Sleeping Player (Project Chrysalis Book 3) by John Gold (novel24 TXT) 📕

world who is my equal, but I’m convinced that’s just a matter of time for you. You’ll be ready soon. How much time do you need?”

The archmage looks weary and tired. The anticipation of death and the fear of the curse he feels have pushed him far, and he hasn’t yet found anyone capable of assisting him.

“Half a year. I definitely can’t do it in any less.”

Once again, he stays so calm I can only tip my hat. A trickle of happiness does seep through, however.

“I’ll wait half a year, and I will come for you then, Sagie. Half a year, and not a minute longer. If you don’t succeed, I’ll make your life a living hell.”

The archmage’s words don’t bother me in the least. Six months is more than enough time to get to his level, and I’ll even be able to find a good spot for the battle.

Tiberius Sen leaves via a portal, leaving us all alive. Smoke streams out of the crater left by Galileo’s comet, and Ekron, already in human form, is climbing out. Femida stops pretending to be a rock and pulls herself out of the molten wall. Only Isaac is thrilled by how he just got to watch the best movie of his life. It’s hard to blame him—the archmage himself just took out three incredibly strong players.

As we all recover, chatting about what just happened, the trial time draws to a close. Ekron asks us to call her Roni, and she’s been making eyes at Femida the whole time. I can’t help but be surprised at the way Fem straightens up, thrusts out her chest, and starts talking highbrow. Usually, there’s a curse after every other word, but now it’s just girlish chatter. Apparently, I’m understanding the people around me less and less. What, they like each other?!

Ekron tells us how she became a demonologist and picked up her set of unique abilities. Yep, Sagie, don’t underestimate her. She’s older than she looks, and she has experience living in a world rife with ambushes, a world where you never know which way the next attack will be coming from. She has a strong personality, she values friendship, and she’s responsible in her decisions and actions. Really, she thinks like a grown woman with no need of male care or attention. But she’s a strong opponent, so I keep in mind how dangerous it would be to trust her implicitly.

Six months ago, she was in a mining clan that forayed regularly into the Inferno for rare ores. The alliance the clan was in offered them protection while the miners were working. But as soon as the job turned sour, the battle group took off through a portal, leaving Ekron to cover the miners’ retreat. She was taken captive and forced to change her respawn point. After two months spent waiting in prison for her clan to come and break her out, she learned that the alliance had turned its back on her. The clan decided to do the same in order to maintain a good relationship with the alliance, and she ended up being the only one left in the lurch.

She spent the next two months having heart-to-hearts with the highest demons in the Inferno, not to mention developing her skills incessantly. Satan offered something nobody else could: revenge. And Petbe told her how she could get it. With that, the plan for the demon invasion into the Project Chrysalis world was hatched, and Ekron picked up her demonologist subclass from Satan himself. He was the one who taught her magic. When she shows me her magic seal textbook, claiming that it’s the only one in the entire world, I pull out my own copy. Yes, it’s a demonstration of power, and we’re both satisfied with each other.

We write down each other’s contact information and part ways when the judges, somewhere in the sky, announce the end of the probation period. The girls say goodbye sweetly, promising to see each other again as soon as possible. The judges open the portal back, and I leave Katain and its welcoming inhabitants behind me. Femida decided to find her own way back.

Absolutely everyone wants to kill me when I get back to the room where they are gathered.

The three unsuccessful Hunters who were on my team told everyone that I’m Sagie, and that I’m colluding with Ekron. The judges, who watched the whole thing, explain to everyone that I didn’t violate any of the rules. On the contrary, the fact that Ekron didn’t help in the defense saved the lives of many local Hunters participating in the attack.

Finally, it’s time for the award ceremony.

“Almark, your code name is White Lamb,” the administrator says as everyone laughs, “for your ability to blend in with the crowd. You’re like a wolf in lamb’s clothing who can guide the rest of the hunters. Which skill would you like?”

“Manipulation.”

With that my trial ends, and I’m a Hunter. Not counting my acquaintance with Ekron and the promise I made to the archmage, it actually went pretty smoothly. There were no gods attacking, I wasn’t killed, and I got exactly what I wanted. Femida is already at the south end of Katain by the time I managed to lose my tail and head to our meeting point in a remote village at the north of Radaam.

It’s warmer here than in the central and southern parts of the continent. There’s only snow in the mountains.

With my new manipulation ability, I start pouring everything I can into my life aura. It now extends thirty meters and costs a thousand mana per minute. Ten simultaneous auras have the same effect as a weaker healing for anyone within that radius, and my mana restoration speed means I can overcome the enormous cost and develop both skills at the same time. My mental body modification doubles my mana