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

Ruwen considered the question. “Only when I’m reading.” When Ky didn’t immediately respond, his curiosity exploded. “Who’s Echo? What deal did you make with Uru? Is the Master’s trial hard?” After a moment, another question occurred to him. “If you’re a Shadow Grandmaster why didn’t you instantly kill that assassin in the Fainting Goat?”

That assassination attempt had started Ruwen’s insane journey. Hamma had taken him to the Fainting Goat after his second revival, caused by Tremine stabbing Ruwen in the eye with a magical dagger. And while the Naktos Assassin had been well trained, Ruwen knew enough now to know Ky should have easily killed him.

“Aren’t you observant,” Ky said.

“That isn’t an answer.”

Ky sighed. “Uru wanted you scared enough to travel to the Black Pyramid. Killing that assassin would’ve made convincing you harder, so I let him escape.”

Ruwen shook his head. “Over and over again I’m manipulated.”

“Shade’s first rule: a puppet without strings is firewood.”

Ruwen groaned. “I haven’t missed those.”

Ky turned toward the rectangular temple and strode away. “Come on, let’s get you back to the Addas.”

“What about my questions?”

“If I answer them, you’ll just ask more.”

“I promise no more questions. At least not here.”

Ky sighed again. “Fine. Echo is Lalquinrial’s daughter, I asked Uru to reveal my soul and becoming your hand clears my debt, and yes, the Master’s trial is hard.”

Ruwen bit his tongue. He had really wanted more details, especially about the next trial, but he’d promised not to ask.

In moments they reached the pedestal with the crossing stone. Ky pointed at his right hand. “Place the soul pearl in your mouth. That should protect it during the crossing.”

Ruwen wanted to ask where and what this place was, but his stupid deal prevented him. Maybe he did have a problem with asking too many questions. He put the pearl in his mouth.

“You ready?” Ky asked.

Ruwen snapped his fingers and removed the Elder Viper helmet. The snakes eyes bored into his and he shivered. He should be bringing these epic monsters back to Fractal as well, but he really hated snakes, and these were a nightmare. Honestly, he never wanted to see one again. Plus, he couldn’t fit it in his mouth.

Carefully, Ruwen removed the three fruits inside the helmet, one of each color, and placed them in his mouth. The fruit contained seeds, and he hoped Fractal could grow them. He placed the helmet on the ground.

Ky shook her head but said nothing.

Ruwen could barely close his mouth with everything he’d stuffed in it, and the fruit made his mouth water. As a consequence, drool leaked from both corners.

“I don’t deserve this,” Ky whispered.

Ruwen sucked at the saliva, trying to stop its escape, and Ky winced at the sound. His tongue was pinned and he couldn’t talk, so he signed in Shade Speak instead. He smiled, which made the drooling worse, and repeated the very first rule she’d given him in Tremine’s library on his Ascension Day.

Shade. First. Rule. You. Only. Self. Blame.

“I know,” Ky said with a small smile. “I’ll catch up to you soon. Don’t do anything stupid until I find you.”

Never. Stupid. Ruwen signed.

Ky closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.

Ruwen touched the crossing stone and once again cold blackness engulfed him.

Chapter 36

Ruwen opened his eyes and choked on the mass of fruit and saliva in his mouth. He turned his head to the side and brought his left arm toward his mouth. Opening his Void Band with a thought, he placed his lips against the opening and spit everything into his Inventory.

You’re back! Rami screamed, and a moment later added, Gross.

Ruwen winced at the volume and then patted his right ear. Glad to be back.

Whiskers, stretched out on the bed along Ruwen’s right side, licked his face.

Ruwen recognized the ceiling of his room. He felt terrible and cast all his buffs to see if any of them would make him feel better. Whiskers took advantage of Ruwen’s movements to take more of the bed. “You’re a bed hog,” he told the large cat. “Why aren’t you in your city form?”

“He has returned,” Padda said, standing in the doorway.

A dim shaker lit Ruwen’s personal room in Blapy. He sat up on his bed, closed his Void Band, and wiped his mouth. Minimized notifications pulsed in the bottom of his vision. Padda sat in a chair next to Ruwen’s bed.

Don’t do anything like that again, Rami said. You scared me. It was like you were in a coma.

I’m sorry. I don’t want to do that again either.

Madda walked into his bedroom and stood behind Padda.

“We moved you here when you didn’t immediately return,” Padda said.

“Sitting in a chair for too long stiffens the muscles,” Madda added.

Ruwen had been gone less than six hours, and he had spent much longer than that engrossed in a good book. But the Addas were much older, and maybe they stiffened up faster.

“Thank you,” Ruwen said in a raspy voice.

Madda flicked her wrist, and a cup appeared in her hand. Had she just created that?

“Forgive us,” Madda said. “Drink this. Crossings take their toll even on Fortified bodies.”

Two chairs had appeared next to his bed, and the Addas sat down. Ruwen took the glass and drank deeply. As he did, he noticed the counter Rami had created for him under his map. He had asked her to count down from sixty-eight hours and it now read forty-two minutes, but it was red.

“You are back sooner than we expected,” Madda said.

Rami, why is the counter red?

You’ve been gone almost three days.

Three days?

When the counter reached zero, I started counting up and turned it red.

“Well?” Madda asked, appearing the most tense Ruwen had ever seen her.

“Thank you,” Ruwen said and handed her back the empty glass. “Well, what?”

Padda shifted in his seat. “Did you meet anyone?”

Where did you go? Rami asked.

Ruwen couldn’t handle multiple conversations. I’m not sure. Look at my memories and tell me what you think.

“I met this old guy and his grandson. Well, the