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

understand that this is confidential. We need to return to Helt Akor, get our loot, and search the Ziggurate. It probably has lots of interesting stuff.”

I didn’t mention the powers bestowed by my cloak. People didn’t need to know that I was able to return to the Temple of Shadows once per day. I had already taken the most valuable items of the Ancients found on the skeleton in the Colossus control room; they were gathering dust in my chest. I needed to identify them and either use them or put them into the clan warehouse. As for scrap metal, miscellaneous stuff like Ancient Alloy, and the loot from the Temple’s guardians, I didn’t care about that—after all, I would be tasked with selling it at the Bazaar, anyway. But if we were going back via the same route... I had a few thoughts about that.

“What do you think about the Pandas?”

“That is fucked up, absolutely. What the hell were you thinking? They’ll never leave you alone, and it means they won’t leave us alone! I can’t imagine how they’ll retaliate...” Olaf said and suddenly smiled. “And still, I’m pleased. Dunking them into a bucket of waste is priceless! Nicely done, Cat.”

“And now, to the juggernaut,” he continued. “This is Tao’s handiwork. A pretty basic trick. His clan has lots of rich boys. One of them left the clan, hid his stats, and pulled the trigger. Technically, it can be easily checked—just look at the history of clan members leaving and joining and compare the data.”

“Can you do it?”

“It’s complicated. The only people who have access to that are clan leaders or authorized members,” Olaf said, glancing at me. “I do have an idea, but... Fine, let’s talk about it later.”

“How are you doing in Helt Akor? Did you find a new faction?”

“Yes. A new settlement with a respawn point, Carneol. They’re calling themselves Wordless or Yearnful. Might be the Ancients’ descendants gone feral. Lots of quests, but it’s going to be hard—the neighboring caverns are packed with aggressive birdmen with a weird, non-random respawn. We’re trying to clear them.”

“So we were the first of all players to discover them?”

“Yes. It’s a goldmine. We could become the first to gain their reputation and get faction rewards nobody else in Sphere has. The stuff we got so far is junk, but it’s just the beginning. Good rewards start at Respect. When we gather everything at the Ziggurate, we’ll jump there via Soul Stones. It would be nice if you joined us.”

Or, rather, you and your sword, I mentally corrected Olaf. Without it, I was the weakest link in the raid, as Abbot kept reminding me.

“No dice. As you remember, my destination is the Sunless World. That’s where we were headed, and I’m not going to stop.”

“Well, it is what it is,” Olaf said, shrugging.

“I don’t need your help. I’ll get there another way.”

“Tormis will help you?” the analyst guessed. “Be careful, HotCat. You’re not talking about it, but playing with shadows is anything but safe. Talk to Abel. He knows a lot about it.”

Abel? About shadows? Suddenly, it dawned on me: despite my ability of Star Metal Wrath, the midget had managed to sneak up on me many times. The sword didn’t react to him, so it wasn’t invisibility or a class ability like stealth or hide. Could it be that Abel could travel to the Shadow Plane, too? And then Roa—how else could she slip inside the Shield in Atrocity? I could swear that nobody else had been next to me when I activated the spell. What a curious deal. I guess I really needed to talk to Abel.

* * *

Just as agreed, Keith Borland was waiting for me at Condor’s flying ships’ dock. The Watchers had long since made him an ally, and he could spend as much time as he wanted on the clan premises. His pawns used the opportunity to take on a small side gig, installing combat rigging on the Watcher’s second corvette. It’s not like they had anything else to do, anyway—both of my barques had burned down together with the Ragnarok.

“What’s with the ships? Are you going to buy new coasters? When?” they pressed me as soon as I approached them. “If you are, then...”

Yes, I was going to buy new cargo ships. I finally had enough money and needed to keep it in circulation, buying out the carebears’ goods and delivering them to the Bazaar. But first, I had to talk to Borland. I had special hopes for him.

“Listen, Keith, have you thought about what you’ll be doing after our contract runs out?” I asked the Octopus, who was clearly bored.

“What? The same as I’ve always done. I’ve already ordered a nave frame to be constructed,” Borland said, shrugging. “I’ll restore the Crabstrocity and keep working freelance. Why?”

“I want to ask you a question. What do you think about my business with the Northerners’ carebears? I mean, the delivery part?”

“What’s there to think? You’ve done nice for yourself.” The Octopus chuckled. “Orders keep coming in, and you could deliver them every day if you wanted. No competition. Why?”

I nodded, content. As a veteran captain of an astral coaster, Keith was good with numbers. He had long since calculated how much money I made from each Eyre-to-Bazaar run. He received all transportation contracts and saw the payments and the expenses on the ships’ upkeep, the fuel, and the crew wages. He knew firsthand that shipping was a profitable business.

“I have an offer. I don’t really have the time to oversee all of these operations—I have a lot on my hands. I propose we work together, fifty-fifty. You bring your nave and your crew and do the work, and I’ll give you more ships, connections, and protection.”

“I don’t get it...” the Octopus said, perplexed.

“What don’t you get?