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

Ruwen said. “We need to decide the first three structures to build.”

“Barracks,” Vachyl said immediately.

“The Alchemists will need a Laboratory,” Zahara said.

“The walls need rebuilt in many places and the gates repaired,” Yana said.

“The temple may house a few thousand, but we can’t feed them all here,” Gabryel said. “We need a Dining Hall, as well as more Living Quarters.”

“A Workshop,” Yana added.

“We need an Scryer Room,” Drivyd said, and then explained when he saw Ruwen’s confused expression. “A place to collect and analyze all the data the scouts collect.”

Zahara spoke again. “We will need many specialist buildings, but a forge will probably be required. Most of us were wearing our best gear when we died. Some will need completely new items.”

Odalys frowned. “The Mages would benefit from Spires that keep their creations up and away from others. Constructing magic items is dangerous.”

“A Storehouse for any extra food we manage to create,” Gabryel said.

Ruwen’s head reeled. They needed months or years for all this. He had days. After a moment of thought, he did the best he could. “We’ll find space for the Laboratory and Scryer room here in the temple.” He turned to Odalys. “The Mages can use the tops of the city’s tall buildings.”

Ruwen looked at Yana and Zahara. “See if any of the lower portions of those buildings will work for the Storehouse, Workshop, and Merchant specialists.”

“New construction will center on the walls and gates, a Dining Hall, and Barracks,” Ruwen said.

Lir, please update Hamma’s map with all the places in the temple with rooms the size of our current location or larger.

Then in Chat, Ruwen spoke to Hamma. Your map has all the decent size rooms in here. You can check them out and see what works best for the Laboratory and Scryer rooms.

Okay. What are you doing?

I’m talking to Fractal about an idea Rami gave me. About using terium for something other than reviving.

Okay. Don’t have any fun without me.

I won’t. Promise. And as soon as you have those three Elders on the right track, leave and focus on gaining your Sub Class.

Okay, I will.

Once again, Ruwen took the Elders’ silence as assent, and stood. “I’ll leave you all to determine the names and order of those to revive. Then the War Council and City Council can split and focus on your areas.”

Ruwen turned and left the room. He opened his map and found Sift. Not wanting Hamma to get distracted by his location, he dropped her from the group and added Sift.

What are you doing? Ruwen asked Sift using Chat.

It is bad enough to hear your voice when you’re around, but now you’re in my brain.

Ruwen smiled. And there’s a lot of empty space in here. You probably hear hear hear, echoes echoes echoes.

Very funny.

Is Lylan working on her Specialization?

Yes, and she kicked me out of the room. She said my whistling distracted her.

Shocking. Why aren’t you Fortifying?

I used up most of the Spirit. Plus, I can barely move. I may have pushed too hard.

Want to go talk to Fractal with me?

Will Blapy be there? Sift asked in a worried voice.

Ruwen thought about the Divine version of Blapy that had appeared and upgraded Scos a couple of hours ago. I haven’t seen her in a while. We’re probably safe.

I guess, but I’m tired of surprises.

You and me both, brother.

Ruwen left the temple and walked into the cool night air. The moon shone brightly, making it easy to see with his Gold Fortified eyes, and Whiskers appeared next to him in his puma form. Ruwen opened the minimized notifications.

Ting!

You have completed the quest “Foundations (Part 1)”

You have received 60,000 experience(50,000*(1.2 Tutor Modifier))!

Ting!

You have completed the quest “The Southern Front (Part 1)”

You have received 60,000 experience(50,000*(1.2 Tutor Modifier))!

One hundred twenty thousand experience almost put Ruwen halfway to level twenty-four. He opened his Profile and glanced at his experience.

Experience: 121,705/276,000

More notifications appeared, and Ruwen opened them.

Ting!

You have received the quest…

Foundations (Part 2)

Increase New Eiru’s Fortification Effectiveness to 70% and provide an organizational structure for the City Council to manage the city.

Reward: 75,000 experience

Accept or Decline

The seventy percent made Ruwen pause. Did that mean he could track values like that? If so, where. Lir, is there a display some place that gives details on the city?

Details are available at the High Priest panel in the private chapel.

Any chance it could be added to my interface?

Eleven unknown variables make the odds difficult to calculate—

Ruwen interrupted the temple. I mean, can you add it?

Modification of a biological’s neural interface is outside the bounds of my directive.

I’ll take that as a no. Rami?

You are a helpless man-child, Rami said.

I know. Thank you.

Ruwen’s map pulsed yellow, and he opened it to find a new tab named New Eiru next to the one labeled Shattered Sun.

Opening the New Eiru tab, Ruwen scanned the mostly red text until he found Fortification Effectiveness. The quest had wanted him to increase it to seventy percent, which would take some work since it currently rested at fifteen percent.

The quest also required him to organize the city, something else he had no experience doing. With a sigh, Ruwen accepted the quest and looked at the second one.

Ting!

You have received the quest…

The Southern Front (Part 2)

Revive ten thousand warriors and create a command structure for the War Council’s orders.

Reward: 75,000 experience

Accept or Decline

Ruwen chose Accept and thought about these new challenges as he moved toward Sift’s location. He knew better now than to think these would be easy. In fact, knowing a tiny part of the difficulties with managing so many people, he felt pessimistic about their chances of surviving an all-out attack by the invading army. They just couldn’t afford to let the temple be damaged or destroyed. Three-quarters of a million people were counting on Ruwen to revive them. If he failed, they would die forever, and it would be his fault.

Hopefully, Fractal could help prevent that.

Chapter 47

Ruwen found Sift sitting just inside the crystal forest that surrounded the dungeon’s portal. Sift’s eyes were closed,