The Fourth Secret: A Fantasy LitRPG Adventure (Divine Apostasy Book 4) A. Kay (best management books of all time .TXT) 📖

Dark Portal out, Ruwen dropped the last item of interest into the middle of the wagon. A sculpture that turned out to be bigger than he’d expected.

The wagon struck the ground and Ruwen winced. Hamma turned around again.

Is everything okay? Hamma asked in Chat.

Ruwen looked over at Hamma. Yes, just going through her Inventory. It’s mostly rock and mud. She had some tunneling explosives and this sculpture. I’ll check her rings and bracelet in a second.

“It’s beautiful,” Lylan whispered, gently touching the sculpture.

Xavier and Sift had leaned forward as well, and Ruwen looked down at what had dropped out of Valora’s Dark Portal.

Three mountain peaks pierced through a bank of clouds. The sun, half hidden by the mountains, painted the clouds in yellow and orange. The details were flawless, and even the windswept snow was captured with unbelievable precision. Ruwen felt like a giant, looking down at the planet from above.

A new buff appeared.

Serenity: +5 Wisdom, 10% Resist All

“Somebody carved this?” Sift asked, his voice serious.

“I’ve never gotten a buff from just looking at something,” Lylan whispered.

Valora’s memories came to mind: her eye for beauty and love of art. Ruwen had no doubt who had carved this.

Xavier, his concerns about Ruwen forgotten, moved up next to them. “The angles are perfect. I believe they even captured some of the sun’s essence. I feel its energy. What a thing of beauty.”

Ruwen touched the stone.

Tring!

You have discovered…

Name: Clouds Embracing the Sun

Quality: Legendary

Weight: 891.3 lbs.

Effect: Serenity

Description: Marble sculpture.

Ruwen had never read a more understated description in his life.

Xavier pointed at the arm in Ruwen’s lap. “Did that come from the artist?”

Ruwen sighed. “Yes.” Sift and Lylan leaned back and Xavier hissed. Ruwen defended himself. “She was trying to kill me.”

No one spoke, and Ruwen tried again. “A Healer has probably already grown her a new one.”

Still, no one responded and coupled with Valora’s memories, it compounded Ruwen’s guilt. “Listen, I’m not happy it turned out like this either. What do you want me to do? Give it back?”

A notification appeared and Ruwen groaned. He opened it.

Ting!

You have received the quest…

Armed and Dangerous

You have stolen Stone Carver Valora’s greatest work, a sculpture so sublime even the gods have taken notice. This priceless item, created by Naktos’ most treasured artist, will put you in danger until returned to its creator.

Restriction: Return sculpture undamaged.

Reward: 25,000 experience

Accept or Decline

Ruwen shook his head. How much danger could one person be in? And how in Uru’s name was he supposed to accomplish this? But he felt a little guilty, and it wouldn’t hurt to try. He chose Accept and opened his Void Band.

“Help me get it in here,” Ruwen said. “I’ll find a way to give it back.”

Xavier held out his hands. “Stop. We shouldn’t touch it.” He pointed at the sculpture and it rose into the air, surrounded in blue energy. Slowly he lowered it into Ruwen’s Void Band. “I long to meet its creator.”

Ruwen wasn’t in any hurry to meet the Stone Carver again, but he would need to, eventually. “Then stick around.”

Why didn’t she keep that thing in her soulbound storage? She must have something like that. Ruwen asked Rami.

Maybe. Soulbound items are more costly for the gods as they constantly need to be synchronized as well. It’s a luxury few gods provide for their followers. Still, if she purposefully didn’t want Naktos to have access to it, even as a backup, that’s interesting.

Why would she do that?

I’ve read about items so special they can hold Divine power. Gods use them as touchstones for their religions. Heal, destroy, glimpse the future, they do all kinds of things.

I’ve never heard of anything like that.

That’s because on this planet, power is everywhere. Anyone here would be a god somewhere else in the Universe. A cup that can heal. A figurine that shoots lightning. No one here would care. On another planet, you could base your religion around it.

So, you think she doesn’t want her art used like that?

Who knows? You can ask when you see her.

Ruwen sighed.

Blood still trickled from the arm, and Ruwen’s armor continued to absorb it. What kind of god was Izac to make blood drinking armor? Ruwen wasn’t in a hurry to meet that guy either. He lifted the arm and removed five rings and a bracelet from the appendage. He cycled through his notifications.

Tring!

You have earned…

Name: Manacle of Acuity

Quality: Rare

Durability: 18 of 20

Weight: 0.3 lbs.

Effect (Passive): +5 Intelligence.

Effect (Passive): +5 Wisdom.

Effect (Passive): +1 Charisma.

Effect (Passive): +2 Mana Regeneration per second.

Description: Interlocking gold links. Brilliance is a prison created in your mind.

The bracelet had fantastic stats, even if the description seemed a bit dark. This would serve a Mage or Healer well. The next two notifications were the same.

Tring!

You have earned…

Name: Riptide Band

Quality: Rare

Durability: 14 of 15

Weight: 0.5 lbs.

Effect (Passive): +150 Mana.

Effect (Passive): +1 Charisma.

Description: Small white shells on a sand-colored ring. The tide comes for us all.

As Ruwen watched, the shells on the ring half disappeared, as if they’d sank into the ring. A second later they reappeared, as if invisible waves moved sand on and off them. These two rings anyone could benefit from.

That left the last three rings, which were all the same.

Tring!

You have earned…

Name: Power Loop

Quality: Rare

Durability: 20 of 20

Weight: 0.4 lbs.

Effect (Passive): +100 Energy.

Effect (Passive): +10 Energy Regeneration.

Description: Layers of black Thunder Sheep fleece wrapped around an iron core. Thunder heralds the storm.

These would make excellent upgrades to three of his five Coiled Lightning Rings.

Ruwen detailed all the items in Chat, including the Dark Portal, but no one spoke. He turned to Xavier. Do you have a need for any of this?

I do not benefit from such mundane items, Xavier replied.

Ruwen nodded and faced Lylan. We already know Sift won’t take any loot. Hamma and Lylan, what are your thoughts.

Hamma didn’t respond, and after a few seconds Lylan did. I could benefit from one of the Mana rings. I think Hamma should take the bracelet and the other Mana ring. You benefit the most from the Energy ones. But