Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56
Matthew HarrisAnd onwards to the black market! I hope you're enjoying my story!
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Levelling Up The Weakest System The Black Market
The graveyard had been warm, just like the rest of the city. The interior of the mausoleum was decidedly not warm at all. The air was cold and damp and seemed to cling to every inch of Alexei’s skin. He was nervous for a moment that the cloyingly cold humidity might cause his remaining explosive to misfire, but fortunately, the ceramic container was sealed well enough that no water was able to penetrate. As he found a flight of stairs that seemed to lead down into the depths of the Earth, lit only by sparsely located flickering torches, Alexei couldn’t help but feel like he was being watched. In fact, he was almost sure that he saw the skulls that lined the walls of the mausoleum turn very slightly to follow his movements as he began to make his way down the stairs. He swallowed thickly, his mouth dry, and decided to ignore the potentially necromantic goings on around him. He was entering a location called the black market, after all, he had to expect that there would be
Levelling Up The Weakest System Foci
Alexei wasn’t sure what his power had latched onto when he had touched the staff. Was it the living core? The concept of magic itself? Wood?Surely it wasn’t wood. What could you even combine with wood?“I know that look,” The old man said knowingly. It snapped Alexei out of his thoughts, “Sorry?” He said, “I zoned out there for a minute.” “That’s the look of a man who has found the foci for him, there’s no doubt about it,” The old man said, closing the case once more, “The only question is, does the man have the coin to pay for it.” Alexei rolled his eyes, the shopkeeper may have been old but it was clear that he still had the instincts of a businessman. “How much would you be willing to sell it for, then, I don’t see any prices,” Alexei said. His coin bag was about half way empty now, but he was sure that he had enough cash to pay for the staff. The old man sighed, patted the box, and said, “I’ll part with it for a single gold coin.” “I’m sorry, what?” Alexei all but choked
Levelling Up The Weakest System Nilbog
Alexei continued to watch the battle raging below. The bigger of the two men darted forward, his body shimmering with the telltale orange glow of an enhanced agility enchantment, and slammed his fist straight into the stomach of the smaller man. But despite the agility enchantment speeding the bigger of the two up, his speed was no match for the smaller. Somehow the smaller of the two seemed to bend around the larger’s fist, moving like he was made of water. With a swift upward motion the smaller man lashed out at the larger’s elbow with a strike that was infused with golden energy. The elbow inverted with a sickening crunch that could be heard as far away as the crowds were standing. The smaller man wasn’t done yet, either. He took a step forward, moving closer to the larger man’s chest and struck with a mighty two fisted blow that was launched so fast it seemed to scorch the air around it in a small halo of fire. The larger of the two men shot away as if he had been launched
Levelling Up The Weakest System The Return
Leaving the black market was a lot easier than getting in. While Alexei had been cautious and nervous about getting into the underground shopping district, in fear of someone recognising him and doing something unspeakable, all he wanted to do now was get out. He had a feeling that, if a few more seconds had passed, the creature that had been masquerading as a child running a weapon stall would have had its evil way with him. He could still feel its gaze on him as he began to ascend the stairs to the graveyard. He felt it as he made his way through the graves with his hood pulled up and his staff box clasped firmly in his hand. It lingered even up to the moment he walked through the door of the Trout’s Gills, the light of the moon on his back and Garrick the Gnome smiling at him from behind the bar. That smile fell flat quickly as Garrick noticed how pale Alexei had become. “Bloody ‘ell, man, what’s wrong with yah?” Garrick asked as Alexei sat down on one of the stools and rest
Levelling Up The Weakest System Nightmare
Alexei woke with a start. The smell of rust and smoke assaulted his senses, dragging him out of his slumber and back into reality. His eyes opened with a snap, what he saw made his stomach lurch in disgust and horror. The walls were painted red with blood, and at the foot of his bed was the dripping red decapitated head of Neave. Bodyparts littered the room, scattered like the forgotten toys of a child. “N-N-Neave…” Alexei managed to choke out, barely able to keep himself from throwing up at the sight before him. He didn’t understand what had happened, how it had happened, or even why it had happened. The assassins shouldn’t have sent anyone new out yet. He hadn’t begun his attack on the slave markets of Alandria. The prickle at the back of his neck intensified. “The nilbog,” He seethed under his breath, “The nilbog did this.” A peal of phantom laughter cackled from nowhere and everywhere at once, floating around the room, as disembodied as the head of his ward before him.
Levelling Up The Weakest System Next Port of Call
He wouldn’t sleep again until the Nilbog had been dealt with. That was Alexei’s plan, anyway. Clearly, the creature had some power over dreams, and Alexei had the sneaking suspicion that if it had managed to do away with him during the brief fight they’d had within his own dreamscape then he may not have woken up from the encounter. He had to focus on the positives, though. Neave was alive. The Trout’s Gills was not burning down. It had all been an illusion, a nightmare, designed to take him down. Now he knew that he could begin to work against it. Alexei took a deep breath and let it out slowly. His heartbeat was finally starting to get back to normal. He rose from bed, careful not to wake Neave up, and snuck out of the room with his day clothes in his hand and made his way back to the communal showers. It was still early in the day, morning sun barely peeked over the top of the many buildings of Alandria, so he wasn’t surprised to find the showers empty. It didn’t take l
Levelling Up The Weakest System Leap of Faith
Visiting the mage temple wasn’t something that just anyone could do. While many religious temples would allow believers and other members of the public to come and go as they pleased, mage temples were something quite different altogether. They were places of work, not worship, and for an ordinary person to arrive there would lead them to be in a very dangerous situation where magic could be unleashed against them at any given moment. As an initiate with a basic understanding of magic and a foci at his side, he would be well equipped to deal with the day-to-day goings on in a mage temple. That being said, his foci was technically an illegal implement, and arriving unannounced at the temple would still cause some pretty big waves throughout it. In other words, he was going to have to be pretty smart with how he went about gaining access to the temple. His best bet would be sneaking in over the rooftops and cornering the person that Lyla had suggested he should talk to one on one.
Levelling Up The Weakest System The Mage Temple
Alexei swallowed hard, his mouth was as dry as a pile of bones in the desert. Staring down a room full of angry mages, all with different foci aimed directly at your chest, had a way of making a person just a little bit uncomfortable. “I promise you, I mean no harm,” Alexei stated, “I have come here for help, and help only.” The mages shifted at that, they shared furtive glances as they muttered words that Alexei couldn’t quite catch. “And what is it you need help with that you couldn’t approach the temple through the normal channels?” Asked another mage from within the group. There were, of course, ways to petition the mage temple for assistance. But it was long, arduous, and often the mages wouldn’t bother lifting a finger unless there was something that could be learned or studied from the experience. “My need is an urgent one,” Alexei explained, “If it is not dealt with swiftly, I may not make it through to the next day.” More shifty looks. More quiet muttered words. “And
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- Levelling Up The Weakest System
Return of The Proto Lord
After his last encounter with the Proto Lord Alexei had never wanted to hear the hoarse croaking laughter of the creature ever again. Now that he had the hairs on the back of his neck and his arms were all standing to attention and every fiber of his being was telling him to flee, run as far away as he could, and never look back. But he couldn’t do any of that. He had a mission to complete, people to save, and a kingdom to protect. “Show yourself, Proto Lord!” Alexei called out, his staff held defensively in preparation to ward off any attacks, “I’m not the man you faced before, I’ll take you out myself this time.” “So you say,” The Proto Lord wheezed from somewhere in the dark, “And yet you still bring so many users of the Power Divine to fight alongside you. So many snacks for me to feast upon.”That was the final straw for Alexei. With a pulse of arcane power, Alexei slammed his staff down onto the ground. A sphere of light erupted out from where he stood, a magery spell desi
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
Manifest
Nerves had seeped into the hearts of the men that Alexei and Harold had chosen to take with them into the underground sanctum of the Proto Lord the moment they took their first steps into the tunnel system that the creature had made its home. They all looked to be strong and full of heart, but Alexei could sense it. The fear was electric and it was all he could do not to get caught up in the worry himself. Instead, he drew his staff and allowed it to shift forms into that of a magery wand, perfect to be used in enclosed situations and easier to maneuver with so many bodies around. With a flex of his will, Alexei summoned a ball of light at the tip of the wand and sent it out ahead of the group. It illuminated the dank depths of the tunnel that they were slowly descending into. Once upon a time, Alexei could have imagined the tunnel being used for mining and most likely to serve as a lower down access port to the well that he had originally sensed the malaise of the Proto Lord seep
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
A New Team
As Alexei explained what the Proto Lord was to Harold and the other members of the Royal Defence Corps he could tell that their willingness to fight such a creature was waning further and further. Alexei could understand. After being told to go to the front line and expecting to die in combat defending the kingdom the shades had all disappeared. That had given them all a second chance at living. Being told that they instead had to fight a being that was well on its way to becoming the next Demon Lord? Something that, just like the shades, could kill you and then perhaps use you to fight the rest of your friends? That wasn’t something that a lot of people were keen on. Harold, though, was a brave man and always had been. “Very well,” He said as Alexei came to the end of his explanation, “If that is the case then this so-called Proto Lord must fall before the Proto part of the wretched thing's name becomes Demon instead.“I will not order anyone to join myself or Alexei in this f
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
Ancient Evil
Alexei placed his hand onto the Warp Gate and sent a pulse of magery through the system. He’d never actually had to operate one of the things before, but thanks to his more innate relationship with magery it was a bit like opening a book and simply reading from the pages. He placed his palm onto the stone and it fed information directly to him and allowed him to open a temporary link between the gate he was standing next to and the gate that was back in Alandria. It opened with a sputter at first and then, as Alexei made the link between the gates more solid, it blazed into life with a swirling blue glow. “You really are full of surprises now, aren’t you,” Harold said with a shake of his head, he couldn’t believe how different his friend had become compared to the last time he had seen the man. “Just a bit of advanced magery,” Alexei shrugged, “What did you expect me to do when I got kicked out of the Academy, go become a merchant somewhere?”“That probably would have been the sm
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
Royal Defence Corps
Alexei worked his way through the woods until he was able to catch up with the soldiers of the Royal Defence Corps. These were all men and women who had gone through the training at the Academy and come out the other end, each of them with a Power Divine powerful enough for the previous Demon Lord to want to absorb it. Perfect for fighting against a Proto Lord who hadn’t fully come into the powers that Eldreth was offering them. At first, Alexei wasn’t sure who he should approach, but then he noticed someone who looked just a little bit familiar. Without any doubts, Alexei was sure the man he saw walking in the centre of the column was none other than his old friend from the Academy, Harold. “Harold!” He exclaimed, “Is that you?” The column of marching soldiers froze instantly, like a rabbit caught in the path of an oncoming dragonhorse, before turning on Alexei with their powers at the ready. It took only a moment for Harold to realise who had called out to him. “A… Alexei?!
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
Good News
“Okay, wish me luck you two,” Alexei said, he was standing in front of a Warp Gate, one that Risa had told him led to a town that was very close to the front. Neave wrapped her arms around him as best she could and he returned it by holding her close. “You better come back safely, yeah?” Risa said, she held his gaze with a stern look. “Hey, if the Shades are running wild then you have my promise that I’ll be jumping right back into that Warp Gate,” Alexei said, “This is a recon mission, nothing more nothing less. Promise.”She gave him a critical eye, “You know, every time you’ve ever said that you’re just going to look at something or do a bit of recon you’ve come super close to dying.” “Yeah, but those times I had no idea what I was going into, this time it’s either going to be one of two things, and only one of those two things could actually be dangerous. Pretty good odds if you ask me,” Alexei said with a grin, though he could tell he was only annoying Risa with his banter.
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
Grief
Waking up in the morning Alexei realised that, despite everything that was going on, he actually felt pretty good. Not only was the threat of the Demon Lord technically dealt with, he’d also met with the Administrar and had basically engineered a situation where the man would no longer be able to send people after him. All things said and done, that was two of his major problems dealt with already, even if he did still plan to get his revenge on the Administrar in one way or another. The man couldn’t be allowed to continue in his post, not after he had sacrificed so many Initiates to the Shade Front for no good reason. When everything had concluded and everyone was safe, Alexei intended to go to the Royal Household and speak to the Emperor, perhaps he would listen to reason, if Alexei could get an audience with the man of course. Alexei pulled himself out of bed, wrapped a towel around his waist, and walked off to the shower room. He shivered as the cold water streamed onto his
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
One Last Stew
“So, let me get this straight,” Lyla said, “You’re going all the way to the front to maybe take on a massive Shade Army that you have no hope of actually fighting against just in case they’ve gone wild now that the Demon Lord is actually properly dead.” It was a pretty succinct way of explaining the situation, but Alexei was glad that Lyla had grasped the broad strokes of what was going on. “Yeah, pretty much,” Alexei shrugged, “Though I have a feeling that it’s not going to be nearly as bad as you’ve just made it sound. In fact, I think it’s going to be a wasted trip, but a necessary one just in case.” “A wasted trip?” Lyla asked. “Well, after first meeting the Demon Lord and being given a sliver of his powers I’ve always been able to sort of… you know, sense them,” Alexei said, “Just as a kind of dark fuzz off to the eastern border. Can’t feel that anymore.” “What, as in they’re just gone?” “That’s what it feels like, yeah,” Alexei said, “It feels like the Demon Lord had one l
- Levelling Up The Weakest System
Lyla
While Alexei had made it seem as if he were going to be running off to the front lines as fast as he could, there was one thing that he needed to take care of before he left Alandria again. He was sure that if he left the city without at least swinging by The Trout’s Gills at least once then Lyla would have probably ripped his head off with her inhuman beastkin strength. Once again Alexei was struck by a distinct sense of de ja vu. The day had receded into night, with the final glimmers of the twilight sun just about peaking over the very top of the mountain. It was dark, and the streets of Alandria had drawn to a near-empty silence. The only thing that guided his way was the lamplight from the many torches that hung off of the sides of various buildings. The water lapped at the underside of boats and barges alike, and he knew that somewhere deep down under the water there was the body of the very first assassin that he had dealt with, now likely stripped of flesh to the bone by
