Portal Warrior 2: A LitRPG Fantasy Adventure (Level Up Destiny), page 1
Portal Warrior 2
Marcus Sloss
Anna Pax
Copyright © 2024 by Royal Guard Publishing LLC
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
1. Reunited!
2. Check in!
3. Rest in Purgatory!
4. The Kasom Mountains!
5. It’s Not the Size That Counts!
6. In-tents!
7. Home Sweet Home!
8. The Worst Oracle!
9. On the Road Again!
10. Smoke and Spores!
11. Portal Power!
12. Back to the Start!
13. Selfish Elf!
14. Weird Energy!
15. Bloody Vampires!
16. Issues Anew!
17. Double or Nothing!
18. When in Little Loruk!
19. Creepy Monkies!
20. Tactics!
21. Knock Knock, Who’s There!
22. You Snooze, You Lose!
23. Down We Go!
24. Happy Endings!
25. New Beginnings!
Afterword
Check This Out!
Chapter 1
Reunited!
“Oh yeah, baby!” I grinned and curled my fingers around Righty’s – my super cool axe’s – handle. I twirled with speed and grace, muscle memory guiding my movement into the low-flows for the first time in two months. Hanna, Grace and Kellum quickly jumped back – as if I might accidentally chop one of their feet off.
“How does it feel?” Hanna asked as I rolled and straightened up. She ran forward to kiss me on the cheek, her huge breasts bouncing up and down with each step.
“As if I’ve been reunited with a lost limb.” I slung my left arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head before releasing her again to admire the mended blade. It was sharp, shiny, and as good as new. “I’ve wielded this blade since I was a lad, and it’s saved my life more times than I can count. I only wish I could relocate its partner.”
Every day I had approached the Ancient Interface System to check whether Aliska had found my blade along with the corpse of her lich husband, Daru, who I had slain during the battle of Minsk. She had promised to return Lefty to the system if she came across it.
But I didn’t trust Aliska and I was doubtful that she’d hold true to her promise.
I glanced at the blacksmith’s forge and grunted. Most of the buildings here had been in such disrepair that I’d had them knocked down by Lalock, the karogalth who had destroyed Righty in the first place.
Thinking back to that epic fight with the karogalth made me chuckle. I’d lost more than my battle axe while liberating Lisben’s mine from the great titan – I’d also lost two digits on my right hand. Still, the loss was a small price to pay for the Lalock’s employment, which I won after defeating him.
Unfortunately, the blacksmith’s forge wasn’t one of the buildings the karogalth had knocked down. I now realized that it was in need of some renovations at least.
“What pleases you, my lord?” Gracie dipped her head respectfully as she addressed me.
I realized that I was grinning mindlessly and I looked around emphatically with a shrug. “In two months we’ve rebuilt the main street, added many cozy cottages, and we’re halfway to finishing our estate. I… I’m just so proud of us – of you, Gracie. You’ve been both wise and focused on building a better Lisben for our family.”
Gracie’s eyes sparkled happily at the praise and color rose in her cute dimpled cheeks.
“Our growing family!” Hanna corrected, rubbing her slightly swollen belly with both hands. “We’ll have two babes within the year! Oh, Kel! I can’t wait to have little babies running around!” Hanna’s eyes went misty and a single tear of happiness rolled down her cheek.
I chuckled and brushed the tear away. While Hanna had been full of happy tears during her pregnancy, Kaitlyn had been sick as a dog, throwing up most of her food and rarely moving from her bed.
“My lord,” Gracie began, but I held up a hand to silence her.
“I know what troubles you, but now is not the time to discuss it. See to it that Kellum is paid enough to buy new tools and benches for the forge.”
“Thank you, Lord Kel!” Kellum dipped his head respectfully as I clapped him on the back.
The blacksmith had done an excellent job fixing Righty, and it was now time to dull the axe’s shine with the blood of our enemies.
The forge was on the very edge of the town, situated slightly off the main road and I picked up a fast jog as I moved toward the mainstreet. The road was blanketed with an inch of soft snow and the evening sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the newly renovated stone buildings. The vendors were open and thriving – especially Kirklin’s Tavern to Doris’ market.
I grunted happily as I came to a halt in front of the Ancient Interface System. I dialed in to check whether Aliska had returned my axe without any real hope that she had. And sure enough it hadn’t been turned in. I grumbled to myself. If I had to guess, Aliska would be seeking Letari’s help in locating Daru. If that were the case, she probably would find him – dead – with half of his head missing.
I snickered with satisfaction.
“And where are you off to today, Lord Kel?” The new system interface guard, Hekten, was a burly man who looked more intimidating than he was. Still, he’d done a good job of monitoring the Ancient Interface System since Gracie had paid for a shield to guard our new home base.
Since the nearby mine was now running smoothly and trading with the newly established Little Loruk town, tourists had started flocking in. It was doing wonders for the local economy. But new people meant new threats and a guard at the system interface was now a necessary precaution.
I was a familiar sight to Hekten, having spent the past few weeks making short trips in and out of random worlds to sate my thirst for blood, keep the darkness at bay, and earn a few extra portal coins to go towards rebuilding Lisben.
“Send me somewhere random, Hekten. Near a regional system this time. I have beasts to slay and wives to get home to.”
The guard grumbled sheepishly and muttered something about not meaning to send me into the middle of nowhere last time. He hit some buttons on the screen in front of us and the air ripped open before my eyes with a static buzz. Great golden swirls laced with red flickers marked the portal’s entrance, and through it I could see a forest and the night sky.
“See you back in a few hours, Lord Kel,” Hekten said with a respectful bow.
I grunted in acknowledgement and stepped through the portal, twirling Righty as I went.
The portal vanished behind me with a soft sizzle and I glanced at my surroundings. The forest was dark, but not so dense that I couldn’t see the glittering night sky through the leafy canopy overhead. A gentle breeze brushed my armor and made the trees rustle quietly. Grass and shrubs carpeted the floor and the air smelled pleasantly fresh.
I nodded to myself and glanced down at my amulet. “Seems like a nice place. Amulet, where am I?”
Bright words magically appeared in the air in front of me, answering my question.
You are on the outskirts of the Death Breath Forest on planet Thumu.
I chortled, “I suppose it’s named that for a reason. Do you have any quests for me? Righty hungers for blood and I wish to oblige.”
It is named that for a reason.
Venture into the forest to find the lonroach nest. Kill their master for 20,000 experience and 40 portal coins.
Lonroach were vile creatures. Giant roaches standing almost as tall as a large dog with long bodies shielded by hard exo-skeletons. Although they had ten legs, they only needed four to survive and they could spit acid that would give their victim a nasty burn. The most effective way of killing them was to sever the brainstem.
“Lead the way,” I commanded and an arrow appeared before me, leading me to a path that curved off to the left and deeper into the forest. I ran for a good five minutes before the trees began to grow thicker, making the night darker.
The game trail that I followed veered off to the right, but I continued straight on, following the arrow in front of me and chopping down the denser shrubs that got in my way. Soon I saw evidence of the lonroach infestation.
There were scratched up piles of dirt where the vermin had rolled and small bones scattered from their kills. But the main tell was the smell. With every step I took, the odor became more and more intensely rank. My eyes started watering and I was scared that I’d start retching.
Warriors of Xaros didn’t stand down because of a bad smell, but one of Kaitlyn’s air bubbles wouldn’t go amiss here.
Something flashed in the corner of my eye and I spun, correctly assuming that one of the lonroach was trying to sneak up on me. Its hideous eyes opened wide as I moved towards it with lightning speed, applying mana to my axe as I went. The blue magic flared and I skidded, bringing Righty out to the side as I did a twirl and sank the axe into the creature’s neck, cleaving its head off in one smooth strike.
I grinned and kicked the head into a tree trunk, splattering blood and brains across the forest floor. The arrow magically reappeared in the air and I followed it for another minute until I discovered the nest.
The nest lay in a small glade, and was formed of dead shrubs, leaf litter and bones. The smell was more putrid than almost anything I had ever smelled and my eyes stung and swam with a brief dizziness. Then I remembered that lonroach made toxic waste. The stench from their shit was literally poisonous.
Heal Self. I kept my breathing to a minimum after that, and didn’t bother with stealth as the vermin inhabiting the nest would have heard me killing their buddy anyway.
Sure enough, there were at least twenty of the vile creatures waiting in a pack just beyond the nest, their beady little eyes on me as I approached, casually spinning my axe. I drew the nice sword that was sitting in Lefty’s place and moved into my low flows.
One launched itself at me with its fangs bared. My sword made quick work of it, stabbing through its throat and out the back of its neck. With a gurgling squeal, the lonroach twitched and went limp.
I withdrew my sword with a satisfying slurp and moved on, rolling sideways to avoid a second one jumping me. I crouched with a spin, wielding my axe in a graceful arch and decapitating the creature with ease – its exo-skeleton doing nothing to stunt Righty’s blow.
Two came at me from opposite sides and I grinned, waiting for just the right moment before I twirled out the way, spinning a full circle and bringing the sword and Righty down at the same time to destroy the two vile creatures with two crunching smacks.
I killed another dozen, spinning, slashing and carving through their disgusting skulls until there were only a few left. The last few lonroach wisely tried to flee. Unfortunately for them, their many legs were short and got easily tangled in the thick undergrowth – plus I was much faster.
Two fell at once, Righty and my sword splitting their heads down the center in unison. I wrenched the weapons free and kicked the twitching bodies out of my way, sending them rolling into the nearest shrubs. The last couple screeched cries of terror, which I gladly cut short with a few swings of my blades.
I straightened up and flicked some of the gore off my weapons while I glanced around for any sign of movement. There were more around, but if I had to guess, they’d be hiding and fleeing after seeing what I would do to them if they stuck around. Besides, I wasn’t here to kill lonroach minions.
I waited another minute before their master appeared from the shadows beyond the nest. I grinned at the sight of him, twirling my weapons in preparation for a decent fight.
The master was a scantor who stood ten feet tall. While its body resembled a giant scorpion with sharp pincers and a lethal stinger, the torso and head were human. Its gray skin and red eyes gleamed, reflecting the blue magic that shone from my axe.
“What is a Warrior of Xaros doing so far from home?” His voice was low and gravelly as he surveyed me with disdain.
Suddenly he swiped right, feigning an attack before rapidly changing course and launching himself left. I rolled, easily dodging the pincers that clicked close to my ear. I entered my low flows without bothering to answer his question.
As soon as the scantor realized that I wasn’t about to get distracted by speeches and gestures, he started fighting for real. He spun and lashed his deadly tail in my direction. Against my own better judgment, I jumped over it before rolling out of the way and striking suddenly to nick off the end of the stinger, rendering it useless.
His eyes flashed furiously and he turned back to face me. With a primal roar, he swiped his razor-sharp pincers in my direction and I deflected one pincer with my sword and spun, bringing Righty down and lopping it off in one smooth motion.
The creature screamed in agony as its stump sprayed blood across the glade. I used the opportunity to exercise my sword, thrusting it straight into the creature’s neck. The scantor’s mouth opened wide and blood spewed forth, running down its chin, neck and chest.
I withdrew the sword by leveraging one foot on his chest and swung Righty in a high arc, sinking the axe into the creature’s neck. The head fell sideways and bobbed around its shoulder, still connected by a few inches of gray skin.
With a few twitches and shudders, the scantor collapsed in its foul nest, surrounded by its blood.
Quest Success!
Quest Completed: Venture into the forest to find the lonroach nest and kill their master for 20,000 Experience and 30 Portal Coins.
“Excellent. How far is the nearest regional interface?” I asked the amulet.
About an hour away.
I slid my axe and sword into the rings at my hips. “Show me the way out of here before I get brain damage from this toxic smell.” The arrow appeared and led me back the way I’d come. I picked up a light jog but made sure not to breathe too deeply until I was clear of the stench.
Heal self.
My head cleared and my pace quickened as I lengthened my strides. My legs were restless and my feet itched to get back to my main quest: saving Picu from the darkness that was currently taking over. The city of Kap had already fallen despite my best efforts to save it, and Distom was next on the enemy’s radar. While Duke Omax had stationed soldiers to fortify the city, I knew the threat wouldn’t end until the darkness was pushed back.
Everything came down to balance. There would always be evil to challenge the good, that was just the way things were. And that was what Warriors of Xaros did. For the past two months, I had set my sights on Lisben, supporting Gracie in her new role as Mayor, improving the township with my earnings, and creating a safe haven for my three ladies – my family.
But the time was coming to get back to fighting evil on a larger scale than this little mission. I hungered for true battle. And now that I had Righty back in my possession, I had no reason to delay.
Chapter 2
Check in!
I arrived home before midnight and dropped my armor just inside the front door. We were staying in a little cottage that had been built as a temporary residence for us in the heart of Lisben.
Though it was small, it was cozy and comfortable. It featured an open fireplace in the living room, a decent amount of space in the kitchen, and a few bedrooms with large beds, warm blankets, and soundproof walls. Once our estate was finished, this would be a great retreat for visitors and tourists.
When I stepped inside, Pippa, the catgirl fire mage who had recently joined forces with us, was curled up on the settee near the roaring fireplace with a book propped up against her knees. She jumped up instantly, clearly flustered by my prompt appearance. Without a word, she bowed her head shyly and hurried to gather and clean my armor.
I nodded in thanks and moved to wash, dress, and pour myself a well-earned glass of wine. I sat on the comfy settee and watched Pippa work, appreciating her long, orange hair, which suited her pale complexion and her cream-coloured cat ears. They poked out of her hair, which was bound in two long braids that swished as she worked.
She was shorter than my other ladies and while she was well-fed, she was still on the lean side. Her small but shapely breasts were often hidden under heavy clothing, but tonight her pointed nipples were visible through the cotton tunic she wore over light pants.
I waited for her to finish cleaning and neatly arranging my armor before I patted the seat next to me while calling her over. She’d been living with us for two months now, but I knew very little about her. Not because I wasn’t curious. She was a rare fire mage and very cute. She got on well with Hanna, Kaitlyn and Gracie and fit into our home nicely. She was just incredibly shy and very good at hiding. I hadn’t even been able to ask her yet how Hanna and Kaitlyn found her.
“M’ lord?” Her voice was small and husky – the voice of someone who didn’t really want to be heard. Her cheeks flushed bright red as she spoke, matching her flaming red braids which brushed the cushion on which she sat. Her fuzzy cat ears twitched nervously as she waited for me to speak.
“I’ve been thinking.” I said, watching for her reaction, “I want to start bringing you along on quests with me. We need to prepare you to fight the evil that is to come. Truthfully, I’ve been caught up with my affairs and have neglected your training.” I took a long sip of wine.
