Limitless Lands Book 5: Invasion Read online

  “Let me take a look at that first,” Narbos said, unrolling the scroll. It was written in a language he didn’t understand and had pictures of the various troops Zipp had brought with him, as well as strange glowing symbols that gave him a bad feeling. “I’m not sure about this, Zipp. I can’t even read this stupid thing.”

  “Eh, still don’t trust your best bud Zipp? No worries. I can see that me and my help aren’t wanted. It was fun while it lasted, Narbos. Good luck up here on your own,” Zipp said, taking back the scroll and making a show of slowly rolling it up. “All right, boys. Turn it around. Narbos is getting cold feet!”

  The army, which was now a quarter of a mile away, heard its master. In unison, the troops did an about-face, and the Hypogean force began to march back toward the open pit that was once the kobold mine. Narbos watched as his chance to win marched away.

  Old feelings resurfaced, and Narbos felt the crush of failure. His parents had always driven him hard in school and his extracurricular activities. The look of disappointment on his parents’ faces when he failed drove him to win and do his best. That same feeling was burning in him once again, making it hard to think straight. He didn’t want to fail in this. It was a stupid little bet against a classmate, but Brandon and his character Narbos weren’t losers. He would win, whatever the cost.

  “Give me the scroll, Zipp. We’re going to win this thing,” Narbos said with determination.

  “That’s the evil overlord I know and love. Here you go, champ,” Zipp said with a smile as he handed over the scroll and a feather quill.

  Narbos felt a prick on his finger as the quill filled itself with his blood to use as ink. The scroll rolled in his grasp. The movement made the parchment feel like a living creature, nearly causing him to drop the document. It stopped spinning when it reached the end and a large red X flashed next to where he was meant to sign. Before he could lose his nerve, Narbos signed the document, the blood ink sizzling as it was etched into the paper of the contract. A gong sounded in the distance, and the scroll and quill disappeared.

  Zipp began to quiver, his body rapidly contorting as the power of their agreement changed him. After a few moments, the imp slid from the back of Snuggles, letting out an oof sound as he hit the ground. Zipp stood and shook his head to clear it, looking up at Narbos with a disturbing smile.

  “That wasn’t pleasant, but it was necessary. Boy, do I feel weak. Is this what you feel like all the time, Narbos? It stinks,” Zipp said, clambering up the dire rat to take his seat once more.

  Narbos noticed that Zipp didn’t just teleport up to his favorite spot on the rat as he normally did. Taking a moment, he decided to scan the newly downgraded Zipp. While scanning the imp, he noted that the Hypogean army had turned around and was heading once more toward his city of Bharga.

  Zipzisilerpicazant, Oppressor, Level 22 Elite.

  “The things I do for my friends,” Zipp said. “Now, let’s get to work. You can review our new army as we head back to Bharga.”

  Narbos nodded and began to review the forces that Zipp had added to his army. Once he returned to Bharga and his seat of power, Narbos could level up and upgrade his forces for the coming fight.

  Hypogean Order of Battle:

  Troglodyte (Troggs), Level 20 (3000): The troglodytes are the standard melee troops of the Hypogean forces. Armed with crude hide-covered shields and stone clubs, they throw themselves fearlessly at their foes. The troggs are tasked with creating a breach that other, more deadly forces can exploit. They wear animal hides that—along with their hardened skin—protect them as effectively as studded leather armor. These expendable forces are quickly replenished from the rapidly multiplying hordes of creatures that inhabit most zones of the Hypogean realm.

  These troggs seemed to serve the same purpose as his reaver troops: disposable fodder to wear down a foe’s defenses. They were not very impressive, except for their numbers. Interestingly, these new forces all matched his level of twenty and not Zipp’s level of twenty-two.

  Lurker, Level 20 (500): Lurkers fill the role of elite melee troops for any army they are attached to. Their thick hide is as strong as leather and is also resistant to fire and cold. Lurkers are fast, relying on speed and agility over heavy armor. Long claws on each finger can penetrate steel, and their needle-like teeth shred any exposed flesh. Whether exploiting a gap in the enemy’s line or running amuck in rear areas, lurkers inspire fear and dread in their foes.

  Narbos looked at the marching column, noting that the AI had highlighted the various groups of lurkers that were interspersed between the mobs of troggs. The creatures looked like a combination of a ghoul and a hairless werewolf. Their mustard-colored hide was thick and warty with the occasional red splotch that could either be natural coloring or dried blood. The lurkers walked on all fours; their elongated front limbs ended in a set of four-inch-long claws. When stopped, the lurkers stood up on their hind legs in a very humanoid fashion, reaching a height of nearly eight feet. Their almost canine heads sported pointed ears and a mouthful of needle-like teeth layered in rows similar to those in a shark’s mouth. The front row of teeth thrust out at odd angles, many of them piercing through the creatures’ lips. Drool stained with yellowish blood constantly dripped down from their chins.

  Skittering Death, Level 20 (500): The skittering death is a breed of giant spider that has been domesticated to function as light cavalry in the Hypogean realm. Capable of fast speeds—not to mention the ability to climb walls and travel on the ceilings of caverns—the spiders of the skittering death can quickly flank an unprepared force or overrun a supply caravan. Their hard carapace provides some protection but is thin to lower the creatures’ weight and improve their speed. The skittering death deal damage with the sharpened tips of their legs as well as a pair of 1-foot long fangs.

  True to their name, the giant spiders skittered up and down the length of the column in packs of fifty. Narbos was creeped out by spiders, and these looked like horse-sized black widows without the signature red hourglass shape on their abdomens. While he had no desire to be near one, he could see their usefulness in screening his army from prying eyes as well as overrunning and impaling foes with their spear-like legs.

  Deep Gnomes, Level 20 (200): Long ago, the deep gnome race was enslaved by the more powerful underlords of the Hypogean realm. Their skin is a smoky gray color that stands in contrast to the pinkish color of their surface-dwelling kin. They are master smiths and builders, having created the stout chainmail armor, coifs, and metal shields that protect their bodies. Deep gnomes fill the role of ranged troops and siege engineers for their masters’ armies. One-handed repeating crossbows of limited range are their preferred weapon. To defend themselves in melee, deep gnomes wield a hammer and dagger. Their crossbows can fire a devastating volley of 6 rounds before needing to undergo a lengthy reload process. Weak in melee, deep gnomes are best protected by frontline melee troops.

  The deep gnomes were easier to gaze upon than either the lurkers or the spiders, but they had a disturbingly empty look in their eyes. These were a defeated people, given completely over to their lot as slaves. The ranged firepower would be welcome; that was a weak point for his own forces.

  He looked at the next listing of troops, something very impressive this time.

  Tunnel Wurm, Level 20 Elite (4): Tunnel wurms are quite rare and hard to tame. Capable of quickly boring through rock and fortified defenses, the tunnel wurm is the ultimate biological siege engine. They are protected by a stone-like hide that is nearly impervious to heat or cold. The circular rows of teeth inside their giant maws act as drill bits, grinding stone, earth, and flesh with ease. Tunnel wurms propel themselves with rows of reptilian legs, the claws of which will shred any foe trying to flank them.

  The tunnel wurms were a bit bizarre to watch. Each wurm was thirty feet long and had several rows of clawed feet stretching around its body. The feet on the bottom propelled the wurm, while the rows of feet on the sides and top constantly fla
iled about, making it hazardous to even approach the beast. Narbos could imagine the things taking down walls and driving through blocks of Imperium troops. Raytak and Delling wouldn’t stand a chance against such creatures. The mouth of the creature was simply an eight-foot-diameter opening with rows of teeth that constantly flexed and ground against each other. Anything encountering that mouth was as good as dead.

  While the force might have matched Narbos’s level, it marched to the beat of Zipp’s drum. He had struck the deal and was now locked into letting Zipp lead. It took Narbos and his strange new army another two days to reach Bharga. Their route was refreshingly clear of any encounters; any wandering monsters took one look at the horde of creatures and headed for safer hunting grounds. Once they reached Bharga, he left Zipp and headed toward his keep to arrange a place to house his army outside the walls. The citizens he passed bowed in respect while glancing nervously at the Hypogean forces. Narbos made his way to the throne room, needing to sit in his seat of power to finish his leveling process.

  He had preselected his stats and ability points while traveling, going with a balanced stat distribution while choosing skills that focused on expanding or upgrading his forces over improving his personal combat abilities. He did unlock the first ability with a weekly cooldown, something he didn’t know existed in-game. The ability was powerful, but the cooldown would mean he had to pick the perfect time to use it. There were also a few more choices he needed to make before locking in the final selections.

  Choose one of the following paths for your class:

  1. Master Merchant: This path will focus on economic growth in your lands. You will gain a bonus to trade and tax revenue in all the territories you control. A brutal force of tax collectors will also be under your command, dealing harshly with any citizens reluctant to pay their taxes. Tax collectors are deadly foes when they need to be and will answer the call to war if required.

  2. Conqueror: The path of the conqueror spreads your fame far and wide, summoning additional forces to your banner. This path will allow you to command a greater number of forces at each level. *Note: This choice will increase your army upkeep cost, as you will have more mouths to feed and soldiers to equip.

  3. Friend and Ally: This path leverages the alliances you have made with not only other factions but also powerful players. This choice will grant you additional forces recruited from the ranks of those you have worked with in the past.

  He wasn’t sure which to pick; they all sounded good, and though it didn’t give him a lot of fighting power, the master merchant path would improve his tax base. He had peeked at his troop limits, and they were already impressive . . . as were his costs to upgrade and equip them, which made the conqueror path less attractive. Curiosity got the better of him, and he selected friend and ally, primarily just to see what would happen.

  New class ability unlocked: Call the Dark Riders. Once per week, the dark overlord can call upon the mysterious dark riders to come to his aid. This ability will summon 100 level 20 elite heavy cavalry. The riders will follow direct orders and act independently if needed. Once summoned, the riders will fight for the overlord until they are all destroyed or 24 hours have passed. The riders do not need to rest and know no fear.

  Friend and ally path has been chosen.

  You have gained the support of forces from the pirate cove that has been allowed to prosper in your capital city. In addition to the pirate forces, your ally Darkfallow can create special undead constructs. The following troops can now be called upon to fight with your armies. *Note: The overlord must be in a state of war or facing a deadly threat to the zone in order to call upon these allies. This path upgrades with the dark overlord’s level.

  Pirate Cove Forces:

  Scallywag, Level 20 (200): The scallywags are the dregs of the docks, hard and violent men ready to kill and maim at your command. The pirate captains have gathered this filthy lot as their tribute to you for allowing them free rein of your port. Unarmored, the scallywags fight with cutlasses and daggers. They are dangerous, if undisciplined, melee fighters.

  Ability gained: Boarding Party. While the scallywag force is under arms and commanded by the overlord, he can call upon a pirate boarding party once per day, summoning 10–20 scallywags at any point within his field of vision. The boarding party operates independently and will not answer direct commands. Summoned pirates will charge and attack the nearest foe until they are killed or 1 minute has passed.

  Darkfallow’s contribution: Darkfallow will fashion the following undead to assist you:

  Bone Giant, Level 20 Undead Construct (4): Bone giants are very rare undead, as giants tend to hide the gravesites of their people. Bone giants tower above the battlefield at a height of 30 feet and will stomp and smash any who oppose you.

  Necromancer Cultists, Level 20 (4): These cultists will follow the army, raising the dead and bestowing dark curses upon your foes.

  *Note: The bone giants and necromancer cultists are only available after a quest by Darkfallow is accepted and completed. If Darkfallow refuses or fails in his task, other options will become available. If other options are necessary, it may take some time before they are revealed.

  Narbos was happy with his choice and couldn’t wait to see Darkfallow’s reaction to his new quest; Darkfallow always was a bit overexcited about the chance for character advancement. When he logged in, Narbos had received a message that Darkfallow wanted to speak, but Narbos hadn’t seen him in-game since he returned from the Hypogean realm.

  Narbos spent some time upgrading buildings and improving the equipment for his forces. He reviewed his troop and gear levels, unsure why there were so many soldiers waiting to respawn. The AI had always spawned new troops as soon as they were unlocked, which led him to believe that his army must have taken heavy losses while he was away. How did that happen?

  In his trade interface, Narbos spent coin and resources to improve his reavers’ equipment rating, which was currently rated as poor. He watched as the pair of reavers stationed near the door to his throne room had their armor upgraded. The leather armor changed from faded and patched to new and sturdy in the blink of an eye. The chipped wooden shields were improved with a steel boss and rim. Their handaxes went from farmer castoffs to something a soldier wouldn’t be ashamed to wield. He wished he could do more, but even with all the rewards from his adventures, his funds were limited, and he needed to keep a reserve on hand for emergencies.

  Along with the reavers, he upgraded the executioners. Their chainmail armor was now bolstered by a steel breastplate as well as leg greaves. Their two-handed axes took on a slight glow at the head, indicating a magically enhanced sharpness. Long black cloaks emblazoned with Narbos’s symbol—a red, armored fist holding a chain—appeared on the executioners, granting them a small defensive bonus.

  Order of Battle for Bharga’s Crossing:

  Reavers, Level 20 (3984/5000): Your reavers have been upgraded to average gear for their level. To upgrade higher, visit the arcane forge, broker a deal in the trade center, or shop at the pirate cove.

  Executioners, Level 20 (322/500): The executioners’ equipment has been upgraded to improved. To upgrade higher, visit the arcane forge, broker a deal in the trade center, or shop at the pirate cove.

  By the time Narbos was done with his selections, Darkfallow had finally logged in at the throne room. Before the other player could get a word in, Snuggles began to whimper, and a black portal opened next to the throne. Zipp was making an appearance.

  “Look what the rat dragged in. It’s my least best buddy, Dorkyfellow. Why don’t you explain to Narbos what I just found out? Tell him why his army is severely depleted of soldiers,” Zipp said with distaste.

  Darkfallow looked scared of the little imp, which confirmed that Zipp had been tormenting his friend while he was away.

  “Hey, it wasn’t my fault! You told me to go help those stupid elves. How was I supposed to know that the Raytak guy had a bigger army than we were told to
expect?” Darkfallow whined.

  “Wait, what do you mean a bigger army? Better yet, start at the beginning, Darkfallow,” Narbos said.

  “Okay, so I got a quest to help out here while you were gone. Zipp over there talks me into creating something called an ‘expeditionary force’ from your troops and has me lead them to help some crazy elves that were fighting Delling and Raytak over in Hayden’s Knoll. We did okay at first, killing some stupid ogres and squaring off against the Imperium soldiers. Then Raytak comes back with about a thousand soldiers and wrecks my army and the elves as well. That guy is more dangerous in a battle than you might think. I would have killed him myself, but I was assassinated by none other than your old friend Lovely. Since the game wouldn’t let me command the expeditionary forces again after I died, I came back here and logged out after sending you a message.”

  “Yeah, I suppose I should explain that. I figured if we could help my elf friends take out their ogre enemies, we would gain an easy foothold in the zone. Mistakes were made all around. The main mistake I made was thinking this guy was just a normal moron, not the world’s biggest one,” Zipzisilerpicazant said to a sputtering and angry Darkfallow.

  “Hold up. I don’t blame Darkfallow since he was doing us a favor by babysitting the zone while I was gone. At least we now know what we should have known all along: that Raytak and Delling won’t be sitting around and twiddling their thumbs while we prepare. We have the advantage in power and numbers—for now. We need to move quickly in order to start the invasion before they can gather more of their own forces. Did you get the new quest to build undead for my army just now, Darkfallow?” Narbos asked.

  Darkfallow got the glazed-eyed look that told Narbos he was viewing system prompts. “So cool!” Darkfallow exclaimed. “I know just the place to get the skeletons of some giants. There is an old battlefield near the kobold mines I can use. I never tried to make something that big yet, but since it’s a system-generated quest, it won’t go against my summoning limit. When I complete the giant skeleton quest, the description says I’ll unlock some followers that will become necromancer minions for our army. Thanks, Narbos!”