Shadow Seer (Rogue Merchant Book #3): LitRPG Series by Roman Prokofiev (english reading book TXT) 📗

And money? What did five million mean to the richest alliance of Sphere? Small change. A fully-fitted Ragnarok cost way more. Getting it back would be the number one priority; as for money, they might always try to get it back.

“What should we do, Phantom?”

“I’ve already transferred the money,” Phantom said in an icy tone. “Get the juggernaut, fools.”

“Seven?”

“Five.”

“What the fuck?”

“Calm down,” the leader of the Pandas snapped, a nasty smile on his face. “You can get it back. There are ways; you must know that.”

Jerkhan burst out laughing, and Kronk gave a knowing chuckle. Only Gor wasn’t amused—the Ragnarok belonged to Oblivion, his clan. Most likely, he would have to recoup the expenses.

The money came nine seconds after my ultimatum. Five million in virtual currency appeared in my account with a pleasant jingle, immediately making Cat one of the richest players in all of Sphere. Phantom was an upsettingly quick thinker. He had immediately figured everything out and made a decision. I really didn’t like his last phrase, either.

I broke off my connection with the shadow, stopped the recording, and saved it as a video file. Then I sent a message to the Pandorum Council channel.

“Thanks for shopping with us. It has been a pleasure! I hope it’s not our last deal. Oh, by the way, I hope you aren’t going to swindle the poor merchant, stalking him, making his life hell, finding him in real life, et cetera? You’re not like that, are you? Well, in any case, I have a small video for you.”

I linked the recording of their conversation into the chat.

“I guarantee complete privacy of our deal, but if you decide to complicate things, this video will turn up. All of Sphere will learn how the Pandas ransomed their juggernaut from a no-name player for five mil!”

Damn you, you son of a bitch!

You were kicked out of the Pandorum Council channel.

Your reputation with Pandorum Alliance increased to Ally.

Dammit, I hadn’t gotten the chance to tell them to carefully unload the Bells back into my barques! They were actually worth a whole lot of money.

Chapter 3

HOVERING ABOVE with a team of his fighters, Tao watched Panda scouts land on the deck of the jury-rigged juggernaut. Several dragon riders flew to meet them, but the PROJECT group easily put some distance between them.

They weren’t going to fight. In truth, Tao hated the entire situation: PROJECT HELL had started a conflict against Pandorum and, like it or not, played the decisive role in capturing the juggernaut. They were the ones to take down the Ragnarok crew and kill Gor, throwing him overboard. A satisfied smirk came to Tao’s lips, unbidden—it was a good fight with nice tasty kills. But the PROJECT leader knew another thing: the Pandas never forgot grudges. They were dangerous enemies, and Cat underestimated them.

Cat... Tao had to give him credit—Cat never lacked for courage and cunning. A coward would have never risked boarding and hijacking a juggernaut from under the nose of the strongest alliance of Sphere, not to mention blackmail them, speaking with living legends as equals. That required composure and self-control, and the merchant had those qualities in spades. He had quickly risen, becoming a force to be reckoned with.

Tao didn’t like that at all. On top of burning envy, the PROJECT leader couldn’t accept being a pawn in someone else’s game, a weapon in his enemy’s hands. Tao still hadn’t forgotten the bitter defeat in Eyre when the Crown was just within their reach. He remembered Komtur’s mocking laughter as he revealed the trick with the Err and dropped the Steel Guard on the PROJECT raid; the shame and the forum posts about the scandal with the thieves from DarkNet. Tao didn’t doubt that all of that had been HotCat’s handiwork. The worst thing, however, was that he, Tao Hell, the leader of a powerful clan (he considered PROJECT HELL the top combat clan of Dorsa, and it wasn’t far from the truth) had become an errand boy for a four-month-old newbie, the Watchers’ clerk!

HotCat: This is it. Your kamikaze can log in and leave the Ragnarok. They won’t be hurt.

 

So they had reached a deal. Tao gritted his teeth and wondered about the terms. Money? Most likely, although there was no way to be certain when it came to Cat. That would give him a link to Pandorum, allowing the merchant to pull that string as well. HotCat was making some dangerous connections.

Tao: Party leaders two and five, log in and calmly leave the juggernaut. DON’T BLOW IT UP.

 

Peacemaker: The Pandas?

 

Tao: Won’t touch you.

 

Tao’s lips pressed into a thin line, and his eyes became dangerously narrow. No, Cat. You wouldn’t get yours. He created a personal communication channel with Svoy, the leader of the second group, one of the pillars of PROJECT whom Tao trusted implicitly. Svoy would always back him up and carry out any of his orders.

Tao: Svoy, are you here? Where did you log in?

 

Svoy: I’m here. I’m in the cargo hold next to Ragnarok’s powder room.

 

Tao: Don’t log in yet.

 

Svoy: Got it.

 

Tao: You have a diamond subscription, don’t you?

 

Svoy: Yes.

 

Tao: Can you turn on kill rating anonymity?

 

Svoy: Of course, I can, but why?

 

Tao: Listen closely. You’re going to leave the clan temporarily—I’ll invite you back later. Turn on anonymous kills. Log in on my command. And then...

 

* * *

Keith Borland was hurriedly raising the reefed sails while his crew and several Pandas moved the Crystal Bells, carefully putting them into special pyramid-shaped stands in the hold. The last PROJECT members who played the part of suicide bombers left the juggernaut and joined Tao, hovering in the sky nearby. I watched them leave with a distant look, and they quickly turned into black dots on the horizon. The