Titan: A LitRPG Adventure (UnderVerse Book 4) by Jez Cajiao (beach books .txt) 📗

Titan

UnderVerse Book Four

Contents

Titan

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Interlude – Thomas

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Epilogue

The End of Book Four

Copyright © 2021 by R J Cajiao

Published through MAH Publishings Ltd

Editing by Stephanie of Lit Forge Edits

Cover by Chris Cold

Typography by May Dawney Designs

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author/publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction, all characters, places, spells, realities and secrets of the Upper and Lower Realms are entirely my own work, and if they offend you, it’s not intentional. Probably.

Thanks

I always thank my family, because they’re awesome, and without them, there’s no way I could do this, especially not getting the books out as quickly as I do, but I do need to stress one thing.

I can only write at the speed I do, because I have an amazing team behind me. My Wife Chrissy, first and foremost, going without sleep many a night, deliberately not waking me to take my turn with the little men Max and Xander, because she wants me to be well rested. Thank you my love, I do notice, and I do appreciate it.

My Artist Chris, my Editor Stephanie, and my Typographer May all do an amazing job with often little time, and less than clear directions. (Or as my wife says ‘Fluffy Communication’)

Mainly though there are two groups that you might not know exist, first there’s the sheer boundless bravery of my ARC readers, including when they get the manuscript last minute and they pull out sheer bloody heroic efforts to get it read and back to me, so take a bow; Scott, Denny, Shawn and Neil, not to mention others who come and go, you are all damn well respected, believe me.

Secondly, there’s my writing group. A small dedicated group of other Authors who talk shit, give abuse, and always encouragement, help me to hit my targets, and provide informative discussions, like at what speed you’d hear a ‘thwack’ become a ‘shukkk’, not to mention the abuse we all heap on Kev.

Because he deserves it.

Thank you Dawn, Kev, Lars, Mike, Nathan and Darla, again, as well as others, who drop in and shout encouragement and vanish again.

Prologue

“What?!?” Snarled Barabarattas, Lord of Himnel, as he spun on the unfortunate victim of his ire. “What did you just say?” His voice dropped to a low growl.

“Uh… well, you see, m…my lord…” The messenger stammered. “The guard… they said… uh…”

“Cletus!” Barabarattas screamed, and a few seconds later a dark-cloaked figure materialized from the gloom obscuring the back of the room, stepping free of the heavy black velvet curtains as though lingering there, out of sight, was perfectly normal.

“Yes, my lord?” Cletus Thane asked calmly.

“Is this true?” The fuming lord hissed. “Some thieving nobody has raided my city, stolen my ships out from under me, stripped my Stockpile, and murdered my citizens, all while you caroused and chased tavern wenches?”

“It appears so, and he’s not exactly a nobody. You did declare war on him, after all…” Cletus replied unconcernedly. “I do vaguely remember seeing the Legion storm past while I was being sick in a gutter.” He strode forward, rubbing his eyes and yawning, filling the room with a stench of stale ale and vomit.

“Gods, man!” Barabarattas gagged and waved his hand to dispel the fumes. “I’d have you killed for that…”

“…If you could.” Cletus finished for the city lord, shaking his head. “We both know you need me, my lord, and until you no longer require my services, I am irreplaceable. Besides, if you killed me, who else would act as your representative in… certain deals?” The seething noble glared at Cletus, who smirked before glancing at the thoroughly terrified messenger.

“He knows too much,” Barabarattas snapped at Cletus, who turned and smiled lazily at the messenger, who paled at the sharply pointed teeth revealed.

“True…” The pale man said languidly, then burped again, wafting the foul odor away from his face and looking confused. “Well… I don’t remember eating that… oh well. Sorry, old boy.” Cletus’ right hand flicked out, and a thread of black light flashed across the intervening distance to splash across the messenger’s face, bursting like water before solidifying and emitting an evil red light. The messenger started to scream, frantically grabbing at the silken strands that joined his face to the creature’s hand and trying to pull them free. His terrified shrieks only grew in intensity at finding that whatever flesh touched the inky material was bound to it. His life-energy began to leech away, carried down the threads to Cletus’s hand in flashes of dark red.

It took a bare handful of seconds, time which seemed far longer for the messenger, but soon the thread released, retracting back to Cletus’s wrist, and disappearing from view as he lowered his sleeve casually.

“By the Dark Lady, that’s better…” Cletus muttered, wiping his face with the palm of his hand. His pasty white complexion had darkened to a light olive, and his teeth gleamed as he smiled, the points glittering as they shrank back down and resumed their normal, human appearance.

“I didn’t give you permission to indulge your filthy habit in my presence…” Barabarattas gestured angrily at the husk that had collapsed to the floor. “Get rid of that and find out what the hell happened last night! Gather your team and go; use your test subjects and get me back what is mine!”

“Why, of course, my lord…” Cletus replied sardonically, dropping into an elegant low bow with his arms held out to the sides, then snorting and strolling off to vanish into the pre-dawn darkness of the citadel. Cursing, Barabarattas summoned a servant to dispose of the corpse that Cletus had so