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

born an idiot, and you’ve only gotten stupider as you aged. Shut up while the adults are speaking,” Nerin snapped. “So, you want an Oath, we all agree to it, and you’ll explain what that thing was?”

“Yes and no,” I replied tiredly. “I’ll explain as much as I can, but certain things, I’m not going to discuss with anyone who isn’t sworn to me, and even then, there are few I’ll discuss those kinds of details with.”

“Sworn to you?” Nerin asked. Then her eyes shimmered with an internal light as she stared at me fixedly for a few seconds.

I grabbed Augustus’s wrist as he started forward, determined to place himself between me and danger, and I shook my head when he looked at me. “Augustus, I know you see your job as protecting me right now, but please, chill the fuck out.” I said, shaking my head carefully. My exhaustion was making things far harder than they needed to be.

. “I’m too goddamn tired for this right now. You relax, and you’ll get to hear the story, or you can go wait in the corridor, okay?” He swallowed hard, then nodded, stepping back and moving to stand behind my chair.

“I accept,” Nerin said, and I gaped at her, as did most of the room.

“What? Are you people all crazy? I ain’t swearin’ no Oath…” Mal said, but Nerin spoke over him.

“He’s a Scion of the Empire, confirmed by the Emperor, as well as the Champion of the Goddess Jenae. Those are two titles I can’t imagine are possible to fake, so you’ll shut your mouth and leave the room, or you’ll swear the Oath, boy. I’ve got things to do tonight, not least of which is to sort out my damn shop from the mess I’d bet you all left it in! Did anyone think to lock the door when you carted me off like a sack of potatoes?” she asked, and the feeling of tension in the room changed to one of embarrassment. “Great! Wonderful... so now I’ve probably been robbed blind, as well.” She gestured irritably at a pile of maps on a chair, which Gaion quickly moved. “So, this Oath, let’s get it done. I’ll use a modified ‘Confidence’ spell I know. Not the kind that makes you feel good about yourself, before you say anything either, Jay. It’s confidence like ‘in confidence’, I occasionally have to cast this for certain…’neutral parties’ so that they can meet. It examines your words for truth as you believe it and increases the level of pain and injury felt, depending on intent, as that’s the safest way. If you say something in here, accidentally in the heat of the moment, it will warn you with pain, and we will all know about the lie. Speak it elsewhere, to others… you’ll not survive, understood? Now… ‘I swear by my power and by my life that I will not repeat, discuss, or share by intent, word, or omission, any information shared in this room with anyone not present at this time, for the period of seven days, following today, I further swear that all words I say will be honest to the best of my knowledge,’” she intoned, lifting her right hand, palm up. A small circle appeared floating above her palm, and a dozen lines of blue-white light flashed out, reaching to hover before everyone in the room.

I started, surprised at the casual display of power, but I reached out, touching the thread of magic with my right forefinger and repeating the words. Once I’d finished, the thread sank back to the circle, causing the ring to pulse slowly.

With my example, the others followed suit, Bane, Lydia, Soween, and Josh, everyone reached out. Even Jay complied, despite the fact that he then rubbed his finger on his leg, as though trying to get something off it.

I tried not to laugh as I realized everyone was doing it exactly as I had, touching the hovering line with their right forefinger.

When Mal finally was the only one left, he started to swear, grumbling under his breath as he reached out to touch the line as well.

“Not that finger!” I shouted, causing him to jump and pull back. Staring around in panic, he saw me trying to hide a laugh. He swore at me and prodded the line, repeating the words faithfully while glaring at anyone who sniggered… which was half the room.

“Sorry, Mal…” I said, still trying to contain my laughter at his reaction, then grunted as my throat constricted and made me cough hoarsely.

“Are you?” he demanded, and I forced a grin.

“No, not at all,” I admitted. I wrestled myself to an upright position again and drew in a deep breath, before beginning my story. “I think I need to go back to the beginning, more or less. I’m Jax, Lord of the Great Tower, and of Dravith. I am an acknowledged Scion of the Imperial Family, and I was named so by Eternal Emperor Amon. I’m in command of the Tower now, but when I arrived…”

I spoke for nearly an hour, occasionally interrupted with requests for more detail, but by the end, I’d covered my arrival in the world, the SporeMother, the Great Tower, Jenae, our arrival in the city, and the plan to free the people. Finally, I reached the incident in the market.

“Once we were in the market, I saw things I couldn’t ignore,” I said, struggling to shift myself upright yet again. “I… uh, Nerin? Why am I still so exhausted? Surely I should have recovered by now?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“The magic that I used to reconstruct your body and fix the extensive damage was complicated and immensely powerful. It’s not the kind of spell I use regularly, and it’ll have side effects for the next few days, maybe a week. Also, I’ve yet to be paid for my part in all this, not to mention the damage that bringing the Legion to my