The Enchanter (Project Stellar Book 2): LitRPG Series

by Roman Prokofiev

  “Even if there’s a fraction of a chance that he might be Angel, I won’t let you kill him.”

  “Zac, you’re making a mistake. Big mistake,” Gnarl’s voice rang with warning.

  The digital ghost smiled. “Then I’ll be the one who’ll answer for it, won’t I?”

  “Not really. You’re gonna compromise our whole plan. You do understand, don’t you, that his cogitor will jump at the first opportunity to inform Stellar about us? That’s Blue Alert, man. The Legion will send a raid here before we know it. Of course, it doesn’t matter much to either you or your ship, does it? You’ll just blind-spot yourself, leaving us a big pile of shit to sort out!”

  Zac nodded. “I know. But I also know that Blue Alert is only a matter of time. As is the Legion’s response. Attacking Fort Angelo was a big mistake. Stellar is bound to strike back now.”

  “First they need to find out about it,” Gnarl said with a sarcastic chuckle. “And by the time they do, we’ll be prepared. Remember the Hot Date plan?”

  “Sure. In that case, why are you so worried they might sound Blue Alert?”

  “Because the Legion should only come when we’re ready! In the meantime, we keep losing allies, and not without your help!”

  Zac laughed. “Are you talking about Rat King? I’ve got nothing to do with that. Grey killed him all by himself. I thoroughly enjoyed watching them massacre him.”

  “Yes, and let us lose several thousand allies! Cheap disposable cannon fodder who breed like rabbits and whom we could have kept throwing into the grinder.”

  “These so-called allies of yours are rattuses, in case you didn’t notice. Presided over by a monster from over the Edge. We’ve never stooped so low before.”

  “So all those starry-eyed Possessed Ones, where are they now? All perished over the Edge. At least the rats – who aren’t the nicest of allies, I agree — can help us go easy on the more valuable human resources.”

  “Resources!” Zac said, purse-lipped. “So this is how it is now, is it? The end justifies the means? You know why I believe him? He has a fresh touch. I spoke with him today, just before you came. We’re no better than rats who go for each other’s throats on the city ruins. It’s all about bloodlust and old grudges. That’s the extent of it.”

  Gnarl frowned. “I’m fed up with listening to this bullshit. You’re a dreamer, Zac. Where is he?”

  “I told you you’re not having him. You’d better go back. You’re wasting your time.”

  “Don’t be such an idiot, Zac,” Evyl hissed. “Have you forgotten who we are? Have you forgotten why we started all this?”

  “I think it’s you who’ve forgotten all about it. We’ve lost common ground a long time ago. Just leave. You’re not getting anything.”

  Gnarl and Evyl exchanged glances. Gnarl gave a barely noticeable nod.

  “I think this ship needs a new captain,” he said calmly and pressed his finger to the screen.

  A tiny spark zigzagged off it. A flash of light pierced the hologram, distorting Zac’s image which rippled with interference.

  “What are you… doing… how… the Al-field…”

  The picture blinked, then disintegrated into digital dust, obeying Gnarl’s nonchalant gesture.

  “The oldest trick in the book, you idiot,” Gnarl murmured. “It’s about time you remember what pain feels like.”

  The ship reeled. The deck listed. Alarms began to wail. A row of crimson emergency lights flickered to life under the ceiling.

  Gnarl stood up straight and spread his arms wide. Then he began to multiply, spawning a torrent of translucent holographic copies of himself who hurried across the room, businesslike, and took up the operators’ seats by the control consoles. In just a few seconds, his digital crew had completely taken over Avenger’s bridge. Dozens of ghostly fingers flitted over the sensor screens, connecting to the ship’s systems. The deck returned to its horizontal position. The alarms fell silent. The emergency lighting switched off.

  “Everything’s fine. We’re in manual control mode. Evyl, where’re the rest of the crew?”

  “One moment,” the woman replied intently, standing at one of the consoles. “The medical center, the lab, the mess hall and the cabins.”

  “Excellent, babe. Lock them in. I don’t think any of them has the master key. Where’s… what’s his name… Grey?”

  “I got him. He’s in one of the cabins.”

  “Excellent. I’m disabling the Al-field. Are you ready?”

  Evyl flashed him a vindictive grin. The hilt of the Lash of Void glinted in her hand.

  “Then go, quick! I’ve taken over the controls. I’m trying to squeeze him out but he’s fighting back. We have ten minutes, half an hour tops.”

  “That’s plenty,” Evyl said, dashing out into the corridor.

  Chapter 13

  AS I PUT MY CLOTHES back on, my gaze lingered on the tiny gadget on a string, shaped as a little whistle. All of it — the master key, Zac’s orders, the “guided tour” of the ship, the return of my possessions, even the surprise quickie with the Possessed woman — these were definitely links of the same chain.

  But what was it? Could Miko’s expert analytic skills help me sort it out?

  “It’s simple really, Incarnator. The reason they gave you your stuff back is because we present no threat to them. Zac is in full control of all of his ship’s systems. And you shouldn’t flatter yourself thinking Arachne had a sudden crush on you. All she did was take a sample of your body tissues. Once they double-check your information and analyze your DNA, their next step would be to try and recruit you, cajoling you into joining the ranks of the Possessed Ones. They’ll talk you into disabling me, then brainwash you by planting some information in your mind, something you can’t really verify. After that, things can go several ways… d’you want me to give you the full list?”

  She didn’t have to. To me, the situation was getting increasingly clear. I’d either have to join their ranks openly as a newfound Possessed One, or they might use me as an agent – or a double agent. That was basically what I was looking at, at least in the short term. It wasn’t for nothing they were on their friendliest behavior, perfectly relaxed and showing their extreme trust in me. After all, Incarnators were very few and far between these days. To them, every new recruit must have been precious.

  And this was the best-case scenario. If things took a different course, they would simply eliminate me without a second thought.

  The heart-to-heart I’d just had with the captain hadn’t affected my objectives. I hadn’t told him anything about the message from my past which apparently awaited me in the City. This was their war and I had my own. Zac could well have been the nice guy he seemed to be, but he was only one of the many, and he definitely wasn’t the one calling the shots. What I’d already witnessed – the rattuses, the Rogues, Evyl’s lab – didn’t quite inspire me to take their side, quite to the contrary. They had lost the last semblance of humanity; they’d forgotten what it meant to be human, too busy waging turf wars. Their actions just couldn’t be justified.

  I remembered Tara’s peaceful dead face. Remembered the video files from the Rogues’ voxes. A steely teeth-grinding determination rose within me, forbidding me to cross to the other side of the barricades.

  This was my objective: to get out of here, rescue Alice and get to the nearest Stellar terminal. What had Zac said earlier, quoting Angel? “We should be doing the right thing”? So that’s what we were gonna do.

  “It would be much easier for you to get out on your own, Incarnator.”

  “That’s out of the question, Miko.”

  The cogitor solemnly saluted me, bringing her hand to a non-existent service cap in imitation of the ancient military greeting, with the air of perfect obedience and readiness to execute orders.

  Never mind. While the Possessed Ones were busy deciding my fate, I needed to promptly work out what to do with the windfall that had come my way.

  Five neuro
spheres! Five! I’d never had so many!

  I lay down on the bunkbed, closed my eyes and tried to focus, banishing all the trivia from my mind. I needed to make the most out of this situation.

  I was still two neurospheres short of Evolution, but at least I could finally follow up on my long-nurtured dream of implanting Hydra’s class-Gold genome. This was the last genetic modification available to me at my current development level. But now Hydra genome had competition: Rat King genome.

  I opened its properties which flashed an intermittent warning of bright blue and crimson red.

  Rat King Genome

  Class: Purple (Azuric, mixed)

  Available genetic modifications:

  Adaptivity

  An acquired resistance to direct and indirect effects of hostile biotic and biological environments, including absolute resistance to life-threatening radiation, as well as all types of infections, parasites and toxic substances.

  Requirements:

  Evolution (1)

  Endocrine system upgrade (5)

  Immune system upgrade (5)

  Nervous system upgrade (5)

  Leader of the Pack

  Allows you to create a psionic field enabling you to control your pack and submit its members to your own will. The field’s range and the number of controlled creatures depend on your Source’s value.

  Requirements:

  Neocortex (2)

  Source (5)

  Thalamus (2)

  Sound Wave

  Allows you to deal a focused acoustic attack in order to stun and injure your enemy.

  Requirements:

  Organs of Speech (3)

  Source (3)

  Lungs (5)

  Ability type: Active

  Cost: 300 Azure

  “You’ve hit the jackpot, Incarnator. All these modifications are super useful. I’d like to focus your attention on the Leader of the Pack which is a psionic ability, perfect for an Enchanter. It would allow you to control living beings, and will only become stronger as you keep upgrading your Source.”

  “Will it only work on rats?”

  “Not necessarily. It’ll work on any creatures whose mental build is weaker than yours, making them follow you and obey your commands.”

  “How about human beings?”

  “Hmmm… This I can’t tell you. I’m not sure it’ll be possible straight away. But as your Source improves, it just might become possible, why not.”

  So! Controlling living beings! What an interesting modification, and indeed perfectly in synch with my chosen development branch. This sounded very tempting, and the requirements were quite doable…

  Having said that, Adaptivity was a real boon too. Immunity to all kinds of hostile biological factors, including radiation! With advanced body defenses like these, my survivability would soar. How many times had I died from the effects of some unidentified toxins? Still, I didn’t have enough neurospheres to meet all the requirements.

  And finally, the acoustic attack. Wasn’t it something like that squeaking noise that Rat King had emitted in order to stun Alice and myself? A powerful combat tool like that would be a perfect addition to Flash of Light. First you scatter the enemy force and stun them, then you torch them. Rinse and repeat until there’s no enemy left.

  “Our Azure stocks aren’t infinite, Incarnator. Even in the foreseeable future, some twelve to fifteen consequent Flashes would completely drain us. We shouldn’t let it happen.”

  “So what do you think?”

  “I’d say that the psionic field holds the best promise. It perfectly lines up with the Enchanter archetype and keeps growing as you continue to develop your Source. That would give us some mind control on top of your existing Ra properties, significantly broadening the range of our combat abilities.”

  Rat King or Hydra? Good question. Once I’d undergone my first Evolution, I’d be able to implant three more DNA modifications – but for now, I could only choose one. Regeneration or Osmosis against the Leader of the Pack…

  The ship shuddered, then listed so sharply that my Crusher slid over the surface of the little table. Alarms wailed. The emergency lighting came on.

  I jumped to my feet. What the hell was going on?

  “Something must have happened, Incarnator. I think they lost control of the ship.”

  I slid the gun back into the cryptor and touched the master key to the black circle of the magnetic lock on the door. It didn’t respond. Wasn’t it supposed to unlock all doors? What was I doing wrong?

  “You’re doing everything right but I think the door has been force-blocked. Let’s do this again. I’ll try to hack the blocking mechanism.”

  Miko’s attempt proved successful. After a few seconds, the door obediently slid aside.

  “All done, Incarnator. I’ve laid a course to the medical center.”

  Twice the ship lurched to one side as I walked, as if two invisible captains were fighting over its helm, wrestling it from each other’s hands. Something was going on on the bridge – and whatever it was, it definitely had something to do with the arrival of the two hostile technomancers.

  Finally, the medical center. Its doors, marked with the symbol of the snake and the bowl, were blocked too – but once again Miko managed to open them. As soon as I walked in, I saw the already-familiar Dr. Cherub.

  “Grey? What the hell’s going on?”

  “No idea.”

  “I can’t contact Zac,” he pressed a finger to his temple. “It looks like the ship’s network’s been blocked. Sounds like one of Iceberg’s old tricks. I’m going to the bridge. Will you help me?”

  “Sure. But first you’re gonna release her,” I pointed at the room where they kept Alice.

  “Good idea. We might need some brute force. And that’s something you can’t expect from me. I’m a scientist, not a fighter. How sure are you that you can keep her under control?” he raised a quizzical eyebrow.

  “Just trust me.”

  “Okay, I’m gonna let her out. But first, take this,” he handed me a transparent injector cartridge filled with a thick pale-blue liquid. “If you run into problems with her, this might help, but only for a while.”

  Alice leapt out of her cage like a coiled spring, ready to fight. The look on her face made the Animaturgist back off.

  “Grey! What? We leaving? Now?” she growled.

  “Yes, we are,” I smiled and touched her tense shoulder. “Cool it, will you? Don’t touch him. Just follow me…”

  “I think I’m gonna show you the way,” Cherub hurried to say, trying to keep a respectful distance from the weregirl with her predatory stare firmly fixed on him.

  We walked out into the long hexagonal corridor leading toward the control center.

  Almost immediately we bumped into Evyl.

  The only thing that was still the same about her was her flowing blue cape. Still, both her body language and facial expressions betrayed her true identity.

  Cherub promptly confirmed my suspicions. “Evyl? Is that you? What’s going on?”

  “Step aside!” Evyl snapped.

  A strange weapon without a hilt materialized in her lowered hand. A bright purple light flashed on at its open end.

  This just had to be the Lash of Void.

  It happened so quickly that we didn’t stand a chance. Cherub lingered with his hands in the air, slowly easing aside. Alice readied for a jump, shaking with adrenaline. But-

  But the ship’s next erratic maneuver took us all by surprise. Avenger swung round its axis, then stood upright in the air.

  The walls and the floor swapped places, turning the corridor into the deep shaft of a vertical tunnel, with all of us dropping down it. To Evyl it must have come as a surprise as well, judging by how she screamed her head off, drowning out our own cries.

  After a few seconds of the vertiginous drop, I suddenly hung in mid-air, caught on something strong and springy. I took a look up. Lydia’s silvery head peeked from a side corridor high above.
Several gray cobwebby threads reached down from her hands, securely holding us in their sticky grasp.

  Far below I heard the wet sound of a human body hitting the steel hatch of the airlock. Then slowly, very slowly Avenger began to straighten up, the tunnel not a shaft anymore but a steep slide.

  In a few sharp tugs, Arachne pulled us all up. Ignoring the growling Alice, she turned to me.

  “Tell your girlfriend to shut up, will you? What happened?”

  “How the hell do I know?” I snapped back. “Evyl just attacked us!”

  “Evyl?” Arachne peeked down the listing tunnel with curiosity. “Cherub, do you understand anything?”