Albion nodded. “Hopefully. It would be unfortunate if we faced any issues.”
Horace stared at the man, trying to unlock the thoughts lurking in his mind. “You worry too much, Albion.”
“That is only because I have more to lose here if things go wrong.”
“You have much to lose even if they go right,” he chuckled. “Surely, you remember the ‘payment’ you owe me, correct?”
“I do.” His voice was soft. “Keep your end of the deal, and I will keep mine.”
Horace dragged a finger down the crystal armrest of his throne, and a harsh screech echoed into the air. “They will not go wrong.” A hint of annoyance emerged within his tone. “This is the most fun I have had in years. And trust me,” he smiled, “I never play around with my entertainment.”
***
I looked at the kitchen knife in my hand and focused hard on its sharp surface. I shouldn’t have to concentrate this much just to summon an Analyze screen. I stared at the blade, at its black handle, at its steely edge, and held my gaze.
DING!
Finally. I rolled my eyes and looked at the screen before me.
Equipment Title
Simple Kitchen Knife
Damage
4-5 ATK
Special Effects
None
Grade
Zero Stars
Durability
2/5
Rarity
Common
Value
25 Sol
I swung the cooking utensil in the air, and gauged its balance. Should be good enough. I pulled out a leather scabbard from my pocket. It was too small to hold a large knife, but I pushed the blade in anyway. Three-fourths of it went inside, and that was good enough for me.
I placed the scabbard on the kitchen counter, amongst the other items that littered around — two torn shirts, five steel spoons, and a black, hooded jacket with open sleeves.
That’s almost everything.
I peeked at the cot across the room. Helen laid in her bed, cocooned in a thick rug, and didn’t move an inch. I guess work exhausts her enough.
I tugged at the strings attached to the scabbard, checking for their tensile strength, and then tied them around my waist. I bounced where I stood, testing the knot, and it didn’t loosen up. Good. I put on the hooded jacket next, and then picked up the spoons and torn shirts.
DING!
You have found a new item.
Steel Spoon (x5)!
A spoon made of weathered steel. Usually used as long-lasting cutlery. And definitely cannot be used as a weapon. (Really. Don’t do it). Would you like to transfer the items to your ‘Item Inventory?’
Yes
No
DING!
You have found a new item
Torn Shirt (x2)!
A shirt that has been worn out to the point of not being recognized as a shirt anymore. Hopefully no one is planning on wearing this. Would you like to transfer the items to your ‘Item Inventory?’
Yes
No
Of course I’m not planning on wearing them.
I tapped Yes on both screens. The items glowed a dull white and then broke apart into two streams of light. The rivulets flowed through the air for a moment, and then dissolved away.
The Ga’em is so useful. I smiled. Although, the sarcasm can get annoying at times.
The Ga’em was a hidden entity that helped everyone interact with the world. It was an invisible power that bridged a connection between someone and everything else around them. The prompts that I was seeing now were all examples of how the Ga’em interacted with living things and gave them information about the world.
With all my items either on me or in my inventory, I tiptoed toward the door. Helen stayed as she was, huddled up in her quilt, and facing the wall away from me.
I tugged on the door and it creaked gently. My eyes stayed on the woman, but she didn’t move an inch. I walked out of the house, and shut the door close, with no creaking this time.
A sigh of relief left my lips. That was close. If Helen had seen me leave at four in the morning, she’d have yelled at me for hours. And that’d have only been the start of it.
I took a look around myself. Darkness still surrounded me. The sun wouldn’t be up for another two hours at least, and that was perfect for my plans. I trod farther down the alley, heading deeper inside rather than out to the main streets. I still had one item I needed to get.
Half-broken crates stood at the sides of the alleyway, and up against the walls. I crept up to them and looked inside. A long coil of rope sat there, a little frayed, but usable nonetheless. I ran my hands along its length.
It was easily ten metres long, and I still hadn’t touched its end. Perfect. I grinned and lifted it up.
DING!
You have found a new item.
Frayed Rope!
A rope of twelve metres that has been cast away because its owner deemed it useless. Don’t let it snap! Would you like to transfer this item to your Item Inventory?
Yes
No
I tapped on Yes once again and the rope glowed a bright white before dissolving into specks of light and disappearing into the air.
That’s everything I need, I grinned. I walked back out the alleyway, and into the main street. There were no lights illuminating the pathway, and there wasn’t much moonlight eith
er. Dark clouds still roamed the skies, hiding every star from sight.
Not that I cared much for those pointless pieces of light.
I jogged down the street, stepping softly over the stone tiles. There were no people out and about at this time — no civilians, and no Knights either.
Figured there’d be no Knights, I thought. They only care about the posher regions in the city anyway.
About twenty minutes later, the streets widened to triple the previous width, and the houses around me changed. There weren’t small or rundown like mine, and were instead good homes, with two or even three stories and a well designed exterior. My heart thumped. I was getting closer now.
My eyes darted between the darkness, but there were still no Knights patrolling the area. A thought sparked in my head. Maybe they’re all off duty to prepare for the procession.
A smile curled onto my lips. My job had just become ten times easier.
I ran through the streets, with a renewed vigor in my footsteps. The pathways within the city were all laid out in an organized pattern, with concentric circular paths at five hundred yard intervals, and straighter paths connecting adjacent circles to each other. The street I was on was a straight path that went as close as two miles to the royal palace, but I wasn’t going to have to go that deep into the city.
Nor do I ever want to.
I ran for another half a mile and then turned left, running along the circular street I was in. The houses had gotten bigger now, but only in width. Most of them were still two or three stories, with a four-story structure making an appearance occasionally.
My eyes darted to the doors of each of the homes, searching for a red plate. There! I slid to a stop. I looked up at the two-story house painted in rustic brown, and my gaze rose to the nameplate next to the door.
The Henways.
I patted the scabbard at my side, and then grinned. “This is going to be fun.”
***
I held my finger in the air and then swiped down. A small resistance tugged against me, but I pushed back and brought my hand to my side.
DING!
A vertical row of five icons slid into my vision. This was my Ga’em menu — an interface that contained everything that I needed to interact with the world. I tapped on the first one, the silhouette of a person’s upper body. My Player menu.
DING!
A new prompt popped up.
Stats
Items
Equipment
Skills
I tapped on Items, and a new screen opened over the previous one. The title Item Inventory was written at the very top and beneath it was a grid, with small icons contained within each one. I looked at the first three — my most recent — and saw the small-scale images of the spoons, rope, and cloth I’d put in before.
I tapped on the icons and brought them back out. A stream of light swirled out of nowhere and condensed before me, forming the items. I got to work immediately. I lifted the items and sat myself down in the small gap between the Henway house and the one right beside it. It wasn’t an alleyway, and went back only five feet, but it was good enough to hide in for a few minutes.
I laid the spoons down in a five-star spike, with each one pointing outwards. I grabbed a torn shirt and wound the old thing around the spoons, keeping the formation. I took the second one and tied it over the first one, reinforcing it.
I lifted the odd contraption in the air — a weird penta-spoon hook of sorts. I held onto two spoons and pulled apart. They slid from the force I applied, but only by a hair’s breadth.
Good enough for me. I lifted the rope and wound it around the spoons once before making a knot in the centre of the hook. I held onto a small length and spun a few times.
Good weight, good centre of balance. I grinned. I’d made a makeshift climbing hook out of spoons and torn shirts.
DING!
Congratulations! You have learned a new skill.
Crafting!
To make something out of nothing is the greatest joy in the world. Though using spoons and torn clothing is not the best way to start, you have proved yourself an apt disciple to the art of crafting. Reward: 1000 XP
Effect 1
The value of items you have craft will increase by 1%.
DING!
Congratulations! You have crafted a new item.
Spoon Hook!
Though spoons are used as cutlery by most people, you have used them to create a hook. The Spoon Hook can be used like any normal hook, but has a 1% better chance of latching onto something due to its five spokes. Reward: 500 XP. Would you like to transfer your new item to your Item Inventory?
Yes
No
I tapped on No and swiped the screens aside. I walked out of my corner and faced the house. It had a slanted roof that lowered on both sides, and I stepped back, looking farther up the top. A chimney — albeit a very small one — rose from the right end of the rooftop.
Perfect. I strode to the left and stood with my knees apart and my chest facing the chimney. I held the rope a foot from the hook and spun it a few times, gathering momentum.
I threw with all my strength and the object flew into the air. The rope grazed the side of the chimney, while the hook had soared past it. I held tightly onto the rope, and a second later it went taut, as the hook reached its max distance. The five-spoon wonder swung to the left, and wrapped itself around the chimney twice before tangling itself in the rope.
I tugged, and then grinned. “Worked as advertised.” I walked up to the house, and stood beneath the edge of the roof. I tugged the rope again to check its strength and then scanned the roof’s edge for any sharp sections that might cut the rope.
Can’t see anything. I held on tight with both hands and pulled myself up. I shimmied up and a few seconds later, I was up on the slanted roof. I walked to the chimney and stood there for a minute, catching my breath. I lifted up the other end of the rope and kept the extra length coiled up beside me.
I held my finger in the air and swiped down, summoning my Ga’em menu once again. I tapped on the Player Menu icon and brought it up. I looked at the bottom-left of the screen that appeared next, and saw a small number counter right beneath the last option.
5:30 AM?! My eyes widened. Wow, this took longer than I’d expected.
But that was a good thing though. I turned around and scanned the surrounding areas. A few candlelights shone through the closed curtains and many more came into view. People were starting to get up.
I held myself close to the chimney, hiding myself as I gripped the structure with one hand, and the rope with another. About ten minutes later, a few people walked into the streets, with just one or two at the start, but many joining after. By 5:50 AM, around fifty people walked the streets, all following the same route.
The procession would start soon, and that was perfect for what I had planned.
Five minutes later, a creak sounded from below, and I froze. The street in front was far too crowded for me to just slide down the roof and see what was going on beneath me. But I didn’t have to go that far in the end.
A brunette man, a blonde woman, and two blonde boys — dressed in formal attire — walked from underneath the roof, and stepped into the streets. The woman and the boys were quite alike, but the man was distinct—with his tall stature, and dark black hair, the shade of obsidian shadows. The family melted into the crowd in a few seconds and quickly disappeared.
A smile flashed onto my face. They’re gone. I could have recognized those two blonde heads anywhere. Jack and Ben Henway.
The house should be empty now.
I waited another five minutes and the streets also emptied out. There was no one left to use them now that the residents had all gone to the procession.
I wrapped the rope an extra halfway around the chimney and looked down at the street on the other side, behind the house. Empty. I smiled and lowered myself down. My hands let the rope slide a few inches, and I fell until I found myself
facing a window. I wrapped the rope four times around my left arm and held on tight. I let go with my right and pulled out the kitchen blade.
The overly-tight scabbard, however, refused to let go of the thing. Ugh. I twisted the blade and wiggled it out a few seconds later, but by then my left hand was numb from the force the rope was exerting on it.
Just a bit more. I gritted my teeth.
My left hand gripped harder onto the rope, and I fought the numbness that crept up my muscles. I held my knife out and inserted it into the gap between the window and the pane. I used the kitchen article as a lever and pushed to the side. The blade bent and the flimsy lock on the window snapped.
I threw the knife through the opening, into the room, and grabbed onto the rope with my right hand. I unwound my left arm, but still gripped the rope with it. I shifted my body, and swung back and forth. I built up enough momentum a few seconds later, and then let myself go.
I dropped through the window, and crashed into the first thing I saw. A desk. The furniture bucked under my sudden fall, and collapsed, snapping loudly as it did.
Damn it! I jerked myself back onto my feet and picked my knife up.
I stood still, waiting for a response, but nothing came. I was in the green. No one had been around to hear that.
“Stupid Henways.” I twirled the knife between my fingers, and a grin shone on my face. "You can take my scroll away, but don't you dare think I won't come back and get it."
Ascend: A World of Ga'em LitRPG (The Chaos Emperor Book 1) Page 2