The Apprentice of Ouroboros [Monster Evo LitRPG Adventure]

“You know, of all the places I typically hang out on the campus, the library isn't one of them.”

“Where do you normally hang out, Brent?" Juni asked, surprised by his answer.

“The recreation center. I like the extra training for jousts and sparring. It’s all properly monitored. Though some students do it to settle grudges, as opposed to just practicing.”

Juni raised a brow. “Considering the survival of humanity is at stake, some people really have their damn priorities out of order.”

Brent leaned in, resting one elbow on the table. “Yeah, I say that every day. Doesn’t matter how loudly I say it. People suck, regardless of being a humanoid or a converted monster. Honestly, some people are more monstrous than us, and they lack claws and fangs. Hey, why are you having me look for these tomes about snakes, anyway?” he asked, pointing one claw at the book before him.

“Finding answers.” The two of them were sitting on the second floor of the library after classes ended. The late-afternoon sun filtered through one of the stained glass windows, casting bright teal and deep oranges across the hardwood floor. Juni’s fingers ran over lines of text, searching for something, any clue as to what Neska had talked about: the Acolyte of the Chained Serpent.

She didn't know what was more disturbing: The fact that this was yet again another link to Ouroboros, one of the Divines, or the fact that Neska’s interface gave her this information. She wondered what the titles meant, other than carrying an abstract imprint on their soul. She always imagined that people couldn't read it unless they were in proximity, and it was a willing act.

This information, too, threatened to upset the norm. “Hey, Brent. Let me ask you something. Do any of your classes have insight into titles? I’ve never really understood why some stick, when certain actions or events are mundane, and big actions don’t elicit a single title.”

“It’s not about how big or small an event is. It’s what effect it has on you. Big or small. Some people handle big threats without breaking a sweat. Others struggle, and their souls change forever from the scarring.” He continued reading through the leather-bound book, squinting at the tiny text. “Damn, whoever wrote this book expected someone with a sky-high Perception. What a pain.”

“Are you sure it isn’t a skill issue?” Juni chuckled.

The wolfling canted his ears to one side, frowning at her. “You know, I’m no dummy. You have to be either smarter or stronger than the Varadur to survive out there. And I am definitely not the strongest, you get me?” He then lifted his palm and hovered it over her head.

She scowled at him. “You’re invading my space. I mean, I like close spaces, but not like this.”

“Just saying, a tiny thing like you survived big battles. Smarts and reflexes count for far more,” he concluded. “Don’t take it personally. Anyway, your mention of the Galahad rebellion? I went and looked around. Their sigil was a serpent, shaped like a twisted infinity strip. Definitely not what we’re looking for. No chains involved."

"Well, maybe. But the infinity strip could be considered a chain...of sorts," she demurred. He flipped the book around to show her the small crest of the rebellious family, one that had previously sided with Arivol in the conquest of Valos and Juiksen, five hundred years ago. Juni knew, of course, the plot was foiled once word of their seditious activities was discovered. Robert Galahad, the house patriarch, had believed that Arivol would provide backing if he were to arrest and detain the regional Lord at the time.

Instead, he’d been given up by his own son for the hell he put his boy through, choosing sides and demeaning him all his life. That boy had had to turn in his own traitorous father, and watched him swing on the gallows shortly after his father, and several bannermen had been found guilty.

Never trust a serpent. Juni hated that phrase; the entire surviving household of Galahad, those who claimed innocence from the conspiracy, had been branded outcasts. The house was soon disbanded; today, they were little more than a footnote in history.

But the phrase persisted. Juni set her book down, gazing at Brent. “If you don’t mind me asking…why the boisterous attitude? You clearly are competent. I’ve seen you studying others in class, noting abilities, watching people, and taking a survey of who’s who in the pecking order, just like the dining hall.”

“All tricks of the trade. Scouting is, at its basics, information gathering and remaining unseen. Or at the very least, being ignored by others.” He picked up another book, frowning. “You know how many houses have snakes in their house crests? Dozens. You think one of these families has something to do with it?”

“Or a cult,” Juni proposed. “But you didn’t answer the question.”

“How about an answer for an answer? I can tell you what you had for lunch by smelling you, I can tell your general mood by listening for your heartbeat, but one thing I can’t do is read minds,” he said, looking confident and folding his arms, and arching his back. A dull crackling sound emanated as he let out a sound of relief. “Well, how about it?”

Why the hell not. She folded her arms and leaned back. “Okay. What do you want to know?”

“Why do you follow the snake, your theoretical mortal enemy?” Brent asked, propping his head up by leaning on his elbows and wearing a toothy smirk. She found it amusing that he lowered himself to her eye level.

“Hard-hitting question, huh? Well, that’s an easy one: because she saved my life.” It was a simple answer. At least, it should have been.

“I think there’s more to it than that,” he said, wagging one claw back and forth. “Come on, I wanna hear more.”

“You ever meet someone that you know is important, but you don't know why? The first few days we met, we had our backs to each other against the masses of the Varadur. She never wavers. Or, at least when I'm looking her way."

That kind of bravery was as rare as it could be dangerous. "It's your turn, Brent. Why the cocksure attitude? You wear it everywhere else. But not for Syra. Or me and Cassia, for that matter.”

He let out a rumble of amusement. “Easy deflection. When I first got here, things were a little rough. You remember me telling you about…what’s his name, Felix?”

“Yeah. That bastard,” Juni said, her voice low. She remembered that monster all too well, even given the brief encounter they’d had. “What about him?”

“He ruined relations between humanoids and the Awakened for months. A lot of ill-will and ripple effects followed: people fighting, calling the Awakened traitors to humanity, that the Varadur would grind down our minds, and we’d eventually turn traitor. Load of shit, for one thing. No one can take away my love for my fellow mankind. Anyway, once I realized they’d stop giving me shit for it by pretending I didn’t care, it became easier. At least, outwardly.”

“So it’s just a mask. What’s really under it?”

“Get to know me better, you might find out,” he replied with a shrug. “Your turn, mouse. Do you…well…nah, that might be too much.”

Her ear pricked up. “Are you asking me if I…like Cassia? If I were to interpolate from your last question?”

“Yeah, sure. I mean, there’s no doubt, I kinda like her because she has that rebellious, determined attitude that I see more often in Syra and several others. I guess I’m a sucker for underdogs,” he added with a loud chortle. “But, what do you see in her?”

“That’s…complicated.” Juni closed the book to give Brent her full attention. “Do you have siblings, Brent?”

“No. Not anymore,” he said in a low tone. “Not from the Varadur, either. I had a younger brother; he was five years behind me. He looked up to me, everywhere I went. If I practiced with a bow and arrows, he was using a slingshot to try to match me. My friends became his friends, and he always tried to act older than he was, chasing us around." He smiled faintly, but it didn’t last, and slowly faded into a forlorn expression.

“He died of complications from scarlet pox when he was ten. We did everything we could to save him, but the town healer wasn't strong enough to combat the disease. I went to plead the case to the next town over, to try to get an expert to save him, bring in a stronger healer. They didn't make it in time."

He let out a soft sigh, gazing at the table for a second. "It broke my poor mom’s heart. And that gaping void in your heart…you can never quite fill it. You might get lucky and not remember it every day…but when you do, it sucks.”

He let out a quiet breath. “Why do you ask?”

“I have a sister, one who is still alive. I think,” she said in a quiet tone. “Her name is Riley, she was my older sister. When the war broke out, she joined the military, working on mage-based artillery. She knew alchemy and gunsmithing, a profession my father didn’t approve of. They kept her well behind the frontlines. They kept her focused on inventing and making every weapon imaginable. But I…” she couldn’t say that last part aloud, chiefly because it would invite the uncomfortable question of why.

“You haven’t seen her since you Awakened, have you?”

“No,” Juni answered, waving to her mousy body. “Plus, with the war effort, I don’t know if they told her. I was with Jurik most of the time after they brought me back from the brink of death.”

“Jeez, Juni, I thought I was carrying around baggage, but that’s just awful.” He rested his chin on the table, claw tapping anxiously on the wood. “C’mon, tell me you want to see her. While you still can?”

“I’m afraid if I do…she won’t recognize me.” She squinted her eyes, knowing that if she continued this, there might be waterworks.

“C’mon, Juni, you’re family to her. She needs to know her baby sister is alive. Well, enduring, just with a pair of extra-large ears.” Brent lifted his chin. “Oh, hang on. Neska is like the first person who didn’t immediately dismiss you besides this Jurik fella. I’ve seen him talking to professors. Competent man, he's seen a lot of action to be that scarred. Good lord, the amount of monsters he’s slain sticks to his armor like a miasma.”

Juni laughed, even though she didn’t mean to. “I have to remind him to clean it. Occasionally.”

“Right, so he’s kinda like…Well, I think he’s like a fill-in for your father. That makes Cassia…” Brent lifted his head higher. “She’s like…a fill-in for your older sister, just more monsterly?”

“How about we find this chained serpent, then we can talk more,” she answered, hoping he’d take the hint. Brent protested lightly, his tail wagging gently. Then he snapped his claws, grinning.

“Boy, I called it! She’s like the big sister! Which is weird, because Syra thought you two were–”

Her eyes widened in anticipation of what he was about to say. “N-n-nononono, I’m not, I mean–” Juni stammered, her voice rising to a squeaky pitch. “I’m not like…well, that! I mean, yes, I like her, and she is a good friend, but…I still have thoughts for a few guys my age and of a more similar...profile," she added after stumping on an appropriate word.

"What, like Tycus? He's alright. All that armor plating, though...might make things a little difficult on some fronts," he said, trying to hide a smile.

Her eyes narrowed. "I will gnaw your face off, Brent. I have big, nasty, pointy teeth that will chew through steel, and your bravery."

"Alright, alright, message received. Still, though, I like him; he's a stalwart. And dependable."

She groaned and thumped her forehead against the desk. “Brent, new rule about our questions: heavy-hitting questions are off the table for a while.” He patted her head as if to reassure her, and she glared at him. “Don’t do that.”

“I meant well. You have a lot of stuff to sort through, it sounds like.”

“Don’t we all,” she said in a deathly voice. “Okay, chained serpents are a dead-end. Brent, you know the student body better than I. Any leads?”

“Honestly, I already started asking around. The easiest way to do this is when we go talk to people, especially a bunch of lizards and reptiles. The garrison and investigators are already interviewing witnesses about the attack, anyone who might have witnessed them before and during the attack. So far, nothing.”

“We can’t push too hard; getting in the way of the investigation would bring unwanted awareness of Cassia. That’s a nonstarter.” Juni quickly opened another book dealing with alchemy.

A moment later, she slammed it shut when she didn’t find what she was looking for–specifically, equipment and how to manufacture it.

The book joined the other pile of slowly accumulating books that she'd read through. "We're missing something. I've been researching what you would need to make elderwood sap like this. Apparently, you need some specialized hardware to make it work.”

The wolfling raised one ear and curiosity. "So what is so special about this elderwood, anyway?”

“Other than the fact that it can be deadly and nearly undetectable? Competency of the person who made it. It’s not just boiling it down; additives are mixed in at key moments to stabilize it. Those break down on a known time interval when exposed to the elements in the blood. The intent was also to hide it so that when the body expires, it metabolizes quickly and is otherwise masked by the bodily decay. Meaning, you can throw off investigators."

He nodded along thoughtfully as she continued with her conjecture. "My theory is they wanted to make Serkin’s death look like a suicide, and not raise awareness. He had been looking down ever since we came on campus. I assume that he was depressed, and might have been for some time, so it would be a believable story. We didn’t exactly deliver him good news when we arrived.”

The wolfling let out a growl of discontent. “Yeah, that really bothers me. If even the professors are not untouchable, what does that say about the vulnerability of the rest of us? Could we have done more to see this coming? I don’t want to believe a fellow student could do this.”

Juni noticed his quickly darting eyes and the way he wrung his hand. He was worried. “We won't know until we find them. I have this feeling they will strike again. I don't believe it's an accident that Serkin was picked.”

She closed the book, motioning for him. He took the cue and whispered to her. “Okay, let's suppose you're right. Why was Serkin targeted? Because he has answers about Cassia's past? Answers that he didn't want to give himself?”

“Yes. The professor knew the witch who cared for Cassia while she spent a year regaining her memories. She’s still drawing a big void of what her past was.” Juni motioned Brent to follow her, and she grabbed another book, this one listing alchemical manufacturing methods.

After poring through the book. She slammed it shut. “I might have an idea.”

“Lay it on me. You think we can use this information?” Brent asked, intrigued.

“Yes. Not only do you need to add a series of additives, but boiling it essentially renders the materials in it useless and destroys the organic compounds. Meaning that they couldn't simply boil it down and use it as a toxin. It requires temperature control, boiling it at a lower temperature, such as doing so in an enclosed device while drawing a vacuum. This reduces the boiling point and allows you to remove the vapors as it concentrates, without destroying the organic compounds.”

Brent grunted. “Sounds like this person is no dummy. And you need advanced tech for this. Could they do it in the alchemy labs?”

“Yes, but they’d need time to prepare it, and I doubt Sakiri would miss someone using equipment for prolonged periods. This man had access to an advanced alchemical bench elsewhere, one capable of drawing a vacuum. It’s not cheap, either, nor are the additives. This is a specialty poison blend, alright.”

"So, that narrows down who could make it, huh? People with connections, either money or contraband, high-end stuff. And training."

Brent’s lapel went off with a sharp metallic chime, and he frowned before tapping it. “Brent here. What’s up?”

“Hey, Brent? We might need someone in a position of authority, urgently.” Syra’s voice was a mixture of agitation and panic. “Airborne Seekers are approaching Cassia and me. We’re on the approach to the eastern gate, hurry.”

Juni’s heart shot up her throat. “Oh, shit. We'd better hurry, Brent!”

The wolfling was already in motion, with Juni scampering forward. “Yeah, no kidding. Seekers on campus are bad news, and Syra already has issues with authority.”

“I’m not worried about Syra, I'm more worried about what Cassia will do to the Seekers.”