The Gene of the Ancients (Rogue Merchant Book #2): LitRPG Series by Roman Prokofiev (top books to read TXT) 📕

save its bearer in the world of procedural generation. You’ve already screwed up by swinging it left and right — without much success, I would add. Be careful. Use it only when you absolutely need to.”

“The second thing is Svechkin. He’s located in the world of Dagorrath, on the Isle of Madness. It’s part of the Netherworld, a world partially closed to visitation. When you find it, watch out. Contact me as soon as possible.”

“And lastly, the admins. They have no idea how Sphere works. We’ll throw them off the scent. Do they think it’s a well-hidden global scenario? Let them.”

You are offered a quest: Seven Brothers.

 

Attention: the quest type is hidden!

 

Seven brothers have long since drifted away across the far worlds of Sphere. Locate them, find their weapons, and assemble the brothers, and the world will once again tremble before your might.

 

Completion time and the number of participants: unlimited.

 

Quest reward: hidden (varies).

 

Current progress: 2/7

 

What a day. First the Magister and his fortress, then activating the Diamond account, talking to admins... My business with the Order was concluded, and I received the necessary instructions. I was about to use a Soul Stone to teleport to the place I was bound to — my room in the Eyrian inn that had become my second home — when a personal message blinked in the chat.

Tao: You have my stuff.

 

The dreaded Tao deigned to talk to me! I scratched my head, thinking. I sure didn’t want to get another powerful enemy. Fine, I’ll be a polite kitty.

HotCat: So what? My inner hamster says it’s called loot.

 

Tao: I want to buy it back. How much?

 

HotCat: Hmm... Actually, I wasn’t going to sell it.

 

Tao: Trust me, you don’t want to mess with me. Or do you want to be sent to resp point until you drop my things?

 

HotCat: Threats...but for some reason, I’m not scared.

 

Tao: Watcher, it would be better for us to reach an understanding. I’m asking you politely. Selling looted stuff back is good form in Sphere.

 

Actually, Tao was right. There was an unwritten rule: things dropped during PvP were offered to the owner if it was a good fight, a fair one. A good fight...but the struggle between the Watchers and HELL was far from it at this point. I wasn’t going to give Tao his stuff — or rather I was, but I wanted to stall first.

HotCat: I’ve already deposited everything into the clan warehouse. Talk to the clan leaders.

 

Tao fell silent. It was shaky ground, but I was 99% sure that after Komtur’s backstabbing, the proud Japanese wouldn’t ask him for anything, especially stooping to begging for stuff.

HotCat: ?

Tao: That’s not an option. Can you get it back?

 

HotCat: I could try. I got it, I’ll contact you if I’m successful.

 

Tao: One more question.

 

Tao: Who was the second one? The hooded man with an axe, he dealt true fire damage, just like your sword. He wasn’t shown in the kill list. Why?

 

HotCat: I’m afraid such questions aren’t free.

 

Tao: You want money for this information? So be it. How much?

 

I grinned. The fish took the bait.

HotCat: Money is dust. I offer you a simple deal, a favor for an answer.

 

* * *

 

It was a day of running around. A time to gather stones, so to speak. After using a Soul Stone to travel to Eyre, I went to the Upper Quarters to visit my favorite auction and hand over the quest about saving the Err.

The market wasn’t doing so well. Eyre wasn’t the biggest trading hub of the continent, to begin with, and after the faction war had started, the teleports connecting it to other cities had been shut down. Trade had slowed down, the High Road had been blocked, and sales were down.

Generally, I didn’t care much about the failing market. I had long since focused my efforts at Eyre auction on buying all available faction tags — the tokens dropped by NPCs of enemy factions. Representatives hired by me were busy bidding for these lots, and the money I had earned allowed me to set the prices. I was satisfied with what I saw. Most of the tokens belong to me, and there was almost no competition. The early bird got the worm.

While I was checking the lots, mail chimed in. The Soulbinding Stone reached the auction houses. The admins were prompt: only a few hours had passed. I took it and spent a few minutes examining the blue-green gem. It was beautifully cut, and in its depths, I could almost see glowing flames that made the gem shimmer.

My next step was the palace. The Err’s castle, partially destroyed upon the visit of Tao and his friend from the Netherworld, was actively repaired. Woods and towers were surrounded with scaffolding with repairmen all over them, while huge drawing machines delivered stones and brick mortar. Surprisingly, the characters busy with construction included some players. Yeah, it made sense — quests, social stuff, creation... I knew that, according to Sphere’s statistics, only ten percent of players were actively involved in PvP. Most people preferred carebear playstyle: farming dungeons, treasure hunting, exploring the world, crafting. The game had many sides, and you could be anything you wanted... Still, as Kipling wrote all those years back,

Gold is for the mistress — silver for the maid —

Copper for the craftsman cunning at his trade.

“Good!” said the Baron, sitting in his hall,

 

“But Iron — Cold Iron — is master of them all.”

It was that ten percent of hardcore PvPers who knew cold iron best. It was they who divided and controlled the Wild Lands with their resources and rare dungeons. It was