The Fourth Secret: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (Divine Apostasy Book 4) by A. Kay (best short books to read .TXT) 📕

kissed Ruwen. “I missed you. I went to your room and saw the portal. What did you do in Blapy?”

Ruwen took a moment to try and sum up that experience. “I worked on the library and Sift’s parents made me do some Bamboo Viper Clan stuff. Believe me, I wish I’d been here with you instead.”

“That sounds more exciting than kneeling in the chapel for hours at a time. I don’t feel any closer to activating my Sub Class. You’re so lucky not having to do this.”

Ruwen had wondered the same thing. He squeezed Hamma’s hand. “That sucks. I’m sorry.”

Rami, do you know why everything Class related comes so easy to me?

It’s because you’re a Champion. Champions are an exception in the Pact to the agreed upon leveling delays.

Wait. Are you telling me abilities, spells, Classes, and all that is being artificially postponed?

Yes. After a minimum threshold, a random value is assigned. When the required spiritual focus is met, the capability is unlocked.

That’s stupid.

It’s just one way the gods use to limit how fast power scales.

The Pact is dumb.

It ended an incredibly destructive era. This world would not have survived without almost all the gods signing it.

Who didn’t sign it?

Lalquinrial is the only one I know for sure. Rami paused and then added with a little emphasis. And you of course.

The change in Rami’s tone made Ruwen focus intently on her statement, and understanding hit him like an avalanche. He had been given Divine power with the Architect Role, but he hadn’t signed the Pact. Which meant he wasn’t bound by it.

Rami continued. Of course, Lalquinrial must be very careful. He has survived because he stayed away from this planet and doesn’t abuse his freedom from the Pact. Rami paused again before resuming. If he did, the gods would band together and destroy him. Because the rules only work when everyone abides by them.

Uru had told Ruwen the gods would band against him, eventually. This revelation would require some more thought. It gave him a dangerous advantage over the other gods.

“Starfield?” Hamma asked.

Ruwen focused back on Hamma. “Sorry. I just drifted off for a second.”

Hamma shook her head. “If I had a copper for every time your thoughts wandered, I’d be rich.”

“You are rich,” Ruwen said with a smile.

Hamma returned the smile. “That’s true.”

Ruwen felt happy that Hamma’s mood had improved, even if he’d sort of lied to her. “Speaking of that. I need one of the terium coins.”

Hamma reached into the Dimensional Bag at her waist, removed a coin, and handed it to Ruwen. “Why?”

“I used up the last of the Temple’s terium reviving some city Elders.”

“And?”

Ruwen bit his lip. “There was a misunderstanding.”

“Okay, what does that mean?”

Ruwen winced. “I tried to keep them in their recovery beds, but they wouldn’t listen.”

Hamma frowned. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“I warned them, but they ignored me. And I might have overreacted.”

“Is that what that loud boom was? The walls shook.”

“Yes, part of it. They started casting spells, so I applied some pressure of my own.”

“And what happened?”

“Things fell apart.”

Chapter 43

Hamma stared at the bloody floor of the recovery room. “You literally meant they fell apart.”

Ruwen winced again.

Niall had opened a hole in the floor and had pushed most of the chunks into it. He continually prayed as he worked, and Ruwen felt a little guilty for making the Priest clean up by himself.

“Is there something I can do?” Ruwen asked.

Niall looked at them. “Did you find more terium?”

Ruwen nodded.

“Sister Hamma, can you please add it to the temple,” Niall said.

Hamma turned without responding and went back into the revival room. She walked to the far side and pulled a long drawer from the wall. “You told me you had a misunderstanding with them, well it’s the most expensive one in history. Put your coin in here.”

Ruwen added the coin and Hamma slid the drawer closed. She walked to a display and swiped her finger across it. “You want to revive the same six?”

Ruwen sighed. “Yes, and as fast as we can.”

“They’ll be thrilled to see you again so soon.”

Ruwen smiled. “I have that effect on people. But it’s not me they’ll fear, but my totem.”

Hamma narrowed her eyes at Ruwen. “Is that some ridiculous innuendo?”

While camping with Big D, Ruwen had spent hours practicing controlling the band balls Bliz had given him. He used those skills now to shoot the Stuffed Centipede of Solace out of his Void Band and into his other hand. He held the small stuffed animal toward Hamma. “Fear it!”

Hamma smiled, and it warmed Ruwen’s chest.

“You’re so stupid,” Hamma said, and returned to her work.

Ruwen opened his eyes wide. “Blasphemy, woman. You are lucky Scos has recently fed on the wicked or you would surely suffer for such words.”

“Scos?”

“Stuffed Centipede of Solace.”

“You should really leave the naming to Sift.”

“That hurts, Hamma. Truly, you are an evil woman.”

Hamma laughed. “Leave me alone so I can get these six cooking.”

Ruwen put Scos away and paced around the room, juggling the band balls Bliz had given him. His quest, A Wasted Youth, required him to compete against Bliz in a game of Band Ball, and he wanted to beat the old man.

“Quit goofing off, they’re almost done,” Hamma said.

With Gold Fortified reflexes and the recent Attribute increases, Ruwen’s control had vastly improved. He let the six band balls fall into his Void Band one by one. He didn’t have the skill of Ahvy and her Shooters, who had made loading Ruwen’s Void Band for the entire camping trip back in Deepwell look trivial, but he’d made progress.

“I’m working on a quest,” Ruwen said.

Hamma rolled her eyes. “You have a juggling quest?”

Actually, since the quest involved spiked void cider, it was probably more of a drinking quest. That didn’t help his case, however. “Kind of.”

Niall entered the revival room, his clothes covered in blood. “I’m going to cleanup and change clothes. I’ll return as quickly as possible.”

Hamma acted like she hadn’t heard, so Ruwen answered. “Great, thank you for