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

Lena winced and gestured sharply, turning the hologram. Ripples of scanning, similar to the animation of Search skill, ran over the picture, highlighting all objects above and below the surface of the underground ocean. We saw a long fishlike skeleton, coiling like an eel and pale as a tapeworm. Its outline was blurry and distorted by an aura, but the creature was clearly much larger and faster than the Abyssal.

“This monster’s not local. I can’t identify it; the bestiary’s too old,” Romanova said. “It’s a demonologist’s handiwork. I’d say, Supreme Summoning from the Netherworlds. Water element, epic-level. I think I can see a tether...wait a second...”

The hologram zoomed out, making the displayed figures tiny and toy like. Another ship came into view—a sharp metallic spindle that somewhat resembled the late Barracuda. It was sailing above the water, players crowded on its deck. One of them was connected to the monster chasing the Abyssal by a twisting thread.

“Lena, the first ship is our friends; they got us here,” the Gravekeeper spoke up. “I’d like to save them.”

“They must have really crossed someone,” the First Maiden said. “The question is, what do we do? Keep incognito or enter the game? I suppose you want to help them?”

“That’s what I’m trying to do,” I said, standing up. “This ship has valuable cargo, my cargo, and I think I know who’s on the second vessel. Right now, Thrainul’s under fire instead of me.”

“The Pandas,” Svechkin said, agreeing with me. “They’re quick on the draw, finding a key against us. They even paid for an epic summoning...although they have deep pockets.”

“The Pandas!” Romanova glared daggers, spitting out the alliance name like a profanity. “I can’t stand them! Taerland started with them. Those self-proclaimed masters of Sphere are still at it?”

“Sit down!” she ordered me. “I’ve made a decision. There’s no point in cocooning the Stronghold, especially since I’ve...”

She let out a vicious smile and stretched her hands, cracking joints.

“...always wanted to do it!”

She stood up. Following her gesture, the hologram shrunk and moved toward her. Giving her hands one more shake, like a piano player before a concert, Romanova slowly put her palms into the projection, and I saw a giant spectral copy of them appear above the model of the Crown of Ice. They went past the maneuvering Abyssal into the depths of the underground ocean. Unerringly closing in on the target, her translucent fingers wrapped around the coiling silhouette of Pandorum’s monster. In a few seconds, it was all over, and the wretched remains of the creature slipped out of her fist, now unclenched, as if in disgust, and fell on the bottom. Romanova slowly pulled out of the projection, while I kept staring at the giant wave that she had roused as it almost overturned Thrainul’s submarine. Now that was some power!

“The Pandas won’t back away,” the Gravekeeper reminded her.

“I know, but I can’t reach them; they’re too far. But don’t worry, I’ve already sent a landing force there. Let’s see how efficient my Maidens are!”

Once again, she zoomed in on the enemy ship, tiny figures scurrying around the deck. The vessel was preparing to submerge—the armor plates started moving, shielding the hull into impenetrable scales.

“They won’t make it,” the First Maiden coldly remarked. “Stella’s almost there.”

As if confirming her words, a battle broke out onboard, blades flashing in the dark. White-winged mounts coming out of nowhere circled the air around it, carrying female riders in futuristic armor, and a dozen shieldmaidens appeared across the deck. As they emerged from invisibility, their shining blades struck true. Those who survived or evaded their blows were quickly felled by arrows and spells from valkyries on flying mounts. They weren’t just efficient—they were super-efficient, even if surprise played a big role in their success. The ship was cleared in just a few minutes.

“Zero losses,” Romanova said after the slaughter was over, clearly content. “We don’t need the loot, but the fuel will come in handy. Ellurite is finite.”

“Do all your NPCs have stealth archetypes?” the Gravekeeper asked. “It’s as if it doesn’t have a cooldown.”

“It’s not stealth; it’s Veil,” the First Maiden snorted. “A unique ability of the Maiden Order thanks to the affix on their faction amulets.”

“Does it work on birdies as well?”

“Yes, but not always. There are different versions. Some even work on astral ships.”

“That’s just cheating. Constant invisibility for objects?”

“No more than the Keys, legendary archetypes, or Divine Blood!” Lena objected. “Let alone the Forged and the secrets of the Forgeworlds!”

I pricked my ears, absorbing the information. A unique affix, faction items, astral ships... I finally knew what reward I wanted for my help.

“There’s no way back now!” Romanova said harshly, watching her subjects eviscerate and sink the captured ship. “I’m reactivating the citadel! We need to raise the Stronghold in the air and identify the jump point. Any ideas?”

“What are our priorities?”

“Find a place inaccessible to players. The Stronghold is vulnerable now. Without the Glowing, I feel defenseless. It has to be restored—that’s our first goal. To do this, we need ellurite, lots of ellurite, as well as reactor components—they could be crafted from Ancient artifacts. Do you have any idea where to get all of it?”

“The Bazaar. It has everything,” the Gravekeeper said, nodding. “We’ll have to think some more about the place. What then?”

“Our next step will be the official reveal of the Stronghold and the release of a new interdimensional faction. We’ll need to be as vocal as possible, attracting as many players as we can. Let’s explain it as a new power emerging in response to the shifts in the Balance. Then we’ll look for the Keys and wake up the rest of the crew. We’ll discuss the third step after we get at least five Keys.”

“I wouldn’t be so quick with going to the Bazaar; it’s