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

touching a frog. It was an unusual feeling. However, we could communicate and understand each other.

“Help. I need your help.”

The slider of my multilanguage pack moved to Shadowspeak, translating the shadow’s reply.

“I cannot refuse a Speaker. But everything has its price.”

We had a long conversation. Understanding didn’t come easy, as that creature was too foreign to the material world. I could sense its predatory, almost carnivorous nature. Despite being duty-bound to obey me, the supreme shadow clearly saw me as food. I spent a while trying to explain what I needed. Unfortunately, the shadow couldn’t help me in battle, as its only weapon was the dread it inspired. It also couldn’t bring me to the Isle of Madness through the Shadow Plane, as the beasts lurking in the depths terrified it. Still, it did have a few useful abilities, and after learning about them, I decided to put them to good use.

It was getting dark. The Pandas and their pawns were sitting around the resp point, not saying a word. In all that time, my enemies hadn’t exchanged even a few words, talking either in their chat or via Courier. They were right; loose lips sink ships. I left them alone; if the guys had chosen such a fun-filled job, who was I to bother them? In the meantime, I switched to my second account and finally logged off—although not for long. An hour later, I returned to check up on my sentries, and then once more.

My goal was to wear them out and make them unfocused, not letting the one checking my logins at the oracle fall asleep and pestering the trio guarding the resp point. Let them squirm. You wanted to make my life hell? I’ll do the same to you. Let’s see if your much-touted reflexes will stay the same after a sleepless night.

In short, I spent the entire evening and night getting on their nerves by logging in and out of Sphere, taunting them and feigning attempts to flee the resp point so they couldn’t relax. It was a petty performance, of course, but it must have gotten under their skin. I knew that each time, upon getting a signal about me logging in, they immediately tensed up and mentally prepared for battle. After the tenth attempt, their hunting instincts would grow numb, increasing my chances to escape.

* * *

The next morning, the picture was the same. I had figured out that the Pandas had six-hour shifts and waited for the right moment when Yota and his pawns left the game and Pinprick seemed to doze off.

I contacted Thrainul and warned him not to wait for me before sailing out. The ship must be under surveillance, and I didn’t want to set them up—those guys seemed to genuinely want to help me. A rare thing in Sphere, really. After getting several messages expressing regret, I used a lesser shadow to watch the Abyssal set sail from the Stone Forest and disappear in the greenish mist. If I got lucky, we would meet later. If not...I would find another way.

I gave the supreme shadow my final orders, prepared the scrolls I would need, and put the Dragon Skin Elixir into my quick slot. The gift of Weldy’s late uncle played a big role in my plan, as it raised my resistance scores by a whopping 70%, even if for just ten seconds. Together with my cloak and the Tiara of Prince Consort, I got 88% resistance to most types of magic damage. The formula was complicated, as each resistance-affecting affix lost some of its power when stacked with a similar buff. Eighty-eight percent... It meant that I couldn’t be one-shotted by a spell, as only a tenth of its damage would be dealt. Well, maybe.

It was time. May fortune be in my favor! I stepped out of the respawn circle where I had been hovering like a ghost, suddenly becoming corporeal. Right away, I activated Dragon Skin and cast Rigor Mortis on Ran Dom, who was on his feet. It worked! The Panda warrior slowed down, suddenly growing stiff. It wouldn’t hinder him for more than a few seconds, but I didn’t need more. I feinted and ran toward the staircase.

However, I had underestimated the reflexes and the speed of Pandorum’s team. Evidently, they had long since perfected the reskill tactics and knew all possible tricks. The players and pawns moved quickly and smoothly, reacting in just a few seconds. My pathetic attempt at escaping was over before it started.

A lasso, a net, an unstoppable blow between my shoulder blades... I almost fell, then sprang back up and beat in the snares like a caught butterfly. A moment later, Aelmaris burned the net, but time was already lost.

Bang! The elf girl, having scrambled to her feet, fired Crimson Fire at me, reducing my health by three quarters. I was knocked back to the ledge above the precipice and tried to use Pitch Darkness to cover the area around me, but I was too late—the werewolf interrupted my casting, charging at me with a long leap, and the last thing I saw was his gaping red maw.

…247 damage. Your HP: 0/800.

You are dying! 60 seconds left till final death! 59…58…

Pinprick killed you!

My enemies turned around to the resp point, lowering their weapons, while I agonized in suspense, waiting for the unpredictable Soul Forge Gem to trigger. Come on! A thirty-percent chance of resurrection wasn’t a long shot! Otherwise, I would have to use the precious Greater Shield of Shadow to get out of there.

The Soulbinding Stone retained the hold of your soul and may return you to life. Do you wish to respawn? Yes/No

When the Pandas didn’t find my ghost in the stone circle where it was supposed to manifest, they seemed to start realizing something—or maybe, someone had clued them in. Abruptly, almost simultaneously, they turned