Collect the World (A LitRPG Adventure, Book 2), page 2
At one point, Surk harrumphed loudly, causing everyone to fall silent. To them, he looked disappointed, but he was secretly intrigued by the gossip. Forget it. To be the leader, he had to act like one. However, maybe he could find a chance to ask Keith some questions of his own. Alone, of course.
Fifteen minutes later, a dozen people flew into the air without mounts and hovered above the two hundred thousand people gathered in the field. Among them were Major General Luca, Major General Alyssia, Major General Frod, and High Commander Markus. The field fell silent in a heartbeat as two hundred thousand pairs of eyes gathered on their figures.
High Commander Markus spoke first, his voice reaching the entire field. “Over six months have passed since we arrived in the Grandsky Realm. By chance, the other dimensions haven’t discovered our presence, but with every passing day, we roll the dice. That ends now. After today, we’ll hold the initiative in our hands. No longer will we need to restrict our movement to Serenity Canyon. No longer will we need to hold back our growth. With skynet in place, we’ll have the confidence to expand.” Markus paused, his eyes growing sharp. “That’s why today’s operation must succeed. If you encounter people from other dimensions, capture them immediately; if you can’t, kill them. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, sir!” Everyone around Keith shouted in unison, the combined might of their voices sending a shockwave throughout the field.
Major General Luca waved her arm. “Move out!”
At her command, the army collectively summoned griffins and flew off after splitting into three groups, each heading to one of the zones bordering Serenity Canyon. To the northeast was Typhoon Beach, to the southeast was Mandara Desert, and to the southwest was Redpine Rainforest. The destination of Keith’s group was Typhoon Beach.
As they traveled, Keith watched as one team after another split off from the main group until, eventually, Keith’s team separated as well. Half an hour later, Keith found that a large body of water took up half of Typhoon Beach, with the other half covered in sand and dried wood. Keith felt the temperature drop as he flew deeper into the zone. Occasionally, he saw the shadows of large aquatic creatures swimming deep in the water, their vast size making him wary.
Finally, after two hours of flight, Lieutenant Surk had the team land near a large pile of rotting tree trunks. Right when Keith’s feet touched the ground, he sensed the activation of a skill beneath the sand.
“Careful!” Keith shouted and cast Cold Snap, using his will to direct the freezing effect downward just as a giant crab broke through the surface. A deafening snap came from the crab’s pincer, the monster’s slowed movements causing it to miss its target.
[Mythic] Beach Crab – Level 650
Health: 2,000,000/2,000,000
Keith’s team retreated and observed the monster before them. Its carapace was dark red, and it reached almost a story high and fifteen feet across. Most notable was its massive pincers, easily capable of snapping a horse in two.
Thanks to Keith’s mana affinity from his Mana Lifeform title, he could vaguely sense the mana flow in his surroundings. That’s why he quickly shouted, “There’s more!”
From Keith’s initial warning, Lieutenant Surk knew he could trust Keith’s judgment, so he slammed the ground with his palm. “Earthshatter!”
BOOM!
A shockwave spread downward, injuring the Beach Crabs hiding below. Taking this chance to retreat, Keith’s team regrouped in the distance. Tessa, the woman who’d first asked Keith about Markus, laughed. “Nice landing spot, Surk.”
“Just some bad luck,” Surk replied as eleven more Beach Crabs emerged from the sand.
Keith’s team consisted of six combatants and four engineers responsible for setting up the magic network pillars, meaning it was six against twelve. Thankfully, none of them were your run-of-the-mill fighters. With the initial surprise over, Surk assumed a boxing stance and rushed forward.
“I’ll restrain them!” Keith yelled and divided his mind before casting Entangling Roots. Under Keith’s meticulous control, dozens of thick branches sprang from the sand and wrapped around the Beach Crab’s limbs, binding them completely. In a blur, Surk appeared below the torso of the closest Beach Crab and punched upward with a swift uppercut.
BANG!
The force of the punch sent the Beach Crab flying upward, only for Keith’s Entangling Roots to pull it back. Surprise covered Surk’s face, wondering why Keith’s skill didn’t break. He wasn’t aware that Keith’s Mana Body raised all his skills by one grade, making his Entangling Roots skill divine grade.
However, as a veteran soldier, Surk didn’t let his confusion slow him down. One punch after another slammed into the belly of the Beach Crab, mincing its internal organs into mush. The monster died in a few seconds, allowing Surk to move on to the next. At the same time, the other four fighters in the team took on a crab of their own.
When the last monster shattered into motes of light, everyone looked at Keith in a new light. From beginning to end, Keith had locked the dozen Beach Crabs in place, making the entire fight a cinch. They wondered how high his Entangling Roots skill level was.
Surk composed himself and ordered, “Clear the perimeter.”
With the fight over, one of the engineers approached Surk and informed him, “Sir, we’ll need a little more than an hour to set up the pillar. The terrain is too loose, so we need extra time to reinforce it.”
Surk nodded. “Work at ease. We’ll cover you.”
The engineers quickly got started. First, they dug out a square hole in the sand, large enough to fit a mansion. Then, they summoned a Pocket Dimension and removed reinforced cement blocks from within. After filling the hole, they installed a massive rectangular pillar six stories high atop the cement platform. Completely black, the pillar had vein-like markings across its surface. There was a low hum as it activated, and after a few tests, the engineers stepped back, satisfied.
Surk clapped his hands to gather everyone’s attention. “Good work. Only two pillars left, then we’re done.”
Summoning their griffins, the team prepared to set off when a red flare shot into the sky not far from their location. Surk’s expression hardened. “Not good—that’s an emergency signal.”
Promptly changing directions, Surk led everyone toward the flare. Keith’s heart grew increasingly tight as they closed in. Did monsters overrun the team, or was it the appearance of people from the other dimensions?
He hoped it was the former.
Chapter 3
As Keith’s team flew at full speed, Tessa suddenly pointed to the right. “Look over there!”
To the team’s dismay, a second flare appeared farther up the beach, followed by another inland. In moments, five flares lit up the sky. Anyone with a brain could tell something was wrong, as the odds of monsters overwhelming five teams at different locations were slim.
“We’re under attack,” Lieutenant Surk declared grimly.
Keith immediately thought of the Elemental Dimension. Even though Typhoon Beach had little appeal due to being so far from the Elemental Dimension’s gateway, it was still their territory.
“Remember, safety first. If you can’t capture them, don’t hesitate to go for the kill,” Lieutenant Surk reminded.
Keith’s heart lurched. The Elemental Dimension consisted of the same species as the Innate Dimension. They weren’t monsters; they were orcs, dwarves, elves, and humans, all with family, friends, and dreams. The thought of killing them filled Keith with revulsion, and yet when he looked at his teammates, Keith wondered if he was crazy. Why didn’t any of them seem reluctant?
Before Keith could consider his options, his team spotted a battle in the distance. Over a dozen people were assaulting a blue dome, within which were seven Innate Nation soldiers. Outside the mana barrier lay three bodies donning the familiar silver-blue armor.
“Get ready,” Lieutenant Surk growled.
Keith’s teammates jumped off their griffins upon arriving at the scene, and with no time to think, Keith followed.
“Up above!” An elven woman shouted and raised her bow to the sky. With a loud twang, dozens of ice-imbued arrows whistled through the air.
Lieutenant Surk’s pupils dilated as he clapped his hands, producing a shockwave that knocked the arrows away. Behind him, Tessa twirled her staff, turning the ground underneath the enemy party into quicksand. The skill forced the enemy back, allowing the Innate Nation soldiers hiding under the mana barrier to take the offensive.
Lieutenant Surk dashed forward when he hit the ground and threw himself headfirst into the enemy party. Tessa and the other fighters in Keith’s team followed in Surk’s footsteps, doing what they could to kill the enemy. Seeing the dead bodies of their comrades left them with little desire to capture the enemy alive.
When Keith landed, he stood still, his mind blank. Everything was happening too fast. Looking down, he saw one of the Innate Nation’s soldiers at his feet, their eyes glazed over. The sight overlapped with the time Uncle Doven killed the possessed Cami, and he was as paralyzed now as he was then.
What had he signed up for? Keith thought this would be a simple escort mission and that the only opponents would be monsters. He didn’t want to kill anyone!
He was unprepared when a spell abruptly exploded not far from him, knocking him to the ground. He turned and came face to face with the corpse. Dark thoughts struck him: What was it all for? A life ended, and for what? A chance for ownership of the Grandsky Realm?
Just then, Keith heard heavy gasps behind him. Flipping over, he found one of the Innate Nation soldiers lying in a growing pool of blood. The soldier was female and covered in deep gashes. Blood continuously poured out of her wounds, yet with an arm missing and the other broken, she struggled to apply the medicinal paste to her wounds.
“No, no, no!” She cursed in increasing alarm.
Anxious, Keith rushed over and dropped to his knees at the soldier’s side, sand flying everywhere. He forcefully took the medicinal paste from the soldier’s hand and said, “Let me do it.”
“Hurry! I don’t have much health left!” the woman shouted in between gasps.
Without hesitation, Keith roughly applied the medicinal paste to the soldier’s injuries. Out of the five wounds, it only took Keith a few seconds to remove the bleeding effect from three.
The woman’s face paled as she watched her health gauge drop. “No, no, I don’t want to die!”
“Just one more,” Keith consoled, his heart beating so hard he could hear it. After wrapping the last wound, he looked over in relief only to find the light gone from the woman’s eyes. Keith froze. He was too late.
“Keith, what are you doing!?” Lieutenant Surk roared from afar upon seeing Keith doing nothing.
With a blank expression, Keith turned and saw the Innate Nation soldiers on the defensive. Even though both sides had roughly equal numbers, the people from the Elemental Dimension were over a hundred levels higher, and they weren’t like Cangu’s minions, who had poor equipment and limited skills. As a result, the condition of Lieutenant Surk’s side worsened with every passing moment.
Knowing that they could turn defeat into victory if Keith joined, Tessa, who was the closest, glanced at Keith and shouted, “Please, we need your help!”
“I…” Keith stuttered.
“You don’t have to kill them, just use your roots,” Tessa implored, unaware of a volley of ice-imbued arrows heading her way.
“Look out!” Keith shouted, his voice hoarse.
Hearing Keith’s warning, Tessa instinctively dodged to the side, yet not before three arrows broke through her Mana Barrier and ripped off her arm.
“Ugh!” Tessa powered through the pain and returned fire, sending a barrage of skills toward the enemy archer.
Eyes bloodshot, Keith looked over the battlefield and saw that his allies were in worse shape than Tessa. They were barely hanging on. Defeat was imminent.
Unwilling to see his teammates die, Keith staggered to his feet.
As he slowly raised a hand, the ground in the distance abruptly split apart. Thick, gnarled roots erupted from below, creaking and groaning as they encompassed the enemy team. Not wanting to fall victim to Keith’s Entangling Roots, a mage teleported away while a warrior ripped apart Keith’s roots with his bare hands.
Even as the enemy team avoided Keith’s roots using various methods, the elven archer went one step further and fired a cluster of arrows at Keith, hoping to interrupt his spellcasting. Keith multicast Mana Bolts in response. With a flick of his finger, the Mana Bolts flew out and struck the tip of each arrow midflight.
Just as Keith dealt with the arrows, an enemy mage teleported behind Keith, lashing a Water Whip at his head. As if Keith could see behind him, he bent forward and kicked back, dodging the attack and releasing a Fireball from his foot.
BOOM!
The spell struck the mage in the chest and sent him flying. Before the man hit the ground, he teleported again, appearing above Keith. Pushing his hands forward, the mage conjured a swirling pillar of water that barreled down on Keith.
WHOOSH!
Keith stepped to the side as five arrows flew past and simultaneously summoned two curved Ice Walls to block the enemy’s Water Pillar. Growing anxious, the mage and archer kept up their attacks, trying everything they could to disrupt Keith’s Entangling Roots, which he channeled the entire time, yet their efforts were futile.
While defending, Keith quickly caught four people with his roots, binding them as a spider would.
“Good job!” Lieutenant Surk shouted as he and the others took this chance to kill the four captives one after another. With four enemy combatants dead, the Innate Nation side quickly gained the upper hand. Ultimately, Keith harassed the remaining opponents with his roots while his teammates finished the job.
Shortly after the fight ended, another team from the Innate Nation flew overhead, though before they landed, Lieutenant Surk motioned for them to head to another flare. In the end, a dozen teams worked together and resolved the situation.
Chapter 4
Lieutenant Surk brought Keith and the others to a dried log, where an inconspicuous hole in the sand led to an underground passage. Upon descending, the group’s view widened as they entered a large base previously occupied by the people from the Elemental Dimension.
When Keith’s team walked in, they saw Innate Nation soldiers providing food and water to a large gathering of elves, dwarves, humans, and orcs. Keith immediately noticed their poor condition, as all the foreigners were skinny and lacked decent clothing.
“Thank you.” An elderly orc teared up and gratefully took a sandwich from a soldier.
Many of the foreigners were crying in happiness. They had been held captive against their will by the people Keith had fought. Some were imprisoned for weeks and had long lost hope.
“I didn’t expect to encounter slavers right off the bat,” a soldier whispered to his friend not far from Keith.
“It’s bizarre,” the soldier’s friend huffed. “I thought demons would be into the slave trade, not people from the Elemental Dimension.”
The soldier shook his head. “Talk about culture shock.”
His friend lowered his voice. “Hey, what are we going to do with them? Let them go?”
“How should I know?” The soldier shrugged.
To the Innate Nation’s citizens, slavery was a foreign concept, and to encounter it now left them bewildered. The soldiers on site had no idea how to handle the unexpected situation, so they waited for someone with authority to show up. In the meantime, they could only give food and water out of sympathy.
A few minutes later, High Commander Markus arrived from another entrance, his appearance relieving everyone. After listening to an officer explain the situation, Markus approached the haggard group of foreigners and clapped his hands to gather their attention. “Everyone, we mean you no harm. We’re simply a mercenary group who happened to chance upon your captors. Before we let you go, are any slavers hiding amongst your ranks?”
At Markus’s question, a few pairs of eyes swept over a middle-aged woman sitting in the back. Alarmed, the woman pulled out a dagger and tried to take the dwarf next to her hostage, yet before she could move, a mage teleported behind her and pinned her to the ground. With a few cracks, they broke her limbs, immobilizing her.
Markus nodded. “Very good. Are there any more?”
The captives looked around uncertainly but didn’t point out anyone else. Markus smiled. “Okay, that’s all. You’re free to go. Just ask if you need provisions or equipment to make the journey back.”
Half an hour later, the previously enslaved foreigners had all left the underground base. Markus spoke with a few squad captains, then found Keith and brought him to the second floor of the compound, where they passed one empty cell after another.
“Are you okay?” Markus asked, his expression softening.
Keith clenched his hands and spoke in a low voice. “I helped kill people, so no, I’m not.”
Markus fell silent as Keith continued, “You said it’d be a simple escort mission.”
“I know.” Markus sighed, feeling regretful about the turn of events. While there were ways to prepare Keith for the inevitable act of killing someone, who wanted to put their child through such training? Even if Markus had wanted to, Keith’s mother Mariane wouldn’t allow it.
