Yelm had seen terrible things. He’d done terrible things. He’d looked the other way when his…troubled son had done terrible things. However, the Asag cultists were on another level, one that even made him feel uncomfortable.
He’d accepted that his soul was probably going no place good long ago. He’d briefly thought he might be able to find redemption among George’s scruffy little band of farmers, indulging in Jeth’s obsession over that pretty girl Mareen. But no more. The powers that ran Ludus were corrupt, and he would bring them down, even if it meant damning himself to do so.
“So you have your…people looking for Henry and Jason near the capital?”
“Yes, and a couple other cities. We will find them.”
“They’re orb-Bonded. They’re dangerous.”
“We’ve already discussed this,” Celina replied, rolling her eyes. “We have powerful allies. You think your faction is strong. Yes, we know about the noblewoman you have in your pocket. However, you should forget what you think you know. Terrible Asag has a firm grip on Ludus. This planet will belong to our dark Lord!
“Our reach is far indeed, backed by the power of Terrible Asag! Yes, we have many favors to call on. Anywhere the enemies of Asag tread, we will pull purses, or hearts, or debts to uncover their souls, ripe for the picking.”
Celina’s eyes closed in some sort of religious ecstasy. Yelm took a half step back before he could stop himself. He carefully managed his expression. He knew he was watched at all times. It was fine if the cultists knew he reviled them. However, they could never know he didn’t fear them.
He hadn’t stepped back out of fear; he’d stepped back in disgust. In retrospect, it had probably been the right thing to do. Plus, the cultists would see what they wanted to see.
He couldn’t wait to be done with these people. They made his skin crawl, and that was when they weren’t parading around Asag’s twisted minions the demon god had somehow sent to this world. Yelm knew he was truly trying to fight evil with evil, but he’d made his choice. Plus, if he could get revenge for his murdered son along the way, it would all be worth it.
He would see the world burn, and he’d dance a jig before the flames consumed him too.
“So what is plan B?” he asked. “You shouldn’t underestimate these men. Thod did, and he is nothing but dirt by now.”
“Yes, well, Thod was a thug working for your organization. We serve a higher calling, a higher power. Plus, Thod was only second rank orb-Bonded. Need I say more?”
“No, I understand.” Yelm swallowed everything else he wanted to say. There was no denying that Celina was powerful. Third rank for a mere low-level priestess—he had to admit her boasts about the cultists’ strength might not be entirely inaccurate. Plus, he couldn’t exactly be too picky after getting in bed with devils.
All of this was true, but Celina didn’t know what else he knew. If she had, she would have immediately killed him and fled for the hills. Yelm kept his face blank but smiled inwardly. There would be a reckoning. Yes, he would see the whole world burn. He’d burn it all for Jeth.
* * *
Keeja crossed her arms. The building she stood in was magnificent. Its beauty was unparalleled on the entire planet. The continent she stood on was entirely off limits for mortals. She was surrounded by power and wealth the likes of which most souls on Ludus would never even knew existed, but all she could feel was disgust.
Dolos sat on his throne and smiled down at her. The throne itself was enormous, and Dolos had changed his size to fill it. He towered over the diminutive High Priestess.
The huge man’s expression was subtly mocking in a way that made Keeja’s hackles stand on end. She wanted to lash out, to attack her de facto employer, but she knew from experience how utterly useless the gesture would be. Worse, she knew it would amuse him.
In the end, it would just also create more work for her and all the other High Priestesses, as well as their servants. Plus, she hated to admit that as much as she despised Dolos and his methods, the universe would probably be better off if he could accomplish his goals…even if he was only in it for selfish reasons.
“Okay, I’m here,” she snarled. “What was so Host-bound important that it couldn’t wait even a few minutes?”
“You know I don’t like that oath,” said Dolos, lazily waving a hand, causing a memory cube to float into his hand from a nearby table.
“Too fucking bad, buttercup. If I don’t get right to the point, I’ll be here longer than I should already be. You gave me a job. I didn’t want it. Now I do. I want to see it through. In fact, it benefits your purposes if I do.”
“Ugh, Areva. Just a step up from animals. Terrans are worse, but Areva have discovered a little bit of technology and no longer see themselves as the stupid primates they still are.” Dolos sighed theatrically and Keeja clenched her jaw.
Dolos put the back of his hand to his forehead and theatrically looked at the ceiling. “Just little pointy-eared animals, scurrying around, piloting little spaceships, steeped in their own hubris. And then one in particular that I’ve cared for and trained talks to me this way? What is the Terran expression? ‘Biting the hand that feeds’? Perhaps I should ask this little High Priestess. She has been to Terra, after all. Actually, who sent her there? That’s right, I did!”
Dolos chuckled, pretending to examine the data cube. “It’s almost like some of these mortals forget their place, believe that they actually have some wisdom after only a few thousand years. It’s a travesty. A true travesty.”
“Listen, asshole, you avoided me before, and now you want my attention so bad you forced me to drop everything and come here. I am not in the mood to be talked down to. If you want to impress someone, go show up to a random fishmonger or a sewer cleaner and impress her or something.”
With no warning, Keeja’s shoulders hit the wall, pinning her there. The impact rattled her entire body and would have turned a normal woman into pulp. The pressure was intense. Even with all her power, it was all she could do not to pass out. With an effort of will, she continued glaring at Dolos.
The huge man pretended to not even be paying attention. He continued to fiddle with the data cube. Eventually he adjusted his stone crown, set the data cube down, and looked up. Keeja gulped. Dolos’s eyes were narrowed.
Uh oh, she thought.
“Sometimes silly mortals mistake kindness for weakness,” Dolos said conversationally. “Sometimes, a good servant who has distinguished herself among her peers can forget her place, forget who it is that made her.
“I am beginning to get tired of such small beings showing such disrespect to one such as I. My tool has been tainted by associating with a few filthy Terrans, bad influences on my loyal servant.
“The matter at hand is bigger than you, little High Priestess. It’s bigger than me.”
Now Dolos had Keeja’s undivided attention. He very, very rarely acted this way. “Fine,” she grated. “I’m listening.”
In a snap, Dolos was back to his usual self, lounging on his throne and not even looking directly at Keeja again. However, he’d made his point. Despite her disdain, Keeja would have to be fool not to listen. Dolos seemed to actually have something serious to discuss. Plus, she was a valuable resource, but he really was capable of killing her any time he wanted.
For a few minutes, Dolos examined his fingernails and muttered about broken tools and Areva arrogance. Keeja took calming breaths, biding her time and releasing a trickle of power to repair her body. Eventually, Dolos sighed and turned, saying, “First, the obvious. Jason James Booth, despite his repulsive Terran heritage, has managed to exceed all expectations and ascend after a fashion. He has somehow managed to go from expendable to not as expendable.
“You killed Biivan fairly. You abided by every rule, every guideline. However, this inconvenienced me. I am passing the inconvenience on to you.” The huge man smiled. “I have elevated Philana to High Priestess.”
Keeja was horrified. “Little Lana?
You made Philana a High Priestess!?”
“Ah, yes, she has been your research assistant for three hundred years, right? You should work well together, which is good. You will be training her. Due to Jason James Booth’s increased importance, I will assign a High Priestess individually to both nasty little Terrans you were assigned to up until now. Which one do you want to preside over?”
Keeja’s mind was spinning, but she still answered, “Henry,” without even needing a pause. If she was going to spend the next few hundred years babysitting either man, she wanted to take the cute one she could tease for at least the next few decades. It really didn’t require much thought.
“Fine, then Philana will be assigned to Jason James Booth. She will be heading out with you immediately and—”
“Wait, she’s leaving now?” interrupted Keeja. “She’s a nymph who hasn’t seen a single man in over three hundred years, and you want her to come with me to the mainland?” Keeja’s voice became louder and shrill, but she couldn’t control herself. Her assignment was turning into a nightmare again.
Dolos’s smile was nasty. “I’m sure you will think of something. She idolizes you, after all. Plus, it’s only fair that you help out since you killed another High Priestess. Then again, you did give me an excuse to send Jason James Booth a box full of spirit stones. What he does with them is a matter of heavy betting among all the Research Priestesses in the divine palace.”
Keeja hissed. This was terrible news, and Dolos was enjoying every second of it.
“The other information I called you here to relay, information that I couldn’t risk transmitting directly to you, is that the struggle among my brethren has escalated. It seems that a few other gods have finally taken notice of my paradise planet and desire to lay claim to it.” Dolos’s eyes flashed. “They have overstepped themselves enough that I now have more tools at my disposal.”
“What do you mean?” asked Keeja.
“I have activated the portways again.”
Keeja gasped. “Those haven’t been working in almost five hundred years!”
“Just so! But my foolish brothers and sisters have given me the justification I needed to power them again! The change should yield great results and increase strife on Ludus. We will get wonderful data! Of course, should your little orb-Bonded Terrans find them, they could make use of them, too.
“The rules are the same as before. If a mortal finds a portway shrine, they may travel to any other portway shrine they’ve already found and imprinted. After using a portway, there must be at least two days between another is used by the same person.”
“I don’t understand why such a useful travel tool requires such arbitrary rules and wait times,” muttered Keeja.
Dolos sighed. “Areva are always looking for meanings in things that their small minds cannot understand. The entire species would be far less odious if they would just accept the limitations of their kind and cease looking for patterns they can’t grasp.”
Keeja narrowed her eyes, but otherwise stayed silent. She knew there was probably something else Dolos was going to tell her.
The huge, strangely clothed man continued, “Lastly, because of my siblings’ overreach, I had a choice to exercise some amount of godly power! You can’t give your orb-Bonded charges valuable information because of the rules. However, there are a few low mortal priestesses in my ranks who have divined universal truths that Henry and Jason would greatly benefit from knowing.”
Keeja heart pounded. She immediately knew where Dolos was headed with his murky statements. She had to give him grudging respect for being so sneaky.
“A total of four priestesses have been given pieces of a key to unlock the restrictions we are all under from sharing information with low mortals. Plus, it will free up the holder a bit from the other rules we abide by, too.”
“Fragments of a soul shroud…” breathed Keeja, reverent despite herself.
“Yes. I have been able to locate pieces of a complete artifact. If you found it, you or any High Priestess who wore it would be exempt from the rules and guidelines. I could not use it, of course.”
“But, this is huge. This is—why are you telling me?”
Dolos grimaced. “There are two reasons. One is that despite their lowly heritage and distinct lack of manners or intellect, the newest group of Terrans to Ludus are actually giving us good data. They may actually allow me to accomplish what I set out to do eons ago. Second, and most important, there are whispers that the Enemy has returned.”
Keeja gasped, a chill running down her spine.
“Yes,” said Dolos, suddenly uncharacteristically direct and serious again. “The hypothetical situation I have been fearing since before Ludus even existed isn’t as hypothetical anymore.
“If the rumors among my brethren are true, we might not have much time left.”
Keeja had not peed herself in over a thousand years, but in that moment, she almost lost control of her bladder. In her mind, everything had changed. Everything.
She clicked her heels together and swallowed her pride. This truly was greater than herself. It was greater than all of Ludus. She hated Dolos, but unfortunately, his goal was even more important now. Keeja touched her open palm to her throat in salute. “I will go now.”
“Yes, see that you do,” replied Dolos, shrugging. He adjusted his seat on his throne and began fidgeting with his data cube again. “The fate of the universe may depend on the combined efforts of filthy Terrans, uppity Areva, and a horny nymph.” Dolos laughed, the sound ugly and mocking. The self-proclaimed god’s mirth followed Keeja out of the room.
She would have been furious if she hadn’t been so terrified. Everything had changed.
End of Delvers LLC: Obligations Incurred,
---Book Two of Delvers LLC
Please read on for a note by the author.
…And don’t forget to review this novel!
School--::--Subschool:
Earth-:-Metal
Air-:-Void
Water-:-Life
Fire-:-Matter
Consciousness-:-Time
Light-:-Darkness
Force-:-Attraction
About the Author:
Blaise Corvin served in the US Army in several roles. He has seen the best and the worst that humanity has to offer. He is a sucker for any hobby involving weapons, art, or improv.
He currently lives in Texas with some silly animals, and enough geeky memorabilia to start a museum.
He likes talking about himself in third person within author biographies.
It’s all very eccentric.
Cheers!
Continue reading for ways to connect with Blaise Corvin, and a sample of Secret of the Old Ones, Luck Stat Strategy!
To Readers,
PLEASE, PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! You are wonderful, and reviews are amazing for all authors, but especially indie authors like me.
I really hope you enjoyed this book!
Ludus is a part of something huge, a universe I’ve been working on for 10 years and can probably explore for the rest of my life.
Please make sure to connect with me on my mailing list or on social media!
1. My website
If you’re interested in checking out my website, the URL is http://blaise-corvin.com/. You can find news, Delvers artwork, and advanced (rough draft) chapters of what I’m working on.
2. These are my social media accounts where you can connect with me!
Twitter - @Blaise_Corvin
https://twitter.com/Blaise_Corvin
Facebook - Leave me a like on facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/BlaiseCorvinWriter/
LitRPG Society Facebook Group
https://www.facebook.com/groups/LitRPGsociety/
3. Recommendations:
If you liked this book, you may like other LitRPG stories too! Some authors I interact with often and can recommend are:
A friend, G. Akella (Georgy Smorodinsky), who writes a great series
Realm of Arkon. At the present, he is the most popular and best-selling LitRPG author in Russia.
https://www.amazon.com/G.-Akella/e/B01BJ7HJVK/
Check out a great LitRPG series Fayroll by Andrey Vasilyev, a pioneer and one of the top LitRPG authors in Russia. Fayroll has been one of the longest and most popular series there since 2014.
https://www.amazon.com/Andrey-Vasilyev/e/B06WGQ54SX/
Michael-Scott Earle is a NYT Best Selling Author and the author of the adult fantasy series, Destroyer! His LitRPG series, Lion’s Quest, is one of my favorites!
https://www.amazon.com/Michael-Scott-Earle/e/B019QSNVA2/
4. My email
If you want to drop me a line for any reason, you can email me at:
[email protected]
5. Until next time (and please leave a review!)
Thank you for joining me on this adventure! I couldn’t do it without all the knowledge and encouragement I get on a daily basis from everyone in this wonderful community.
I can’t wait to spend time with you again in the third Delvers book, Delvers LLC: Adventure Capital.
:)
-BC
Continue reading for an exciting sample of Secret Of the Old Ones, Luck Stat Strategy!
I have another LitRPG series I am currently writing, Secret of the Old Ones.
SOO is a hard LitRPG novella series, which is to say there are stat tables, XP earned from kills, and linear character advancement.
I really wanted to write something different, and I think SOO fits the bill! It takes place in the near future and follows a hard core gamer of dubious moral character. The story is set in a world where gaming streams are the primary form of entertainment, and most of the action take place in a Virtual Reality (VR) game.
Delvers LLC: Obligations Incurred Page 29