City of Fallen Souls: A LitRPG Adventure (UnderVerse Book 3) by Jez Cajiao (fb2 epub reader .txt) 📕

and slipping down to hide in the fold of my outer pocket. I couldn’t help but wonder at a race of creatures that had pockets built into their armor that led diagonally across to their crotch with an opening over it, and yet apparently were categorically unable to get ‘it’ up without chemical aids… I suddenly felt my skin crawling at the curiosity of what the previous Drow owner of these pants had been doing in them, and I resolved to have them washed ASAP. Preferably in bleach. Or acid.

Banishing the thought from my mind, I walked over to the piles of gear that had been sorted from the dead. I didn’t have the mana or the time to ‘Examine’ everything, so I decided to ‘risk it for a biscuit’ and only checked the shield, chucking the rest into the Fenris’s storage. Despite being a ‘horse of holding,’ the cargo space was becoming full enough that I started to worry about it being able to move.

Promethean Heater Shield

Further Description Yes/No

Defense

50-60

Details:

This shield is of Promethean design, constructed of multiple thin layers of metal fused over wood, and has a reinforced outer rim. This shield has been enchanted to reduce its overall weight and increase its durability.

Rarity

Magical

Durability

Charge:

Unusual

Yes

87/100

64/100

I strapped the shield onto my arm, and hefted my naginata, finding the combination a bit unwieldy, but doable. I guessed I had a few minutes before the main group arrived, so I pulled up my notifications and grinned as I saw one of my favorites.

Congratulations! Through hard work and perseverance, you have increased your Endurance by one point. Continue to train and learn to increase this further.

I nodded to myself, glad that the pain had been worth it, and moved on, reading and discarding most of them quickly.

Congratulations! You have killed the following:

1x Promethean for a total of 5,000xp

7x Imps of various levels for a total of 2,800xp

2x Alkyon of various levels for a total of 740xp

3x Djinn of various levels for a total of 1,125xp

A party under your command killed the following:

1x Promethean for a total of 8,000xp

11x Imps of various levels for a total of 6,600xp

14x Alkyon for a total of 11,500xp

13x Djinn of various levels for a total of 9,750xp

Total Party exp earned: 24,465xp

As party leader, you gain 25% of all experience earned

Progress to level 16 stands at 54,319/165,000

*

Congratulations!

You have practiced enough to raise your Meditation skill to Level Two. Continue to practice and learn to increase this skill further. Skilled meditation will increase your Mana, Health, and Stamina regeneration levels to realms you cannot imagine.

+2% increase in Regeneration speed per minute spent in meditation.

Once this skill reaches Level Ten, you may choose its first evolution.

“Jax.” I heard Bane’s low call, and I looked up to find him dismissing the last notification regarding the Tower’s population growth. It was a minor issue for now, considering only the Alkyon were new, really; the Djinn might not be staying yet. “They’re here,” he said simply, climbing down and quickly moving out of sight to melt into the shadows.

Stephanos and Miren clambered down as well, closing the trapdoor as best they could, due to the damage from being ripped it off its hinges.

We gathered around, making sure we were all as ready as we could be. Weapons were drawn and ready for an attack, our archers and Arrin crouched out of sight as much as possible on the walkway overhead, Barrett beside me, Amaat and his Alkyon team armed again and ready to fly. Bane was out of sight again, no doubt skulking around, and Jian quickly came to stand close by me. As the Djinn spread out and took up positions around the room, according to some logic they understood, I gave out a handful of last-minute commands.

Silence reigned for another minute, until forms started moving into the alleyways around the building.

I watched them walking along, casually surrounding the building. A few began heading for the entrance, while easily a dozen stood back, watching the structure with that special brand of arrogance and thuggery that private guards and bouncers always displayed to my eyes.

I stood there, waiting, as they moved aside to allow a much more coordinated group to approach the entrance. There were seven of them, four men and three women. All but their leader appeared human, and the bastard grinned at us as he came close enough to see us inside. He gestured with both arms held wide, and Lydia, Yen, and Ellen were ushered into sight, but not allowed to join us.

He smiled even wider as he motioned for us to come out, the unnerving expression never leaving his face as he indicated the alleyway.

I strode forward, keeping my eyes locked on him and ignoring movement in the shadows nearby, knowing that Bane was watching over me.

I came to a halt five feet from him, staring up into his eyes. The irises were a weird shade of yellow, almost luminous, and the fucker had to be nine foot tall, at least. I’d grown, with all the changes to my body, but this fucker? He towered over normal people. Barrett especially gritted his teeth looking up, considering he was short enough to be declared an honorary dwarf.

“You ask for us, yes?” the big fucker beamed, making my every instinct scream that he wasn’t to be trusted. In addition to his height, he was muscled so heavily that it looked as though a professional rugby player had had kids with ‘The Rock’. The only reason he couldn’t be called ‘barrel-chested’ was because it was unfair to barrels.

His skin was a light red, his teeth sharp and pointed, and he was entirely bald. A ring of small horns around the top of his head made it seem like he’d forgotten which order to put his crown and skin on and had picked wrong.

“Your friends, they ask for you. They say you wish to meet the Arena Master, yes?” he asked, still smiling like he was mental.

“Yeah…” I said slowly. “I need to