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

built from dull black stone. Upon a closer examination, the cliff itself was carved into the shape of a malevolent horned demon, the snowy slopes its spread wings. The castle was the crown on its terrifying visage. Was that sight man-made or natural? In any case, it looked impressive.

“Weeping Devil,” someone nearby said with a hoarse voice. “The castle of PROJECT HELL.”

So that’s where they dwelled. Good to know. A grim place, even if the view was nice. Still, too cold for my taste. The raid shifted, and we marched forward. In the solid rock of the cliff, I saw a small crack that cleaved the rock downward. It looked wide enough for only one person. Was that the gate to the famous Helt Akor?

Chapter 19

The raid was in no hurry to go inside. Two scouts carefully entered the vertical rift, the second pausing after the first.

“There might be an ambush,” Alex said quietly. “PKers often camp inside entrances, especially Helt Akor.”

“But this is PROJECT territory.”

“What’s stopping them from tipping them off and not interfering? We’re in full view of the castle crystal.”

However, there was no ambush. We formed a line and went into the crevice, one by one. After climbing through the narrow split that could only fit one body at a time, I felt damp underground air. Torches flashed, dispelling the darkness around us, and a bluish sphere radiating bright light like a powerful object shot upward: one of the wizards had cast Firefly.

We were standing in a long narrow cave, its ceiling and floor covered with stalactites and stalagmites. Between them lay a clearly well-trodden path that could only be traversed by walking in a line.

My sword twitched inside the sheath, giving me a forceful push. It was the Star Metal Wrath, informing me that someone invisible had come into the thirty-feet radius. A dark figure moved on the entrance canopy, coming out of stealth. The raid reacted immediately, pretty much flawlessly. I couldn’t help but admire the lightning-fast actions of my clanmates.

“Hey, take it easy, Watchers!” The discovered man slowly raised his hands, pushed against the wall by the tips of numerous weapons. Spears, swords, and arrows glimmered an inch away from his body, not letting him move.

“Calm down, no sudden movements, or you might cut yourself!”

Komtur commanded them to lower their weapons. The invisible man was from PROJECT HELL and couldn’t be harmed. He was tall, limber, wore leather armor, and was wrapped in some dark rags. Illith, my old friend! I remembered him back from the fight with Liberty, when that bastard had taken out half of the academy.

“What are you doing here? Spying on us?” Komtur asked sharply.

“You use such words... This is actually our territory, or have you forgotten? I make sure that none other than Watchers enter. You’re the only ones with carebear sanction!”

He laughed out in a mocking manner and invitingly gestured at the depths of the cave.

Komtur: Ignore the clowns. Follow me.

 

The cave turned out to be long and twisting like a drunk snake. The perfect place for an ambush. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that it was the source of PROJECT fighters’ superefficient kill rating as they lay in wait for hapless raiders who attempted to farm the Endless Paths.

At last, we stopped, and the sphere above us illuminated a translucent blue veil blocking the mouth of the river. Behind it, in a murky haze, like a water-covered glass, we could see the beginning of a colossal staircase, its giant steps going down.

“We’re here. It’s the entrance to Helt Akor,” Alex said with a cough.

Abbot: Get ready. Form up. Buff, drink elixirs according to raid scheme. Ready in three.

 

* * *

 

Illith: They’re standing by the entrance, buffing up. Forty-seven men. Farming gear.

 

Tao: Good. Watch them.

 

Illith: Only from a distance. They’ve made me.

 

Tao: You’re such a bonehead. Do the Watchers have True Sight?

 

Illith: Nope, just some stealth-dispelling shit. Looks like an artifact, but short-range.

 

Tao: Don’t get close. Shadow them.

 

* * *

 

YOU’RE LEAVING THE WORLD OF DORSA!

 

YOU’RE ENTERING THE ENDLESS PATHS OF HELT AKOR.

 

ATTENTION: IN THIS AREA, SPELL EFFECTS, ARCHETYPES, AND CHARACTER ABILITIES CAN BEHAVE UNPREDICTABLY.

 

We were climbing the staircase carved inside a giant well. Its depths radiated dim crimson light, and shadows flickered on the roughly-cut stone walls. The staircase went down in endless spiral loops, leading to the source of light, deep enough so I couldn’t make out the bottom. The stairs were clumsily cut from stone by some giant: three feet tall, two feet wide, they clearly weren’t intended for short human legs.

“These stairs lead through several layers,” AlexOrder explained. “But the exits are all random. You never know where you might come out.”

The raid moved in a battle formation. Three scouts carrying out recon walked in front of the group, followed by its core: heavily-armored tanks, warriors, archers, mages, and buffers. Then came the rear guard: two heavily-armed fighters and a scout far behind us. As the most useless member of the raid, in Abbot’s opinion, I took a position in the healer protection squad commanded by Damian. Our task was to guard our healers with our lives.

After going down ten flights, we saw a irregular-shaped breach in the wall covered with a translucent instance screen. Two scouts went in, followed by the command for everyone to enter.

We found ourselves in a huge stone grotto with numerous odd stalactites. The opposite wall, like a giant wheel of cheese, was riddled with dozens of passageways that were currently checked by our scouts.

Abel: Got it. There’s a spot behind the tunnels. Large anomaly, lots of signals inside. Checking...

 

Inker: Strange signals. They’ve moving slowly, one of them is big, probably the boss.

 

But