Rise of the Apex Predator: A LitRPG Adventure

Chapter 32 – How the Tables Turn

Erwin

It was a beautiful day in Pinespire. The skies were clear, the air was fresh, and the temperature was pleasant. It was a perfect day which should have raised Erwin’s spirit. But his mood was exceptionally bad today. He frowned as he took in the city’s sights from the balcony of his 2-story private house. He was sure at this point that someone was conspiring to sabotage him at every point. Until last week he was a rising star, all ready to be appointed a captain’s role at the adventurer’s guild. He had the political backing, the levels, and even the under-the-table dealings necessary to make the cut. If not for that wretched green-haired she-devil.

He had been meticulous about his reputation and social standing, making sure to not cross any lines that may cause ill-repute, even cutting down on how many women he flirted with. Well, after that fiasco at the guild hall at least. He even went the extra mile and did a lot of so-called social work, feeding and supporting the leeches of society. Granted he had a hidden agenda in doing so, but no one was privy of that. He had desperately tried to find the one leech who could foil his carefully laid out plans. But it was like she had disappeared off the face of the planet. And just when he thought she was gone from his life, she had shown up in the most unexpected place of all.

In hindsight, he should have seen this coming. But that shrewd assistant guild head was more devious than he gave her credit for. He had no idea how, but she had somehow gotten hold of Jenny and kept her hidden from everyone till the most opportune time to cause the maximum amount of damage. If Jenny’s allegations had been brought up before the interview, he could have tried to repair the damage to his reputation. But the cunning hag had brought Jenny directly during the interview itself. It all went downhill from there.

He might have salvaged some of his honor if not for the fact that she demanded the interview be conducted in a Truth field, considering the upcoming allegations. And contrary to what he was told, even the guild leader was present. Which he had been ecstatic about, right until he saw Jenny’s wretched face. Each word that came out of her cursed mouth was laced with venom, as she recanted every detail of their interactions. He was still not sure how she had gained the courage to face him again. He thought she would shut her mouth the second she saw him; due to all the training he had put her through. But it was like she had found a second set of balls, as she fearlessly stared him down.

Erwin had tried to talk his way out of it, but the Truth field wouldn’t let him hide his intentions, even by omission. When he tried saying, “I was trying to train her.” The words that came out were, “I was trying to train her to be my perfect slave.” He had tried shutting up after that, but the spell wouldn’t let him be quiet if a direct question was asked of him. And boy did that hag know what words to use to extract every tidbit of information from him.

She had systematically demolished every facet of his social image. She asked about why he spent the money on the poor, and when he was forced to reveal that he was looking for Jenny, his philanthropy turned into sinister plotting to silence the weak. She dug deep into why he was the only survivor of his party. And Erwin had to helplessly admit that he prioritized his own life over the party members, despite him being the tank. The cold look he received from the guild head at that still gave him nightmares. Apparently, the heavy built man was a legendary tank when it came to keeping his party alive, despite the odds.

Erwin wished the interview would be the end of his misery, but alas, it was the start. The wretched woman had made a detailed report of her findings and published it to the entire guild, and from there it spread to the entire city. At least in Jadefall very few people had been aware of his exploits, but here even kids running around knew him by name. And his unofficial title of sorts – the Devious Plotter. No one from the guild wanted to be even seen around him, let alone work with him. The final nail in his coffin was the yellow marker above his head, which was assigned by the city leader, and was supposed to be permanent if he was within the city limits. His crimes, although not punishable by law, were apparently enough to earn him the marker. Thanks to the new Arbiter, who was apparently very diligent when it came to justice being served.

And so, Erwin stood there at the room’s window, looking out and trying to helplessly think of a way out of it. His once lavishly decorated room was a dump, covered in empty alcohol bottles and a very ripe smell of sweat and excrement. His sparkling armor lay to the side, covered in dust and grime. He recalled the good old days back on Earth, where failing a quest meant just restarting the game at worst.

But it was only now that he realized, this place was no game after all.

………………

Jenny

Jenny sat at the counter of the guild hall, sporting an amicable smile as she took in the details of the quest turn in from the adventuring party of 5. She diligently cross checked the report and counted each kill trophy before handing out the promised 25 gold coins. This was one of the more promising parties out there, and they took on some of the more challenging quests. She hid her astonishment and fear well while dealing with these adventurers, but it was hard to do so now. It’s not every day that she got to handle bear claws the size of dinner plates after all. Her face must have shown some emotion, since the Berserker across from her started guffawing loudly.

“Hahaha. You don’t see Rabid Bear claw’s often, do you?” he said boisterously. Making the entire room turn to him in wonder. His blonde wife, Elara, poked him in annoyance.

“Do you have to be so loud, Eskad dear?” she said in a calm but eerie tone. That shut up the brute who was three times her size, who started rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. Jenny liked the couple a lot. They were amongst the few people who didn’t treat her differently when she was first allowed to meet the public. Her story was common folklore by now, exaggerated beyond reason. She had even heard snippets of how she supposedly tried fighting off the spider queen with nothing but a wooden stick her tormentor had left behind. It embarrassed her to no end when people walked up to her with pity and started asking questions. Questions to which she either had no answer to or wasn’t allowed to speak up about.

She remembered the first day after the nightmarish monster attack on their previous village, when she was herded in by the soldiers to a safe location. And since she was level zero, was corralled to meet that amazing woman for an investigation. She had heard her plight without an ounce of doubt or ridicule and provided her with good living arrangements, only asking one thing in return. That she told the truth when the time came. She was not allowed to meet anyone except the lady for the next few weeks. Although, the isolation from the world had been good for her.

The trauma of seeing her mother killed right in front of her, and the combined stress of the last few months had nearly broken her. If not for the sessions she had with the assistant guild leader, she wasn’t sure she would have recovered. Although she wasn’t allowed to tell who had killed her mother, or how, she had poured her heart out about what she had gone through. And the lady did the one thing she desperately needed, she listened. Jenny had told her about the circumstances around her mother’s death, and even told her that her mother was killed by someone who had saved Jenny. Only after Jenny was thoroughly spent recounting everything did the lady give any of her own thoughts.

And that was both therapeutic and painful for Jenny to hear. Rather than point out her mother’s flaws the lady had asked questions, lots of them. And through her own answers, she led Jenny towards the ultimate realization. She had been brainwashed and manipulated by her mother all her life. It wasn’t easy to accept, and Jenny had shut her down multiple times. But the lady would just calmly walk away and continue their discussion a later time. Giving her enough time to ponder about it on her own. The lady had a way with words, as though she could read Jenny’s mind and even emotions.

After a long time with nothing to do but think, she saw her past in a different light. She hadn’t realized it, but her brother was kind of amazing. And he cared for and loved her deeply. The gifts he got her, which her mother always threw out saying they were bad for her, were in fact what she wanted at the time. She didn’t know how, but he always knew what she wanted. Whether it was the pretty dress she had stared at for a moment longer at a clothing store, or the violin she wanted to learn as a kid. He always knew, and her mother always painted it in a negative light. Saying he was trying to make her fail in life. And like a fool, she had gone along with it.

Jenny felt a tap on her shoulder, making her jump in surprise. She must have been lost in thought for quite some time apparently, for the party looked at her in concern.

“Are you alright, miss Jenny?” asked Mave, the youngest member of the elite party. An elf with light brown hair, and deep golden eyes. Jenny blushed at the looks he was giving her. He was 2 years older than her, and the most good-looking eligible bachelor at the guild, and an exceptional healer to boot. Every girl within the city fawned over him, and he was very cordial with them all.

“I am fine, sir,” Jenny said while bowing to hide her crimson cheeks.

“Ah, please call me Mave,” the elf spoke politely.

“Takin’ down ‘nother one, are ya?” came a gruff voice from down below. It was one of the twin dwarves, Boff and Toff, who completed their party. Jenny could never tell them apart. The duo broke out laughing at Jenny and Mave’s discomfort.

Anyone who didn’t know them would scoff at the gang of misfits, a human couple, an elf, and twin dwarves. But no one who ever saw them in action would dare cross them. If the Mad Berserker wasn’t enough, one spell from the Fiery Witch of the Endless Dunes would have a full party of seasoned warriors kneel in surrender. Not to mention the utter chaos that the Twin Peaks of the Undergrowth would unleash if their party was at risk. You could maybe face one of them, but together they were a force to be reckoned. The elf was relatively new and had not earned any renown yet, but the fact that he was the healer of such an astounding party meant it was only a matter of time before he did too.

“Leave the poor lass ‘lone,” the other twin said after he was done laughing at their expense. Jenny didn’t mind the teasing, as it brought a much-needed normalcy to her life. Even though the assistant guild leader had kindly given her a job at the guild, her level zero status did attract some unfriendly gazes. Unfortunately, she had chosen two combat-oriented classes at the behest of Erwin, and it was difficult to gain any levels. She was currently working to earn enough to have classes changed, which would take a while.

“I am doing fine. Thanks for your concern. Could you please move on so I can serve the next customer?” Jenny asked in a polite tone. As the party moved towards the restricted section, she smiled and waved at the next party in line. And so, her day went, filling out forms, turning in quests, and answering guild related questions. By the end of the day, she was exhausted. Her stats were still human after all.

After she finished serving the last adventurer for the day, she packed up and headed out of the guild building. She went straight for the market, towards the blacksmith’s shop. As she walked, she heard barely concealed whispers around her and some pointed fingers. But she ignored them all and marched on with pride. She was no longer a leech, even if some people believed she was. She was a contributing member of society. As she entered the building, she got the familiar smell of smoke and oil, along with the loud banging of a hammer on steel.

“NOT LIKE THAT, YOU OVERGROWN SACK OF MEAT,” came a loud shout from somewhere within the smoke covered building. Jenny went to the door in the back, completely ignoring the shop clerk who also in turn ignored her presence. As she gazed into the heat filled room, she barely made out two silhouettes by the anvil. One short and one gigantic, but both were built like bulls. The dwarven owner of this smithy was instructing the veritable giant next to him on how to hammer a piece of red-hot ingot. An ingot he was holding in his bare hands.

“Sorry master,” came the timid reply from the giant. He went at it again, and again, followed by a litany of curses about certain body parts that made Jenny blush. She patiently waited for the duo to get done, at which point the bulky man finally noticed her.

“Oh, Jenny you are here,” Mike said. All covered in soot and burn marks all over his body. Jenny barely recognized the guy, and not because of his physique. He had mellowed down considerably, after his stint in the holding cells. Apparently, he had been on the receiving end of several beat downs by the inmates.

And like her, he also was given a second chance by the assistant guild leader. The lady had asked around if anyone would be willing to hire a level zero player, and surprisingly the elderly dwarf had spoken up. In his own words, “The bloke ‘s dumb as a goblin, but you don’t need smarts to beat down iron.”

And so, Mike had trained under the dwarf to be a smith and picked up two non-combat smithing related classes. And they were both level 25 by this point. His size did cause some comfort issues while working in a shop geared towards dwarves. The elderly smith had a thick grey beard and mustache, which were burned at multiple spots. But it only made him look even more imposing.

“Well, look who’s here?” the old smith spoke with a smile on his face. He was Jenny’s second favorite person in his town, right after Lady Agatha. He was brash and outspoken, but he was always very genuine to a fault. He was a friend of Lady Agatha. For some reason, he had taken a shine at both Mike and Jenny when they first appeared.

“Make sure you clean up real nice,” he barked at Mike before leading Jenny back to the shop. “So, what would like to drink, lassie?”

“I am good, Mr. Borin,” Jenny said while sitting down at the short chair. Her knees were almost at her chest level due to the height, but she was used to it by now.

“Bah, young’uns these days. In my youth, you would never catch me turn down a free drink. Even if it was mixed with goblin piss,” Borin laughed rambunctiously at his own joke.

Jenny smiled, just to be polite. The dwarf’s humor was too crude for her, but she was grateful to the man. He had helped both her and Mike cope with their new realities, and even made Mike apologize to her for what he had demanded in return for protecting her.

“It’s a man’s duty to protect without expecting returns,” he had said while making Mike kneel for the entire day when he found out about the incident. Mike still limped in trauma whenever he thought of the day. For his part, he had turned over a new leaf and his apology was genuine. So, Jenny had forgiven him. She was still not used to seeing the confident man behave so meek, but life sure knew how to hammer people into shape. Another one of Mr. Borin’s quotes.

They sat there for about half an hour, before finally Mike came out to join them. “It’s all sorted out, Master,” he said with a bow.

“What the hell you are waiting for then. Head home and be back at dawn,” the dwarf said gruffly before unceremoniously walking out.

“Shall we get going?” Mike asked softly.

“Yes, lets,” Jenny replied. They had both formed a weird, albeit friendly, bond over the course of a few weeks. At times, they spoke to each other about their old lives while listening to each other’s troubles. It was the suggestion of Lady Agatha that they talk to each other, as part of their healing from their past trauma. And it had indeed helped.

They walked in companiable silence till they reached a small park right outside the market. It had a shallow pond in a remote corner that hardly anyone visited. They had chosen this spot to talk to each other, since it was a very soothing place. They both sat down with their legs outstretched, leaning back on their hands. After another five minutes, Jenny finally spoke up.

“You know, I never really appreciated it before, but the sky is truly magnificent, isn’t it?” she stated softly.

Mike looked up for a moment before nodding in silence. He gazed at the multi-colored planets for a while before replying, “Its not too bad at all. Although I still can’t get the image of our moon breaking apart out of my head. And this sky reminds me of that.”

“Wish I had seen it too, then perhaps I may have believed it more readily back then. Although, knowing how I was, I still probably would have denied it,” Jenny said wistfully.

“Perhaps. But at least you didn’t self-sabotage the way I did, despite seeing the reality before me.”

The pair looked at the alien sky in silent contemplation. After a long while Jenny had a puzzling question. One she should have asked long ago. “What exactly had knocked me out anyway. I never asked. With so much happening, that day seemed so trivial.”

“Oh, despite all that has happened, that day was the weirdest one for me,” Mike said with some sorrow in his voice.

“Huh? Weirder than being whisked off to an alien planet?” Jenny asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Yep. It was the day I met the boy in the woods after all.”

When Jenny gave him a questioning gaze, he started recounting that night. How he was flung up due to a rope trap and knocked her out by accident. How Erwin had cut him down, and woke him up using smelling salts. And how he had foolishly attempted to intimidate the kid, only to have his ankle broken.

“You are telling me; a teenaged boy did all that?” Jenny asked incredulously.

“Yes, he did. And if I had not messed with the kid, I would not have gotten the yellow marker which ended me in jail. Although, thinking back, he did me a favor.”

“He did?” Jenny asked.

“Yep. If not, I would have probably done more foolish things and gotten myself killed. The time in prison… gave me a new perspective. It pushed me towards this new life. A life I like. I wish to one day meet the kid, to thank him,” Mike said with melancholy.

Jenny eyed him for a moment, before turning back towards the stars. “Must have been an incredible kid. To do all that. Let me know if you ever find him. What was his name anyway?”

“I believe it was Aenon.”

Jenny’s head whipped towards Mike in an instant. She started dry heaving before asking in a trembling voice, “What did you say?”

“Aenon. That’s what he said. Weird name for sure. Can’t say there will be many with that name…,” he trailed off when he saw Jenny’s reaction. “You alright?”

Jenny closed her eyes and silently shivered at the memory. Mike grew concerned and tried soothing her. But it was of no use. After a full thirty minutes, and Mike’s incessant questions, she finally managed to speak.

“…er ag…,” she whispered.

“What?” Mike asked in confusion.

“I never want to meet that monster again.”