The Gene of the Ancients (Rogue Merchant Book #2): LitRPG Series by Roman Prokofiev (ebook reader for comics .TXT) 📗

after which you conduct the Liberty exam? And I have no guarantee of getting into the clan?”

“We’ll arrange everything and back you up,” Abel said quickly. “There’ll be a raid, everything’s been set up. It’s three or four hours, maybe five or six....”

“It’s ridiculous. You get everything, I get nothing with zero guarantees? You seem to be a reasonable man, Abel. Imagine how it looks from the outside.”

“Think about the Liberty recruits,” Abel said. “Don’t be selfish. They’re all waiting for the exam, and we’re waiting for you to give it. All of you, together, must pass the trial. In short — no souls, no exam. Use your brains.”

What a stupid blackmail. Why would I care about other recruits? Well, actually, I did care; I knew how Ivan and Maria wanted to get into the clan and the pains they took during practice sessions, and the other guys too... But it was bad form, stringing me along, making Cat the punching bag.

I fell to thinking, feeling cold anger seething inside me. The Watchers’ leaders were wrong.

What if I told them to bugger off? I had a Diamond account, the support of the Magister, and a global goal. I could get by without them. Any clan would be glad to have me...

I sighed deeply. I really needed to calm the hell down and think logically. Don’t let your feelings get the best of you, play your own game, Cat!

One soldier doesn’t make a battle. I needed the Watchers; no matter how you cut it, the region was theirs. And I needed the support and information of a powerful alliance. I had to become a part of it, blend in, understand how the world worked. I needed access to the clan’s finances and logistics, their help to get to the place where Svechkin was.

But they needed me, too. The Watchers’ ass was on fire, going by how much they were pushing me in regards to the Pandas. There was no point in being high-minded with Komtur. It wouldn’t give me anything except a conflict.

But who said I had to be selfless and noble? I didn’t want that, and I wasn’t going to. The Watchers needed souls? Well, I wanted a profit.

“Listen, Abel,” I said. “I don’t mind helping the clan. But you said it yourself, right now, I’m a noname, a clanless player, and that’s true. How about a gentlemen’s agreement? I give you souls, and you reward me.”

“A reward? What do you want?”

“I don’t know yet. I’ll tell you tomorrow.”

“Cat, there’s no time. Pandas...don’t like waiting. With each day, our debt grows. We need to do everything as fast as we can.”

“Okay,” I yawned. “Is Komtur online? Let’s fly to Condor and have a talk with your Council, heart to heart.”

* * *

 

“Here’s our hero, give him a warm welcome!” Abel said, surrendering me to Komtur and Olaf. “Deal with him yourselves, I can’t bear it any longer!” And he dramatically dissolved into thin air.

Komtur seemed happy to see me. I made a mental note not to forget during our conversation that his plain looks hid a powerful intellect. The leader of one of Dorsa’s premiere clans couldn’t be ordinary.

“Cat. Do you remember our deal?” Komtur asked. “A hundred souls, we owe Pandorum a hundred souls.”

A hundred souls were equivalent to a million gold, according to Panda’s exchange rate. I didn’t really like that idea: the law of Balance had a strange algorithm, and it was quite possible that taking those souls would make matters worse. Still, they had persuaded me that the damage would be insignificant, that a faction war was going on anyway, and basically, that everything would work out.

“What reward do you want?” Komtur asked casually.

“Two. I want two rewards. Which would should I tell you first, the small one or the big one?”

“Let’s start with the small one.”

“All faction tags that the NPCs drop will be mine.”

“You mean tokens? That was no problem. Now to the big one.”

“I need your ‘yes,’ Komtur.”

“I don’t get it,” the head Watcher asked me again, confused. “My ‘yes’? What do you mean?”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to ask you for your hand.” I smirked. “I’ll need a favor. I don’t know what exactly yet. Promise me that you and the Watchers will help me when I ask you.”

Komtur chuckled, then looked at Olaf. He clearly wasn’t taken with my demand.

“Cat has come up with a con of some kind,” the Prophet said. “It’s a weird request.”

“Yes, I sense a catch,” Komtur said, looking at me now. “You could wish anything you want, with these conditions. I don’t like it.”

“As you wish,” I shrugged. “I’m not going to subject myself to the Law of Balance for nothing, anyway. Deal with the Pandas yourself.”

Komtur and Olaf exchanged glances once again. I sensed that Komtur barely restrained his rage: some newbie who wasn’t even part of the clan yet was trying to get the best of him, the clan leader. Kick him and be done with it!

And if anyone else was in my place, that’s what they would have done, no matter the talents. They’d even add that cocky bastard to the KOS list, for his arrogance. But I realized very well that by becoming one of the Seven, the wielding of the flaming sword, the Soul Eater, I turned into a big fish. They needed souls to pay the Pandas, and they needed me — as a phenomenon that could benefit the clan. And right now, I was simply stating the price of a unique commodity — myself. They had no choice.

“That’s too much, Cat,” Olaf said. “Let’s talk about it. Maybe you want items from the clan warehouse? Money? After all, you’ll soon join the clan. Prove your loyalty. We really need your help now, and