The Demonic Games (Disgardium Book #7): LitRPG Series, Dan Sugralinov [the read aloud family TXT] 📗

“The boss won’t touch any of us on floor 531,” I promised. “I have enough strength now to take two people flying with me, but I can’t risk you. Won’t take long for our enemies to figure out that they aren’t about to be attacked, and come looking for us. For you, that is. And I’m no superman here, not even a Threat. I’m vulnerable even with all my skills…”

“We noticed,” Quetzal nodded.

As one raid, we walked through the village gates, kindly left open by the NPCs, then walked straight through the settlement, sending ducks and geese flying. That was the shortest path to the Pitfall. The locals watched us go curiously, but didn’t risk questioning us.

Noticing that my spirit bar was almost full, I stopped.

“Wait here. I’m going to pay Marcus a visit.”

“Your bar’s refilled?” Hellfish said, chuckling in understanding.

“Something like that. Just one little problem left to solve…”

Marcus’s hundred-strong raid was unlikely to fit into the thirty-yard radius of the soul trap. I needed to somehow get them to clump together… But how?

I wanted to squeeze as much as I could out of the situation. When I attacked Marcus’s squad after the drop into the Pitfall, rage had spurred me on. I was hasty, overconfident. I put all my hopes in Clarity and Abaddon instead of playing to all my strengths. Now I had time to analyze my errors and calculations.

Thinking was always useful. And this time my talent for thinking should help me catch them all in Spirit Shackles.

Taking on an Imitation of Quetzal’s form, I took off into the air and shot off to intercept our foes.

“What the hell?!” I heard behind me.

I was just in time: the enemy raid was just getting ready to leave the woods. The Markers didn’t look so good now that they’d lost some of their equipment. Despite the losses, they had recovered and even relaxed a little — they were joking, talking. All the same, their scouts kept their eyes glued to the sky, looking for me. The hunters were still using Signal Flares, but I was outside their range.

I breathed to calm myself down, counted each step, then landed in the forest and walked out toward my enemies with my arms raised.

“Don’t shoot!” I said, drawing their attention. “I need to talk to you, Marcus…”

“Well, look who’s here!” The raid leader gestured a few commands I didn’t understand, stepped forward and stopped. “Is this some trick?”

“I know where Destiny is. And I’ll hand her over to you if you take me back.”

Turning my head, I realized I was surrounded. All the Markers were ready for a fight. Some were combing the forest nearby, apparently suspecting a trap. Well, they were half right, just wrong on the details.

“You almost got zeroed, but for the sake of our old friendship I’m almost willing to forgive you, Renato,” Marcus answered, smiling broadly. “But if you think I give a damn about that bitch, you’re wrong. Make me another offer.”

“My people will come with me. You know we need to get on the final leaderboard.”

“Sure…” the orc said thoughtfully. “But something doesn’t add up here. You’re the one that said you don’t give a damn about the results of the Games, you just want to have fun. You weren’t even planning to come to the Games, it was a last-minute decision!”

“Alright, I admit it. The Threat must be either crazy or a slave to his hormones; he’s taken Destiny under his protection. No matter what she promised him, I don’t like it, Marcus. The kid is getting carried away.”

“More news at eleven! The kid took her right out of my hands less than an hour ago! I know she’s with him!”

Just then, their scouts returned from combing the forest. The senior among them reported:

“Clear, Marcus.”

Nodding, the orc turned to me:

“Well, I guess you’re telling the truth, Renato. But I still don’t get it… Why show up now? We’ve known since the morning that Destiny is with Scyth now. You decided to jump ship just now? Why?”

“I didn’t know. She only just showed up. We met her in the village. And you know what? Scyth is ready to split with us just for her! Even though we’ve been helping him all these days!”

“Destiny can really get under a guy’s skin,” Messiah said, pushing his way through the formation. “Ain’t that right, Urkish?”

“Sure is,” the lopher agreed.

More and more people crowded around us, trying to listen in on the conversation.

“The kid is rotten inside,” Marcus agreed with me. “I get what you’re saying. I get it, but… I can’t forgive you. I want you to pay for using that Aegis in the Pitfall. Now you know who you sacrificed our friendship for! Sorry, buddy… The Games are over for you!”

He gave a signal. But as soon as he started raising his arm and opening his mouth, I fired off Ghastly Howl. The effect hit all of them. I dropped Spirit Shackles at my feet, went into Clarity and sent smirking Marcus into Lethargy.

Next I turned into a living meatgrinder and watched my acceleration timer, flying back and forth and killing everyone I crossed paths with. The viewers must have seen only a blurry shadow and bodies exploding in clouds of blood and chunks of bone, brains flying and skulls popping — the side-effect of Hammerfist with a tenfold speed boost. It was beautiful, a real show! More blood and circuses for the people stretched out on the sofa with a bag of chips and a bottle of beer!

Although they probably couldn’t even see a shadow…

I flew after my enemies, doling out death with grim satisfaction as they ran around in Fear. I had enough time in Clarity to take care of them all. For almost