Enemy of the Inferno (Disgardium Book #8): LitRPG Series

by Dan Sugralinov

  Considering that the set items weren’t useful to anyone but Eileen, I had three options: bury them in a chest forever, disenchant them, or… Selling the Supreme Legate’s items back to her sounded like the most fun. Leaving the thought to mature in my subconscious, I opened the inventory again, ran my eyes down all the item names that weren’t orange. Enchanting reagents; interesting alchemical and cooking ingredients, apparently looted from ocean mobs; an epic connection amulet and farsight mirror… Oh, and what was that ring?

  Gondolin Alert Ring

  Epic ring.

  Allows you to enter the name of a previously encountered enemy in your alert list. Such enemies glow brightly when they within your view radius, and a beam visible only to the ring’s bearer points to them.

  Durability: 3,300 / 3,300.

  Sale price: 6,530 gold coins.

  Chance of loss after death lowered by 90%.

  Eileen saw me in the crowd of undead before I found her – now I knew why. Well, let’s give it a try…

  I put the ring on a bare finger and a window popped up:

  Would you like to add the names of enemies to your alert list?

  Copy names from your blacklist?

  My blacklist was sparse, but the list of all players and NPCs I’d met in Dis was huge. Thankfully, there was a search function, and I added all the legates of the Destroying Plague to the alert list. At least now they couldn’t catch me unawares. Wouldn’t hurt to test it out…

  “Alright, brain, time to work!” I said, done with going through the loot.

  I shook myself, started to think. It stood to reason that if Eileen and her legates did have a way to get to Kharinza, then it wasn’t fast, otherwise they’d already be on the island. How much time did we have to prepare? A day? Two? A week? In any case, the temple on Terrastera had special importance now – if Kharinza fell, then it would be the only one left. And probably the hardest to reach. It bothered me that Eileen had no doubt seen Terrastera in my list of destinations for Depths Teleportation, but even if the Supreme Legate got there, it would be far from easy to find the temple hidden in the continent’s deadly jungle.

  Scarier was the rate the legates were leveling up. There was no way they were doing that in the Lakharian Desert. One day soon, Eileen would reach level 900, then level 1000, gaining another couple of superpowers. Not to mention the plague skills in the high-level undead horde. Eileen might already be capable of conquering all of Dis…

  Two conclusions followed. Firstly, we had to get leveling up, to at least close the distance in levels between us. Secondly, we had to hurry and take out the Destroying Plague. For that, we needed frost protection. Apart from journeying to the Inferno, there was one other way to get it. Crawler had to reach level 700 to surpass rank seven Alchemy, then he’d be able to invent a potion to protect against the cold.

  That last option wasn’t a short-term solution; the cost of resources for rank four of the craft, which he’d only just unlocked, had come to millions. Our alchemist had to get three more ranks after that one just for a chance at inventing the potion. Maybe we should level up someone else’s alchemist? Someone from Modus or the Travelers?

  Nether. Too many ifs. We would have to work on both options – go for the potions and for the Coals of Hellflame at once. The latter were even harder to get. In the Inferno, which I’d yet to figure out how to reach, the higher demons wouldn’t exactly welcome me with open arms. The only red carpets they’d be rolling out would take me straight into a cauldron of lava. That meant the first priority was leveling up. Ideally as quickly as possible by somehow exploiting the game mechanics.

  I figured out how as soon as I placed a hand on the altar.

  Unconsecrated Temple

  Consecration requires an adept with a status of at least ‘priest.’

  Identified: Initial.

  Requirements met.

  My consciousness was taken to the endless plane where the Sleepers abided. Silence reigned. Echoes and imprints of outside thoughts touched me and disappeared, leaving just one behind: Choose me, Initial. It was Tiamat’s voice. I returned from the great nothing, my choice made. If Behemoth’s temple was taken down, then I’d rather be left with Tiamat than with an unfamiliar Sleeper.

  Second Temple of the Sleeping Gods, dedicated to Tiamat

  Initial (1 / 1): Scyth.

  Priests (28 / 39): Patrick O’Grady, Manny, Tissa, Dekotra, Ranakotz, Grog’hyr, Ryg’har, Movarak, Ukavana, Sithanak, Yemi, Francesca, Babangida, Sarronos, Kromterokk, Kusalarix, Hinterleaf, Pecheneg, Horvac, Yary, Sayan, Cannibal, Hellfish, Irita, Crawler, Bomber, Infect, Gyula.

  Followers: 22,997 / 28,561.

  Faith: 756,326 / 4,826,809.

  Build a third temple and consecrate it to one of the Sleeping Gods to support more followers and increase your maximum Faith.

  Faith increased by tens of thousands of points in a fraction of a second, filling the altar. The Sleeping Goddess materialized, shining with the power of the Faith, immediately using some of it to transform the space around the temple. For a hundred yards in all directions, the dead stone forest and all its aggressive fauna was replaced by green trees; emerald growths shot out of the ground as if sped up, reaching for the sun and spreading their leaves; here and there I saw the petals of wildflowers opening in bloom.

  While Tiamat stood with her eyes closed as if getting used to her fresh incarnation in Dis, I studied the numbers. Good news – we still had vacancies for new followers of the Sleepers, so Meister and his company wouldn’t have to wait for a third temple. Handy, since it wasn’t even clear where we could build one…

  “Accept my gratitude, Initial,” Tiamat said quietly, placing a hand on my head. She ran a finger across my cheek, lifted my chin. “Our gratitude… As our Herald, you must be strong. You know that there is strength in unity, but even more might in synergy!”

  Synergy, level 1

  Class skill.

  Multiplies all the stats of all allies in the group by the number of group members.

  Maximum multiplier at current skill level: 3.

  I read the description of the new class skill over and over, looking for a catch, but finding nothing. Behemoth had promised us roughly the same thing after he examined Crag! Sure, the multiplier was only three for now, but it would grow! Nether, this was just what we needed!

  Thank you, Sleeping Goddess. This new ability will be very useful, because…”

  “I know what you have had to face,” Tiamat said, gently interrupting me. “Behemoth showed me all that has taken place since the destruction of the temple.”

  “It’s a miracle I survived!” I blurted out, a little louder than I should have in a conversation with a divine protector. “Why didn’t Divine Revelation activate? If I’d have known what the Supreme Legate of the Destroying Plague was capable of, if I’d have seen just a few seconds of the future, I would have avoided the risk of being completely disincarnated!”

  “I know…” Tiamat said and paused as if in thought. “You speak of the Aversion, yes? You must understand, the Sleepers do not control the future. Whether you have a vision depends not on us, but on you…”

  “No! It always happens spontaneously!”

  “I am afraid not, Initial. Aversion is possible only when you entirely give yourself over to the moment, consciously accepting whatever happens. If your thoughts are occupied with anything else, then the ability will be left without the details that only a concentrated and inquisitive mind notices. Do you remember what you were thinking of when Aversion first activated? What happened on the other occasions of Divine Revelation?”

  The spontaneous skill had activated for the first time after Patrick died in Tristad. At that moment, I was constantly expecting a trap from Axiom spies, and Divine Revelation saved me from an ordeal and Patrick from death. The next time was when Big Po opened the plague portal. Had I been concentrating in that moment? Harder than ever! And before the battle in the Lakharian Desert? Most definitely. Today, I
was still overloaded with reflections about the Demonic Games, about myself, my place in the clan, Tissa and Malik. The attack on Tiamat’s temple and Eileen’s assault on me had happened suddenly…

  “You’re probably right, Sleeper.”

  “I am right, and that is that. Live consciously, Initial!”

  Nodding silently, I mentioned the Destroying Plague’s growing strength and the battle that was sure to come for Behemoth’s temple, thanking the goddess again for Synergy.

  “When Behemoth first saw my friend Crag, he noted that he was becoming stronger thanks to Nergal’s gift, and promised to give me a similar ability. I’m so glad he remembered!”

  “We forget nothing! When he saw the plague parasite growing stronger with each day, Behemoth tasked me with disentangling your friend’s weave. It took some effort to alter the source of the weave’s strength. Did you know that your friend’s power comes not from light, but from its opposite? Oh, yes. The ‘Radiant’ God went to quite some effort to hide the odious shimmer of the Nether beneath a false shine…”

  Crack! At the edge of Tiamat’s newly created oasis, a gigantic crocodile appeared, breaking down the trees. Opening its mouth so wide that a three-story building would have fit inside, it shut its jaws sharply – snap! The earth began to move, the temple’s foundations shook.

  Sobek, level ??? Beast God

  Ancient Crocodile.

  Global boss.

  I wondered what the beast god’s level was. Could I go up against him without Destroying Plague Immortality? Not likely, at least not solo, but…

  The last time I saw Crag, his skill had multiplied stats by twenty. I wondered… What if he and I joined the same group? Would the multipliers stack? I looked at the goddess’s calm face, took a deep breath.

  “Unity is strength, Initial,” she said, smiling.

  “Yeah. Since the first day I met Behemoth, I’ve known what you gods are pushing me toward. But why do your gifts only work when I’m not alone?”

  “Because you are human, but what makes you such? Do you have even a modicum of understanding of how you humans rose above all other animals?”

  “Humans? What about elves, orcs, dwarves?”

  “You are all the descendants of the First Humans. Time made you look different, but you are the same inside. You can even make offspring together!”

  “We rose above animals because we have a soul, right?”

  “Demons have none, but they are still sentient. No, Initial, that is not the reason. When the wild beast breaks a leg, it dies. If that foolish beast god,” she pointed at Sobek, “falls into a trap, nobody will help him. If the other beast gods were nearby, they would sooner finish off and devour Sobek. But you, you humans, you help each other in times of strife. He who breaks his leg does not die of hunger. Family, friends, tribes, clans – there are always those who will feed the suffering until they are well again. Just as we Sleepers are worth nothing alone, but two of us have the strength of thirteen.”

  “You and Behemoth made a deal, right?” I said, smiling. “He gives the lectures in the morning, now it’s your turn.”

  “You are young. Youth is chaotic, and must be directed. I think that will be all for today, Initial. You have much to do.”

  “Hold on! Tiamat, when I first consecrated a temple to you, Crag was there too. I plan to call him here to help me. In the desert, Nergal saw your coming through Crag’s eyes…”

  “I will hide my presence from the eyes of the ‘Radiant’ parasite,” Tiamat promised.

  The goddess disappeared from the temple, but reappeared in the sky as a scarlet dragon, her wings spread wide.

  A plan of action was now clear. And my first job was to negotiate with Modus to borrow Crag…

  Chapter 7. Juuuump!

  HINTERLEAF ANSWERED in the farsight mirror right away:

  “Alex! We were just talking about you,” he said excitedly, if somewhat tiredly. I saw the walls of the Modus headquarters behind him, along with the faces of the senior officers. I made out Yary, Sayan, Kara and Blackberry. “We would congratulate you on your victory in the Games, but in light of recent events…”

  “Thanks. Let’s drop the formalities. I’m on Terrastera. I just dedicated a second temple to the Sleepers.”

  “Yes, we noticed we had Unity back,” Hinterleaf nodded. “To be frank, its loss caused some turmoil in the clan. Our people sacrificed years’ worth of reputation with Nergal and the other gods for the sake of the Sleepers. We’re glad you managed to consecrate the second temple…”

  “With the way things are, it won’t be that for long,” I interrupted. “Eileen is headed for the first temple, and I’m not sure I can protect it.”

  “We’ll help,” the gnome assured me. “All three of the alliance clans will put their artifacts, treasuries and mercenaries at your disposal.”

  “I’m afraid it won’t help even if the whole Alliance, Commonwealth, Empire and Green League stand together on our side. The only way to rid Dis of the legates is to destroy the Nucleus.”

  “Well, you got the essence, right? How can we help?”

  Concentrated Life Essence had proved its effectiveness in battle against the Supreme Legate, and if Kharinza was attacked before I destroyed the Nucleus, it would be a last-ditch weapon. I’d spent my own, but we still had the ones my fellow fighters in the Games had won – now was the time to contact each of them. We’d already discussed at the Games how to buy and sell them – through the Goblin League’s ASS. Grokuszuid would take the essences for sale and host a private auction with a single buyer. All the sales would go to me at market prices. But there was no point in explaining all that to Hinterleaf, or in mentioning how the essence affected the legates.

  “Scyth?” the Modus leader said. “What do you need from us?”

  “Just one man for now. Actually, just one dwarf. I need Crag.”

  “Crag…” The mage thought for a moment, drumming his fingers on the table. “That’s a problem.”

  “Why?”

  “When Nergal’s Summons ended, we signed the boy on for another month. We tried to break through to the Valley of the Winged Terror, but couldn’t, even with Crag. The Swarm Guards won’t speak to us, and their defensive web is impenetrable!”

  “Get to the point, Mr. Hinterleaf, what’s up with Tobias?”

  “Nergal gave him a divine quest. The boy went off on his own. We can’t eliminate him as a Threat under the terms of our agreement, or hold him with us. We had to let him go. We don’t know where he is now.”

  “Here’s what I don’t understand. It cost you a bunch of resources and effort to find him. You had to shake down every noob you could find. And now you just let him go?”

  “I’m sure you know this, but let me remind you, Alex – Tobias came to us himself. And he didn’t come until we’d agreed all the conditions and signed the contract. I can’t reveal the details, but the point was that under specified conditions, Modus would not only not hinder Crag if he wished to leave, but would also do everything in its power to preserve the secrecy of his status. The deal was made before the Celestial Arbitration and a prime notary. That is also why we did not inform you.”

  “Alright, thanks…” I said vaguely, thinking feverishly of where I might find Crag.

  “Wait!” Hinterleaf exclaimed as I was about to hang up. “I spoke to Colonel an hour ago. Excommunicado is willing to join our alliance. Horvac and I are in favor, but the final decision is yours.”

  “I’ll talk to Quetzal first,” I answered and hung up.

  When he left the Awoken, Crag removed everyone from his friends list except me, and set all his info to hidden. Hoping he was online, I messaged him: Hey! We need to talk. He answered almost at once: Oh, Scyth! Sure. Comm, amulet or mirror? What’s best?

  Wow, Crag really made some gains in Modus. Mirrors weren’t cheap! I called him right away, and his fierce undead dwarf face appeared before me, his beard woven into braids. I saw twisting vines and yellowish poiso
nous fumes behind him.

  “Hey, champion!” he said, smiling. “I watched all the days! Congratulations! Destiny is cool. Are you and her, uh… you know? Or you and Michelle? Oh man, Despot was so awesome! Shame you lost him…”

  “Hey, Toby,” I said. “I’ll tell you about the Games in person, but right now I have a question: are you busy?”

  “Not particularly,” he shrugged. “Just grinding in the Ursai Jungle.”

  “Hinter said Nergal gave you a divine quest, is that right?”

  “Something like one, but it’s impossible to complete. It’s based on the Ravagers, and where the hell d’you find those? So I abandoned Nergal’s quest and dropped out of Modus to level up in peace. They were starting to get annoying ideas about me. They wanted to loan me out to the Travelers, imagine?”