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

Reward: 1,250,000 XP, Access to Fourth Tier of Evolving Quest

“Hell. That’s a serious chunk of XP…” I muttered softly, realizing that it would go a long way to replacing the lost levels, just as the additional points in Perception and Wisdom began to take hold. I groaned, screwing my eyes shut and covering my ears with my hands. Sounds were suddenly magnified insanely, my eyes burning as they altered again, and I gritted my teeth against the explosion of sensations.

With each point that I gained in Perception, the world around me changed in a thousand ways, many minor, some major, but the more points I gained in that Stat, the more those changes hurt.

Now, my brain ached, my eyes burned, my ears bled, and my skin shrieked in agony as each fresh breeze felt like a cheese grater being dragged across it. Finally, my sense of taste and smell, well… I suddenly really missed toothpaste and mouthwash, and resolved to find a way to make a magical equivalent damn fast.

When the adjustments were eventually over, I sat back, wincing as my raw nerves screamed at me. As I cautiously opened my eyes, I found myself looking into the faces of Augustus, Hellenica, Nerin, Denny, and Lydia, who had all joined Romanus in the tent. I felt Oracle’s gentle hand resting on the back of my own.

“Ouch,” I said distinctly, and several people snorted out a laugh while Nerin stepped forward to look at me, her eyes shifting to glow a fierce silver.

“Jax,” Jenae’s voice and the sense of her presence suddenly blossomed around me, and I smiled, turning my eyes up to the sky.

“Great to hear from you, Jenae,” I said, closing my eyes in relief. “Sorry. Okay, everyone, that is the Goddess Jenae, Mistress of Fire, Exploration and Hidden Knowledge.” I caught the confused and surprised looks on the faces of the nearby Legionnaires, as well as noting, further out, the way the nearby people faltered and stopped in their motions, gazing about as though trying to figure out what was happening.

“Thank you, Jax. It is good to see you survived. I was concerned,” Jenae said, and I caught the amusement in her voice at my apology for tossing her a casual general greeting after promising I’d show more respect in the future.

“It was a close thing a few times…” I admitted casually.

“I know; I felt your injury and checked in on you, only to find that your new healer, backed by a Djinn Clan Mother, already had things in hand. Good choices on your allies there,” the Goddess commented, and I nodded, still facing upwards.

“I was damn lucky to get them, I know that much,” I said.

“More than you know, considering the agreement that binds the Clan Mother. But I digress; do you remember, after the incident with the Valspar, when I promised to lead you to a cache of knowledge that would aid you in facing them?”

“Yeah…” I said, rubbing the back of my head. “Sorta. I was kinda having a bad day…”

“Understandable,” Jenae replied with a slight chuckle. “You had just destroyed a section of a major city, followed by tearing out your own guts and nervous system. Most sentients would define that as a bad day, I’d expect.”

“With cause… I didn’t just do it for shits and giggles, okay?” I said quickly, anxiously watching the small group with me, and the much larger group of people that were slowly drifting in to listen.

“You did,” Jenae agreed. “Anyway, part of that cache is nearby. The Prax, or War-Cities, depending on how they translate in your race’s tongue, were created to be able to enforce the Emperor’s will across the realm. That meant that, in addition to all the facilities a mobile platform of war required, such as production centers, food, and barracks, they also contained Vaults. These were maintained by a resident wisp, and while I am weaker than I’d like, I sense the presence of knowledge buried deep here. I… cannot discuss my current situation, Jax, not now. But soon, we must speak at length, both about your path ahead, the effects of my naming you as Champion, and about your Quest to return the Gods…”

“I’ll look forward to it, Jenae, and thank you,” I answered respectfully as her presence vanished.

“Was… was that really her? The Lady of Hidden Knowledge?” Romanus asked, blowing out a heavy breath and studying my face. “By the gods, her presence… it was…”

“Powerful,” I said, and he nodded his agreement.

“Truly, there can be no doubt that She is Divine. The sense of her mind was… and she talks with you?” he asked, and I nodded, looking to Augustus.

“You didn’t tell him?” I frowned in confusion.

“Oh, I did; it’s just not the kind of thing that people accept at face value, Jax. It’s something that people need to experience.” He smiled as Denny clapped him on the shoulder wordlessly.

“You still stand by your word to introduce me to Ashante, boy? The Goddess of Nature and Life?” Nerin demanded, and I reassured her that I intended to keep our agreement. “Good, because every time I turn my damn back, you do something that’s either insane, or impossible, or both together.” Nerin crossed her arms, a look of wonder on her face. “I was aboard the ship, dealing with a young slave girl that had been… abused by her past masters, I was trying to figure out how to remove restraining bolts that had been joined to her shoulder and hip bones to lock her into place, when lightning tore through the hull and smashed into her. I panicked, trying to save her, and found, much to my surprise, that she was being healed, not hurt. The bolts were melted to slag, reduced to puddles of metal on the floor. I watched the remnants running across her skin without so much as singeing her. Every single one of my patients from the city, all of the enslaved that I’ve treated so