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

hundreds of miles’ slog. It’d have taken weeks to get to the Tower that way. Only difference is they’d be fightin’ creatures along the way; this way, they get to ride.”

“Shit,” I said, shaking my head. “I know it’s the best plan we’ve got. It just it feels so…”

“Off the cuff?” Soween asked, and I nodded. “All of his plans do, sir. Scares the shit outta me. Somehow, they work… usually.”

“I really don’t like the extra time away from the Tower, either,” I admitted.

“Then take off once we’re at sea. Take the fastest ship and head back, and we’ll bring the rest of the ships the long route,” Mal offered.

“Not a cat’s chance in hell,” I snorted. “We’re in this together, Mal. We either all make it, or we die trying.”

“Then you need to send those orders to the Legion, son. Get 'em written up and give 'em to one of your fliers, with orders to eat the papers if they get captured.”

“I will,” I said, already planning out the letter, and just hoping that they’d agree.

“Then it’s settled?” he asked, and I nodded. “Then you’re stayin' here until tomorrow night, if Oracle confirms the Emporium is a valid target, and the night after if not, so fuck off while I try to get the final details sorted here. I need to sort out what I’m takin' and what I’m leavin'.”

“We’ll need a shit ton of potions as well: Mana, Health, Stamina, all of them. Oh, and make sure you get some of the expensive bottles as well; the dwarves loved that shit.” I nodded toward the gold-leaf covered bottles, and he started to laugh.

“That? It may be gold leaf on the bottle, but it’s filled with the cheapest shit I could find! I tell people it’s the good stuff, they take one look at the bottles, and boom, they believe me! Once you pay the bottles off, it’s all profit. My beers cost me more than that rotgut.”

“Sneaky fucker!” I said, grinning.

“Damn right, son. Make 'em look at the right hand, and take their purse with the left. Now go on, fuck off.”

“Love you too, mate!” I said, grinning and levering myself to my feet. “Come on, then, guys. Let’s get back to our rooms and get some shut eye. First thing tomorrow, I’m gonna need a favor from you, Augustus.”

“Of course, Lord Jax. What do you need?” Augustus asked, straightening to attention.

“Training, mate. If I’m going to look the part of the Legion and not embarrass you all completely, I need to be taught to fight with a sword and shield.” Augustus blinked and looked taken aback.

“You mean, you can’t fight with them already?” he asked, and I grimaced sheepishly.

“I’ve had some training, but I usually rely on my naginata, and my stubbornness. Oh, and my magic…”

“Well… damn.”

“Well said, Centurion Primus, well said.” I clapped him on the shoulder as he took up position in front of me, leading the way back to our rooms for a sleep that I was sure was going to be far too short.

Chapter Sixteen

I was shaken awake six hours later, bleary eyed and confused. When I’d fallen asleep, Oracle had been refusing to get into bed with me, insisting that I needed to rest. Now, standing exactly where that vision of loveliness had been, was Augustus.

And the fucker was stripped down to his pants.

I jerked back, scrabbling away and smacking the back of my head off the wall behind the bed.

“Owww, god-dammit!” I muttered, rubbing my head and scowling at Augustus. “Okay, dude, what the hell are you doing here, and where are your clothes…”

“Hah! Your companion asked me to awaken you, as she has gone to examine the Emporium with the arena master. As to my clothes, all the clothing you need for training is your skin! Gives you a reason to avoid blows even more!”

“Depends on the blow…” I muttered, dragging myself across the bed and getting up. Augustus moved back to the door and opened it, speaking over his shoulder as he headed out into the corridor.

“Dress in whatever you feel appropriate, my lord, but if you want me to make a Legionnaire of you before the fight tonight, I need as much time as possible. I’ll meet you in the arena.” With that, he let go of the door and walked out of sight, just as I realized two things… First, I was naked, having attempted to entice a laughing Oracle into bed last night with a willycopter… and second, Yen was leaning against the wall opposite my room, talking with another Legionnaire. Meaning I’d literally just flashed her my third leg.

Dammit.

I just knew I was bright goddamn red  as I searched my gear for some pants that were close enough to what Augustus was wearing, swearing about the big bastard.

Not only was he massively muscled, he must be one of those fuckers who got waxed or something. I looked like a bear that someone had speckled with paint and then played ‘join the dots’ with all my scars. He looked more like a cross between Dwayne bloody Johnson and a friggin’ underwear model.

I hated him already.

I hurried to get dressed, then picked up my naginata and headed out of the room. Meeting Yen in the corridor and seeing her beetroot-colored cheeks made me grin, at least, as I nodded to her and pretended to have no idea why she was red.

I was led through the quiet halls by our rooms and out into the building proper, where I got my second surprise of the day. It was full of people. Everywhere I looked, someone was either crashed out on the floor or sleeping on a hastily erected cot. As Yen directed me through the space, people began to stir, and here and there, I recognized a face.

They were slaves I’d freed in the market, or the Djinn. Some looked at me as though confused who I was, while others stared at me worshipfully, as