The Twilight Obelisk
Page 1
The Twilight Obelisk
by Alexey Osadchuk
Mirror World
Book#4
Magic Dome Books
Mirror World
Book # 4: The Twilight Obelisk
Copyright © Alexey Osadchuk 2017
Cover Art © Vladimir Manyukhin 2017
English translation copyright © Irene and Neil P. Woodhead 2017
Published by Magic Dome Books, 2017
ISBN: 978-80-88231-40-0
All Rights Reserved
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This book is entirely a work of fiction.
Any correlation with real people or events is coincidental.
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ALSO BY ALEXEY OSADCHUK:
Mirror World LitRPG Series:
Project Daily Grind (Mirror World Book #1)
The Citadel (Mirror World Book #2)
The Way of the Outcast (Mirror World Book #3)
Table of Contents:
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
A Short Epilogue
Olgerd and his tribal NPC gang have finally discovered the Forbidden City. Problem is, they haven’t found what they were looking for. The ancient maps are hopelessly out of date and the Ennan capital city is lying in ruins.
In the meantime, their enemies are closing in. Noctean hordes are arriving from the Silver Mountain Valley; the Dark army has already crossed the Black Stream, and the forces of Light have already entered the Icy Woods.
The magic protection sphere which Olgerd received from the city’s invisible guardians is about to expire. The only way he can save the lives of his trusty NPC friends is by activating the Twilight Obelisk.
Chapter One
IT’S QUARTER PAST FOUR in the morning. The dawn is nearing. The snowstorm has died down; the stars twinkle yellow in the distant sky.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to have some sunshine for a change?” I ask Prankster.
My pet is curled up at my feet, sniffing in his sleep. His ear twitches, betraying his eavesdropping. I already unsummoned Boris but let this lazy sonovabitch lounge around for a bit.
“I could use some peace,” I tell him. “At least for a few days. Let’s hope Laosh and his gang get here soon.”
We have set up camp by the collapsed wall of the very same house where we met the Nocteans’ attack. The crackling of the fire sounds so soothing. My hands reach out toward its warmth. Heaven!
The Caltean warriors are fast asleep. The city ruins reverberate from their heroic snoring.
I should add some wood to the fire. The others need to get warm.
Seet and Horm are making a remarkable recovery. No wonder: this new legendary order that we’ve received does indeed work miracles.
The Grace of the Earth, what a strange name. Its effects are even stranger, adding +25% to my group’s regeneration times. By regeneration the system means both Life and Energy. Excellent, what can I say? Just when we needed it, too.
“And that’s not all!” I whisper to Prankie as I open the characteristics tab. “We’ve received two more legendary orders! Shadow of a Giant and Friend of the Breeze. Both are very powerful spells. Cool, eh?”
Prankie twitches his hind leg in his sleep by way of reply.
“Okay, let’s take a look,” I tell him.
For some time, I study the new stats in silence. “Aha. I see. The Shadow of a Giant adds 30% to Life. Which means if I now have about 10,000 hp, this buff brings it up to 13,000.”
I knead my beard as I try to work it out. “And t
hat’s not all. I can cast it on all fellow raid members.”
Prankie sniffs his content in his sleep. He doesn’t seem to care.
“Not impressed, are you? Very well. How about Friend of the Breeze? Don’t you like the sound of it? Here, listen to what it says,” I puff my chest and recite in a low voice, “The spell adds 45% to Speed to all raid members.”
I cast a meaningful stare first at Prankie, then at my comrades in arms. All of them are dead to the world.
I suppress a smile. We must look a sight! “You’ve no idea guys who you’ve got involved with.”
I glance over the next line. “Wait a sec. So stupid of me. I have another spell, don’t I? The Hand of the Outcast? That’s what I received with the legendary achievement for maxing out the clan’s Reputation. Plus 30 pt. to all clan members’ Morale, wasn’t it? Whatever that’s supposed to mean. Never mind. I’ll work it out, I’m sure.”
The gifts weren’t without their drawbacks. All the new magic tricks I’d just received had a cooldown of 24 hours. Too long, but that was a negligible inconvenience compared to all the perks.
“I really can’t complain, buddy, don’t you think? First the late-night scuffle with the Nocteans, and then the meeting with the ancient NPCs! I have less than twenty levels left till 100. My Control skill is at 5 now. That’s five scarabs, can you imagine? That’s one hell of a force. Don’t even ask how I’m going to pay for all the metal, but it’s worth it.”
I rub my hands, realizing I probably look like a nutcase. What can I say? It’s not normal for me, I know. I never thought I could get to love fighting so much.
“And that’s not all!” I whisper in excitement. “We had scarabs and fleas, and now we have a new blueprint: a Scorpion! Call me the Lord of Insects if you want!”
Prankie still plays dead — but his cunning moist nose twitches in synch with his rising belly, signaling for me to go on.
“Okay, if you insist. The Scorpion’s specs say that it’s mainly metal plus 15% toxins. Originally designed by Master Brolgerd in order to deter predators from attacking the shepherds’ flocks, later it was adapted for military purposes. Oh. Now why am I not surprised? Humans! Sentient beings, yeah right. They just have to wage war on each other.”
I mechanically readjust the non-existent glasses. “Now let’s check out the stats of our new six-legged team member. A poisoned blow... what else can he do? Aha, he can also grab an enemy with his pincers, immobilizing them for a few seconds. Useful thing, especially against physical classes.”
I pause for a second, mentally comparing the Scarab to the Scorpion. “Just as I thought. One is a tank who’s already excelled in action, the other is sneaky with excellent speed and agility.”
I close the insects tab and move over to the pets. Both have grown a lot, almost reaching level 100. That’s good news. The bad news is, if I want my little menagerie to continue advancing, I’ll have to travel all the way back to Master Rotim in order to level up Riding.
The problem is leveling up my beasties’ respective skills. Both Boris the Hugger and Prankster the Black Grison seem to lag behind. And I never got the chance to read the warning messages because I’ve been so insanely busy just lately.
I could level up Boris’ Flight up to level 3 and his Triumphant Crow to 2. Same for Prankster. So it looks like I’ll be obliged to fly Boris to the village of Tikos in the Tallian Prairie.
There’s just no other way of doing it. Pretty predictable, if you think about it. The game developers have to have their profits. I have a funny feeling this is going to cost. A lot.
More expenses. I just hope Rrhorgus likes the loot. Werewolf fangs, stone clubs and animal pelts — that was all the loot the Nocteans had offered. Which wasn’t a lot to begin with: we didn’t get any loot or XP for those killed by the Forbidden City guards.
“Talking about loot,” I murmur. “Isn’t it time to open the remaining chest?”
Are you sure you want to open the Precious Wrought Iron Chest?
Accept/Decline
“Absolutely,” I say, pressing Accept.
Congratulations! You’ve just opened the Precious Wrought-Iron Chest!
Reward: The Magic Mirror of Ishood, 1.
That’s interesting.
The Magic Mirror of Ishood is an ancient artifact, the work of an anonymous Master of the Divine Era. There is a theory that the Master had once endowed the item with part of his own soul. Until today, the item was considered lost.
Part of the legendary collection The Five Masterpieces of the Divine Era.
The item’s characteristics:
The Mirror’s owner can use it to summon his own reflection to his or her aid.
Warning from the item’s designer:
Beware! The summoned entity is but a mirrored reflection of your own soul! It’s a fake — a phantom!
Restrictions:
The reflection’s life span: 2 hrs
Cooldown: 2 hrs
More system messages start pinging in my interface,
Congratulations! You’ve received Achievement: A Self-Professed Collector
Reward: +1% to your chances of receiving Knowledge in battle
Congratulations! You’ve received Achievement: A Beginner Collector
Reward: +3% to your chances of
receiving Knowledge in battle
Congratulations! You’ve received Achievement: An Advanced Collector of Relics
Reward: +5% to your chances of receiving Knowledge in battle
Congratulations! You’ve received Achievement: A Treasure Owner.
Reward: +10% to your chances of receiving Knowledge in battle
Congratulations! You’ve just found an item from the legendary collection: The Five Masterpieces of the Divine Era.
Collect all five items to receive a bonus!
Puzzled, I scratch the back of my head. I’ve heard about collections before, of course. There’re tons of them in Mirror World: you are supposed to collect sets of figurines, tableware and even pieces of mosaic.
In this case, however, I’ve been lucky enough to lay my hands on a legendary — and hopefully very useful — amulet. Its effects are still a bit unclear but the description sounds rather promising.
I turn the small and rather plain mirror around in my hands, studying it, then place it in my backpack. In any case, collectibles are always in high demand at auctions, and relics like these are expensive. My old friend Rrhorgus will be ecstatic about it.
“Ah! Prankie, I completely forgot,” I say, rummaging through my bag. “I’ve got one more item, haven’t I? Where is it now... Aha, found it.”
The buckle of the Wings of Death combat belt.
Effect: +150 pt. Strength
Effect: +100 pt. Defense
Effect: +250 pt. Endurance
Effect: +150 pt. Stamina
Restriction: Only Ennan race
Level: 50
Warning! This item is non-transferrable!
“Just look at this, buddy! This is also almost a collectable, isn’t it? Look at these stats! It suits my level, too. Only how am I supposed to wear it? I need a belt to put it on, don’t I? That’s another thing to add to my to-do list: visit a leatherworker.”
After some careful studying, the buckle too goes into my bag, replaced by the last masters’ gifts.
“Now the main part,” I say, unraveling the yellowed parchment scroll. “Let’s take a look. According to Master Satis, the scroll holds the answers to many important questions.”
... I’ve never seen anything as majestic in my life — and let me tell you, I’ve seen a lot. The Emerald Palace of the Alven prince; The Brown Deserts of the Narches; The boundless moors of the Dwandes... all these places pale in comparison with the Brutville Halls located at the very heart of the Twilight Castle...
(The Notes of Arwein, page 12)
It takes all of my self-control not to explode with laughter. “What, is that it? Answers, yeah right! This sounds like even more questions!
You guys have a really sick sense of humor...”
Shaking my hand in disbelief, I throw the scroll back into my bag. After a brief inspection, the bunch of keys I received from Master Axe follows in the same way.
“Why would I need keys in a city without a single door left standing?” I grumble while studying the magic sphere. “Can you even call this a city? You can’t even find an outhouse here!”
I struggle to concentrate on the artifact’s stats. Oh well. I force a sarcastic grin. We’ve just received two weeks of absolute immunity.
With a sigh, I close my eyes. “Congratulations, Olgerd, my boy. You’ve just become the new guardian of this tip. The Lord of the Ruins.”
I can understand the game developers. They need a sensation; a war to end all wars. A mega scuffle. The more clans that go at each other’s throats and try to lay their claim to this city, the more profits there are for the Glasshouse owners.
For some reason, mundane obelisk activation isn’t good enough for them. In any case, it’s too early to even think about it. I’ve only been here for a few hours, and I’ve already begun to overcomplicate things.
In any case, what did I expect? They used me as a bait. And they told me as much. I was their whipping boy. I knew what I’d been getting myself into. With a handful of NPC warriors, a useless bunch of keys and a protection sphere I was meant to be a red flag to motivate other players into action. As in, “if this useless noob activates the obelisk, he’s going to get all the rewards that come with it!”