The Realm Between: A LitRPG Saga (Books 7 - 10), page 69
Because of this, buildings in The Deathlands were built differently than other places in The Realm, the thickness of them dependent on the location and types of monsters in the area. Many of the inns had over a foot of lumber separating their patrons from the great outdoors, with windows that were barely slits in the walls. Some were even plated with steel. Those, of course, demanded a higher price for their additional promise of safety.
The advantage to stopping at so many places was that there were lots of opportunities to shop, and unlike most mercantiles in The Realm, you could always find an assortment of armor or weapons. Unfortunately, the vast majority of them weren’t as good as what Azure currently had equipped, but he did find one gem to replace his Black Wolf Half-Helm with.
Alchemist’s Cap
Defense: +3
Intelligence: +3
Spell: Component Conservation I
Type: Light Armor
Durability: 14/20
Item Class: Uncommon
Quality: Average
Weight: 0.2 kg
Uses: Gives the wearer the ability to cast Component Conservation I on themselves before performing Alchemy. Consumes 1 Durability per cast. Component Conservation I reduces the chance that Alchemy Components will be consumed by 30%
The cap wasn’t exactly stylish, nor did it match his armor. It was made of some type of soft hide and was light-brown in color, with flaps that hung over his ears. Still, it offered a little bit of Defense and bolstered his Mana. Had Uden been around, Azure was certain the half-imp would have teased him horribly about it. In fact, the first day he wore it, he felt a bit self-conscious, but when no one else in his party seemed to care, the feeling dissipated. At 35 gold, Azure thought the cap was a good price. He would wear it in the field but take it off whenever they reached a settlement, worried it might hurt his chance with the ladies.
As they continued to travel, things between Princess Zadori and Jin seemed to return to a softened version of what they had been before the party had gone to Smallguard. When they’d stop for the night, she would not make an effort to sit far from him, but she would not cling to him either. The princess looked upon the elf with a fondness—a soft smile of hope that would quickly be replaced by wistful sadness. Her longing for him was still there, but the altruism of that desire had been dampened by reality.
Drinking had become a regular thing since Azure’s party had entered The Deathlands, partially because they felt safe in the inns that might as well have been little fortresses—once the sun set, no one came in or out—and partially because the air of depression that always hung around made them yearn for some type of escape, if only temporary. Of course, they never got as wasted as they had that first night, just drinking enough to take the edge off. Even enclosed in a safe space, The Deathlands still had the potential to be dangerous. It was best not to let their guard down completely.
“So, what boss monster will we be facing before we reach Luuq’s Place? And why is it even called Luuq’s Place?” Azure asked Rerdam one night while they were sitting in a tavern. “That’s so generic.”
Jin had already retired to their room for the night, leaving the other two men to watch over Princess Zadori.
The old knight smirked. “Luuq’s Place is called Luuq’s Place because that’s what he named it.”
“Have you ever met him before?” Azure wrapped his hands around the horn in front of him, sad that he’d already drunk most of it but knowing better than to get a refill.
Rerdam shook his head. “No. Few people have and lived to tell about it.”
“Why?”
The old knight’s voice darkened. “He feeds on death and destruction, and he’s deceitful and malicious. The most dangerous God of them all, if we fail any of his quests, the price will be astronomical, likely resulting in the loss of our very souls.”
The sense of foreboding that had been tagging along in Azure’s stomach ever since entering The Deathlands suddenly doubled.
“Lose…our souls?” he asked hesitantly, trying to wrap his head around that concept.
“Luuq always takes payment in death,” Rerdam replied wearily. “Someone will have to die in order for us to see him and live.”
That made Azure feel absolutely sick.
“One of us?” He glanced at Princess Zadori.
“Not necessarily.” The old knight tilted his head to the side. “For as much as I don’t like it, he’ll probably require us to bring him a sacrifice. From all the stories I’ve heard, that’s always one of his conditions when you ask him for anything.”
Azure sighed as he looked at the faces around them. For all the celebratory happiness they had experienced in Bleakhallow, there was none of that once inside The Deathlands. The Adventurers sitting at the various tables appeared lost within themselves, their expressions vacant as if they’d all endured great horrors. There was no music in the tavern. No telling of stories. Only men and women drinking away their fears and worries in silence.
“I can’t imagine that anyone would volunteer to be the sacrifice.” Azure’s eyes widened for a moment.
“Definitely not.” Rerdam shook his head. “The sacrifice is usually horribly tortured, either by Luuq or the person that brought them. It really just depends on how Luuq feels that day. Regardless, the death is always slow, the memory of it burned into the minds of those who bear witness.”
“That’s enough.” Princess Zadori held up her hand to stop him. “I will hear no more of this darkness tonight.”
The old knight gave her a serious look. “I am just preparing you for what’s to come, Your Highness. It is, unfortunately, a grim truth.”
“I said enough.” She raised her voice slightly, effectively silencing Rerdam.
Azure could understand why she didn’t want to hear about it. He didn’t even want to think about it, but now that knowledge would always be with him.
“Does Jin know about this?” Azure cast a cautious glance at the princess in case she wanted to shush him, too.
“I imagine so,” the old knight replied. “Anyone who has lived as long as he has would know about it.”
Azure’s gaze fell to the tabletop. “Perhaps that was another reason why he was hesitant to come here.”
“There are tons of reasons to be hesitant to come here.” Rerdam’s eyes volleyed around the room, though he meant The Deathlands and not the inn itself.
“It wouldn’t be so bad if we didn’t have to go see Luuq,” Princess Zadori said as she stared at her now empty horn.
“As for the monster you asked about,” the old knight glanced at Azure, “of that, I have no answer for you.”
Confusion took over Azure’s expression. “Why not?”
“Because it’s never the same monster,” Rerdam answered plainly before continuing. “Every monster is customized to the people who seek out Luuq, typically taking the form of their fears.”
“My Gods, can this get much worse?” Azure finally let out his mounting frustration.
“Oh, it can always get worse,” the old knight assured him.
Princess Zadori raised her hand. “I vote we go back. We don’t need to get this stone now.”
“We will have to get it eventually,” Rerdam reminded her.
“When we’re stronger.” Azure agreed with the princess.
“Honestly, it’s better to do it now,” the old knight said.
“How do you figure?” Azure raised an eyebrow.
“Because once we’re done with this, we’ll have time to heal from it. The Deathlands alters people. You would not want to receive the Ultimate Blessing when there is darkness in your heart. The stones know and see all. They will give you what you desire most, even if you’ve tried to bury it in secret,” Rerdam explained.
“I imagine that most people would wish for the destruction of Luuq and The Deathlands after going through everything you’ve spoken about.” Princess Zadori voiced her thoughts.
“You would not be wrong.” The old knight nodded. “And therein lies the trick.” A small smile tugged at his lips. “You cannot destroy a god. If that was your true wish for the Ultimate Blessing, you would end up with nothing. Luuq knows this, and I’m guessing that so does Jin. That’s why he pushed on, even though he wanted to turn back.”
“If that happened, I would be so pissed off.” Azure could feel anger boiling in his veins even as he said it.
“So, you see, we have to do this now. With three more countries to travel through afterward, we should be able to mostly recover from what happens here before we reach The Temple of Blessing.”
While Azure was grateful for the lesson and finally understanding the elf’s reasoning, part of him wished he was still ignorant toward what they had to face. With all the perils in their way, specifically designed to test them psychologically, he couldn’t see how they’d possibly make it out of The Deathlands the same people they had been when they’d entered, and that frightened him just as much as meeting Luuq.
GOD OF DEATH
CHAPTER FIVE
THE REALM – DAY 881
By the time they were approaching Luuq’s Place, most of Azure’s party had leveled their Drinking skill. It was amazing how fast imbibing one ale a night could add up.
Congratulations! The skill: Drinking has reached Level 3. There is no real benefit to this skill, but it definitely helps make a hard day easier to bear. The higher your level in this skill, the more likely you're an alcoholic.
Plenty of other gains were made as well. Since Rerdam refused to hunt, Azure and Jin got all the experience from killing game. For Azure’s part, he gained 320 Experience and the following items:
Death Rabbit Pelt
Quantity: 28
Item Class: Common
Quality: Average
Weight: 0.2 kg
Uses: Crafting
Black Deer Pelt
Quantity: 12
Item Class: Common
Quality: Average
Weight: 1.9 kg
Uses: Crafting
Uncooked Death Rabbit Meat
Quantity: 28
Item Class: Common
Quality: Average
Weight: 0.5 kg
Uses: Cooking
Uncooked Black Deer Meat
Quantity: 660
Item Class: Common
Quality: Average
Weight: 0.5 kg
Uses: Cooking
Uncooked Black Boar Meat
Quantity: 600
Item Class: Common
Quality: Average
Weight: 0.5 kg
Uses: Cooking
It was enough experience to level him up, the final kill being a black doe he had shot with his bow in a clearing.
Congratulations! You are now Level 33! Your base stats have been boosted. You have earned 3 points to assign to your characteristics (per level). Please note that adding points to some characteristics (Vitality, Intelligence, and Strength) will further boost your base stats. You may also advance any 1 skill of your choosing by 1 level (per level).
For fear of what lay ahead in The Deathlands, Azure spent all three of his Characteristic Points on Vitality. He also leveled his Two-Handed Weapons Skill.
Congratulations! The skill: Two-Handed Weapons has reached Level 22. This skill enables you to use all manner of two-handed weapons to defeat enemies. Increasing your Strength will make them easier to wield.
Monsters were few and far between. They encountered a few baleful bells, but bandits seemed to be equally prevalent in the land of death.
Rerdam explained that The Deathlands were lawless. While there was a central kingdom and emperor, every town and hamlet was responsible for dishing out their own justice. Because most leadership roles in The Deathlands were held by the corrupt, the vast majority of crimes went unpunished. The Deathlands was essentially a playground for evil doers. That made Azure feel less guilty about the lives they had to take as they carved their way toward their destination.
Thankfully, it wasn’t a complete bloodbath. Just as many bandits ran from them when they realized they couldn’t win as the ones who stayed and fought. Azure only had to put one to death himself, a man who charged at Jin before the elf had a chance to nock a second arrow after he’d missed his first shot. The guilt only came when Azure checked the man’s bag and found a single loaf of bread and a drawing of a little girl inside.
“They were probably starving, and he had no other option,” Princess Zadori had said after they’d all circled the corpse of the man, staring down at it.
Azure’s heart sank as he examined the lifelike picture of the girl, her hair held up in pigtails, a smile on her face. Had he just left a child without a father? What if this man had been the only family she had? Would she now starve to death when he didn’t return?
“We have to find this girl.” He held the picture up to them. As soon as he did, a notification popped up.
Quest: The Mystery Child
After slaying a bandit, you found the picture of a little girl in his bag. The identity of the child remains unknown, but she is likely a relative of the man you killed. Find the girl and make sure she’s well provided for.
Difficulty: Medium
Success: Find the girl in the picture
Failure: Die or abandon quest
Reward: Unknown
Will you accept this quest: Yes or No?
Judging by the momentary blank expressions on the faces of his friends, Azure could tell they’d all received the quest, too.
Jin quickly waved it away. “No, we don’t. That man made his bed when he decided to attack us. He knew what the consequences might be.” The elf was stone cold.
Azure frowned. “Should the child have to suffer for the sins of the father?”
Princess Zadori took a step closer to Azure. “I’m with Azure on this one. We need to find this girl.”
“Why do we need to?” Jin asked plainly.
“Because we just killed her father, and now she might starve to death.” Azure gestured to the man on the ground, his voice rising slightly.
“Who is to say he was really her father? The quest calls her a mystery child and suggests that he might have been a relative,” the elf pointed out.
Rerdam spoke hesitantly, glancing at the princess. “I will follow you on whatever you decide to do regarding this quest. However, I believe that Jin is right. Yes, we may have just done a bad thing, but this is the first of many we will do, so it’s best to harden ourselves now.
“If we accept this quest, it will likely lead us to something even more horrible that we’ll have to deal with. That is what The Deathlands does—piles more bad on top of bad.
“I know that the urge to do the right thing is strong. But know now, there are no heroes in The Deathlands.”
They all stared at the old knight with respect, mulling over his words.
“Well said.” Jin nodded at Rerdam.
No matter how hard Azure tried, he could not get over the wrongness of how it felt to abandon the little girl, especially when he knew they could do something about it. The quest was only Medium Difficulty, so it wasn’t like it would be impossible to accomplish. No one would die if they accepted and fulfilled the quest.
What horrible thing could Rerdam possibly be talking about? Maybe the girl was in an environment where she was physically abused or used for slave labor, and they’d have to find a way to fix that, too. Azure wasn’t blind to the possible rabbit hole they might fall down if they accepted the quest.
The thought that the worst crimes went unpunished, and that people were forced to live in the most horrendous conditions because no one was bold enough to save them, just couldn’t register with him. While he’d never been the greatest altruist, Azure refused to believe that there wasn’t a single good, brave person in all The Deathlands. But if there wasn’t, he felt that it was almost their job to turn the tides.
Finally, he shook his head. “I don’t care where this leads us. We have to take the quest.” Then he accepted it without any further hesitation.
“Azure.” The elf looked at him, his voice firm. “We cannot accept the quest. The Deathlands is too dangerous for me to stay in a moment more than absolutely necessary.” Jin waited for his companion to respond, but when he didn’t, he kept talking. “I will not force you to come with us, but we are continuing on, straight to Luuq. If you go on your own, you will likely end up stuck in The Deathlands forever and lose out on your chance of ever going home.” And with that, he turned and started walking in the direction of Luuq’s Place.
Azure’s eyes instantly flew to Princess Zadori, the only one on his side. She gave him an apologetic look before taking long strides after the elf. Rerdam didn’t even give Azure a second glance.
Azure could not believe they were just going to leave him there. Alone in The Deathlands. The most dangerous place in all The Realm.
Part of Azure thought Jin was bluffing. He stood his ground with nervous words playing behind his lips. The cliché thing would have been to call out to them and ask if they really meant to let him do this on his own. But instead of saying anything, he remained silent.
Azure waited until the rest of his party was out of sight. His heart was torn, his mind reeling. This was just like the Rescue the Goblins' Thralls quest back on Crescent Island. The right thing to do would have been to save those women. He hadn’t been strong enough then, swearing he’d return when he was. They might be dead by now, he thought sadly.
But Azure was strong enough to do this thing now, even on his own. If he left this little girl to fate, he wouldn’t be able to sleep at night for a long time, always wondering what had happened to her. However, if Azure did follow through on completing the quest, Rerdam might be right. Who knew how long Azure would be stuck in The Deathlands trying to correct all the wrongs he saw? He might live out the rest of his life there, never returning home.
