The Apprentice of Ouroboros [Monster Evo LitRPG Adventure]

“Hey, open up, snake! I can hear you in there! We need to talk!”

Neska tapped Syrona’s snout to keep her from hissing menacingly at the door where the presumptive Kasfew stood outside. She slid over to the door, snoothing down her feather mane. It kept puffing out by itself anytime that bird was nearby. “Coming, coming. You know this is a girls’ dorm.”

“I can hear a whole animal farm in there, Neska. Nice try.” Neska flicked her tongue in annoyance. This bird had good eyesight and hearing. Hadley's sound bubble power sounded immensely useful in future endeavors, in addition to her spirited personality.

She opened the door to see Noricatu barge in, little snowflakes drifting off her feathers. She gasped and wrapped her hybrid wing-arms around Neska. Apparently, wing hugs were a close cousin of snugs, and Neska felt a pleasant chill run across her body when the bird embraced her.

“Oh goodness, I never got a proper chance to follow up with you!” Noricatu’s voice was as mellifluous as ever, and the hug lingered for a long moment.

Vivi, I’m not using any active abilities at present, right?

Why do you ask?

The level of affection I get from others seems quite high.

Uh…I am not sure that falls under the purview of any of your Attributes or Abilities. Maybe you’re just good at humanoid social skills.

She would retort that being a person typically included having legs; a tail was optional, and her diet wouldn’t normally consist of raw eggs, fish, and unaware small lizards and reptiles. “Glad you could come, Noricatu,” Neska said with a polite smile.

“Just Nori, if it makes it easy. This hothead mentioned ‘talking’ to you, and I had to tag along. To ensure he was being polite and minding his manners.” She shot a scornful look at Kasfew, who shrugged his wings.

“What can I say? I like getting to know interesting people.”

“You like taking advantage of interesting people,” Nori snapped. “But given that we were in the fight of our lives only a handful of days ago, and she’s the reason we are still alive, I thought there might be something that Kasfew here could share that might prove useful.”

Kasfew gave the eagle-eye stare at Neska, then clicked his beak. “I think it’s in my best interest to identify those who are rising in power in this academy. And give due warning that others don’t like it when the power balance gets upset.”

Neska narrowed her eyes. “How did I disrupt the balance?”

“By existing, snake,” Kasfew bawked, throwing up his hand in exasperation. Neska continued giving him an unblinking stare.

“Oh, go soak your head,” Syra snarled at Kasfew.

“You offering?” he retorted.

“Oh, you don't want to go there, little fire chicken,” Syra snorted, drawing a soft giggle from Noricatu, who had taken a perch on the bed. “My hydro blast comes in two modes: summertime cooloff, and peeling the flesh from your bones. Dealer’s choice.”

“Ease up,” Brent interjected. “Why don’t you clarify, Kasfew?”

The bird preened an out-of-position feather on one wing. “I doubt most of you commoners know this, but there’s always at least one student every ten to twenty years who far, far exceeds the bounds of ethical and safe practices. Or sometimes just pure raw talent and power. Been that way for centuries. So, some students are monitored carefully, so no one has a runaway power base. Be it abilities, research projects, or more recently, evolutions.”

“I thought we had free choice on those,” Neska said, scales ruffling.

“We do. But don’t think they aren’t watching." He motioned to the still open doorway. “We should talk behind closed doors, for the record.”

Brent waved him in after he saw her subtle nod. She hoped Kasfew’s oversized sense of self was worth this effort.

The wolfling continued. “So, we just finished picking evolutions and skills to round out our power bases. We still have problems to deal with on campus.”

“You mean that creep who now has others helping him harass and injure students?” Kasfew said smugly. Brent furrowed his brow. “I do my research too, little pup.”

“Enough,” Neska snapped, her fangs peeking out from her snout. “I invited you because everyone on this campus is at risk, until we deal with this problem at our backs. We can discuss how to deal with that problem without attacking each other.”

Kasfew shrugged, golden eyes glancing at the door, which he closed with one claw. “Alright. Maybe we can help each other. What do you want to know, and why are you handling it?”

“First question: I need to know if there are areas underneath the campus that you know about, and the faculty either don’t know about, or can’t access. Brent has told me there is a checkered history of exploration in the deep tunnels under the plateau, dating back to the original establishment of the monastery where the old chapel tower is.”

She paused for a moment before she risked the answer to the second question. “The assassin may be an assumed deceased student. Risha Aksen’s first Awakened."

“Have you checked the archives yet?” he asked. “They have records, or at least, they should, of all Awakened.”

“On my to-do list tomorrow. But we need to explore other avenues. You once indicated you may possess knowledge of these underground passages.” Neska still hadn’t forgotten the last time he’d offered this, except she’d been wary of his means of exploiting others for his own gain. She trusted him not to torch his own means to survival, but beyond that, he had a long way to go.

Kasfew nodded. “They’re not just underground passages. It’s an entire underground community, and some of it is inaccessible by easy means,” he answered, looking proud and puffing his feathers. “This student underground movement has existed for decades, long before the Varadur ever showed up. Sometimes certain topics are restricted or not encouraged. You’d be surprised how bad a rap necromancers get; even now, the class is tightly regulated to several narrow topics and nothing else.”

“Well, duh,” Brent sniped, rolling his eyes. “You know it’s a good thing that the Varadur don’t have magic to raise the dead, because–”

He glanced skeptically at Juni, coughing softly. “Oh, don’t you ruin my day. I’d like to think the abomination of unlife is an exclusive form of Very Bad Ideas that only humanity is capable of.”

“Hags can, it's been observed. Doubly so when they form a coven,” Juni added. She then cast her focus at Kasfew, peering at him intensely and scrunching her snout. “Why are you offering this information now about a student underground? How does even Brent not know about it?”

“Not sure how I feel about that one,” Brent grumbled in response. “I know of them, but I don’t have tickets to that exclusive party. I’m guessing our feather–I mean, Kasfew has one,” he said, changing his words mid-sentence.

“I do. It’s an inheritance from my family. All the major families have caches and accessways to secret places, along with other affluent families and those whose ancestors helped build this place. Sometimes I don’t think all these places are supposed to fit all within the plateau, but are layered like pocket planes over the region. But I digress. Let’s talk details.”

Kasfew motioned for everybody to lean in. “So, to make a long story short, the plateau has a history of underground communities. The professors don't typically pay too much attention, nor does security. And that's just fine because there's never been any real intrinsic threat. And plausible deniability and looking the other way means certain other items and activities can go unimpeded.”

“The Varadur would just love for a secret way in. That isn’t an immediate enough threat?” Neska countered.

“As far as I know, my family was entrusted with a few areas where we set up private areas with warden access. You can't get into them without meeting certain criteria. In my case, a ward stone, keyed specifically to the Stoltz family line.”

“Can we see it?” Neska asked.

He withdrew a small device from one of his pockets, a small flat stone and what appeared to be the outline of a phoenix emblazoned on it. The lines glowed with a dim orange hue, and grew brighter when held in his claw.

“These are relatively safe because they're only tied to specific family lines or users. Which means nobody can use the doorway I have. They’re very difficult to make by design.” He then put the ward stone back into his pocket, looking smug. "It is a tradition that people who grant guest entry to these otherwise inaccessible places have some form of bartering for the privilege. Of course, this is purely optional, in many cases."

Brent gave the bird a cross look. “And what is this access going to cost us? You know Neska did save your life.”

“And mine,” Nori added, glancing at Kasfew skeptically.

The bird chuckled softly. “I did consider that. I believe it's in my best interest to aid you. Know why? Because you, my dear snake-snake, are going places. You are, if not already, going to be a very big cornerstone of this academy, and the Valos military initiative.”

Neska let out a low hiss. “Don’t call me that. And don’t act like one snake with weird powers can end a whole war and put the monsters out to pasture. I'm not that crazy.”

She was not in the mood for negotiation. She needed to find this assassin and undo whatever brainwashing he might have used to coerce others. She couldn’t fathom why others would willingly join this madman, destroying the community of the Academy students and risking jeopardizing the safety of everyone in Valos.

She chose to shelve those concerns for a minute, and see what Kasfew had in mind, first.

“All right, then. You obviously need something I can provide, or believe I can. So, what is it?"

Noricatu must have known what Kasfew was going to ask, because she scooted a little closer to the bird, in a subtle display of support. “It’s a personal matter. We don't need to get into it right now."

"I think with a favor this big? I'd better know what I'm getting into."

"How about I do this as an act of good faith?" Kasfew suggested, one brow raised.

She still didn't like this arrangement. Owing a blind faith favor? That was dangerous, and while she didn't have a class steeped in bargains and contracts, she knew the peril of using them if people didn't understand the risks they took.

“Let's consider this an effort of mutual betterment. Getting the Seekers off our backs and getting rid of the assassin helps everyone.” She reluctantly extended a hand. “We’ll claw back justice for ourselves the right way. The Seekers are not popular at all; only for those in positions of power. Tipping the balance back in our favor to show them we are the right answer to the Varadur will go a long way. We can start by cooperating amongst ourselves.”

“She’s right, Kasfew,” Nori interjected, surprising the firebird. “Compromise is sometimes necessary if we want to secure each other’s help.”

Kasfew tapped his claws on the bedpost for a few seconds. He peered at Neska, as if trying to read her reaction. She gave him a blank snake-face stare, like she would any other annoying bird of prey.

He extended his hand. “Alright. Deal. Now let’s get underway. There’s a lot to catch up on.”

Kasfew began explaining the wardstone and the access points in detail. It wasn’t a secret where they were used–the monastery chapel, some of the older dorms, and the professor’s living quarters all had access to at least one of the access points to the underground. Kasfew began outlining it on paper, talking in a low tone as the moon rose through the night.

Everyone took notes as he continued. Not all ingress and egress points were known by the staff; some had been privately installed over the intervening decades. Some were hidden stairwells, keyed to certain wardstones. Trevor added that they were programmable, but were not easy to obtain, and a barrier would repel anyone without access.

More interesting were what Kasfew called portal points. They were essentially archways or circles of magically charged stone that could connect two locations within a certain distance, regardless of the amount of solid earth between them. Neska was surprised that these powerful magics were not known to her. Then again, she had a pseudo-teleport with her [Sudden Molt], but these were permanent portals, powered by mana cells hardwired in nearby locations. Their cost was prohibitive, making large-scale use of them throughout Valos not feasible. Plus, each one could only connect to so many points before its location ‘memory’ was full.

She could think of a lot of uses for a portal, if only they could build one behind Varadur frontlines, or reinforcing teams with a fast mobility defense. Or just ferrying supplies and equipment. The list of uses logistically was limitless. She wondered if she, as a witch, could make this process more efficient.

She was busily using her tail to draw maps of the locations and general directions. The access point he used was in the so-called ‘elite’ dorm that he, Trevor, and Noricatu were in.

“How come you don’t have a wardstone access to these secret places?” Juni asked him a short time later. “I would think as an inheritor of your father’s considerable technical talent and contributions, your family would have a cache set up.”

“Nope. Not that I was told,” he sighed. “Maybe my older brother, but…”

Neska froze for a second, a motion that Juni saw, and her whiskers bristled briefly before they both continued writing as Kasfew gave the layout. That bit of information was troubling.

If the Stoltz family had a way in, along with the Marisano’s, who else had access? More worryingly, Trevor’s brother was working with the assassin, and they still hadn’t told him. They needed to correct that immediately, and they should have done it sooner.

So far, she knew that Kasfew’s hidden portal connected to an entry point just below the dorms, then continued downward. Many of them connected to a large, central area called ‘The Undercommons’ where the activities of the underground groups took place. When she asked specifically what they did, he shrugged.

“Gambling, prize-fighting, shopping, you name it. Sometimes students need to relax and take the edge off with one of those flavored tobacco products…I forget what it’s called, but it’s filtered smoke with added herbs and scents to relax the mind and ease tension.”

“Sounds like drug paraphernalia," Brent murmured.

“Recreational substances,” Kasfew corrected with a finger wag.

He continued to detail the other activities he had heard of but never witnessed, some of which required a second access wardstone. He didn’t have one, and he suspected they were controlled by more dodgy groups such as smugglers and thieves, or perhaps heavily controlled products.

Neska found that hard to believe. What could be worse than half the abilities she’d seen on the Varadur or her fellow Awakened? Her venom was positively deadly in a variety of ways, now.

Further down, he explained, were old, unrefined tunnels that fewer students ventured down to for ‘private time.’ Whatever Kasfew meant by that, Neska felt she was better off not asking the details. It probably involved snugs, if she had to guess. There were also a few other pathways known by everyone that connected to the moldering city below.

“It’s a whole city?” Neska asked, perplexed.

“What we think is a whole city,” Kasfew cautioned. “Surely you’ve heard of it?”

Juni raised her paw. “Yes. Glythos. The buried city. The monastery was built nearly five centuries ago both as a repository of knowledge and an expedition site to delve below. But with the way it's collapsed, it took decades of careful clearing to get as far as they did. No one is sure how deep it goes.”

“This aligns with what I would have said. Except…” Kasfew paused. “I heard a rumor that monsters were spotted down there.”

“Varadur?” Juni asked, nose twitching.

“No. Well, maybe the feral ones. I heard you ran into a dracolisk. They can nest deep underground where they aren’t normally disturbed by passersby. It makes me wonder what caused it to surface.”

“Lack of food, the ground shifting and collapsing tunnels, boredom?” Neska had a few ideas, but none too firm in her mind. “Are you planning on diving down there?”

“Divines, no.” Kasfew looked perturbed by the mere mention of him going any deeper underground than necessary. “I’d say dump an alchemical cask down there and collapse any connecting tunnels. That way, what’s down there stays buried and forgotten.”

It sounded exactly like the kind of trip that might unearth valuable artifacts, lost lore, or more monsters to fight and raise levels. Neska wore a soft smile as she considered the possibilities.

A glance at Syrona got her thinking. “You know, we do have a new pair of eyes and ears we could use,” she proposed.

Kasfew glanced at the familiar, letting out a low growl. Neska tapped her snout to keep her from being too menacing toward the firebird. “Let’s check it out tomorrow. I’d like to be introduced.”

"Good. We'll meet in the afternoon. I have some prior arrangements."

Neska went to get the door for them, and Kasfew and Noricatu stepped out, with Nori skipping along. The more she thought about it as they walked down the hall, the more she wondered if there would be a missed opportunity.

"Kasfew, wait." She slithered up to him, knowing she might regret this. He turned, one feathery brow raised. "I can't in good faith ask you to help unless you know exactly what you're getting into. This assassin wants me dead, personally. He is not beneath targeting others close to me, which includes Harvine. That could also include you, and I can't guarantee your safety."

"I'm very wary about plots against me, Neska. Trust me on that," he replied cryptically. But his tone was far more reserved, less boisterous than before. "But I sense there's something else you're going to ask."

"Yes. That's why I need to know what this task you have is. I need to know it's important enough to you that I understand the trust you are placing in me."

Gone was Kasfew’s trademark smirk or sneer. For the first time, that pompous attitude wasn’t present. He took a slow breath before continuing. "Have you heard how I died?"

"Rumored, but not sure I believe it," she said, folding her arms and gauging his reaction. "I'm guessing it wasn't that you tripped and broke your neck."

“Yes and no. The truth is, I think I was incapacitated, then thrown out a window to give the appearance of an accident. There was, of course, an investigation. They found nothing but an accident. The only sticking point is that I survived when I was reborn..." He gestured to himself, "As a 'giant fiery chicken' to the amusement of many. My mother made sure I hit Tier 2 so that I could contribute to the battle against the Varadur, something that had interested me before my demise."

"What does that have to do with now?" Neska questioned.

"You asked me what level of trust I'd place in you? There is still a potential saboteur who took out the heir of the Stoltz family running around, unobstructed. Someone who might try again, or against other families."

She knew what he was going to ask next, and she still would take his help. "You want to know who killed you, don't you?"

He stepped closer, no longer wearing that pompous, grandiose posture. His facial animations were far more reserved. “I want your help to find the person who killed me. You have the skillset, and an impartiality to pull it off, if what I've heard is true."

"We aren't exactly friends, Kasfew," she reminded him. "You sure about that impartiality?"

"But we aren't enemies, either," he corrected. "There is one more aspect of this. If I was taken out to remove the line of succession to the Stoltz name and access to finances and magitech, then that could have far-reaching implications were they to try again."

The silence was more than a little awkward. Neska folded her arms, considering this proposal. “I don't think you just want to find them, Kasfew."

"You're right. No matter who it is...no matter what their reason...I want your help to find them. And return the favor."

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