Shadow Seer (Rogue Merchant Book #3): LitRPG Series by Roman Prokofiev (read ebook pdf .TXT) 📕

and placing your hopes on the talking Book of the Abyss. But I’ve long since learned of your betrayal. You are sentenced to die!”

Lique ran to the doors, transforming into an unthinkable shape, but a silvery spark burst out of the Lady’s hand, making the rest of the audience part their ranks. Under its own momentum, his huge body rammed the gates, almost smashing them, but Ananizarte’s invisible blade had already done its job. The demon’s body dissolved in a puddle of black slime at the entrance to the room. It lit up with crimson fire, leaving several trophies inside the fiery circle: a bandoleer with a book box, a mantle, and something else. The items shot upward and landed next to the Lady’s feet.

The goddess picked up one of them, a thin platinum headband with the faction crown, and casually threw it back.

“One of his shapeshifting sons will be happy to take his place.”

“Angel and Anna! Your thoughts are as one. Your brood will join the strongest. Taeghal confused you, reading your mind with the Eye. This is the only reason that I forgive you. But remember: you need to atone!”

The twins, a boy and a girl, nodded in unison. Their weredragon faces betrayed no hint of emotion. They stepped back and didn’t attempt to help Taeghal, who was still crawling around and howling in pain.

“It’s your turn, Ankh! Fire of the Abyss, what can you say for yourself?”

The last one remaining, a large, bloated irchi emblazoned with the insignia of the Flaming Horde, boomed with laughter. Sparkles glimmered in his hair and armor.

“You’ve seen everything yourself, Ananizarte! No need for words—crush!”

“You are obsessed with revenge, and the fate of your people didn’t become a lesson to you. I regret not destroying each and every one of you! The Eye cannot enslave you. Even now, you’ve chosen to rebel. Die!”

A fiery tornado swept over the laughing Ankh, momentarily transforming him into a blazing winged silhouette. As it changed shape, the stream of fire was pulled into the Lady’s stretched hand, shrinking into a tiny blinding dot hovering above the goddess’ palm. Suddenly, Ananizarte clenched her fist, and when she opened it a second later, it was already empty. The spark of the Fiery Spirit was gone.

“The position of the Commander of the Flaming Horde is now vacant,” she said slowly.

“Mother, I can feel the Balance shifting. Your actions might trigger an avalanche,” Ardehetel remarked.

“Let them. I do not fear it, and neither should you. Gather your legions.”

“The Balance will affect the players. There are many of them, some of them dangerous,” Ahelmar added. “And they’re getting stronger.”

“There are many players, but they are divided. They’re constantly fighting each other. Some of them are willing to serve us, and we can use that. With their help, we’ll crush the other players and then deal with them too. We are the masters here, and soon, everyone will realize it! Gather your legions. A war that this world hasn’t seen yet is about to come!”

* * *

The doors were still closed, but three messages anxiously flashed in the quest log. Tao carefully opened them and read the text.

Updated legendary quest: Conquest of Dorsa!

Continental quest on hold: Colonize Ketel!

You are offered a quest: Either With Us...

Chapter 5

OLAF, OH THAT OLAF... What did he want from me, really? Still, I had an idea what he might say, which is why I wasn’t exactly eager for a conversation.

I found the Watchers analyst in the famous clan laboratory that took up three floors of one of the Condor’s towers. To my surprise, Weldy was there as well, and she waved her hand at me in greeting. She was busy working her magic over several boiling flasks as drops of multicolored liquid kept dripping from distillation devices—elixirs, potions, extracts, distillates—a veritable paradise for an alchemist.

“She’s talented,” Olaf said instead of a greeting. “I gave her several recipes to study. I can’t say for sure about epics, but she’ll definitely brew rare elixirs one day.”

I raised my eyebrow in surprise. Rare potions of blue color were a good result for an NPC; they went for several gold coins a bottle and were a step above the mass-produced stuff.

“You called for me?”

“Yes.” Olaf nodded. “Let’s step outside.”

We left the tower and slowly walked down the gallery circling the castle. It was morning, and Condor was all but empty. A sentry player mounted on an archgriffon soared in the air. I glanced at the clan list—that was right, almost everyone was still asleep.

“How did you get out of Helt Akor? I’ve heard that you changed the Soul Binding point,” I said. “Komtur and the raid are still there?”

“All of us returned to the castle via the daily clan portal. We need to stock up...and we need you.”

“Me?”

“Well, we need you to talk,” Olaf corrected himself. “Come on, tell me!”

“Tell you what?”

“Cat, stop trying to feign innocence. Tell me everything, one by one. The Ziggurate, how you got into the Colossus, the battle with Ananizarte—how did it end? The Temple of Shadows. The Pandas, of course. I’ve seen the kill rating for the battle at Atrocity, and I have to know the details.”

Actually, I had seen it coming. Komtur was anything but stupid, but Olaf was the true brain of the Watchers. He wanted to know and control everything within the clan’s area of interest, which included me. Of course, I wasn’t going to tell him everything, but I did want to discuss certain moments, as I needed advice from a more experienced player. Olaf wasn’t nicknamed “the Prophet” for nothing: his judgments were wise, and his predictions usually came true.

“All right. We’ve figured out how to use the ‘elevators’ in the Crossroads,” the Prophet spoke up after hearing me out. “I hope you