The Fourth Secret: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (Divine Apostasy Book 4) by A. Kay (best short books to read .TXT) 📕

from the entrance he fell behind a boulder, hiding from the guards’ view. He wanted to minimize how much time they had to study him, since he didn’t have the obscuring abilities of an Observer. His privacy setting along with the armor hiding his entire body would buy him a little time, but eventually their Perception would overcome all that and flag him as one of Uru’s followers.

Finally, one scout left the group and moved toward Ruwen’s position. Twenty seconds later, a rough voice called out. “Identify yourself.”

Ruwen jerked and gasped as if shocked by the Scout’s sudden appearance. “Show yourself, or feel the wrath of the almighty god.”

The Scout stepped into view fifteen feet away. “Why is an Overseer here?”

Ruwen slowly pushed himself to his feet. “The almighty god placed critical information in my care.”

“How do we know you really serve Izac?”

Ruwen guessed these Scouts knew about the Bone Sculptor that had killed a Silent Spotter at the city gates less than a week ago. Ruwen had watched it happen through the eyes of Whiskers. “The Bone Sculptor who protected the ruined city has returned to Malth with dreadful news.” Ruwen used the same words as the Bone Sculptor, hoping it would add some authenticity. “My lord, the greatest of those that came before and whose name I am unworthy to utter, has placed me here with a dire warning. I must speak to your commander immediately.”

Ruwen didn’t use Analyze or even trigger his Perception on the Naktos Scout, fearful that the enemy might detect it and reveal Ruwen’s charade. At the mention of the Bone Sculptor, the Scout frowned in recognition, and then wrung his hands in indecision.

After five seconds, the Scout stilled, and he pointed west. “Move toward the mountains.”

Ruwen didn’t respond, but hurried toward the cave entrance, proud of his acting job. If so many high Perception classes hadn’t guarded the entrance, he might have even made it down into the complex.

Every step closer to Lylan was a victory, and Ruwen spoke loudly, hoping to distract them a few seconds longer. “My lord, the greatest of those that came before and whose name I am unworthy to utter, has placed me here with a dire warning. I must speak to your commander immediately.”

Ruwen studied those guarding the entrance. Without triggering his Perception he couldn’t be sure, but from the armor, it appeared three were Fighters. They wore the same bronze armor he’d seen at the underground oil base, only these Fighters had swords instead of hammers, and the six Scouts surrounding them all had crossbows.

The Scouts used hand signals to communicate, similar to Shade Speak, and Hey You translated. Three wanted to shoot Ruwen immediately, but the Overseer armor made the others hesitate. Everyone knew of Izac’s power, and none of them wanted to shoot an emissary.

Ruwen had made it within fifteen feet when multiple Scouts signaled danger. Whatever abilities they had that mirrored Sense Harm and Keen Senses had triggered.

“Stop,” one of the Scouts called out. “Kneel, take off your hood, and place your weapons on the ground.”

The leftmost Fighter whispered to his companions, but Hey You allowed Ruwen to read the Fighter’s lips. “He doesn’t move like a Priest.”

Ruwen knew his time had run out. He raised his arms and shouted as he strode forward. “This humble servant of the almighty lord—”

A paralyzation stun struck Ruwen, but his Mind Resistance with all his buffs, the Perception Codex benefits from Rami, his Last Breath training, and the advances he’d made in his Cultivation Stage made his Mind Resistance a staggering one hundred seventy-four percent. Any sort of mental stun or fear would almost always fail against him.

A similar stun and then a fear stuck Ruwen almost immediately after the first failed. The closest Fighter pushed his shield toward Ruwen, and lightning jumped from the shield and covered Ruwen. His Elemental Resistance, while paltry compared to his Mind Resistance, was still a formidable eighty-five percent, and he continued forward, unaffected.

That was too much for the Scouts. Five roots, a fear, and four stuns struck Ruwen as everyone present cast a spell or triggered an ability. The roots were all elemental, using the ground to snare his legs, and unfortunately, his Revolving Ring of Elemental Immunity was on water, not stone. One root succeeded, and he froze in place, his legs stuck in an invisible vise, as a root debuff appeared.

Hungry Earth: Root (max 3 seconds)

The Scouts all fired their weapons. Two crossbow bolts struck Ruwen in the chest, just over his heart, and four in the eyes, snapping his head back from the force. The Scout behind Ruwen fired at his spine. His eyes watered from the blows and the itching sensation overwhelmed him for a moment. He needed to rethink these hoods, as it seemed Marksman took it as a challenge to hit the eyes.

Ruwen could have cleared the root with Tunnel Vision or Warcry of Freedom, but wanted to save those for a more dangerous situation. The debuff blinked and then disappeared as his Bracer of Freedom halved its duration.

Another round of bolts approached and Ruwen tilted his head forward, taking the bolts meant for his eyes on the top of his head. He stepped forward and met the three Fighters who had advanced toward him.

The Fighters coordinated their movements, and Ruwen figured they must train together. All pretense gone, Ruwen stopped channeling Calm, activated Survey and Stone Echo, and let his Perception and Analyze trigger on the three Fighters.

All three were level thirty Stone Piercers, similar to the Stone Breakers Ruwen had faced in the underground temple near the oil. These three used swords, were twice the level, and coordinated, making them much more dangerous. Analyze gave him the same information as last time: the three were strong, didn’t need oxygen, and all were weak to fire.

Each of them had nearly a thousand Health points, but Ruwen didn’t plan on whittling them down. He had something more dramatic planned.

Chapter 57

The Fighter