Battle for the North (Rogue Merchant Book #4): LitRPG Series Roman Prokofiev (best romance novels of all time TXT) đ
- Author: Roman Prokofiev
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âWhat do you mean?â
âPanther is a player with a complicated history,â the Prophet said, thoughtful. âIn a way, I feel sorry for him. The bets he had placed are higher than some of ours. In short, he was forced to work for the Pandas for a long time. He had his own goals. This war gave him the opportunity to cut the cord and avenge himself.â
âListen, Iâm about done with your hints!â I put my hand to my throat to demonstrate how. âCan you give me a normal explanation? Why did he backstab us in Condor?â
Olaf nodded and said, âIn Condor, when they sicced the Ancient beasts on us, we realized that we couldnât hold the castle. For Panther, proving his loyalty to the Pandas by stabbing us in the back was a big plus.â
âAre you sure he isnât trying to double-cross you? Throw you a curveball? Why would he work for us in the first place?â
âYes, our paranoia was going into overdrive, of course. At first, we had the same thoughts, but Captain showed us proof of his loyalty. Something that he wouldnât just squander.â
âInteresting.â
âFull access to the alliance forum, including the private section, as well as Pandorumâs operative channels in instant messengers. Can you imagine the possibilities?â
Whoa! I almost reeled when I grasped his words. But it couldnât be true! Only clan leaders and their immediate circle had access to the private section and channels.
âYes, our Captain is anything but simple. Heâs an active player with a head on his shoulders and actual skills. Such people can achieve a lot in little time. Heâs a Consul â in Pandasâ private hierarchy, the entourage of clan leaders with full access to all alliance functions.
All in all, our tactics worked because we had access to their inner workings,â Olaf continued. âWe didnât take any risks to avoid suspicion.â
âEven if we really wanted to!â Komtur added.
âIn short, you know it yourself. Itâs a bomb: strategic, tactical, informational. We need to set it off the right way to destroy Pandorum for good.â
I slowly nodded. Access to the enemyâs secret information, archives, and plans was priceless. Even publishing it on the official forums â partially or in full â would cause an explosion that would send the Pandas to the hospital to heal their sore butts.
âI want to share with you a small discovery that concerns you specifically,â Olaf said. âWhile studying that information, I found something. Read it yourself.â
I opened the link. Contrary to my expectations, it wasnât my profile. It was a long list with several thousand NPC names. The Prophet marked one of them with a red line.
Weldy Nialit.
Rank 2 NPC, Noble Townswoman type.
Race: Human
Origin: Eyre Nation
Home location: Dorsa, Dan-na-Eyre, Rose Street, âPotions, Scrolls, and Magic Itemsâ shop
Main skills: Alchemy, Herbalism, Trade, Charm
ATTENTION: Reputational and emotional link to player HotCat. Possible use to pressure him? Need to check!
ATTENTION: Hidden ability discovered: ANCIENT GENE. Recommended for capture and imprisonment in the Heart.
âWhat does it mean? Whatâs this Heart?â
âIt means that Pandorum wants to take your girlfriend to the Astral Plane. I donât know how theyâre going to unbind her from her faction, but facts donât lie. In matters like this, theyâre pretty consistent. As for the Heart...itâs a story in itself.â
âIâd love to hear it.â
âItâs an unknown castle artifact of the Ancients â something like a giant phylactery containing NPC souls. The Heart is an extremely powerful resonator that amplifies inborn abilities a hundred times. Thereâs also a drawback, however â it causes a malfunction in reputation, âdruggingâ the NPCs.â
âThereâs a theory,â Olaf chimed in, unable to resist, âthat the Heart is the reason why Pandorum are hunting souls. Itâs also how they forced thousands of prisoners in Atrocity into submission.â
âAnd you want me to destroy this thing?â I asked, doubtful.
âThis is the most efficient solution. The Heart, like many Ancient mechanisms, has overwhelming durability. If we use ordinary instruments, we will have to pick at it until kingdom come. The bottom line is, destroying this thing is one of Captainâs demands.â
âOne of? Were there many of them?â I smirked.
âLetâs just say, several,â Olaf replied, evasive. âWell, weâve revealed our hand. Itâs your turn to act!â
I didnât need long to process the information. In truth, I didnât really care about Pantherâs demands or the opportunistic goals of my clan leaders. However, the list from Pandorumâs forum mentioning Weldy changed everything. It meant that the Pandas wouldnât back off, wouldnât stop until they captured her and pushed her inside the Heart. I had a motive. Our goals were finally in sync: if what the clan leaders had just told me was true, the Heart had to go.
âAll right, I got it. One question: is the Heart where I think it is?â
âYes. Weâre going to the Astral Plane. Destination: Atrocity!â
Interlude: Revenge
EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED in Sphere of Worlds was the result of someoneâs choice. Sometimes, one manâs decision could shape many worlds, changing thousands of fates.
Once, mercenaries hired by one of the Pandorum clans had captured a small group of NPCs. It was a routine operation. One of the NPCs enslaved and brought to Atrocity was a girl called Primavera with a rare Ancient Gene trait.
Sometime later, Pandorum got a new recruit. He quickly rose through the ranks and soon became recognized by those in charge. Active players were always valued. An elite clan, the leadersâ favor, wars and raids bringing reputation and fame... Gradually, he became one of them, quietly entering the circle of those who ruled Pandorum.
It was a big alliance with thousands of players and dozens of clans under its banner. Castles, outposts, transportation, logistics, supply, trade, a large astral fleet, diplomacy, counterintelligence â all of that required a lot of administrators
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