Limitless by John Gold (best e reader for android txt) 📕

She’s the person I care most about in the world—can you take care of her? If she stays with me, she’ll die again.”

“What do you mean by ‘again’?? And how do you think I’m supposed to take care of two small children? You wanderers may be immortal, but we have to be really strict with kids.”

I need to take care of the problem quickly.

“Nine years ago, I was part of the battle for Airis Castle. Leon, the god, kidnapped my whole family, and they were killed by Talamei during the fighting. I lost everything I cared about that day. But then, I was able to find my way to the Gray Lands and get Rosie back. She’s in huge danger right now, so I’ll give you anything you want—money, guards, a house, anything. Just please take care of her.”

I give my little sister to Nela, a life mage I can trust. She loves kids and her work, she’s a nice person, and Rosie will be relatively safe with her.

“I’ll come visit you, but make sure you listen to Miss Nela.”

I hand her half a million gold, and she tells me she’s going to move to another house in the next few days. She’ll be able to quietly take care of the two kids there. I don’t have to worry about them needing anything or attracting attention.

Femida still doesn’t know I’m back, and I have good reasons for not telling her. In the meantime, however, I need to stop by Bor the tattoo artist’s shop. No, there was a good reason why I let the archmage and Veresal go—the former mage patron paid a hefty price for his life.

Veresal showed me the seal for rainbow sunset, a spell he didn’t have time to use in his final battle. He’d developed it as a final strike weapon. The old god decided his secret would be useless to me, seeing as how he didn’t think I had access to divine energy. Only the gods, of which there are just seven young ones left and a bunch of pagan nonsense, can use it. He was only half right, however: I’m not a god, and I’ll never become one, though I can certainly gain access to divine energy.

I’ve done everything I can do to postpone my discovery. The guards at the tree recognized me, which means the gods have already begun pouring every resource they have into the search. With that in mind, I climb into Bor’s shop through the window. He’s smoking his pipe, sending smoke rings swirling upward.

“That smoking will kill you, my good man.”

He leaps to his feet, dropping his pipe before stepping on it accidentally. I haven’t heard so much cursing since the last time I heard Femida and Isaac argue.

“Seriously? You show up once every ten years, and now, you’re even crawling in through the window! And why are you wearing bones? Think you’re some kind of necromancer now?”

“Good to see you, too, Bor. I need a new tattoo. It’ll be about as complicated as the last one you did for me, though the scale and style are different.”

“Screw you! You know what…” Bor searches for the right words before giving up. “What are you still standing there for? Show me the sketch, get onto the couch. Do you have the ink?”

Back when I stopped by the shop the first time, I hid the ink in a sealed container I buried at the bottom of the bay. I can do without carrying it around with me, and it’s nearby when I need it. Anyway, after thinking for a good twenty minutes about how he wants to arrange the tattoo, the artist wipes off my old ones and traces the rainbow sunset on my chest. Any dark mage would turn green with envy if he saw my tattoos. I have two big ones, one each on my chest and back, and another twenty-three on my arms and legs. I’m a mage from head to toe!

It takes the artist eighteen hours to complete the work. The whole time, I stay busy monitoring local chats, the official Project Chrysalis site, Golden Hand’s guilds, and the headhunters. A double blockade has been set up around Kurg and my tree, and there’s an entire fortress being thrown up around the latter in case death decides to invade the Project Chrysalis world. The entire city is covered by a magic-negating pentagram operated by five saints. Information about how I climbed up into the tree and didn’t come back was posted on two dozen sites, and I’m sure the fact that it hasn’t hit everyone that I could be anywhere doesn’t mean that Leon hasn’t activated his network of spies. He presumably has a capture plan in place, too. In his  shoes, I would have hired a profiler to put together a dossier on my opponent. I’d find out everything that he values, what he cares about, his habits, and his quirks. Then, I’d take control of the situation. Blackmail, kidnapping, wiping characters, murder in real life, bribery—I’m positive Leon has all of that in motion already. That means Femida’s about to catch some harshly worded personal messages. It’s been two years since she and I chatted using that particular communication channel.

Bor puts his tool down on the table and walks over to the window. His emotions tell me he’s completely relaxed, satisfied, and at peace.

“Done!”

Tattoo received: Rainbow sunset seal [blocked]

Effect: [blocked]

Mana cost: Scalable [blocked]

Tattoo effect: +1% strenth, +1% stamina, +1% intellect, +1% agility, +1% survivability

Additional effect from the ink: +1000 mana, spell not destroyed when used

Bor is gathering his things and stuffing them hurriedly into a trunk. His emotions show alarm.

“Sagie…”

“Don’t use my name. Seeker spirits…”

“They can’t get in here. We’re protected from all of them from the first through the eighth layer. A regular client set that up. Anyway, don’t interrupt me.” Bor takes a pull on his pipe and sighs, letting out a cloud of smoke.

You are within the radius of a smoke canopy

…

 

“Don’t