OutRanked (The Weight Of It All): A LitRPG Fantasy Adventure Read online

  In the distance, I could already see several buildings, despite the number of trees blocking my view. The roofs looked colourful and ornate in certain parts of the city, which made me even more curious about what the city would look like. Some buildings overshadowed others, like the castle of the kingdom and a large cathedral near it.

  I sat down with the rest and waited for our wagon to catch up while I marvelled at their beauty, even from a distance.

  “Cassie, how was ‘Soothe’ while you ran?” I asked, interrupting Cassie and Zane, who spoke arm in arm.

  “It’s hard to explain,” she said. “I’ll be running, and my muscles are still aching, but when I use it, some of the pains do go away. I’ll still be tired, but even now, I can tell I won’t be in as much pain tomorrow. It’s minor. Like I can barely feel it. But helped,” she answered.

  “Ooh, I’ll take some of that then. I love that new Skill of yours,” Britta said, jumping at the chance despite likely having no aches at all.

  Cassie used her Skill on Britta, then the rest of us, and she was right. It was minor, but I felt just slightly better. I wasn’t going to go run for another hour as though nothing had happened, but my body felt a slight bit looser.

  “That’s going to be handy in the dungeons,” Jen said, rotating her arm as she felt the effects reach her.

  “Lin and I might head into some dungeons. Have you considered which one you’ll try to enter? I’d recommend trying the Den only,” Adam said.

  “The Den?” I asked, not sure of which dungeon he was talking about. “I’ve heard there are three dungeons: one with spiders, one with demons, and one with birds. Unfortunately, I haven’t really looked into them much.”

  “The Den is the one with the spiders, Ren. Its full name is actually Agraht’s Den, named after the Dungeon Boss, Agraht, the spider queen.” Zane answered.

  “It all sounds so cliché,” Cassie joked.

  “That’s because it is,” Adam groaned. “But it also makes it easier for us to keep track of. Now, you’re right though Ren, as far as we know, three dungeons are within walking distance to the Capital. In fact, we’ll be passing a turnoff point that will lead to one of those dungeons on our way in the wagon – the nest. They refer to these three dungeons as the Nest, the Den, and the Pit to keep it simple.

  “The Nest is the one I want to go to, the Raven’s Nest. It’s D-Rank, but it’s that way because of the birds that are hard to kill for most Dungeoneers. Next is the Den, Agraht’s Den, which is E-Rank and spiders. It’s the most beginner friendly. Again, it’s E-Rank, but that’s only because you can get swarmed by spiders. Past that, most of those spiders are actually low-Ranked. There’s just a lot of them, so you need to be extra careful.”

  “Sounds great,” Cassie and Britta both said. Each for very different reasons.

  “Well, if you’re excited about those, you’ll really look forward to the Pit when you get stronger. It’s C Rank, and it’s the only one that earns its Rank. No Gimmicks or anything. It's supposedly an awful dungeon with imp-like creatures that throw fire at you. Again, they can only do that since so many of them are C-Rank, so that place is heavily monitored.

  Most can’t handle a place like that. On the other hand, the Capital can’t have everyone dying off because the imps are good examples for wealthy FIRE Affinity users.

  Lin is used to going into the Den, but I’m really pushing us to try the Nest. It’s always been my dream to get the feathers from those Ravens. They’re supposed to be some of the best feathers you can use for arrows, and I’m not looking to spend a ton of money to try it out.”

  “Sounds like we’d only be able to go into the Den, anyway. We’ll only be G-Ranked, and I really don’t think we’re ready for a D or C Rank dungeon,” I said.

  “They won’t let you into any of those dungeons as a G-Ranked Dungeoneer. If you could figure out a good strategy, you’d probably be able to stay alive in the D-Rank dungeon, but I just don’t see you killing enough to make it worth your while. Still, you’ll likely need to get to F-Rank first for them to even let you enter. Prep gives you a bunch of flexibility, but there has to be some level of scrutiny,” Adam said as he started to sharpen one of his arrows.

  “With the war, though, who knows. Security will be lighter, and there will be fewer people to keep track of who stays and goes into the known dungeons,” Zane smiled, earning a groan from Adam.

  “That’s right, we can always just try to find new dungeons,” Britta interjected.

  “While correct, as your de facto mentor, I would also ask that you remain cautious. The war is going to throw everything and everyone off. However, that doesn’t mean you should throw caution to the wind because you stumble across a dungeon without a Rank.

  “Like I said, I want to head into the Nest, but they could ask me to report for the army at any point,” Adam answered.

  That lowered the mood slightly as we’d have to say goodbye to so many people.

  “We’ll always appreciate what you’ve done for us, Adam, and don’t worry, I won’t let us go into the Pit,” Jen said, putting her hand on Adam’s shoulder.

  “Or the Nest, I hope. Not soon, at least. Take it slow and easy. Get stronger by finding lower-Ranking dungeons and monsters in the area. While we’re gone, they’ll need as many of you as they have left to help.

  “And when I come back a war hero, make sure you have a beer waiting for me.” Adam chuckled as he stood up and looked down the road.

  “Deal.” We all said in unison.

  “Good. Now let’s get going. Looks like our ride is here.”

  Chapter 3 – Interlude – Raise

  “I want a raise!”

  Professor Valk yelled as she slammed her way into the headmaster’s room. She took a seat at the nearest and comfiest chair she could find as she glared at the headmaster.

  “Hello, Claire, nice to see you. How are the grounds looking?” He answered, putting the papers he was reading on his desk to the side. He thought this was better anyway since the documents were yet another piece of bad news.

  “Oh, they’re fine. People are showing up again to help now that most of the monsters are gone.”

  “Yes, I’d heard from some others I spoke to on my way in this morning. I’d wager we won’t be seeing many of the students return, but the last few weeks have been trying enough for all of them.”

  “Do you have final numbers?” Claire asked, her tone softening at the thought of her students.

  “I can’t guarantee we’ve gotten all of them, but I believe the majority have now been accounted for. And while it is a loss, I believe losing only ninety-seven students can be seen as a blessing. They were all scattered due to the festival, with those in the Auditorium coming out safely. The streets of Krader are where most were lost, but we also didn’t prepare for the number of monsters making their way into the dorms. That is my biggest regret, but still, many were able to barricade their doors or head into the washrooms for safety. When the other professors arrived, some even fought off the invading beasts,” the headmaster said, standing up as he went to the cabinet on the left of his office.

  Ninety-seven, he thought, the concept still saddening despite the relatively low number of casualties. Then, pouring two glasses of whiskey for him and Claire, he sat back down to drink.

  Both sat there in silence for a moment, mourning the loss of their students.

  “Yes, this year’s crop was better than some of the last couple,” Claire said, breaking the silence. “I can only assume it would’ve been worse if this had happened a couple of years ago. That whole group was hopeless; worst tournament we’d had in years,” Claire scoffed.

  “I felt bad for Mr Mio and Ms Gleam. Their fight would have been a spectacle. However, I gather they’ll both do very well for themselves if they continue on their current paths.”

  Claire scoffed, the glass of her cup slamming down onto the table. “Jennifer would’ve had him! Tao was fast but rigid; Jennifer was more willing
to experiment with her Skills, despite both their Skills having such versatility.”

  The headmaster laughed. “I would have put my money on Tao, personally, but I guess we’ll never know. I was thankful to hear both made it out of the city safely. I have enough wealthy parents knocking at my door, and the Gleam family was not another that I would have liked to deal with.”

  “Oh, curses to all of them, anyway. From what I hear, many noble cowards ran with Alister at the first sign of any trouble. All that power, and they run at the slightest sign of danger. Their guards could have saved countless lives. And for all his bluster, Alister made himself scarce at his earliest opportunity. Goddess, help him if he tries to worm his way into another one of my classes. dungeon or not, I’ll look for another guest when we reopen.”

  “I can’t fault them, sadly. It was not their responsibility to save a city. I take some of that burden on myself.”

  “Oh, shut it with that self-righteous crap Erik, you are the headmaster and nothing else. You are not responsible for everything that happens in this dungeon or the city,” Claire blustered, earning a slight smile from Erik as he masked it with his drink.

  “Now you have fifty years to prepare for the return of the Everwood.”

  “Yes, fifty years. We may not be alive to see it return, but our legacy can’t be one of complacency. I may need to cut back on staff since we won’t have the income from the dungeon to help supplement their services.”

  “Gah, I didn’t expect a raise, anyway; you’re far too stingy,” Claire said.

  “If you were to leave for the army, I presume they’d be happy to pay you handsomely,” Erik probed.

  “I’ve had my fill of war; I am thrilled to stay out of this farce if I can help it.”

  “Good,” Erik smiled, without hiding it this time. “I’d expected as much and have already put your name down as an exception, but I only have few of spaces available. I needed to be sure that you hadn’t reconsidered. You might need to teach another class or two to make up for my losses.”

  “We losing anyone good?”

  “Not many that you knew intimately,” Erik sighed. “A couple were killed while fighting, but most chose to leave when they realized the dungeon would no longer be available. Renault was instrumental in our recovery efforts and has thankfully decided to remain on staff. Cusar was reluctant to remain, but Gaunt aided in convincing him to remain. They both handle so many classes that their absence would have been a burden. Crewe will try to stay, but I believe I’ll be forced to leave him off my list of professors to keep.

  “A lot of the same, sadly. Next year will be a consolidated faculty, regardless.

  “Oh, and Sarah Wilks has chosen to step away; I knew she was one of your favourites.”

  “Happy the spunky one lived, but yeah, she really knew her stuff. Can’t blame her for choosing to follow her craft, but she would’ve made a fierce fighter. The girl was a genius,” Claire smiled.

  “Yes, alas, she’s chosen to refocus her efforts elsewhere.”

  “She’s chosen a damn good time to change careers. The kingdom will pay for anything they can get right now. Have you tried speaking to the king?”

  “Not in person, but briefly. I’ve expressed my concerns about starting a war, but they were met with deaf ears, of course. I am only one man, and despite my position here and in the previous war, I won’t be able to convince him to change his mind. So, in their eyes, the attack on Krader can be met with nothing else but war.

  “Even now, part of me wants to agree, but you and I have both seen the brutality of war.”

  “Damn idiots, the lot of them,” Claire scowled. “I bet if we threw Emmett on the front lines, he might have a change of heart.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure. Since coming here, I hear the prince and the king have barely spoken. I’d received several notices that strongly encouraged me to give him some extra tutoring. Your name was mentioned several times. So, of course, I told them that ‘White Lightning’ wasn’t available for any additional classes.”

  “Goddess, help me; that name will haunt me to the day I die.”

  “You didn’t help yourself by raining lightning in the streets of Krader during the Collapse. The dungeon boss earned a veritable shower of thunder from the tales I’ve heard. In fact, I’ve used your name myself to help corral those negatively affected by the events. Your name holds weight among the people of this region.”

  “I was going for the quickest method! No one else was coming up with better ideas. A bunch of idiots were hacking at its heels with their swords, as though that wouldn’t have taken ages.

  “I swear, Erik, if not for kids like Jen and Tao, I’d think this generation had only gotten dumber.”

  Both laughed as they continued to talk for the next hour.

  “What about this year’s kids? Will we recall them for graduation?” Claire asked, seeing that she needed to leave.

  “I think they’ve earned their graduation already and are probably less than eager to return to Krader. I’ve already sent notice to all nearby towns that this year’s students have officially graduated. It’s documented, so they’ll be notified if they go inside any Guild Hall. News should spread fast from there. Any students lost in the Collapse will also be noted as graduates.

  “I’m sad I won’t be there to celebrate or mourn with them, but I expect their graduations should cause them some level of joy. Or at least relief.”

  “That’ll cheer a few up,” Claire nodded. “They lost out on some chances to find mentors and to join Dungeoneering teams, but they seem like a tough group.

  “All the best, Erik. I’ll be at home and around, but don’t bother me anymore until next year.”

  “Consider it done,” Erik said as he reshuffled his discarded papers, preparing to get back to work. The one in front was especially interesting as he re-read the latest reports on the army in Tamber.

  “Looks like the Azaran people have already mobilised,” he mumbled to himself as he got up and got another drink.

  Chapter 4 – The Capital

  Guards stood atop the massive walls as we crested over the final hill and came to a stop in a line to enter the capital’s outer walls.

  Weathered walls in stark contrast to those we saw surrounding the fox estate welcomed us. Monster attacks, past incursions, and time. Sections of the wall were battered and bruised. At the same time, some were made of different materials altogether from places they’d been forced to rebuild.

  As our wagon rolled to a stop, I realized again I really hadn’t seen much in my, albeit short, life. This wall, however, had seen everything that came before us and would continue to see everything after us.

  So much to explore, and the Goddess only gives us a short lifetime to do so.

  I considered my parents and how they stayed in Huag for years without going very far or exploring. Dad, I understood, since he’d seen parts of the continent as a Dungeoneer, but mom couldn’t say the same.

  She wouldn’t get that opportunity, but I knew she was happy while she lived. She loved her garden, and Huag, and us. Memories Elise and I would hopefully pass on to our own children someday.

  I shook my head, a tear escaping my eye as I tried to refocus on the capital.

  The guards let most people pass, since this was only the first checkpoint to get into the city. Unfortunately, the walls themselves weren’t attached to the city, which meant we still had a bit of walking to do even after passing through the first set of gates.

  Once inside, though, I was astounded to see the number of tents strewn across the dirt and grass between the inner and outer walls. In every direction, refugees erected new temporary homes for themselves. And while I knew they were here to be safe close to the capital, I wondered why they couldn’t live in the city itself.

  The fox estate had people outside its walls, but I assumed that was because the fox estate was a relatively small village for the rich. The capital was meant to be this massive and sprawling cit
y.

  “Why are there so many of them in tents?” I asked, awestruck at the number of people.

  “The city has nowhere to put them,” Adam answered.

  I almost questioned it further, but Holly jumped in.

  “That’s part of it, I’d wager, but not all. But I’ll be honest, it's hard being poor in the capital. There are just too many people trying to come in all at once.

  “And sure, it's safer than some of the nearby towns, but they’re not just going to let in thousands of people overnight.

  “Look at the inner gates. It’s not like they can’t come and go, but if they get found in the streets overnight, I doubt the city will like having their streets littered with refugees.”

  “That’s awful,” Elise said, earning a side-eyed look from Dad to Holly.

  “Don’t get Holly wrong, Elise; there’s a lot of good about the capital too. For instance, my home is here, and I’ve kept my family here. So, I feel good knowing they’ll be safe while I’m away,” Griff answered, taking some of the heat away from Holly.

  “His house is super fancy, Elise. You wouldn’t believe it by looking at him, but Griff here has a flair for nice things,” Lin said, getting up and jumping out of the wagon.

  Griff sighed. “I give most of my earnings to my wife. She is the one with the flair. She has made sure my kids are well kept and safe. The least I can do is make sure they live somewhere comfortable,” he said, almost growling at Lin.

  “Griff focuses his money on his family, Lin. I’ve always liked that about you, Griff,” Holly said, rejoining the conversation.

  “Is that where we’re going?” Elise asked, cheering up.

  “My wife won’t love having so many guests, but yes. She’ll also grow to love the extra company quickly. Can you do me a favour, Elise?” Griff said as he turned towards Elise.

  “Sure!” Elise said, excited she finally had something to do.

  “When we get to my house, I want you to compliment my wife’s necklace,” Griff said.