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

  “Sit here and don’t move.”

  I pushed the goblin girl a little further into the room so I didn’t get attacked from behind, and went to the shelf. Had all my efforts been rewarded? I opened the first book I came across and stared at the illustration in surprise. What the hell? I turned the page and realized that my eyes weren’t deceiving me. The most battered book, with a richly decorated cover and a poetic title, turned out to be a local version of the Kama Sutra. Well, I doubted the goblins had discovered anything new in this area.

  “Right here?” my captive asked softly.

  “What ‘right here’?” I asked, tracking her movements out of the corner of my eye. The next book turned out to be a poetry collection, but the third one was related to magic.

  “My beauty is well-known,” she said. “I-I know why you spared me!”

  The young goblin looked away in embarrassment, grabbed her shirt, and pulled it over her head. She was probably blushing, but it was imperceptible given the color of her skin. I sighed heavily, giving her a skeptical look. Well... The System wasn’t wrong — the goblin was a girl. She was quite young, so her secondary sexual characteristics could be easily missed under clothing, but now I could see her breasts. Although relatively small, they couldn’t belong to a man, not with that build.

  “And then what?” I queried, opening a new book. A herbal, it seemed.

  “I know what warriors do to the women on the losing side,” the goblin let out a small sob. “Let us go to my father’s bed, I won’t resist.”

  I froze, digesting what I’d just heard. Great, just great. So, the late shaman was her father? The girl lay down on the bed and arched her back. I guessed it was supposed to look tempting, but I felt amused instead. Or sad? Any goblin, regardless of age or gender, who found themselves surrounded by so many players, was almost certainly doomed to be turned into experience points. I doubted that I could change that. “I’m not buying it,” I said. “What have you got there? A dagger under the pillow?”

  The girl shook her head fearfully, wrapping herself in the blanket. She didn’t remove the pillows, though.

  “Put your clothes back on. I’m not interested in goblins,” I sighed, and began shoveling all the books into my bag. I’d sort out the loot later.

  A horn sounded somewhere below, proclaiming that the main force had finally broken into the fortress. Now all we had to do was clear the fortress of any remaining goblins. We’d won. I wasn’t the only one who seemed to think so.

  Attention! You have completed the divine task ‘Capture the Fortress’!

  Attention! The area around the beacon is now under the patronage of Quetzalcoatl!

  Attention! You are in a conditional safe zone!

  I studied the logs for a bit, assessing what had happened, then chuckled. Not only had Quel not given the players any rewards, he had also staked out this territory. Strong move. The ‘conditional safe zone’ forbade the killing of other players, threatening the violator with the ‘wrath of god’ and, at first glance, simply duplicated the functions of the System. However, the fact that the god could contact his High Priest and point out the violator, changed everything... In addition, thousands of newbs would soon be crowding into the fortress, and it wasn’t hard to predict whom they’d choose as their patron.

  I shook my head, returning to my current problem. I had to grab what I could, then find a place to house my squad. But before that, I had to deal with the goblin girl.

  * * *

  “My name is Vasily, how about you?” I began, sitting down on the bed.

  “Re... Rebecca,” she looked away. She seemed terribly embarrassed of the spectacle she’d made just before.

  “Wow, a whole seven letters?” I asked, impressed. Given how careful goblins were about the length of names, it couldn’t be local. Was it an Earthen name?

  “I,” Rebecca blushed again. “That’s what one of the players called me. My actual name is Re, but a third letter was to be added to my name very soon!”

  Right. In other words, she was still considered a child, even by goblin standards.

  “Tell me, do you know anything about magic?”

  Although Wisdom was a racial parameter for goblins, most had a value around one, and they lacked magic. The girl had a two in Wisdom, which meant there was a chance that her father had passed on some of his knowledge and skills to her. The goblin girl looked away again, showing no desire to answer. This alone spoke volumes. What is this, kindergarten?

  “All right, Reb,” I flattered her by adding a third letter to her name. “Let’s speak honestly. Do you want to live?”

  “Yes. You won’t kill me, will you?” She cried harder this time, tears running down her cheeks. Again. I’d never been good with children. “Please!”

  I shook my head. “I won’t. We agreed, remember? I promised to protect you, but for that, you need to help me. Work with me. If you do everything right, I’ll let you return to your kin in seven days. So, do you know anything about magic?”

  In that moment, I felt like a detective from a crappy TV series, telling a prisoner about the benefits of cooperation. But it worked, and the goblin nodded uncertainly.

  “My father taught me. I know the basic rituals, though I’ve never performed them myself. I can charge simple amulets. I know about herbs and how to dry them correctly.”

  “Not bad,” I said. “Can you use magic to harm a person in any way?”

  “I doubt it. Probably not. Our people have few strong shamans left, and I was only a disciple.”

  Even if she was lying, it wasn’t excessive. A chill ran down my spine. I had remained careful all this time, yet I had only considered her danger in terms of physical strength. I was completely oblivious to the fact that goblins also knew magic. Would I have been able to dodge a lightning bolt? Damn it. My noble gesture could have cost me dearly... On the other hand, I couldn’t suspect every goblin I met of being a shaman. “Why did you try to seduce me? Were you hoping that it would protect you?”

  “Yes.” The averted gaze again. She was lying. I didn’t even need Intuition to know this.

  “I thought we had a deal?”

  “There are many warriors and few women in the fortress,” she admitted with downcast eyes. “My father put a spell on me that would strip the rapist of his manhood.”

  “Wouldn’t that make him angry?”

  “It would. But if I died, the curse would kill the rapist. While I lived, it would eventually dissipate... Eventually.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes,” she nodded. “My father said it would take at least five years, but no more than ten.”

  I snorted, appreciating the cunning plan, compared to which a dagger under the pillow was child’s play. Then I moved on to the main question. “Alright, let’s forget about it. Do you know how to quickly raise the undead?”

  Re thought for a few seconds, then nodded. Bingo.

  Interlude. The Chosen One.

  IF ONE WAS TO TALK in clichés, then Kawakami Ryu could be considered a completely ordinary Japanese schoolboy. However, like most teenagers, Ryu thought deep down that he was special. Although he would probably struggle to say exactly what set him apart from his peers. He wasn’t especially good at school or sports, nor did he possess any special talents. He certainly wasn’t going to brag about the fact that he knew all the Pokémon names at the age of seventeen. Just like his deep knowledge of anime, manga and video games. Being an otaku was not something to be proud of these days, and was even considered shameful.

  Nevertheless, Ryu was a sensible young man and could clearly separate reality from fantasy, not allowing himself to sink into the latter too deeply. Perhaps that was why he hadn’t hesitated to accept the System’s offer — he simply hadn’t believed it was real.

  The high school student woke up in the traditional white room. Of course, the room wasn’t completely white, but what was happening fit neatly into the familiar childhood clichés. He was the Chosen One. He would
have the opportunity to gain power and change his fate... or perish. Having read plenty of adult manga, Ryu remembered that, apart from the main character and his girlfriend, all the other ‘chosen ones’ rarely survived for long.

  “Well, I don’t think I’m the girlfriend,” the newly minted River Serpent muttered. “Let’s hope I’m the main character, or at least someone in his entourage.”

  Ryu didn’t hesitate when choosing his weapon, a katana. Just like one he’d seen in a museum. In the absence of firearms, national pride wouldn’t let him choose anything else. His ancestors were samurai, after all! They were on his mother’s side, but still...

  He might have chosen Magical Ability, but this option wasn’t on the list. The high school student also figured out how to use the bag and equipment without any difficulty. Finally, after making sure he hadn’t missed anything, Ryu headed for the portal, since there was no other way to leave this place. The portal lit up at his touch. After reading the mission description, which spoke of “capturing the temple”, Ryu noticed the last item.

  Select the drop point:

  — Divine beacon No. 1 (Quetzalcoatl).

  — Random location within the city limits.

  It wasn’t an easy choice. A random location could be a considerable risk when it came to one’s life. Theoretically, a stationary beacon should be a kind of safe zone. On the other hand, it could be the other way around. It was much more difficult to set a trap in a random place.

  While the teenager was thinking, the first line of text changed color, going from a neutral black to a yellow, almost sickly green. At the same time, the second option turned a bloody red, as if pushing him towards a choice. Ignoring the hint, Ryu carefully selected the random location.

  You have selected ‘Random drop point’. Confirm?

  The letters were almost scarlet at this point, and then began to soften, as if bleeding. His finger froze.

  “When a true samurai is compelled to choose between life and death, he must quickly choose death,” Ryu muttered, but the wisdom of the ancients didn’t give him the confidence he’d hoped for. They’d all died, after all!

  Ryu exhaled slowly, decided not to swim against the current, and chose the recommended location. Although he’d never heard of Quetzalcoatl, weren’t heroes always being summoned by the gods? Logic is such a multifaceted thing that a smart person can use it to justify any decision.

  * * *

  Leon felt a growing sense of desperation. The ‘feat’ meant to secure his future no longer mattered. His patron had been killed in battle, which meant that his bride had lost her status. Although Re had learned her father’s trade since childhood, no one would put a shaman’s staff into the hands of a snotty teen. Plus, her ability was quite weak, only two points. His ability was even lower, but it grew rapidly and could reach dozens in the future. He was a Hero! With training and leveling up, he could become a powerful shaman one day. And then, who knew…

  Alas, his plans had been ruined in an instant, and now the very life of the ‘loyal servant of the goblins’ was in danger. The large losses had enraged his owners, and every goblin strove to insult the ‘property’ that now belonged to no one. Given that Leon barely knew the local language, he had to turn to his bride for clarification. Although the goblin girl had explained what was happening, she was also moody and unhelpful.

  Attention! You have received the divine task ‘Capture the Fortress’!

  The task that popped up felt like a mockery under the circumstances, yet it appeared that the mysterious System still considered him one of its soldiers. What a joke. His only chance of returning to Earth was to complete the main task. Even then, there was no guarantee that it would count if the temple was captured by someone else.

  “Go and fight!” His bride stood by the window and stamped her foot. “You’re a man!”

  “I am only a servant. I don’t even have any weapons,” Leon replied automatically. “Besides, if I pick up a sword, your fellow goblins won’t know which side I’m on. They’ll just kill me.”

  “You’re a coward! It’s... it’s over between us!”

  What a dumb cow. Nothing new here, goblins weren’t known for their intelligence. She actually wasn’t too bad when compared to the rest.

  “Goodbye, Rebecca. I’m sorry it turned out this way,” Leon said, leaving the room and walking away. While his position had been precarious before, he’d still had a chance of survival. However, the sight of players appearing out of thin air made it impossible for him to deny the truth any longer. It was obvious that the fortress would fall. What would happen then?

  Leon clenched his teeth. Almost every scenario promised death, whether soon or a bit later, when the goblins recaptured the fortress. Even if they didn’t kill him, he’d be a slave again. It was much more likely that his own people would finish him off first, for cooperating with the enemy. Would anyone care that he had been forced to do so? He was going to die, he was so going to die... A wave of hopelessness washed over him. Wouldn’t it be easier to find a rope and simply hang himself? Leon turned the thought over in his mind. He knew where to find a rope, but had no idea how to make the right knot, and there was no internet at hand to check.

  “Get out of the way, slave!” said a voice behind him. Leon understood only the last word in the sentence, but the gesture and tone were quite eloquent.

  Leon jumped aside, pressing his back against the wall and letting the group of goblins pass. The latter cast a bloodthirsty glance in his direction, but then turned away. Leon’s rough robe clung to his back, soaked with sweat. He could almost sense the goblin debating whether to kill the slave just in case. Was it the same sixth sense that the late shaman had unsuccessfully tried to teach him? No, Leon didn’t want to die, and his thoughts turned the other way, searching for a way out. There must be a way out, right?

  He needed to think. Almost no one knew about his ‘sabotage’, so that left only the accusations of working for the goblins. Collaborating with the enemy. He had to prove that he hadn’t betrayed anyone. He needed to prove his loyalty. But how? By finding a weapon and joining the players in their fight against the goblins? He’d lost a one-on-one skirmish last time and hadn’t gotten any stronger since. They’d kill him. Steal a corpse’s clothes and pretend to be one of the newbies? Pointless, the other prisoners would report him as soon as they were released. Use the time gained to escape from the fortress? Into a city occupied by the undead? Into a world without people? Well then... Sneak into the basement and kill the witnesses? Leon smiled bitterly, knowing that he couldn’t. He just couldn’t. Anyway, it would be useless, the red status would give him away. He felt a deep sense of hopelessness again.

  It was all pointless. Utterly pointless.

  The air in front of him rippled and a player appeared before his eyes. A Japanese guy, judging by his appearance and the weapon he had chosen. Leon pushed him aside and tried to jump through the invisible portal, but struck the wall instead. The passage only led one way. Merde...

  “Who are you?” the youth asked, raising his katana, but there was no real threat in it. He was even built like a girl, thin as a sapling.

  “I’m... I’m from Earth, like you. You have to help me!” Leon began, following his gut instinct. “There are prisoners in the basement! If we free them, they’ll help us take the fortress! We need to hurry or the goblins might kill them.”

  The plan took shape in his mind. He was a Hero, so why not perform a feat? If he couldn’t kill the witnesses, he would try to save them. Maybe it would only delay the inevitable, but Leon didn’t want to die. Not today.

  Chapter 3. The Horde

  I DECIDED TO TAKE full advantage of the opportunity and took everything my captive pointed out to me before we left. Not only from the shaman’s room but also from the adjacent invocation hall, trying to hide the evidence of my looting so as not to incite jealousy. For example, I rearranged several decorative statuettes on the bookshelf. They were quaint but had little value acc
ording to the goblin girl. I took all the books, including the goblin Kama Sutra. A few artifacts and amulets, some jewelry and coins. I would try to convert some of the loot into money back on Earth.

  “I guess that’s it,” my captive admitted, looking hesitantly around the invocation hall. “There aren’t any hiding places.”

  I nodded. I was certain Rebecca hadn’t shown me everything she knew, despite our agreement, but we were running out of time.

  “Here, you’ve earned it,” I gave the goblin girl a System bag I’d found in the shaman’s room. “I promised you a share, didn’t I? If there’s still something here that’s valuable to you, I suggest you take it now. You have a couple of minutes. Just don’t touch the weapons, please.”