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

disappeared in the depths, leaving only ripples and a stream of bubbles rising up from below.

* * *

Alas, I was unable to return in two or three hours, as my sojourn in real life extended to a whopping six. Alena, happy with the gap in my schedule, dragged me out to buy groceries. Personally, I didn’t see the point of shopping when you could get everything online with almost instant delivery, but my wife was adamant. A supermarket meant a mall, a cafe, a skating rink, a new blockbuster in the virtual cinema... Going there and back again was impossible.

Still, it helped me unwind and relax, although a countdown clock kept ticking somewhere inside of me, telling me that I had promised to log in two hours before. However, I didn’t think it might pose any problems.

As we walked along the glowing storefronts and lazily sipped on coffee in the restaurant, I noticed the many changes that had happened in my lifetime, such as the menus offered in Russian and Japanese, hieroglyphics on many brand logos, and Japanese dub for movies. The Confederation had been created before my birth, almost thirty years previously, but many things became a fixture of our everyday lives only recently. The number of Japanese people and half-bloods, short and black-haired, kept growing—I had read that they comprised almost a third of the Confederation’s population of five hundred million.

It didn’t really bother me, but sometimes, such as when I heard a girl with funny braids thank the customer at a checkout in Japanese, I felt that this country bore very little resemblance to the one my parents had grown up in.

That evening, we returned home, happy and content, and as a real gaming addict, I immediately climbed into the capsule, launching Sphere. So had Thrainul’s ship already reached Dagorrath, which they lovingly called the Hole?

* * *

Darkness. I woke up in complete darkness, still inside the coffin. I tried pushing the lid, but it was locked. The captain hadn’t told me how to get out. When I focused, I sensed a slight swaying and heard the sound of splashing water and soft voices nearby. I was in the cargo hold—it was hard to mistake paddle strokes and the oarsmen’s cursing for anything else. We were definitely in open water. As I strained my ears, I managed to make out voices and words.

“...left. The jar’s there.”

“...they’re standing there, waiting.”

“Hey!” I said loudly, accompanying my words with a knock on the lid. I sucked in more air and yelled at the top of my lungs, “Hey!”

There was no answer, but I felt a soft bump—the vessel had clearly hit the shore—followed by the vibration from the oarsmen jumping off. Water splashed. Someone’s feet stomped just above me. Then a loud shout cut through the air, and I recognized Thrainul’s voice.

“Whatcha gawking at? I brought you fresh meat!”

 Interlude: The Event

Location: Weeping Devil, PROJECT HELL Castle

 

“HOW ABOUT YOU EXPLAIN what’s going on?”

Tao and the leaders of PROJECT’s static groups had once again gathered at the large war table. Brass figures of toy soldiers marched across its painted surface.

“A continental event. The conquest of Dorsa!” Tao said. “The House of Darkness challenges the rest of the world.”

“Ananizarte sent out a quest message to the surrounding factions, including the player clans living in the wildlands,” Mirgus said, nodding. “There’s no mistaking its contents: anyone who rejects the proposal will be destroyed. And—”

“This is bullshit!” Svoy interrupted him, snorting. “NPCs going to war against players?”

“Bullshit or not, have you seen the rewards?” Tentacle came up to the table and perched on the edge, casually adjusting her black bangs.

“Yeah, faction rewards are amazing,” Mirgus said, coughing. “But they have to be earned. To do that, we’ll need to fight other players! Have you heard the news? Last night, Diamant’s dragon brood destroyed the dome of Chaos’ castle and forced them to go into invincible mode!”

“They didn’t agree to the offer?”

“Yes, the only one of six clans with holdings in the northeast of Dorsa to do that. The Heretics are still thinking, but their response is predictable.”

“Jeez. When does their invincibility run out?” Svoy asked, all business-like.

“In twelve...I mean, seven hours.”

“Chaosites won’t let their castle be destroyed. They’ll assemble a raid, bring in their allies,” Peacemaker said. “But it’s really a load of crap. Do you know that this reminds me of?”

“I know. Taerland!” Mirgus said, nodding curtly. “That’s how it all started. But back then, the NPCs declared vendetta on all players in general, and here, we’ll get a global faction war. The House of Darkness decided to bring the entire continent to heel. Ahelmar’s hordes, nine out of ten, are deployed to Khorkha. Ergial’s ships, packed with warriors, are headed to the Long Sea. The rest of the Lady’s vassals are abnormally active! The troops are marching to the Tower, and the First and the Flaming Hordes are ready for battle!”

“Mirgus, what’s your prognosis? Can the House of Darkness conquer Dorsa?” Tao was carefully examining the disposition of toy troops across the map of Dorsa.

“Funnily, they can. They’re capable of that. I can’t give an accurate assessment, but the House of Darkness has at least one hundred thousand NPCs with combat experience and required professions and archetypes. Still, this is just cannon fodder. The leaders of the House—gods, demigods, a dozen characters of divine origin—are the real threat. Each of them is worth an army. I can’t even imagine who can take them on. The only hope is the Balance!”

“I wouldn’t count on the Balance,” Tao said quietly. “It might be that this event is the Balance’s answer to the actions against Ananizarte. Her paradigm shifted after her ‘disappearance’ and the battle in the Astral Plane, remember?”

“This Balance of yours is weird! The Pandas hurt her, and we’ll have