The Demonic Games (Disgardium Book #7): LitRPG Series by Dan Sugralinov (e book reader free .TXT) 📕

out of Dis in the heat of a battle I was losing. After dinner they came over and invited me to their place. To discuss something, they said.”

“Oh, Alex, who haven’t they invited over?” Michelle took on a mysterious expression and snickered. “Do you like them? You find them attractive? Non? Then you have a problem. You haven’t been farming exp, you’re on your last life. You’re at level one still… Those three are what, level twenty? Can you fly away as soon as you log in tomorrow?”

“Only if the penalty allows it…”

“Oh Nether, yeah, you’re the worst player of the day too!” Michelle emitted some complex French curse word that the comm immediately translated, toning down the particularly juicy parts.

“There’s another problem too.” Smoothie has this Ephemeral Web of Pacification. If she manages to get it over me…”

The elevator doors opened and we walked out onto the recreation level, which shattered my concept of the word. The idyllic landscape had changed, transforming the floor into something more reminiscent of a downtown street at night, the lights of animated billboards and holographic adverts gleaming down on swaying crowds of people. The floor shook with bass vibrations. There were fewer than three hundred contestants left, but each of them had flown in with a support group, and they had plenty of time on their hands to kick back.

“How about this? If we don’t find our guys in the club, I’ll tell them about you in the morning. When they find out you’re in trouble, they’ll be forced by the contract to help,” Michelle said quietly, smiling to someone.

Acquaintances greeted the girl warmly and looked at her companion — me — with surprise. She kept leading me down toward the end of the ‘street,’ exchanging greetings and funny in-jokes as she went.

“That’s Boom Boom,” she said, although the club’s name was already lighting up the sky with all the colors of the rainbow. “Anything goes inside except violence, but even that’s allowed if both sides agree first.”

“How’s that?”

“It’s the only place in the hotel where you can fight without getting thrown out of the Games. Ever been in a club like this? Non? Then stay close to me, or else… Well, if anyone takes a shine to you, don’t agree to a fight, just call a guard…”

Michelle pulled me forward, the doors opened and I found myself in some cauldron of hell — a giant room with a rectangular bar at its center, a dance floor and several stages surrounding it, with comfortable tables and sofas by the walls. Deafening music beat against my ears, the bass shaking my teeth and sending shivers down my spine. Bright flashes of light gave way to pitch darkness intersected with laser beams, the people wreathed in clouds of smoke.

Strippers danced on special platforms. Waitresses walked through the hall in holographic costumes of various races. Long-legged elves elegantly strolled with trays full of wine glasses. Some goblin girls, fairly attractive for their species, darted around the dance floor with some smokey strange mixtures. Fairies on rollerskates flitted by with cocktails. A cute orc girl danced along, serving tequila and letting contestants lick salt off her; a nymph-like gnome girl invited all comers to drink up, offering a tray of vodka shots and pickles.

I decided not to mix my drinks and took a glass of dark dwarven ale from a short and shapely dwarf girl. Michelle opted for red wine.

The place teemed with life. Light flashed, transforming human figures into two-dimensional black shadows. Colors changed, beams shot down from all angles. It was hard to make out anyone in the crowd, and I wasn’t really trying.

Michelle opened an app on her comm, exchanged messages with someone and asked:

“What is your relationship with Hellfish?” she had to shout into my ear. “You’re both partners with the Travelers and Modus, right? You know, even if we’re in time to help you, Smoothie, Phobos and Riker won’t be alone. They’re in Destiny’s group! That old bitch won’t miss her chance to get back at you.”

“Hellfish’s group can help… But where do we find them?”

“You’re like a little kid, Alex! Come on,” she glanced sideways at a fairy drone offering a ‘wide assortment of relaxing, invigorating and accelerating potions,’ pressed herself against me and spoke into my ear: “Have you even used the demonic comm yet? You see the minimap? There’s Hellfish’s marker, he’s right there, on the second floor. And put your arms around me, damn it! Why are you so stiff?!”

I obediently put my hand on her waist and we made like a couple in love, walking past the sofas where contestants smoked shisha pipes, then past the striptease area where girls spun on poles, also dressed as Disgardium characters.

The largest audience was gathered around a gigantic orc girl with melon-like — both in color and size — breasts. She was impressively flexible, and the pole impressively strong to hold her weight. It must have been reinforced. Among her fans I noticed the drooling jockey Frankie. He was furiously showering the dancer with phoenixes, waving them onto her from his comm. I nearly tripped — I never would have suspected his tastes!

Michelle led me upstairs, and the music grew even louder. Now the bass didn’t just vibrate down my spine, but all through my body, and the melody — it was amazing! It seemed to be at just the right frequency, calming, driving away anxiety and dark thoughts.

On the second floor, we reached a table surrounded by sofas and chairs. Hellfish and Anna were seated there, overlooking the dance floor. They were kissing. Filex and Olaf sat on another sofa unmoving, their eyes closed. Koba snored in one chair and Alison Wu slept in another, her feet up on an armrest. Drool trickled from the girl’s open mouth. The other group members were nowhere to be seen.