Path of Dragons - A LitRPG Apocalypse (BOOK TWO STUBBING AUGUST 15)

Something had changed about Argos.

Elijah felt it the second he stepped through the gates. Part of it was the way people looked at him. The residents of the formerly Greek city had always treated him well, but they now gazed at him with a degree of reverence that made him distinctly uncomfortable. Certainly, the old women sitting on their balconies still gossiped – quite loudly – about him, which brought a smile to his face, but almost everyone else looked at him like he was a global celebrity.

Which was probably accurate, even if he didn’t quite want to admit it. His name had been plastered at the top of the power rankings for quite a while before the Trial of Primacy, and certainly, stories about him had spread even more in the wake of the Trial. It made sense, but still, Elijah didn’t want to accept it.

So, rather than linger, as was his custom, he quickly covered the ground between the gate and Atticus’ store. Along the way, he was forced to acknowledge the other changes to the city. Most of the buildings maintained their previous architectural style, but they had clearly been infused with a good deal of ethera. Likely, they had been rebuilt – at least to some degree – since the last time he’d visited.

But even more impactful was the extraordinarily high vitality in the atmosphere. It didn’t coincide with a significant increase in the ethereal density, which left Elijah a little puzzled. So much so that he found himself wandering away from Atticus’ shop without even entering as he searched for the source.

It didn’t take him long to figure it out, though.

The aura of vitality emanated from the Temple of Virtue he’d built in remembrance of his sister. Standing at the foot of the hill where it sat, Elijah could feel its power – which didn’t really make sense to him until he remembered something he’d heard mentioned in passing. Apparently, items – which included buildings – could improve. Not as quickly or thoroughly as growth items, but they had something like a legacy of their own.

Clearly, the Temple of Virtue was something like that.

That left him with mixed feelings. Of course, he liked the idea that his sister’s memorial had become so important, but he knew that, if it kept going like that, the true meaning of the temple would be lost. Would anyone even remember her? Did they have a reason to? Alyssa hadn’t lived in Argos. They just knew what he’d told them.

Then and there, he resolved to ensure that her memory lived on. He wasn’t certain how he meant to accomplish it, but when people saw the Temple of Virtue in the future, they would think of Alyssa, and not just as the subject of the statue at the structure’s crown.

Elijah took a few minutes to ensure that the tree in the temple’s central courtyard was healthy, and he was happy to find that the people of Argos had tended it quite well. That put his mind at ease – at least enough to allow him to focus on the real reason he’d visited Argos.

With that, he headed back to Atticus’ store, which was just as expansive as he remembered. However, when he went inside, he was surprised to find that the goods on offer were even more varied and powerful than he remembered. Obviously, Atticus had been quite successful of late.

“My friend!” exclaimed the now-bearded, hawk-nosed man, approaching as if he’d known Elijah was coming. His paunch had grown a little more expansive as well – clear evidence of his preference for good food. Such were the trappings of success.

“Hey man,” Elijah said, extending his hand. Atticus wasn’t having that, and instead wrapped Elijah in a tight hug that cracked his back. When the Merchant released him, Elijah remarked, “You’ve gotten stronger. What level are you now?”

“One hundred and two, my friend,” he admitted with a wide and satisfied grin. “The Summit was very good to me. Very, very good.”

“Yeah. I saw some of your stuff for sale in the auction. It was pretty popular,” Elijah admitted. Most of it was armor or weapons, but Atticus had supplied a couple of high-quality resources as well. “I still wish I’d bought that tank.”

That brought a laugh from Atticus as he said, “Between you and me, it was practically worthless. One shot, and the ‘radiance engine’ would have malfunctioned. Whoever bought that thing will regret it, my friend. I guarantee that much!”

“Oh. That makes me feel a little better, I guess. Still…a tank,” he mused. He sighed. “Whatever. I’m glad you made out at the auction.”

“Not just the auction,” Atticus said, gripping Elijah’s shoulder. “The bazaars across the rest of the city were far more profitable. The auction was just for acclaim. The real money – and experience – came from the other sales.”

That made some sense. Elijah wasn’t sure how exactly a Merchant’s experience was calculated – or even what their abilities did – but he expected that each sale gave some degree of progression. The larger ones probably awarded more, but just like with killing monsters, there was assuredly something to be said for quantity.

“Is this a social visit? Or do you have business before I take you to the second-best restaurant in town?” asked Atticus. “I still need to speak to you about a joint venture, by the way. Not now. When you’re ready to listen.”

Elijah’s stomach rumbled. A diet of mutated monster meat had kept him alive, but it had been so disgusting that he’d avoided eating more than was absolutely necessary. He’d eaten a few grove fruits back in the grove, but just like the rest of his recovery, it would take more than that to get him back to normal.

So, a trip to a real restaurant was more than a little enticing.

“Appraisals first,” Elijah said. “But I’m definitely going to take you up on that meal.”

After that, Atticus escorted him through the giant, department store-sized building and to the appraisal room. There, he kicked out one of his employees and settled in to inspect Elijah’s new gear.

First, Elijah set the ring on the table, and Atticus produced an ethereal hologram to mimic a system notification: