Starfall: A LitRPG Adventure (Tower of Somnus Book 3), page 21
The interior of the building itself was fairly simple. Faded white and blue wallpapering lined the walls and a bored-looking teenager sat behind a counter next to a small supermarket worth of necessary but overpriced goods. Luckily, Kat didn’t have to pay fifty credits due to forgetting a five credit razor or fifteen credits for a one credit roll of toothpaste.
Instead, Whippoorwill and her joined Emma at a bank of gleaming silver elevators. Each of the metal tubes was angled gently, allowing the network of shafts to spread like a spiderweb through the walls of the canyon. Unlike a traditional lift, the keypad for the rest stop’s elevator had a grid of X and Y coordinates, allowing visitors horizontal rather than just vertical access to the broad range of condominiums and suites built into the cliff faces.
The doors to the elevator hissed open, and all three of them stepped inside. It jerked into motion, traveling downward and slightly to the right en route to Emma’s vacation home. For the first ten or so seconds, no one spoke. Eventually, the buzz of the halogen lights and the hum of machinery became too much for Emma.
“I bought us tickets for Neon Dome on Tuesday,” she blurted out, practically bouncing from foot to foot. “That will give us a couple of days to get settled before we head back to Vegas and scope the place out.”
“That sounds pretty good actually,” Kat replied, nodding thoughtfully. “Whippoorwill and I just got some new equipment from Donnst. We’ll need to familiarize ourselves with the new infiltration suits and crossbows before I’ll feel comfortable actually trying any sort of field operation.”
“Dad had a shooting range and a melee sparring ring added on to the facility’s gym,” Emma responded agreeably. “We can practice all we need there. It’s better to work everything out in advance rather than risk something going wrong when we’re in the middle of something dangerous.”
“We?” Whip asked, raising an eyebrow. “I know that Erinyes, Merrimac, and I are going, and there’s an active argument over Jasper and Iris, but they’re players. It’s probably a bad idea to bring them, but at least they have combat experience from the Tower, as well as some magical abilities to bring into play.”
“But I’m a player?” Emma cocked her head to the side, forehead scrunched in confusion. “I haven’t made it to the second level yet, but I’ve managed to get a class and complete two dungeons. I’ll be almost as helpful as Jasper or Iris.”
“Plus.” The blonde girl shrugged. “I’m going to need to be there to pick out which dire wolf puppy I want. It just won’t work if I’m stuck in a hotel or back at the Canyon.”
“Wait.” Kat raised a hand to cut Emma off. “What do you mean you’re a player? Why the hell is this the first I’m hearing about it? You gossip about everything. It just doesn’t make sense that I wouldn’t know your class, weapon, and favorite food in the Tower by now.”
“Oh.” Emma shrugged sheepishly. “I like talking about other people more. My life is fairly boring. I mean, I’m a footpad that uses a half-stave and I don’t usually stick around in towns long enough to get a meal. It just isn’t as interesting as talking about your exploits fighting aliens or where Jasper and Iris went on a date or something like that.”
“You honestly think that Iris and Jasper’s dates are more interesting than fighting monsters and developing superpowers?” Whip asked incredulously. “Seriously, they just went to some expensive place and got fancy spaghetti. They’re a cute couple and all, but I can’t even begin to see why you’d care more about that than talking about the staff tricks you’re learning.”
“Half-stave,” Emma sniffed. “It’s basically a metal bar a little longer than my forearm. It doesn’t hit quite as hard as a full staff, but I can recover from strikes a lot quicker. It’s like a cudgel, except it focuses more on agility than brute strength.”
“And Cafe Mare is hardly ‘an expensive restaurant with fancy spaghetti.’ It’s the most exclusive Mediterranean Seafood dining experience in Chiwaukee. Most people have to wait months to get a reservation. A first date there is incredibly romantic.”
“I’m sure it is,” Kat cut in soothingly, silencing Whip’s retort with a quick glare. “But I’m not sure it’s a good idea for you to raid Neon Dome with us. It’s hardly a fortified NeoSyne military base, but there are going to be samurai on hand and one or two dungeon awards aren’t going to make up the difference between you and heavy chrome, let alone a lifetime of combat training.”
“Oh.” Emma waved a hand dismissively. “I’m hardly a fighter. I mean, I can use my half-stave in a pinch, but I’m far from an expert. No, most of my skills are related to stealth, persuasion, and acrobatics. I can help get us in, and I can stay out of trouble if things get out of hand. I know better than to try anything more than that.”
“We could use someone a little better at sneaking,” Whippoorwill remarked with a chuckle. “Erinyes over here usually just ends up killing everyone and disappearing into the night.”
“Hey,” Kat responded with an overexaggerated shake of her head. “I’ve managed a couple stealth missions without any deaths. Plus, when have I actually failed an objective? Even if I’m a little messy, it works.”
“The only mission I can think of where you maintained stealth ended with you going back and killing the target a couple weeks later.” Whip rolled her eyes. “I still consider that to be a murder spree. Just a delayed one with extra steps.”
Kat stuck her tongue out at Whippoorwill before the two of them broke down laughing. For a moment, it felt like old times. Just the two of them blowing off steam with black humor before a particularly dangerous mission.
Then Emma chimed in, shattering the illusion.
“So I can come with?” she asked hopefully, batting her eyelashes at the two of them. “I really want to be there to pick out the puppy.”
“Fine.” Kat shrugged. “As long as Davis is okay with you coming, I’m not going to object. You’re a big girl and you know the risks.”
Kat barely finished her sentence before Emma squealed and threw her arms around her. She flashed a pained smile past the woman’s head at Whip, already regretting her acquiescence.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Kat held the crossbow to her shoulder, admiring the sleek curves of the carved ivory stock. She closed one eye, resting the weapon against her cheek as she adjusted her stance slightly to take the weapon’s weight into account.
She pulled the trigger, taking note of the smooth, well-oiled action as it released the string, a flexible but iron-hard strand of chaos elk sinew. With a satisfying thwack, the bow kicked gently against her shoulder.
“That’s genuine sawtooth shark hide on the grip and trigger there.”
Kat turned to take in the speaker, a ten legged spider that loomed over her, rubbing two of its forelegs against venom-soaked mandibles. “I had that imported from the fourth floor. Sawtooths are a lot smaller and rarer than megalodons, but their hide is unmatched. Waterproof, rough, and durable, there’s no way the crossbow will slip out of your hands during the heat of battle.”
Kat rapped her knuckles against the ivory that made up the core of the weapon, taking note of the deep thunk that indicated that it was made of solid bone rather than hollowed out to save cost.
“Ah, so you’ve noticed!” The spider rubbed its forelegs together excitedly. “The crossbow’s body has been carved from a single dire monocorn’s tusk. It’s hard and durable enough that you can use it as a club in a pinch. Alas, this model isn’t yet enchanted, but I can easily tell that it would be perfect for a discerning shopper such as yourself.”
“Really?” Kat asked, glancing up at the fur covered pseudo-arachnid. “It seems like a good weapon, but why would you say that?”
“Because,” it answered, reaching down with two of its legs and deftly push either of curved metal bars that held the crossbow’s string inward until they were flush with the stock, locking with a click. “Your weapons and armor are those of an agility-based fighter. This weapon can fold up fairly easily for storage. It’s large enough to do damage to some of the bigger monsters, but also compact enough that it won’t impede the flow of combat if you end up using those knives of yours.”
“Also, just between you and me.” It leaned forward, whispering conspiratorially to Kat while it stared at her with a dozen unblinking black eyes. “You’ve been eyeing up my crossbows the entire time you’ve been shopping, yet you don’t have one on your back. You need a crossbow, and you need it now.”
“Given the quality of the rest of your equipment,” it continued, motioning toward Kat with a spare leg, “I suspect you have access to enchanters, and they’re probably more talented than anyone I know. This model is made of quality materials and it’s good enough to get you to wherever your enchanters live. Once you’re there, you can pay to have whatever enchantment you want laid on it.”
“How much will it cost?” Kat asked, reluctantly setting the crossbow down on the stone counter in front of the spider-creature. “I’m not going to pretend I don’t want it, but my entire team is about to set out on a fairly long journey and I need to save enough marks for supplies.”
“For this prime piece?” The spider spread its legs wide, its fanged head grinning unctuously. “You would be stealing prey from the mandibles of my young for less than one hundred marks.”
Kat clicked her tongue, taking one last look at the crossbow before turning away from the table. She made it two steps away before the sales-being called out to her.
“Wait!” it hissed, sounding almost pained. “Wait. I can’t go below one hundred marks, but I can throw in a shoulder holster and ammunition for it. If you’re so keen to go, it surely must be helpful if you could simply buy all of your quarrels and accessories in one spot before leaving.”
“What kind of bolts are we talking about?” Kat asked, rotating and walking back to the stall. “Are we discussing simple metal-cored shots or something more unique than that?”
“For you, my dear friend,” the spider leaned forward, lowering its head to the same level as Kat’s, “I could make it twenty standard shots, five dazzlers, and five piercers. The dazzlers and piercers have minor enchantments on them that require mana from their wielder, but their effects are worth it. Dazzlers screech and emit directed flashes of light, distracting their targets.”
“Piercers simply ignore a portion of a target’s armor,” it continued, legs deftly snagging a nearby quiver as well as a handful of arrows from a display case. “Not a large portion, mind you, but enough to overcome the crossbow’s weaknesses. It’s hardly a heavy arbalest capable of punching a bolt through a fangspan of metal armor. It is more of a lighter, portable model. Piercers will let you counteract that shortcoming against moderately armored foes.”
“Deal,” Kat replied, flashing the salescreature a bright smile as she extended a hand to transfer the marks. The fur on its leg tickled slightly as it brushed the limb against her.
The minute her money was transferred over, the spider flashed Kat a grotesque grin and handed her the purchases. She nodded before slinging the gear over her shoulder and stepping away from the merchant’s stall.
“That was a pretty good price you got on the crossbow.” Kaleek’s remark drew her attention to where the desoph was leaning against one of the stone pillars in the adventurer’s hall. Casually, he brought a wood skewer to his mouth before tearing off a chunk of the still sizzling meat. “That crossbow is worth at least one hundred marks on its own. The bolts are worth at least another fifteen.”
“Thanks,” she agreed, adjusting the strap holding the bow to her shoulder slightly as she wove her way through the heavy foot traffic of the crowded marketplace. “I heard the merchant tell someone else that they were planning on ascending to the seventh floor in order to get away from the instability bleeding over from the fourth floor. I figured they’d be liquidating stock and that I could get a good price if I played hard to get.”
Kaleek tore the last chunk of meat from the skewer, flicking it out of his fingers and into the bustle of the crowd. Casually, he stuck his fingers into his mouth one by one, licking the juices from his fur.
“What?” he asked, shrugging at Kat’s glare. “The litter disappears with the next reset anyway. I’m not even inconveniencing a cleaning robot.”
“Fine.” Kat shook her head. “It’s still unsanitary and disgusting, but that’s hardly a surprise. Now, where’s Dorrik? I’m ready to head out.”
“They’re just outside the exit,” the otter responded, motioning with one of his hands for Kat to follow. “When I left, they were plotting out our course down to the fourth floor. They sent me back in to let you know that we have all the heat amulets we’ll need for our fight with the Wooly Spider.”
“I’m not excited to fight that thing again.” Kat shivered. “As unpleasant as the boss monster itself was, the blizzard elementals were almost as miserable. Fighting a cloud of ice crystals on top of a glacier isn’t exactly my idea of a good time.”
“I’d help, but you know how hard it is for me to catch those things,” Kaleek shrugged. “Plus, you can probably just use them as target practice for that new crossbow of yours.”
Kat cocked her head, mulling over the big otter’s words as the two of them exited the building, walking out into the mountaintop village. Near the exit to the adventurer hall, Dorrik waved a single hand at the two of them from where they were talking to some sort of bird person.
They approached Dorrik as the lizard wrapped up their portion of conversation, dismissing the avian just as they arrived. The lokkel gave Kat an approving once over before handing her a shiny brass medallion.
“I’m sure you remember how these work,” they remarked, handing another metallic circle to Kaleek. “Once we descend the spire to the fifth floor, simply twist the interior knob and the enchantment will start siphoning off your mana and converting it into warmth. As a reminder, the further you turn it clockwise, the warmer the enchantment. Just be aware that it can only produce so much heat per jaunt in the dreamscape.”
“I have a couple of spares if you burn out,” Dorrik continued, tapping a satchel slung over their shoulder, “but we still need to make it all the way across the glacier to the next spire. Remember, our goal is to make it all the way to the fourth floor before we wake up. I’d prefer not to get stranded on ice wastes for another night if possible.”
Kat nodded firmly, shivering in anticipation as the three of them made their way to the village’s exit. The ice wastes were a special kind of awful. Flat glaciers as far as the eye could see, dotted only by the occasional rocky outcropping with small towns huddled around them.
They had parkas, but the waterproof fur coats were too heavy to wear in combat. Dorrik would hand them out once the three of them made it through the Wooly Spider, but the howling winds and sharp ice crystals of the fifth floor were still miserable. Without any cover to break up or slow the weather, gusts would roar across the ice plains, grinding into travelers like a massive belt sander.
Even with their heavy winter clothing, the three of them were in for an unpleasant experience. Still, Dorrik had a point. If they were going to the fourth floor, their only options were to hurry through the frigid wind storms or to try to find cover after their battle with the floor boss and wait out the night so they could try fresh and rested the following day.
She grimaced as they waded into the soupy mist, following Dorrik’s lead as the lokkel guided them by memory back toward the location where they had first ascended to the sixth floor. One night on the glacier sounded bad. She was more than willing to make it a little more miserable to prevent it from expanding into two.
Finally, after just under an hour of descending the mountain, the three of them came upon the stark white tower that marked the spiral staircase heading down. With a series of curt nods, the three of them assured each other of their readiness and began their descent.
After five or so minutes, they passed through the actual rock and soil of the Tower’s floor. Kat shielded her eyes as the bright light of the fake sun reflected off of the massive ice sheet, almost blinding her.
The great blue-white landscape just past the guardrail stretched on endlessly, its flat expanse only broken by occasional piles of boulders and the stone rings of dungeons. Directly below them lay the massive snow-drift that Kat knew from experience concealed the Wooly Spider.
On their first encounter, even with foreknowledge of what they faced and a plan on how to defeat it, the floor boss had managed to inspire both awe and fear as it had exploded from the drift in a cloud of snow.
Worse, there would be dozens of fist-sized ice crystals embedded in the snow and inundated with the spider’s mana. Almost impossible to see, they would animate, guiding the howling winds into an impromptu blizzard that would conceal the Wooly Spider and buffet attackers.
This time, Kat thought, removing the crossbow from her back as they neared the bottom of the staircase, the party had a plan and they would be ready. Just before they exited the tower, Dorrik stopped and turned to Kat and Kaleek.
“It is time.” They nodded solemnly, reaching up with one hand to begin fiddling with one of the three heat medallions around their neck. “Make sure to leave your non-combat gear in the spire and activate your enchantments. The minute we step out of the staircase, the Wooly Spider will wake up and we will need to act quickly. Miss Kat, are you—”
“I’m ready to cast Water Jet at a moment’s notice,” she cut in, pressing the tab on the bottom of her crossbow and releasing the catches on its limbs. The curved stretches of metal holding the weapon’s string snapped outward, locking into place.
“Good.” Dorrik cracked a smile. “Let’s do this fast and clean. The last thing we need is some sort of injury that slows us down enough that we can’t make it to the fourth floor today. As much as I hate the ocean, the great glacier is worse.”
Kat nodded fervently, reaching up to twist her medallion into the on position before loading the crossbow. Almost immediately, she felt a trickle of her mana begin feeding into the necklace as the brisk air around her warmed like the blacktop on a sunny day.
