The Gene of the Ancients (Rogue Merchant Book #2): LitRPG Series by Roman Prokofiev (top books to read TXT) 📕

of metallic bodies, their remaining limbs still twitching. There didn’t seem to be any more enemies inside. An ordinary player without a weapon of the Seven would have never survived; even I had a hard time. The counter of Fiery Lightnings zeroed out, while the sword’s experience almost reached the next level. I really needed to improve my lightning bolts. It was the only ranged weapon in my arsenal.

I returned to the throne and carefully pulled at the Ancient’s corpse — time to vacate the chair, buddy — only to flinch back as the skeleton dissolved into dust. I had to hurry. Only a third of the Watchers remained alive, despite the healers’ efforts. I needed to save my clan. I scooped up the unidentified belongings of the dead man and resolutely placed the control band on my head.

Translucent armrests burned my hands with icy cold. I felt a stinging sensation under my eyelids and blinked. When I opened my eyes, the world around me was completely different.

Everything changed. I lost all senses other than sight and touch, and even they were, to put it mildly, unusual. Somehow, I was transported into the Colossus’ body and could look through its eyes.

I stood high above the purple-green flora of the cave. Small figures the size of a cockroach were scampering away, all outlined crimson — the mark of an enemy. Not far, I could see the Ziggurat. It was tiny, toy-like, no higher than my waist. If I raised my hand, I could touch the fog just below the ceiling.

I did it. I was controlling the Ancients’ combat machine. But God, how unusual it felt! As I tried to step forward, I stumbled and almost lost my balance. The Colossus’ center of gravity was located in a completely different spot. Apparently, I had to re-learn how to walk. First things first. I slowly stretched out my huge metallic hand and bent it at the elbow. I overdid it and hit myself in the chest, creating a shower of bright white sparks. Hush, be gentle... I tried once again. Better. I raised my fingers that looked like bronze logs to my face and started opening and closing them, getting used to the controls.

* * *

 

Olaf: Look, it stopped!

 

Komtur: Yes, it’s not attacking anymore. Has that rust bucket jammed?

 

Abbot: Healers, come on, raise the dead! The others, back away!

 

Olaf: What’s going on? What is it doing?

 

Right in front of the dumbfounded Watchers, the metallic behemoth was flexing its arms and bending its fingers one by one. Then it turned its head, made a careful step, reeling and almost falling, like a toddler making its first steps. The second step was more confident. It squatted, stood up, then squatted once again, stretching its arms forward; walked from one wall of the cave to another, swaying. Under the giant’s bronze feet, granite boulders crunched like breadcrumbs. It stopped in the center and bent over, holding its hand to the right half of its metallic chest. Each new gesture seemed steadier than before.

Komtur: Heh, it bowed to us, have you seen it?

 

Abbot: I don’t understand what’s going on!

 

Olaf: I think I get it. Where’s Cat? Can anyone see him?

 

AlexOrder: He’s not answering chat or PM...

 

Abel: Prophet, there’s one live signal — inside the Ziggurat!

 

Abbot: You think that he’s...

 

In the meantime, the Colossus got down on one knee, twisted its finger at the temple, squeezed its fist, and gave the Watchers the finger.

Olaf: Are you still in doubt?

 

After making the obscene gesture the giant seemed to lose interest in the raid. It turned its back on them and headed to the opposite side of the cave — to the crystalline wall that blocked it off. After reaching its destination, it stopped for half a minute, as if studying the shape of the building through the blurry mass.

Then it took a wide swing and punched the barrier with its bronze fist.

* * *

 

The blow made a dull booming sound. The crystal didn’t even reverberate from its crushing power. The system tauntingly informed me: I had dealt one point of physical damage.

I opened the interface, unsurprisingly discovering the bronze figure of the Colossus instead of my character’s paper doll, and read the laconic listing of its stats. It had only three abilities: Stomp, which created a local earthquake, Death Rays, which allowed it to shoot laser eyebeams, and Slow Time, which was the most interesting one. According to the description, it dilated local time tenfold for everyone but me. I could use it one in ten minutes for ten seconds, but sapienti sat. The Rays inflicted seven types of damage at once, making it impossible to block them. The resistance scores of the metallic body were also over the top, each exceeding 95%. Out of a million DPS, less than fifty thousand damage would get actually dealt to it. Its hit points were seven-digit. That was a real monster. I wanted to take a screenshot of the data, but chatrooms, Net, and other features didn’t work inside the Colossus. There was only the exit button, but I didn’t want to hurry. I had to deal with the Crystal of Negation first.

The Death Rays, as expected, also dealt zero damage, as well as the flurry of blows I rained down on the translucent facents. It was pointless; the glass seemed indestructible. I needed to find a weak spot, maybe a small crack, a chip, a scratch...

As my eyes wandered over the Crystal, my attention was drawn by a few black spots below, at the very bottom of the wall. Those were melted fissures created by Aelmaris; from above, they looked no bigger than needle punctures. I leaned on the Crystal so as to improve my balance, carefully aimed, and kicked that