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

Each and every legionnaire in the room echoed those words, and I felt them, as each of them swore their lives to me. I saw their faces, these scarred and grizzled veterans, men and women who’d battled since long before I was born, who now gazed at me with reverence, with belief, and with trust.

I stared down at my Legionnaires, and I felt the familiar fury filling me at how they’d been treated.

The way they’d been spat on by society for holding true to their Oaths and their honor.

I saw in my mind’s eye the battles they’d fought, the way their numbers had dwindled. The way they’d gone out and saved villages, fought the creatures of the night, and on their return, they’d been met with price hikes when they went to buy food, because they were ‘Legion scum’.

I heard the growl in my throat as I regarded them, and I spoke without thinking about it.

“No more.” Thunder filled my voice. “No more will you give your lives for those who treat you like dirt. You are now MY Legionnaires, and you will never have your lives thrown away. You will protect and defend the Empire. You will grow and become all that your ancestors did, and more besides. You are the LEGION, and those fuckers will rue the day they threw you aside! I will lead you. I accept your Oaths, and I swear I shall be worthy of them. We will rebuild the Empire, we will shatter those who plunder its corpse, and we will protect the innocent! We will rise; we will be all that we should be, all that you have dreamt you could be, and we will fix this broken realm!” I roared, my words answered with a ringing, silvery sound as each and every Legionnaire drew their swords, holding them aloft.

“All hail Jax! All hail the Lord of Dravith!” they chanted as one, and I drew in a deep breath, forcing down my anger at all they’d had to endure, as they rose to their feet.

You have accepted two hundred and seventy-four Legionnaires and supporters of the Dravith Cohortes Praetoria into your personal retinue…

“My lord, we have an appointment, I believe…” Augustus said, grinning at me, and I nodded sharply at him. He turned, barking an order.

“Centurion Grizz! Lead the section!”

“Yes, Centurion Primus!” Grizz roared back, his voice echoing off the walls as he about-faced and started forward. Half the Legion fell in ahead, and half brought up the rear behind me. We marched down the corridor, Lydia and the others grinning as they joined the procession. Oracle winked at me as she shrank to fly alongside me as we descended into the bowels of the building. We passed doors and hallways that practically rocked with the shouting from the crowd, and seconds later, we erupted onto the ground floor. Two doors stood ahead, and Mal waited by one of them, freezing as he saw us coming.

He’d clearly been about to complain about us being late, but when he saw my escort, he swallowed back the words and nodded once. Oracle flashed to her full size again and landed, kissing my knuckles once and whispering into my ear, “For luck,” before she took Mal’s proffered arm and was escorted up a flight of stairs towards his private booth.

We passed through the doors, entering a private suite next to the arena, where I could rest and recover between bouts, and I found Mistress Nerin waiting. As the Legionnaires split off, some taking up stations by the doors, others examining the room, she pulled me aside to bring me up to speed on my opponents.

“The first fight is against the Harpies’ choice; a Promethean by the name of Golmar. He’s an arrogant shit who owes me thirty gold pieces from a healing he refused to pay for. I’d appreciate it if you’d remind him of that,” she said, her sharp eyes boring into me.

“Consider him dead as an apology,” I growled.

“It’ll do, as a start. Now go on, get out there. He’s been calling the Legion cowards, since you’re late…”

“Get him,” Grizz said, raising a fist, and I bumped it. The other Legionnaires gave me approving nods, while Yen grinned at me from across the room and called out:

“Teach him to fear the Legion, my lord. Teach him respect!”

“Yeah!”

“Damn right!” came more calls, as the others agreed. I looked at my squad; Barrett, Lydia, Jian, Stephanos, Miren, and Arrin were all there, smiling proudly at me. I felt something behind me, and I grinned, turning to check the corner of the room.

“You can stay in here as well, Bane,” I said, and he straightened, dropping his stealth cloak as he cocked his head.

“You might need a hand…”

“I’ll be fine, but thank you, my friend. Besides, we can’t risk being accused of cheating. If I can’t take Oracle or use magic, I certainly can’t have a bodyguard in a one-on-one match.” I grasped his shoulder and gave it grateful squeeze. He tensed, then stepped back, silently acknowledging the arena’s terms and my need to follow them. I turned from him and looked around the room once more. “Thank you all. Now, someone get me a cold beer and keep it waiting, while I teach this shithead not to insult the Legion!”

“Hoo-ah!” Augustus roared, and the others echoed him. Lydia pulled the door open that led out into the arena.

“Good luck, Jax,” she said as I passed her. “You can do it!”

I grinned at her beneath my helmet. A stray thought caused me to chuckle over the fact that it appeared more ‘Spartan’ than ‘Roman Legionnaire,’ but she heard it and grinned back.

I took the last steps out, and felt my feet sink slightly into the sand of the arena as the metal door clanged shut behind me, sealing me in.

The roar of the crowd was almost a physical pressure as I moved forward, and I surveyed the space, seeing the arena differently from