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

my perks, the Ancient Gene. I carefully touched the picture with my fingertips, making Weldy jerk, as if she was being tickled, and for a second, felt an unseen spark of energy connect us, as if I touched a battery terminal. The Gene’s icon on my paper doll flashed and went dark.

“Did you feel it? What’s that?”

“Yes,” Weldy answered after a pause. She was staring right into my eyes, and I knew that the moment had come. Could it be that I would get the final secret quest that each NPC had?

“You also have the blood of the Ancients,” she said. “I knew that from our very first meeting. It’s a rare thing. Too bad you’re a player.”

“Please explain.”

“The people of Eyre are descended from the Ancients. Some families pass their blood across generations. The Nialits are one of them. We trace our roots back to Ni-All himself, a great mage who lived before the Black Fast.”

As she told her story, I kept pestering the search engine, comparing the results.

Ni-All, Niall (Kann-Elo) is one of the best-known Ancients, a legendary wizard. He is considered to be a great alchemist and spellcaster, creator of many elixirs and magic items. He is especially venerated in the Eyre Nation (Dorsa) and mentioned in many texts preceding the Black Fast (see The War of Gods and Ancients). Some caches of the Ancients contain epic- and legendary-quality scrolls and recipes marked as copied from his spellbook.

 

“There’s a tale in my family that Ni-All left his descendants a gift that would imbue its owner with great magic power. My uncle, for instance, spent a lot of time looking for it and took a big interest in the places of the Ancients and the artifacts found there. And in my childhood, I — “

Weldy stopped mid-sentence and looked at me, embarrassed.

“HotCat, promise not to laugh!”

“I promise,” I said solemnly, making a serious expression.

“Well, I dreamed I would travel, find Ni-All’s gift, and become a great sorceress, the most powerful in the world, and everyone would admire and fear me, just like Uncle. That’s it...”

You are offered a quest: Weldy’s Dream.

 

Attention! This quest is classified as rare personal!

 

Ever since her childhood, Weldy Nialit has been dreaming of finding the legendary gift left by the Ancient mage Ni-All to his descendants. Help her make that wish come true, but take heed: sometimes, old myths turn out to be true...

 

Reward: reputation, (varies).

 

Attention: After the quest is completed, the quest giver’s reputation, karma, and attributes might undergo an unpredictable change.

 

Accept? Yes/No

 

A worrying scarlet line suddenly crossed the interface. Back in the real world, someone was trying to pull my body out of the VR capsule. Evidently, my expression sharply changed, as Weldy cried out, clearly frightened,

“HotCat? What’s going on with you?!”

I barely managed to click the Rest button before the emergency exit timer counted down the last seconds before disconnection.

Chapter 18

DARKNESS signified the instant transition between the worlds.

I opened my eyes. The lid of the capsule was half-open, and Alena’s face loomed behind the reinforced plastic. Her expression didn’t bode well for me.

I turned off the emergency exit transmitter blinking bright red, threw back the lid, and climbed out, making an effort to move my numb legs.

Alena was silently facing me, her arms wrapped around her body, her thin black eyebrows frowning. She was wearing a short red kimono-styled robe and shivering with cold.

“What’s happened?” I asked. “Why did you turn off the capsule?”

“Oleg, I’m fed up with it,” she replied, studying me with an impenetrable expression. “For crying out loud, it’s six AM and you’re still inside that thing!”

She pointed at the silver-black cocoon that was the VR capsule with her manicured nail and an accusatory glance.

I sighed. It seemed that a scandal was about to break out. Actually, it had been brewing for a while; I noticed that by Alena’s sidelong scowls and acidic remarks. She had never liked computers, video games, and my strange occupation. My timid wife usually waited a long time before exploding — such was her nature. But if she did, only running could help.

“You’re always there! In the morning, in the evening, all the time! You only come out to eat and shower! And now, you’re there at night, too! God, what have I done to deserve this? Oleg, forgive me, but that’s not right! I want to fall asleep with my husband next to me, not in an empty bed!”

“I’ve already explained that it’s my job — “

“Stop lying, Oleg! Work? At night? Why’d you need such a job anyway! I guess my parents were right...”

She faltered as she saw my face. So back on The Star, my in-laws had done a number on her head. I could finally see where all of it was coming from. Without a word, I stood up, went to the kitchen, poured two glasses of water and drank them. After ten hours inside the capsule, I was horribly thirsty. Dawn was breaking outside. Apparently, I lost track of time with Weldy. It wasn’t right. I really had gotten carried away. But at least I managed to get her superquest right before being logged off.

“Oleg, please, stop! It’s enough! That thing has taken you from me. You used to be different!”

“If you want to talk, let’s talk,” I offered Alena, who was following me around. “Just no screaming. It gets on my nerves.”

“On your nerves? Have you thought about me?”

“Sweetie, do you realize that’s how I make our living?”

“Oleg, it’s not about money. I don’t mind if I get less, as long as I get to see my husband, have him spend his nights with me instead of God knows where! You’re a smart guy. Find a normal job, without all