City of Fallen Souls: A LitRPG Adventure (UnderVerse Book 3) by Jez Cajiao (fb2 epub reader .txt) 📕

“Arrin! That means you too!” Lydia shouted at Arrin, and I turned in time to see him perusing the Spellbooks with undisguised desire. I couldn’t help but grin at him, knowing exactly what he was feeling.

“Oracle, with Nerin’s healing, I can use these books, right?” I asked, feeling my gut tighten in fear that she was about to say ‘no’.

“Well, yeah, I guess, but you can’t use many. Maybe two?” she said slowly. “If you use more than that, you might store up problems again like you did last time. Maybe you should hold off until we see what Nerin has to say?”

“Or…” I grinned, pulling the ‘Vampiric Touch’ Spellbook out. “I could not, and just use the fuckers.”

“Jaaaaax…” Oracle said warningly, and I froze. “Of all the spells, that’s the one you want to learn. Really.”

“Well, yeah, of course it is.” My brow furrowed in confusion. “It offers the chance to steal stats from my enemies, not to mention literally stealing their Health.”

“It’s a spell designed to torture your target, Jax!” Oracle stated flatly. “We don’t know what kind of long-term effect using a spell like that could have on you. What if you start deciding to drain the stats from criminals? They’re a drain on society, after all; then maybe it’s people who don’t agree with you, and then, it’s just people! Jax, that spell is wrong, plain and simple! I can feel the evil coming off it from here. It’s not a spell meant for humans!”

“Oh, come on, I won’t be a dick with it, and besides, I’m not human.” I countered dismissively.

“Jax, I’m serious. You don’t want to learn that spell.”

“I’m serious, Oracle. I really fucking do, actually,” I straightened up. “Think about it. This spell contains the knowledge to increase stats and absorb Health directly, and how to do it with a touch! Besides, I know you want to learn it as well.” I pointed out, recalling the way her eyes had lit up at seeing such a powerful spell.

“I did, but seriously Jax, close your eyes. Reach out to the book with your senses, and tell me what you feel.”

I huffed a bit, but I complied, and instantly pulled the fuck back.

“It’s cold,” I said, frowning and staring at the book. “It’s cold and it feels…dark? I don’t know how else to describe it.”

“I know,” Oracle said nodding. “It’s not meant for humans, or even part-humans, if you want to be really pedantic. Just trust me on this, Jax. You really don’t want to learn that spell.”

“What if we learned it, but didn’t use it?” I asked. “You know, use the parts of the spell to build another spell, one that’s more…friendly?” I said, then grimaced. “Look, I know how that sounds, but seriously, you know what I mean.”

“I do, but no. Not for now, at least. I think you should wait, maybe see what Nerin or Jenae think of it, but I’m very, very sure that’s a spell that’s been made by a creature of the night, and it wasn’t made into a book to help people. It’s a trap.”

I grumbled a bit, feeling absolutely certain that the spell could make a huge difference to our leveling, but… there was something in me that agreed with Oracle. I just knew that if I used the spell, I’d be crossing a line.

I put it back in my pack, deciding to think about it a bit more later, and instead selected one of the ‘Haste’ spells. It was designed to buff one target, and could even be self-targeted.

“What about this?”

“Seems fine, Jax. Look, honestly, I didn’t know it was possible to drain a person’s essence, their ‘stats,’ as you call them, and knowing you could, yeah, part of me wants you to. It’d make you hugely powerful, especially if we could make a version that worked after death, but the effect that spell would have on you isn’t worth the risk. I’m sorry, but whatever created that Spellbook was evil to its core.”

“I know.” I agreed. “I’m gonna learn ‘Haste’ instead, and hopefully I can buff everyone, get us back to the arena faster. You happy with the plans I’ve made so far?”

“First, I don’t like stealing. It feels wrong. But that guy was an ass, and he had that book hidden away when he could have destroyed it, so to hell with him. Plus, he kept grabbing my ass, so I’ve decided this is what that cost him.” Oracle said, reaching out and putting her hand on the book. “But please, after last time, don’t use a book unless we have a healer available, okay? Just wait until we get back?”

“It could help us get back quicker, Oracle…” I countered, but in my heart, I knew I wasn’t going to win this one, and after a minute, I conceded and slipped it into my bag with a sigh, turning my attention to packing everything else away.

Ten minutes later, there was a low ‘hiss’ from Grizz as he got everyone’s attention. I saw the stack of bricks on one side of the tunnel as the last few were being removed to open the way into the dark sewer beyond.

Yen disappeared through the gap into the darkness, and everyone else gathered together near the opening, waiting.

A handful of minutes later, she returned, leaning back into the tunnel and speaking in a low whisper.

“It’s clear… there’s a ladder up to a grate about a hundred meters that way. I think it comes out in an alley, but I can’t be sure without using it. Bloody stinks in here, though!” she said, twisting her face up.

“Damn right, it does.” I muttered. We’d all been covering our noses as we waited, her movement having clearly stirred up something. “Good work, Yen. Augustus, what do you want to do with the fallen?” I asked.

“We can’t take them with us, not through the streets. It would attract too much attention.” he said, shaking his head sadly. “Can