Sixth Realm Part 2: A litRPG Fantasy series (The Ten Realms Book 7)

by Michael Chatfield

  “If you alter a formulated spell mid-cast, there can be a severe backlash,” Rugrat said.

  “Yeah, because you are stuck in a rote system that casts mana and attributes together. If you deviate from it, it will collapse. This attribute spellcasting is simply combining attributes in different ways and then powering it afterward with mana to create an effect. It’s interesting that you mentioned cooking. At the basic level, it is like cooking—but isn’t cooking, when you get deeper into it. Chemistry, perhaps?”

  “So, you’re breaking down magic into its attributes, studying the reactions, and then using your knowledge to recreate spells without the formulas. Where do attributes come from, though?”

  “Pretty much! Though one distinction to make is that elements and attributes are somewhat interchangeable. Elements are the basic and pure building blocks. Everything else is made up of different attributes. Humans are made up of all five elements—all creatures are—but some have a greater Fire attribute. Elements are all around us. We all have a different Affinity—control—to different elements. Someone who has spent their days working in a field, say, will be able to control Earth, Water, and Wood much more than say a smith, who would find it easier to manipulate Wood, Fire, and Metal. In my research, one’s environment changes their control over the different elements. Now, a great way to increase one’s elemental control is to increase their body’s elemental attributes. Confused yet?”

  “I’m holding on, barely. How can you increase your Affinity for the different attributes?”

  Tanya pulled out a book from her desk and turned it toward Rugrat, reading out the title. “The Fundamentals of Body Tempering.” She smiled as Rugrat’s brows pinched together.

  “Think about it. You and Erik have tempered your bodies in the different elements, changing the attributes of your body and increasing your Affinity for the elements. I read the notes that Erik made on learning that body tempering and Mana Cultivation were of the same path. That one tempered their body with the elements, making it stronger, leaving purified mana to increase one’s cultivation without fear of mana rejection. It clicked for me. The two systems are treated as different items, but they are two parts of the whole!”

  “So, Mana Cultivation is like increasing the power of your battery, and then your elemental Affinities are the different parts you can create a circuit with? Playing with those power board things was way back in high school.”

  “That’s exactly the idea. Looks like your teachers would be happy.”

  “I’m not so sure about that. I gave them enough troubles.” Rugrat grinned.

  “I know that only too well.” Tanya sat back and played with her eyebrow piercing. “Always liked reading, but school was more of a pain than anything to me. The only thing I really enjoyed was meeting other weirdos like me and getting together to play games. I was a factory worker. I didn’t care about the work; I did it so I could live comfortably and play my games in peace. Here, where magic is real, it’s terrifying, but the nerd part of my mind is excited. Sure, the system is not the same as what is depicted in fantasy books, movies, and games—and the stakes are a lot higher—but the possibilities to learn something new, the ability to cast spells, it’s awesome.”

  “Just have to make sure that it is practical as well.”

  “Well, yeah, like min-maxing in real life doesn’t make sense. Look at you and Erik. You trained in Mana Cultivation first and are ahead of Erik, but you are still tempering your body, learning from his lessons, and he is doing the same from you. Both of you are not only fighters; you are crafters, medics, and adventurers. If you were to only train your Strength, then you would have too much power to usefully apply. You need to increase your Agility stat to get greater control. If you don’t have enough Stamina, then you can throw out a really powerful punch, but you’ll be drained. There are game-like elements to the Ten Realms, but it is the real world. Things change. Even the Ten Realms system isn’t completely accurate. It tries its best, but it is just a system. Every system has good points and bad.”

  “Basically, spells are like writing an essay on how to do math. While creating spells with the attributes is doing the actual math. Two units of water and one unit of metal equals reinforced ice blade.”

  “Breaking the Ten Realms code.”

  “Like when science changed from observing the surrounding environment to trying to quantify it.”

  Pan Kun walked along the wall of King’s Hill. He held up a hand in greeting to some of the guards under his command who had been escorting traders.

  They returned the gesture as they walked through the gates. Their fellow guards took the entry fee and allowed the traders to enter.

  It was midday, and there were still more trading caravans coming in from the distance or circling around the large walls that protected King’s Hill.

  He came to a pause next to one of Aditya’s servant girls.

  “Nice day for a stroll, miss?” Pan Kun said in a respectful voice.

  “Looks like you’ve come for the show as well?” The servant girl was unremarkable: straw-like hair, simple clothes, and slightly tanned skin. She looked just different enough that someone wouldn’t take her for Evernight.

  “I have my orders. I think you made them, after all,” Pan Kun said.

  Evernight smiled slightly and kept watch over the wall, a bored girl wasting her time off.

  “I hear that the Beast Mountain consortium will open their doors in a week or two,” Pan Kun said. “There are already hundreds of people from the area looking to join. Seems that someone leaked what kind of resources they will have and who will be leading it. I also heard that people who perform well in the sect could earn positions in the military.”

  “Well, there are always more people creating trouble out there,” Evernight said.

  “And there are plenty of recruiting offers for my people to take,” Pan Kun said with a wry smile.

  “You’ve seen their training facilities and just how powerful they are. If you were given a chance in the future…?” Evernight asked.

  Pan Kun thought of what he had seen in Alva. The men and women who walked in the streets were stronger than him, but they were just farmers or crafters.

  He remembered seeing the Alva army training, advancing and shooting, creating a wall of bullets as they charged forward across smoke and destruction.

  Pan Kun’s heartbeat increased before guilt intruded. He glanced at the headquarters of King’s Hill. “I feel like I would be betraying my friend.”

  “I understand. But be aware that if you increase your power much more, you’re going to need a new charm to cover it. It looks like they’re nearly here.”

  Pan Kun squinted and used an enhancing spell on his eyes. He saw a group of ragged people moving past the inner-city gates. There were just a handful of mounts for the entire group. Their armor was covered in scratches and a dried mixture of blood and mud. A savage air surrounded them as they pushed forward. “What happened?”

  “Thankfully, they didn’t contract any of our people to help them. Seems like they might have encountered some enraged beasts along their travels.” Evernight shrugged.

  Pan Kun felt a chill in his bones. Alva’s fighting power was scary, but it was nowhere as terrifying as their intelligence department. If they chose to strike, their enemy might not even know who they were actually fighting.

  The group spread out and started browsing King’s Hill.

  “Looks like our guests have arrived, Major General Pan Kun.” Evernight’s words drifted to his ears as she left the wall, reminding him of his recent promotion. As the Beast Mountain Range army grew, so did his rank.

  Pan Kun looked at the group from the Shikoshi kingdom as they headed to a tea house.

  What are you planning?

  It is not at all what I thought.

  Salyn held his tongue as they paid their fees and entered King’s Hill outpost. There were noble and powerful families riding on stone roads in their carria
ges. Traders were everywhere, selling high-quality items of various kinds. People pressed in together as the streets were reduced to foot traffic. There were so many people.

  They were in the middle of the treacherous Beast Mountain Range, but they had items that would be hard to find in the capital city.

  He studied the weapons, armor, resources, textiles—all of which were of the highest quality, reaching mid-Apprentice level. Only nobles were able to get regular access to mid-Apprentice-level items. Here, they were as common as stones. There were even high-Apprentice-level items being sold in some of the stores.

  Salyn studied the people browsing the different wares. Nobles and powerful figures from several different kingdoms that Salyn knew of were there.

  “There is a tea house up ahead we can stay at,” Drev said.

  “Check on the situation of King’s Hill and find out just where those rats are.” Salyn shot a look at Drev.

  Drev left with most of the fighters as Salyn found a tea house and sat down. One of the guards ordered for him as he sat back, watching the movement around him. He couldn’t help but overhear a conversation a couple of tables away.

  “I heard all the tickets for the main auction have been sold already. Three gold coins a ticket, and they’re all gone! People sure have money to burn!” someone was saying to their friend as they admired the action in the city.

  “That is nothing! I heard that three other auctions were started up as there were so many goods people wanted to sell or trade. An entire building was dedicated to people who want to barter their goods or services.”

  “That might be interesting for many people, but how many auctions can you find in the First Realm that boast genuine high-Apprentice-grade equipment?”

  “Apprentice? I’ve heard rumors of Journeyman! I thought that was gear the outpost leaders are keeping to themselves.”

  “It’s the alliance. You know, how they’re all working together.”

  “Alliance, my ass. Lord Aditya controls the Beast Mountain Range. Should have done this years ago! Why are they selling such precious gear? Aren’t they afraid outsiders are going to turn around and use it on us?”

  “If they’re willing to sell it, doesn’t it mean that it isn’t as useful for them and they’re keeping the best gear for themselves?” The other man laughed and drank his tea.

  Salyn was brought out of his eavesdropping as his tea arrived. He dismissed the server and took the cup, letting it cool before he took a sip.

  He appreciated the tea, letting it settle his nerves. He glanced out at King’s Hill. It looked more like a city than an outpost. Their fighting force was strong, and they were able to pull out all these people from their kingdoms just for some kind of auction. Salyn clicked his tongue.

  It took some hours and a meal later before Drev returned.

  He came in with a tired expression, twisting Lord Salyn’s stomach.

  “People confirmed that the groups arrived some days ago before heading off in different directions. None of them took the same route,” Drev said.

  Salyn sighed and tapped his finger on the table. If the queen found out that he had hesitated for even a moment, she would come for his head.

  Salyn felt every ache and pain from the past few days of hard riding.

  “Make sure everyone gets a meal in them. See if there is an apothecary in the city to heal our people and stables we can buy mounts from.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Even Drev, the hard man, seemed moved.

  “We only have the day. We will leave as soon as we have supplies.”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll do my best to expedite supplies. I won’t be done until”—Drev gauged Lord Salyn’s mood—“midday tomorrow?”

  “Too late. We must push on faster for the queen!” Salyn said righteously.

  “Early morning?” Drev asked.

  “Well, if that is the best you can do, there is nothing my yelling at you can do.”

  Good man.

  “As for the apothecary, there is no need for it. There is a healing house.”

  “All the way out here? They are a luxury that the nobles can pay for in the large capitals and important cities.”

  “No, really, sir. They’re real healers, too—spells and all. Called the Alva Healing House. They serve the mercenaries, the general people. I talked to some guards of different nobles; they went there to see if it was worth anything. They don’t charge much, but they healed the guards up completely!”

  “What was it called?” Salyn felt cold sweat on his back.

  “Alva Healing House,” Drev said.

  Alva Healing House—Alva village? It couldn’t be.

  “When was it created?” Salyn asked.

  “It started three, four years ago in Vermire, an outpost under the control of Lord Aditya. He is the head of King’s Hill and the leader of the Beast Mountain Range Alliance. He’s the ruler around here.”

  They were simple farmers, nobodies. How was it possible they had become healers?

  “Lord Salyn?” Drev asked.

  Salyn realized he had been quiet for a while. “Get the men ready to move. I’m going to look around.”

  Drev bowed, and Salyn left the tea house. His two personal guards followed him.

  “Find out where this Alva Healing House is,” Salyn hissed to one of them.

  They ran off and Salyn wandered the city, apparently taking in the sights. Meanwhile, he was scanning for any of the Alvans he recognized.

  “Lord, I have found its location. Do you think it is those Alvans?” the guard asked.

  “Best to check and make sure. Take us there.”

  Salyn stood in an alleyway, watching the Alva Healing House. He’d seen severely wounded people being brought in from outside the city. Some of the strongest beasts roamed the heart of the Beast Mountain Range. It was easy to be critically or even fatally wounded if one made a simple mistake.

  His guards entered the alleyway and wore cloaks to hide their identities.

  The three men stood there and watched as a young boy went up to the front of the healing house. Healers were assessing the wounded and those waiting.

  “Hey, boy,” Salyn yelled to a kid walking by.

  “Mister?”

  “I’ll give you a silver coin if you run up to the healing house and yell something for me.”

  “A whole silver? What do you want me to do?”

  Salyn whispered in the boy’s ear.

  He nodded and held out a hand.

  Salyn pulled out the coin and pressed it into his hand.

  The boy’s eyes went round before quickly putting it away. He headed over to the healing house.

  “Look! There’s Blaze and Elise!” the boy yelled out. “Blaze and Elise!” He ran away from the healing house.

  Salyn’s eyes locked onto the healers as they turned to where the boy was pointing. The boy ran off, and the healers looked around, searching for “Elise and Blaze.”

  They frowned, glanced at one another and went back to work.

  An official-looking lady stepped out. She looked around and then headed back inside.

  There was a chance they were just staring at the noise. Some people did that, but they seemed excited. Even one of their higher-ups made an appearance before disappearing back inside.

  “Lord?” one of his guards asked.

  He didn’t know how they had done it, but maybe some of the survivors had become healers and worked here in anonymity. Blaze and Elise had to be alive as well. Salyn would have to make plans for how to deal with them, just in case.

  “Let’s go. We have a tough ride ahead of us.” Salyn studied the front of the building again and turned around, moving deeper into the maze of alleys.

  Erik read the report and looked at Elan. “Is it that Lord Salyn?”

  Rugrat put down the papers with a grim look.

  “Everything matches up. I didn’t realize it before.” Elan pressed his teeth together with a dark expression.

  “You can�
��t see through everything. It has been years since we defended Alva. So much has happened it is easy to forget,” Erik said.

  “What we need to worry about is what is he going to do next?” Rugrat said.

  “Well, he has limited options. Alva was a hidden village. There are no records of it, which is why we didn’t connect it to this Lord Salyn. My agents are trying to find out more information on this Lord Salyn as well as his operations,” Elan said.

  “Nothing to do but sit on him and wait,” Rugrat said.

  18

  Earth Knowledge Meets Ten Realms Reality

  Rugrat stared at the new building in front of him. “Mana Cultivation Training Facility,” he read out the sign above the door.

  There were people moving through the doors from all of Alva’s various sectors. A group of soldiers formed outside and marched toward the barracks, while a group of woodworkers ran up the stairs with excited expressions.

  Rugrat went up the stairs and entered the large foyer. There were shops on either side, and he went up to the front desk.

  “Hello, how might I help you today?” The man behind the desk smiled.

  “What is with the stores?” Rugrat asked.

  “They have all that one might need: Alchemy concoctions to increase the rate that one absorbs mana or increase one’s concentration, materials for crafters who are working in the special crafting workshops. There is also a small library that holds books on common cultivation practices and reference materials,” the man said helpfully.

  He had let his cultivation fall behind, and Erik was right behind him in terms of Mana Cultivation. With so much happening, it was easy to let it slip.

  “I’ll take your highest rated training room for”—Rugrat checked his timepiece—“say, four hours?”