Delvers llc golden handc.., p.1
Delvers LLC: Golden Handcuffs, page 1
Contents
Title
Copyright
By Blaise Corvin
Dedication
Foreword
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Book End
Author's Note
Delvers LLC: Golden Handcuffs
Delvers LLC Book Four
Version for Patreon patrons
By Blaise Corvin
Delvers LLC: Golden Handcuffs
Copyright ©2020 by Blaise Corvin
All rights reserved.
No part of this work may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Also by Blaise Corvin
*Note: Some titles are scheduled for launch in 2021 or early 2022
Artifice Universe
Delvers LLC
1. Welcome to Ludus
2. Obligations Incurred
3. Adventure Capital
4. Golden Handcuffs
5. Hostile Takeover (2021)
6. Title tbd (late 2021)
7. Title tbd (late 2021 or early 2022)
Nora Hazard (Part of the Delvers LLC storyline)
1. Mitigating Risk
2. Competitive Advantage
3. Accounts Payable
Delvers Universe Anthologies
1. Surviving Ludus
Delvers Anthology Continuations
1. Engineering Ludus (2021)
Cole Blooded
1. Cole Blooded
Yggdrasil Universe
Secret of the Old Ones
1. Luck Stat Strategy
2. Airship Privateers (2021)
Anthem of Infinity
First Song (Post-Apoc YA written with Outspan Foster)
1. First Song One
2. First Song Two
VeilVerse
Asgard Awakening (HaremLit Genre)
1. Asgard Awakening 1
2. Asgard Awakening 2
3. Asgard Awakening 3 (release tbd)
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my mom, who has been unfailing encouraging ever since I began this (admittedly strange) career.
Thanks for reading all my stuff, Mom, even my monster girl HaremLit titles. It’s a little awkward for me, but I still appreciate the moral support.
-BC
Foreword
If you’re a Delvers LLC fan, please read this!
Okay everyone, this is going to be a different type of foreword than normal. I’m not including my bit in here about what GameLit or LitRPG is anymore. If anyone is new to the genre and somehow reading this book before the other three in the series, please check out my breakdown of LitRPG and Gamelit here: Link to Gamelit history.
Most of you have been waiting a long time for this book. One thing I need to let you know is that you won’t have to wait long for the rest of the books in the series. I’m dedicated to Delvers LLC being my second finished series (Nora Hazard was my first).
A quick note: Reading the Nora Hazard series or the Surviving Ludus anthology is not necessary to enjoy this book. But readers who have read all the related stories will have a far better understanding of Ludus, and the background of some characters.
I’m very proud of Golden Handcuffs. This book has a lot of things I needed to include before the next giant, high octane plot arc. Golden Handcuffs was originally going to be 150k to 200k words, but the story just didn’t work that way. Instead of releasing a giant tome that I would have to price differently etc, I’m just working hard to get all the books out one after another.
Also, instead of 5 books, the Delvers LLC series is slated to be 7 books now.
Everyone will get more books, faster. Just be patient with me, please. : ) In fact, work on Delvers LLC 5 will have already begun by the time this book, Delvers LLC 4, launches.
This book is 107k words long, pretty close to the length of Delvers LLC3, Adventure Capital. It was a little bit of a risk to release now in 2020 instead of next year after both books are done, but everyone has waited long enough. To be honest, it would have been more financially savvy to wait. I would have just felt too guilty.
Something I don’t think that I have communicated well before is that the Artifice Universe is not going to end after the Delvers LLC series is finished. I’m planning at least two more series that will pick up after the last one. The separate series will have different themes, so readers who want to follow the adventures of some of the characters in Delvers LLC can hang out with them from beginning to end, or people who only like one or two of the series can enjoy them individually.
I’ve had a plan of how everything was going to shake out since before I finished the first book, Welcome to Ludus. Delvers LLC is the series that made my writing career, and I promise I am at least as invested as any reader. Trust me.
On a side note, one thing that always trips me out is how some readers who identify with either Henry or Jason more than the other get upset if they feel like their favorite character is not getting enough limelight. I kind of get it. Back when I used to read Wheel of Time, Perrin chapters bored me to tears. If you ever feel like one character has gotten too much focus, just always remember that there is another book coming. Not every book can have a Jason limitbreak, Henry blowing up monsters as they exit their dungeon, or Nora Hazard going toe to toe with her arch nemesis.
Anyway, I’m really happy that I am picking up the Delvers LLC series again. Staying motivated as an artist has not been easy in 2020, but I know I’m not special. Lots of folks have suffered in different ways. If you are picking this book up in 2020, I want you to know that I appreciate you, and I am humbled by the fact you are reading my work at all. I will have Delvers LLC 5 written ASAP and it’s going to be the most action-packed, high energy book I’ve ever written.
There’s a bad moon rising on Ludus…
Thank you, all of you,
-BC
Blaise Corvin Patreon (where alpha chapters are posted)
Bad Memories
“In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies.”
-Winston Churchill
***
Rocky ground crunched underneath his stone sandals. The barren landscape extended in every direction to a bleak, magenta-hued horizon. A star overhead looked close enough to touch, and the ground baked in fiery anguish.
Dolos pursed his lips in distaste. This place is beneath me. Someone long, long ago had locked the planet down, prohibiting flight and most other types of fast travel. This little outpost had great security. He didn’t dare take to the sky, even though walking made him feel like a dirty mortal. If he really wanted to, he could probably break the rules, but just getting here in the first place had used up more resources than he liked.
Walking was truly such a chore--while flying as he normally did, he could multitask easier, reviewing research. He couldn’t even make himself larger to take longer steps. Form switching would be far more difficult in this place as well.
“What a dreadful place,” he said out loud. “And ugly.” Only strategic significance had put this chunk of rock on anyone’s map, but it had been so important, scars of past battles dotted the entire planet. The evidence of eons-old violence blended with the inhospitable nature of the place.
Crevices full of harsh shadow dotted the landscape, their shapes almost like the silhouettes of monsters. Monsters… so many I know personally, his lips quirked at the thought. Nothing around him moved as he walked towards the one solitary object of note in the distance. At first it was nothing but a speck on the horizon, but as he approached, it materialized into a rounded structure.
While Dolos continued moving toward the domed building, he did passive sweeps for life signs or other threats. Old habits die hard. He chuckled at the thought, but suddenly came to a stop. He’d detected something hiding in a crevice between him and the domed building. “How annoying.”
Whatever lurked in the shadows was fairly large, and had to be unbelievably tough to survive on this planet. It must also be very old, twisted, and probably malevolent and dangerous too. Most things usually were dangerous and twisted after enough time, at least in Dolos’ experience. He absently tapped a sandled foot on the ground before making up his mind to continue forward.
When he’d gotten a bit closer to where the creature was hiding, he scanned it more thoroughly. “Ah.” Now he knew it was easily fifty feet long and probably survived mostly off light, heat, and radiation from the nearby star. He smiled, relishing the coming conflict. Despite his relatively non-violent lifestyle, it felt good to flex the old power from time to time.
After reaching the point just short of where he judged the beast would attack, he came to a sudden stop and waited. It didn’t take long for the would-be
With very little sound, the creature swarmed up from behind an outcropping of rock. Its green, fleshy bulk pulsed with purple growths. A mass of barbed tentacles reached from several stalks on its midsection, writhing in anticipation. Nightmare jumbles of spikes, sickly-looking leaves, and thick, twisted limbs propelled it forward. Its trio of iris-less eyes, wide and manic, focused on its intended prey with hungry purpose.
Such a large, perfect killing machine, adaptable to almost any environment, living for thousands of years, equipped with offensive, biological weapons was obviously not natural. Nature engineers for predation, not pure destruction. Lilith on the other hand had her own ideas of how she could improve on nature.
Ah, Dolos thought. It looks like Lilith is still creating “children.” Either that or some of her pets are enormously long lived. He was oddly pleased as the enormous monstrosity slapped tentacles towards him and opened its maw of sharp, serrated teeth. The creature was terrible, but also kind of wonderful. He considered bringing it to Ludus. Something like this would be perfect for the Wild Lands.
A thousand possibilities ran through his mind in a moment, and he eventually dismissed the idea. There would be more potential problems from taking this thing home with him than there would be just destroying it.
He slowed down his perception of time, watching the beast lumber towards him. With a brief effort of will he sharpened his vision and carefully studied its eyes. Then he sighed regretfully--there was no intelligence there. This thing was only a lesser demon, just a gengineered attack animal. Dolos felt a bit disappointed. It would have been much more fun to destroy something that could understand its own powerlessness.
At just the right moment, he slammed a shield into place before the plant demon could reach him and observed its efforts to tear him apart. Chuckling darkly, he crossed his arms, watching it struggle. Eventually, he realized he was stalling and made a face. He really did not want to enter the building in the distance, but time was wasting. With a shrug, he casually held up a hand, facing outward.
A small shimmer flickered in front of his palm and a torrent of violent energy lashed outwards. The concussive force of the explosion made the rocks and soil behind Dolos jump. From its point of origin, the energy wave expanded in a cone, ripping the creature to shreds and decimating the landscape behind it. Rocks and pieces of green monster flew everywhere in a cacophony of destruction and chaos.
Dolos stood at the focal point of the violence he had just created and felt nothing but boredom. In the distant past, he might have felt pleasure at destroying something so single-minded, but now he just felt dirty. All of this, everything was beneath him. The only thing that mattered was The Work, he knew this now.
Dolos slowly lowered his hand. He knew what he was, what he’d been created for, but his true calling had always been research, not combat. Plus, giving in to his baser urges would just lead to more temptation. He felt no guilt for what he was, but he had no desire to fall into the dark, either. There were no illusions concerning where that journey would take him. Plus, while he hated the Host, he hated the Mutineers even more. He was suddenly overcome with revulsion and spat. The spittle crackled as it passed through the poisonous air and sizzled when it hit the hot ground.
He eyed the spot where his spit had already evaporated--only a slight residue remained. “Interesting,” he mused. He really needed to check his saliva soon to see what it was actually made of these days; it had looked like it had been about to catch fire. With a detached calm, he watched the rocks continue to fall from the recent explosion. Not much surprised him anymore, not even the dirty Terrans.
Eventually, there was near silence again on the sad little planet, just sounds of tiny rocks settling broke the hush. A flurry of dust swirled as Dolos viewed the destruction he had wrought. He flicked a few specks of dust off his multi-colored robes, shrugged, and began walking again. “What a chore,” he complained. He had not had to make a social call like this in at least a few thousand years. Annoying.
When he reached the domed structure, he came to a slow halt and regarded it silently. The domed building blazed white and flashed with incandescent hues, a result of radioactive bombardment. What passed for a sun in this solar system did not play nice.
Dolos grimaced, briefly flashing perfect, blocky teeth. His bright outfit suited his tastes. In this place, the extreme radiation and strange energies bounced off of his protective barriers, making other, flashing colors appear over the fabric. His bald head flashed, and his stone crown felt heavy on his brow.
Then again, it was always heavy. It hadn’t been designed to be worn without his Mantle.
As he examined the shimmer of energy protecting the building, he felt a bit impressed despite himself. The structure appeared to have completely ignored the passage of time. Neither he nor his brethren had built it; they lacked much of what they’d been created with and had replaced what was lost with … other things. Still, some of the Old Ways came naturally after all this time. He waved his hand over the structure and muttered, “It is good” in Enochian.
Nothing happened for a few moments. Suddenly, a hollow creak sounded and the entire structure silently turned in place. When it stopped, Dolos faced a portion of wall indistinguishable from any other until it moved as well. A doorway silently irised open and the soft white luminescence of the interior’s light spilled out. Dolos frowned--he didn’t like reminders of the past.
He entered the building and ignored the chill he felt as the door silently closed behind him. After an exhale, indulging old habits, he resigned himself to reality. If this was a double cross of the lethal variety, he’d already know. Otherside knows there were plenty of opportunities to attack me while walking around outside like a bleating mortal.
He was suddenly reminded of the conversation that had prompted him to travel to this foolish rendezvous. He almost hadn’t come, and probably would not have even answered the call if he hadn’t just dealt with Asag. In fact, it had only been the slight edge of mania or even fear in his contact’s demeanor that had teased him out of hiding.
It took a lot to shake Ereshkigal. If she was spooked, something interesting was afoot.
Dolos walked down the impossibly long hallways, making a beeline for the door of the command center. The walls seemed to shiver and undulate in shadow despite all the stark lighting. This place is tainted. He made a point not to look at one of the doors he passed. It seemed no different than any other door in the hallway, but he knew what it was. Horrible things had happened on this planet during the First War. In fact, this entire building was a piece of history from the time shortly after he made his Choice.
He narrowed his eyes and paused before opening the door to the command center. As much as we talk of how the Loyalists were weak, I wonder if we would have had the stomach to do what they did. He idly scratched a cheek. No, I think I would have. It definitely would have produced wonderful research.
Still, that had all been a bad business. When he’d created Ludus, he’d made sure that it was as far away from places like this as possible. Some memories were best left buried…just like the rest of the bones in this planet should be.
Dolos hit the release to the door of the command center. He didn’t know how he could predict where she’d be, he didn’t even have to think about it. As he passed through the doorway, he snorted. After you’ve known someone for a few dozen eons, this is a simple matter.
His associate herself stood on the raised observation deck on one side of the room. She had not changed a bit. She wore black with random sparkles of real starlight winking here and there, and her hair was up in an elaborate tower.
Ereshkigal was busy staring at readouts and adjusting sensitive-looking equipment when he walked in. After the door had silently opened, Dolos had only taken a single step into the room before Ereshkigal spun in place lightning fast, red eyes narrowed, lips pulled back from sharpened teeth.
