Mantle of the Gods [LitRPG / Slow Burn / FTB Harem]

There were hundreds of people milling about.

When I heard that it was some type of pocket world, I had expected a boss room-sized place with a handful of bandits. Maybe a tent with a shady auction going on. Instead, it sounded like an open-air market, very similar to the top floor of the mall.

Dungeon Peaches! Fresh picked this morning!

River Berries!

Auction Seats!

Iced Shakes!

The vendors were trying to get our attention and showing household wares like rugs, furniture, and cosmetic jewelry. The smell of bread and smoked meat was thick in the air, even though I hadn't heard anyone hawking either of them.

"How is a place like this standing?" Oz was on the opposite side of the group from me, with Aelin beside me and Jenne between her and Oz.

"I don't know." The fact that there were over a hundred buildings wasn't what I was focused on at the moment. The fact that there were more than two paths connecting to the mass of buildings was what had my attention. There should have been a path from the gate to the boss room. If the town was on the path, then there should have only been two paths connected to the town. Instead, I saw over a dozen.

Aelin started to check out a stall that was selling some type of dried green meat, but I grabbed her arm and dragged her away.

"What are you doing?" Aelin pointed at the stall. "She said she was going to give me a sample!"

"You're not eating that." I angled the four of us to the closest road that got us away from the market.

Once we were free of the other shoppers, I paused to lean against the building we'd stopped in front of. The sign said it was some type of apothecary, but I couldn't see the name from where I was.

"Does anyone know where our exit is?" I tapped two fingers on my CB. Right now, the only thing it could be used for was a watch.

"That way." Jenne pointed to my right.

I was glad she knew where we were, because without a map and a position, I had no idea how to keep up with directions. It didn't help that the Dungeon didn't exactly mirror the outside. Even on the floors where there was the same amount of daylight as outside, the sun might rise from the right of the way the gate was facing, then the next floor it rose from behind the gate. While the mappers still oriented all their maps according to the direction the sun rose being east, it was disorienting even for someone who had spent almost every day of the last four years in the Dungeon.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Good." I looked at the golden woman. "How much time do we have before we can leave?"

"About half an hour." She looked around at the buildings. "But I'd like to look around for a bit longer than that." She turned back to me. "We don't really know enough yet, and I'd like to get into that auction."

"Auction?" I scrunched my brow. "What auction?"

Jenne held up the coin. "This isn't just a ticket in here. It also gets me a seat at the auction they're having. The vendor was vague as to when it was, but from what I heard back in the market, there's one tomorrow night."

The golden woman's green eyes widened and she shoved the coin into the pocket of her skirt, which wasn't even big enough for her to stick her hand in.

"Well, well, well." The words were slightly slurred and followed by chuckles. "We got ourselves some noble brats."

I turned around to see a group of three thirty-something-year-old men walking towards us, though walking was a generous term given how inebriated they were. A quick glance told me that they were either all Mundane since they didn't have CBs, or they were pretending to be Mundane. The one who spoke was the shortest of the bunch with green skin, brown eyes, and long brown hair. His companions could have been twins, and they were more ashen, not really silver, but too dark to be the milky skin tone that a larger portion of the citizens of Klix sported. They did have red eyes, though they both had short, black hair. All three of them looked like they were about to cause trouble.

"Look, we don't want trouble." I held up my palms as I stepped in between the men and my friends.

"Then you shouldn't have came!" The green man glared at me. "Your kind don't belong here!"

"Trust me, none of us are from nobility." Technically, that was true. While Oz did have two Adventurer parents, the Mite house in Harror was defunct. Aelin and I were both Mundane born; at least that was the way we'd been raised. Jenne was actually part of the nobility, but I had a feeling she'd be able to worm her way out somehow on a technicality.

"Prove it!" He held out his hand. "Throw over those wrist bands and..." He licked his lips. "The blonde comes too."

"It's three against four. And even if those odds weren't in our favor, we're Adventurers and you're Mundane. Why would we surrender when we have the upper hand?" I shook my head. "Why don't you go sober up somewhere more comfortable than where trying to fight us will take you?"

"You think you're so special?" The green man mocked me. "Your fancy skills don't work here." He pulled a knife with a blade the length of his hand out from behind his back. "Take those away and brats like you fold to a fart."

The twins also pulled out similar knives. Their smiles told me that there was only one way that they were going to let this play out.

"And before you start counting..." He cupped his hands around his mouth. "BOYS!!!"

In a few moments, six more rough-looking men walked up behind them.

The drunk man's brown eyes twinkled. "I think I like my odds."