Apocalypse Knights 2: A LitRPG Fantasy, page 15
“Did you do it, Strident? Did you stop the incursion?” Jonn’s voice rumbled over the crowd, prompting another wave of silence. The Knights-Errant parted ranks to let the esteemed Warmonger through. Jonn approached, his armored form towering over everyone else’s, and came to a halt in front of Max.
“We did,” Max replied, projecting a Soul Lens screen.
Temporal Equalization Complete
Time to next temporal destabilization: 14.23.48.02
“We’ve got a bit over two weeks, but things have gotten a little more difficult,” he said. “I’ll explain to you in a bit.”
“Well done, Strident.” Jonn nodded and sighed in relief. He looked past Max’s shoulder to Flora, Marina, and Felix. “And the three of you as well. You’ve saved us all.”
The Warmonger turned to the rest of the Knights-Errant. “Give them some space, everyone. Return to what you’ve been doing. We’ll have more information soon.”
The gathered Knights-Errant exchanged glances amongst themselves, shrugged, and dispersed. Some of them returned to the tavern’s benches and tables. Others walked to the area where tents had been laid out. A fair number returned to their business with the Truesteel clerks. But most of them walked away from the clock tower and beyond its immediate protection, before disappearing into the depths of apocalyptic Hisktown.
“The streets are still thick with ghouls,” Jonn explained. “Many have been hunting them while you were away.”
“Working on their Levels? That’s sensible,” Max said, following Jonn as the Warmonger led them to a storefront. “Looks like you managed to round up quite a few people here, Jonn. What kind of numbers are we looking at, exactly?”
“I can’t give you an exact count,” Jonn replied. “But we’ve got about a hundred Knights-Errant here at any given time, with maybe three times as many moving through the portal every day.”
“That’s fine,” Max said. “I don’t think there’s enough space for that many people to camp here anyway. It’s probably better if they’re based in the Errantry Mansion and do the bulk of their resupplying there.”
“True. That would tax our stock here a bit less too,” Flora agreed. The Defender smiled as they neared the storefront. It was manned by Stephens, the clerk that had assisted Max during his first visit to the Truesteel outlet near the Blue Trumpet tavern. “Hello, Stephens. It’s good to see you.”
“Greetings, my lady.” The neatly dressed man bowed. He adjusted his gold-rimmed spectacles as he stood. “And a good day to you too, Mister Strident. Congratulations on your victory.”
“Thanks,” Max said. “We’ll need a moment to sort our belongings out, then we’ll probably need some help converting our metal pieces to currency, though it might be easier if we do that at the outlet in the Errantry Mansion instead.”
“Indeed, sir,” Stephens agreed. “Our staff can assist with the conversion of small amounts of Dungeon metal, but larger sums are best processed at one of our outlets. But that’s not why Mister Crask has brought you here.”
“Has it something to do with the large number of storefronts set up here?” Flora asked. “You have nearly a dozen running at the same time, and I can hardly believe father would authorize something like this, even for a few hundred Knights-Errant, unless…”
“The Slayer is here, along with nearly all of the Venture Spears,” Jonn said. “Other guilds have negotiated licenses with him to have access to the Apocalypse Horizon, and we can expect to see their cohorts here soon.”
“Which means that this place is going to expand into a full-blown trading hub and staging area for Knights-Errant,” Max concluded. “The Truesteel clan, being first on the scene, seeks to solidify their presence here by setting up as many storefronts and securing as many customers and their goodwill as possible.”
“Very astute, sir.” Stephens smiled. “And we all know how goodwill spreads and results in further customers. But that’s still not the main point here. The Slayer, for better or worse, is the Guild Master of the Venture Spears, and he wields more influence, though less renown, than Mister Crask.”
“So what?” Max asked. “If he’s here, that means he’s going to help, right? And we need all the help we can get at the moment. He seems like a smart fellow, bringing the entire guild here so that Knights-Errant can earn Victory Shards, metal pieces, and maybe enchanted items.”
“The more high-Leveled, skilled, and well-equipped Knights-Errant there are, the greater the pool of people I have to choose from to form my cohort,” Max continued. “We might even be able to work out a system where we have two or three cohorts attacking a Dungeon at once, since my Temporal Equalization spell now has a range of forty feet.”
“That’s all well and good, Max, but I know the Slayer,” Marina said, frowning. “If you think he’s willing to play second fiddle to you, you’re sorely mistaken. And now that you’re Level 4 and you’ve gotten there so quickly, I don’t doubt he’s feeling threatened. I expect he’s going to humble you somehow, by making you swear some kind of oath of allegiance.”
“Well, I’m a guild member, and he’s the master, so isn’t some kind of allegiance clause already implied there?” Max asked.
“It’s very implied,” Marina said. “The Venture Spears have always been more of a loose network than an actual organization, and the Slayer has always been content for it to stay that way as long as people sing his praises and pay the guild’s membership fees.”
Of course there’s a fee. Max rolled his eyes. “Alright, I’ll play nice with him. The Apocalypse Horizon is too large a threat for egos to get in the way. He wants me to butter him up? No problem. I’d be happy to do that as long as we keep making progress and keep the incursions at bay.”
“If only it were that simple, Strident,” Jonn said, grimacing in obvious regret. “Perhaps I should not have gone to him in the first place, but I wasn’t confident I could rally enough to our cause by myself.”
“It’s that bad, huh?” Max grunted and shook his head. “Could you explain why?”
“This might be only hearsay gleaned from our staff, but it is alarming enough to be taken seriously,” Stephens said. “The Slayer possesses a geas item, and he intends to use it on you. It will bind your will to his permanently. Such a practice goes against every tenet of Knight-Errant culture and society, but he might be able to convince the masses that his actions are justified, given the unusual circumstances and the stakes at hand.”
“A geas item?” Max asked. “I’m guessing it’s an enchanted item that will make me his mindless slave? But why? What does he have to gain from this?”
“He gets to slake his ego, for one thing,” Marina said. “But I think it’s bigger than that.”
“It definitely is,” Max said, clenching his jaw. “I came out of nowhere and brought the Apocalypse Horizon with me into the world of the Knights-Errant, throwing everything into disarray. The Slayer’s got to show that he’s in control, because if he doesn’t, no one’s going to care about him being a guild master when all is said and done with the Apocalypse Horizon. And the best way to show that you’re in control is to actually be in control. Absolute, unchallengeable control, with no rogue Knights-Errant running around and actually fixing the problem without him.”
“He would risk the world for his position as a guild master?” Felix asked incredulously. “Why?”
“He also stands to gain politically from this, if he plays his cards right,” Max continued. “If he’s the one who fixes the Apocalypse Horizon and stops Artur Brightblade, all the other guilds he’s invited here will tread very lightly around the Venture Spears and fill his pockets even more readily. After all, one of the greatest tenets of politics is to never let a crisis go to waste.”
“Where is the Slayer?” Flora demanded. “The Truesteel clan won’t stand for this!”
“Unfortunately, my lady, your father has already indicated his neutrality in such matters,” Stephens said. “The Truesteel clan will not intervene in the affairs of the Venture Spears, even if you are a scion of the former and a member of the latter. And as for where the Slayer is, I believe he’s gone monster-hunting with his cohort. They left scarcely an hour ago, so they might be back later tonight, or they might choose to head back to the Errantry Mansion right away from wherever they are, returning only tomorrow.”
“Good.” Max clasped Flora on the shoulder guard as she fumed. “I’m not in the mood to deal with his nonsense right now, but I will be after a bit of rest, which we all need. I want to ask about the geas item though. If it strips one of free will, wouldn’t that also prevent me from casting spells?”
“Geas items are rare, but I believe the user of such an item could command his slave to cast any spell the latter knew,” Stephens explained. “But the victim of a geas item would be little more than a breathing automaton otherwise. Why?”
“Maybe some people just need to see what I can do as myself rather than as a spell puppet for the Slayer,” Max said. “It’s one avenue of persuasion I have in mind. Or maybe I should just kill him and put an end to this farce.”
Nesura cackled approvingly into his mind. The familiar had tucked herself deep within his belt pouch before he’d stepped onto the Warp Dais, knowing just how much of a furor her presence could potentially cause among uninformed Knights-Errant.
“If you do that, you make an enemy of the Venture Spears and become a pariah amongst Knight-Errant society,” Stephens said. “You might even find yourself fighting every Knight-Errant here.”
“Well, not everyone,” Felix pointed out. He looked into the distance, past the protection of the clock tower, and put his hand on the hilt of his dagger. “But I like Max’s thinking. Wouldn’t it be convenient if he were to meet an accident out there and have his corpse eaten by ghouls?”
“It will be a dark day when Knights-Errant turn their blades on each other in anger,” Jonn said. “I would prefer for such a day to never come.”
“Knights-Errant have never killed one another before?” Max asked. “Not in two hundred years?”
“Few and isolated cases, the majority of which occurred through accident or incompetence,” Stephens said. “And then there are the terminally deranged, who thirst for human blood, Knight-Errant or not. But no, large-scale open conflict has never occurred among the Knights-Errant, which is more than could be said for the world of the Mundanes.”
Max grimaced at the term. A Mundane was simply anyone without a Soul Lens. Before his encounter with Artur Brightblade, Max had been a Mundane as well.
“Well, thanks for the warning, Stephens,” Max said. “I’ll deal with the Slayer one way or the other.”
“You will have my support, Strident,” Jonn said. “I will advocate against the use of the geas item.”
“You can add my support to the list,” Flora declared. “Abiding slavery is no better than engaging in it! I’m going to give my father a piece of my mind!”
“Thanks, you two. I really appreciate it.” Max turned to Felix and Marina, who had grown increasingly uneasy at the discussion. “Felix, you’ve never killed anyone before, right? Let’s have you stay that way. Marina, too. Thanks for helping me out with Graywind Mage Tower, but I think you both should take some time off now and enjoy the money we’ve made.”
“Speaking of money, let’s get all our metal pieces sorted out, shall we?” Marina said, reaching for her ring of holding.
The cohort gathered over Stephens’s desk, and when all was said and done, Max ended up with a cut of two hundred and twenty-two copper pieces and four hundred and eight silver pieces.
“Hey, Stephens, can I just place an order with you now and have my things delivered here?” Max asked. “I can’t really be bothered to make the trip back to the Errantry Mansion. I’ll toss in a tip of ten copper pieces for your trouble, too.”
“The tip is entirely unnecessary, sir,” Stephens said, “and of course, I can arrange for your exchanged currency and desired items to be delivered here by tomorrow morning.”
“Great,” Max replied.
“Hey, Max. Don’t forget about this,” Felix said, hefting the medallion of black stone left behind by the frostbite mantis. “You took down that horrible monster all by yourself, so there’s no question this is yours.”
Max took the medallion and angled his Soul Lens at it.
Midnight Charm: Expendable item
On activation: shields user from the effects of dark elemental energy for 30 seconds
I guess it’ll come in handy when I use one of my Miasmic spells, he thought, before shoving the medallion into one of his belt pouches. “Thanks, Felix.”
“No, thank you, Max.” The Infiltrator clasped hands with him, wrist-to-wrist. “You made me rich!”
“And got you to Level 3. Don’t forget about that,” Max said, grinning. He turned to Marina. “Thanks, Marina. It’s been a pleasure, just like last time.”
“Likewise, Max.” The Elementalist gave him a brief hug. “You take care of yourself, alright? Don’t do anything too crazy now. And don’t let Nessy get away with being too mean to you.”
“I will ravish your pretty boy, woman,” the bat hissed from Max’s belt pouch. “And I will make you watch.”
“Don’t threaten me with a good time,” Marina quipped, before putting her arm through Felix’s. They said their goodbyes to Flora, bowed once more to Jonn, and began making their way to the Warp Dais that would take them to the portal and beyond the Apocalypse Horizon.
“Max, I will head over to my father’s manor immediately,” Flora declared. “I will talk some sense into him, and then I’ll be back before the Slayer returns. He’s not going to have his way.”
“No, he isn’t,” Max said. “Thanks, Flora. I’ll see you in a bit.”
The Defender nodded and strode away, her jaw clenched and her eyes grim.
“She’s not going to accomplish anything, is she?” Nesura whispered into his mind.
“If her father has any sense, he’ll keep her away until this whole mess is resolved,” Max agreed. “Which is for the best, really. Things are going to get really ugly around here.”
“I will keep trying to rally support behind you, Strident,” Jonn said. “Stripping someone of his free will is anathema to everything the Knights-Errant stand for. I will not abide this, and many share my sentiments. I just have to get them to make their voices heard.”
“Let’s put all that nonsense from the Slayer aside, for a moment, Jonn. I need to give you a clearer picture of what the situation is regarding the Apocalypse Horizon. We’ve put a pause on the incursion, but we now have two Dungeons to take care of before time runs out. One is in Benatown, and the other is in Graiatown.”
“Two. I see. And so far apart, too.” Jonn grimaced. “Do you think we can get to them in time?”
“Hopefully. I’m thinking of setting off first thing tomorrow, so do you know where I can get a bit of privacy? It’s been a long day, and I’d like to sleep without having to worry about waking up in chains.”
“I have set up a tent,” Jonn said. “It’s got my name written on its side, and no one will disturb you inside. You can have it for the night. I’ll spend the night at the Errantry Mansion. I might even be able to round up some cohort members for you.”
“Got it, Jonn. Thanks.” Max clasped hands with the Warmonger, and Jonn left, disappearing into the midst of the milling Knights-Errant. He turned his full attention to Stephens, who’d already laid out the Truesteel catalogue and pencil on his desk.
Max was now extremely rich. He restocked his normal arrows and ordered two quivers each of flame, frost, lightning, and earth enchanted ones, along with an enchanted bow that heightened the range and power of his shots. His half-plate armor had been battered and even outright punctured on one side, so he traded it in for a suit of full-plate that was enchanted for lightness and could be summoned in place over his body. Thinking of Felix’s anklets, he ordered a pair of enchanted boots that would not only boost his dexterity, but also triple his running speed.
Following that, he ordered another high-quality ring of holding, a potion rack capable of readying fifteen potions for quick access, and three dozen High Mana potions and High Health potions. He then asked about armor for Garlocke.
“Enchanted barding?” Stephens quirked his brow. “That’s an unusual request, since few Knights-Errant engage in mounted combat, but I believe we do have something in stock.”
The clerk pointed to a corner of the catalogue.
“We have a set of beast plate available,” Stephens said. “It offers resistance to most elements, and its dimensional enchantment allows it to fit its wearer. There’s been very little demand for armaments like that though, so it’s available for a much lower price than its enchantments would suggest.”
“Great. I’ll take it.” Max checked off the item. He ordered enough provisions to last two weeks and passed the catalogue back to the clerk.
“Goodness.” Stephens chuckled and shook his head. “You spent nearly an entire fortune in a single go. I could give you your change right away, from the limited coffers we have on site.”
“Works for me,” Max said.
Stephens reached beneath his desk, counted out six gold coins, and slid them over to Max. “A purchase of such magnitude deserves the highest priority, sir. I will have it processed immediately. Your items should arrive in a few hours, instead of by next morning.”
“Fantastic.” Max shook hands with the clerk. “I’ll swing by in the evening then?”
“Yes, sir. Your purchases will be here by then.” Stephens bowed as Max walked away.
He spent some time at the tavern, digging into a plate of fried potatoes and steak and washing his food down with a mug of ale. It had been his first hot meal in nearly a week, and though the steak was a bit overcooked, the potatoes charred around the edges, and the ale somewhat watered down, he savored every bite and swallow of it.
“You’re going to have to kill him, you know, that Slayer fellow, and everyone who stands beside him,” Nesura said, nibbling on a piece of potato Max had dropped into his belt pouch. “I suggest you do so in as brutal a fashion as possible. Hack him into pieces and put his head on a sharpened stick. Do the same to his closest allies. Yes, that’d be a good start.”
