The Gene of the Ancients (Rogue Merchant Book #2): LitRPG Series by Roman Prokofiev (top books to read TXT) 📕

and dark hair tied in a ponytail. He wore a cloak of disguise, its hood down. He wasn’t a player, but an NPC. What was he doing there?

“My name is Keldarin,” said the NPC. I could see it by the nickname above his head. Keldarin, priest. “Sorry for frightening you. I just wanted to draw your attention when I realized that you came bearing gifts.”

“You almost gave me a heart attack,” I grumbled. “How did you manage to get so close?”

“Invisibility. My cloak’s enchanted,” Keldarin smiled awkwardly. “Players rarely wander in here, and if they do, they mostly try to kill me. How is it you say, add me to the kill rate? That’s why I have to hide.”

“Was it you who cleaned up here?”

Based on the half-elf’s story, he was a traveling cleric. He had found this temple not that long ago, discovering that it had become active. Somebody, according to Keldarin, had turned the shrine on by offering a huge sacrifice to the Gods of Shadow. Seeing as temples of Shadow were rare, and working ones, almost extinct, he had decided to stay and take care of the altars. It was a good way to become one of the few Shadow disciples, and the half-elf was pleased with his find.

It all seemed odd to me. So it was I who had activated the shrine? Then the puzzle fell into place: a sharp increase in reputation, a legendary scroll as the reward. But why was Tormis silent?

“Silent? Really?” Keldarin smiled. “He has accepted your gift.”

I looked back. True, the necklace had vanished from the statue’s hand, and a line in the system log informed me that my reputation increased by ten. Just ten? I hadn’t come all this way for that!

“I see you’re disappointed,” said the half-elf. “Tormis is an unpredictable deity. Sometimes, he gives generous gifts, but he also takes them away. It is an odd choice of a patron for a player. Why did you decide to serve him?”

“I don’t know. Serendipity, I guess,” I said and shrugged. “I think it was him who chose me, not vice versa.”

“I understand,” Keldarin nodded. “It happens. It means that you fit some of his criteria.”

“And how does one become a servant of Tormis?”

“Oh, it’s a difficult question. This god has no servants in the usual sense. He prefers acting by proxy. If he wants something of you, you’ll know that.”

“So I came here in vain,” I said.

“In vain? Nothing happens in vain,” retorted Keldarin, a gentle smile on his face. “Touch the altar.”

Keeping an eye on the strange elf, I pulled off my glove and put my hand on the rough cold stone. The altar lit up, shining with a soft golden light, and I thought that I saw the statue’s hand move. Was it a trick of light?

It was not. A quest icon with an intricate gold frame appeared before me. I had never seen anything like that before. A legendary quest!

You are offered a quest: The Grand Temple of Shadows.

 

Attention! This quest is classified as legendary storyline! Refusing it will result in losing all reputation!

 

Tormis, the God of Shadow, offers you a deal.

 

Each god has their own main shrine. The one belonging to Tormis is veiled and sealed by his enemies. You must find and liberate the Grand Temple of Shadows hidden in the Endless Paths.

 

Completion time and the number of participants: unlimited.

 

Reward: reputation, archetype, (varies).

 

Then came the warning labels: depending on the completion methods, I could encounter 18+ content, violence, reputation loss, not for children and the easily scared, etc. The only thing missing was “DON’T DO IT” written all in caps.

But I, of course, accepted the mission. How stupid would I be to refuse a divine quest?

“If Tormis marked you, I suggest you continue serving him. For you, it will be easier than for most,” said the half-elf behind me.

“Naturally,” I grinned, turning to him. “Oh, and one more question: do all gods love masquerades? I suggest you alter your tactics. You won’t fool even a baby with this disguise, Tormis!”

Your reputation with Tormis increased by 100. Current value: 3910/5000 (Friendly)

 

I heard a chuckle. Where Keldarin had just stood, now was only a dark cloak that fell on the floor in a heap, its contents gone, as if no NPC had been misleading me a few moments ago, telling me tall tales about taking care of the temple. I had guessed his real identity from the first second. What a circus.

I bent down and took the gift left by the god, a cloak of disguise woven from dark blue cloth, almost black. It was almost weightless and smooth like silk.

Cloak of Shadows.

 

Quality: rare.

 

Durability: 34/48.

 

Material: moonsilk.

 

Disguise: upon donning the hood, hides nickname and status.

 

Shadow Step: activates Shadow Walk. 10 seconds/1 hour

 

Increases resistance to shadow, light, air, fire, earth, water, and mind magic by 30%.

 

Wow, that was pretty cool! As far as I knew, common cloaks of disguise had no affixes other than the main one, and most players didn’t particularly care for them. Here, however, I had high resistance scores and Shadow Walk. What was that, by the way? The description said, You can walk in shadow, becoming unseen and intangible in the corporeal world.

 

Invisibility? Great, even if only for ten seconds an hour. It might get me out of a jam someday. I put it on, feeling the cloth cling to my shoulders. A splendid cape. All right, time to leave. I walked toward the stairs leading up.

But as it turned out, the day was far from done. As soon as I stepped outside, the combat log burst in a slew of messages. I was expected.

A throwing net fell