The Ancients World Chapter 182
Advertisement
We lay in the soft bed and enjoy the calmness of the night. Sally is already asleep and using me as a pillow instead of the actual pillows. I stare up at the dark ceiling in the dimly lit room. As a first time, I'd say that went well. I only lasted a few minutes. Sally only lasted a few minutes too, so I don't think the standard is set very high, which is a very nice thought. The events that have taken place to lead up to this situation aren't going to present themselves again. I close my eyes and think about the next step to take, and that step is finding a crew to rob the treasure room. To find a crew, I need to talk to someone who knows the area inside and out. The most common people who know things like this are the old.
I could head back into that underground town, but that place is filled with common criminals and bandits. They are not professionals who know how to pull off a complex job like this. The professions I'm looking for would have a separate place to meet and talk—one of neutral ground and secrecy. Finding a place like that in a huge city like Bellvia isn't going to be a single-day job. Getting into contact with people as skilled as I won't happen at the snap of my fingers either. They would only talk to someone who has a reputation themselves, which I don't have. The true complexity of this job isn't going to be as easy as walking up to someone and getting all the answers I want. There is a network I have to follow.
Since I'm not a famous criminal, that means I'll have to be a prospective buyer. If a crew can't be found, then I'll bring them to me. This is going to be a huge cost. The last place that was successfully hit was the treasure room of Zenith. They were at war, and the thieves took advantage of that. Hold on... I can knock out three birds with one stone. I can use the same method that the robbers used in Zenith here, with my own touch and spin. Once I have the crew assembled and prepared, I can cause a distraction. I can use my authority as the grandson of The Almighty Father to cause chaos. The information on Bellvia's sins is sure to cause an uproar, while I'm causing such an uproar. The heist can commence.
Advertisement
I can get information on Ulma Runa and complete that quest and free the dryads once I get the information on the curse. While these two are happening, there will be chaos. The heist can go down without any problems. Thus three birds, one stone. However, I have to think this over for any possible holes—one of those identified early. If I'm discovered before I can set this plan in motion, it will be naught. Another thing I'm overlooking is Sally's involvement with this. She has many useful skills and can help with this plan a lot. A half-elf won't go unnoticed, though, and a hood won't hide the more perceptive people. Those are the real problem. The ones in charge have ways of learning things, seeing things. I have to distract the ones who are watching for people like me.
I'll need a crew filled with one-of-a-kind talented people. Bellvia won't have any of that, not out in the open. Unknown to Cera, there is a group of three individuals in Bellvia at this exact moment. Plotting their own revenge. These three people being Creatureman, Ghostzero, and Krialder. It so happens that their plan for vengeance aligns with Cera's plan for The Dice of Wayland. The only question is, how do these people meet. While all this is happening in Bellvia, there is a discussion between the top guilds in a neutral valley east of Yweliers Range. The meeting is between Wilted Rose, Sir Erikson, and Drak Blade. The one starting off this meeting is Wilted Rose. This meeting is, of course, about current events and Zern.
I look at my two fellow guild members, and I can see both of them have added and gained strength to their guilds. My Willow Tree has also been growing, but the competition has never been fiercer at this point, and now that Zern has been revealed to us. It's time to renegotiate what we originally agreed upon. "We all know that the meeting was going to come to this point. We need to discuss what we are going to do about Zern now that he is revealed to us." As I address the biggest topic of this meeting, the other two here quiet down and place contemplating looks on their faces. I notice that Sir Erikson is more content with where this is going. It's become known by the major guilds that Sir Erikson is protecting and looking after Zern's family.
Advertisement
He definitely knows more about Zern than we do, and one of his top guild members turned in the information and got a legacy class and gear of similar grade. "Sir Erikson... You are not obligated in any way to give us any information about Zern. However, in these sensitive times, the players need someone to look to and know about. If we can humanize Zern, the players will have security knowing someone powerful is on their side." Dark Blade tries to sell that bullshit to Erikson, and I sigh inwardly. Sir Erikson gives Dark Blade a knowing glare and begins to laugh out loud. "You may find this matter laughable, but the players... the humans from earth need him!" Erikson quiets down and closes his eyes.
He takes a breath and looks at Dark Blade with a red face from laughing. "In truth, I know very little about Zern. His family is currently a part of my guild, but I don't bother them out of respect for Zern. If I caused trouble for them and found out, my guild would be gone the next day. We have no idea what kind of power he has. What if he can somehow disband guilds? I don't want to find out the hard way." I can hear some sincerity behind his words. I doubt a single player would have that much power though, in his shoes, I'd do the same thing. This puts him at a huge advantage, though, and we are just going to have to deal with it. The fact he has a legendary class in his ranks is enough to make me mad. I'm even more peeved it's a blacksmith class.
I sigh and close my eyes. I have to be the leader my guild needs. I can't go hunting for Zern. So this is Sir Erikson's win. My priorities are much greater now, and with the shit storm we're in, this seems like the only opportunity we'll have to talk for a long time. "This Zern situation isn't going to go anywhere anytime soon. We don't even know where he is, and if Erikson did, he wouldn't be here right now." I announce my deduction, and I see the calculating look in both their eyes. "I suggest we all dissolve the first pact we made and focus on our own goals. If you manage to convince Zern to join you, I'll be more impressed than jealous. It's obvious that he wants nothing to do with guilds." The confident smiles fade, and the thought-filled looks burst forth.
They are both in their own worlds thinking, whether or not to dissolve the pack now. I can see why Dark Blade hesitates, but Sir Erikson never wanted the pact to begin with. It makes no sense why he might remotely want the pact to stay in action. "I want to keep the pact in action. The more information we all know about Zern, the better. We can share whatever we know with the general player population." Dark Blade's use of the remaining people from earth is obvious, but Erikson's silence actually worries me. Why, in a million years, would he want the pact to remain? He has way more information than he is giving us, which violates the pact. What will we do to call him on it? Nothing bad will happen to him. He loses nothing and gains more than something.
He looks hard at Dark Blade and shifts his gaze back to me. "What if I told both of you that I've come into information regarding the location of Zern..." My body stiffens instantly. This is some sort of trick. There is no way he would share this kind of information. Dark Blade has the same thoughts as me with the look on his face. "Oh c'mon... Don't give me that look. I may be a shrewd man, but what you truly know about me is very little." I don't believe those words for a second. He is playing some sort of game here. "If I tell you, what's it worth?" He is looking to swindle the fool here. I wonder who the bigger fool is... The one who thinks he can fool us, or one of us taking that risk. "Contact my courier when you are ready to discuss a price." He walks away, and that leaves the pact still in action, but at this point, that's worthless.
Advertisement
- In Serial8 Chapters
Entangled Fates Book 1 - Quantum Beginnings
“By far, the greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that they understand it.” —Eliezer Yudkowsky Hey all, we're moving over to book 2. This content is in a state of transition. The book is now availble on Amazon (includes extra chapters): https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B07W1534R8 Artificial intelligence was nearly mankind’s last invention. AI took off like a rocket, then when it racked up an impressive death toll, it crashed before it could blossom and took most high-tech industries with it. Resistance and fears became deep-set. Two decades after the infamous Rev. 4.6 incidents, humanity hasn’t quit dreaming of the wealth and power that could be at their fingertips. A new generation of mega-corporations rose from the ashes. When one melds a quantum computer to a barely functional mental patient as a PR move, there are those who seek to profit, those who want to destroy it, and Alex. Alex Sage is a typical college student trying to keep up his grades and maybe find a meaningful connection with the fairer sex. Then, an automated semi crashes into his home, killing his family and turning his head into a pin cushion in the process. Alex awakens to find most of his memories gone and an illegal AI hidden in his brain implant. Now the pet project of a tech billionaire and heavily in debt, Alex struggles to stay valuable enough to be kept online. Still grappling with the repercussions of his injuries, and threats from a dangerous anti-augmentation political movement, there are no easy answers and threats loom around every corner. Alex must use whatever resources he can to escape from under the thumb of a ruthless corporation, while keeping those he comes to love safe. Chapters will stay up on RRL until Aug 10. It'll go up on Kindle Unlimited after that. How do you get those extra chapters I didn't have planned for RR? If you want them, they'll be in the published book. Book 2 will still make sense without them - I made sure of that. But... isn't $3 a lot for extra chapters? Think of it as tipping me for a good job and you'd also be getting my eternal thanks. If you enjoyed it so much that the idea of missing out a few chapters haunts you, I did my job as an author and made an engaging story. What's in those extra chapters? Resolving a few issues, set up for the cybernetic revolution, a rather intense sex scene with a new partner, revelations of who's really pulling strings, and a bit of set up for book 2. Complaints that people missed out on it when it was published here won't help (sorry!). I posted this for the folks who helped me shape the book, which is you all! (Again, yay!) But... Why! Why not keep it all on RR forever? My editor likes being paid for one. For two, I'd like the ability to get broader readership. If I break even on editor costs, I'll be incredibly happy. What about book 2? Drafts for Book 2 will go up around Sept 10. My draft of Book 2 is done, and it will be handed to the editor once Book 1 is published. Feedback has been even more positive. Beta readers devoured it and wanted more. I'll add a link to Book 2 once it's up on RR. I'm more or less, using you all for Beta Readers, so you get it before it's "canon" and edited. I invite active and meaningful feedback during this process. In return, you get early access to chapters. That does mean that the book content or plot might be adjusted before it gets published as I refine it. Sex Y/N? Yes. I heard the feedback, 90% wanted it explicit. You all will get the "full" experience. Will I dump all of book 2 here? Honestly, I'm not sure yet. At a minimum, it'll be up to the 75% mark as we collect feedback, much like what I did with book 1. It really depends on how good the feedback is and how nice people are. Lots of support + meaningful feedback to make it better = higher likelihood you get all the book. Will be it up here indefinitely? No, it'll probably go up on KU at some point, but I'll make sure there's enough time for a large readership to grab it here. Then we move to book 3 which already is around 60K words already. What about other adventures in the same universe/characters? Yep. Absolutely. Nothing ready to share yet though. I plan to keep those side chapters and more slice of life stories as RR exclusive. Since I'm carving this off in book-sized segments, I'll have to figure out where those disconnected story arcs belong. I'm open to suggestions.
8 142 - In Serial73 Chapters
Relife System: The Unholy Mage
(warining: this work cotains +18 content and is only edited volume by volume) The World's Number 1 Most Wanted Thief, the Black Cobra, an Egyptian youth specialized in ancient artifacts, was killed in an explosion he set up after being chased into a dead end in New York. Around his middle finger which he pointed at the face of every chaser from every world superpower, he carried the most prized item in the world, the Ring of Horus. When he kicked off life with a Bang! He returned with a lot of barf and vomit as poison was being cleansed of his body and a series of messages kept popping up. Long story short, he reincarnated into the body of Leon, an antagonist from a game he used to play and supposedly one who should already be dead. However, the Hunt for his Life never ended and he became the most wanted after reincarnation overnight. And there is System and Magic and Harem and Overpowered Oversmart Overcharismatic Hero who believes in gender equality and human's right to stay silent when he stabs them… good stuff, turly!
8 417 - In Serial7 Chapters
Friends of Chaos : The End of an Empire
This a book that combines Naruto, one piece, D&D, and Skyrim. We made this story because we got bored. We hope you like the story.
8 201 - In Serial15 Chapters
Jane
Jane, a mysterious British tourist with Ninja like skills, teams up with US Boarder Patrol Agent Brad Scott to find the ten year old sister of a sixteen year old Mexican girl who was forced to come to the US or be killed.
8 105 - In Serial9 Chapters
Beyond the Veil
When Lynn's best friend gets abducted, she doesn't think twice about following after her. She enters a world with vampires, fey, angels, and every other creature to ever inspire mankind's most fantastical stories. During her search, she discovers the world is being threatened by a sorceress hell bent on getting her revenge. Will Lynn be able to stop The Queen Beyond the Veil from destroying the world? Mobile version can be found on https://www.wattpad.com/story/251183008-beyond-the-veil
8 122 - In Serial24 Chapters
The Life and Times of Fiera Celosis
Fiera Celosis has just returned to Inima after having been banished from the land as a child. Being the daughter of FIre and Magic, her blood is looked down upon. But what has she returned to? And why does she constantly feel that her life is in danger?
8 99

