City of the Undead (In the System Book #2): LitRPG Series Read online

  * * *

  The battle was gradually heating up. Goblins with bows began to shoot at the players below. The players covered themselves with shields or used the abilities they’d received from the System. Some of the goblins blocked the stairs, but they weren’t many of them, and their number was gradually decreasing thanks to my arrows. I used normal arrows since I wouldn’t receive any experience points for these goblins, and I was almost out of System arrows, despite trying to collect them after the battle.

  “Hide behind me!” A veteran shouted from behind a huge energy shield. Not a bad ability. I wondered how long it would last.

  “Let’s go!” Someone else said. “There are more of us than them.”

  Although many players were madly darting around the courtyard, trying to hide from the goblin arrows, a large portion of the veterans headed for the stairs. I also noticed that most of them were carrying shields taken from the goblins in the previous battle. More evidence that killing the leader had gone unpunished for the Swordsman, since only he could pass the shields to the newcomers. Was everything going according to plan?

  A dozen players lay on the rocks below, killed in the first few minutes of battle, but most of the others had quickly found cover, the gatehouse arch being an obvious choice.

  The gates finally opened, and the wailing of the horn sounded from beyond the walls, confirming the beginning of the assault. Too early... As long as the tower itself held, the goblins could lower the portcullis at any time. I suspected that they wanted to lure as many players as possible under the arch, so that they could cut them off from the rest. How much time would it take to break down this grating? Especially if the goblins had some oil. The defending ranks grew thinner, the arrows were running out, and we had no way of replenishing supplies.

  However, all these tricks could only delay the inevitable, for the outcome of the battle was clear. Nevertheless, not all goblins were willing to accept their deaths. Some tried to hide in the buildings, and some tried to climb down the wall. The open gates didn’t go unnoticed either. Two riders flew out of the stables and tried to race past the players, whipping their horses into a frenzy. One even managed it, by some miracle. Bursting through the crowd of players in the archway and racing over the bridge, the fugitive then turned sharply to the left and away from the approaching crowd of players. Cthulh hurled a fireball at him, but it missed and splashed over the rocks.

  I raised my bow to stop the rider, but then sent an arrow into the thigh of a goblin protecting the stairs. It seemed more rational to me. The fugitive was far away, and the likelihood of success was low. A faint flash of satisfaction broke through the Calculating Mind. I seemed to be getting better at controlling the skill. Rational, irrational — it all depended on one’s point of view. Deep down, I was inclined to wish the rider good luck. Figuring out what was happening and grabbing the tiny chance of survival deserved my respect. Plus, shouldn’t there be a place for miracles in life?

  These thoughts didn’t stop me from firing two more arrows, although only one hit the target. The goblins had long since realized that someone was shooting at them, and were covering themselves with their shields. However, this made it easier for the assaulting force to do their job.

  “No!”

  I heard a clang I’d been expecting as the goblins lowered the grate. The wave of players who had almost reached the walls howled in frustration... No matter. The defenders fought fiercely, but they couldn’t change the outcome. Their archers had finally run out of arrows and become infantry, whom the players dominated confidently. Our people soon captured a stairway and ascended the wall, cutting off some of the goblins from the tower.

  The defenders launched a counter-attack in a desperate attempt to break through to their kin, but one goblin dropped his weapon and ran along the battlement in a panic, straight at me. I automatically stepped aside and stuck out my foot to trip him. After tumbling along the top of the wall, the goblin managed to stay on it, then leapt up and kept running, almost without slowing down.

  I had already exchanged my bow for a spear, and at the sound of footsteps, I turned to meet the next coward with a strike to the chest. The invisible spear meant the goblin didn’t have a chance.

  Attention! You have received 2 SP! (20/120)

  I suppose I should have felt ashamed. The body swayed and fell, almost dragging me down with it as the spear had gone in too deep. By the time I had freed my weapon, the first goblin had jumped onto the roof of an adjacent building, reached the stairs and disappeared inside. Lucky bastard. He would die a little later.

  I looked around, trying to figure out where I’d be most useful. The goblins didn’t need to protect other sections of the wall thanks to the moat, so almost all the defenders had gathered at the gate tower. Only the corner towers with the ballistae had a few goblins still scurrying about. They weren’t a danger to the players inside the fortress, but could be to our reinforcements. The goblins would target the approaching crowd, and a meter-long arrow could reap a rich harvest.

  My next target was thus the nearest corner tower. The ballista had already been loaded, but there were only two goblins. I could swear there had been more before, but perhaps some had already deserted. The first levels? Perhaps capturing them would be more sensible.

  “Surrender!” I proclaimed, appearing out of thin air. Low-level goblins, once considered worthy opponents, were no longer a cause for concern.

  Unfortunately, the goblins didn’t appreciate my ‘generosity’ and charged at me, shrieking. It wasn’t the smartest decision of their lives, considering they only had long knives as weapons.

  I impaled the first goblin on my spear, and simply kicked the second one, hoping to obtain а handy source of information. Unfortunately, the blow was too strong, and the goblin flew off into the moat.

  “Damn reflexes,” I muttered, meeting the gaze of the goblin at my feet. The spear had gone deep into his stomach. “Doesn’t look like I’ll be capturing you, either.”

  Attention! You have gained 2 SP! (22/120)

  How... irrational. Two more experience points meant almost nothing to me, but could have ensured a way home for one of my allies. It was one of the reasons I’d wanted to take the goblins alive, in addition to getting them to talk. Putting my foot on the corpse, I pulled out the spear and glanced at the corpse indifferently. The wound was serious, but it shouldn’t have led to such a quick death. I wondered if the System weapon somehow sucked up life, making any serious wound fatal.

  Attention! The Calculating Mind skill has been terminated!

  Why? I found the answer almost immediately — my mana bar had dropped to zero. I pulled out a new crystal, while trying to decide what to do next. There wasn’t much time left before the fortress finally fell and players scattered in search of loot. I had to get there first.

  It’s just that... I leaned on my spear, overwhelmed by a sense of fatigue. The tense night, the fight with the Bone Horror, the flight, the battle, another flight and another battle, it all came together at once. Well, I did have something suitable for this occasion.

  Activate Second Wind?

  Yes/No

  I confirmed activation and the world brightened once more as my body was filled with energy, the fatigue dissipating. It was hard to believe that I’d been seriously considering giving up my loot to rest. According to the agreement, everything taken before the fortress fell would be mine. Who knew if I’d get another chance if I missed this one? I could only hope that they’d manage without me.

  I didn’t go back to the stairs where the battle was still raging, instead choosing an alternative path. Reaching the edge of the wall, I jumped onto the roof of the building below.

  * * *

  The slightly sloping roof was used to collect rainwater, as was often the case in this city. The design was simple: the water flowed down the roof into the gutters, along them into a special opening, then down the pipes and into tanks located somewhere in the basement. It was possible to
drink such water, especially if it had been boiled first. It meant we wouldn’t die of thirst here.

  Once at the stairs, I activated Invisibility again and carefully descended the steps. Right... The third floor. I didn’t have a detailed map of the fortress, so I needed to capture a prisoner to avoid wandering mindlessly through the buildings.

  What did I want to find, exactly? The dead shaman had given me the idea that by choosing Magical Ability, I had not only unlocked the Wisdom parameter, but also obtained those same abilities. Perhaps I could develop them further with regular training, in addition to the System’s input. Even if it required a lot of time and perseverance, the results would be much more stable in the future. The local mages had to pass the knowledge on to their students somehow. Quite possibly using books kept somewhere in this fortress and which would be nice for me to get my hands on...

  I cautiously pushed open a door on my left and found myself in a dark, half-empty hall. A training hall, judging by the wooden and blunt weapons hanging on the walls and simply piled up on the floor, but clearly not often used for its intended purpose. The tables looked like they had seen more use, and I even noticed a rat rummaging through the leftovers on one. Or a creature that very much like a rat. The animal pricked up its ears and looked around, but soon relaxed when it couldn’t see anyone. I didn’t bother it or linger in the room. There wasn’t anything here worth stealing.

  To the right of the stairs was a long corridor, with doors on either side. The wall sconces weren’t lit, so the passage was poorly illuminated by a few rays of sun that had somehow found their way in, perhaps through a system of mirrors.

  I didn’t like this corridor. It was too narrow for a spear, so I switched to my sword. I was less skilled with a blade, but it was more suitable to a confined space, and my Invisibility made up for the other disadvantages.

  After walking a little further, I stopped. A player’s corpse lay just ahead of me, in a small pool of blood. Likely someone who’d been unlucky enough to appear in the first few minutes, when the portals were opening at random. A newcomer who’d suddenly found himself beside some goblins wouldn’t have stood a chance. The question was, where did the killer go?

  I crouched down and closed the dead person’s eyes. I couldn’t see any wounds, but there was no point in searching for a pulse — the System was a reliable indicator. The goblins hadn’t stripped the dead man, but they had taken his bag and the cards, so there was no loot to be had. The thought that I was evaluating a recently living person in terms of spoils to be had made me feel almost ashamed. I looked at the body again, trying to guess where he might have come from. He was olive-skinned and dark-haired. Hell, I had no idea! A quarter of the world’s population could fit this description.

  I gave the nearest door a little push and cautiously stepped inside. It was a small cell with a bed, table, chair, wardrobe and chest. A narrow arrow loop was cut into the thick wall. It was very modest, yet, as far as I knew, common soldiers lived in the barracks, so this room belonged to someone higher up. One of the riders, perhaps? The trunk was locked, and I wasn’t interested enough in personal belongings to waste my time.

  I stepped back into the corridor, closing the door carefully behind me. The neighboring rooms looked very similar. It didn’t seem like I’d find anything interesting on this floor. Time was running out. Should I go downstairs or check the remaining rooms? I strained my ears, trying to hear anything...

  No, it was pointless. The shaman was unlikely to live here; the keep seemed like a better option. I needed to descend to the ground floor, go out into the courtyard and then play it by ear. There might be a goblin lurking in one of these cells, but checking them all was a waste of time. Although... who said I had to go in there myself?

  “Is anyone here?” I shouted in the goblin language. “The fortress has almost fallen! All survivors are ordered to retreat through the secret passage. I don’t have time to wait!”

  “I’m here!” One of the doors opened and a goblin jumped out. “Do we really have a secret passage? Hey, where are you? Don’t leave me!”

  Seeing no one in the corridor, the goblin ran for the stairs. This time, I didn’t repeat the mistake of ordering him to give up, but simply slammed his body into the wall. I ripped off the dagger scabbard hanging from his belt and finally reappeared, giving my prisoner a chance to assess the depth of his problems. I also noted that the goblin didn’t have a bag, so the human in the corridor was probably killed by someone else. Or he’d had time to hide the spoils.

  “Where are your sorcerer’s chambers? Answer me!” I snarled, shaking the prisoner and slamming him back into the wall. I kept one arm free. The goblin was terribly scrawny, and there were tears in his eyes. The perfect target for an interrogation.

  * * *

  “Help!” the little brat yelled. “The enemy is here! Help, everyone!”

  I grimaced, not even trying to shut him up. I doubted someone would come running to his aid. Under the circumstances, anyone willing to fight had gone to the gate long ago, so that only cowards would be hiding here. Or those too small to fight, since, admittedly, the goblin didn’t seem like a coward. Just an idiot.

  “That’s not what I asked you. How do I get to the library?”

  “Help!” The goblin shouted again, and sniffled when he realized that no one was coming. Was he really crying? “Come on! Where is everyone? Leon!”

  The prisoner was no longer sniffling but openly sobbing, breaking the ‘rules of the game’. I considered his size again. Perhaps it wasn’t a matter of build but rather of age. Damn it. I’d never killed a child before, and I wasn’t going to start now. Although I doubted the other players would be so squeamish. I took out a new crystal and cast Identification.

  Nameless Goblin*

  Status: System creature.

  Gender: female.

  Type: Bronze.

  Creature’s Rank: F-.

  Level: 1.

  Threat: very low.

  Emotions: strong fear, hopelessness.

  Parameters:

  Dexterity: 5.

  Strength: 3.

  Intelligence: 4.

  Vitality: 5.

  Stamina: 4.

  Perception: 5.

  Luck: 7.

  Additional Parameter:

  Wisdom: 2.

  *You can give the creature a name. This requires 10 SP, 150 mana units, and the creature’s voluntary consent.

  Great, a woman. A girl, even more likely. I felt like a villain again. What do I do? Do I leave her here and search for another prisoner? A goblin I wouldn’t feel so bad about killing later? That would be stupid.

  “No one came, as you can see,” I spoke. “Where are your... shaman’s chambers?”

  “I w-w-won’t tell you,” the goblin muttered, gritting her teeth and closing her eyes. If not for the lack of time, I would even consider this amusing. But I didn’t have time to play interrogator. The fight was coming to an end, and I would soon have a lot of competition.

  “How about a deal?” I tried a different approach. “If you help me, I’ll try to keep you alive. I can’t guarantee it, but I’ll try.”

  “I don’t believe you. All humans are cowards and liars!”

  “What a controversial statement. Do you want to see if it’s true?” I put my sword to her neck. “I need to find the shaman’s room. If you refuse, you will die right here, and I will go and find another guide. Do you think I am lying again?”

  “You...”

  “I’m counting to five. One, two, three, four,” I didn’t even think to slow down. “Fi...”

  “No! I-I agree,” the goblin girl stammered out and started sobbing again.

  Although I had already killed dozens of her kin, I felt strangely and irrationally guilty. What the hell? I wasn’t even planning to kill her. If the girl had refused again, I would have just cursed and left. The experience I’d get for a first-level mob wasn’t worth the deals I’d have to make with my own conscience. Of cours
e, someone else would have killed her soon after, but I wouldn’t have witnessed it. Stupid, but my conscience was a very illogical beast.

  * * *

  As expected, the shaman’s quarters were located in the keep. To get there, we had to go down to the ground floor, cross the courtyard and ascend the high porch. The goblins knew about the basic principles of fortification, and the entrance was on the first floor. However, the staircase had grown larger over the years, while the narrow, iron-clad doors remained open. It seemed that none of the goblins had been able to make use of their last chance.

  All this time, I moved in Invisibility mode, appearing only a couple of times when players showed an interest in my guide. As I had suspected, I wasn’t the only one intent on pillaging, but my level easily convinced any competitors not to stick their noses into my business.

  The shaman’s chambers were on the fourth floor, together with the incantation hall and access to the roof, where the deceased had occasionally conducted some rituals. I was glad that I found what I was looking for — a shelf full of books — almost immediately.