《Any horror Any fall Any winner takes it all》 1 Have a nice game [Character Generation: Blocked by the system. Personal settings: Blocked. Primary Attributes: Primary settings will be defined after a survival test. Primary Location: Random. An account is registered. Have a nice game] * \"Game? What game?\" mumbled Dan. He tried to roll over to the other side. That''s when he felt his body gets stabbed by something. He turned back and opened his eyes. The dark sky was covered in clouds. Dan saw a strange message in front of his eyes that ended with a wish: ''Have a nice game''. He sat down. The message in front of his eyes flashed and disappeared. Confused, Dan started looking around carefully. He found himself on the edge of a small meadow surrounded by bushes, behind which a real forest began. The forest was thick and the trees looked strange. They were too big and too tall. Dan stood on his feet and realized he wasn''t feeling well. He had a faint headache. He noticed that he was dressed in strange clothes and looked at himself. He was dressed in what could only be called... peculiar? He had brown shoes on his legs. The pants were of gray rough material and a long hollow shirt tied with a thin rope on his belt. Luckily it was pretty warm in the woods. Dan picked up a branch, ran his hand over it making a slight scratch in his index finger. He winced, examining the scratch closely as a small amount of blood appeared on it. 5 seconds later the blood had stopped. 25 seconds and it already scabbed over. A full minute and the scratches were gone, a faint pink line is the only remains of it. That''s interesting. It''s a game. Wait. Don''t think about it yet. There was an important There was important information. I have a survival test waiting for me. I need to find a safe place to think and then start ''going hysterical''. This is not the time. This is not the time. Thought Dan. He had to do something, but he wasn''t in a hurry. Dan didn''t rush and looked closely at the ground and the grass under his feet, then he started doing the same around the meadow. Little twigs, small rocks, nothing special. Signs of civilization such as garbage and other traces of human activity were also missing. A game? Or a practical joke? Who needs me to make jokes about me and take me out into the wild. Stop. Later. And what''s this? Dan noticed some kind of object on the ground. His musings were interrupted by the notice of some kind of object on the ground. He spread the grass and was surprised at his find. Smooth and short club in his elbow long. The handle is something tightly wrapped around it. Interesting... Maybe there are more things I can find! Dan looked around, being careful to listen attentively to the sound of the forest as he did so. There were no more finds. Dan listened carefully to the sound of the forest and looked around. There were no more finds. Thank you for the weapon. His exploration of the meadow complete he cautiously walked towards a clearance in the bushes he had noticed before, his club squeezed tightly in his hands. He had no desire to walk through this forest. It''s bad when you don''t know the rules of the game you play, thought Dan, moving along deeper through the trail. What if it''s a literal test of survival. ''You have been left in the woods without supplies and you have to live here for a week''? If that is the case I won''t make it. I certainly don''t have the survival skills for it. But in that case, the club doesn''t fit into that scenario. Dan took another look at his weapon. If it was a wild survival test the player would probably get a knife, but he got a club. So there''s going to be an opponent to be fought off. That was an unpleasant prospect, too. He decided to look for a way out of the forest. All he had to do was hope that the quest to survive would not be difficult. Soon, Dan saw a clearing between the trees. He could hardly contain himself to escape from the forest, which pressed him with darkness and unnatural silence. He saw a new meadow. In the middle there was a wagon. Dan stopped and tried to see more details. He saw the wagon standing in the road. He didn''t hear any sound from the wagon. Why is it standing here and where are the horses? And why is it so quiet? I don''t want to get close to that strange wagon, I''m shaken by a bad feeling. What if there''s the treasure in there? Adventures have to be fun and cheerful! It''s not funny at all. Dan went slowly to the wagon, never stopping to look around. He took a few steps and suddenly stopped thinking about his stupidity. Why am I walking straight? Because this wagon stands here as bait. Idiot. I should have made a circle and looked at it correctly. What if this is a joke? The organizers are laughing at the fool''s moves right now. But how did they project the text in front of my eyes? It''s all too confusing. I''m walking carefully in a circle, five steps to the wagon. Okay, if something happens, I''ll use a combat technique called ''run away very quickly''. Dan finished talking to himself, and he started gently walking around his find. \"What the hell?\" he screamed. Dan stepped on something soft, and he fell. He hit the ground painfully when he fell. He almost hit himself with a club, which he held firmly in his right hand. Watch your step carefully, scout. He got up on his feet and shaved to the object that caused him to fall. It appeared to be a spear. The human arm, torn off at his elbow, kept clutching the weapon firmly. From the sight of a terrible thing, Dan froze. He swallowed up with noise and began to walk slowly from a terrible find. And at that moment, he heard a rustle behind his back. He heard a deaf growl. Dan knew it was the end of the game. He swung the club back and almost had time to turn around when the club hit something. His wrist was pierced with pain, and the weapon went out of his hand. The sounds of growling and screaming hit his ears. Dan saw for a moment what was behind his back. It was a tall humanoid creature covered in dark gray wool with a hypertrophied wolf face. Dan barely noticed the monster''s claws swinging. The next moment, his face exploded with pain. Dan flew away and fell. He rolled on the ground and hit his back on a spear. He screamed in pain, quickly grabbed the spear and clung to the pole. His eyes were pouring something sticky and warm, Dan couldn''t see anything. Somewhere around here, he heard terrible growling sounds. Dan jumped up on his feet. He was randomly sticking his spear in different directions and waving it around him. The cursed limb of an unknown dead man hit his hands. He was torn between wanting to shake it and at least try to wipe his eyes. He waved his spear harder. At last, the stump of the hand flew off somewhere. Behind Dan''s back, there was a terrible growl. Dan bounced back and stumbled over the cursed hand of the dead man again. He lost his balance and began to fall. As he fell, he tried his best to turn his spear towards the enemy. A blow with his back on the ground hurt him again, but before Dan came to his senses, an unknown force nearly plucked the spear out of his hands. The tree that he cramped with both hands suddenly became heavy several times and hit him in the stomach. The monster wheezed, and some hot, bad-smelling shit spilled over Dan. He gathered his strength together and pushed the spear aside. The monster kept wheezing and fell to the ground with a weapon sticking out of its body. Dan whimpered in fear and pain and crawled back until he hit his head on the wheel of the wagon. He stood up and leaned his back against the wheel. He started wiping his eyes. He was in a lot of pain. There were scraps of flesh and skin hanging from his face. What happened to his face? Touching hurt, blood is flowing, I can''t see anything. If the creature survives, I''m dead, I''m dead without sight. The rattles of the beast can be heard beside me! This is a game, there''s got to be some kind of damage! Maybe there are cure potions in this game. What if I stay blind?! Shit. It hurts so much. He was shaking, tears in his eyes mixed with blood. If tears flowed, then the eyes are okay? Damn it, it hurts so much... He didn''t know how long he was sitting like that, he thought the time had stopped. The rattles of the beast have faded. After a while, Dan heard footsteps. He knew it was the end, so he turned his head to the sound. \"Attention!\" somebody screamed. \"Michael, there''s a dead man!\" There were quick footsteps, someone was approaching the wagon. \"Put the weapon away. He''s alive! His status is on fire. He''s a player.\" A man with a calm voice sat next to Dan. \"Hey, brother, you all right?\" \"I can''t see anything,\" said Dan. \"We''re going to cure it now,\" he said. Dan feels an object in his hand. \"Have a drink, it''s a regeneration potion. Leo, give me a flask of water, he needs to wash his eyes.\" Dan threw the potion over in his hand. His mouth and stomach were twisted by a terrible bitterness. He overcame himself and swallowed the rest of this stuff. After a few moments, the pain started to recede. A stranger''s hands took an empty bottle out of Dan''s palms. \"John, what''s in the wagon?\" \" Dead bodies, Michael. Two girls and half a man''s body. Leo''s looking at the area now.\" \"The face wounds are scarred. I''m going to be washing the blood crust now.\" The guy named Michael warned Dan. With a piece of wet cloth, he started gently wiping the face of the blood clot. Dan no longer felt any pain and was soon able to open his eyes. Michael splashed some water on his hands. Dan washed his face, displeased to feel the scars on his skin. Then he was able to see the man who was sitting next to him. He was a dark-haired man with a short black beard. He was wearing some kind of weird leather armor. He noticed Dan was feeling better, so he reached out his hand. \"Michael,\" he introduced himself. \"Dan,\" answered the player and got back on his feet. \"Michael, you won''t believe this!\" A tall young guy with blonde hair came out of the wagon. \"This is it. The quest! There''s a dead werewolf lying there, someone stuck a spear in him, the lance in his chest stuck. John''s trying to take it out now.\" \"So I killed that monster. I thought I just hurt him. I was lucky.\" Two surprised faces stopped at Dan. \"So you''re the one that hit him? Congratulations. What day are you here?\" asked Michael. \"A couple of hours ago, I woke up next to this place. That must have been the test they wrote about in the beginning.\" \"Lucky,\" said the blonde exhaled. \"Michael, we need to cut up a werewolf, and we could use a spear, too. But we have no right, the system says it''s someone else''s prey.\" Michael was approached by a dark-haired guy who nodded his head at Dan: \"Hey, brother.\" \"You will now be entitled to your prey, John.\" Michael put his hand on Dan''s shoulder and said: \"Relax, there should be an interface on the periphery of vision. As soon as you notice it, it''ll adjust to you.\" After a while, Dan did it. There were four images on the left side of the view. One was with a person''s profile, three images were in the form of a letter. There was a circle on the right. Half of the circle was obscured. There was an inscription in the center of the circle: * [Player Michael invites you to join the group: Accept? Yes/No] * \"How?\" asked Dan. \"Just say ''yes'', that''s all.\" \"Yes.\" And the inscription''s gone. On the left side, there was another image of profiles overlaid on each other. \"John, bury the remains in a common grave. Dan, you sit down, I''ll explain everything to you.\" Dan sat by the wheel again, Michael sat next to him. \"As you know, we''re in the game now. Don''t ask me how it happened, I don''t know. We all appeared here recently. We''ve been strangely transferred from our normal lives. Half of us have never played computer games at all.\" \"How many of you?\" \"There will be ten of us with you, and there will be fifteen of us. Two were killed by that beast you managed to beat. Three more were killed by other monsters.\" \"Can''t you be reborn in this game?\" \"We can, but it''s not that simple. The starting scenario of the game is the same for everyone. The man appears in a closed location, reads the first message. The interface opens only after passing the test. Everyone fought with some creature. You pass the test, the interface appears, and you are given basic parameters depending on the test results. Plus experience for a dead creature. Next, you need to find a rebirth point and bind to it. If you get killed before the binding, then you''re done. You''re dying for real.\" \"What do you mean, ''you''re dying''? But this is a game!\" \"Yes, it''s a game, but with its strangeness and the real world. By the way, you''ll still have your scars on your face forever. You got the scars before you were linked to the point of rebirth. And that information has already been verified. We have a base with a rebirth point, so don''t worry, we''ll try to get you there. I can''t give you a full guarantee, because the world is very specific. There are many and dangerous creatures in this game.\" Michael went on to talk about the rules of the game. The pain is completely real. If you''re badly hurt, you better kill yourself. The creatures don''t like players and can torture and torture for a long time before they kill them. You don''t lose experience for death, and if you die under torture, then you even get some experience. Experience is strange. You get experience for killing monsters. But the fact is, if a creature kills you, it gets to experience, too. Local monsters can grow in levels. It was much harder to deal with them later. There are people in this world, and not just them. There are many magical races in this game: dwarves and elves meet. You can take quests from them. The quest is to kill special monsters, like the werewolf Dan defeated. Residents can not be called \"Not Playing Characters\" or somehow indicate their specificity... For such behavior, the system can impose a severe penalty on experience. It was hard to understand that the locals are kind of ''not real''. There''s a village near the base. The locals were like real ancient peasants. \"It takes about an hour to reach the base. It''s going to get dark soon. We have to go to the castle. If we don''t get back before dark, the whole group will die. It''s already checked out. We''ll go to the castle soon. Look at the test results. Deal with the characteristics. For killing a werewolf, you should have gained a lot of experience. You should have a minimum of three levels. All right, take care of your status. You''ll get the rest of the news from the base.\" Michael got up and went behind the wagon, where some chatter and scolding came from. \"Michael,\" called him Dan. \"How long have you been here?\" \"Eight days.\" Eight days! If it''s like he said, he''s been in this hell for eight days. Dan''s eyes started crying again, his body started laughing nervously. This is bullshit. I got to deal with the messages. Dan gazed at the first envelope, and he immediately opened up. * [Congratulations! You passed the test] 2 Congratulations on passing the test! [Congratulations on passing the test! Total behavior score 5 out of 10. You get five prize points which you can exchange for points of parameters or skills. Based on the test results, your character gets the following basic characteristics: Strength 5 Intellect 7 [MP 70] Dexterity 5 Spirit 12 Endurance 3 [HP 300] Warning! According to the test results, you are assigned a passive characteristic: Luck 1 You can''t put points in this characteristic, because it will grow in a situation] * Luck is one point, so we have a very greedy system. Now Dan laughed even louder. Is that a delicate suggestion of how lucky I am? You bastards. Someone put me in this game, and I really don''t like this someone. And what''s in the second message? Dan highlighted the next image, and there was a big shimmering inscription: * [Congratulations! You managed to defeat your opponent ten levels above you! You got the achievement of ''Fearless''. For this achievement you get 10 Glory points. Attention! Glory Points can also be exchanged for Features or Skills Points, or make your reputation work for you: more job information, more rewards. It''s up to you. Congratulations! You have become an involuntary instrument of retaliation. The achievement of ''Nemesis'' has been achieved. You have access to the hidden Game Class. Attention! This feature is temporarily blocked by the system.] * And the last image with the profile. * [Character info unlocked Name: 18694. Want to change: Yes/No. Attention! You can only change the name once. Race: Human. Selected by the system. Level: 6 Experience: 7800/7900 Strength 5 Intellect 7 [MP 70] Dexterity 5 Spirit 12 Endurance 3 [HP 300] Luck 1 [Passive] Available with 30/+5 characteristic points and 6/+5 skill points. Before a character is assigned to a class, the distribution of skill points and the skill tree is blocked] * A lot of hidden information. Why are these games in play? If you blame all the developers or administrators of the project, I have a growing score with them. I have to change my name. ''Dan'' [Accept: Yes] * [Congratulations! Now you can look through the inventory and see the allied statuses] * The interface blinked, and a large window opened, the right side of which was an empty window with a 0.00/20.00 pound (9.07 kg) at the bottom. Does that mean how much weight he can carry? It''s a bit small, just twenty pounds. On the right was a picture of his character, or rather, Dan with equipment slots. Two for weapons, five for clothes, one for an amulet, four for rings and another slot for an earring. There are two stripes under the character: Life and Mana. And the face. Three scars aslant crossed out Dan''s face. Now I''m a freak. He started stupid laughing again. Dan wasn''t looking at the parameters of his clothes, he understands that its entry-level. But he has to deal with the characteristics. Dan unfolded the parameter image and started reading the description carefully. * [Strength. Increases the power of the close attack, as well as the chances of parrying and blocking. Influences the weight to be carried, the calculation of *2 pounds (0.91 kg). In case of overload, your speed drops significantly. Dexterity. Increases the accuracy, evasion, and chance of a critical strike in a close and long combat. Intellect. Influences the speed at which you learn non-combat and magic skills and trades. Intelligence affects the likelihood of a critical blow from a spell, as well as the mana amount of your character [one point of intelligence gives ten points of mana]. Intellect increases the mana regeneration rate. Spirit. Increases the mana regeneration rate of life and mana, and the length of time and power of skill use. High Spirit allows you to confront opponents above you in level. Endurance. Responsible for the number of points of life [one point of Endurance gives one hundred points of life]. It also affects your overall endurance and the overall wound healing rate in the event of an injury. Luck [Passive]. Increases your chances of getting more valuable trophies from a defeated opponent. Increases the chance of parry, critical kick, and gives you the chance to partially ignore your opponent''s defense.] * That''s the way it is. So now think about how to distribute my stock of characteristics. Some bundles fell to his feet. \"Here, take this, get changed. It''s scary to look at you,\" Michael sat down in front of Dan. \"Have you sorted out the interface?\" \"Almost got it figured out. I don''t understand anything.\" Dan got up on the feet and turned the bundle. Clean shirt and pants with no characteristics. Some kind of leather jacket with a description, Dan wonder and he should take a look: * [A simple leather jacket. Type: Simple Defense 10 Durability: 10 Weight: 1.5 pound Attention! You can improve this subject with special materials.] * Michael stood next to him and started another lesson for a newcomer: \"What''s not clear?\" \"All of it, to be honest. It''s all too unclear. I realized that the main characteristics are five. But, on the other hand, I realized that there is an opportunity to get more characteristics? The question is how to get them.\" \"What was added?\" asked Michael. \"Good luck, one point.\" \"Yeah, that''s why John says the werewolf prey is too good. Luck is a very useful characteristic.\" Michael noticed Dan''s look, and he smiled: \"Don''t worry, no one''s taking your loot. But I will ask you the main question. How will you continue to live in this game?\" \"I understand what you''re saying. Do you have an offer that I''m going to have a hard time rejecting?\" Dan smiled at that obvious group leader. It was a little laughing at one detail of my new life. Dan won''t have any underpants in the game. In the cruel world of sword and magic, only hardcore! Underpants are canceled. Underpants are for the gentle and spoilt of civilization. \"I have an important proposal for you,\" grinned Michael. \"As you can see, living here is not easy, and only a group can survive. In the game, singles don''t live long. I suggest you join us.\" \"I hear you. Michael. You are the leader of the Guild or the Clan.\" \"You''ve certainly played a lot of games like this. Yes. I''m the leader of a group of players.\" \"Terms?\" \"All for the survival and prosperity of the group.\" Michael''s voice has changed. The main condition he said was the tone of the man who would kill for his group. Dan already realized that this game doesn''t give him a chance. It''s an achievement of science at a fantastic level! Dan did not understand the level of technology to create such a game. And one thing he knew for sure. It''s very difficult for a single person to start a game. Dan decided to accept the offer. It was very profitable for him. But it was a matter that required further consideration, so he asked: \"I understand the importance of the survival of the group. Is the leader of the group is you? \"Yes.\" \"Did you vote?\" \"No, it just happened. I have the highest level, and it was only thanks to me that I managed to retrieve the point of rebirth. I died next to her. But I succeeded in tying the group to the point of rebirth...\" Dan appreciated what Michael did. But it occurred to Dan that he had some kind of achievement for Michael. This game immediately made him realize one major rule: ''There''s a reward for everything and there''s a price for everything''. Team, that''s great. Does he have a choice? Dan needs a rebirth point. He asked a very important question: \"If I want to leave, will you let me go?\" \"I''m not holding anybody. Everyone is free to choose.\" \"And can I believe you?\" \"In this question, you can. Here, reputation means a lot. For killing someone like that, there''s a fine so it''s better not to show up in the lived-in lands. And violation of one''s duties is severely punished.\" \"Tested?\" Michael''s smile has become brutal. \"Yes, but not by me.\" \"I agree to join your group. You understand, I just don''t want to get involved in violence. Swords, leaders, wars. Dictatorships.\" Michael took Dan''s hint of a past life now, he nodded. Dan was interested in information about reputation, so I asked: \"By the way, about the reputation. What do you think of Glory?\" \"I hope you didn''t have time to spend it?\" cautiously asked Michael. He waited for the negative nod and exhaled with relief: \"Don''t waste it, no way, I''ll explain what''s what at the base. Catch an invitation to join the group permanently. And we have to hurry, let''s get to the base.\" The invitation window blinked, and in brackets yellow was the permanent status. So he threw Dan a temporary invitation first. Dan pressed ''accept'' and another window came up. * [You joined the group permanently. Character status: Group leader: Michael. Race: Human. Level: 11 The rest of the group: Alexander. Race: Human. Level: 8 John. Race: Human. Level: 7 Nick. Race: Human. Level: 7 Dan. Race: Human. Level: 6 Tom. Race: Human. Level: 6 Leo. Race: Human. Level: 6 Ron.. Race: Human. Level: 6 Jim. Race: Human. Level: 8 Gandalf. Race: Human. Level: 2 Disclose detailed information: Yes/No? Warning! If you are in a group, you will receive an experience allowance. Current value: 0.9% You got the quest! You got the quest! You got the quest! You got the quest! You got the quest! Disclose detailed information: Yes/No] * \"Gandalf?\" Dan laughed when he saw a player''s name. \"Yes, we have one. A fan of the old fantasy,\" shrugged Michael. He looked at Dan and smiled: \"You''ve got Spirit 12, that''s very good, the first score in our group. Level six. I can see that you haven''t spread the Characteristics yet. I can advise you to hit hard and run fast at this stage. That''s all the advice you need.\" Dan thought that Michael had never been interested in computer games. In was told in the direct text that there is magic in this game. And magic is power. Magic was appealing, it was extraordinary and very important in the future. But Michael was right. The magician does not need strength and dexterity. His power is Spirit and Intellect. But even a magician needs a little more strength. This is not the case when you can save your game, put the game on pause and go for a smoke. Dan started throwing thirty accumulated points without thinking twice, five prizes he decided not to touch. Dan won''t touch the Glory points either. Okay, let''s see: * [Character info: Name: Dan. Race: Human Level: 6 Experience: 7800/7900 Strength 11 Intellect 10 [MP 100] Dexterity 11 Spirit 15 Endurance 15 [HP 1500] Luck 1 [Passive] Available with 0/+5 characteristic points and 6/+5 skill points. Before a character is assigned to a class, the distribution of skill points and the skill tree is blocked] * Dan tried to align his starting status. There''s still some stock left, and that''s good. There was still a question with tasks left. There is a leader, he is responsible, so he has the answers. \"What are the quests? Group quests?\" \"No. There''s a feature in this game. Any quest can be placed in a group. Let''s move,\" hurried Michael. He pointed to two figures that had already left on the way. \"Nick and John will go in front, Leo in the back. All this just in case they get killed. We''ll have more time for the action, now it''s all about getting you to the base alive.\" \"Cruel game, and what are our chances?\" Dan felt great! He felt light in the whole body. Michael was walking fast, but Dan made almost no effort to keep up with him. \"You are now appreciating your new abilities.\" Michael smiled with understanding: \"It''s always like this when you''re raising your skills. You feel like you can turn the mountains. What are our chances? Thirty percent. The game has a full set of creatures from all mythologies, a bunch of dead people, sorcerers, witches. The important thing is, they all just go crazy if they see an untied player. Dan. Listen with your ears, and look around! The woods aren''t deep, they''re looking at 50 yards (45.72 m). In this forest, by the way, there''s a big chance of a hit on Stump. It''s a three-yard tall creature, like a big stump that''s got moss. The damage is terrible, and you can only kill it with axes and fire. But we haven''t been able to kill one yet. There are forest spirits in the woods, also crap. It''s got a headache and it''s got to make our trick. And then they send in a dream, thank God, their levels are small. If the spirit parameter is above five, there''s a chance to lose the obsession. A wolf is like a wolf, only the size of a good cow. Very fast monster. You''ve already met the werewolf. A lot of ordinary beasts that are a little dangerous. Until they''ve had enough of the levels. Foxes, boars and so on. You''ve seen bears. Creepy creatures, the base is about level 30. Do you want the loot now?\" \"No, let''s have it since you have everything in common. If there''s any trouble, it''ll be beneficial to you.\" \"You''re an interesting man. You say dark words, but they''re right.\" Michael nodded at Dan, and he laughed: \"There''re no chats in the game! You can only communicate by voice, keep in mind. You keep the window of group status folded. Track the status of the others. As for the quest. The system strictly takes into account how many people have done to complete the quest, and according to this calculation gives you experience. The mission to kill the werewolf was given to us in the village. The village is near our base. Or rather, it was a condition to kill or at least drive the creature out of here. The quest was taken from the blacksmith, the creature killed his daughter. I''m going to give it up, because the peasants need to communicate with a full ''play out'', like in the theater. For peasants, we''re some kind of stupid city people who come into the wilderness to hunt for the undead and other monsters. If you don''t behave accordingly, then the system will cut the experience. Dan, don''t worry, it''ll be fair. Most of the experience for the assignment will be yours. You''re likely to grow up a second or two levels. The system''s going to cut ten percent of the experience you''re going to get because we''ve learned that too. We took the blacksmith''s quest, looked for the creature, found you. If we get you alive, we''ll get the experience too. Stop!\" His hand grabbed Dan''s shoulder hard, he took a quick look around the road. \"John''s HP dropped a bit. We''re waiting. If John''s health drops to half, we run very fast.\" \"Gotta help!\" rushed Dan. \"Stay where you are,\" he shouted. \"There''s Nick, if it''s serious, he''ll let us know or call for help.\" Behind them, 30 yards (27.43 m) away, Leo''s frozen. Dan looked forward again. The almost grass-covered track of the road yards fifty yards ahead was bent and turned to the right. One minute later, a running man appeared on it. Tall, wearing the same leather as the others, dark short hair, a strip of dark mustache, a thin, ascetic face. He told us not so loudly: \"Michael, we''re speeding up. John the little pig fell down, he tried the spear in battle.\" \"Bad time for hunting! Where the little one is, there must be a mother that little pig,\" frowned Michael. \"Why did he touch him, you couldn''t miss him?\" \"Don''t, Michael, I''m hungry for meat,\" said Nick. \"This vegetable diet is getting tired of everybody. \"The new player also wants something. He wants to live! The new player in the ring and run, or there''ll be meat for us,\" said Mikhail in an evil voice. They ran. They settled on Dan''s side, and Leo ran not far behind. Very soon, at the turn of the road, they noticed John on the side of the road. The body of a little pig was cleverly attached to his back. John nodded with a happy smile and ran ahead of another. \"And why is John carrying the body? Is there no loot in the game?\" asked Dan. \"These are ordinary little animals. Loot only falls from adult creatures. Their babies are like real life. The pig''s going to have to be cut when we get to the base.\" Answered Michael. Dan ran and thought that it''s strange, very strange, it feels like somebody''s pulled a game problem on top of the real world. As long as there''s time, he needs to think about it. He felt weird. Dan increased his strength, dexterity, body, and intelligence. His physical condition was great! But he had problems in his head! Dan didn''t know who he was! He knows exactly what his name is. Dan knows the facts from the history of planet Earth. But all his knowledge was like memories from reading an encyclopedia. Dan didn''t remember anything specifically! What country did he live in? What was he? He doesn''t know anything! Yesterday he was going to bed, that was remembered very well. Where? With whom? Today Dan arrived here. And raising game intellect doesn''t help. It''s a very unpleasant feeling. Dan felt himself like a lab rat. Dan don''t like to know for sure. That you''re being used. Even if this game, how did they all get here? It writes about virtual reality in fantastic books. Adventures in computer games are described in cybernetic fantasy books, where magic and swords, dragons and princesses are next to advances in cybernetics. On Earth, such technology does not exist. Of course, scientists do research, and the world is waiting for another breakthrough in science and technology. There are theories of Reincarnation. Dan may be dead. And now he was starting a new existence. All these philosophies and mystical theories have never been of interest to him. Dan knew that for sure. He entered the world with elements of the game, which showed him a test with a branch when it appeared. Dan had a small wound that healed very quickly. It''s scary to think about the main problem. What happens if he dies before getting connected to the point of rebirth? What are the chances that he''ll just wake up? He wouldn''t laugh at a dream like that. What I''ve been through today seems like a nightmare and a delusion. Or am I going to die, definitively? This situation reminds me of something. I can''t remember for sure. His thoughts were interrupted by Michael: \"We''re near the base. Get ready.\" Dan looked around. * [Attention! A revival point has been detected to the north of you. Would you like to make a connection? Yes/No] * \"Yes.\" Absolutely! * [Congratulations! Now, in case of death, you will be reborn in the Abandoned Preceptorium location. Attention! The status of the group has been changed. Show details: Yes/No] * \"Everything''s fine. I got tied up. Shouldn''t we slow down?\" asked Dan because he''s starting to exhale. \"It''s getting dark. Didn''t you get enough from the werewolf? Do you want to refresh your memories?\" Michael laughed quietly: \"I know this is hard for you, but endure, there''s not much left. We''ll rest at the base. When it''s dark, the Lamies come up to the sky.\" \"Who?\" \"The Flying Vampires. They have a nest near the base. It''s better not to walk down the street at night, you have to sit under the protection of the roof.\" After a while, the forest began to raze, and a few minutes later groups jumped out into a wide field. The track of the road shifted slightly to the side and rested on a small castle. Dan even stopped in surprise. He didn''t know what a Preceptorium was, but the Castle looked like a place to find shelter. Michael pushed him in the back: \"Come on, you''ll be resting in the castle!\" 3 Castle and new friends \"Move it! It''ll be dark soon.\" Dan realized it''s getting much darker. He tried to run faster. Nobody improvement helped, he was breathing out the air with noise. They flew three hundred yards to the high walls, but the castle gates didn''t open in a hurry. John was already climbing up the wall with a knotted rope thrown by someone. He overcame the high wall in twenty seconds and hid behind the high stone teeth. Nick rushed to the high wall and climbed up, too. \"They''ve got the parameters fully developed in strength and dexterity. There''s a bit of life, the intellect is practically zero,\" Michael explained to Dan. He noticed his terrified look when Dan looked at these acrobats. Michael pushed him in the back: \"You''re next, come on, get up.\" It took about forty seconds to get through the wall. Once upstairs, Dan respectfully whistled. The wall was over two steps wide. Nick smiled at him, and then he nodded at the gate. There was a small stone staircase along the wall. * [Attention! Your strength has increased by one. Try to move more and you''ll get stronger] * That''s great news! It means that you can raise the characteristics with physics exercises. Dan wonders how much he can increase strength and dexterity until the training makes no sense? \"When you go down to the yard, go straight to the chapel,\" Nick was already helping Leo up. Dan went to the stairs. It was a strange castle. It''s just a flat square, walls a hundred yards long, only one tower. The tower was three yards above the walls. And it was at a corner opposite the wall with a rope. The space of the yard was small, with the well in the middle, covered with some sort of sewing. Then there was a huge triangular building. This building consisted of three towers, two round ones and one square one, in which big doors could be seen. To the right of the gate, almost near the wall, there was a small elongated building with a small tower. It was probably a chapel. To the left, along the walls, there were two long stone buildings closely adjoining the wall. I was curious to know what was in them. Dan turned to the main gate and was surprised to see a huge iron grating that blocked the entrance in addition to the main gate. It''s solid construction. The bars were with his hand thick. To the left of the wall there was a doorway. There was probably a hidden lift mechanism. \"Let''s go to the chapel, see everything tomorrow.\" Michael pointed his hand at a building with a small tower. He saw Dan''s interest in the grid and said: \"The gate won''t open, the mechanism is rusty. I ordered details from the village. The smith says it can be repaired.\" Dan went to the chapel building. He was surprised to notice that the courtyard was laid out with a smooth stone, and everything was done very well as if tiled in our town. \"It''s all clean and decent here now. You should have seen what was here when I got here,\" Michael hummed. He said that in the beginning the castle met them with a lot of garbage and a skeleton squad. Now players clean the yard when they have nothing to do. The yard of the castle had a stable, a blacksmith and workshop, a small arsenal. People lived in the chapel. They haven''t conquered the main building of the castle yet. Dan immediately asks about the dangerous neighbors? \"Dead bodies?\" \"Yes. The usual skeletons that roamed around the yard, we killed them quickly. But there were three warrior skeletons and a ghoul inside the building. They''ve all reached over 20 levels. At our deaths, the bastards, they''ve all reached levels.\" \"What kind of ghoul?\" \"It moves on all fours, but it''s very fast. It has claws with the palm of a man of size. Leather armor cuts like paper. Its head looks like a deformed human skull with teeth so big that the shark can be jealous.\" \"Are the skeletons dangerous?\" \"It''s bad and dangerous there, too. Skeletons are wearing iron armor. It''s in bad condition, but it''s better protected by leather. They also have wooden round shields upholstered in a circle of iron, bucklers, I think they''re called. And swords. These skeletons seem slow, but as soon as you approach them in three steps, they begin to perform real wonders. You know. Dan, they actually fight like medieval warriors. I''ve only seen that in movies. We''ve only got one sword, two hunting knives and lots of short clubs for the whole group, now there''s also a spear. We died a few times. There''s no chance. In a fair fight, we can''t beat them.\" The thick wooden door of the chapel opened up inside. Nick came out of the chapel and quickly walked towards the well. Holding the door with his hand, Michael made an inviting gesture. Dan crossed the threshold and found himself in a long and large room. In the middle, there was a long table with six people in leather jackets, which Dan already knew. Along the walls stood tall chandeliers with thick candles. The two that were burning now gave enough light. Dan also immediately noticed thick wooden shields under the bars on the walls, they were windows. At the end of the room, appearing from the wall, there was a burning fireplace. There were two doors on the sides of it leading to the outbuildings. \"Here come the new people in our castle,\" shouted the young blond. He slammed his palm loudly across the table: \"Michael, you''ve found a man again, we must remove you from the position of leader, and you have no idea how to recruit. \" \"Meet Dan. This is Gandalf. My personal headache and the main ballast performer in our group,\" cried Michael. \"I''ve told you a hundred times, Gandalf, if you want a woman, go out more often at night. Then, the Lamia will meet you, caress you, and love you.\" \"Barbarian,\" Gandalf snorted. \"You go out and walk at night. Ah, we''d better find a couple of lovely elves.\" \"And what would you do with them?\" asked a big short-cut young guy sitting next door. \"Oh, right. Elven sex. We''d hold hands and walk through the woods singing melodic and misunderstood songs.\" There were laughs in the hall. There was a copy of him sitting across from the big guy. I couldn''t believe my eyes. The real twins got into this game. One of the twins was called Tom, and his brother, Ron, was sitting across from him. Jim was sitting next to Ron. He was a strong, muscular man in his 40s with a lush black and a sagging hair. Jim must have had a good character. He immediately raised his hand in greeting. Jim was the only player in the group who immediately learned the craft skill. He could already improve a simple leather jacket and add protection to it. Alexander, a short, feeble man of uncertain age with a bald head saluted me with two fingers. Michael introduced me to all the players: \"The official part. Meet the new member of our group. This is Dan. He showed up five hours ago, level six.\" \"Sharp,\" whistled one twin. \"Quest?\" \"Better,\" said the leader. \"He killed our blood enemy.\" Players in the room made an approving noise. The door opened, and Nick walked into the chapel. Around the table, he turned into a side entrance to the right of the fireplace. Dan sat down at the table. Next to him, Michael sat down and continued on with the story of the Castle and other details of the game: \"The doors by the fireplace lead into two small attachments. We have adapted one for the kitchen, and in the other, there is different stuff. Wait!\" He jumped up from his seat and picked up a long bar in the corner to the right of the door. Michael threw it on the steel braces in the wall at the edges of the door; the bar firmly locked the front door. Michael returned to his seat and waved his hand at Dan: \"Today we have meat, dead guests from the donjon can come out for fun. They love the smell of blood. Ask me what you''re most interested in.\" \"You were talking about Glory,\" said Dan, and elbow on the table. And Michael told him. There was no reference in this game. Players here have to get to everything themselves. Now the situation is clear. When Michael took the lead, he had an extra window where he could collect Glory from the group. There were few descriptions of the meaning of ''Glory'', but everyone understood that if you collect a certain amount of glory per group, some event must happen. Michael had twenty glory points. He got ten points for activating the point of rebirth, as he was the first player to find a rebirth point and activate it, and Michael got ten points for leading the group. Jim also had twenty Glory points. Ten points for two handicraft skills he had mastered. He could fix stuff and work with leather armor. The twins are now trying hard to learn blacksmith skills, but they''re not doing very well. The blacksmith in the village refuses to take his disciples flatly. Perhaps tomorrow, when Michael gives him the quest, the situation will change. On the Leader''s menu, there''s a counter like on inventory and experience. The group now has a ''0/50'' in the Glory counter. With Dan Glory points, the group can gain the required amount. The problem is that the ''Glory'' owner in the village has a good discount and can lose this discount. What if all the Glory accumulated is gone! Players will have to overpay for food again. Dan understands what this Glory means and how important it is. But he has a new question: \"Wait, Michael, wait. What about the money here?\" Michael immediately told the details. It turns out that the game is played with silver and copper in half with silver in an alloy. There''s hardly any gold in circulation. The silver coin is called ''Rial''. 1 rial is equal to 10 copper coins, called local ''copper''. 100 rials is 1 gold coin, called the ''Crown''. For five copper coins you can live in the village for 24 hours, its food and bed. Weapons and armor are very expensive. An iron dagger costs about ten rials. A player''s leather armor costs seven rials per item. Then, they gave Dan his first trophies. Four stacks of coins and three small bars appeared on the table from the air. \"I''m not putting a werewolf head on the table,\" joked John. Dan took one coin in hand and read the description. * [The Silver Rial Ingredients: Purified silver Attention! This metal can be used in handicrafts. Attention! This metal becomes a good weapon against the undead when sanctified] * On one side, the face of an unknown beast was knocked out. On the other side of the coin, a sword and staff were knocked out. The world of sword and magic. Funny. There were ten coins in the stacks. Dan put the coin back and pushed it towards Michael. There were two pound-weight copper bars and an iron bar that could be used in the craft. The status of the material was normal. \"How can I give you my ''Glory''?\" \"Are you sure?\" \"We''re on the same team.\" * [A proposal from the player Michael to give him your ''Glory'' points. Accept? Yes/No] ''''Yes''''. [Attention! The hidden quest ''Common Case'' has been completed. Received 4000 experience points. Congratulations! You have received a new level] * \"You''ve got a level,\" Michael hummed. \"For what?\" \"Throw ''Glory'' points into the general pool and you''ll know.\" \"Well done! I''ve had eight thousand experiences. Jim, pass it on.\" Jim nodded and the band status change flashed again. * [Attention! Your level of Glory is 50 points. Your group gets the general status of ''You''re being Rumored''. Attention! Quest received. The quest is ''Renaissance of the Order''. The quest status: Unique Mission: You have three days to cleanse the ancient Preceptorium of the Order of the Hunters from the undead that settled in it [71:59]. Reward: Variative. Penalty for not completing the quest: You will lose two levels] * \"A quest that cannot be abandoned! With a penalty of 2 levels! Damn it. I want to kill the creators of the game for such quests,\" scolded Michael. Players in the hall were quiet when they heard the leader''s words. \"We are finished. We''re all going to die. Again,\" said Gandalf sadly. \"We''ve tried to throw these dead men in a crowd five times, and it''s no good.\" \"We shouldn''t have sat idly by five days in a row,\" Michael screamed. \"Tomorrow with Nick and John, you go into the woods and don''t come back from there until you''ve hit a few levels.\" \"Why the hell are you screaming at me?\" Gandalf snapped at him. \"Whose idea was it to throw Glory into the general pot?\" \"Calm down. There''s no point in fighting now.\" John and Nick entered the room. \"Gandalf, you''re coming with us tomorrow without talking. God bless you with zero. Gandalf, you''ve got two levels! You''re in danger of zero levels! What if it means death? The rest of us will think about how to defeat the undead.\" \"John''s right, Gandalf,\" Leo supported him. \"We need to work out, this world just doesn''t give us a chance.\" \"Damn you!\" Gandalf jumped up and pushed John away and quickly fled to the outbuilding. \"He had a very difficult test. It ended very badly for him,\" Ron explained to Dan. Dan learned Gandalf''s story. He woke up in the Dolmen Valley. There''s a location to the south, about 20 miles (32.19 km) from the castle. Stonehenge reminds. That''s where the guy hit the witch. She spellbound him with charms and freshened him up professionally for hours on end. His chest is all cut up now. It''s the scariest look on Dan''s face. A witch made fun of the guy and left him for dead. The player''s lucky. He''s not dead. And Jim showed up next to him. Jim found him when the stone under the guy was all red with blood, and he drank the potion. Now Gandalf is afraid to leave the castle. And the level was done for keeping him under torture for a long time. Dan listened with interest to the story of the terrible start of the game for this Gandalf. He hopes that his true feelings were not reflected in the face. Now Dan decided to treat the guy like ballast. Nothing. Weak. He''s bound to betray everyone. For him, his own well-being is the most important thing. He''s a very dangerous man! Dan will keep an eye on him. He also carefully assessed the Leader''s behavior. Michael said something to Dan about freedom of choice, which Dan is free to act. He lied to Dan! This Gandalf is a common parasite. But even this coward and parasite have been driven into the forest, into a dangerous animal zone! This guy only has level 2! On the other hand, Michael has recognized the purpose of this group: All for the prosperity and survival of the group. Excellent! Dan didn''t believe him right away. The world around him has changed. Perhaps the local knights and aristocrats can keep their word. They are under the power of the System, so they do what they are programmed to do. But people don''t change anywhere. Everyone thinks only of their own prosperity. Everyone has their own snot of salt. And Dan smiled. There are problems, let''s face them. He not in Heaven! We''ll play in Hell by the rules of Hell... * \"By the way, guys, where do potions come from,\" he asked. \"You shouldn''t be hoping,\" Michael grinned grimly. \"The potion is given for being able to kill your monster in the initial test. And you didn''t let your opponent hurt you. And only one vial. We asked in the village. But we haven''t heard anything about it. Maybe they''re for sale in the city. But the nearest town is far from here. We can''t get there in one day. We didn''t take any risks.\" \"This is very unpleasant news. Is there a priest in the village?\" \"No. No one here has even heard of the gods.\" \"Hmm. Who sanctifies the silver?\" \"What do you mean?\" he asked. \"The description of the coin said that when blessed, silver can be used as a weapon against the undead.\" \"There''s nothing like that in the description.\" Michael picked up the coin and started spinning it in his hands. Then, he threw it on the table and quietly said: \"Normal, Purified Silver. And that''s it!\" Dan took one coin in his hand and opened the description again. * [The Silver Rial. Ingredients: Purified silver Attention! This metal can be used in handicrafts. Attention! This metal becomes a good weapon against the undead when sanctified] * \"But I have. I have a more extended description,\" he said. \"I see that the coin can be used in the craft. And I see very well that at sanctification it becomes a good weapon against the undead.\" \"Michael, the craft is written about me too,\" suddenly said, Jim. \"I don''t see a word about the undead.\" \"It''s interesting. Jim, why the hell didn''t you say you had a different description?\" Michael scratched his head thoughtfully. \"So no one asked!\" Jim took an outrageous look at the whole company. Then he added a quieter tone: \"That''s ridiculous, too. Why do you bother with the money for a craft? What, are you offering me leather armor coins? What''s the point? The blacksmith shop doesn''t work anyway.\" Dan looked at this big kid with a smile and said quietly: \"War is an engine for progress. Spending money on a craft is very good for development. Spending money on strengthening military advantage is just great for development. Jim, we need to think about this. We need to find a way to use silver against the undead. The game isn''t just swords and clubs.\" Then, Dan decided on one pretty hard thing to do. He wanted to see the status of the leader. Dan wanted to see his characteristics. But he immediately thought it was indecent, there''s a violation of the right of the personality. But it was also a serious question. He said it himself: Everything for the survival of the group. The system showed Michael''s status to Dan. * Name: Michael. Race: Human Level: 11 Experience points: 63440/87700 Strength 43 Intellect 7 [MP 70] Dexterity 30 Spirit 10 Endurance 50 [HP 5000] Concentration 3 [Passive] Psycho protection 2 [Passive] Self-Control 5 [Passive] * It''s a funny sight. It''s just the Reincarnation of Conan the Barbarian. Dan didn''t hide what he did from Michael. \"Michael, do you have any spare points?\" \"Do I have, why do you ask?\" \"Donate three points to your intellect.\" \"Do you think?\" He''s not even angry at Dan''s curiosity. He actually understood the idea that for normal development in the game, every character has to be developed to a minimum level. \"You need 10 points at least to get an adequate grasp of the basics of this world,\" said Dan. \"Ha, Dan, you''re doing great! I can see the inscription on the craft now. That''s interesting. We should check it out!\" On the table in front of him there was a club known to be painfully familiar. A few minutes later, he smiled and threw it at Dan. \"Please read out loud about the properties you see.\" Dan looked at the club and read it: * [The Robber''s club Rank: a close combat weapon Type: Normal Damage: 30-40 [Critical damage: 90-120] Attention! If you put all your strength into a blow, you can stun and shock the enemy for a few minutes Durability: 97 Weight: 1 pound (0.45 kilogram)] * Dan finished the description of the weapon and saw a nice picture of the eye. The guys were very surprised. Dan had to urgently eliminate the threat of a rebellion on the ship. So he said with a smile: \"This is an interesting picture, guys. It''s not that simple with these characteristics. Now I can see why the werewolf didn''t kill me immediately and quickly. At the very beginning of the battle, I was able to hit him in the face with a club once, but with all my might. I struck a lucky blow and used the curse of stun and knock.\" \"Damn it all!\" Michael was amazed and upset. \"You guys, the village head lied to us!\" \"What do you mean?\" Nick asked. \"We were selling him trophies for copper! But we didn''t know the full description of the product! Do you all remember how that bastard''s eyes were shining? After trading with us, he was always happy.\" \"Cruel, cruel world, must I go on? Cruel, cruel world, I''m moving on. I''ve been living too fast and I''ve been living too wrong. Cruel, cruel world, I''m gone.\" Everyone froze and listened to Leo''s nice voice. He finished the words of an old song and laughed: \"Hard to beat and fast to run. And if there are no spells, no magic, no need to rise intelligence, right, Michael? Oh, Mother, birth me back.\" In a moment, wild laughter shook the walls of the chapel. John and Gandalf came out of the annex baffled by the behavior of the others. But Jim kindly explained the reason for their sudden fun, and soon they joined to all the company. \" I will put all my new characteristics in intelligence. I''ll be a magician, and we''ll see,\" said Gandalf All this time Michael was sitting in a darker cloud on his face. \"It''s all right, I''ll pay for it tomorrow,\" he said. \"I''ll give that village bloodsucker early re-election. Oh, what a bastard. Okay. We need to do an identification of all the trophies. Dan, you have a mission. You need to identify everything. Jim, we''re going to the village with you tomorrow. But the only question left, why isn''t the sanctification information showing me? We have the same intelligence now.\" \"Michael, I don''t know. Perhaps the Spirit should be raised to a minimum?\" shrugged Dan with his shoulders. \"What is the connection between spirit and intelligence?\" \"I don''t know guys. We don''t have a detailed game manual. And you can guess forever. We have to find a balance in development. Otherwise, you''re making life harder for yourself. You play like a very strong and enduring character, but you''re stupid. And this Spirit, that''s a very strange characteristic. There''s no skill with its application. How and where do you get Character Class? We don''t know.\" Michael punched the table with his fist: \"Character class is a good question. Tomorrow, we''re going to shake up the village information pretty well. Our Glory is not lost! ''The Glory'' is now 50, so our reputation has risen. I really hope this village bastards will be more cooperative. Let''s not rush in spirit. Dan, you wander around the castle tomorrow, takes a good look around. Maybe you''ll see something interesting.\" \"Okay,\" said Dan. \"What''s that smell? My saliva ran out.\" He wanted to eat so badly, his stomach reacted instantly, and played a bubbling sound. John had a mysterious smile: \"Now you''re going to see everything. Gandalf, come and help.\" Dan knew they were about to have a delicious dinner. There was another important matter that remained to be resolved. Dan asked Michael: \"By the way, what are your passive skills?\" Mikhail, disturbed by the question, woke up from his thoughts. He told about passive skills. Concentration, it''s passive to increase damage or to increase the chance of successful Craft. Jim has one, too. Michael had it developed by three points. He could have hit 15% harder. Psychic defense makes life harder for creatures that specialize in mental attacks. Michael''s harder to hit. Dan realized that if an enemy has a curse against him, he has a chance to throw it down. Self-control reduces pain. For one point, 5% less pain. It''s believed that passive skills only sway up to 50%. Otherwise, the prospects are too bright. Ideally, by pumping Self-control you can reduce pain by half. The recipe for obtaining this passive skill is very simple. You have to get a serious wound and be patient. The more patient you are, the better. You can cut yourself with a knife if your inclinations allow. Michael has filled his five Self-control points for twelve monster deaths. He had five points, Gandalf had two, and Alexander had four in Self-control. Everybody else''s self-control was one. Dan listened carefully to new information. It became clear to him that there was only one step left for complete happiness. He has to die. Now he has the opportunity to be reborn. He is just a lab rat at the game developer''s? He was reborn after death in a world with game conventions? It doesn''t matter. What matters is that Dan was alive. Dan started life by fighting a monster, and won. He remembers how scary and painful and creepy it was. He cried like a baby. Dan has to taste death. But he''ll do this important experiment tomorrow. John and Gandalf entered the room. They were carrying heavily loaded platters. Gandalf had a mountain of boiled potatoes on his tray, surrounded by vegetables like green onions and carrots. But the most important thing was the tray that John had brought. The baked pieces of pork had a pretty smelly scent on their brains. Jim laughed and leaned under the table, and pulled out a hollow clay pitcher. Alexander smiled and instantly pulled out wooden cups from the air. Here it is the power of the equipment. Michael watched their manipulations with condemnation. \"Come on, Mikhail, we have a reason to drink. There''s an addition to our group. The guy survived. The guy''s already been a great help to us.\" \"A very clever addition,\" said Gandalf. He was looking at Michael with a smile. Gandalf was the first to move his cup on the spill. \"Oh, you''ll have an intensive morning workout tomorrow,\" Michael threw his finger at him. John smiled at Dan: \"In the morning, we rise and will do ten laps around the fortress. Then there will be complex with jumps and other exercises. A little strength and dexterity with endurance can be taken from exercise.\" \"You take physical exercise seriously. It''s smart and important,\" agreed Dan. \"You''re thinking right about the right things. Characteristics are the most important thing for us right now.\" \"Okay, guys. Will lives!\" And the hands of the people sitting at the table stretched out in circles to the center. 4 The First Death It''s been raining this morning. There was no problem with alcohol after dinner. There was no hangover. Dan didn''t drink much. He listened more to the others'' conversations. Dan felt great in the morning, he was surprised to see the other guys wake up in a bad mood. All the guys were angry and wanted the game to break down and format. The increase in Gandalf''s levels for today was canceled, as was exercise. Gloomy Michael took Jim, John, and Nick with him. They put on their deaf cloaks and went to the village to take their missions. Alexander remained in charge of the Preceptorium. The boys moved the benches together and sat down at the table. Ron pulled out a glass and bones and soon there were gambling screams. Dan sat there and watched them with dark despair. ''''I couldn''t understand the calm of these people. I didn''t understand their foolish belief that everything was about to change and that they would all go back to the normal world. No one remembered their past life completely. But everybody was sure that some mistake had happened to them. I couldn''t understand it. I didn''t believe it was possible to go back to the past real life. And I was afraid to convince the others of my point of view.'''' Alexander gave him the cloak. Dan had a mission to take a fresh look at the castle. He wouldn''t go straight to the donjon. There are weak skeletons and three strong monsters. Dan didn''t want to die in the morning. But it was interesting to see the castle with daylight. He rushed out into the courtyard. The cool air smelled of ozone, it burst into his lungs and stunned for a few seconds. Heavy drops of rain drummed on the skin of the cloak. Dan smiled and started morning exercise. He ran along the castle wall, past the buildings. It''s the other players who can spit on the development of strength and dexterity. They''ve all already chosen the path of the warrior and developed strength and dexterity and body as much as possible. Dan had to work. He had to take any advantage of the system over monsters. When he fell asleep, Dan really wanted to wake up at home! But he woke up in the castle. So now, he has to live in this weird and cruel game. But why? What''s the meaning of this? What will be his role in this world? Why does the system hide from Dan the meaning of coming here? These thoughts were spinning hard in his brain as Dan ran and ran around walls. Will there be a chance for us to go home? Yesterday, I listened to the stories of my new comrades. I practically felt a dominant emotion in my skin to settle in these people forever. It was fear. They were all afraid. I remembered how my hands felt the bloody scars on my face, remembering the pain I felt when my face was torn apart. I knew what they were all so afraid of. The pain hovered over the group like the worst threat ever. Even death didn''t scare them as much as the pain. How did it feel to die? I still have to find out here, but I''ve already found out the pain. How long can the human mind lasting under the voluntary torture that has to be experienced many times to survive and become stronger in this world? * [Attention! Your dexterity has increased by one. Try to move faster and become stronger] * All right! Dan shaved towards the outbuildings. Let''s have a look at our property. The water in the yard didn''t accumulate much. He looked around and noticed small windows at the base of the walls, where rainwater ran away with noise and foam. Very thoughtful medieval times, the System respects purity. He pulled a heavy wooden door on himself and entered the first room. The smithy. Horn, smithy pliers on one side, tanks underwater. At the other wall there were large boxes closed on heavy locks. One of the drawers had no lock on it. Dan could hardly lift the massive lid and see that it was full of charcoal. He turned the forging tools in hand and read a short description. Dan put them back and came out of the blacksmith''s. In the second room there were horse stables and a small room with the remains of grey hay. Wandering around the stables, he went outside. Dan went around the stables and found that there was a wagon behind it under a small tent. Huge wooden wheels with spokes. He walked around the yard a little more and froze in front of the gates of the donjon. The gate was covered with iron strips, with wolf heads holding greenish rings in their teeth. Dan stood briefly in front of the gate and reached for the ring with determination. The time had come for a more serious test. Michael said that in the village he would give up quests. The group will gain experience. Perhaps it will be enough for a new level. It didn''t matter to Dan. He was well-aware of one rule of the game. In the beginning it''s easy to gain experience and levels. Dan didn''t even begin to distribute the characteristic points he got for level 7. Now he has to accumulate the characteristics. He was sure that this is the right decision. There were several entry-level skeletons in the donjon. The guys would walk and gently kill them one by one. These skeletons were reborn every day. Of course, the players were three times stronger than Dan, causing three times the damage. But who afraid of ordinary levels 1 skeleton, if you reached level 7? That''s funny. Dan pulled out the weapon. The Robber''s club. He''d love to look at an old acquaintance. She''s the one he met yesterday, his very first find in the game. * [The Robber''s club Rank: a close combat weapon Type: Normal Damage: 30-40 [Critical damage: 90-120] Attention! If you put all your strength into a blow, you can stun and shock the enemy for a few minutes Durability: 97 Weight: 1 pound (0.45 kg)] * Smile at the name. Why is it the Robber''s club? Why isn''t it the Good Brave man''s club? It''s a game of gloom and horror. The club is good. It''s a crushing weapon. Crushing weapons have always worked well against skeletons. And the undead can also be burned with fire! Dan already figured out several ways to defeat the strongest monsters. He doesn''t understand why the rest of the players are still sitting waiting for something that doesn''t understand. Eight days! Okay, let''s look at ourselves in a new fight. * Dan barely opened one of the gate doors and slipped in, the thick door almost silently closed behind him. A magnificent hall opened in front of Dan. Eight smooth high columns formed a corridor. It was lighted by torches a couple of yards above the floor. The torches burned poorly illuminating only the central passage. The rest of the hall was hidden in darkness. And who lighted the torches? Skeletons? At the end of the hall, there was a huge picture carved in stone depicting some creatures, but Dan couldn''t see the details. In front of the picture there was a small basement with a wide bowl. He pressed the weapon firmly and slowly moved forward. At the same moment, a slight shuffle was heard from the areas resting in the darkness. Dan froze on the spot. Because of the second column, the Skeleton appeared on the left side of the torch. It was a real skeleton with remnants of some rags on its bones. Skeleton with no weapon in his hands. Green flames were flickering in the empty eye sockets and among his ribs. With his head turned, the dead man turned his look at Dan and slowly spied in his direction. As soon as Dan saw him, fear took hold of him. Trying to overcome it, Dan turned the status with the information of the creature coming at him. * [Skeleton Level 1 Type: normal Life: 1200] * Dan feels better. Level one. No weapons. He only needs to hit the skeleton 30 times! That''s half a minute of the fight. Dan can win. And at that moment, the skeleton, which was only a few steps away, rushed sharply in his direction. Dan almost missed that moment, but he managed to dodge it by jumping aside sharply. Obeying his instincts, Dan turned away and the club, describing the semicircle, hit the bone joint near the knee of the creature. There was a crunch and a line about the damage appeared in the interface. [A critical blow! You have dealt 110 damage points.] Oh, great! What if I hit it differently? The club extracted green sparks from the ribs of the creature. [You''ve done 50 damage points.] That''s a lot to think about. Fighting requires real dedication. You have to hit with all your might, with a real desire to cause damage. Shit! No time to think! The skeleton jumped again and Dan tried to jump aside. But he stepped on the floor of his cloak, his body swung a cube down the aisle. Damn cloak! Damn fool! And I need dexterity and agility to turn away. Why didn''t I take my cloak off? I was mad at myself. Dan stopped his fall at the feet of another Skeleton who came out into the lighted space. The Skeleton had already brought his hands to the punch and Dan rolled sharply back, avoiding the punch. Dan quickly removed the cloak into the inventory and jumped to the feet. Then, he started throwing himself between the skeletons. Dan managed to avoid hitting them. At the same time, his mind noted that the bones of the creatures were covered with a transparent shell. When he hit the skeleton, it blinked greenishly. Dan also noticed that the skeleton he hit in the knee began to move slower than his comrade. He hummed and the devil''s dance began. Dan''s theory was fully confirmed. If he hit the bone joints, there would inevitably be critical damage. If he hit the joints on legs, the creatures will slow down significantly. Dan was a snake spinning between two skeletons. He was able to practically immobilize both. Dan was kicking in the legs. His kicks didn''t just cause damage! He was slowing my opponents down. But Dan failed. Four more Skeletons showed up because of the distant columns. And that''s when he screamed. With all his might, Dan started hitting one skeleton at a time. Soon he killed the first creature. He got three hundred experience points. The damn inscription distracted Dan, he missed one of the Skeletons. A deaf blow and a sharp pain pierced the player''s body in the back area. * [You were hit with 190 damage points.] * Dan twisted in pain. It''s like boiling water was sprayed on his back. He bounced aside, good thing there was a gate. The pain had subsided. The skeleton with the shattered bones on its legs was moving quickly with its hands and crawled towards him. Like a terrible kind of an evil spider. Four of his comrades were slowly shaving in his direction. Should he run away? At first, that thought inside Dan started to make him angry. And then he suddenly remembered clearly why he was here. Go to the devil, all of you! I''m going to kill you all. And I''m going to kill myself! It''s a game, baby! Dan laughed, he twisted the club with his hand that was whining in pain. Then, he started hitting the skeleton that has got to him. The digital value of the damage done and received did not distract Dan anymore. He tried to move fast and hit hard. Dan succeeded. Dan even took it to the next level. Six Skeletons with bunches of trumpets lying on a stone floor. And Dan could barely hold on to the feet. There was pain pulsating all over his body. It was like he was boiling in a cauldron. His right leg got a few punches and it hurt like it was broken. It was even more painful to step on it. Dan has 93 points left in his life. Damn it! When you get a new level, the player''s health points and mana are not restored, Dan moaned and swallowed tears. But he waddled to a bunch of bones. He has to collect the loot. While picking from pile to pile, he bent down through the force and touched the bones of defeated opponents. Dan couldn''t read the description of the loot, the pain in his body clogged up all strange thoughts. Heavy footsteps spread all over the room. When Dan turned around in a doom, he saw a new creature. Higher than usual Skeletons in a horned helmet, in chopped iron armor. Bones and a burning green flame could be seen through the pieces of armor. This skeleton had a sword and a shield in its hands. Congratulations, the animators who painted this thing can get the highest score. The creature was inspiring, it couldn''t help but inspire. * [The Skeleton Warrior. Level 15 Type: Elite Attention! This monster has committed over ten murders of players. Its characteristics have been increased by 20%. Life: 8000.] * And now Dan definitely finished. Death in the ass! In the ass this game! When he turned around, Dan was wobbling all the way to the exit. He bumped into the door and howled from the powerlessness. The door wouldn''t open! The creature''s footsteps were coming closer and closer behind his back. Dan turned and looked into the green flame that carried to death. For a while, as if enjoying the moment, the Skeleton stood a step away from Dan. And then a swirl of metal and a moment of pain swallowed Dan up. * Death, Me, and the Great Nothing. I was and I was gone. I''ve never experienced horror like this before in my life. * The body arched out and the first breath hardly pushed air into Dan''s lungs. He leaned on a stone bed and looked around the Revival Hall with a blurred look. There was a weakness in the whole body. With his legs gently down, Dan slid from the base. With back resting on the bed he sat down on a step and froze. His head was empty, there was not a single thought. The mind was stubbornly unwilling to comprehend what had happened. There was no time for Dan yet. A message from the system shaken him. * [Congratulations! You experienced your first death. Three hundred experience points received.] * Why did I go to the donjon alone? It was the right thing to do. For Whom? It was for me. What for? I had to understand. Understand what? Death. And what gave me that knowledge? I experienced Fear. Will that knowledge help me? Yes... or destroy me. I don''t want to experience this anymore. Then, I will die. I''m kind of immortal now. And at that moment, Dan felt a rush of air. It was like a weak breeze of wind. And Dan thought he heard a quiet laugh and a voice that said only one word. ''Lies''. * [Attention! ''Vengeance'' mission accomplished. 4000 experience points have been gained. Attention! Mission ''Lost Kin'' complete. 1500 experience points obtained. Attention! Your group is honored to fulfill its duties. 50 ''Glory'' points have been received. Your group''s overall status has been changed to ''Rumors confirmed'' and you have received the second level of fame. Up to the next level of fame you need to score two hundred more Glory Points. Now your group can count on more tasks and more details, the traders will give you a significant discount on their products] * Michael in the village gave up his quests. The status of the group blinked quickly. So now Gandalf will not have to test himself in the woods. Gandalf + 3 levels. Ron, Tom, Leo, John and Nick at +1 level. Dan counted in mind and realized that everyone, but he had fallen 3,500 experience points. He got an extra in 2000. Michael, Alexander and Jim were still on their own. Dan got up on his feet and came to the window. The window was tightly covered with a wooden shield, but there were big gaps in it. He looked down. Downstairs, one of the players was wrapped in a deaf cloak, standing in the rain, propping up the wall and occasionally looking down at the rope. It was only at that moment that Dan realized that he was still in the main tower! That creepy skeleton killer down there! It''s near! The point of rebirth is not in the chapel! And how does he go down? Dan took a good look at the shield that closed the window. He was on his way up. You could lift it up and squeeze it out the window. And then you could go down the rope to the castle courtyard. Dan picked up the shield, threw one leg over, and grabbed his hands to the wet rope. Then, he helped himself with his legs and crawled out and slipped straight down. Thank God the guys put knots on it. Otherwise, Dan descent wouldn''t have been without consequences. His legs touched the ground and Dan breathed out lightly. Alexander was leaning against the wall and nodded at Dan with a smile: \"Happy birthday, Dan. Come on, let''s get warm. I''ve been watching you for half an hour. I''m soaked.\" After the rebirth, the body felt weak, Dan felt uncomfortable with the raw cold. He pulled a cloak out of the inventory, put it on shoulders, and went after it. \"Am I that predictable?\" \"You know, the Army teaches you how to know people. When you went to get the cloak, I knew you''d go there,\" he said. \"Are you in the army?\" asked Dan. \"And you''re not?\" he answered with a question. \"I don''t know, I don''t remember. There''s something I don''t like about the idea of the army. Subordination,\" answered Dan honestly. \"How many skeletons have you killed?\" he asked. \"Six,\" smiled Dan. He stopped. \"Did the Elite kill you?\" he asked in a quiet voice. \"Yes.\" \"Don''t tell others... The skeleton could have raised the level of your murder. They won''t like it.\" Dan looked into Alexander''s face and realized that he liked that man. They stopped at the chapel door. Dan nodded his head at him. They understood each other. * There was a noise coming from the chapel. When Dan walked into the room, he was surprised to see the players having fun at the tables. There was a fresh pitcher of wine and leftovers from yesterday''s food on the table. Gandalf was most excited and laughed. When Dan got there, the players calmed down a little, but Dan smiled and shaved past the table to the fireplace. The noise behind his back resumed. As Dan laid the cloak on the stone floor, he sat closer to the fire. Dan opened the window with characteristics and serious thought. Leo came up to him and put a cup of wine next to him, then came back to the table. * Name: Dan. Race: Human Level: 8 Experience: 19100/20700 Strength: 12 Intellect: 10 [MP 100] Dexterity: 12 Spirit: 15 Endurance: 15 [HP 1500] Luck 1 [Passive] Available with 10/+5 characteristic points and 8/+5 skill points. Before a character is assigned to a class, the distribution of skill points and the skill tree is blocked. * And how do I develop my skills? While analyzing my fight in the Donjon, I tried to think over my next steps. If I hadn''t been beaten up, could I dodge the Warrior Skeleton like a normal Skeleton? No! He had level 15. A monster. A swordsman sharpened to murder. But even so. What did I get? Six dead skeletons in one death. I got the level! But they were level 1. Does it make sense to put points in strength and dexterity? Or I have to continue to increase the spirit and intellect. Strength increases the power of the close attack, as well as the chances of parry and block. Dexterity increases accuracy, evasion and a chance of a critical hit and long-range attack. Battle in the Donjon has shown that creatures have weaknesses by hitting them, causing them to take critical damage. How is the damage calculated in the game? Yesterday, when I talked to the guys, I found out that the damage to the weapon depends directly on the strength of the character. In my description, the club had 30-40 points of basic damage. How much damage did my 12 strength points add? Status. Battle Records. I did 50 damage in most cases. Strength is added to weapon damage. I thought so. On the other hand, there were already a majority of warriors in the group. The system directly writes about the presence of magic in this world, and I have reason to think about another way of development. Then, I need to increase my Spirit and Intelligence. Dan didn''t like the laughter of the players. And that''s when he realized that he didn''t want to be like them. He has to wait for a while. Dan didn''t drink wine. He was just holding a cup in hand. His eyes froze on the fireplace flames. After a while, Dan fell asleep. He woke up to the sound of the door slamming. A cup of wine was in his hands the whole time. Dan put it aside, went up sharply and moved to the exit. The sky was so tight with clouds, the rain stopped, but the water slurry continued to hang in the air. Alexander stood in the center of the courtyard and talked to Michael about something. And near the gate there was a lively vanity. Dan came closer and froze, his jaw rushed down. At the opening in the wall leading to the gate mechanism, there was a dense shorty with a huge red beard to the waist. The rough features of his face were as if carved in stone. The short man was fat, but his thickness was solid, powerful. He had thick arms and legs. How does he walk in general? \"Shut your mouth,\" said Michael. He came up to Dan and watched at the reaction with a smile: \"Dan, really, shut your mouth and doesn''t stare at him. It''s indecent.\" \"Who''s that?\" \"It''s a dwarf. I told you, there are a lot of races living here. Why are you so surprised?\" \"You know, when you see something like this in a picture, its one thing. And when he''s standing next to you, it''s different. Who is he?\" \"Turin, the former village of a blacksmith.\" \"Why former?\" \"And he is the main award for the werewolf assignment.\" The expression on Dan''s face made Michael laugh. He made it clear: \"We finished off his daughter''s killer. He swore to serve us for that. His son stayed in the village.\" \"Violent order here.\" \"I heard you went to the donjon.\" His look got serious and it was like he was trying to look at something in Dan. It was a subject for a serious conversation. Dan did not hide anything: ''''I wanted to get to know the Lady better. I had to find out what it is. Death. And rebirth too.'''' Michael frowned and shook his head: \"Met. What''s next?\" \"I have suggestions. We can defeat these monsters.\" 5 A new fight and new friends Michael and Dan stepped aside. Dan already had a plan in his head for a successful attack on dangerous enemies. In the morning, he saw a few pieces of wood in the stables. They were long, neatly worked pieces of a thick branch. Dan walked up to these blanks under the spears for the giant and kicked the stack: \"Tell me, will you be able to use your strength with this?\" \"It''s no use, the distance between the columns is small, the width of the aisle is also small, you can''t wave with these weapons,\" he replied. \"And I don''t make you wave them. There are some planks in the stables. If it''s not enough, we''ll take it off the roof. We''ll put up big shields to block the stairs, also the ones at the end of the hall leading to the second floor. Now we''ve got a blacksmith, we''ve got to ask him to put iron hooks at the ends of these things.\" Dan explained the plan in detail. ''''We go inside and wait for the first creature to come down. There are a lot of gaps in the skeleton armor, so we can grab the skeleton by the leg and drag it to the center of the hall. Two more men will catch their hand with the sword, and we will stretch the enemy. Let''s see if his fencing skills will do us much good in this situation. Two men with all their strength and speed hit the fallen and stiffened skeleton. The other four players with shields block the passages and hold the defense until we finish the first creature. In case of danger we will all run away and wait for the creatures to calm down. And so on. We have three opponents.'''' \"What if the ghoul comes first? It''ll ride on the floor and on the walls without much trouble.\" \"I don''t know, Michael. I haven''t seen this ghoul and it''s hard for me to tell what it is. But the most important thing is that you understand. You have to kill skeletons one by one. I saw the one on level 15, and he blew me off in a couple of sword strokes. If the others have the same high level, we won''t beat them together, so there''s a chance. Split and destroy.\" \"One skeleton 15 and the other 18 and ghoul 19. You did well, Dan. We''ll try it your way. Now I''m going to give Turin an assignment. He''ll make hooks, and Jim will make our weapons. Farewell to the honestly earned silver.\" \"Don''t you get it? Do we have to pay for this blacksmith?\" \"It''s a dwarf,\" he looked at Dan with wonder. \"Did you think if he swore to serve us, he''d serve for free? No, Brother, the rules of life are different here.\" \"It''s disgusting, what if we don''t pay?\" \"The smith will sit down and do nothing. Then, he will start to cry and blame your greed for all mortal sins, and so on until you start paying him. Don''t worry, Turin is giving us a good discount if he''s not lying.\" The dwarf showed his skill quickly. After a few minutes, he repaired the mechanism for lifting the gate grill. There was a click, and the grating froze up. Ron and Leo, under the command of a constantly swearing dwarf, fell on the gate doors. A nasty squeal was heard and the doors began to open. Right behind the gate was a small cart loaded with a bunch of things. The cart was brought by a small horse. Behind the gate were John and Nick, guarding the dwarf''s property. Then, Dan noticed a small, full woman on the cart. As it turned out, she was a dwarf, too. Dan confesses he wouldn''t have distinguished her from ordinary women. An ordinary woman of small stature. Michael said that Turin was moving in with his wife. Her name is Velida. The lady jumped off the cart, and then she asked Michael something and headed towards the chapel. After a while there was a sound of a woman screaming from the chapel and a deaf blow. Gandalf flew out into the yard, holding his head and looking at us with wild eyes. When he noticed the guys, he muttered something and poked his fingers frightened toward the chapel, ran to them. A second later, there was a burst of loud laughter in the yard. It turned out that the whole time Gandalf was sleeping under the table, waking up with a strange sound. He shattered his eyes and noticed a strange woman leaning against the wall. He thought it was a dream and was overwhelmed with happiness. Gandalf grabbed the woman. But a lovely woman''s face made a resounding scream that stunned him. Then, a hard fist blow to the ear took away 300 hp of health. The strangest thing was that the dwarf laughed the most in this situation. The obviously disoriented Gandalf noticed a shaking loud beard and his face changed expression again funny. Players laughed again. It wasn''t funny just for Michael, who was afraid of the group reputation. Dan just didn''t understand this strange medieval age. The gate was closed, and the work moved to the forge. The screaming, the rumbling, the dust, the stunned faces of Jim and Tom, who were doing the dwarf commands. An hour later, smoke fell from the blacksmith''s chimney. Dan, Michael and the rest of us were dismantling the stalls the whole time. They needed materials to make large shields. Everyone remembered the flying creatures, so Michael did not let take the roof apart. Then, Michael went to the forge and gave the dwarf his first tasks. From the smithy soon heard the sound of knocking hammers and just half an hour later Jim brought a few dozen nails and hammer. The nails were small but square. It took another half an hour to make big shields. The shields were rough but solid. Men also broke four strong bars out of the stable walls on the supports. While Dan was working, he got a +1 to strength. The hooks were opened from our metal bars. Jim took a hammer and fixed the hooks to the big woods. Turin shackled the fasteners with an iron strip. They were armed and ready. Everyone knew their job. A group of players froze at the Donjon gate. \"Good luck,\" said Michael. Dan took a quick step into the battle. The hall was empty. The torches on the columns were crackling quietly. Michael took a bunch of torches out of his inventory. He lit the torches one by one and scattered them in dark places. Dan, Gandalf and Jim with a shield and a bar froze against the wall on one side, Ron and Tom on the other with the same shield. The shield was very heavy, they could barely drag him. Michael, John, Nick, Leo, and Alexander had prepared to meet dangerous skeletons. And the first creature didn''t take long. * Warrior skeleton Level 18 Type: Elite Attention! This monster has committed over ten murders of players. Its characteristics have been increased by 20%. Life: 11200 * The creature has moved to the main group. Alexander and Michael tried to hook the skeleton to his legs. The creature showed a leap and dodged Michael''s capture, but Alexander cleverly hooked the skeleton bone in the area of the uncovered remnants of the armor of the knee. Cutting the sheaves of sparks from the floor with his rough hook, Alexander quickly dragged the skeleton into the center of the hall. Michael waited for the moment and caught the hand that held the sword. They stretched the skeleton on the floor! The only thing the skeleton could do was to sluggishly swing the shield. Dan couldn''t help but laugh at the gloating. As soon as Alexander dragged the creature into the center of the hall, they rushed to the aisles, installed shields, and supported them. It didn''t work out perfectly, but a large creature couldn''t get into the hall. \"Hurry up! Hit hard and fast! We won''t hold him long,\" shouted Michael. Nick and John were dancing around the skeleton. Leo was already beating the skeleton with his club. ''''Two clubs and one sword. Good luck to you guys.'''' Before Dan could get Jim to set up second support, their shield shook on impact. \"Michael!\" screamed Jim. \"We''re done, who have you got?\" That was an interesting question. Dan bent over and picked up a torch from the floor. Then, he looked into the slot in the shield and almost got a blade in his eye. Dan screamed out of surprise and fell on the ass. He almost set himself on fire with a torch he dropped! \"Level fifteen. And it looks like he''s alone.\" * [You got 8000 experience. Got a new level] * The status of the group was frozen again. \"Jim, Gandalf, Dan, drop the shield and retreat yourself, but not far.\" Jim and Dan kicked the braces at the same time and rushed back to Gandalf. The shield fell and a new enemy entered the hall. The skeleton noticed a group huddled in the center and went to them quickly. The beast was immediately hooked. Dan and Jim ran to install the shield again. It took less time to destroy that skeleton. * [You got 5000 experience points] * At that moment, Tom and Ron, who were holding the second shield, flew away from hitting the shield. And this thing flew into the hall. * Ghoul Level 19 Type: Elite Attention! This monster has committed over ten murders of players. Its characteristics have been increased by 20%. Life: 9000 * The ghoul spun his face and looked around the hall. Then, the creature made a giant leap up and disappeared. The ceiling! They need better light up the ceiling! Dan rushed to the torch on the floor and screamed. Something stuck in his back. It''s like stabbing in the back with burning nails. * [Injury has been caused. Attention! The damage caused to you is elevated due to injury. 570 damage points. Life: 930/1500] * All Dan could do was scratch the floor with his hands, break his nails and wheeze. * [540 damage points received. Life: 390/1500. You received 570 damage points] * Hateful second of Nothingness. And his body bent an arc at the site of the rebirth. Dan barely swallowed the first breath that caused pain in his lungs. * [You got 200 experience points] * Thank you, dear Game! On the right, one of the pedestals was lit up with a nice pearl light, and a second later Jim''s body arced out. ''''It''s beautiful, damn it.'''' \"I hate this moment,\" he complained. \"Yeah. It feels bad,\" Then another bed came up and Ron and then Leo joined the company. It took a little more time, but no one else showed up. \"Leave, slick bitches,\" laughed Jim. \"In what way? The doors don''t open,\" objected Dan. \"It''s all opening up. Dan, you just haven''t noticed that when you''re wounded, the stats fall, so you can''t open the door.\" \"I forgot about this feature! By the way, it''s brilliant, and it''s very cruel. Why are we sitting here? Let''s go outside.\" \"No, Dan, let''s just lie down for five more minutes. Remember your fight. Celebrate your mistakes and your lucky moves. Every death should be an invaluable experience.\" \"Jim, my respects. Master. A very clever and competent remark.\" \"That''s where we live, Dan. The development of the craft does not tolerate empty vanity.\" For a while, they kept silent and analyzed actions in battle. Men just lay on a hard bed and enjoyed the silence. Dan warned Jim how dangerous it was to look through the cracks in the shield if the enemy was armed with a sword on the other side. Then, they went down by the rope. In the yard of the castle Michael was waiting for, he smiled. \"You''re suspiciously happy,\" frowned Jim at him. \"Come on, you''ll see the loot, then you''ll have fun too!\" They went to the blacksmiths. It''s where all the players and Turin gathered. There was loot on the rest of the boards. Dan looked at the assortment and whistled. Two swords and shields of dead skeletons. He opened the description of one of the swords and immediately started reading aloud to the whole team: * The Sword of the Bloodsucker Type: normal Attention! To own these weapons effectively, you must have at least 30 points of strength. Damage: 210 to 240. Durability: 80 Weight: 3 pounds Attention! This item can be improved. One slot available. * Two copper rings. One +2 to strength, and the second +2 to dexterity, the type usual. * Iron armor of a soldier. Type: Ordinary Defense: 200 Durability: 80 Weight: 10 pounds Attention! This item can be improved. One slot available. * Daggers of the Bloodsucker. Paired. Type: normal Attention! For effective possession of these weapons, you must have at least 20 dexterity points. Damage: 100 to 130. Attention! If a successful strike is made, the effect of Bleeding is triggered. A live target loses 8 HP per second for 20 seconds. Durability: 80 Weight: 1 pound * ''''The bone amulet gives +3 to the spirit.'''' Seven crystals.'''' The essence of fire. Type: Craft object Effects: Builds into armor, gives 2% fire protection, if you build this shard into your weapon, it will deal + 2% damage to the total. * Turin said it was an alchemical reagent used to create potions or objects. They also got a solid pile of coins in 54 silver rials and 8 copper. And a pile of metal in which Dan identified the spoiled skeleton armor of warriors. That was the moment that puzzled Dan at first. Michael explained that from the elite you can get away everything, even bones. That''s funny. \"You know, gentlemen, I can wrap up the rest of my spoiled armor. Another set of armor will do,\" said Turin. When he pointed to a bunch of iron from the skeleton, his eyes kept staring at a slide of coins. Dan thought with that kind of service that greedy dwarf would make the group very poor very soon. The darkest Michael clearly shared Dan''s fears. Dan had an idea in his head. \"Michael, let''s step back for a minute,\" he said. They stepped aside, and Dan noticed the dwarf taking a little step in their direction. Just in case, he started whispering: \"Michael, make the dwarf our treasurer.\" \"Are you crazy?\" \"Quiet, you. Listen to my idea. The dwarf and the head of the village will continue to deceive us in terms of money and other trade. We don''t benefit from this situation. But as long as the gaming system supports them, there''s nothing we can do. Then, we have to do something tricky. We make the dwarf of our group''s treasurer. With this appointment, we discreetly drag him into our group. Our credo is, ''All for the welfare and prosperity of the group''. The wealth of Turin will depend on our wealth. All business with the headman in terms of trade will be done through the dwarf. And we won''t let a beard fool ourselves. And after a while, the dwarf will realize that we are on equal terms. Then let''s see if he has enough stupidity to rob himself. A dwarf. It''s a guarantee of craftsmanship, greed and a very picky trade. What do you think of my idea?\" \"Not bad, Dan. At least we eliminate one bloodsucker from the scheme. That''s good, but it''s stupid to give it all up to save Turin. How do you control it?\" \"The dwarf swore an oath. You said yourself that in this world, reputation is everything. If he betrays us, he''ll feel bad.\" \"We need to talk to the others,\" said the leader. \"Talk, there''ll still be twenty minutes around the trophies anyway, and then some more time to discuss who gets what.\" \"What have you been looking at?\" \"What''s the sense in arming me? I''ll be like a pregnant cochlea with armor and a sword.\" \"You think about the Spirit,\" he smiled. \"I see. Then, you''ll share your thoughts. Why don''t we make one more stop now? The last one. We managed to get our hooks out.\" Dan looked up at the sky. And he confessed to him honestly: \"Michael, we''d better attack tomorrow. I''m honestly afraid that another resurrection today will obviously hurt my brain. We have gained experience in battle. Tomorrow we will arm ourselves with new weapons and new armor. We have time to complete this quest.\" \"Okay, Dan. I agree with you. The important thing to do is to be careful. I''ll talk to ours about the dwarf.\" Michael slapped Dan on the shoulder and went to the group. Dan went to the well. He moved the cover and put a wooden bucket on the chain, took out the water. The water was icy, it broke his teeth. Dan drank and drank until he thought that he was going to explode. He poured the water out of the bucket and fixed the cover. Then, Dan went to the chapel. He had already opened the door and heard Michael''s voice from the blacksmith: \"Turin, buddy, you know I have a great offer for you.\" That''s great. This is Destiny. Destiny brings him and all the group together. In this game, Dan saw some banal and familiar events. The blacksmith is the basis for living in a world of sword and magic. Now they have a blacksmith. His wife is a wonderful bonus! She will certainly take care of the household. And that''s good. It''s a pity there are no gifts related to magic. At least one scroll on \"You''ve learned the magic spell of Fireball.\" Give it to Gandalf, and he''ll immediately feel his value. He''ll have a purpose for development... Dan walked into the chapel. It was very bright in the chapel. All the candles in the luminaries were on fire, and the room was well-lit. He saw that the floors and tables were much cleaner and more comfortable. His cloak and cup remained by the fireplace. Dan sat down in front of the fire and took a deep swallow of wine. From the kitchen he pulled the delicious smell of food, and a small cooker Velida could be seen walking beside it. Dan froze again with a cup in hand, and after a while, he slept. * Michael woke him up. He sat next to Dan. \"Stop meditating, dinner will be served soon. Velida has baked bread and ham on the way.\" He gave an amulet: \"Here you go, Dan. I put it aside for you.\" \"Thank you.\" \"I made a deal with Turin. He had a hard time at first, but he was flattered. He understood our plan very well. The people here are not stupid. Tomorrow we''ll see what comes out of it.\" Michael was silent. Then, he looked at Dan closely in the eyes. It was a serious look. Dan realized that he had some very important news waiting for him now. Michael said quietly: \"I want to ask you about important business. Do you want to be the leader of the group?\" That''s an interesting turn. Dan answered right away. Without is even thinking for a second: \"No! Wait, Michael. I answered honestly. I didn''t even think about leadership. I feel perfectly well that it''s none of my businesses. I''m not a leader by nature. I''m sorry, but I''ll add some unpleasant news. It will sound selfish, but honest. I don''t want to be a leader. You take the lead, you keep leading. Don''t look for someone to shift the responsibility to. I will be a reliable advisor and assistant.\" It seemed that Michael was relieved to breathe out after these words. \"Okay, Dan. I''ll try. Why don''t you want to increase your strength?\" Dan had the answer to that question ready. He said that he didn''t want to rush it. John told him the local questions about where to get a character class didn''t work out. Nobody knows. The teachers are nowhere to be found. So, they''re looking in the wrong place. According to the assignments, the game is directly interested in their development. Dan doesn''t need to increase strength. Now if you look at the development of the group, you can immediately see that Michael, Alexander, Leo, Tom and Ron are developing along the path of warriors. John and Nick are future hunters and scouts. They will develop dexterity. Jim will be pumping the parameters for the craft. Dan watched him at the Donjon today and realized the fight wasn''t for him. He''s got a character that''s not combat, he''s a normal peaceful man. Gandalf does not want to raise the levels because he has to go into battle, and there he will experience the pain from which he wants to escape. His fear of pain is normal. But he clearly has a dream, he wants to be a magician. A wizard does damage in the distance. A magician needs to be protected from physical contact with the enemy. So, he and Dan are pumping intelligence and spirit. Dan likes the fight. He was attracted to the fight. He wants to do damage, and want to heal if necessary. There''s a craft like the enchantment of equipment. There''s a certain need for intelligence. The system directly indicates the presence of magic. They''re going to need magic a lot. The forest Spirits live in the forest, so there are immaterial monsters in the game. It''s all ghosts and Banshees from the cemetery. Dan highly doubts it can be killed with a regular sword. It''s a classic Diablo and many other computer games. \"Dan, you think we''re going to get access to classrooms in the donjon,\" said Michael. \"Yeah. Everything I''ve read or looked at there convinces me there''s an object or an altar in the donjon. We can get the classes, otherwise, it doesn''t make sense.\" \"Let''s see, tomorrow, Turin will make another set of armor, out of trophies. With the leftovers, we''ll reinforce one of the leather armors. It''s hard to kill a ghoul, but we have to deal with it. We can buy a net in the village, but I think it won''t be a problem for that ghoul. It does damage with its claws. We kill skeletons in a new way. Small skeletons we can beat quickly. When the ghoul shows up, you all run away quickly. That leaves Alexander, Nick, John and me. I hope we can make it. We''ll do our best.\" \"Michael, did you ask Turin about the crystals?\" \"Yes, I did. He said he needed the skill of Enchantment. He has no such skill. I put them aside for now. They''ll be waiting for you.\" \"John and Nick didn''t fight over daggers?\" \"No, everyone decided peacefully. John got those daggers. Nick got reinforced leather and a sword.\" The conversation was interrupted by a scream from the table: \"Hey, conspirators by the fire, go eat. It''s time for dinner.\" They got up and came to the table. Turin and Velida were sitting with all the players. As Dan sat down at the table, he saw her look. Velida was looking at his face. Dan put his head down. His scars are with him now forever. But he wasn''t sad. He felt that tomorrow they would win. And they will learn new perspectives and new rules of this cruel game. 6 The Reward for the Ques In the morning the weather was good for training and everyone began to gather at the gate. There were gray clouds in the sky, but it didn''t rain. Michael and Alexander opened the gate. After that, Michael returned to the others, and Alexander got up near the gate. Dan was running around the castle, jumping and doing various physical exercises. There was no clock on the game menu! It''s hard to tell how much time he spent on morning exercises. But when it was over, Dan had enough. Dan''s characteristics rose by +2 to strength and +1 to dexterity. That''s good. This rapid growth will not last long, there is progress because he still has small levels. Dan went to the blacksmiths to give the trophies to the dwarf. It was very hot in the blacksmith''s shop. The corners of the mountain, the red-hot red, were now heating the strips of metal lying on them. The dwarf rolled up his sleeves to his elbow and hid his magnificent beard behind his apron. Turin was naturally opening up a hot piece of metal on an anvil. Brutally and naturally, Dan realized that the craftsmen in this game would work with full force and time. \"On business?\" asked the dwarf. \"The trophies came in.\" \"Trophies are good, wait, I''ll be right out.\" Turin didn''t stop working when he started talking to Dan. Gamer came out of the blacksmith''s and sat on the doorstep. A couple of minutes later, the dwarf came out. \"Show me,\" he said. A bag of powder, an iron bar, two iron daggers, fifteen silver, and one copper coin, two small crystals and one large/ \"How many skeletons did you kill for that?\" \"Six.\" \"Not bad, not bad. The other one''s going down less.\" \"I''m lucky.\" Turin pointed a finger at a large crystal. \"This is Talakat. It can be melted into the blade of the sword, it will become sharper and never blunt. Such stones are rare, you don''t need the skill to use them. Usually only shards like those small ones are brought in.\" \"So you can improve one of the swords taken from the skeletons.\" \"Where did you come from so interesting? I''ve been watching you. You''re not from the city. It''s as if the children were unreasonable at first, they didn''t know the simplest thing. Then, you got used to it, and you got used to it very quickly, and you started to gain strength very quickly. And you die, but the next day you''re alive as if nothing had happened.\" Turin suddenly changed the subject. Dan didn''t know what to say to him. The truth? Making up a story? To dodge the question? \"We are not local, Turin, I would say very much not local. And your world is a stranger to us, but now we have to live in it. And yes, we''re not dying, definitively, at least. There''s a place in the main building of the castle where we''re born again. We keep and increase our knowledge. This is our gift and our curse.\" \"And how does it feel to die?\" \"I don''t know how to answer that question correctly. You just stop being for a moment. This is very unpleasant. And then the pain of the first breath of air, and you''re alive again.\" Turin was a little quiet and asked. \"Are you scared?\" \"It''s scarier than pain, Turin.\" \"Thank you for your honesty, master Dan. I know your name. Here, this is for you. It was your hand that took the life of the creature that killed my daughter. I will not accept rejection from you.\" On his huge, as if carved from stone, palms lay a simple, wide ring with three crystals. Dan looked at him carefully: * The Power of Mountains Type: Rare The effects: Strength +3 Dexterity + 3 Spirit +3 Intellect +2 Overview: Dwarves are great masters of the blacksmith, working with metal and stone is in their blood. Improving the skill and creating new products, the master of the business can create masterpieces. They go beyond the boundaries of the skills learned. The Ring of Power of the Mountains is one of these masterpieces. Forged by Master Turin in the hour of great despair. * Dan was shocked. He wasn''t happy to know that he got a thing like that just because of a whim of fortune. That''s a great ring! It''s a masterpiece. \"Thank you, Turin, your gift is invaluable.\" \"You''ve done enough to get it.\" \"Turin, why did you leave the village for us?\" \"I swore to Father of Mountains that I would give the dearest to the one who would avenge the death of my daughter. The most precious thing I have is my work.\" \"And Father of Mountains is...\" \"You shouldn''t talk about it. It''s a bad topic to talk about.\" Turin turned around and went to the forge. He''s a dwarf without ceremony, as it turns out... * Dan was thinking about the important details of the conversation. Right Michael, the locals are not stupid Not Playing Characters that are created for a player fun. This conversation left a lot of food for thought. Dan was so sick of these puzzles. He needs to find Michael, go to share the details and new facts. Let him have a headache, too. Dan went to the stables. Michael and John and Jim were building a new shield to replace the one that the Ghoul broke. Dan pulled the leader aside and held the ring in the palm. He could read the effects of the ring and ask: \"Where is from?\" Dan completely told him where he got this kind of wealth from. And he was pretty confused. \"Interesting cases, very interesting.\" \"The most interesting thing about our conversation is the end of it, Michael. There are Gods in the game. This is very important information. This is classified information.\" \"The village sells strong drinks on herbs, you can try to drink a dwarf drunk and learn about their religion.\" \"It''s not funny, Michael. It''s a dwarf! I think we''ll all lie under the table before we know anything from him. Dwarves are very tough guys.\" \"That''s right, too. So, let him be quiet, we''re in no hurry. What''s important to us won''t pass us by. But I''m even scared to imagine the future. I''m calm about faith. But I don''t know how others would feel about having real Gods. Jesus is not going to meet us in this Hell for sure.\" \"Michael, this is not a topic for conversation. You''re right, we should wait for the news. Take the ring while you''re at it, you''ll need it today in battle. But after the fight, I ask you to return it.\" \"Aren''t you afraid I''ll keep your Precious?\" \"I''m not worried. Easy come easy go. Just think what happens if a dwarf sees you with him. This ring is his present to me.\" \"Dan that was a joke. I will return the ring intact after the death of the damn ghoul.\" And Michael ran towards the blacksmith. Oh, yes, there was a useful stone on his sword. Dan laughed and helped to complete the shield. By lunchtime, the battle preparations were over. The battle group began dressing in armor. Michael and Alexander were dressed in almost the same armor. The dwarf forged a second armor from the trophies, almost identical to what we received in the form of loot. Nick and John were wearing leather armor reinforced with metal plates. They even had knees. Three were armed with swords, John had daggers and a spear, and sheaths under the daggers were made of Jim''s leather. Michael''s sword blade was poured blue. Someone was upset that there was no photo camera in the game. Leo and Tom picked up a new shield. And Jim and Dan got a shield and one stake each. A new attempt to clean up the castle began. The hall was empty. The passage between the columns was also poorly illuminated. A new pack of torches was taken from Michael''s inventory, set on fire and scattered around the hall. There was no level 1 skeleton! As soon as they took positions, the Skeleton elite of level 17 appeared. They caught him and dragged him to the bones. And they quickly removed the remnants of the old shield and installed a new one, and supported it with four stakes. The Elite died a minute later. * [Received 7000 experience points. A new level has been obtained.] * Dan gently looked into the gap of the shield. He couldn''t see the enemy. The other warrior''s skeleton was launched from the other side of the hall. The fighters killed him quickly, too. Dan got 4000 experience points. And Michael shouted the team out loud: \"Everybody out! There''s a Ghoul left.\" Players started to get out of the hall. Dan managed to shout out to the fighters: \"Good luck, guys, shut that bitch down!\" Now all they have to do is waiting. Dan turned the group status around when was sat down right in front of the Donjon Gate. One minute later, it was starting to look like the ghoul wasn''t coming down. Suddenly, Nick''s health bar was fluttering. Then, the health started to fall on the others. And worst of all, their hits were dropping pretty fast. John died first, Nick followed. Michael had 1480 hp left, and Alexander had 1134, while his life continued to fall, but slowly, hitting 12 per second. Apparently, he was seriously injured. Then, the status of Alexander''s life flashed twice, and he went to the rebirth. Michael died suddenly, too. There was a frightened whisper all around. Players wondered what happened, is there really another strong creature? Jim said quietly, but harshly: \"We don''t have any medicine or potions, guys. The damage was 500 points each. It was Michael who killed the wounded Alexander, and then killed himself. Take out your weapons and sit quietly.\" Nobody dared to object. But players got up and went under the window to wait for the rebirth. It was already becoming a ritual. ''Whenever you come back to life, you''ll always be waiting''. Strangely, that thought made it easier. They came down in about 20 minutes. They had smiles on their faces. Happy and a little pale Michael quickly stopped the questioning: \"All stories are canceled. Now we take all available weapons and in the crowd, we go through the donjon. There are unfinished skeletons of the 1st level left. One at a time, no one goes around. Divide into pairs. Let''s finish this damn quest.\" Everyone backed his decision with an approving nod. Players were already armed with clubs and daggers. The group went to look for enemies in the donjon. They found seven more skeletons. Level 1, weak opponents. Dan ran through halls and rooms and never stopped wondering about the strange planning of the building. * There were three floors in the donjon. The central building: First floor: Hall with columns, entrance to the donjon. Second floor: Throne Hall. The hall had a long rectangular table carved out of smooth, light, with dark veins of stone. 13 stone chairs surrounded the table. One chair was at the head of the table, it looked like a natural throne. The stone wolf''s head above the back of the throne and the armrests in the form of paws were very artfully made. Third floor: An empty hall with remnants of wooden furniture and a huge fireplace. The North Round Tower: First floor: Arsenal. It''s a pity it''s empty. It had many stone racks and shelves for weapons and equipment. Second floor: Alchemist''s room. There were tables with flasks and retorts of various kinds, and there were many empty shelves. Dan immediately thought that they needed gunpowder! There''s alchemy, they need to invent gunpowder! Third floor: The Hall of Revival. The East Round Tower: First floor: Dining room with a small kitchen and storage room. It empties again. Well, at least the dishes are in place. Second floor: Six rooms that look like small cells. There was only enough room for a bed and a small table with a chair. All the furniture was ruined. Third floor: Six more rooms, the furniture was ruined. The square Main Tower: First floor: A hall with columns, where a memorable battle for the donjon was fought. Second floor: Two cabinets with preserved tables and heavy armchairs with decayed upholstery, plus another cell. Third floor: The library. But the only remnants of the books on the shelves are the dried-out leather covers and roots with the remnants of thick threads. Players found out that finished the last skeleton when the Mission Report jumped out. * [Congratulations! Order Renaissance mission accomplished! Enter the name of the Holder to present the award for the task] * Dan smiled; ''''We did it! We have a new horizon for development! I think I''m beginning to guess what we''ll get as a reward. It''s not money and it''s not a loot.'''' All the players have gathered in the Renaissance Hall and started exchanging opinions. It was weird! There was an atmosphere of peace and comfort in this place. It had to do with death, but it was nice to be there. They solved the issue with Holder''s Name. Michael asked a question: \"What name shall we use?\" \"We''re probably about being given clan and clan hall rights, we need to enter the Clan Name,\" said Gandalf. Dan realized a long time ago that the kid was playing computer games. Dan was also thinking about a new stage in group development. The Clan, the Guild. It''s the standard for the game. Michael offered to enter his name options. Then, an argument started and there was a lot of unnecessary stupid talking. The men''s fantasy turned out to be rich. Gandalf gave such a name that it was impossible to reproduce it to a normal person. In the end, Michael entered the following in the name of possession: * ''The Phoenix'' Clan. * [Congratulations! You have come to this world with nothing, but you have not bowed to the hardships thrown by fate on your shoulders. You paid with your own blood, you were able to find your new home in this cruel world. So, own it by right. From now on, the Abandoned Preceptorium location becomes a safe zone. Built by builders into the walls, the Undead Protection is activated. Safe radius: 100 yards (91.44 m) from the walls of the Preceptorium. Owner: Phoenix Clan. Type: Preceptorium. Durability: 50000. Congratulations! Clan got 300 Glory points. The general status of the clan is changed to ''You can be trusted with your word''. Until the next general status change, gain 500 more Glory Points. Your clan gets the third level of Glory (3/20)] Attention! The new quest received, ''In the footsteps of the Greats''. Description: In ancient times this place was owned by great warriors, their Power and Glory protected the surrounding land for many miles around the Preceptorium. You took responsibility for this possession, you put a heavy burden on your shoulders. Attention! Map update: 23 desecrated locations detected. 7 locations of dungeon type. Despite the difficulties in your way, you must clear 2 desecrated locations per month from monsters. If you do not complete the quest, your clan will lose 200 ''Glory'' points. [30:23:59] Quest type: Rare. Reward: Variative. Warning! Having cleaned all the desecrated locations, you can get a unique quest. Attention! Sensible monsters living in these lands will do anything to desecrate locations that you have already cleared. Attention! Players who have reached level 10 can get Character Class. An appropriate initiation is required. Enter the Class Selection Room. Attention! In three days a caravan of traders will come to the nearest village, the range of goods in the shop will increase] * What a reward! Dan expected something like this, but he was shocked by the news and the perspectives. Players expressed themselves out loud and more rudely. These people thought they would be returned home! But now everyone got another confirmation that they do not have another home. Dan looked carefully at the players'' faces. Michael was thinking about the obligatory quest. His face was calm. Alexander cried his lips in a cruel smile. The others were clearly upset by this state of affairs. And suddenly Gandalf asked a very important question: \"Guys, did anybody see the Class Selection Room?\" Really, where is she? Players started a fresh sweep of the building. Even the walls were tapping, but there was nothing. That''s an interesting turn of events. Jim assumed there was an underground floor. Men knelt down the entire first floor, examining every square yard closely. Nothing. No basement. That''s sad. To keep the team from falling into despair, Michael used a reliable tool to remove unnecessary thoughts from bad heads. He drove the group to clean the rooms. The wreckage and remnants of furniture were taken to the yard, where they were folded near the tent. Shields and supports, including the remains of a broken shield, were taken to the stables. Then, Michael took Jim and Turin with him, and they went to the village, to discuss with the local carpenter about making new furniture. Players dragged the tables and benches from the chapel to the new dining room. Velida started mastering the new household. Gandalf remained with her, and he still felt guilty about his behavior when he met her. It was not worthy of the future great magician. The starting clothes were used for cleaning rags. Players took buckets of water and started cleaning up the rooms. They finished late, it was already darker in the yard, but there was still enough sunlight. After cleaning, the players went to different sides of the castle. Everyone continued looking for a room to get Character Classes. Dan went to the hall with columns to get a good look at the very interesting low relief. A group of knights in heavy fantasy armor was carved on the wall. Due to the low light, Dan couldn''t make out the details of the image. Why is there a pedestal with a bowl? And that mystery wouldn''t let him go. Dan picked up one of the obscured torches from one of the columns and lit it from one of the burning torches on the pillars. The light of the torch helped him look closely at the square pedestal. Various monsters and ancient knights were also carved on it. The figure of one knight was thrown into the eye. The image of this warrior was encircled in a square with a clever pattern. Dan held out his hand and touched the stone. At that moment, he discovered that the figure of the knight was slightly pressed inside the pedestal. Dan pressed harder and heard a loud click. The plate with the knight slipped down. In the stash that opened, stood a small, tightly closed copper jug. Dan pulled out this jug and examined it carefully. It was a regular copper jug with a round neck, tightly closed with a cork. And something was splashing in it. When he pulled out the cork, Dan smelled it carefully, but there was no smell. And then what? He has a bowl, he has a strange liquid. Dan poured liquid from the jug into the bowl on two fingers. Then, he corked the jug and put it back in place. The plate with the knight immediately slipped up, hid the stash again. It''s not weak middle Ages. A very competent mechanic of the hidden stash. Dan wet finger in a poured liquid, he figured out what it was like butter, but why no smell? Dan picked up a lighted torch from the floor and brought it to the bowl. The flame broke out brightly, the pleasant smell of incense sprayed in the air. * [You have paid respect. Your Spirit has been increased by 20% for 12 hours] * At the same moment, the floor in front of the pedestal began to fall down, and a passage opened with stone steps, which used to be part of the floor. Dan took the club out of the inventory. Clutching the torch tightly, he began to descend carefully. He reached the end of the stairs and froze on the last step. The light of the torch wasn''t enough to see what was ahead of him. Then. Dan lighted the floor in front of him and noticed the stone gutters that went into the darkness of the hall from both sides. At the bottom of the gutters was gleaming liquid, which was already familiar to him. Dan lowered the torch to the gutter on my right side. The flame flashed sharply and ran to the side of the gutter. It turned out that the gutter had been laid out along the walls of a large round hall. In the center of the secret hall there were four groups of stone statues of full height in a semicircle, a bit far apart from each other. In each group there were three statues and the small stone stands with small bowls in front of them. * [Attention! The Class Selection Room has been detected. Attention! Make sure the passage to the selection hall is open and the flame of Tribute of Respect is lit. You''ve got the passive ''See the Hidden'' skill. The current skill is 1. You have a 5% chance of finding the hiding place. Luck +1] * Yeah, this is me, I''m lucky! It''s been a pleasure getting new achievements and luck increasing. Dan sat on the steps of a secret staircase in a secret room. Suddenly, there was a voice in the back: \"You really did find The Class Selection Room!\" 7 Character Class Selection Presently an excited voice was heard and Michael in his armor flew down the stairs. He slammed Dan on the shoulder painfully and asked: \"Dan, what kind of man are you?\" \"Keep your voice down, strongman. A man as a man, you express yourself in concrete terms.\" \"You found the secret room! You''ve got to stretch your luck on everyone,\" he looked at the statues. \"Let''s get rich.\" \"Aren''t you going to sell me body parts?\" He laughed and gave Dan a ring: \"Hold your ring, or I forgot to give it back.\" John was coming down the stairs: \"Come on, move over!\" He walked in and started studying the statues. Dan took the ring and equipped it. Then, he went with the others to examine the statues. They were done brilliantly, with all the equipment and weapons. It seemed as if twelve more people were in the hall with us now, and they were about to come back to life. There were inscriptions on the altars in front of groups of statues. They meant four ways. The Way of the Strength, the Way of Dexterity, the Way of Intelligence and the Way of the Spirit. And the inscriptions were carved in a language Dan understood, but the letters looked more elegant, with all sorts of curls. Dan started carefully reading the available classes: * The Way of the Strength: Warrior, Soldier, and Knight. The Way of Dexterity: Assassin, Thief, and Scout. The Way of Intelligence: The Magician, Craftsman, and Scientist The Way of the Spirit: Priest, Spiritual, and Inquisitor. * More and more interesting, and a little more misunderstood. His first thought was that there are 12 classes, and there are only 10 players in the group. \"That''s the news, there''s Invisibility in that game!\" John laughed, he was standing next to Nick on the Way of Dexterity. Dan started by getting to know the Path of Strength. It''s the most necessary type of player for them. He opened up the Warrior''s description: * Warrior Attention! There are three possible transformations of this class. Having mastered your class perfectly, you can perform one of the possible transformations by improving your class. By choosing the Warrior''s path, the player takes a step towards the power given by his body and weapon. Warriors are strong and hardy. Continuously improving their weapon skills, they can become incredibly dangerous opponents for any enemy. Improved skills: Passive: The growth of skill is achieved through intensive training: ''Physical training''. Only continuous training can unlock your abilities. By fully developing this skill, warriors can fight the enemy without armor or weapons. It opens up skills: ''Stone Skin''. Your body is so strong that it can compete with artificial armor. ''Steel hands''. Your strength is so great that neither stone nor steel can stop you. Class skills: You can improve with skill points: ''Possession of weapons''. By developing this skill to the max, you will turn your weapon into the perfect murder weapon. The chance to strike a critical blow is 50% at maximum skill development. That opens up the skill: ''Virtuosos''. For a long time, you''ve only fought with one weapon, you''ve studied it up and down and understood its essence. Your weapons have found their Soul and become more dangerous many times. Battle skills: You can improve with skill points: 1. ''Strike''. By developing great speed and attacking as fast as you can, you can overturn, stun and crush your opponent, even if he is higher than you in level. Cooldown Time: 300 seconds. 2. ''Inevitable Strike''. When you put your best effort into a blow, you ignore your opponent''s defenses, inflicting increased damage. Calculation Formula: Damage to your weapon multiplied by the skill level. Cooldown time: 300 seconds. 3. ''Anger''. By issuing a thunderous scream, you instill fear in your enemies and slow them down. But be careful, enemies affected by this skill will do anything to destroy you as the most dangerous enemy! Cooldown time: 240 seconds. * The class makes a strong impression. An ''inspired'' weapon is something strange at all. What about a soldier? * Soldier Attention! There are three possible transformations of this class. Having mastered your class perfectly, you can perform one of the possible transformations by improving your class. A soldier is the basis of any professional army, his life is a continuous war. A player who has chosen the path of a soldier opens up exciting opportunities. Class skills: You can improve with skill points: 1. ''Discipline''. By developing this skill, a soldier can be prepared to meet any opponent. Discipline increases resistance to frightening, stunned, and intimidating. The skill is pumped through regular training. It opens up skills: ''Cold-blooded''. No matter how strong the enemy is, you will not be confused by it. Death itself cannot make the weapon in your handshake. Additionally, it increases resistance to frightening, stunned, and intimidated. It allows you to reach the game maximum resistance to these skills. ''Order''. This skill increases the defense and attack, making you a difficult obstacle in the way of the enemy. Attention! The game''s maximum is achieved through a randomly acquired ''Shoulder to Shoulder'' skill. Improved skills: 1. ''Leadership''. Your comrades are beginning to trust you. By exercising general command of the group, you become a united, multi-faceted and ideal killing machine. The very fact of your presence makes your allies much stronger. This skill increases the parameters for all members of the group. This skill group only increases if you lead your comrades in battle. It opens up skills: 1. ''Commander''. One or a hundred? One Thousand or Hundreds of Thousands? The number of soldiers under your command no longer plays a special role, as does the number of soldiers in the enemy. By counting the battle three moves forward, you can defeat any enemy. This skill increases the parameters for all members of the group. Additionally, it increases the parameters of all members of the group, allowing you to reach the game maximum. 2. ''Warlord''. You have honed your mind and military skills in endless battles, you have hardened you will do that one looks at the enemy''s side can take away his strength and break his will. Attention! This skill refers to area effects. The parameters and strength of your opponents'' skills are reduced by 5% per skill unit, by 20 minutes. Cooldown Time: 12 hours. Battle skills: You can improve with skill points: 1. ''Learned Method''. You know your opponent''s strengths and weaknesses, and you can easily hit a weak spot with increased critical damage. Calculated using the following formula: Critical Damage * per skill level. Time of action and Cooldown: 120 seconds. * It''s complicated. It''s interesting. It''s sure to interest the players. And the Knight? * A Knight Attention! There are three possible transformations of this class. Having mastered your class perfectly, you can perform one of the possible transformations and improve your class. ''Honor'' is not an empty sound to you. When choosing the path of a Knight, you must remember the following: you will never be able to hit in the back, from now on you can only have an honest fight. If you give your word, you must keep it. By taking a Vow, you will gain a power that will greatly enhance your abilities. The knight''s path is the path of Glory. But you must remember that if you fail, you will suffer a terrible punishment. Attention! The amount of ''Glory'' received by this class has been increased by 20% compared to the other classes. 1. Class skills: You can improve with skill points: 1. ''Vow''. By making a solemn promise before the fight, you get the opportunity to improve one of your basic characteristics. Attention! The number of ''Vows'' is limited to three attempts. A ''Vow'' is scored by the System. The minimum term for a ''Vow'' is one day. Opens the skills: ''Monster Killer''. This skill increases damage to monsters. ''The Challenge''. By summoning your opponent to a duel, you can reduce one of his characteristics. 2. Improved skills: 1. ''The Mastery of Defense''. You''re so similar to armor that it''s your second skin. The protection provided by the armor and shield increases. Attention! To develop this skill group, you must practice all kinds of physicals training in full equipment. It opens up skills: 1. ''Protection''. Your sword and shield will become an insurmountable wall in the way of your enemy. This skill reduces the damage you receive from physical weapons. 2. ''Defensive''. By developing this skill, you can further reduce the damage you receive. Attention! The game''s maximum is achieved by developing the ''Protection'' skill. 1. Battle skill: You can improve this skill with skill points: 1. ''Squall. By alternating sword and shield strikes, you can deal triple damage to your opponent. Calculated by the formula: Weapons damage + Shield defense *3. Time of action and Cooldown: 120 seconds. * This is bad news! The system will control the player''s Obey! Brutal. How is the balance here with these classes? It turns out that the Warrior is the main class, and the Soldier and Knight are a specialty for a certain mission. Once again, Dan got more questions than answers, and he went out. Dan climbed up to the third floor of the central building, he poured coal brought by Ron out of the box and lit the fireplace. He laid cloak on the floor and placed himself in front of the fire. There''s a lot to think about. The door slammed, and Michael came up to sit next to him. He started the conversation with his news: \"The attitude of the villagers to us has changed.\" \"I don''t understand.\" \"I saw the children in the village today, the locals nodding like old friends. It''s wild to see that after the alienation lane.\" \"So, the reputation has worked.\" \"It turns out that reputation works for us. The kids aren''t afraid of us at all. I have a son and a wife left in my life.'''' \"And I have no one there. Just friends.\" \"Friends are good, too. Do you think we''ll go back home?\" \"I think we''ll go back. But not anytime soon. Any game has a destination. Maybe, we should do something very important in this world, and then we''ll get a chance to go back,\" said Dan, although he didn''t believe in going back, to be honest. \"Okay, if so. At least there''s hope. We''ve decided by class tomorrow to make decisions. It''s a night for everyone to choose their class. What do you think about your class?\" \"I was just looking at a branch of strength. That was more than enough to boil my brain.\" \"You shouldn''t have watched all the classes. I found someone who can sanctify silver. It was the Spiritualist''s ability. It''s also very interesting how the classes can transform themselves.\" \"There are three transformations in each class! The lack of references to the game is becoming more and more unpleasant.\" \"In the branch of intelligence, each class will have a choice of six transformations attached to it,\" he said. \"Twelve primary classes, forty-five possible transformations, plus an unknown number of hidden classes.\" \"Interesting news. Say more about hidden classes, please,\" Michael asked. Dan told him about ''Nemesis''. And about the possible connection of this achievement with Father of the Mountains, whom Turin refused to talk about. \"So the dwarf of his heavenly protector asked for revenge. And I just got into trouble.\" \"If that were the case, we wouldn''t have gotten the quest to kill a werewolf.\" \"Did the dwarf give you a revenge quest?\" \"No. He took his daughter''s remains and said nothing. The quest then came later.\" \"You see, Michael. Of course, there''s a chance I''m egotistical, but I''m used to trusting my intuition. And she convinces me that there are Gods in this world, and there''s something wrong with them. The locals are afraid to talk about them openly.\" \"Maybe we can learn more when the caravan arrives.\" \"What class are you leaning towards?\" \"I think between the Warrior and the Soldier,\" he said. \"If you become a Warrior, the clan will get an almost ready tank, but the Soldier has Leadership. And especially one interesting cheater trick that hits the square. Good luck with your hard choices,\" hummed Dan. \"Can you give me any advice?\" \"It''s your own business. It''s a matter of life and death. I don''t plan on taking the path of strength. Think for yourself. What about the others?\" \"Alexander chooses between Warrior and Knight.\" \"And he''s not afraid of the situation with the Vows? I would never choose the Knight''s class. The protection that these classes can get looks pretty tempting.\" \"The ''Vows'' scare him, so he thinks. John and Nick are having problems, too. On the one hand, he''s an Invisible Assassin and a combo with a chance of hitting weak areas. But on the other hand, there''s a Scout with a fighting skill that allows you to use §ãamouflage and combos by firing three arrows alternately and ignoring the enemy''s armor. Just because we don''t have a bow, they don''t care. If we have to, we''ll buy a bow.\" \"Funny business. They can flip a coin.\" Dan laughed, the choice was hard. He noticed that these two are constantly competing with each other. \"I''ll leave them out of this, let them make their own choices. Tom and Ron are going to take a warrior. Jim''s in the craft. Leo has decided to think very carefully about his choice. But Gandalf is happy.\" \"What do you mean?\" \"And he''s already using his imagination to throw a cloud of fireballs at the enemy. The fact that he''s still on level nine, they boldly ignore. He''s jumping to the surrounding woods tomorrow, naturally, with a couple of helpers to finish the level.\" \"A magician has decided to become.\" \"Yeah. From now on, he''s allowed to call himself ''Your Magician'' and no other way.\" \"Funny guy.\" \"He is. Oh, by the way. Dan, you should have seen the headman''s face when I said Turin was going to run our business now. I was avenged. Completely.\" Michael smiled and covered his eyes, apparently remembering a pleasant moment. \"Was it that much fun?\" \"Oh, yes. There was a real circus.\" He told me how the Village Head tried to save the situation. The Head of the Village began to hint that Turin was a crook. And soon the good gentlemen of the castle will be left without pants and in debt servitude by a cunning dwarf. But Turin had a good ear. The dwarf stood nearby and managed to hear everything very well. And then there was a natural fight. It resulted in a solid bruise under the headman''s eye. There were losses on the Turin side, too. A solid piece of a beard! Players separated them. Then, a hard trade began between them. With mutual insults and reproaches. The whole village gathered for free entertainment. Turin demanded that the goods be released from the shop for us as local. The headman motivated the shop to be his family business and threatened to raise the prices of the shop to the clouds. Turin responded by threatening sanctions. I mean, that would forbid his son to sell ironware from the forge to the same shop. For about an hour the passion kept boiling. Eventually, Turin harassed the headman and even beat him to a hundred silver rials. Michael spent a tenth of the coin. He gave Turin a set of silver rings for his beard. And the headman was given a mana storage device from the trophies that fell from the ghoul. It was a big piece, like a big piece of rock crystal and seemed to be worth a lot. Then, Michael layout strange skillfully made metal gloves in front of Dan. They were decorated with scary spikes. \"Here, they decided to give this to you. A share from the ghoul.\" \"And where''s the rest of the armor, did you drink it?\" \"These are combat gloves, bracelets, no armor, read the description.\" Dan looked it up. * Battle Bracelets of Wrath Type: Rare Effects: +2 to power Damage: 120 to 150. Critical damage: 210 - 240. Defense: 100 Weight: 6 pounds Durability: 100 Warning! A minimum of 15 points of strength is required to possess these weapons effectively. Description: The credo of the creator of these weapons is ''Good must be with fists''. And this weapon fully justifies this saying. Attention! When using this equipment, the slots with the weapon are blocked. Attention! This equipment is recommended for use by the ''Inquisitor'' class. * \"Interesting weapon, even with a recommendation for a certain class. What else fell off the ghoul?\" \"Iron armor knives and boots, normal iron helmet without horns, paired blades, three iron bars. Two Talakatas and a pile of small crystals. Ghoul''s head and claws. 52 silver coins.'''' \"What, did the natural head fall?\" \"Yes, we''ll hang our head here above the fireplace.'''' \"What for? We need the money, you better sell it.\" \"We''ll see there. Let''s go downstairs to the guys. We took the local alcohol, we''ll drink to celebrate our corner.\" \"We''ve found a very powerful and solid corner. What about the furniture?\" \"Tomorrow we''ll go to get the material. The carpenter has his wagon, we''ll load it too. And then on two wagons back to the castle. He''ll tell the price after he inspects the front of the work. I think we''ll settle for a hundred silver rials.\" When Michael went down to the first floor, he went into the dining room, and Dan stopped at the bottom of the Choice Hall. He stood up a bit, looked at the Bracelets of Wrath in his hands. And he started going down decisively. In the hall, Dan stopped at the path of the Spirit. The Priest, the Spiritual, and the Inquisitor. He put Bracelets of Wrath at his feet. Dan thought with anger that since he was so lucky, so be it. He cut palm on the spikes on the bracelet and sliced some blood into the altar bowl. * [Would you like to choose a class? Yes/No] ''''Yes.'''' [Priest, Spiritual, Inquisitor] ''''The Inquisitor.'''' [Do you confirm your choice? Yes/No] ''''Yes.'''' A flash of light illuminated his body for a second. [Congratulations! You picked your class. Open a detailed description? Yes/No] ''''No.'''' He put the bracelets in the inventory and get out of the hall. It''s a lot calmer on the soul. When Dan walked into the dining room, Michael shook his head disapprovingly with a sad smile on his face. Dan shrugged by shoulders and sat down on the bench at the table. Leo gave him a cup of a clear liquid that smelled like herbs. A pleasant bitterness burned mouth, and tears came out of Dan''s eyes. Here''s to our new home! Damn it all! 8 New Opportunities and New Problems The morning started pretty funnily. There was a 30% penalty on the whole clan for yesterday''s drinking. A couple more hours the players will be incapacitated, exactly [2:21:34], as the timer kindly indicated on the penalty. Morning physical exercises were canceled. Everyone but Dan was sitting in the class selection room. Michael and Alexander were the first to make their choice. Dan looked at the status of the group and found out that Michael had taken the class of Soldier, and Alexander had not risked taking the Knight. Alexander chose the Warrior class. In the courtyard, he and Turin opened the gate and rolled to the village for the carpenter. From the basement they heard Gandalf moaning: \"What''s there to think about?! Hurry up and pick something!'''' In the morning, Gandalf''s desire to be a magician became stronger§Ò and he furiously persuaded John and Nick to go hunting in the morning. \"You are clever and fast! Quickly choose your classes and run into the woods! There are pigs, its meat for dinner, it''s a test of new abilities! I want to take level 10!\" Jim took the Craft and Basics Smith and went to the blacksmith. Skin and cut skills were his reward from the system for his work and his many attempts to fix players'' stuff. Now Jim is a professional with a broad profile. Dan walked into the castle, went up to the room with the fireplace and sat down in front of the fire. He had to look closely and carefully at the description of the Inquisitor class. When Dan woke up, the choice seemed to him to be a good one. The Inquisitor is the one who punishes Evil. The Inquisitor must know how to fight monsters. And Dan liked the prospect of becoming the expert on which his survival in this game depended. Dan started reading the Inquisitor class description. * The Inquisitor. Attention! There are three possible transformations of this class. Evil has always been, evil is many faces and ruthless. Evil often hides under the mask of good. To understand and defeat such an enemy, you must become Evil. You have taken the Inquisitor''s path, you must know that you will now be hated and feared. Ordinary people will never give you a table or shelter, the merchants will significantly increase the price of their goods. To survive, you will have to go to a place where you can get the resources for your future existence. Your road leads to the cursed places, abodes and lair of monsters. These incarnations of Evil have now become your family, and you must mercilessly destroy this family. You have chosen this path yourself, you must be strengthened by the Spirit and follow it with honor. Attention! The Inquisitor class can use the cursed artifacts. 1. Improved skills [Passive]: ''The Cognition of Evil''. When you fight evil, you will learn about the nature and essence of evil. When you kill monsters, you research them thoroughly. By developing this skill, you will be able to see and identify the monster, under whatever mask it is hidden. [Attention! This skill group is only an upgrade in the battle with monsters] It opens up skills: ''Inquiry''. Sensible monsters can''t lie to you by talking to you, it''s easier to expose them. ''Hammer of Witches''. If the monster is near you, it will suffer severe pain and loss of vitality. Damage Calculation Formula: The number of your Spirit point per second * per skill level. 2. Class skills: ''Autodafe''. Developing this skill will allow you to summon the monster to Court, thereby limiting the area of his maneuver. The monster cannot leave the Court area while you are alive. Attention! The combat skills of a Court-called Monster are reduced by 5% in one skill, the class skills of the Monster are blocked. Skill duration: The amount of your Spirit * by the skill level. Opens Skills: ''Spiritual Power''. If a warrior''s main characteristic is Strength, then your main characteristic is Spirit, and it can completely replace your strength. One skill point gives you a 5% increase in strength from the total amount of your Spirit. ''Tough Will''. You will experience fear and pain, but you will be able to turn these harmful feelings into your advantage. Some of the damage you get turns into life points. You will be able to receive 5% of the damage you receive. Combat skill: ''Punishment''. The Inquisitor is weak in body, but he is strong in spirit. In the battle with monsters, it is the Spirit who will be your weapon. This skill increases the damage you cause and your defense, including against non-material enemies. Your damage and defense are increased by 5% per skill. Time of action and Cooldown skill: 120/240 seconds. * Dan saw the advantages and disadvantages of his choices. The most unpleasant thing was the fact that he was firmly connected with a group of other players. The Inquisitor will not be able to interact normally with ordinary people. The Inquisitor needs a helper. Now he has the Clan. But he was unhappy with its restriction. Everything has a price. He can deal with new problems. The active part of the new class has pleased him. As Dan thought, the Inquisitor is a master in destroying monsters. It has a passive aura that does enormous damage. A Level 1 skeleton has 1200 lives. Skeleton Elite level 15 has 8000 lives. If Dan raises the Hammer of Witches skill to level 10, he will deal 300 damage points per second! 4 seconds will destroy a weak skeleton, Elite will fall in half a minute of combat. That''s very impressive. Dan wonders how far this aura can hit. The skill of ''Tough Will'' is vampirism, and it''s a great opportunity to get out of combat alive. ''Autodafe'' blocks the monster''s class skills. That''s very good. Enemy skills in this game look scary and very dangerous. Dan has an opportunity to ease his fight. This kind of control and debuff looks cute. Buffs of the class will be useful in the game, too. Dan does not understand the conditions that are necessary to transform into a new level of class. Perhaps the player should gain a certain number of levels. For example, until you reach level 20 the transformation is impossible. Maybe the player should develop some of his skills to the maximum. Then, the question arises about the required number of developed skills. In any case, the time has come to work carefully with his characteristics. The skill points and the reserve characteristics should not be a dead weight in the status. Dan was not in a hurry and calmed himself with the thought that there is no bad skills, every skill of the inquisitor is worthy of attention. He hopes that he has not ruined his life in this cursed world. Status: * Character information: Name: Dan Class: Inquisitor Race: Human Level: 10 Experience: 41100/54200 Strength 25 [16 +3 +2 +4] Intellect 13 [11 +2] [MP 130] Dexterity 17 [14 +3] Spirit 35 [29 +3 +3] Endurance 20 [HP 2000] Luck 2 [Passive] ''See the Hidden'' 1 [Passive] Improved skills: ''The Cognition of Evil'' [0/10] Class skills: ''Autodafe'' [10] ''Spiritual power'' [3/10] ''Tough Will'' [0/10] Combat skills: ''Punishment'' [2/10] Available with 0 point characteristics and 0 point skills. * The improvement of skills began when the system reminded him of the need to fight monsters. Dan couldn''t improve the ''Cognition of Evil'' skill. This skill group required a battle with monsters! Dan developed the class skill ''Autodafe'' to its maximum. Monster control and maximum enemy weakening is the most important thing for him now. Is he dependent on other players? Fine, then they should help Dan in combat. It''s Dan''s business to control and debuff the enemy. And no vampirism will help him survive six minutes of combat. Now all he has to do is get four strikes from a strong enemy to go on a rebirth. Pitiful crumbs of compensation won''t help! But increasing strength with ''Spiritual Power'' is a reliable and useful skill. Dan hopes that the monster in the Court area will be available for damage from his partners. He liked ''Punishment'' for its versatility, but increasing damage and protection is great. Dan was in the early stages of character development. It''s important to take care of his survival. Dan wonders how all this will work in battle. He remembered the possibility of using Cursed Items. Terrible moment, terrible perspectives. The game for Dan will be a constant challenge to his luck. His body was floating on waves of euphoria from the elevated characteristics, thoughts lazily confused in the head. And what happens if Dan comes to the village now? Kicked out in disgrace? Dan wants to shout. Half the kingdoms for the information book on this damn game! The euphoria blew up, Dan hit the floor with a glove shackled in steel and got up slowly. Dan liked the bracelets, they were comfortable, his fingers could move freely. He didn''t feel any decrease in insensitivity. He wanted to take a walk around the castle. What if he got lucky and found a new stash? And Dan also decided that from now on, he should spend his Glory on his development. He has nothing to gain a reputation with the locals, the Inquisitor is a dangerous monster for everyone. Everybody has their sins, everybody hides skeletons in hiding places, and everybody doesn''t like the Inquisition. But this question should be discussed with Michael. Dan wandered from room to room. In random places, the player tapped into walls and pressed on ledges that seemed suspicious to him. Until Dan was unlucky. The only thing that seemed strange to him was the floor that contained the cabinets. Something on this floor was wrong, and he couldn''t figure out what it was. Dan went down to the yard and invited Jim to help. The new smith was already forging something with a small hammer. Not knowing how to properly explain his problem, Dan just asked Jim to come in one strange place. They walked into the Castle, went up to the floor with the cabinets, Jim was staring at Dan questioningly. Dan started talking: \"Jim, you''re an engineer, right?\" \"Yes. I was an engineer,\" he said quietly. \"You know the schemes and plans and you can imagine them in your head, can''t you?\" \"What''s your idea?\" he asked. \"The idea is that every space in this Preceptorium is used to its maximum. I carefully measured the width and length of the tower and all the rooms in it. I know for a fact that the tower has a hidden room! The area of all rooms do not equal the area of the tower.\" \"Do you think there''s another room just because the builders didn''t use the entire useful volume of this floor?\" \"By all accounts, this was home to a warrior order, Jim, and the military is known for its practicality.\" \"Well, if there''s such a room, it can only be between cabinets,\" his hand patted on the corridor wall. \"Are you going to smash the wall?\" \"I''m not going to smash the wall. If the room isn''t buried, there''s got to be a mechanism that opens the stash. You''re an engineer, so if you had to build a stash here, where would you put the key?\" \"I''m not an architect. We took out the rotten bookcases, no torch bindings in the cabinets. Have you looked at the walls?\" \"I even tapped the walls.\" \"The walls are almost a foot wide, you''re tapping up your ass. I''ll take the central cabinet, you take the extreme. We need to push those walls that seem smoother or more convex. Dan, let''s check this out fast, Turin gave me a lot of jobs.\" \"He gave you an assignment?\" \"I am now a blacksmith as an Apprentice. Our system for leveling is much more sophisticated than the fighters. There''s a whole list of materials to master, from simple to complex. Even Mifril and Adamantium are on the list, and there are many other metals we don''t know.\" Players had begun a detailed study of the walls. Dan managed to check half the stones. He didn''t find any discovery. Suddenly there was a deaf knock and a loud rattle from the cabinet Jim was in. Dan ran to the sound of his room. In the room, he saw a massive table moved, and a surprised Jim standing where it used to be. There was an entrance in the wall that was a yard wide. \"I had a ''See the Hidden'',\" told Jim happily. \"I''m very happy for you. Was the mechanism under the table?\" \"Yeah, there are two masonry stones on the floor a bit wider than the others if you step on them.\" \"Okay, let''s see what we found.\" \"You''ll be watching alone. I can''t get off the rocks, and then the stash starts to close right away. You get in there and look.\" As Dan approached the opening, he whistled respectfully. \"Very good mechanics. First, the stove goes deep into the wall, and then it slides to the left, into a special opening. But the most important thing is that I can''t see the details of the mechanism moving this plate.\" \"What is it?\" he asked. \"It''s a very small room. In the center of the room is a stone pedestal, like a table. There are three objects on the table. A sword in the sheath. A piece of black stone. And a thick book in a black cover with chains.\" \"Dan, don''t play with my brains! Read the description of the objects, not what you see!\" Dan moved forward, but I froze, stopped by a system message. * [Attention! You are approaching the cursed objects. Attention! You can''t identify these objects. You need a skill or an Identification Scroll. Attention!!! A cursed object can have a destructive effect on your character. Under the influence of the course, you may lose your class and become a Monster] * Dan quickly jumped back into the room. \"Close that door!\" Jim jumped to the window and froze, looking at the slowly closing hole. \"What was it?\" he asked in a quiet hoarse voice. \"There are cursed objects. Says that identification is required. But if you put your greedy hands on them, your personage will turn into a Monster!\" \"And why did the old knights keep that stuff in the castle?\" \"I don''t know. We put the table back and wait for Michael.\" Suddenly, a wild guess came over Dan: \"Jim, do you remember that funny werewolf with the name of your known player?\" \"That''s a nightmare turn. It looks like he found something cursed and dangerous. Then why wasn''t this object on his body?\" \"Could he have had a lair in a couple of days?\" \"Dan! Every normal person will find a place that''s safe and secure. Even if you''ve become a cursed monster, you always have a lair.\" That''s the end of the discussion. Nobody wanted to talk about the cursed things and the cursed monster that was killed. They put the table back. Dan was impressed by the discovery and realized that he needed a walk in the open air. Jim went to the blacksmiths. Dan sat down by the well and opened the group status to see if the others had made up their mind about the classes. There were some changes to the menu. Now it looked like a Clan theme. You could enter a picture of a clan''s coat of arms. Dan saw a line of empty little windows to match the skills. The system wrote that to use a skill, you have to make a certain gesture or say the word activation. The first time randomly, then your activator attached to a particular skill and change the \"trigger\" was impossible. He did not think about the activators of skills. Dan''s thoughts were busy deciding how deep the ass he fell into was. The Inquisitor class is adapted to interact with the cursed objects of this world. Dan bound to be asked to deal with these nasty things. But he didn''t want to get to know them any closer! The memories of a werewolf fight came back to mind. Maybe, he turned into a monster some other way. Maybe a witch spelled it on him. Stupid and nonsense! Here, the witches eat new players for breakfast. They torture them to the last drop of blood. Problems... a strange life where big changes, both good and bad, happen quickly. Anyway, the cursed objects in the Castle are none of my businesses! The ancient experienced and wise Knights and Inquisitors have hidden the shit in a hiding place. Finding the stash is no problem. And we''re not going deep into the damned trap. We''re not exactly brain-dead hardcore players! Or are we? 9 Lab rat got the cheese When Dan came down to the first floor, he noticed that the selection room was empty. He opened up the clan status and looked at the results. John Assassin, Nick the scout. It was understandable and expected. The guys picked two classes that would give the clan twice the skills and benefits for development. And then Dan was pretty surprised. Leo became a knight. He turned out to be a romantic. Or a very cunning man, which was totally out of line with his friendliness. He became the only Knight in the clan. His skills will surely help. Tom chose the Warrior''s way, but his brother was surprised. Ron became the Spiritual Master. Only Gandalf remained undistributed. Dan went out into the courtyard and saw John and Nick going hunting with Gandalf. He asked them not to touch things they didn''t know or understand if they got their hands on. The guys got in, and Gandalf started dreaming of finding a powerful artifact. Dan didn''t understand him, to be honest. Is he fooling around, or does he have a childish view of the world? It''s like a witch with her torture had to shake his inner peace. Or is that such a protective reaction? The guy was playing a game, and he treated life like a game. An unclear person. The dexterous guys went hunting. John said there''s a wolf''s den nearby. Dan started doing some exercise. Leo picked on him and told him what had pushed Ron to become a spirit doctor. The need to kill seriously injured friends turned out to be a big hit for him. And to make sure it didn''t happen again, Ron took on a spiritual that had been healed. The healing was weak. It only raised life by a hundred hp, but in the lack of potions, such help was needed. Using a skill cost 30 mana, but with skill development, the number of hp restored increased. It is a strange moment, the way of the spirit, and intelligence is still necessary. Dan listened and did the exercises, and he did it! The game congratulated him and added +1 to life and +1 to strength. That''s the increase that he''s done a lot of work today. Dan tried again to think about what happened to him in this world. He''s only been here for four days, and it seems like it''s been a couple of weeks. The world was dragging on, Dan was attracted to the fact that the world was hiding big secrets. Surprisingly and quite strangely, there were no players among the people, those who in that life was sick with games. By what standards were they selected? Dan was worried about the general behavior of the people in the group. Memories were revived by passages of the most shining moments of the past. Everyone but him had families there. But not hysterical, isolated behavior, Dan wasn''t observing. And on the subject of past life, the guys are trying to talk less. Why is that? Or maybe it''s just been too little time. There was also an interesting fact. Everyone knew their names, but no one could remember their family name. Questions, questions, and no answers. This kind of situation freaked Dan out. A noise was heard at the gate, and a heavily forested wagon entered the castle courtyard, followed by another one. The carpenters came to work on the furniture for the castle. Dan went up to Michael and told him about an unpleasant discovery. They went to the castle. The leader had identification scrolls! When they went into the office, Dan went straight to the desk and moved it aside. The table was heavy. He looked at the floor and noticed that one stove on the floor stood out slightly. He quickly found the second stove as well. Dan stood up on the stove and rattled against the wall, opening the door to the secret room. \"Go, soldier, look,\" said Dan. Michael took his time, he looked closely at the passage. \"Wait for a minute, Inquisitor, this case is serious.\" Michael shook his head and there was a scroll in his hand. Then, he stepped inside the hiding place and got away with it. There was a sound as if Michael was snapping... with his fingers. Then he scolded softly... Then, the clicks were heard again. He activated the scrolls, one by one, and then the soldier scolded again and started activating the scrolls again. About two minutes later, he came out of the stash with a confused face. Dan asked with great interest in the results of his attempts: \"Did it work?\" \"I was able to identify the sword and the book. The shard was still unidentifiable.\" \"And what do they write?\" \"Come and see for yourself. With your skills, you can see more valuable information.\" It took them a little time to change the legs on the slabs. Switched places and Dan took a careful step into the stash. * [Attention! You are approaching the cursed objects. Attention! You can''t identify one of these objects. You need a skill or an Identification Scroll. Attention!!! A cursed object can have a devastating effect on your character. Under the influence of an object you may lose your class and become a monster.] * He already read that, so he wasn''t scared. Dan looked at the blade and highlighted the description icon with his eyes. * Drinking the Soul Type: Cursed Effects: Hidden Damage: Hidden Weight: Hidden Strength: Hidden Description: Hidden You will only be able to see the hidden characteristics of an object by becoming its owner. This object is only available to adherents of the Path of Strength. The minimum level for effective possession: 80. * What an artifact! They''ll never make it to level 80! The name is very frightening. A sword that drinks the soul. And whose soul does it drink? The owner or his enemies? This sly sword is quite capable of drinking souls from anyone! It is cursed! It''s a terrible weapon. Dan turned his attention to the shard. * Unidentified object. Identification required. * Nothing is clear! The filthy stone has an even higher level than the sword if his scrolls couldn''t identify him. All he has to do is look at the book... * Taurus Type: Cursed Effects: Hidden Weight: Hidden Strength: Hidden Description: Hidden You will only be able to see the hidden characteristics of an object by becoming its owner. This object is only available to adepts of the Spirit''s path. * [Link to the subject? Yes/No] Goddamn it, what do we do? And is it his imagination, or is the phrase wrongly constructed? \"No,\" Dan said it clearly. [Should it be linked to you? \"Yes/No] * \"Michael, I'' m invited to take this cursed book.\" \"So take it, your class seems to be allowed.\" \"What if I get cursed?\" \"Then don''t take it.\" \"Good advice, Michael, would kill you for such advice.\" \"It''s your choice,\" he laughed. So, what do we do now? Why do all the surprises happen to him? The game''s hints are clear and seem to approve of Dan''s desire to take this artifact. The Inquisitor can interact with the cursed objects. And this book is designed specifically for the Inquisitor! Dan decided to take a chance and quietly agreed to tie the artifact to him: \"Yes.\" * [The hidden task ''Be careful'' has been completed. If you chose the wrong option, your class would change to ''Ghoul''. We wish you a pleasant game. The item is built into your outfit. Status: Equipped.] * I knew it! You bastards! I want you to do such hidden quests yourself from start to finish. Dan opened the character''s window and saw he had another slot in his right thigh area. He opened up a description: * Taurus Type: Cursed Remove, sell, transfer, steal is impossible. Effects: Locked until the character reaches level 80. Weight: Locked until the character reaches level 80. Durable: Locked until the character reaches level 80. Description: Locked until the character reaches level 80. * It''s a total asshole! That shit was instantly attached to his right belt. The two chains that came with it instantly wrapped up his body and now became a belt. Dan tried to unlock the silver book clasps. There was an inscription, ''Blocked until the character reaches level 80''. He tried to put the book in his inventory and the result was the same. The book couldn''t be moved, it couldn''t be taken off. And why did he need it? It''s impossible to take it off. The book can''t be used. Michael was wary of his upset face. Seeing the alarm in his eyes, Dan wasn''t scared for a joke. \"There''s something wrong with me, Michael, isn''t there?\" For a whole minute, Michael kept quiet, his face was getting darker and darker. It seems that Dan had played it out, and now he''s being kicked out of the clan. And then the bastard started laughing loudly. \"It is okay, Dan! It''s just that your face was so... sinful to miss a chance,\" he said between laughs. \"Oh, come on, with all the jokes!\" The relaxation was mixed with anger. Dan turned around and walked away from that damn room. The words of this creep came down to his back: \"Dan, no offense! Tell me a secret, what are the effects of your mysterious ancient black book?\" Fool! Not a clan leader, a fool. Doesn''t he realize that much secrecy is now broken? This book is impossible to hide! And what is the answer to those who are sure to notice this unusual thing? \"You''re back in your favorite spot by the fireplace, I knew it. Move over, you evil inquisitor.\" Michael drove him away from the fireplace. Suddenly, two rocking chairs appeared in front of the fireplace. The room smelled of fresh wood and varnished. Dan touched the smooth headband of the chair and smiled. Well-done by the carpenter. He''ll live in that chair now! Sitting in the chair, he blissfully stretched his legs toward the fireplace and smiled: \"All I have to do is buying a blanket, a pipe and find where the beer is made!\" \"There''s no beer in the village. Dan, you forgave me. Now tell me the details of what kind of book you got.\" Michael sat down in another chair and stared at the belt folio with interest. \"You''re not going to believe this. To find out what''s in the book, I need to get to level 80! I can''t take this book off, not sell it. There''s one joy in not being able to steal it from me.\" \"How did you get it equipped?\" \"I''ve got it on my own like a virus.\" \"Interesting.\" \"I would even say very interesting. And it is very sad, Michael. Did you want news? I share my opinion with sadness. The game now clearly shows us one of the limits of our existence. Level 80 is not a fairy tale, it''s an achievable result. I''ll have to live in this nightmare world for a long time and I''ll have to kill the damn crowd of damn monsters to reach level 80.\" \"I get your idea. And I agree with you. Dan, we''re not telling everyone about the stash. Answer all of your questions with the truth! In this game, you can''t lie, it''s very cruel and it can give you a penalty. You found the book. It''s for the Inquisitor class. And don''t say anything else.\" \"Nice and right. It''ll work. Where did you get such great chairs?\" \"Morwen the carpenter did. And it took him about ten minutes for each chair. He''s got a carpenter''s skill up. Morwen said the new product would be in demand.\" \"Has he tried to buy a patent from you?\" \"Come on, there''s no such thing as patent law. No one''s ever heard of it. We gave him an idea, and he gave us two chairs to thank us. Here''s the whole patent for you.\" Dan looked at the leader and started an important new conversation: \"Michael, I have a proposal. Soon tonight and after dinner, we''ll be planning our actions in the cemetery. But we have a few important questions to address. They are related to the activities of the clan. You''re a leader, but you can''t deal with all the questions alone. We need a financier, this man must run our trade in a new world. It has to be a man who has a class development connected to the intellect. Trade and finance are the affairs of smart and intelligent people.\" \"Sometimes I stop like a broken doll. You''re right, Dan, I''ve taken on too many responsibilities. I have no desire to be in finance and commerce. I feel like a fighter. I feel like a soldier. Jim can''t be our commercial agent and financier. Smith''s skill is the most difficult in this world. The quality of our armor and our weapons depends on his development. Our financier and the main trader can be Nick! He has a Scout class. And strangely enough, this class must develop intelligence. Scout should develop as a master of traps. Nick will work hard in the village, he will have a lot of contact with the locals. I hope he''ll agree to take on new responsibilities and become a clan financier.\" \"I''ll say some nasty words, but these are honest words. Sadly, Gandalf is not ready for that kind of responsibility. Intelligence is the main characteristic of a magician. But Gandalf is being too non-serious.\" \"I agree with you. I''m annoyed by his constant whining about the lack of women in our group.\" \"Let''s talk about simpler things. How do we clean the cemetery?\" \"From one edge to the other,\" he joked. \"There are level 1 and 2 skeletons living there. Next comes the Ghouls of Level 2 and Level 3. Zombies are level 5. The scariest thing in the cemetery is Banshee. We don''t know the level of that thing. Maybe there''s a major monster in the cemetery that''s hiding in one of the crypts. There''s always the boss of the location in the games. Information about the cemetery is the work of our scouts, who used to look around a bit. John and Nick were quick to take a special interest in the world. The two of them took a look around the castle. They couldn''t get past the cemetery.\" \"Are there crypts in there?\" \"There are a lot of things there. The monsters are weak. They have borders, they follow certain routes. Tomorrow, we''ll be picking up monsters weaker and pulling them out for battle. We should all try out the skills we''ve learned on them.\" \"And the banshees?\" \"And what about the banshee? You have a useful skill. Then, she can''t hurt much. I don''t expect to find good prey in a cemetery. But we already have two stone improved swords. Turin said they work against ghosts, too. I think it''s not that bad. I''m level 14, Alexander 12. John and Nick are level 11, the other guys are level 10. We can do this. We''ll take our time, and we''ll be careful.\" \"We don''t know which boss will meet us at the cemetery.\" \"Dan, you''re a pessimist. You never said anything about yourself, by the way. Do you remember where you lived and who you worked?\" \"I can''t remember anything definitive. It''s just normal life. I feel like I was working as a journalist. I don''t know what country I lived and worked in, I can''t remember the name of the newspaper. I''ve seen employees, but I can''t remember the names.\" \"Okay, don''t bother.\" They were quiet. They sat by the fireplace and listened to the crackle of coal in flames. 10 Dangerous pets and dangerous talk Dan decided to go to the blacksmith''s and give Jim his leather pants for improvement. Jim agreed to do the job quickly. Dan came out of the blacksmith shop and had already reached the well, and noticed how satisfied the players entered the gate. Nick was carrying something in the sack behind his back. He was smiling. It was unusual. Nick rarely smiled. He always had a serious look on his face. He wasn''t grumbling, he wasn''t scolding, and he didn''t look displeased. He was serious about the new cruel world. He was a little older than Gandalf, or better yet, he looked a little older than a young magician. Gandalf immediately ran towards the donjon. Now there will be a magician in the clan! Dan was surprised not to see John, suddenly a voice behind his back said: \"Hello, Inquisition.\" Turning around like a cat, Dan hit the place where the voice was heard. And almost fell when his blow fell into the void. \"You look nervous, Dan.\" \"John?\" \"Yeah.\" There''s a pretty smiling John on the left side of Dan out of nowhere. He winked: \"Invisibility is a great skill. The assassin was a very interesting class.\" \"Don''t do that again, please. I didn''t notice anything. And you saw my reaction. I could have hurt you.\" \"I''m sorry. Dan, but you couldn''t hurt me. I have the skills to dismiss. And with invisibility, it''s easy. I was moving slowly, which is why you didn''t see me. If I moved fast, I could see the silhouette, like in the Predator movie. But it''s nothing! You should have seen what Nick is doing in the woods in disguise. Rustling leaves, squeaking trees and you can walk past him, and you won''t even notice a thing.\" \"How did you get off, was the hunt good?\" \"It turned out well. Gandalf got a level 10 on the little pigs. Velida will be pleased. When the little deer were killed, our magician threw up a couple of times, but that''s not critical,\" said Nick. He carefully put the sack on the rock of the yard. And he smiled again: \"Even with a special purchase came back, the hunting went well.\" The sack started to move and either yawned or squeaked. With interest, Dan whistled surprisingly. The bag had two bald little dogs of dirty grey color in it. \"Under the invisibility and disguise, the wolves were taken,\" said proudly John. \"We''re with the pets now.\" Dan held out his hand and stroked the other little wolf puppies, then he opened up a description of one of them: * Teen-wolf Master: Nick [Phoenix Clan] Type: Pet Strength: 1 Subtlety: 1 Intellect: 1 Build: 1 * It''s funny, it turns out you can have pets here. By stroking the puppy on the head, he pulled the skin out of his jaws. Hmm, and the teeth are as decent as a good dog''s. Suddenly, a message from the system opened up: * [Cognition of Evil +1 Warning! There''s a monster in front of you. Class: Werewolf. Description: Most living creatures consider magic to be good, and they are right in many ways. But sometimes there are places in nature where magic is too much, and then it becomes evil. Magic changes and twists the essence of creatures living in such places, magic generates monsters. And this wolf was born in such a place. You must destroy this creature before it turns into a monster or leaves it at the mercy of fate. But remember that you could have prevented trouble and done nothing. That burden will be with you all your life. Activate combat mode? Yes/No] * The little wolf scared yawned and pulled away from Dan''s hands. \"Dan, what''s wrong with you? Quiet, Kill, uncle didn''t hurt you on purpose.\" Nick started stroking his pet and calming him down. \"John, did you kill their mother?\" Dan asked with alarm in his voice. \"The mother and a couple of wolves with her. They''re our pets now. The system said to finally tame the pet, he had to be fed meat and given a name. Now we''ll boil the meat, and our babies will have new parents. Yes, Scout?\" John''s hands were gently rubbing the second wolf. \"Feed the meat,\" repeated quietly by Dan. The brain refused to calculate his options. To do what? He was no longer surprised by the system''s tricks. The question is, can you raise a monster here that''s loyal to his masters? Nick noticed his slow and tense state, and he was wary, too. \"Dan, what''s wrong?\" \"How can I explain this,\" the brain was struggling to get out of its stupor. \"You don''t have a wolf.\" \"Do you mean to say...\" \"John, Nick is not a wolf! It''s a werewolf.\" They stood there and kept quiet. The game came with a new surprise. Dan wasn''t the only one so lucky. The guys picked up their pets and took them to the castle. Dan went to the blacksmiths to get Jim to an important clan meeting. Michael gathered everyone in the throne room. They had to talk seriously about the trick pets. The puppies were laid out on the table, and they, wary of the stone surface, crawled closer to their ''masters''. Players sat on the sides of the table. Interestingly, Michael did not sit on the throne. But it was the leader who started the discussion of the important topic: \"We will all hear the story from the beginning. John, make sure you tell us exactly what the system wrote about them.\" \"We found a lair of wolves. They were ordinary wolves. Level 3, no problem for us. Gandalf took his level 10. Then, Nick saw the little wolves. We took the wolves in our arms. And right away, a message came out from a system that suggested we take them as pets. There was nothing wrong with the description, not a word about werewolves. We made it our wish to have pets. I got a new window with instructions on how to tame them. We have 12 hours to get them to a safe area with a renaissance point where we have to feed them ourselves. Then we''ll be able to link them to the rebirth point. There was also a line marked with the exclamation mark that it''s better to start feeding them with meat. Raw meat or boiled meat that was not specified. The first five levels of pets only grow from the feed. Then they''ll get at least 50% of the experience we''ve gained. There was no information about skills or class bonuses. That''s all.\" Michael looked over with Alexander and started his story: \"Now I''ll tell you something. The clan made the quest when Dan killed the werewolf. But it wasn''t a real werewolf, it was a player at the beginning of his game. Of all of us, only I and Alexander saw the real Werewolf. A Werewolf is a creature with dark-colored wool, larger than a normal wolf by three or even four times. I can''t say for sure because we were sitting on tree ten yards above the ground at that moment. We were lucky, maybe the werewolf had a mind, realized he couldn''t reach us and left. It''s also known that the Werewolf took out the local medicine woman. According to the villagers, the attack was in the evening, the people just rushed to their homes. The werewolf jumped a 5-yard (4.57 m) high barrier, killed the medicine woman in a couple of moments and disappeared with her body, jumped over the barrier again. And now we will think carefully about what kind of power the creature should have to quickly jump 5 yards high, and at the same time to keep the body of his victim in his teeth. Whatever you think, say it.\" Dan immediately thought about killing these puppies while he could. If the monsters grow up and gain strength, they could attack. Then, their resurrection will turn into a real hell, given the player''s weakness in the resurrection. \"Dan, do you have any more information?\" asked Alexander. \"It''s strange that at least this message has come up. I have a condition of upgrading the ''The Cognition of Evil'' skill to fight monsters. To say more about monsters, I have to upgrade the skill before I have only one point. Just a warning and came out.\" He told everyone in detail about the information from the system. The guys were excited to learn more about the Inquisitor class. Alexander got up and said in a low and strict voice: \"I suggest you think about an important problem. We are, in fact, in a nursery right now. My son was playing computer games. The nursery is a zone for beginner development. The area of our activity is three miles at most. What real monsters can do, we don''t know. But we''ve met bears under the thirtieth levels. And it''s safe to say that nothing good can come from expanding our zone of interest. Such strong opponents will have to be killed one by one, and only by a group. I think that you can''t kill the wolfs! If they become opposed to us, they will be reborn with us at our point of rebirth after being tied up. What will happen next, everyone understands. I am not afraid! Yes, we may face a threat. But we will control the level of that threat from the very beginning. We will be able to kill the young werewolves if they betray their masters. We evolve, we become stronger, which means we''ll be able to deal with them. The game is cruel but logical. On second thought, you''ll all agree with that. And if it allows us to tame the monster, then we have a chance of success. Given the realities of this world, we must take our chances. We can''t give up on such powerful helpers.\" \"Have you thought about us, and what do you say about Turin and Velida§Ñ living with us now?\" objected to him, Jim. \"What happens if those cute little animals attack Velida? Turin will be easily defeated.\" \"I suggest we increase our security. We must restrict access to the castle to anyone outside the clan. Turin and Velida must live in the chapel. The chapel has enough room for two and is comfortable there. The carpenters will work here for a few more days. Turin and Velida can arrange their own homes to their liking. In the castle, all halls are closed with strong doors. Until the situation with the pets is clear, no open doors. An indispensable condition for our existence is that we must learn everything about the world around us. We have no reference to the game, no desire to help the locals with information. Knowledge is power. We must not only accumulate knowledge but also carefully guard our secrets. Tomorrow we''ll go to the cemetery. I suggest we actively improve our detector and all those who have skills against monsters. And by the way, Michael, it''s your big mistake to let the selfishness choose your class. It''s a mistake as a leader.\" Dan was surprised. What a twist on the conversation! Turns out the leader doesn''t take his place so well. Dan had something to argue with Alexander about his so-called selfishness. \"And how did you plan to distribute our classes,\" he asked. Alexander caught a challenge and a mockery of Dan''s words. He answered in a calm voice: \"Three warriors, three scouts, and the rest of the magicians or priests, Jim''s trade had already fallen. This clan''s development path is optimal for our existence.\" \"I think you forgot one important thing, Alexander.\" Dan stood up and wrapped his hands around everyone at the table. For the first time, he wanted to be a little honest and express his real thoughts: \"We''re all gathered here on duty. None of us chose this life of our own free will. We''re not a battle group, not a player who knows how to exist in a guild or clan situation. It''s weird, but we''re all here so-called ''white collars'', collected by common misfortune under one roof. Anyone can take the binding off the rebirth point and leave the group, this is a possibility, I checked. The only thing that keeps me from taking this step is the possibility of dying and finding me at a point near the location of the monsters. I said that because we are children of our time and culture. We are not made for the world of ''Sword and Magic'', we are not people of the Middle Ages. We all have our fears and our problems with our heads. But inside each of us, the foundations of our civilization sits tight. Alexander, if you are so nervous to play a tough leader with a dictatorship that will undoubtedly be based on a strict order, I assure you that soon you will be all alone. Your freedom, the rest of your freedom will not be crushed. As for your own will in choosing classes, you said yourself that the game is logical. It means that there is no useless classes in the game, all of them are important. Now we have several unique ways of development. And each of us has made a conscious choice. My choice was influenced by a very gracious gift that encouraged me to choose the Inquisitor class. I admit that I acted spontaneously. But I assure you, I know for sure that there were many spontaneous decisions in my life, and all of them eventually helped me to achieve my desired goals. As for the situation with pets, I fully support Alexander''s decision. We have to take our chances. Now I''ll talk about the cemetery battle. The improved development of only those classes that have skills against monsters, I think its wrong step. We must all seek our unique advantages against monsters. I repeat. This is the Castle of the Ancient Monster Hunters. There are no useless classes here. Tomorrow, everyone has to check their skills at the beginning. But then we must act as a complete group, improving the levels of all participants evenly. And this will continue until we master our classes at a sufficiently good level. Only then will we be able to consider options with free hunting. \"Dan, but don''t you deny that we need strict leadership?\" \"Alexander, I don''t deny and welcome strict leadership. Today we''re going to talk about clan leadership. I repeat that army discipline and game guild and clan rules do not work in our case. The player behind the monitor does not feel the pain of the blade of the sword cutting his body, and the soldier dies only once. Going the way of a regular army unit, we risk becoming psychopaths after another death. That''s also worth considering. We have a whole month to clean up two locations. The cemetery is a good area to start developing our classes. And if I have to sit next to it for a couple of weeks, but avoid unnecessary reincarnation, I''ll sit there and not consider it a waste of time.\" Dan finished his speech and sat down. He said a lot of things, he didn''t want to be more open about his thoughts. Everybody was quiet. Dan understood Michael. The boss has to listen to his employees'' opinions. Then he can do the analysis and make the right conclusion and the result. The silence broke Nick''s voice: \"I''m tired of waiting. Are you sure you want to please us with the spectacle of the Inquisitor fighting the warrior? Sorry for the crude joke. As for my pet, I''ll say it responsibly, I''ll try to take my chances. I understand and take responsibility for the clan for my decision. In class, I agree with Dan, we have a right to choose. For development, I support Alexander! Dan''s right, every class is unique and needs development. But first, we need to develop those who have the opportunity to reinforce the whole group. I insist on the development priority of the Soldier and the Spiritual. Tomorrow we will practice the interaction of warriors and dexterous, supported by the magician and the Spiritual. The cemetery will become our testing ground, and the idea to spend a decent amount of time there is correct. The detectors and monster hunters will fight under the supervision of coordinated groups. Until then, our knight will act as a tank. Leo, you chose your path. Dan will be watching the fight, I hope his detection isn''t just about personal involvement in the fight. But we''ll always have our Inquisitor and Magician''s back. Thank you for your attention.\" \"I agree, I like that point of view,\" said John. Leo was smiling and wouldn''t say too many words. He agreed and probably thought that tomorrow he would have to be the first Knight. Tom and Ron were also silent about their decisions. Jim was sitting with a frowned face. He was worried about the fate of his teacher. What was interesting was that he had one thing in common with Leo. They had lips that kept a constant smile of weakness. \"Who''s against keeping werewolf pets?\" asked Michael. There were no opponents, and the happy werewolves jumped out of their seats. They were about to leave with their pets to start taming. But that''s when Michael stopped their impulse: \"Not so fast, Nick! We have to make an entire clan decision on another important question. It concerns you and your development as Clan Scout. I''m the clan leader, but I can''t decide all the important issues alone. We''re moving to a new level of development. It''s about the position of clan trade representative and clan financier. Turin has been successful in our business. But he is not like us. One of us has to lead trade operations. This case requires intellectual development. I''m sorry, Gandalf, but you and Jim have too much work to do. You''ll have to work a lot on your own. Nick, you have good connections in the village, you need intelligence to develop your Scout skills. You understand me. Nick, are you willing to take over as the clan''s chief trader?\" \"No problem. I like the future. And I don''t mind trading. I''m ready to be a sales agent for our clan.\" answered Nick. \"Any suggestions? Do you have an objection? Any requests?\" said Michael. All agreed that Nick could be a great clan merchant. Dan felt like no one wanted to take extra responsibility. He was smiling and thinking about the benefits of his class. Dan didn''t rush into leadership. He wasn''t interested in the villagers, he felt a little contempt for the village. The fact was, he was well aware of the new position of the players. The castle is the foundation of life under the Sword and Magic. Players took the position of local authorities. And all these villagers would become subordinates in the future. Players will pay for power with their blood. They will die for power. And no local aristocrats from the towns have any meaning. The players have occupied the castle of the ancient monster hunters. They will grow in levels because they have no choice. When everyone realized there were no more questions, John and Nick ran to the kitchen. They had to feed the little pets. Most of the guys left after them. Michael, Alexander, and Dan were left in the room. Alexander had a cold look at Dan: \"You shouldn''t have done that, Dan. The clan needs to be united and united hard.\" Dan grinned and shook his head. \"Do you think we''re immortal, Alexander? And I think our immortality is a lie that hides a terrible danger in itself. Every death will change us, whether we want it or not. It''s already changing. Think about it.\" \"It''s just an interesting assumption, Dan,\" said Michael. \"Alexander, why didn''t you choose the Soldier class? You''re an officer. I was the head of the company.\" \"I''m tired of war. I''m tired of killing. I can''t give up the Warrior''s way, but I was able to give up the Army''s way,\" said Alexander calmly. \"One thing is clear to the three of us. We make up the clan leadership. You and I are natural leaders. With the nuance of leadership development of the combat side of our lives, we can handle it. Dan has become the chief specialist for our enemies. Alexander! Why didn''t you choose the path of Assassin or Scout? Secret Service is necessary,\" said Michael. Alexander smiled and stroked his bald head: \"Michael, I don''t know which warrior will grow out of Tom. But he''ll never defeat me. The clan needs a better warrior. And we will keep our secrets without my involvement. Dan, pick up a jacket with long floors in your arsenal. Your new equipment catches the eye and raises unnecessary questions.\" Dan nodded his head. Alexander was right, but he never answered all the leader''s questions. Dan got up and went into the hall with the fireplace, leaving the two alleged leaders to seek common ground between them. Dan was not interested in the leadership theme. At dinner, he learned what had been left in the hall of the Renaissance. After the first meal, they fell asleep and still have not woken up. A turn out there''s a new picture on the owner''s menu. They could put the Baby Pet to sleep until the owner returned. Turin and Velida accepted the news of their new home calmly and even with gratitude. Dan thought that they felt some discomfort from the company of players. The players were different. At the table, they had fun discussing the upcoming fight with the undead. Everyone was happy with the opportunity to raise the levels and improve skills. Nobody was afraid to die. This new life attracted by its adventures and opportunities. A cemetery with many skeletons, ghouls, and zombies! What kind of game can do without destroying the undead? Tomorrow they''ll see what their new classes are worth in a new fight. 11 The cemetery It was raining again in the morning, it was weak rain. Dan put on new leather armor and went out into the yard. The players looked very interesting. Five were wearing medieval armor modified to fantasy style. The rest of the players wore ''Mad Max'', as they now called leather jackets reinforced with iron plates and even spikes. Everyone wore the same kind of dark cloaks over their armor. Some broke into pairs and started to warm up with their weapons. No skill, the fights to look like a miserable waving of clubs and parrying attempts. Dan shook his head, they need to find teachers. In this game, you can''t become a master swordsman if you just put in a point to develop the skull. Michael talked to the dwarf about something and led the group out of the castle. They were walking along a soaked up road towards the village. If the road hadn''t been overgrown with grass, they could have drowned in the mud. This section of the road was safe, but everyone was careful and often looked around. Soon, Dan saw the village. It was about fifty yards to the wooden wall. When it was five yards to the gate, the group turned and began to circle the village on the left side. When Dan ran past the darkened, densely standing wooden timbers, he noticed traces of some chopping weapons and deep scratches on some of them. Apparently, locals are often annoyed by uninvited guests. This kind of defensive structure did not surprise him much. Ordinary beams are dug into the ground and protect the space. \"Take a step,\" Michael shouted. Next, the terrain was poorly studied. They were walking quietly. The forest had changed, now it was dominated by large trees, and the road went up a hill. Dan and Nick were walking nearby. Dan asked: \"Look, Nick, I was wondering, how do you feel about the difference between leather armor and this iron armor?\" \"There''s no difference. I''ve got 40 strength, and I feel the iron armor like the same leather jacket. Although... a little uncomfortable. The system didn''t get any wises. And that''s good. There''s no limit when a class can only wear a certain armor class. If you have the strength, wear whatever you want. Really, there is one funny thing about it, Dan. I feel more secure in the iron, though it''s probably a purely psychological opinion in my head.\" There''s been a tougher situation with the weapon. All the sensations with the weapon felt good. Dan felt the weight of the weapon. On impact, he felt the kickback in his hand, and on long stretches, there was fatigue and pain in his aching muscles. With armor, there was a favorable solution to the system. And that''s a good thing. If there had been complete realism, they wouldn''t have survived here. Dan looked around and realized that if they were attacked now on this section of the track, the players would not notice the beginning of the attack. Thick trees were growing almost close together. Nick whispered: \"Don''t worry, Dan. My class has an advanced ''Adaptability'' skill that allows me to adapt to the natural environment. I have two points, and I can now hear what''s happening a ten yard away. It''s a wild feeling, to be honest. But if anything comes near us, I''ll hear it.\" Dan calmed down and asked another question: \"Nick, why do you develop strength? You have a way of dexterity.\" \"The game isn''t exactly normal. It imitates real life. In games, bow requires dexterity. And the damage depends on dexterity. But in reality, in normal life, if you don''t have the strength, you can''t pull a bow. What kind of scout am I in the woods without a bow? I''m not Legolas, but I'' m ready to play Robin Hood. Attention, Dan, there''s a view of the cemetery now,\" said Nick. Players came out of the woods and saw an ancient cemetery. The road rolled down a hill and rested on a low stone fence that surrounded the cemetery with an uneven ring. The cemetery was huge, it filled almost the entire valley. Dan saw the long rows of stone tombstones. Many of the tombstones were broken as if something had exploded inside them. There were many small stone buildings, John said they were crypts. And there were a lot of different statues. Grey figures wandered slowly between graves. Dan counted about a hundred dead. But how many undead are hidden between the crypts or inside the crypts? How many more skeletons will come out of the graves? Clear the location? It''s easy to say. Michael asked quietly: \"John, where to go now?\" \"On the way to the cemetery gate, there''s a watchman''s house at the entrance. When we were here, it was empty.\" Players started coming down the road, throwing wary looks at undead figures. \"Michael, aren''t we missing the caravan?\" asked Dan. His desire to fight in the cemetery has decreased. \"I gave Turin detailed instructions. We''ll all make it. The caravan will stay in the village for two weeks until security restores the health and strength to get back. If we are lucky with the trophies, we will have time to realize them.\" Regeneration of health! The game was merciless in this matter. Potion vials rarely fell out. 1 point Endurance regenerates 1 point HP per minute. 1 Point Intellect regenerates 1 point HP per minute. The class inquisitor gave a regeneration bonus. 1 Point Spirit regenerates 1 Point HP and 1 MP per minute. But the monster attacks were scary! A Level 1 skeleton dealt Dan 190 points of damage in one blow! It was a critical strike. The skeleton would normally shoot 50-70 HP points. A level 19 ghoul has taken 570 points of damage. Dan had Endurance 22, that''s 2200 health points. Spirit 35. Regeneration is 57 points per minute. Ron of his ''Prayer'' was recovering 100 health points, but it cost 30 mana. His intellect was at an initial level. There was no Healer specialist in the clan. The muddy situation with the gods in this world was alarming. Michael talked Ron out of taking the Priest class. There''s no telling how the system would react if a player accepted faith in the local God. Dan was worried, he didn''t expect to meet a few hundred dead in the cemetery. He clenched his fists and tried to crush the rising panic and fear. * [Resurrection time point detected. Link? Yes/No] * \"Push ''yes'',\" Michael said. \"Won''t the main point disappear?\" \"No. I''ve got an extra point on the menu in addition to the main point.\" Dan confirmed the binding and looked back at Nick and John. There was no sign of fear on their faces, and Dan respected that. He knew their story. John worked for a security agency, Nick was a cop. In their old lives, they had hand-to-hand combat techniques. They found themselves in this world in this cemetery six days ago. It was by accident that they met and were tested together. With starting capital in the two traditional clubs, this pair of fearless guys staged a big riot in the cemetery. There were a lot of excavated graves around, the guys lured skeletons into them, and then they threw dead bodies at the tombstones. They lured four skeletons and two ghouls into them. But then the banshees came in, and they miraculously escaped from the cemetery. John was badly injured, but Nick spent his potion on him, and they managed to get to the village. The system gave them both a 10 in strength and dexterity, a +2 in strength and dexterity. It gave a passive ''shoulder to shoulder'' skill. This is a 5% increase in strength per group fight from the total strength of the partners. Nick got the potion later spent on John. They even collected trophies in the form of rags, dust and some crystals, for which they received 22 silver coins from the village shop. And in the evening, whipped Michael and Alexander crawled into the village. They agreed to stick together. Dan smiled, the boys managed to survive here, so it''s not that bad. The group went through a small gate and entered a house by the wall. Dan noticed that the house had no windows, the room was empty and small. The small room was dirty and dusty. John started showing the cemetery plan on the ground: \"The nearest skeleton was just a few steps away. There''s a straight, wide alley from the entrance. It leads to a sculptural composition. From the composition there are three paths in each direction, like beams.\" \"There''s a little problem,\" said Nick. \"The monsters have grown in levels. The weakest skeleton is at least 3 levels. Nearby, I saw a lot of excavated graves. Last time we saw the hums there, they''re faster than skeletons, and they''re trying to attack in packs. I suggest we start on the south side. The grave slabs on the other side are complete.\" \"Then that''s what we''ll do. Stay closes to the stone fence and pay attention to everyone. Remember, the skeleton activity radius is 10 yards (9.14 m). The ghouls can see you from 50 yards, and then they''ll start screaming and calling their own. Zombies react as skeletons do when they approach 10 yards (45.72 m). Banshees are the most dangerous, they roam the cemetery at random, and we know little about them. All right, guys say your prayers and let''s go. The experience isn''t going to pick itself up,\" said Michael. * Dan walked carefully past the tombstones and stone statues, which were decorated with strange symbols. Through every third grave were statues of human height. Nearby, there were crypts, also decorated with miniatures of creatures. Damn statues! Because of the cloudy weather and pressing atmosphere it seemed that their look burns their back, but it was necessary to turn to the face and the unpleasant feeling disappeared. Skeletons in dirty rags and rusty remnants of armor wandered at 30 yards (27.43 m) to the left and ahead, they had no weapons. When the players got close to those creatures, Dan immediately realized that this undead was special. The castle had skeletons with clean bones. They looked scary, and that was it. The atmosphere in the cemetery was disgusting. The air was soaked in the smell of rot and the vile stench of decayed meat. It''s a cemetery! Where did the semi-decomposed corpses come from? Magic. Michael looked at the players: \"Are you ready? First we test skeleton summoning skills for the fight. Chain the monsters one at a time. Who has the appropriate skills? Here you go.\" Leo raised his sword towards the nearest skeleton and whispered something. A ring of white mist flashed at his feet and at the feet of one of the dead men for a moment. The creature turned and wandered slowly towards Leo. The filthy smell was coming with that skeleton. So, it was now Knight''s challenge. John and Nick giggled, Leo must have had a phrase of activation with pathos, ''I call you, you unclean creature for a righteous fight''. These two tricks chose the path of traps and blows to the back, they could be understood. Alexander stepped forward and covered himself with the sewn, he prepared a sword to strike. When the skeleton was four yards away, the Warrior''s body was lit up with a red light. And in the same second the leaves and garbage from under his feet splashed in all directions, and the Warrior hits the skeleton heavily with the shield. On impact, the monster turned several times in the air and flew away seven yards. From Alexander''s armor there was steam. Under the drops of light rain it looked impressive. The flying skeleton climbed sluggishly and again shaved slowly to the players. He had a third of his life gone. The bad news was that other skeletons turned to the noise, they slowly moved towards the players. The leader commanded the order: \"Nick and John are covered, Leo and Alexander are killed, and we meet the others. We''re not leaving this place. We start the attack when the creatures come up to five yards. Beware of skeletal jumps.\" The test of the players'' skills has begun. Skeletons didn''t cause much trouble, the main thing was to knock them down, and then they were literally smashed to pieces. Dan realized he was missing an attack from a distance. It turned out that only three players could successfully attack one enemy at a time. There wasn''t too much room to swing a sword of weapons. And then everyone realized another unpleasant thing! Magicians are dangerous to allies! \"Gandalf, burn!\" \"Fireball!\" screamed the magician. Above his outstretched palm there was a rapidly burning ball of fire. The small ball had reached the size of a soccer ball. The ball of fire and whistling from the howling flames went towards the skeleton. An explosion broke out that set the creature on fire and threw it away a couple of yards. The skeleton crashed into Leo. The knight stood and tried to understand why he took 200 damage. The skeleton bones almost knocked him down. \"Bastard!\" shouted the knight and finished the skeleton with one blow. \"Gandalf! I''m talking to you! Watch out for friendly fire!\" \"Wow,\" muttered the magician. The damage from the fireball was 200-300 damage, but it hit everyone around, didn''t take apart enemies and allies. Raw skeleton''s bones were quickly extinguished in the rain. Due to the noise, the group was reacted to by five dead men, who had previously wandered around in peace. And the stench grew stronger! Dan croaked his face from the disgusting stench of smoldering rotten meat and old shreds of rotten clothes. He got dizzy. But he didn''t have time to faint. ''Spiritual Power'', ''Punishment''! Increasing his strength and increasing damage and protection. And into battle. Dan clenched his grip on his fists and jumped to the skeleton. Why wasn''t he practicing box or karate?! He hit the skull that rotten teeth were rotting. [Critical hit! You have dealt 410 points of damage] Take this! He''s excited again. Dans already figured out that his buffs don''t work on other players. Inquisitors! All for himself, all for a personal fight against evil. He reactivated the boosting binder and punched the bone hand that the skeleton stretched out in his direction: [You have dealt 190 points of damage] Michael jumped up to the skeleton and killed the creature in two strikes. [You got 100 experience points] * Leo called the creatures a few more times, and it repeated itself. Experience dropped 40, 50 points to accomplices and 100 directly to performers. Dan had already realized that the system was paying close attention to the amount of damage each combat participant was taking. It depended on the amount of experience gained. That makes sense. It''s brutal. It''s okay. On average, it didn''t take long to destroy one skeleton. Most of the time it took to wait for the skeleton comes close to the players. Dan saw how scout combos work. The guys would speed up for a while and smear themselves in motion and give a few quick shots with daggers. But the damage was weak. It was clear, their classes were locked in a battle with the enemy in the flesh. You have to use crushing weapons against skeletons, it''s a classic of the genre. Nick and John were not embarrassed, they jumped up and hit, and then made room for warriors and a soldier with a knight. The boys were ordered to keep a close eye on the neighborhood. That was their main task. No one wanted Banshee to show up suddenly. Players were making a lot of noise, weapons hitting the bones pretty loud. All that was left was to thank the system for the rain that muffled the sounds a little. The concentration of creatures increased in the area where the players started the fight. Everyone realized that they would soon have to change the place of the fight. When the knight finally mastered his ability to summon the enemy to a fight, it was time to test the inquisitor''s abilities. \"Dan, try pulling that pretty boy over there.\" Michael pointed to a strange dead man who appeared in the distance. Dan singled out a picture from the ''Autodafe''. * [Word/Gesture?] * When he started working with this skill, a strange memory of a funny and dangerous man in a strange black and yellow diving suit appeared in his head. In Dan''s head, the name Scorpio became clear. And that Scorpio was screaming: \"Get over here!\" It was impressive, but Dan thought the Inquisitor would have to lead a very cautious life and confront monsters. He wouldn''t give away his presence with loud screams. Dan chose a gesture. * [Make a gesture to attach it to skill] Dan just pointed his finger at the creature he''d chosen, and then pointed under his feet. [Copy that] * A white silent flash went off, and Dan was in the middle of a circle of light with a radius of ten yards. They used skill pictures to show a recovery time of 47 seconds. That''s not bad. Dan looked ahead and got colder. The creature that was chosen, it wasn''t a skeleton. * Zombie Level: 6 Life: 4000 Description: Many undead types can be born into more dangerous creatures, and zombies are one of them. Unlike ordinary skeletons that lose their flesh, zombies preserve their bodies. The flesh of zombies becomes elastic and plastic, which gives them increased protection from any kind of stinging and cutting weapons. This body also gives the zombies incredible physical strength. To become stronger and more dangerous, zombies attack living beings. The flesh of the unhappy victims soon becomes the ''building material'' for a new zombie body. Zombies seem clumsy, but they are not, a sharp blow from this seemingly slow undead can kill a warrior in full dress. Zombies are stupid, but they''re monstrously powerful. You must destroy this creature before it finds dexterity and a particle of mind. A zombie can turn into Draugr. Burn the remains of the defeated zombie, or the creature will be reborn again. * ''The Cognition of Evil'' was a surprise. Such a detailed description of the enemy pleased. Perhaps in the future Dan will be able to see both the strength of the enemy''s strikes and his main abilities. But even now he understands the main threats from the enemy: \"Guys it''s a Zombie! His flesh is like rubber, increased protection from cold weapons, and it is better not to get caught under attack. He can hit fast and hard! Don''t look at him walking slowly! He can be sharp when he attacks. What do I do?\" \"Keep the zombies away from Dan. Warriors are throwing zombies on the offensive. Leo, can you drop your enemy''s defense with a vow?\" \"I''ll try,\" said the knight. \"Ron, use ''Prayer'', keep a close eye on the Inquisitor''s health. We will cut the creature slowly. My and Alexander''s swords have been improved with stone, should be cut. Other hit zombies on the sides, but they don''t come close. Hit and run!\" The soldier gave the orders and everyone was prepared to meet a new dangerous opponent. The creature crossed the circle and headed straight for Dan. The Inquisitor was sick of disgust again. The zombie stank! But that wasn''t the worst part. It was a woman! She was crying. It wasn''t tears that came out of her eyes, but pus. Her eyes were white and dilated. Black pupils looked into Dan''s eyes like two guns. On the dead woman''s head, the remains of gray hair were moving slightly. When a player looked at him, he got even worse. They were worms! The ugly white worms were swarming at this dead woman''s skin remains. Her lips weren''t completely decomposed, but they weren''t hiding the splintering of her teeth. The teeth were white, clean and strong! And it scared the hell out of her. That creature wanted meat! Dan froze in shock and watched the zombies roar their teeth in a bloodthirsty smile and approached him. Suddenly, help came. Alexander got in the way of the zombies and repeated his ''Strike''. The bitch only threw it back a couple of yards, it didn''t even fall. Alexander saluted the dead woman with his sword, and at the same moment his sword lit up red. The sword penetrated the neck of the creature and cut through her a little. The warrior tried to pull out the sword and scolded: \"Bitch!\" The sword didn''t give in, it got stuck in the flesh of a zombie. A sharp swing of the dead hand, a deaf blow, and Alexander repeated the recent flight of the skeleton. A warrior with noise, curses, and moans was rising from the dirty ground. He flew away for 5 yards and hit one of the tombstones hard with his back. Ron stood by, reacted instantly and mildly with two words: \"Pater noster.\" The dead woman paid no attention to the blade stuck in the neck and was not distracted by the warrior''s attack. The zombie went slowly to the Inquisitor again. This creature pulled its half-rotted, twisted fingers towards him. Dan thought it was whispering something. Her lips were twisted in a smile. \"Leave me alone, you bitch!\" Dan screamed in a frightened voice and quickly retreated from a living corpse until he stuck his back on the barrier. He turned his head and sawed only an empty alley behind him. At his feet the boundary of the circle of the Court was shining, caused by his skill. It''s an ass! It''s the most useless skill! It''s a dangerous skill... And suddenly he was laughing at the thought that came to his mind. \"Judge not, that ye may not be judged, for in what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged, and in what measure ye measure, it shall be measured to you.\" Dan felt a wave of calm from those strange but true words. The zombie came within striking distance. Dan was preparing to face the attack. The woman hit the player in the face, but Dan pulled his head back and dodged the first punch of the creature. ''Spiritual Power'', ''Punishment''. His hands lit up with light, and he punched a zombie in the head as hard as he could. * [You have dealt 224 points of damage] * Deaf punch, pain in the beaten fist and another swing of the creature. * [You have taken 430 points of damage. You are Stunned duration 2 minutes] * It was like a hammer kicked the air out of him. The Inquisitor''s body soared above the ground, to the other side of the circle. The impact on the ground left a noise in his head and a sense of brokenness. \"Dan, run, that bastard''s coming at you again!\" shouted Gandalf. Ah... Huh... Joker. Damn it, he could only breathe a hard time. His eyes were all cloudy. Dan heard the heavy footsteps of an approaching creature. All he had to do was pick up the raw ground with bracelets chained in steel. Dan started walking along the edge of the circle on his knees like a wounded beast. From behind, he heard the growling and moaning of an angry dead woman who kept pace with him. Dizzy, he heard swearing and screaming from the guys who were actively preventing the zombies from getting to him. He didn''t even try to look back and kept moving his limbs along the glowing line. His head was noisy, Dan couldn''t see well, and he was even worse thinking. He fell a couple of times when he caught the tombstones on his escape route. Dan knew one thing. He had to get away from that creature! * [2000 experience points gained. ''Cognition of evil'' +1] * He was relieved to melt on the wet ground among the graves. The raindrops pleasantly cooled the skin. \"It turns out that the real wizards and magicians in our clan are you and Alexander! You both have learned the skill of ''Flight''! Congratulations, guys,\" said John. He leaned over the Inquisitor''s body and his hands helped the player get up out of a dirty puddle. \"Well-done, Dan, I had no idea you were a hardcore player. That''s an extreme class you''ve got! Really, you''ve got to work on your tactical retreat.\" Nick''s stern voice put Dan in a good mood. \"Hey, jokers, help him go. Good job, Dan. Group! We''re moving to a quieter place. We''ve done a lot here,\" shouted Michael. The group has moved to another place with a small concentration of undead. Dan was standing there chewing a piece of ham. Well-done, her cooking is delicious. It''s a shame the food doesn''t restore health. But Dan saw that the path of the Spirit gives a good bonus in regeneration. Dan gave a clear voice and detailed descriptions of the new monster for guys. They started dealing with zombie remains. He was looking at a zombie corpse oiled and burnt with fire. Her ugly head was cut off from her body by uneven chopping blows. Dan saw a disgusting cut around her neck. Guys cut it off like it was sawed off. Then, they went sideways and the fight continued elsewhere. Dan and Alexander took time to rest to breathe. Ron was pumping them out with healing. \"And it was only level five,\" shook Alexander''s head. Dan ''pleased'' him by repeating his words that a creature could eat a lot of meat and turn into Draugr. This information made the warrior shout out loud. In a couple of minutes, the players joined the group. Michael once again repeated the warrior''s military truths on the theme ''Try not to die. Hit and run!\" and the fight started again. It lasted a couple more hours until they met a new creature. * Ghoul Level: 4 Life: 5000 * Dan read the monster''s description and spit on the ground. He wanted to come home! He wanted a castle, a cozy chair by the fireplace! 12 Results and Surprises Dan saw the description of the new creature and shook his head silently. * Ghoul Level: 4 Life: 5000 Description: In places of large burials or battles often accumulate a huge amount of destructive energy for living creatures. Fresh and buried body in such land has a chance to become a disgusting form of life, Ghoul. Ghoul eats a dead body, paying special attention to decaying internal organs, allowing him to be in lethargic sleep with no food. Unlike other undead species, the Ghoul has the rudiments of the mind. Ghoul keeps some memories of his past life and can even talk, but does not think that it made him more peaceful. In front of you a tricky creature that can attract a stronger opponent to you, to then taste your remains. The Ghoul is clever but weak. If you meet with this opponent, you should be wary of physical contact, as the Ghoul is the carrier of many diseases, and such creatures like to keep a herd. Killing the Ghoul, in no case leave the corpse to fate. Destroy it, so that other Ghouls do not get so coveted food. A Ghoul can eat his brother''s internal organs and turn into an Alghoul. * Fortunately, the scouts noticed two creatures that were digging in an open grave before the monsters noticed the players. The scouts used a mixture of fire. Michael brought with him a small supply of fuel oil for a small lamp. And now this oil, spilled over small clay jars, with oily rags in their necks, has gone into action. John and Nick sneaked to the grave and dropped simple fiery grenades on the heads of creatures who were not expecting an attack. A wild squeal rose, and two bursting figures went deep into the cemetery, dragging the undead with them. In five minutes, all the players got the experience, the scouts got the achievement ''Pyromancer'' and 15 points of ''Glory''. By the agreement, they did not throw points in the common bank, and both developed their skills. Battles with skeletons continued, skeletons of warriors and zombies were rarer. Players tried to avoid Ghouls. By evening, all hardly kept on their feet. Players destroyed fifty-three skeletons, five ghouls, four zombies, two warrior skeletons. They did not meet any new creatures. But this is not surprising because they kept to the edge all the time, trying not to climb deep into the cemetery. The group had no problem getting to the shelter where the players hit the floor. Alexander and Michael decided to throw a morning run to the village to stock up on new clay pitchers and butter. As for the ghouls, the fire helped well. Nick and John had volunteered as messengers for the village, and it was decided to send a scout to get them back before dark. Michael accompanied them and returned. One pitcher of butter was still left, and soon the room lit a small light. Jim settled in the corner and took out a small table of tools from his inventory. Jim went through the trophies, most of which had been taken by the scouts. Nick got a chance to start developing his trade skills. The guest house in the village had the opportunity to rent a chest for storage. Michael said that this chest had to be tied to a creature like a zombie to chase away a local tricky bloodsucker. Players didn''t get seriously injured and were able to take a lot of trophies. It was mostly armor, some even with boost characteristics. Armor, sometimes new, but more often with reduced durability, rings, amulets, gold jewelry, gems, a couple of things that did not have enough scrolls of identification. They collected some money from monsters, very little silver and a lot of copper. Gandalf and Jim were the only ones who wanted to deal with trophies. The rest of the group lay down on the floor and shared their impressions of the past day. Players discussed skills and tried tactics against monsters. Dan talked about what he learned from the skill of ''Cognition''. By the end of the day, the monster identification skill had evolved into a four. And now in the description, in addition to information about the origin and basic information, began to appear initial information about the class skills of monsters and their strengths and weaknesses. Very interesting skill, the higher the rank, and the more information could be obtained about the opponents. But being a simple observer did not work for Dan. The skill required a fight with monsters, and the inquisitor changed his bracelets on the club, the new club was longer and thicker than the basic one. So, it took a couple of hours until the door was knocked on a conventional signal. Michael let the scouts in and locked the door again. The scouts brought news, and good news, and bad news. The bad news was that a level 21 werewolf, elite, was wandering by the road to the village. If it wasn''t for Invisibility and camouflage, the guys could have died. They checked the quest mark, it was near the village on the other side. There were two more werewolves, possibly more! If the others are under 20, that''s too bad. And the good news was that there were two new players in the village! A man of thirty and a woman with him about the same age. Gandalf rushed to praise the gods who heard him. Players began asking for details. The man''s name was Alan, 28, he worked as a teacher at school. Level 4. The woman''s name was Valerie, 25. She worked as a fitness trainer. Same level 4. The guys briefly told them about this world, gave them twenty silver Rials and asked them to wait for the group in the village. Strange players are not free to make a binding to the point of rebirth. Now to make the binding, one of the members of the clan has to obtain permission. Fearing for their reputation, the scouts did not allow the binding, leaving the decision to the group. The new people were a little outraged and argued, but it was the right thing to do. Let them sit in the village, they will be safer in it. The chest for trophies was rented, the key was taken with them. Turin was also indicated in the chest when Nick saw the dwarf, he would give him a temporary key. The scouts brought 4 gallons (15.14 l) of oil and many empty bottles of fragile vials and jars. They didn''t buy much oil, the stock of the villagers wasn''t endless. The players filled up the lamp and poured oil from the large jugs into small bottles. Each player was given five fire grenades. They didn''t want to go to sleep yet, and the conversations started again. \"Is she pretty?\" \"I don''t know, cute.\" \"Does she look like? Does she sound nice? What are your eyes like? Are your breasts big?\" \"Gandalf, I tell you again, leave me alone. Come to the village, you''ll look at it yourself and you''ll know everything.\" Nick was trying to fight Gandalf off. John was telling Alexander something with an important face. He could hardly hide his smile, and he was in no hurry to help his friend. \"Hold the paper, Dan.\" Michael put a stack of clean pages in front of the players, a rough thread with a thick needle and a pen with an inkwell. And he explained his thoughts: \"Write everything the system showed you about monsters.\" \"And why is that, because of two new people?\" asked Dan. \"I can''t draw.\" \"Gandalf can do it, now he''s going to make Nick totally mad. Then, he''ll run off and help you. Our new clan members have nothing to do with your assignment. I talked to the locals, Dan. This world is huge and very poorly populated. The locals know through the news from the caravans that there are only ten towns in the entire mainland where we are, with thousands of thirty and many small villages. And each region has its own kinds of monsters. I''ve seen a rough map at the head of the village. There are four continents in this world, each the size of Australia. Can you imagine the size of this world? And that''s the world where the players come in. We''re few, very few. And what would seem to be the reason for our coming here?\" \"Somewhere else, people are coming. They form groups like ours?\" \"Yes, and someday we''ll meet big clans and groups. The information that we gather will help them, and what they learn will help us. Jim will tell you about the craft, the rest of us will tell you about our classes and features. Gandalf will tell you everything he learns about magic. We''ll create our own guide to this game.\" \"Have you decided to establish a new outpost of civilization here?\" \"You know, I don''t believe we can go home. I hope, but I don''t believe,\" said Michael in a sad smile. \"You said right then in the hall, every death will change us. So, I don''t think we can go back to our past lives. No reasonable man will let go of people who are used to dying and killing so often and calmly.\" \"Let''s hope we''re wrong.\" \"Let''s hope so. Will you take the job?\" \"Yes, I''ll do it. Go save Nick, I''ll need Gandalf more today.\" That''s what this world does to a man. Men have only been living here 12 days, and he''s already a pessimist. He thinks in the right direction. Killers must be kept under control, and abnormal killers must be kept in prison. I don''t agree with another important moment! This is my knowledge! I paid for it with my efforts, my fear, and my pain. I''d be against it if our clan gave our valuable knowledge to others. I don''t mind sharing my values, I don''t mind getting rewarded for my work. The words of the leader sounded a little pathos and exalted. Dan took one of the pages. The paper is thick and a little grayish. \"Jim, do you have treated leather?\" \"Yes, I did, I took it to armor repair.\" \"Do you have a piece of leather on the covers?\" \"I''ll find a piece for you in a minute.\" Dan opened the inkwell and put a feather in the ink. When he tried to get a few words out, he immediately put a few blots on it. The process with the pen will be slow. * [Attention! Would you like to get the ''Librarian'' subclass? Yes / No. Warning! The number of subclasses is limited to three specializations] * That''s interesting. I''ll have to think about it. It''s only three specialties. That''s not enough. But my ability to get information about monsters is important. And it''s necessary to formalize my knowledge. Dan mentally pressed ''yes''. In case of danger, I''ll tell the monster fairy tales, and maybe I can surprise my opponent and hide quietly. As soon as he put the pen to the paper, the hand independently of him brought out the word ''Bestiary'' in calligraphic handwriting. Now the process did not seem muddy and tiresome to him. Dan gave some of the pieces of paper to Gandalf and asked him to draw creatures on one side of the paper, but to leave room for the title. On the backside, Dan would later write a description of the monster. Dan watched as the magician pencils the drawings of familiar creatures and was amazed. The guy had a real talent as a painter. \"I have a subclass painter now,\" proudly said Gandalf. \"Do you think girls like romantic painters?\" Girls love famous painters, thought Dan. But he assured the magician that girls love the humble and romantic like Gandalf. Dan got curious and opened up a description of the subclass: * Subclass: Librarian. Attention! One transformation of this subclass is possible. Life is short and dangerous. Every living sentient being sought to leave a mark on the history of its species. And as a rule, this trace is most often found in books and scrolls. In order not to lose the accumulated knowledge, special vaults are created in which such traces are collected. For a smart man, this collection will be a great experience or source of knowledge that will give him power. But for someone, the Library will remain a dusty depository filled with strange stories of long-dead generations. You have chosen one of the ways of the mind, and you must preserve and multiply your personal vault. Improved skills: ''Calligraphy'', this skill affects the speed of your writing and the overall appearance of the scroll you write. [1/10] It opens up skills: ''The Reader''. When you read new books or scrolls, you train your mind to memorize information literally. This skill increases your intelligence, for one skill unit your intelligence will increase by 1%. [0/10] ''Keeper of knowledge''. If you find a broken letter or a damaged book, you can recover the damaged information. [0/10] Class skills: ''Ancient languages''. You''ll explore ruins and abandoned structures, carefully painting symbols you don''t know. Explore them in more detail and you will be able to learn their meaning. [0/10] ''Master of puzzles''. Very often the knowledge written down in books can be quite dangerous or valuable, and sometimes both together. This skill will allow you to understand what its creators wanted to hide in the text. Attention! This skill allows you to get rare quests from books and scrolls after decryption. [0/10] * This life annoys me with its complexity! Why is it so complicated? This specialty allows me to get new quests and attracts me with its ability to learn the secrets and mysteries of this world. But increasing intellect is not what the Inquisitor needs! He needs to boost his spirit. Dan asked Gandalf about his specialty as a painter and loudly scolded. It was the painter who was a subclass in the way of the spirit. Now there''s no way to change it! It doesn''t make sense. Gandalf is unable to learn information about monsters. But Dan can tell with words, and Gandalf can record! What a lack of reference on this world and this game. Okay, I''ll have to accept my choice. I can''t paint it anyway! Who do I reassure? The system will teach anyone how to draw neatly. In an instant, I began to paint in ink neatly and beautifully. Maybe, I should take the Painter specialty? I can increase the Spirit. Stop! The clan doesn''t need new painters. There will be useful new specialties in this world. Gandalf finished drawing a regular zombie and started a new job. In a couple of hours, they finished the work, and Gandalf went to bed. Many monsters had a humble description. Dan specifically left the room to add new information to the description later. They decided to take classes for the next night. Dan couldn''t sleep. Everyone else was asleep. He took a blank sheet and wrote: \"Start of the game. The generation of the character is blocked by the system. The newcomer passes the first quest, it''s a test of survival in this world.\" 13 The banshee The new morning started with a slight pain in his body, yesterday Dan had to run and jump a lot. But he was in a good mood. Dan received the achievement ''Eyes of the Witness'' for describing a detailed history of the arrival of players in this world. There were no blank pages left, and Dan knew he would make the economic and economical leader angry for such wasting. But it would be a tolerable price for 25 points of the received ''Glory''. Dan had raised ''Spiritual Power'' to the top, now half the spirit was in his strength, and he had maximized ''Punishment''. The system didn''t tell him to transform the class. So, he had to continue to develop his skills. It''s time to improve his vampirism. Dan put the rest of the points into improving his ''Tough Will'' skill. 50% of the damage he''ll be able to translate into health recovery. The important thing for him is not to face a very strong monster. Dan couldn''t open up a skill with an area attack to improve it. He has to fight monsters, develop ''The Cognition of Evil''. Dan has honestly admitted to himself that it''s a pleasure to develop his skills. Michael checked their work and was pleased with the results. Then, he noticed another folder with written pages, read and gave Dan a new stack of pieces of paper. He smiled and warned that there was no more paper and that valuable resources needed to be preserved. Dan realized that he had to pay his own money for his development! That''s fair and square. And that''s when he decided to have his savings. And he realized that he would have to negotiate with Nick to get the agent to buy a stock of paper. The players had breakfast. Cold meat and bread were their humble food. Then, they went out to the cemetery, and yesterday''s events repeated themselves. They continued to clean the edges of the cemetery and tried to protect the oil. Fighting and level development continued. The skills they had pumped up were making themselves felt. Now Dan has begun to cause tangible damage to the undead. The damage from the bracelets was much greater than that of a club. ''Punishment'' proved to be a powerful weapon. By activating this skill, the Inquisitor''s strength rose to 50, and the defense increased. When Dan was hit by the monster, he no longer flew away. The impact was still painful, but tolerable. Dan wandered among the graves and redrawn letters from the steles. Then, the cleaning of the cemetery continued, the players behaved carefully. By the middle of the day, they had finished cleaning the area around the entrance. Now they had to go deep into the cemetery, where there were many crypts. The scouts went to look at the new territory. Most of the crypts had their doors broken down, and the doors were broken down from the inside. The thick doors of the crypts were made of stone. That means that the creatures that got out of there must have been very strong. In the depths of the cemetery, there are no conventional skeletons, instead, there are skeletons of warriors in armor and with weapons. And zombies wandered in armor too, but weapons were rare. John noticed a Banshee nearby. Players quickly left this place and moved away from the dangerous neighborhood. Leo and Dan started picking up the undead one at a time. The players won, but the victory was not bloodless. After a while, each of them had cut and stabbed wounds. Most of the wounds were those with leather armor on them. It was an unpleasant and disgusting impression of the new way of life. Regeneration treated the wounds. But it took time. And it was unusual to see terrible bleeding wounds on comrades. It was especially frightening when, after a challenge, one of the skeletons bayed Alexander''s hand and injured him. Alexander screamed in pain and was dragged back, where Ron began to actively use the healing on him. The sight of growing bones and flesh on them must have added to the grey hair. Ron''s entire mana took up the warrior''s treatment. Players went through the trophies, found things with increased intelligence. Eventually, Ron looked strange and freaky. He was dressed in colorful clothes instead of armor, and he looked like a crazy gambler. From now on, monsters were pulled out with ''Autodafe''. When called to the court, undead class skills related to weapons were blocked. Players would only dodge the warrior''s combat skeleton skill, reminiscent of Alexander''s ''Imminent Strike''. So, they suffered for about an hour. Now the way forward was blocked by a crypt behind which there was a banshee. It was possible to try to clear the way among skeletons of warriors and zombies in armor and with weapons. But no one wanted to get caught under the sword of monstrously strong and hard to kill zombies. Having consulted, the players decided to try their hand at the banshee. The scouts warned that the banshee was a ghost. It flies, and it''s hard to see. You must pay attention to the unusual sight! The Banshee flew through material objects and it caught the eye. The Banshee flew low above the ground. It was far away, but Dan could catch it with his skill. The Inquisitor pointed his finger at the creature and pointed under his feet. And the ghost in the windy translucent red dress, freely passing through the gravestones, slowly swam to the players. As the creature crossed the circle, it became more material, and Dan was able to see the banshee perfectly. The woman looked delightfully awful. Her gray hair waved in different directions under the blows of the wind. Her skin was grey, with a blue tint. Flying corpse. Her eyes had no pupils, clear white gaps stood out above her disgusting nose. The nose was rotten, it opened two holes in her face. The mouth of this thing was the most frightening. The mouth was wide open like it was frozen in a scream. The lips rotted, they weren''t visible, and they didn''t hide the creepy teeth. The banshee''s teeth were inhuman! The teeth were sticking out like big bone needles! Yellow, sharp, different heights, some bent outward. Nasty teeth. Then, Dan noticed her Tits! Big, juicy, gray Tits! They stuck out and called for a gaze because they were half-open with a red d¨¦collet¨¦ dress. It was the dress of an aristocrat. Yesterday''s zombie woman had some kind of dirty rip on her body. The banshee dress was decorated with a wide cut that went from the chest to the bottom of the abdomen. The edges of the cut were skillfully laced. A piece of the naked female body was frightening with its grey skin color. From the hips, the dress turned into ribbons and shreds of red, exposing slender legs. The sleeves reached to the elbows and opened the skinny hands, with big curved claws on the fingers. It was a terrible sight! It took Dan a while to get away from the banshee view to read the description. * Banshee Level: 10 Life: 5400 Overview: The Restless Soul of a woman who died a violent death can turn to one of the immaterial monsters. Banshee is one of the most dangerous ghost species. The mere presence of this creature evokes despair and fear of extraordinary power in people. Banshee can partially convey to you the agony of an ethereal creature, which is doomed to eternal loneliness and intolerable cold of the other world. The moans of this spirit stifle the will, depriving you of the opportunity to resist. Banshees are invulnerable to conventional weapons, only blades sanctified by the Priest or improved by the power of Talakat or Ridarn can damage its immaterial essence. Few classes can resist such an adversary. Fear not the legendary scream of a banshee, fear touching this creature! With a touch, you will lose a piece of your soul. Class skills: ''The ethereal spirit''. The skill gives you protection from spirit-enhanced weapons and reduces damage from enhanced or sanctified weapons. [7/10] [Blocked] ''Spirit Walls'' Skill weakens and puts the victim to sleep. [6/10] [Blocked] [Blocked] Battle skills: ''Scream''. A ghost makes a scream that causes serious damage and injury to live things. [10/10] [Cooldown: 300 seconds] [Reduced by 50%] ''The Otherworldly Touch''. By touching his victim, a banshee drinks his opponent''s life to make up for his. [10/10][Cooldown: 300 seconds][Reduced by 50%] * When Dan finished reading, he was already five feet away from the almost approaching monster, stretching out his fingers to him with long claws. \"She sounds, don''t let her touch you, she''s a vampire,\" Dan shouted as he retreated from the ghost. \"You can hit with a better weapon.\" Michael came up on the side and hit the gray ghost flesh of Banshee with a casting blue blade. The ghost instantly turned towards him, and the next second they hit the ground, covering their ears with their hands. Hellish pain grew in Dan''s head, and warm liquid poured through his hands tightly pressed to his ears. * [Attention! You have been injured. The damage done to you will be increased. Attention! You are paralyzed by the advanced skill, you are immobilized.] * Dan was horrified to watch the monster leaning against him, the player had no strength to move, and he told the guys out of last force: \"Activates skill in 300 seconds.\" And then he felt the cold. It''s a very strong cold. An ice pack was rapidly growing inside of him, and Dan couldn''t think of anything else. The cold and the strange crying sound silenced the pain of dying organs. It is cold, it''s so cold... For a second, it was like the cold was getting weaker, but the body flashed a bunch of pain. Horror washed away the last vestiges of his will, and Dan screamed out of monstrous despair. The burning pain pierced his body and shot him in the neck with a sharp prick. And Dan died. A date with a hated nothing faded in the face of the horror he experienced. The spasm from too much air was almost unnoticed. Dan squeezed his body into a ring on the dirty floor and continued to shake from the cold. It was unusually cold, and he didn''t want to leave his frozen soul alone. Crisp joints, which he squeezed to the limit. Dan grabbed his shoulders, moaned and tried to warm himself, but he couldn''t even catch any heat. Fire, I need fire! There was a fuss around him, someone running and shouting. Fire, I need to get warm! Oil, oil is in my inventory! I need to pour out and set it on fire, and then I can get warm. Yeah, right, all I have to do is open my stiffened fingers. Dan had a hard time taking his fingers off his shoulders. Now he could see his hands shaking from the cold. But all I have to do is wish! I want to get a pitcher of fuel mix from the equipment! And there he is! Dan was holding a vessel with the desired heat in his hand, but something stopped him from pulling out the rag cork. \"Hold him tight, you idiots! He''s going to burn himself!\" Dan heard a loud scream. Why, why are you interrupting me, can''t you see how cold I am?! \"Damn it! He''s twitching hard!\" \"Fall on him, don''t let him move!\" \"John, hold him tight!\" I''m cold, I''m so cold... \"Teeth! How do you unclench his teeth? I can''t pour the tincture on him!\" \"Knock his teeth out! And hold him down! \" Dan felt an outburst of pain, and a bitter scalding fluid poured inside him. He greedily swallowed the life-giving fluid, but something stuck in his throat. Something was preventing the fluid from getting inside. \"Give me another bottle.\" \"He can''t swallow this, his teeth are stuck in his throat!\" \"Try to get them out with your fingers.\" \"Are you crazy?! He''s having spasms. I''m going to lose my fingers!\" Dan''s mind was slowly flowing into darkness, and finally, the world around him was gone. Peace... leave me alone. After a while, Dan woke up again. The terrible cold had gone, leaving a chilly void. He was lying in the corner of the room. Dan leaned carefully on his trembling hands and took a sitting position, his back against the wall. There was silence in the room. Nine wary glances watched his movements. Dan raised his shaking hand and waved at them. A sigh of relief swept through the gatehouse. Michael sat next to him. \"Are you all right? \"I''m okay. I''m a little cold.\" \"You scared us a lot. When the creature leaned over you, you screamed so loud and scared, my head hair was moving. Your hands were glowing and you were going to cling to the beast and the beast was going to cling to you. We started cutting her... She was trying to get out of it. You wouldn''t let her go, but you were screaming like... People don''t scream like that, the living shouldn''t scream like that. Nick stabbed you in the neck with his spear and sent you for the rebirth.\" \"Thank you, Nick. Did you kill the creature?\" \"We killed a banshee. After you died, she only lasted a few moments.\" \"That''s good.\" \"And then we heard you scream again, but from this house. We ran this way. When we got there, you were lying on the floor screaming. You were breaking your shoulders with your own hands. We couldn''t get away for a couple of moments, and then you got a vial of butter in your hand.\" \"I wanted to pour on myself to get warm. And then you kicked my teeth out and pumped me with a tincture. I remember everything, Michael. Thank you for not letting me burns me.\" \"Don''t thank me. You owe Nick two fingers. Your teeth hit your throat and cut off your breath. He put his fingers in your mouth. So, you could bite his fingers off with your gums and the rest of his teeth.\" \"What a crazy person I am, I''ll owe you one. Have they grown back?\" \"Fingers have grown like your teeth,\" said Michael. \"Will you listen to the news?\" \"Tell me.\" There was a lot of news. There''s a caravan in the village. Five vans guarded by a strong squad of sixteen men. All warriors were level 30. All the guards were seriously injured. The caravan brought 3 dead bodies. One guard will remain crippled, some creature bit his leg off. The wound was healed with a potion, but he couldn''t grow a limb. It takes a strong magician for this procedure, with the right specialization. The caravan will now regain its strength in the village. There are many new products and potions in the shop. But there are no such strong potions as those given to players for tests. Some potions slightly increase regeneration and various healing potions from weak wounds. There are a lot of antidotes on the market. You can buy new weapons and armor. There are all sorts of household items on sale. Nick was a great salesman! He sold the ingredients from the monsters pretty well. They were the only ones he got ten gold coins for. He got a hundred more silver rials for small crystals. With the money he got, the players bought two barrels of fuel oil and other supplies. The remaining trophies left Turin for sale. The dwarf says that things with the ''rare'' type can make a lot of money. Beginners saw the blood on their armor, humbled them and seem to have begun to understand the real prospects for existence in this world. But they''re holding on and even helping to care for the wounded guards a little bit. Michael went to the village with the scouts. There were no werewolves near the road, perhaps the creature licked the wounds. Tomorrow they will go back to the village, now is a good time to improve specialization Diplomacy and Trade. Nick managed to overhear part of a trader talking to the village head. There was a phrase in the conversation, ''The same''. There may be another group somewhere near the castle. Dan was listening to the news. The feeling of cold in the whole body wasn''t lost. He asked Michael: \"Didn''t you get a fat blanket?\" \"There was no such thing, but there are wolf furs. Do you want some?\" \"Let me get some sleep.\" Michael brought the fur and Dan wrapped himself in the warmth of the fur that smelled like a dog. \"Come on, Dan. Sleep well. I''ll see you tomorrow.\" After a while, the Inquisitor got warm, and he fell asleep again. 14 The draugr On the morning of the seventh day the sun was not visible behind the clouds as usual. It was raining tired again. Another attempt to clean up the cemetery had begun. Yesterday was a very fruitful day, except for what the Inquisitor had experienced. Dan received an award, he increased strength, agility, and endurance. The system fully appreciated his constant jumping and dumping from monsters. From his victory over the Banshee, he got 4 points in ''Self Control'', 1 point ''Psycho Control'' and 1 point ''Resistance to Cold''. So, the creature was really freezing him. Dan raised the ''Cognition'' by two more points. Until lunch, he only pulled out warrior skeletons, the players were already able to handle them. Players were getting hurt, but Ron was quickly restoring their health. Now the whole group was in iron armor. The whole group wore rings and amulets. Even though the skeletons were at least level 15, they didn''t cause any particularly serious problems and the experience was good. Even the partners got 1000 points of experience. When the skeletons were out of reach, the players consulted and Dan called level 12 zombies in equipment and with weapons. The creature managed to kill Alexander, Tom, and Nick, who had slipped into it. Michael was cured. Players took a break to wait for the boys to come back to life. The differences between classes are now quite visible. The biggest resistance to monster attacks could have been Dan and Leo. The zombies, apart from the usual loot, dropped a bow with +1 to dexterity and a quiver with arrows. Nick was very excited and immediately began to learn new weapons. Now from behind the Warriors'' backs was flying a shimmering blue death. Nick often didn''t hit the target, and no dexterity helped him. He made everybody angry! His arrows beat in the back and caused annoying damage. But after a while, when Nick had gained enough experience, he discovered the skill of ''Shot''. Nick even smiled the first time he used his skill. With this skill, he always hit the target and dealt good damage, due to the effect of ignoring the enemy''s defense. The only problem was that using the skill required 5 mana points. And intelligence doesn''t count on scouts! A scout is strong and dexterous, he doesn''t need intelligence. John immediately started calling Nick ''Dumby eye''. Nick was silent and patient and only occasionally threatened to shoot the joker Assassin. John responded by saying that a cop had no right to do that. The stupid bickering between the two of them was really defusing the atmosphere. Even the wounded players had a smile. Everyone was tired, but by evening the players had killed all the zombies. There were not enough arrows for Nick, although it was the zombies who sometimes fell the trophy of 10 arrows. Scouting with Michael ran to the village to resupply and put the trophies in the chest. A glass of bones caught in the house. Jim was developing a repair on leather armor. Dan and Gandalf complemented the bestiary and began to form a guide for the game. The entire group received 100 points of ''Glory'' for the first guide in the world. Dan and Gandalf got the ''Chronist'' achievement and each received 25 points of ''Glory''. Gandalf was already level 13, he had raised his magic and threatened to make Doomsday for monsters. Dan had fully developed all the skills of the ''Librarian''. He sometimes took a complete distraction from the atmosphere of battle in the cemetery. He was already free to read most of the inscriptions on monuments and graves. He had the impression that the world was working out perfectly well and in every detail. Now Dan wasn''t sorry for his specialty. He was absolutely convinced that in this game it was important not to live the grey life of a player who quietly develops his class. He was sure he''d meet the surprises of the game again. And it will be powerful surprises, ancient and ancient secrets will not change into little things. He wasn''t going to share his findings. He decided he''d think long and hard before revealing his secrets. The guys from the village came back. Michael treated the guards to wine. He found out there was a small fortified house three days'' journey with a small group of five players. The newcomers were tied to the point of revival in the Castle and sent under the care of Turin to the castle. But there was one nuance. Valerie flatly refused to leave in the village of a mangled soldier from the guards of the caravan. She helped treat him. The problem with this warrior was easy to solve. He wouldn''t go back alone, it was a suicide in his situation. No one in the village needs him. Michael talked to the guard''s colleagues, and then to the warrior himself, and as a result, the cripple got the right to go to the castle. He will become a coach. A specialist at this time can give initial lessons on how to properly handle a sword and how to use it in battle. Taking on the service of a local experienced soldier is the right thing to do. There is a lot of information from him about this world. Dan realized that such an expert would be interesting. Just smile and wave, Dan. Smile and wave. The evening''s usually over. Each player prepared and tested his equipment. Those who received new levels distributed new points of characteristics and skills. The players had dinner and went to bed. *** The morning battle began with a performance of His Majesty. Gandalf showed his new possibilities. Magic in this game turned out to be terrible stuff. The first fireball that Gandalf released left no one indifferent. The ball of fire became slightly larger and flew much faster, but the most terrible was the consequences of hitting this ball. There was a small vortex at the site of the fireball explosion. The monsters that had been hit not only flew away but were also seriously injured. A maximally developed fireball dealt at least 1000 points of damage. The ''Blow of the Wind'' was a skill that allowed the enemy to be thrown away. Warriors'' skeletons flew away from a sharp blow of wind at five yards, zombies at two. The skill was developed by only five points. ''Ice Needles'' was an interesting skill. There were three icicles on the sides of Gandalf, three thick in the arm and one long in the elbow. Then, they quickly flew away towards the enemy and stabbed wounds were inflicted. The damage to the dead was small, but the skill was poorly developed only 3 points. ''The Swamp''. Control! Good skill and very useful. It was a pity that Gandalf hadn''t developed the magic of the Earth. The enemy caught in the spelling zone, knee-deep in viscous mud, and he had to make serious efforts to get out. Players tested and learned that this skill slowed the enemy''s movement for a short time! But the magician did not want to be an assistant, he wanted to become the main killer of monsters. He can be understood, Gandalf is sure to prove his usefulness to the clan. Suddenly, Gandalf made a bid for the title of the formidable Damager on the team. But he only had enough mana for five fireballs. Michael scolded himself for not thinking of buying more potions that increase mana regeneration. There were explosions and loud sounds from weapon strikes, alternating with swearing. Black and smelly smoke rose to the eternally frowning sky, and the bodies of ghouls and zombies were puked on fire. The players seemed to have been at war. They may have been in hell. Beast after beast, the players were breaking through to the center of the cemetery. There must be a boss in any location, and they were approaching him. Dan guessed what was waiting for the group ahead. The transformation marks on the bodies of zombies spoke clearly about the future enemy. In the middle of the cemetery was a gorgeously decorated huge crypt. It stood on an elevation. And on the steps of the crypt stood a new enemy with a two-handed blade. The sword shone dead blue. The enemy stood in absolutely whole armor. It looked like an ordinary warrior''s skeleton, but the description clearly stated that it was not. * Rebellious Draugr Type: Elite Status: Boss of the location Level: 20 Life: 30,000 Description: A zombie that has consumed enough flesh for the rebirth can turn into one of two types of undead, the Butcher or Draugr. And both of these species are extremely dangerous. But ask any veteran, and he will answer: ''I''d rather meet the butcher twice than meet Draugr once''. This creature''s bones become stronger than iron after transformation, his body gaining weight as if the monster were made of steel. This creature is intelligent and the fight is very calculated. Draugr is a natural warrior, and his fighting skills and weapons are fully developed. This class is also capable of rebirth, and you must crush this monster as soon as possible. The remains must be collected and crushed into dust, then drowned in the sea, otherwise, the monster will be reborn again. Improved skills: ''Master Blade''. The weapon in this monster''s hand is as dangerous as its master. This skill increases weapon damage and allows the use of special sword tricks and techniques. [10/10] It opens up skills: ''Pressure''. Skill is very similar to the `Strike'' of a warrior, but in strength is many times superior to it. Draugr can punch a fully equipped opponent through with a simple blow of the hand. Even light stone walls can be punched through by a creature. Cooldown: 200 seconds. [10/10] ''Cutting through the void''. This skill increases the chance to ignore your opponent''s armor and class abilities. Cooldown: 120 seconds. [10/10] Class skills: ''Invincible''. This skill increases protection and gives immunity from many types of damage. [10/10] It opens up skills: ''Juggernaut''. This skill greatly enhances the monster''s characteristics, making it a perfect destruction machine. [10/10] ''Inevitable Death''. This skill significantly increases the speed of the monster''s movement, helping him to overcome his own weight. [10/10] Battle skills: ''Enter the Crusher''. The creature blows up into the air and lands on its feet, creating a powerful shock wave that inflicts huge damage and injury to the enemies around it. Cooldown: 400 seconds. [10/10] ''Singing Blade''. Spinning a whirlwind, the monster strikes a powerful circular blow, destroying everything within its blade radius. Cooldown: 240 seconds. [10/10] Immunity to arms: Stabbing: 100% Cutting: 80% Crushing: 80% The magic of fire: 80% The magic of water: 60% The magic of air: 90% The magic of the earth: 60% * This monster''s suit was two levels 17 banshees. \"What''s up, Dan?\" \"This is our death, Michael. Death on Two Legs.\" \"Is it really that bad?\" \"I''m afraid that''s the deepest ass we''ve ever met.\" Dan loudly read the creature''s description of all the guys. Everyone was quiet. With two more banshees, no one had any idea how to destroy this monster. \"We go around the edge and kill the weaker undead. We leave these behind for last.\" The leader decided that it was clear, comfortable and pleasant for everyone. Players made a circle and continued to clean up the rest of the territory. By evening, they had finished cleaning the cemetery. They gently went around the center and went to the house. The mood of the group was depressed. The players could only retreat, they were not ready for a battle with such a monster. But there was an important point: the description said that the creature could be reborn and become even more dangerous. And it seriously scared everyone. On the way back, the players found a couple more skeletons that were hiding in the crypts. John got the ''Tomb Robber'' achievement for stealing things from surviving crypts. The shaggy assassin was not punished and the players continued to explore the crypts. They picked up a lot of interesting stuff, some things they couldn''t even identify. They didn''t have enough scrolls. Now, almost all the equipment on the players was of the type \"rare\". Five people went to the village. Michael thought of something and took the strongest. Dan went to bed. He had a bad feeling about it. He was already used to having to stand on the edge of the attack. Inquisitor, no monster can get past him. When the boys came back from the village, Michael told them his plan. They brought two large barrels of oil and a small bag of red powder from the village. It was an alchemical reagent that increased the flammability of substances. The Banshee group will kill with the usual method, Dan will pull each creature out to fight alone. The guys promised to try to keep the creature away from the Inquisitor. That was followed by a tricky plan. One part of the group distracts Draugr, and Dan slips inside the crypt. And then the Inquisitor calls Draugr to fight inside the tomb. Gandalf will slow the creature down with the curse of the ''Swamp''. As soon as Draugr enters the crypt, the players come in quickly and put the barrels of oil and pour out the reagent. Then, the players set the oil on fire! Then, they ran away from the crypt. The task of the Inquisitor is simple, it is not to die before the explosion. The explosion will multiply the damage from the fire and the crushing effect of the blast wave, the monster will get a lot of damage. If the players are lucky, the blast can destroy Draugr. In any case, after the blast, the guys run into the crypt and kill the stunned monster. Are we crazy? I''m not exactly normal, thought Dan. The plan was pleasing with its technical part. Working with explosives is a step forward in the world of sword and magic. But they didn''t know how big an explosion would be? Dan didn''t want to think about the prospect of voluntary suicide. There were many assumptions and fantasies in the plan. Dan was silent about the fact that if he died, the action of ''Autodafe'' would die. And then the players wouldn''t be able to get Draugr to the full extent of his skills. It''s all nonsense! I''ll do it. The anger inside Dan wouldn''t let him back down. Anger at his helplessness and anger at the game that creates the conditions for such self-destruction. He could barely sleep last night. In the morning, all the players were quiet. They went slowly into battle. The first banshee they managed to finish without loss, it was a redheaded young girl. But the second creature caused a lot of trouble. The old lady kept the remnants of her wisdom. She ignored everyone but the Inquisitor, and her translucent hands touched Dan. He was no longer shouting in despair and cold. The passive skills he received allowed him to resist the ghost. And then the stone-hardened weapons quickly cut shorts that sick the fantasy of the programmers who had created this world. Or perhaps the fantasy of God. The cold that settled back inside Dan was rapidly squeezing his hooks. The player knew that this cold was only the birth of his mind, but this knowledge did not bring relief. It''s okay, I''ll warm up soon, thought Dan. * John flew out of invisibility and hit Draugr armor. Then, the player barely managed to dodge the return sword hit. Suddenly, the monster jumped and fell to the ground near the nearby building, behind which John decided to hide. There was a rumble, and the wall of the structure, on which large cracks ran, began to fall inside. The entrance to the tomb was free and Dan slipped inside. Gandalf remained at the entrance and began throwing fireballs at the monster. The magician himself volunteered for the role. It''s necessary to lure the creature to the entrance to the tomb. To activate the ''Autodafe'' skill, the Inquisitor must see the target. The crypt was big. Columns, elaborate statues and a massive dark stone sarcophagus with a broken lid... There was no time to look around, so Dan ran up to the sarcophagus. He jumped over it and clung to the wall. His gaze swept through the open entrance. The monster could show up at any moment! So, Gandalf ran past the aisle, threw something behind his back... Where''s the draugr? Got it!!! The skull of the monster appeared in the doorway. Coming here, you dead asshole. A call gesture and Draugr stopped and something wheezed. He froze for a moment and then started going to the Inquisitor. The border outlining the court was exactly in the middle of the hall. That''s just great, there''s plenty of room. The monster that entered the crypt stopped. The creature''s burning eyes found Dan, and the creature moved quickly towards the player. Yeah, it crossed the line. \"Get the oil!\" shouted Dan. Michael and Alexander ran into the room and started to put barrels a step away from the court line. Then, they started kicking the lids out. \"Are you cold?\" asked Dan. Draugr stopped when he heard the player''s question. \"I''m really cold. You must be very cold, too. Of course, because you only have bones and no flesh... But don''t worry, my friends will keep us warm.\" Draugr turned around and noticed the barrels and the enemies who were doing something near the barrels. He made a nasty squeal and in an instant was at the border. Draugr stuck to it, but he could not overcome the obstacle. Dan saw the oil in the barrels turn brown and began to foam. Dirty slurry flowed through the wooden sides of the barrels. Michael threw a lighted torch near one of the barrels and saluted the Inquisitor with his hand. Then, he chased Alexander out. Draugr struck an invisible obstacle with his sword, but his attack brought no results. \"Why are you doing this? We''re in a game, and any game has rules that can''t be broken,\" said Dan calmly. Draugr turned to the player and at the same second he was in the air. Dan activated the buff and jumped aside and took cover behind one of the columns. Draugr jumped onto the sarcophagus and smashed it to pieces. The stone fragments were drummed on the armor on the Inquisitor''s back, and he ran closer to the barrels. It''s better to die in the fire of an explosion than to die at the hand of this monster! Dan stopped at the border opposite the barrels and turned to face the monster that was coming at him. Draugr brought his sword to strike. Dan heard a strange hissing behind his back. His body was swept by a scorching wave, and the world sank in an all-consuming flash. Again, a hated nothing and a coveted breath of air. Dan had a ceiling in front of his eyes, a weakness in his body. Some messages were flashing in front of his eyes, but he didn''t want to read them. His eyes were slowly pacing the ceiling, noticing tiny cracks on it. It was quiet and peaceful here. He felt good. After a while, Michael ran into the room, he said something joyfully. \"Dan? Dan? Do you hear that? We killed that monster, we killed him!\" \"Okay.\" And then they just laughed and laughed like crazy, couldn''t stop. Alexander looked into the house and staring at the players. He shook his head and went out. Dan got up and went out, his weakness hadn''t gone away yet, and he was shaking a little. Dan looked around. In the middle of the cemetery, a large pillar of black smoke was rising into the sky. Let''s go and see what they''d done. And the players had done a lot of disgrace and destruction. From the central crypt remained only the foundation, a few walls and pieces of columns and broken statues. Now the crypt was still burning in places. There was a hustle and bustle near one of the fallen columns. Dan looked up and noticed the draugr hand sticking out from under the columns, smoldering slightly. The players had a lot of work to do. Now they have to collect the remains of the monster. Dan was hoping the monster hadn''t been ripped to small pieces. The draugr didn''t rip it into little pieces. But the problem was, the remains weighed a lot! Jim had to try very hard to split the remains into smaller pieces. Players thoroughly searched the ruins of the main crypt. Then, the whole group reached out of the cemetery. The players cleaned up the location. The system pleased the clan with 100 points of ''Glory'', which were added to the general bank. For the victory and completion of the quest the players gained a lot of experience. Many players immediately got a new level. Under the place where the sarcophagus was, they found a stash with great trophies. Dan was one of the lasts to leave the cemetery. He had a new ''Kamikaze'' achievement and got 50 ''Glory'' for it. Once again, the player has changed outwardly. Now Dan looked like an albino. His hair turned grey, his face turned pale and his eyes faded. Perhaps the game will restore his face in the next rebirth. Dan thought the new look would last forever because he was so reborn after the explosion. Players were going back to the castle. Dan was carrying a draugr sword in his hands. The sword was unique with its own history, and it was also cursed. So the trophy was given to the Inquisitor without talking. But Dan was happy with another. They won the first major victory in this world, and that was the main thing at the moment. Four days in hell ended with a victory over a superior opponent. The guys were joking and remembering the funniest moments of the cemetery fights. The Inquisitor was walking next to Nick, who was smiling at his thoughts. Dan opened the character''s window and distributed free characteristics. * Character information: Name: Dan. Class: Inquisitor Subclass: Librarian Race: Human Level: 17 Experience: 974300/1573100 Strength 61 [52 +3 +2 +4] Intellect 32 [18 +2 +3 +2 +7] [MP 320] Dexterity 28 [20 +3 +2 +3] Spirit 74 [66 +3 +3 +2] Endurance 48 [HP 4800] Protection: 430 Luck 4 [Passive] ''See the hidden'' 4 [Passive] ''Self-control'' 7 [Passive] ''Psycho Protection'' 3 [Passive] ''Resistance to Cold'' 2 [Passive] ''Resistance to Fire'' 1 [Passive] Improved skills: ''Cognition of Evil'' [7/10] ''Calligraphy'' [6/10] Class skills: ''Autodafe'' [10/10] ''Spiritual power'' [10/10] ''Tough Will'' [10/10] ''Ancient Languages'' [10/10] ''Master of the Puzzle'' [10/10] Combat skills: ''Punishment'' [10/10] Available with 0/34 characteristic points and 0/34 skill points. 15 Cursed sword Wake up in a normal bed and not feel a swollen body. What could be better? Today, the players will have a homecoming celebration. Yesterday, there was too much to do. Everybody''s too tired to celebrate the victory. Turin was sincerely happy to have the players back, although he had to do a decent job. Until nightfall, the dwarf crushed Draugr''s bones with his hammer. The players carefully collected the ashes of the monster and placed them in a specially forged container, which was later hidden in a stash. One day they will reach the sea, and the dead spirit will rest in the salty waters of this world. There had been many changes in the castle, but because of fatigue, Dan didn''t have the strength to look around. The carpenters made the furniture, and the castle got a residential appearance. Now each of the players slept in their own room. Dan took a look around his room. A bed with a pillow and a mattress stuffed with grass. Several animal skins sewn together replaced the blanket. A small chest for personal belongings. That''s all he noticed in the evening when he fell on the bed. * This morning, Dan decided to look at all the changes in the castle. The living room was empty, all players had already got up and left their rooms. There were fixtures and candles on the walls. The Donjon Gate was open, there was a noise from the yard. The flame of the Respect was cheerfully crackling with tiny sparks. The bowl was filled almost to the edges. Dan stepped out into the courtyard and smiled at the frowning sky, looking at the courtyard, which had changed beyond recognition. Now there was a real sports ground near the chapel under the wall, where Dan saw the equipment. The dwarf managed to make a simulator from John''s drawings. The assassin got some Glory from this case. Michael and Alexander are now frozen on a small training ground. They listened attentively to a man who wasn''t young and was sitting at the edge of the court. Dan noticed a couple of rough crutches near the chair. Looks like that''s the cripple from the caravan security. Nick was at the gym, John was standing next to him and saying something to a friend. Another stranger was standing next to them, sometimes saying his words. Yesterday, when Turin opened the gate, Dan walked past them and didn''t even notice. Dan walked up to the boys. \"Alan, don''t be scared, this is our Inquisitor. His name is Dan,\" said John. \"I''m not scared,\" said the redheaded guy. \"Are you the Inquisitor or the Witcher?\" Dan took a good look at the new player''s eyes. The redhead wasn''t afraid, his face expressed complete peace of mind. Dan thought that Alan wasn''t particularly concerned about the details of the new world. Alan made the impression of a tourist. \"Good morning, Alan. You know, I only looked like a witcher after visiting the local cemetery. But you''re right! I''m more like a witcher than an Inquisitor,\" replied Dan. \"You''re good with monsters, disgusting attitude with locals,\" nodded Alan. \"I didn''t have time to talk to the locals,\" said the Inquisitor. \"But you''re right about monsters, Alan,\" said Nick. \"Dan was our main force in the cemetery.\" Dan waved his hand and apologized: \"Nice to meet you, Alan. Guys, I''m going to the blacksmith''s.\" Alan seemed like a smart and calculating man. There was smoke over the blacksmith''s, hammer hits. Dan was planning a mission for Turin. The player had an idea. There were changes in the blacksmith shop, too. Some of the charcoal crates had disappeared, and Jim was sitting at his private desk in the vacant space. He was carving something out of leather. \"I''m on a case,\" said Dan. The dwarf hummed and looked at the player with interest. \"Can you wrap my bracelets in regular gloves? I got a sword, I got to get used to it.\" \"I heard about your sword and your adventures,\" said the dwarf. Turin took the bracelets and spun them in his hands, then put them aside. He looked at Dan and said quietly: \"I have a strong desire to put your empty head on an anvil and knock on it with a hammer. Maybe then you''ll have something in your head that will help you think.\" \"If I get an achievement for an experiment like this, I''m willing to try,\" joked Dan. \"Joker. With bracelets, I''ll try. It''ll be hard, but I can rebuild them. But their quality can change.\" \"It''s not scary. I''m used to them when I''m not wearing them, it''s like I''m naked. And I don''t want to lose my protection.\" \"Dan, you want some advice? Take your new sword and bury it in the ground deep. Things like this have never done any good.\" \"I can bury my sword. What do you suggest I do with this?\" The player patted on an artifact that was hanging on his belt. \"It can''t be taken off or sold.\" \"You''re a fool who plays dangerous games. These things are not cursed for nothing,\" said the dwarf angrily. \"So I''m a fool. Can you do such a thing?\" Dan pulled out a dwarf page with a drawing of an armor part... The dwarf picked up the piece, looked at it carefully, looked at the player and hummed it again. \"Do you think they''ll pay less attention to you with that?\" \"It''s going to wrinkle less. Will you do it? Michael has given permission for any material available.\" \"I''ll do it. But it''s an unusual armor. Although your class will be better with it.\" Dan nodded to Turin and decided to go back to the castle. He made some important requests. He''ll get better equipment. Dan went into the hall with the fireplace in the donjon. He wanted to finish the bestiary and start describing yesterday''s events. Cursed sword, you fool, bury it deep... oh Turin, Turin. This strange sword told me how the cursed objects appeared. Michael doesn''t know yet, but he''ll also be interested in the story of the sword. There was a fireplace burning in the hall, two rocking chairs set up in front of him. In the center of the hall appeared a large wooden table and chairs. On the table, there was a flat wooden box. Dan was surprised. Who made chess? The figurines were stylized to reflect the realities of this world. By the chess, there was a wooden glass with dice already familiar. Soon the company of players would make Gandalf draw playing cards. Dan came to the fireplace and pulled on his chair, and heard a low growl. Right in front of the chairs, wolves were sleeping by the fireplace. And they had grown well, three times their original size, and that''s only the second feed. It''s unbelievable. Dan sat in the chair and started working. He''d write down memories on a page, and he''d sew this page to a stack of homemade books. The work was monotonous, and time flew by unnoticed. At the edge of his hearing, it was like a bell rang. What the hell''s this about? He checked the interface, there were no new messages. Dan shrugged his shoulders and continued recording. Interrupted his session with the leader''s voice: \"Dan, do you need a special invitation?\" \"Invitation to what?\" \"For lunch, did you not hear the bell?\" \"Was that the bell for lunch?\" \"Let''s go to the table.\" \"Is there still time?\" \"We''ve got about ten minutes until Turin and Jim get here.\" \"Then sit down next to me and listen to an interesting story before lunch.\" Michael sat in his chair. Dan took the writing instruments out of the inventory, and a sword appeared on the Inquisitor''s lap. \"And he changed,\" Michael noticed. \"Yes, he''s lost his skull and bone jewelers, now Tarrok looks like this. Tarrok is the name of the sword.\" \"Why can''t I see his description? What does he look like?\" \"It''s a feature of all cursed objects, characteristics, and descriptions only the owner of the object can see.\" \"And now what? You''re not showing it to me just to show off. You''ve learned something, haven''t you?\" \"I learned a lot. I now know why these objects are called cursed. Are you interested?\" \"Of course I''m interested, go ahead and tell me.\" \"This blade was forged about nine centuries ago for a young knight from an ancient noble family in Galatea. These are the ruins in which you appeared in this world.\" \"How do you know this is the city?\" \"My subclass has a skill, it allows you to read unfamiliar symbols. Many symbols I don''t understand, but I do understand the general meaning. And I''ve seen the name of the city a lot.\" \"In a cemetery, on gravestones,\" Michael guessed. \"Yes, that''s where. This blade is made for a certain class. It cost a lot of money to make it. The description refers to a box of gold bars. And most of the gold didn''t go to the blacksmith who made that sword.\" \"And who got the gold?\" \"You''re a disgusting listener, you always interrupt!\" \"Yes, I am an impatient man. What class could own this object?\" \"Paladin.\" \"And the paladin is supposed to be God''s warrior. Then it''s clear where most of the gold has gone. As a gift to the god.\" \"That''s right, Michael. You got it right.\" \"But there are no gods in this world.\" \"Wrong.\" \"Dan, you''re going to make me hysterical.\" \"There are gods here, they''re just dead right now.\" Michael leaned back in his chair and said softly: \"This is the moment I don''t understand. You can''t kill the gods. Or is it possible?\" \"I won''t be reminiscent of the different Earth religions. We are dealing with a new world. Here, God can be killed by another god, according to information received. And this sword on my lap was dedicated to one of the local gods. That''s why it''s cursed.\" \"Are there any gods here that aren''t local, other people''s gods?\" immediately captured Michael''s main point. \"Gandalf had a wonderful memory for symbols and hieroglyphs. He drew me a whole leaf of strange symbols, which I could hardly translate.\" \"Are these the inscriptions on the stove where he was tortured by the witch?\" \"It''s from the stove on which he survived the most unpleasant hours in the world. That''s interesting information. It looks like a legend. Some gods created this world, and everything here was like heaven. The situation changed when other people''s gods came into this world. There was a war with no winners left.\" \"Wait, did they kill each other?\" \"Yes. The raging cataclysms practically destroyed the civilization that exists here. That explains why this world is so poorly populated. But the worst part is that the dead bodies of the gods are still lying somewhere in this world! And yet all these remains are very hard to radiate. It''s because of this magical divine influence that a lot of magical creatures are around here. This fact explains why the locals don''t like to talk about gods. At this point, it''s all the information from the stove. To learn more, to get the big quest, we have to go there. And there will be a witch waiting for us, a friend of Gandalf''s. You''ve seen the initial level of our magician. Our magician is weak, but he''s already impressive. I''m sure the old sorceress will cause us a lot of trouble.\" \"Huh, when you think about how wonderful the storyline is in our game. And the most interesting thing is how it can develop,\" Michael thought. \"I don''t understand what you can do with the bodies of the gods.\" \"That''s a good question. Saw it up and tear it apart as a souvenir! You''ll understand that there will be a long quest for each part of the body.\" \"We''ll go to the witch when we solve the werewolf problem. What else did the information reveal to you?\" \"My knowledge also works on cursed objects and complements the description. For example, there''s a whole page written on Tarrok and it''s not all description. This blade was dedicated to a local deity named Sardar. Judging by the description, this god was not a cutie, but a big bastard. He loved sacrifices and encouraged them very much. Also interesting are the features of the blade itself. It''s not proper for a paladin to wear such a sword.\" \"You''re kidding me on purpose, right?\" \"He made me a Kamikaze. I have every right to be. This sword is an ancient, handmade thing.\" Dan looked at the swords and read a description of Michael: * Tarrok Type: unique. Linked to Dan''s character Attention! Cursed artifact! The influence on the gameplay 0% Damage: 1600-2400 [Critical damage: 4400-7200] Durability: Indestructible Weight: 3 pounds Combat skill: ''Cutting the Void'' Increases the chance to ignore the enemy''s armor and class abilities. Cooldown 120 seconds. [10/10] ''Drinking the Life'' 4% of the damage done in HP restores health. [10/10] * Michael listened carefully to the characteristics of the sword and admitted honestly: \"You''re so sly, Dan. You got a vampire sword. Alexander will die of envy. The skill of ignoring the enemy''s armor is also excellent.\" \"Unique weapon. Very solid and impressive. I''m most excited about Durability: Indestructible,\" said Dan. \"Guys, let''s go down to the hall. Everybody''s here, just waiting for you,\" said John, who looked in the room. \"We''ll be right there,\" said Dan. Michael asked another question: \"If the blade is made for the paladin, how could you equip it?\" Dan shrugged his shoulders and smiled: \"The Inquisition is holy and infallible. A cursed object made for the paladin, but there''s no limit to it. I have a hunch about that. You see, such objects are considered dangerous for a reason.\" \"What do you mean?\" \"I mean, these things are a little ''alive''. I don''t have all the information yet, I''m going to have to wait until I''m as good as I can. But what we do know isn''t little. This sword really does give me a piece of the life of an enemy being killed. But I am sure! Only a smaller part will suit me. Do you have any idea where the rest will go?\" \"It can''t be,\" Michael looked at the blade with fear. \"Is he going to develop himself?\" \"The sword will become stronger and more powerful. My description clearly states that one day this sword will consume too much of someone else''s life. Then it can swap with the master of the roles.\" \"Can you get rid of this sword?\" \"Can''t, it''s not taken off, it''s not transmitted.\" \"Then don''t use it. I don''t care about his bonuses for that price.\" \"No way! The sword has ''equipment automatically activated in combat'' status. I can''t put it out of my inventory.\" \"And you''ve got a book,\" mumbled funny Michael. \"And a book, too. And until I reach a certain level, I won''t know what it can do. I can only hope that the effects of the book are still blocked.\" \"You can make me happy, Dan.\" \"I''m amazed at myself. I was nothing and nobody in the past life. And then suddenly there''s a bunch of talent. Throw myself off a cliff with a heavy load, but there''s no point, I''ll come back to life.\" \"Okay, Dan, don''t worry, we''ll figure something out. Come on, we''re having a party today. About everything you''ve told me, don''t say a word to anyone yet.\" \"You can''t do that, they have to know.\" \"Then see for yourself, let''s go. Let''s take the newcomers to the clan.\" \"Is it that serious now? Did you come up with a special ritual?\" \"We don''t need a ritual. But we can add a little celebration for such an important occasion.\" Players have left the room. Then another person came out of the room. Nobody noticed him. 16 Nick, attentive and careful Nick was a cop. He crossed the line. The punishment was justified. Virtual life sentence. He remembered accepting to participate in the experiment. When Nick was in the cemetery, among the living dead, in a computer game, he wasn''t confused. Next to him, someone was shouting loudly and calling for help. Nick was a policeman. To serve and protect, that was the most important thing in his life. And it doesn''t matter that you have to protect someone from a living skeleton. So Nick met John. When Nick met Alexander, he knew this man right away. It was a dirty business. It was a military case. Officer. Found out about the cheating wife and shot the wife and her lover. The officer resisted arrest, opened fire, wounded some good guys. Virtual life sentence. The meeting with Dan put everything in place. Nick had a good memory of Dan''s case. It was a big case. A young drunk driver hit Dan''s wife with a car. She died. The attorney acquitted the young driver. Dan kept quiet, then bought a gun and killed the young man. But he accidentally killed a guy''s girlfriend. An innocent girl died. Dan made it to the attorney''s house and opened fire. No one was hurt. Dan didn''t resist arrest. He killed two young men. The punishment was justified. Virtual life sentence. Nick was no longer in doubt. Two people were no longer an accident. Three out of ten people are a regularity. All of his new friends are criminals. There are no innocents among them. There''s no forgiveness and no way to get back to normal. Nick''s been thinking for hours. He was looking for his place in this world, in this group. Nick didn''t want power, but he wasn''t happy with Michael''s leadership. Michael wasn''t following discipline, he talked a lot about ''common work and common welfare''. Alexander, as a leader, wasn''t happy with anyone. To live in strict conditions of the military organization? And for who? Why should they die in a new war? Dan could have been a great partner. The guy was interesting. Nick had a clear sympathy for him. The guy was just born to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was shattered by the routines of everyday life. With Dan, they got classes, and it was worth a lot. They got a safe shelter. They got a reason to kill those monsters. Nick immediately took the opportunity to push the leader away. Trade is a great post. The scout didn''t choose this class for nothing. John chose a class of more extreme existence. Nick knew there were big cities nearby. Big people live in them. They''re doing big politics and the rest of their big stuff. And these things can''t always be done with clean hands. The day will surely come when the players will be addressed with a proposal to eliminate the local aristocrat. Nick was hoping that John would be able to kill locals without a penalty from the system. Nick remembered that not knowing responsibility doesn''t exempt from responsibility. The killing of players and locals in this game was monitored by the system. She was an incorruptible judge and a quick executioner. Once their group found two new players, they could only bring one to the village and the locals would not let him in. And the group guessed why the player called himself John and had a red name status on the group menu. Because of this, Michael didn''t invite him straight to the castle, suspecting something wrong. When it got to the village, the system finally illuminated this John. He turned out to be the Player Killer. The system issued a warning to the group if they took the Killer in, the group would be permanently punished for characteristics and experience, and the reputation with the locals would fall. Michael recalled a temporary invitation to the group and explained the situation to John. He started to freak out and shout that it was an accident, he was badly injured, and the player he killed had a regeneration potion. The greedy player refused to help him. Nobody listened to him. The group went to the castle, and John stayed at the village gate. He shouted, threatened and asked the locals to let him in. Why he could not get attached to the point of rebirth in the Preceptorium is unknown. Two days later, John was killed by Dan! And Nick knew that the killer could develop to level 12! This Dan was a lucky man, and he was paying the full bills for his luck. Dan arranged it as a partner. An anti-monster specialist who can''t do business with locals is a find. John immediately recognized Nick''s leadership, agreed to choose the path of the game with the development of Dexterity. They were comfortable in each other''s company. For 3 days in this world, they got up in the morning and went to kill skeletons. They just walked into the donjon, killed six skeletons and died. And then Michael said that they had to be careful. That you can''t let the local monsters grow at a level... Nick nodded and ran off to the cemetery with John. There were hundreds of level 1 skeleton! That''s when there was an important conversation between friends: \"John, do you know how to play computer games?\" \"No. I was playing, but it''s not serious.\" \"It''s the same thing. There are general principles. Look, we have skill points, but they''re locked. This means that the system will give us a quest for character classes. There are three main ways to develop. The strength is melee fighters. Wisdom is magic, its distant attacks. Dexterity is the three main branches, and they all prefer distant attacks and all sorts of tricky traps. To survive in this world, we must become special, become unique! Michael and everyone else boosts the strength, they do it right. But you and I will follow the path of Dexterity. And we''re not losing anything anymore. The system gave us the passive ''Shoulder-to-shoulder'' skill. It''s a 5% bonus in group strength from the total strength of partners. As long as we''re together, we have more strength and more damage.\" \"Okay, brother, I like the path of dexterity. Bows and crossbows and traps and tricks are funny. Nick, I''m sorry, you''re a cop. I want to be a killer. There''s got to be invisibility. It''s magic. I will be a good killer, I will only kill our enemies.\" \"Well done, John. I''ll take the Forest Scout class. It''ll have its own unique abilities. We''ll be able to support each other. Shoulder to shoulder?\" \"Shoulder to shoulder, brother!\" And they began to develop their characteristics in the cemetery. They kept a close eye on the sides and didn''t mess with high-level enemies. They were selling trophies in the village. They kept the best trophies and soon they could count on a good supply of money. But they did not boast of their successes before others. Every morning they ran to the cemetery and killed level 1 skeletons there. The rest of them sat in the castle. And they waited for them to return to the normal world. Everyone was convinced it was some kind of mistake and an unfortunate coincidence. Everybody was afraid to experience more pain from their wounds and a terrible feeling when they were reborn. The group was involved in one business. They were able to activate the point of rebirth. And the experience of this battle was long enough for everyone. There were already six people in the group and they met Tom and Ron. By this time, the team had been able to explore the area around the village. After all, the message of the rebirth point activation quest was hanging on everyone''s radar. They found a Preceptorium, but the problem was that a lot of skeletons roamed around the fortress. They counted more than forty levels 1 skeletons. In the quest for the point, there was a condition: to activate the point, you must get into the inner yard of the castle. The skeletons themselves were rather slow insight, but when they noticed the player, the skeletons speeded up. And if they managed to hit, then at a time they shot about 200 hp. Every dead body had 1,200 lives. It seems to be no problem, but as soon as one of the players came ten yards closer to the skeleton, the rest of the field began to pull down. Michael bought a roll of rope from the village for 30 rials and made the village smith forge hooks. They tied the hooks to the rope and could now pull out the skeletons one at a time. The group split up into two parts. One had the players with the highest dexterity, John and Nick pulling the skeletons'' attention while running away from them. The other part had Michael, brothers and Alexander. They chose the time when the castle wall had an empty space with no skeletons. That''s when they started to act. As Michael threw hooks up the wall and climbed the wall, his group insured him. Michael climbed the wall and saw 20 more skeletons in the castle courtyard. He fixed the rope and ordered the players to return to the village. Then he went down to the yard, where a couple of minutes later he died buried under a group of undead. He made binding on the rebirth point! It seemed that he had to run to the well. The group got the good news, didn''t feel any comfort. Now it was necessary to go to rescue Michael, but nobody wanted to die. The chance to resurrect is good, but in this world there was pain, and therefore death will be very hard. But they didn''t have a choice. The painful clearing of the area around the castle had begun. On that day, for the first time, everyone died. Someone was lucky, and they died quickly, but someone wasn''t lucky. The skeletons seemed to enjoy the moment and tried to do less damage to the dying players. They managed to kill 14 skeletons, 300 experiences for each. The experience was divided into groups. The one who did more damage and got the most. Distributed by achievement. And so the whole group was on the third floor of the corner round north tower. It was a large round hall with twelve stone pedestals decorated with beautiful bas-reliefs on an otherworldly theme. The walls of the hall were beautifully engraved with battle scenes showing majestic knights fighting against hordes of various monsters. The entrance to the hall was also closed with a massive door decorated with bas-reliefs. A tall window glazed with colored glass made it possible to view part of the courtyard, the wall and the space behind it. A sadly smiling Michael sat on one of the pedestals. The group came to their senses for quite some time. Two hundred experiences fell to each member of the group for their death. Michael told them that the exit from the hall leads to the central building, a square hall with a throne and statues of knights made of stone, and there is much undead. Ordinary skeletons of the 1st level, three skeletons of the warrior of the 10th level with partially survived equipment and weapons and a level 16 ghoul. Michael managed to die twice more while examining the castle. The mood in the group became very bad. Michael was able to detect the tricky lock on the window and open it. The group at first began to think, how now to return a rope from a wall of the castle. Nick smiled and took out from inventory such a useful device for hunting on skeletons. \"Simple and intelligent solutions to many problems. I made myself a copy, too. With a kind word and a strong rope, you can do more than one kind word,\" he said. The whole group laughed. There were weak skeletons in the yard. A battle with a relatively weak opponent is much better than a battle with creatures that will kill you without much trouble. Since then, the rope has been hanging constantly from the window of the rebirth hall. They cleaned the castle courtyard for the rest of the day. During the cleaning, the skeletons severely damaged Tom. The guy was suffering, the little pieces of life were leaking pretty slowly. Michael killed him with a knife. Tom then said thank you so much, Michael put him out of his misery for a few minutes. Ron first attacked the leader with his fists. Then he saw a warning system and began to swear and scream all kinds of nasty things. Then he asked Michael to apologize. The big plus was that the resurrection did not hang any penalties, a couple of minutes of fatigue and the player felt normal. But the state of mind after the experience did not become easier. Players spent the night in the building called the \"chapel\", food was prudently purchased in the village. No one wanted to contact the dead. Michael and Alexander were careful to look around the castle. Idiots! Nick and John stuck their curious noses in the woods and managed to escape! No, they don''t need that kind of adventure, they''ll kill skeletons in peace. The story with the pets, Nick, was excited. He saw that John wouldn''t just give up his wolf. Nick listened to Dan''s words and thought this guy was needed on their team! And if everyone''s against it, he and John will leave the castle. Ha! They''ll have a great life in the cemetery, too! There''s a rebirth point there. The village''s nearby, they have the money. He''s got connections to the locals. Then the question of the pets was resolved peacefully. Nick got an offer to become a clan merchant. He gladly agreed. It''s important. Money is very important. Connections are very important. It''s also important to improve Camouflage skills as quickly as possible! Nick realized that the players should be watched discreetly. Especially the important three players. * Nick canceled the ''Camouflage'' skill and walked into the hall. The new information needs to be thought over. This Dan again on the straight and narrow fell into a hole full of shit. A vampire sword that can come to life and take a player''s soul! It was already beyond normal play. Nick looked at people. They don''t deserve a normal game. Ordinary killers. Criminals who pay their bills. All the people gathered in the dining room. There were chairs instead of benches, and it was even a little tight now. People were making a lot of noise and talking. The table was really breaking down from the food. The smell coming from the food caused rivers of saliva in the mouth. The sides were busy, and Michael took his place at the head of the table. Nick noted that the leader did not want to stand out. But it didn''t mean anything. A leader is a leader, and it doesn''t matter how he treats power. What is important is how his leadership affects the development of his subordinates. Nick sat down at the table and carefully examined the others. The fighters dressed up in light, shiny iron armor. Gandalf and Ron dressed in their new robes, Jim and Dan dressed casually and humbly. Nick understood, Oh, yes, now there''s a lady with us! He looked gently, but carefully at a stranger. Now there was enough light to have a good look at Valerie. Nick looked at her and remembered some of the girls he knew from his past life. They had served with him. Very short hair, like a boy''s, didn''t hide small, neat ears. Brown eyes look serious. The girl is strong. A fitness coach? She knows how to command. She must have had some special bitches among her clients. Valerie knows how to command. And she made her choice. It''s a weird choice. She got in touch with a local. Everybody needs Stefan. Let''s see what happens. Nick realized he couldn''t hurry with this young woman. John was on top of it! The shaggy funny guy and the joker were making fun of the clan fighters. Turin, Velida and three newcomers were sitting next to one side of the big table. There was a celebratory atmosphere in the hall. The cups were filled up once again. Michael nodded at Nick and came up from his seat, the conversation was quiet. \"Friends, we came into this world quite some time ago. But we already have our own home, and today we are celebrating two great events. We have won the first victory in this world. We defeated an enemy who seemed stronger than us. And today we will be joined by five new clan members.\" Nick was surprised, \"Five?\" \"Everyone knows how Turin and Velida helped us. The rest of them we''re going to meet now. Please introduce yourself, names and levels will be enough.\" Michael sat down. Nick doesn''t understand this moment, Michael''s going to be accepted into the Clan of Non-playing Characters? Is this possible? Nick thought Michael was making the right decisions. These decisions are good for everyone and everyone likes them. But he makes the decisions alone. He''s not looking for popularity or recognition, he''s probably developing his Diplomacy skills. Well done, he''s got a right. But Nick doesn''t always like what he does. A tall guy is rising up in lightweight leather armor with a solid body. \"Alan, level 4.\" Next up came up a pretty young woman with short blond hair and a pretty face. \"Valerie, level 4.\" \"Stefan, warrior, level 25. Coach of the Battle Wing of the Clan.\" A bearded man with grey hair came up and introduced himself. He looked like he was in his 40s. His eyes looked at everyone with a strange expression of forgiveness and caring kindness. He looked at the players like they were children. Now his hands rested on the edge of the table, helping him to keep his balance. Nick thought that the clan had ''Battle Wing''. Michael smiled and continued in a ceremonial tone: \"Thank you, sit down. I will now introduce myself and introduce others. My name is Michael, I am the head and leader of the Phoenix Clan. The class of soldier. Level 19. Alexander. Head of the clan''s battle wing. Class warrior. Level 18. Leo. A fighter. Class Knight. Level 17. Tom. Fighter. Class warrior. Level 17. Ron. Head of Support for the Clan Battle Wing. Spiritualist class. Level 17. Gandalf. Support. Class Mage. Level 15. Jim. Craftsmanship wing of the clan. Class blacksmith. Level 14. \"Have you got any trophies? We''re waiting for you. The firm of Turin and Sons will leave you without pants, but with a clean conscience, not burdened with money,\" said John quietly. The dwarf covered his mouth with his palm and barely contained himself so he wouldn''t laugh. Most people at the table were laughing and snorting. \"Nick. The clan''s scouting wing. Class Scout. Head of the clan trade office. Level 17. John. Clan Scout. Assassin class. Level 18. \"A bald clown who disguises his baldness as high hair,\" added Jim. \"Nick''s partner. Baloney and circus show at any time of day or night. Due to their characteristics, they appear suddenly and disappear without a trace.\" Dan. The Research Department. Class Inquisitor. Level 17. \"Wise, but desperate type. Rumor has it he loves fires and carries around a lot of burning material. Was spotted at one of these events, starring,\" said Nick. Michael, smiling, saluted the cup to the newcomers: \"Welcome to our friendly and slightly crazy clan.\" The system''s message was shaken and the clan grew by five. A roar of approval swooped down the hall, and the cups were caught. \"Oh, yes, in the afternoon, everyone but the craftsmen, gather in the council room. Dan has some interesting information,\" said Michael went up again. At the table began a conversation about Dor. Stefan talked about this small town of five thousand people. A caravan came from this town. They sat there for about an hour. Then they thanked Velida and started to split up. Valerie and Gandalf stayed to help clean up. Jim and Turin went back to the blacksmith shop. Everyone else went up to the council room. When everyone settled down, Dan pulled out his sword. The Inquisitor spoke softly, but his words made everyone listen carefully. At the end of the story, there was silence in the room. People were thinking about what they heard. \"How will the subordination process take place, is it not in the description?\" asked Alexander. \"No, but I have an ''Influence'' in my sword characteristics while there''s a ''0'',\" replied Dan. \"Well, that''s good, at least we''ll know when. Is that it?\" \"Yeah, that''s all I found out, I told you.\" \"Okay, then we are separating, it''s a rest day, but if anyone has a desire to exercise, I''m waiting for you at the new sports ground,\" Alexander got up. \"Sorry, I was late,\" said Valerie entered the hall. \"It''s all right, have a seat,\" replied Michael politely. \"Everyone but the newcomers can be free. Scout, hold on a few minutes.\" \"I knew it,\" mourned John the grief grimace. Dan gave Alan and Valerie two thin notebooks: \"These are the initial guides to this world for you. Study them in detail and give them back to me.\" \"Bestiary, Hyde? Is there no reference here?\" asked Valerie wonderfully. \"There''s nothing here. Read and remember, for these pages, each of us have admired the Hall of Rebirth more than once,\" answered Michael. \"How beautifully painted.\" \"You can go and study books. Soon we''ll help you safely reach level 10. You can choose your basic class,\" said the leader. When they left the hall, his gaze turned to the scouts. \"Tomorrow you go to the village and for a week you go to the local hunters.\" \"We already wanted to go there today,\" said John. \"Well done, you go today. Give the local hunters a good shake for werewolf information. He''s our next target. Nick, try not to have any extra business with the village head. We don''t need any extra quests yet.\" \"We''ll be quiet and invisible,\" hummed Nick. \"Also explore at least a couple of locations on a darkened map near the village. The monsters shouldn''t be too high level there. We need to quickly develop the level of beginners to class.\" \"Not too high? In the woods? Before we kill werewolves? Do you believe that?\" Nick hummed. \"I really hope so. It''s desirable to find a location with normal skeletons.\" \"Let''s try to find some not very strong monsters,\" Nick said and turned to the Inquisitor. \"Dan, now you, give me your wishes. I can see that you want to put more weight on the scout''s delicate shoulders.\" \"First this,\" the Inquisitor gave the scout a piece of paper. \"Circle dotted lines, and this is like a village. What''s that?\" \"These are the movements of a werewolf and another monster''s quest mark. They were waiting for the caravan. Look at the map, there must be a lair of creatures in the center of the circle, it''s highly desirable to find it.\" \"Wait, Dan! You think there''ll be two creatures waiting for us?\" \"I''m sure of it. What the elite are capable of, you know. That''s why I''m asking you to explore the area. If you can find one of the creatures in the lair, it''s just a gift from fate.\" \"A heavy wooden shield covers the entrance and inside the lair we throw fire,\" smiled Nick. \"Dan, you''re getting a bad tendency.\" \"Do you prefer to fight the creatures in the woods?\" \"No, of course not. It''s just, you know, it''s the wolf we took from the hole. What makes you think werewolves have the same habits?\" \"No reason, Nick. I just hope so.\" \"What''s the second lap with the markings?\" \"Do you remember the player who became a werewolf? By all accounts, he found an object similar to my sword. We didn''t find a cursed object on the body. So it''s in the lair of the creature. Do a good search of the place where you found the remains of Turin''s daughter. Perhaps he had a lair nearby.\" \"And what do you suggest we do when we find him? I''m telling you, I''m not going anywhere near artifacts like this,\" said Nick and shook his head. \"In the village, buy a small equipment chest for a limited amount of weight. It weighs little itself and is free to go into inventory. Michael was checking it out. There are a lot of parts in the game that has not been worked out and as long as you can, you should use it. Buy a pair of pincers in the village from the smith. If you find the cursed thing without touching it with your hands, put it in the chest. Then deliver the chest to the castle, and we''ll hide the cursed artifact in a stash.\" \"I don''t want to criticize you, Dan. But what you''re proposing hasn''t been tested. I don''t want to become a monster and be the target of your future hunting,\" roared John a frown. \"Just give it a try! If you can''t, block the entrance more securely. You understand, John, while this nasty thing''s laying around the village, there''s a chance it''ll be stumbled upon by some hunters! Then we''ll have a new werewolf. When you met that player, he was on a small level. It''s been literally two days and he''s scored over 10. Do you have any idea what happens if you let that thing walk for a couple weeks? At least just find a lair and let me know, I''ll do it myself.\" \"Stop! Dan, this is the right thing to do,\" said Nick calmly. \"No disrespect, Dan, but you judge as an expert. You''ve got the Spirit around 100 already. The Spirit increases the rate of regeneration of life and mana. A high level of spirit allows you to confront high-level enemies. John and I have no great Spirit. You can work with cursed artifacts. For the rest of us, they are at high risk. We won''t take any chances in this case. We''re going to look for a lair. And we will call you to do your job.\" \"I understand everything and I''m not offended. Perhaps my theory is wrong. And there''s another way to turn a monster. Then all I said about the effect of the cursed artifact was nonsense. But for our peace of mind, just look for the lair and if you do, lead me to it.\" \"As long as you weren''t wrong,\" noticed Nick. \"That''s the only way it looks,\" laughed Dan. \"All right, inquisitor, Leader, we''ll be very careful and watchful,\" said Nick and nodded to a friend on the way out. They had a lot of new business and a couple of questions they had to discuss in private. 17 First lesson of the sword Physical exercises have ceased to give players an increase in performance. In four hours of exercise, Dan was only able to increase his dexterity by 1. He was sure it was because he almost broke his neck when he fell off the log on which he was running back and forth. Now all that was left for active development was monster hunting. Dan stood by the court and watched as Leo and Tom exercised their swords under Stephan''s guidance. He had a bad relationship with Stephan. His coach was just afraid of him, considering the appearance, class and damn objects. Funny and not serious, level 25 is scared of level 17. When the players were coming home from the cemetery, the group went to the village to resupply and sell some trophies. The locals smiled friendly and nodded to everyone except the Inquisitor. There was an alienation lane near him. The locals tried not to look in his direction and tried to stay away from him. Dan had a nasty residue from his first visit to this village. The only locals with whom Dan could communicate normally were Turin and Velida. It was his daughter who died, he avenged her death. Velida felt sorry for the Inquisitor, she thought life had been cruel to him. She was wrong, everything that happened to him in that life, Dan deserved it himself. Dan had had some strange dreams. In those dreams, he shot a young man and killed him. He loved it. There was a girl behind the guy''s back. Bullets hit her. Dan saw how surprised she was. It was a nightmare that happened again a couple of times. I think I was a criminal. I feel more comfortable in this world. In it, I can stay away from normal people. It was fate itself that sentenced me to deal with monsters. That''s fair. They want to kill me, I want to kill them. And I really want to kill monsters! I have a strange urge to raise my level. I want to look beyond the horizon of my class. I''m interested in transformation. What are the secrets of the Inquisitor''s new skills? Dan was thinking about his future and watching Stefan train a knight. \"The sword above you, above you, now a direct hit. No, no, don''t lower the blade too low. Yeah, that''s it. Now right foot back and block. No, Leo, you''re in too much of a hurry and don''t bully your elbow so high, your opponent can dry your hand. Sword just down and drop your opponent''s blade. Halfway through and hitting diagonally, the enemy is covered by the shield and opening, Halfway through, he''s waiting for the shoulder hit and moving the shield. Kick and drop, now try to do it again faster.\" Dan was watching in shock. It was real art! The system didn''t require perfect knowledge of techniques. All you had to do was start doing the right thing, and then it did it all by itself. But that''s what happened in classes that have weapons skills. And what would the Inquisitor do? Ask the scouts to teach him hand-to-hand combat? But now he has his own sword, even though he doesn''t have the skills. Stefan didn''t know the tricks to a two-handed weapon, he only knew a few tricks to defend himself against it. The rest of the fighters were watching the practice closely. Behind the wall rumbled the sounds of explosions: In the morning Michael and Ron dragged a dozen logs behind the wall, and there is now fun Gandalf. Michael had Valerie on him, and the magician is now trying to impress her. Dan went to the blacksmith''s, to find out about his order. Turin pointed to a small chest in the corner. The Inquisitor came up to him and got his updated equipment. Battle gloves of Wrath. Type: Rare [Enhanced] Warning! This item combines both protective and attacking properties. Class: Inquisitor Effects: +1 to Strength, +2 to dexterity. Slot: Talakat [20% damage increase] Damage: 540 - 610 [Critical damage: 750 - 830] Protection: 170 Durability: 140 Weight: 10 pounds Warning! A minimum of 40 strength is required to possess these weapons effectively. Description: Converted by blacksmith Turin into \"Battle Gloves of Wrath \". Dan couldn''t find the words to express his admiration. This item is worth more than the two gold pieces that the clan gave to Turin for his work. What about the other order? The face of Sorrow. Type: Rare [Personal] Class: Inquisitor Effects: Endurance +3 Slot: Ridarn [20% fear] Protection: 400 Durability: 200 Description: This mask is forged by the blacksmith Turin for one desperate Inquisitor. Eight gold pieces were claimed by Turin for a reason. Made in a dark iron helmet, the half mask was very impressive. It was very similar to Dr. Doom''s mask. Now there''s something to cover the scars on the Inquisitor''s face. But Dan didn''t care about the appearance, he cared about the possibility of increased protection! As he thanked the blacksmith, he went out into the courtyard and headed for the well. He walked and put on his new outfit: Draugr''s forged armor, new bracelets and a mask. The cursed blade felt a pleasant weight in his hands. Stefan nodded at him and pointed away. Leo stepped back and sat down to rest. \"Sir Inquisitor. Lesson repeat. Sword above you, higher, now a direct hit. Now the right leg is half a body back and...\" * [Attention! The hidden effect of the cursed object is triggered. A new ''Memory Blade'' skill is available. Do you accept it? : Yes/ No] * How insolent and impatient you are! And what will you ask of me for that? Dan gave his consent in his mind. It was to be expected. Let''s see where it leads, he thought. * [Attention! The effect of the cursed object on you has increased by 10%. Attention! From now on, outside interference in your game process is possible] * \"The legs bend a little in the knees. The blade draws a horizontal arc, forcing the enemy to break the distance. Half a turn and half a step forward. The blade takes off and falls to the place where the opponent was standing. But it is no longer there, shifting to the right, it tries to get closer to me. My weight makes you vulnerable. But you''re strong enough already, we don''t have that disadvantage anymore. Half a step back, move all your weight to your supporting leg. The blade soars from bottom to top, causing the enemy to interrupt their attack. Halfway back and again a horizontal cut. I''m longer than a normal sword that gives me a bigger radius to attack. Half a turn again, you change the position of your legs. I''m heavier, and by making a wide swing, just hold me tight. Thanks to the outstretched arms, our attack radius is slightly longer and the enemy has no time to get away from the kick. What will he choose? Does he choose to lose his shield or get a severe wound on his hip? That''s right, the shield goes down, covering his right leg. But this position is not comfortable, and given the strength of the impact, the arm holding the shield is injured. Halfway through, the sword takes off in the upper position. The opponent does not have time to leave the attack line, he kneels down, trying to hold the shield. Reverse after a false swing, and I draw a slanting cut on the other side not covered by the shield. I bite into the shoulder, and I move on. Neither iron armor nor the ring on it saves him from our force of impact and my sharpness. He screams in pain, he will die soon, such wounds do not heal. Are you satisfied with our acquaintance? I am very pleased. It was boring with draugr.\" Shit, what was that? Dan was standing on one knee a few steps from the well, leaning on a glowing, blue foggy blade. His heart was trying to break out of his chest, and he could feel the ghost of the cold again, tested in the cemetery. Was it me or not? Or was it me and the thing I''m leaning on now? Trying to take his breath away, Dan looked around. The cautious eyes of the people huddled at the training ground burned him. All the fighters were in combat mode. Careful to stand up so as not to provoke the players, Dan put his equipment in his inventory and went into the donjon. He wanted to warm up and think about what happened at practice. Something hit the Inquisitor''s eye, he put his hand in his face and stopped. Sweat on his face, wet hair, did he sweat? But it can''t be! There''s no such thing in this world. There was nobody smell. What''s happening to him? Could it be the sword? Dan was on his way up to the second floor when someone called him out. He stopped and turned around. A little lower on the steps was Velida. She was holding something in her hand and telling Dan something. \"Sorry, I was thinking. Velida, what did you say?\" \"There was a lot to do yesterday, Sir Dan, I didn''t have time to thank Michael for accepting us into your clan. Here, take this, please.\" \"What kind of Sir am I? What are you, Velida? \" He carefully took the bundle from her hands. \"The truest Sir. You are knights, monster hunters. Everyone in the village says so, and in the castle on bas-reliefs, everything is carved.\" \"Thank you, I''ll pass on your present.\" Dan smiled at her and shaved to his favorite place. The fireplace flame attracted his warmth. He put the bundle aside and sat in the chair by the fireplace. Michael walked into the room and took the second chair: \"Have you been influenced by Tarrok?\" \"Yes. We met today.\" \"And what was your impression of the meeting?\" \"For now, all I have is a bad impression.\" \"But it looked spectacular. You scared everyone.\" \"Tell me how scared it looked.\" \"You started moving around with your sword and making different strikes. But that''s not the important thing. Dan, it''s like you were killing an invisible enemy. It was a terrible sight. And it was clear that you weren''t exactly you like you had the spirit of an experienced swordsman killer.\" \"It was Tarrok, he led me and explained every move. He said he was bored with the draugr.\" \"Even so? Can he still talk to you?\" \"That sounds like understanding his thoughts.\" \"Can you control him?\" \"I think I can. It''s just that the first time was unexpected, and I couldn''t stop him.\" \"So these moves with the sword from him?\" \"Yes. The system offered to take a hidden skill from a cursed subject. I did, and now the blade can affect me by 10%.\" They didn''t keep quiet for long. Then the leader said quietly: \"No more deals with him, Dan. We discussed your situation and made a decision. If you attack any of the players, I''ll remove you from the clan and cancel the rebirth point binding. I have that option.\" \"Alexander offered?\" \"He offered to lock you up in the basement. And that''s my decision. Do you agree?\" \"Do I have a choice?\" \"You do. The one written in your class description.\" \"Bad alternative. I agree with your decision. What are the newcomers'' plans, you talked to them, right?\" \"Yes. I told them all the highlights of clan life. Alan''s planning on going the dexterity path. The guy''s going to make it easier for him to decide which class to choose. Valerie spends a lot of time with Gandalf, she''s probably going to be a magician.\" \"Did he manage to charm her?\" Dan didn''t hold back the smile. \"She was enchanted by magic, and our magician must find another woman to enchant.\" \"Gandalf must be in sorrow.\" \"What can we do? She has a husband there, and she has no plans to cheat on him. That''s a moment she and I discussed, too.\" \"Was she outraged?\" \"Of course, but I don''t care about her resentment. I won''t have any trouble because of the woman among us. I''ll cancel the tether right away.\" \"That''s tough.\" \"There''s no other way. Yeah, we''re not all in this world forever. Yeah, most of us still have families there. But we''re not on a holiday cruise here. And we''re mostly male and stressful. Anything can happen. Everybody''s got a weapon, cut whoever you want. A man is such an asshole, he can do anything.\" \"You sound like the vice police.\" \"What I''m saying concerns you, too.\" Michael got up and quietly walked out of the hall. Lock me up? Expel me? No, dear clan boys, you will not succeed. I already have two points of rebirth, Dan thought, and he got out of the chair. He turned the package around and looked at the gift that Velida had prepared. I should have given it to Michael while he was in the room. The beautiful thing, did she do it herself? Amazing work by a true master. Dan went downstairs to the craftsmen. He tried to ignore the guys staring at him. \"Jim, come with me?\" \"Why?\" \"We''ve got about ten minutes of work to do. And please look for a wooden pole two yards long. Preferably smooth.\" \"What''s that for?\" \"Go ahead,\" said Turin in his beard. \"And take the tool, you''ll need it.\" Players entered the donjon and went up to the library. There were iron staples made in the wall. They led to the roof of a rectangular tower. Dan strained his arm and threw the heavy hatch aside. And he climbed upstairs. An empty platform, surrounded by stone teeth. Jim went up to the roof following him and circled the tower, looking out over the area. The height of the local forest prevented him from seeing the area far. Dan pulled out a bundle and turned it around. A dense white cloth fluttered in his divorced hands. The phoenix was beautifully embroidered with silver threads in the center of it. There was a beautiful pattern at the edges of the cloth. Jim took a shit and started looking at the pattern. \"Jim, can you make pole bindings on a corner tooth?\" \"Of course I''ll do it now. Wait, I''ll fix the pole a little bit,\" replied Jim. Ten minutes to work. Dan would put the flag on the pole and fasten it. Jim would screw two mounts on the tooth into the solution between the rocks. Five minutes to set the pole, and then... There was a phoenix over the tower in the wind. * [Congratulations! The hidden task ''Symbol'' from the series ''In the Footsteps of the Greats'' has been completed. A safe radius around Preceptorium increased by fifty yards. Preceptor wall strength increased by 20%] * It''s impossible to live without an all-knowing system! Sometimes it is desirable to switch off the ability to see messages. They stood and admired the developing banner, then climbed down. Dan spent the rest of the day in one of the offices. The room, which was on the same floor, was now fully owned by the Inquisitor. The paranoia of his comrades knew no boundaries. They moved him away from themselves. Dan had no choice but to accept the players'' demands. But out of harm''s way, he worked in outfitting. At least Dan wouldn''t take off his mask. Although he didn''t have an effect on his allies, they still felt bad. Michael laughed and shook his head. But Dan got even cozier in a separate section of the castle. He took out the chronicle and continued to supplement the text with the details and events of the past day. He did not know what to report at the beginning of his contact with the living sword. This is crazy! It''s a game. 18 The conspiracy Nick realized it was time for one adventure that fully met his plans. It was a tricky move. Nick decided to start separating the group so he could then move on to capturing power. Now Dan was in total isolation! Nick didn''t understand the other players. Even John admitted that only invisibility could protect against this monster. Almost all the clan fighters saw Dan exercise with the sword. It was beyond understanding. The living sword began to affect their friend. Those who hadn''t seen the Inquisitor''s performances heard from eyewitnesses an exciting and terrifying description of his behavior. Dan found himself in total isolation! He had not yet calmed down from the reaction of the locals to the phenomenon of a player of the inquisitor class. But now the closest people he could understand had turned their backs on him. Nick realized that this moment must not be missed! He needs to talk to Dan. And he needs to talk to him in secret. No one needs witnesses. Fools and cowardly bastards, they even banished the guy from the common living area. That''s great, now it''s easy to find the Inquisitor. He''s sitting alone now. Nick smiled. Dan''s working! He''s being ignored by the whole clan, and the guy''s working for the clan. Hardly write a guide and update history and bestiary. Nick walked into the castle, and he listened. There was no one nearby. He used to equip his cloak with equipment and activate the Camouflage. It''s going to be a long way, but rushing into a situation like this is risky and stupid. When the Scout snuck up to the massive library door, he quietly scraped the door surface with his nail. It was quiet behind the door. So the footsteps were heard and the door opened. Dan was without his creepy mask. Nick almost laughed at the expression of confusion on the Inquisitor''s face. It was a freaky sight. The gray hair, the scars on his face, the pale eyes inspired respect for this serious man, but everyone was spoiling his lips. Dan''s mouth opened up in a silent question. The Inquisitor turned his head one way, then the other and mumbled something. Nick didn''t want to make a bad impression on this important and cute guy. Scout snapped his fingers and whispered: \"I''m sorry, Dan. I''m sorry about the surprise visit. Sir Inquisitor will accept a humble Scout for an important secret conversation?\" \"Nick! You''ll scare the dead with your tricks. Come in.\" Nick quickly squeezed into the library. Dan closed the door and went back to the table with clean paper, paper with pictures and schemes on it. Nick looked closely and didn''t understand anything about these strange symbols and hieroglyphs. \"Dan, have you really become very understanding in these secret languages of this world?\" \"I don''t understand much. To the matter, Nick. You sneak in and you want to talk about secret business.\" Dan sat down in the chair and pointed his hand at the guest in the other chair. Nick sat down next to him and started his confession: \"Dan, I ask you to support our conspiracy.\" And Nick told the Inquisitor his story. About his strong and reliable alliance with Assassin. He recalled the beginning of the story with the pets. And he ended with his disgust at the cowardly and treacherous behavior of the entire clan towards the changed Dan. Dan listened and didn''t show any emotion. His face froze and turned into the likeness of his mask. When Nick finished his introduction to the conversation, the Inquisitor nodded his head: \"I understood your point of view. I respect your point of view. But I don''t think you''ve thought about elementary benefit. Nick, you chose the path of dexterity. You need a fighter, a tank, a defender, meat for the monster so you can fight. If we leave the clan, we''ll slow down our development. And about the other people''s opinions... I don''t care. You have no idea how much the Spirit helps carry the weight of loneliness. No friends, so I won''t get used to friendship. No sympathy, so I''ll get used to indifference and negativity. But no one will betray me. And now you''re suggesting betrayal.\" \"You don''t have to lie and play with words. You know who I was. You and I have made no vows or promises or signed any documents. Our loyalty to the clan is a fiction. We''re just comfortable together to develop skills and survive. But you''ve seen a lot of very conflicting situations. I repeat I will not accept Michael as my leader anyway.\" \"Will you accept me as your leader?\" Nick smiled: \"Union, Dan. Union of equals. As an inquisitor, you have no equal. You''re my absolute leader. But, I''m glad you didn''t throw your sword at me. I''m glad to continue, and I want to tell you about my plan. You''ll see for yourself that I think about \"the welfare of men and common safety\" more than Michael.\" Dan leaned his head a little to the shoulder. It''s like he listened to an invisible little creature that sat on his shoulder and gave him important advice. Nick got scared. Suddenly the cursed sword is whispering something to the Inquisitor? Suddenly the opinion of the ancient artifact will not support the conspirator''s plans? It''s a sword! It''s a weapon of fair combat. On the other hand... a cursed sword, it''s ready for all sorts of evil and tricks. They''ve been silent for a while. Everyone was thinking of their own. Nick resumed the conversation in a quiet but confident voice: \"A secure life and the possibility of development nearby. One day''s distance from us. I remind you of the city! We talked and forgot. We put the question on hold for some time. Dan, a week ago, I wouldn''t risk being with John for a run to Dor. Think about it, appreciate our strength, today our group will safely reach the city. The city is a civilization. It''s a very big opportunity for people who have knowledge of another civilization. Look at us. There are always weak people. You shouldn''t blame them. We have to find a safe place for them. I don''t want to talk much about Valerie. But I don''t want a woman killing herself about this horror next to me. Our castle is an outpost against monsters. But you don''t have to live in war.\" \"This is an unexpected suggestion. I wasn''t thinking about the city. You''re right. There is something about it.\" \"The ancient Romans taught how to fight trouble.'' Divide and conquer''. In my proposal hides the breakdown of the clan. We will surely divide. Tom and Ron, Leo and Alan, Valerie and Stefan, Jim and Gandalf will definitely stay in town. Michael will not leave the majority without his leadership. He''s a businessman. Even John and I have great perspectives in the city. I can learn a lot from village hunters. But John needs a place in the killer guild. Alexander worries me, Stefan didn''t say much about the opportunities for a warrior in the city. But remember, there''s a sewer in town with rats! What''s a game without rats in a sewer? There are a lot of creatures in the dungeons. The city guards don''t eat their bread for nothing.\" \"We have plenty of time to quietly complete the big required quest to keep the region in the clear. But the problem with a possible cursed artifact, which is stored in the lair of a dead werewolf, must be solved first!\" \"I''m not going to raise the question of visiting Dora tomorrow. The clan can wait and go with the caravan. It''ll be safer. I came to you with a problem important to me and John. It''s going to escalate. I want to deal with it carefully and without scandals. I need Preceptorium. I need you. You need a calm place and a company of people who are calm about your surprises. And the rest of us can live in peace and enjoy the joys of the middle Ages. Dan, think about how players need to take the lead in city quests. They''ll have no competition, they''ll be able to accumulate power and influence.\" \"I think about my perspectives. In the city I can find a solution to some of my unexpected problems,\" the Inquisitor smiled. \"I hope we understand each other. You know, this may seem naive to you, but the credo of our union doesn''t speak of safety and welfare, it just sounds, \"Shoulder to Shoulder.\" Don''t get upset, think about my proposal.\" Nick got up and put on a cloak. \"Open the door for me, I''ll walk away invisible. And you can be sure. Nobody overheard us, I''m pretty good at feeling someone else''s presence.\" Dan got up and went to the door. He unlocked and let his invisible visitor out. The scout surprised him. Dan started thinking about the perspectives and weaknesses of the new union. * The next day, Nick walked up to Dan and excited him with important news: \"Scouts aren''t asleep, we found the lair of that werewolf. The lair was in the ravine. That bastard left a lot of tracks. The local hunters found him quickly. We now have the skill of a ''Pathfinder''. If we confess, we didn''t even look, we were able to shake the information out of our mentors. Are you ready to do your part of the job?\" \"Of course I''m in. Has Michael been notified?\" \"He knows, he offered to take one of the fighters with us, but I refused. We''ll do it quickly. We''ll come, clean up the place and go. They''ve got plenty of fun of their own. We found one burial ground for the newcomers'' development, there are several levels 4 skeletons, let them develop the newcomers.\" They ran quickly on their way to the village. Nick was telling the news on the move: \"We''re doing all right. Pathfinder''s skill allows us to follow the tracks and find traces. We''ve already tracked down werewolves. The main benefit is that we can now use ''Mark'' skills! That''s a great thing. We''ve marked these werewolves and now we can see them on the map. They can''t sneak up on us without being seen.\" \"I only have the location of a quest opponent illuminated, and it''s constantly moving,\" Dan exhaled. \"I know I was. These locals turned out to be pretty well organized! You know this village is on the local border, don''t you? The villagers quietly hunt monsters, get valuable ingredients and sell them to merchants from the city. The trick is that the village itself is under the influence of two local forest bosses. Stump and the Lord of the Forest are watching their territory. They clean the forest themselves, grow in levels. Smart creatures like werewolves or witches may appear here, but they are smart enough to stay away from the local bosses. And the locals themselves are careful not to mess with the giants, too.\" \"Well settled.\" \"Fools don''t live here. Careful, Dan. Let''s go through the woods now, watch your step. Try not to make any noise,\" said Nick. Dan didn''t like being in the woods. He already understood. It wasn''t his comfort zone. The mood spoiled the dusky atmosphere. The sun rarely broke through the clouds and it was dusky deep in the forest. It was annoying. It seemed to the Inquisitor that the enemy could attack from either side. He saw the calm face of the scouts and understood that everything was under control. But it wasn''t enough. It was restless and disturbing. He did not know what nasty things awaited him in the lair. The cursed artifacts were already tired of him! There were too many for one inquisitor. They prevented him from playing normally, surprises and unexpectedness are not always pleasant. Soon they came to the ravine, and the scout nodded to the inquisitor at the entrance to the lair. The entrance is ink on the background of the ravine slope. There was no path to see. Dan''s depressed mood was finally ruined: \"And how do I get there? Did that werewolf know how to fly?\" \"With a kind word and a strong rope, brother. Hard rope will always come in handy,\" said John. Dan thought these guys were catching their special pleasure in the game. They''re excited to develop their classes, they want to get experience and fight monsters. But it''s like they''re playing an adventure. They''re all fun and smart. But at the same time, gently and carefully. Interesting classes. The rope was lowered above the entrance to the werewolf''s lair, and Dan carefully started going down the ravine. He saw traces of blood on the ground, the entrance smelled like a dog. Added to that smell was the stench of rotten meat. Dan had already seen a piece of the human body and several bones lying at the entrance to a large hole. \"Did he eat corpse meat and admires the stars?\" Dan was throwing up, he saw more and more terrible details. There were scraps of clothing on the ground, they were in the brown spots of dried blood. The Inquisitor took just a few steps from the entrance and stopped. He took a torch out of his inventory and lit it. He took a few more steps down the narrow aisle and ended up in the lair. It was a small room, but it could stand in full height. Dan took a look around and bent down from the vomit attack. The painting was creepy. The werewolf killed a few victims and dragged the remains into the lair. He was gradually eating them. Dan trembled when the system suggested he collect the trophies. He agreed and sighed with relief. Creepy pieces of bodies were disappearing in front of his eyes. Dan would never touch a trophy like that, but he couldn''t miss a single object! There were branches on the ground in one corner, it was a place to sleep. Dan came up and carefully threw the branches into the other corner. He was squeamishly wrinkled when he caught the big bones. This thing was lying here and eating meat. Shone a piece of something metal. * [Attention! You found a cursed object. Attention!!! A cursed object can have a devastating effect on your character. Under the influence of an object, you may lose your class and become a monster.] * His level of Cognition of Evil already allowed for the identification of the subject. He took a closer look: * A chip of the Dagorean Key Type: Cursed. Effects: Hidden Weight: Hidden Strength: Hidden Description: Hidden [Link to the subject? Yes/No] * \"Thank you, don''t even give me that stuff for the collection!\" Dan shook his head and spit as the system pleased him with the ''Be careful'' quest and repeated the offer to link the object to him. He easily refused and put the artifact in his inventory. Dan closed his eyes and listened to his own feelings. Nothing was going on. The cursed sword didn''t react to neighboring a dangerous artifact. Well, that''s great! Dan went to the exit quickly. He grabbed the rope and took a step down the ravine slope. The guys helped him out and quickly pulled him upstairs. John looked at the Inquisitor with fear, and Nick immediately asked: \"I see you''re pleased. Did you find him?\" \"I''m pleased to be able to breathe this clean air! That monster''s got shit all over his hole! Pieces of rotten meat and bone, there were half decomposed corpses. He''s gone mad. He didn''t even take the loot off the bodies. He''s definitely gone mad.\" \"How do you feel? You''re some kind of crazy freak coming out of that hole,\" asked John quietly. Dan looked at the assassin and smiled: \"I got in there just as freaky. You''re the Robin Hoods, spending time in the clean air. Enjoying the view of wonderful views and landscapes. The Inquisitors wander more through the cemeteries.\" \"It''s a shame about you! We loved our time in the cemetery. It was interesting there and the experience fell nicely.\" \"John, I died there twice!\" \"Stop! Dan. Calm down. We appreciated your desire to make jokes after a dangerous case. Are you feeling okay? Should we be afraid of you? You''re not messing with this crap?\" \"It''s okay. Nick. I''m fine, and I have the cursed artifact. We''ll isolate it in the castle in a stash. Thank you. Guys, thanks for your help, we did a great job.\" The Inquisitor sat on the ground, greedily breathing in the fresh forest air and didn''t notice the scouts looking at each other. Nick sat down next to Dan on the ground. \"We did a great job. You''re welcome. It''s a good thing it''s over. Listen, there''s one interesting question. You''re going to love it, Dan. This is something familiar to me and John. It''s a dangerous question, but it is the perspective. I''m talking about pets. Dan, as a sign of our respect and other sympathies for the Trinity of Extreme Players union, we''ve been watching out for your pet. But there''s a battle to be fought.\" \"What pet? Did you find another werewolf? I don''t need monsters around me. I don''t want to spoil our friends'' nerves again.\" \"No, it''s an interesting species of local fauna. A Forest Cat! Do you like cats?\" Dan sat down and thought. \"I can''t remember. We didn''t have any pets. And what''s interesting about this cat? What do I need a cat for? Everybody loves cats, I know that, but my charisma from having a cute pet won''t increase. But I could use a neutral assistant in combat.\" John laughed: \"Dan, don''t judge from past memories, brother. You''ve met some local animals before. Some things make the earthly creatures look like little pups in front of them. It''s the local hunters who just called this beast \"Forest Cat\". And in fact, a real tiger is running through trees. With tassels on her ears. It looks like a lynx, but its skin is green. It''s like a furry crocodile! Only more pleasant. And dangerous. Her fangs and claws are dangerous.\" \"Mobility, Sir Inquisitor! Think about mobility. Local horses are good, nobody argues, but a riding pet, and a loyal assistant in combat, that''s another category.\" Dan smiled, and now he''s starting to understand the perspective. But he was straight down from heaven to earth. Nick''s face took the usual cold and strict expression: \"Don''t dream, Inquisitor. We''ll pay dearly for trying. The mom of level 24. She''s clever and dangerous. We found her nest in a tree. The real nest is at the trunk of a big tree, and the hollow is nearby. Little kittens are definitely there! Mother''s guarding them. We followed her when she was hunting. You''ve got a little dexterity. You provoke a cat, and you hold on to it. I''m helping you. John''s stealing a kitten invisibly. Then we all run away fast. I can hold her by the net. But we''ll have to run very fast.\" \"And there''s no guarantee that the system will let me have a kitten as a pet,\" Dan said. \"You''re right, but we can take a chance and try.\" \"As a last resort, you won''t have to stretch your legs on the way home. She''ll kill you fast. She''ll kill you with her bada boom paw and you''re home. In a room with stone pedestals,\" smiled John. \"Buda boom is a serious teleporter home. Let''s go. I like the idea,\" Dan stood up. \"Don''t joke about it. Hey, guys. Don''t joke about death,\" said Nick strictly. He got off the ground and explained: \"You know what I mean, Dan. Death is serious. Death is bad. Our immortality is some kind of trickery. I''m not sure that after the hundredth death, a message from the system will pop out in my face, \"You''ve survived 100 deaths. You get the ''I don''t care about anything'' achievement. Lifetime penalty on all characteristics 1%. A reputation penalty with the locals.\" \"You''re crazy, brother! You can''t do that,\" shouted John. \"You''ve convinced me, Nick. If the system can hear you and borrow your idea for the game... we won''t put you on trial with the other players,\" smiled the Inquisitor. \"Stop talking! Time''s running out. Let''s go hit the forest cat!\" Nick stopped the empty talk and led the guys towards the woods. The Inquisitor would have had a hard time walking through the woods. He couldn''t feel the weight of heavy armor. The inventory was empty. It contained a supply of food and a set of medicinal potions. The trophies from the lair didn''t weigh anything, it was jewelry. But Dan was tired of having to walk in a bent position. The trees were large, much larger than the earthly ones, and they had to be walked around all the time. They would go over huge roots and bend under thick branches. Nick found a path that was easier to walk on, but it wasn''t a real path, it was just the best choice for a clean and comfortable path among the trees. Suddenly, Nick stopped and said loudly: \"It didn''t work. She''s running towards us. John! Quickly run to the nest! Your target is to get the baby. Dan, try ''Autodafe''. There she is!\" Dan''s already seen the rapid shadow that jumped on him from a tree branch. He instantly activated the skill. But the skill didn''t work! And at that moment, he felt a blow to the chest. It was a strong blow as if a car had hit him at full speed. He flew off and hit his back against a tree trunk. Before Dan could fall, the cat jumped up to him and grabbed her teeth in his leg and rushed! [You got 140 points of damage.] Dan screamed out in pain. It felt disgusting. He was like a piece of meat in a tin can. The thing''s fangs bit the steel armor and got to him. The inquisitor instinctively reinforced his characteristics and struck the cat with a sword, which suddenly appeared in his hands. [You did 340 points of damage.] He shouted and beat and hit and screamed. No fencing technique, no sword voice in his head, he just punched a blade at the body of a creature that clung to him and chewed at his armor. Reports of the damage received and caused were flickering before his eyes. Dan wasn''t paying attention to them, he was killing this animal. He didn''t see how calm and very fast Nick was fighting. A bow appeared in Scout''s hands, and the arrows flew one after the other like bullets from a machine gun. Then Nick jumped up and started cutting the cat with daggers. And then John joined them and only had a few blows with daggers. Dan groaned and fell to his knees. [You got 1,300 points of experience.] Nick jumped up to the Inquisitor and handed out a vial of potion. \"Don''t save it for yourself. How painful! She chewed me like a sausage! I''ll be with you in a minute, let me lie down, guys.\" Dan fell on his side and froze. \"When you lie down, your health is best restored,\" confirmed the obvious truth to them, John. Assassin sat down in front of Dan and put a standard cat on his arm. \"You hold it to yourself. Then the system will suggest you take the pet. Maybe it will. I didn''t get an offer. But I already have a Scout,\" said Assassin. \"How weird she is,\" said Dan. He turned gently and lay down on his back. He put the cat on his chest and gently started stroking with his hands. Nick paid no attention to these ceremonies, he pulled out a special knife and started cutting up the big cat''s body. \"You''ve had a hard time. Two-thirds of your health she ate from you. I told you! Inquisitor skills don''t work on ordinary animals! And Nick had doubts,\" said John. He gave Dan a flask: \"Take a little sip, brother, it''s on herbs, it''ll boost the regeneration.\" Dan was feeling better. The pain wasn''t tearing his body apart anymore, it was fading and remained only in a terrible memory. He took a few sips and looked at the beast: \"She''s funny. Like a Siamese cat, only with a strange color skin. It''s like it''s been painted green. Wow! The system''s awake! Invites me to be the daddy of this baby.\" * [Attention! You can tame the pet. Attention! The number of pets is limited to 0/1. The abilities and skills of a pet develop during taming. Would you like to tame your Woody Cat? Yes/No] * \"Guys, I don''t know anything about her! It''s not a forest cat, it''s a wooden cat. Skills will come later. And what do we do?\" \"It''s definitely got a ''Bleeding'' and something that looks like ''Strike''. It''s a dangerous thing! Only level 24, but she almost killed Dan. I like cats. Take it, Dan! You can''t survive in the woods alone. And with an assistant like that, you''ll feel better. Is it a boy or a girl?\" \"I don''t know.\" \"Look at this.\" \"I don''t want to look at anything. I''m thinking!\" \"Think, Inquisitor. Think. But one thing''s good with her, she''s certainly not a cursed creature. Then ''Autodafe'' would have worked on Big Mom.\" \"The she-wolf was normal, too. And our boys would grow up to be werewolves. This is a mysterious place,\" mumbled John. Dan was lying there thinking. Does he need this pet? \"You fought like a cowardly boy!\" And Tarrok''s wake up, too! Criticism is not what Dan wanted to hear. Didn''t help in the fight, came out with his comments when it was over. Not life, but trouble. Dan looked at the animal and thought again. We killed your mother. You won''t survive alone. But I will become a bad master. I hope you don''t regret it in the company of a lonely and weird player. 19 Werewolves Dan introduced the clan to his pet. Everyone was sympathetic to the little beast. The Inquisitor said there''s no curse on a wooden cat, it''s just a local forest animal. He wouldn''t talk about how formidable an enemy would grow out of its kitten. Everyone was sympathetic to the inquisitor''s desire to have a pet. Michael and Dan went to the stash and put the cursed fragment in the stash. Dan told them about the werewolf''s lair, and they decided to finish the story. Dan thought the story would remind him of him, there''d definitely be a continuation. And it was depending on him how soon the clan would get into more trouble. Dan stopped doing sword exercises in the backyard. The library room was large. It didn''t yet have a collection of books, so the Inquisitor could practice fencing alone. Stefan could not help him, he had to trust the memory of the sword. Every day, Tarrok would ask Dan to learn a new skill. The skills were changing! During his existence, the sword was able to encounter many combat and everyday skills. Tarrok couldn''t teach a specific skill, he couldn''t remember a ''custom'' skill. Dan could only shake his head as he read the description of the new sword skill. But he didn''t make any concessions. It wasn''t a matter of loyalty to the clan. Dan didn''t want to sacrifice any part of his freedom! He knew that he couldn''t fight the mind of a cursed creature. So he denied any attempt by the sword to increase its influence over its master. The Inquisitor spent most of his time analyzing his records in the ancient language. Skills ''Ancient Languages'' and ''Master of Puzzles'' allowed us to successfully dive into the ancient history of this world. And as more Dan learned, the more unpleasant the picture stood before his eyes. Everything rested on the gods. The consequences of war dictated to this world the specifics of life. The undead and other magical monsters could not be eliminated! The clan had a big quest for 15 months in front, to clean up 30 locations! People had not lived for months in this horror but were already beginning to change seriously. What happens next year? * The pet was able to dispel the inquisitor''s eternal gloomy mood a little. The cat didn''t tame itself like werewolves. It grew up at a normal speed, grew like a normal kitten. She needed food and the owner''s attention. Dan called the cat simple ''Pussy''. Funny John was the first to respond, who sadly remarked, \"This pussy is the only pussy that dark Dan can hope for.\" Dan wasn''t annoyed by the simple humor of Assassin. Dan wasn''t annoyed by anything else. An ordinary pet required some experience from his master to develop. His pet would take 50% of his master''s experience! The greedy owner could easily control the development process. Simply activate the icon and the pet would disappear! The pet would go into sleep mode and not consume the owner''s experience. In other cases, everything depended on the player''s desire. Do you want to get a powerful partner quickly? Keep your pussy near the battlefield. On his 17th level, Dan could be alone looking for meetings with level 10 monsters. It was safe. Nick and John found one location for the Inquisitor. The Undead, the most convenient opponent. And levels were normal, level 5 skeletons and warrior skeletons and level 8-10 zombies. Dan had spent several hours in a delicate and careful series of one-on-one battles. The little cat at first didn''t understand what was required of it. The completely unreasonable cat was wildly aggressive to anything that showed its displeasure with her owner. The cat hissed and rushed into battle with skeletons. Communication between them was through the images that appeared in Dan''s head. He couldn''t give a clear order to the cat not to interfere in the fight. Getting the cat tied up was a dangerous way out. While Dan was dealing with one enemy, another skeleton could fit into the little animal. In one day, Pussy had grown to five levels! She didn''t have any skills. When she took the level, the system would automatically add 1 point to each of the characteristics. Dan shared his experience with everyone. Nobody liked the information that the cat was taking 50% of his experience. And everyone stopped bothering the scouts with the demands to find pets for all of them. Gandalf was most upset. He really wanted a bear for himself! It was a great choice for a magician. Bears in this world were very fearful, they were the most powerful opponents in the forest. The magician realized that he wouldn''t get a protector soon. He had a big problem with character development. He had to organize special conditions. But the scouts were in no hurry to expand their attention to the whole clan. Soon the scouts brought very unpleasant news to the castle. The best and most experienced hunter from the neighboring settlement was able to get to the village. He had been running for two days. He brought terrible news. The neighboring settlement was destroyed by the dead! A force of a couple hundred skeletons led by Leach! This undead was struck by magic. There were also several banshees. The dead showed incredible skill and reasonableness. The dead did not surround the village from all sides as usual. They simply moved to storm in the weakest spot of the defense. And it was found, in one place, the wall had long required repairs. How did the dead find out about it, a survived hunter did not know. He didn''t know exactly how many people had survived the massacre. This terrible news caused a chain of unexpected events. A caravan of traders has decided to return to the city! They had intended to visit the destroyed settlement, but now it didn''t make any sense. Nick listened in silence to everyone discussing the sad news of the village being destroyed. Michael thought about what they would do if this large group of the dead came to the clan''s area of responsibility. Nick waited for the passions to die down and struck! \"Friends, let me share an important thought.\" Everyone''s silenced. Mikhail and Alexander looked at the head of exploration and trade with interest. And Nick wasn''t disappointed, his words made everyone confused: \"I suggest we start preparing for a visit to the city of Dor. We looked in the direction of the city with fear. But look at us. We got stronger! I''m not hiding the fact that I''m ready to take my chances and go to Dor on my own. But this isn''t about me. I''m talking about our common business. I''m sure if we go all the clan on the road, we can reach the city in one day. We''ve got a strong combat team to protect us. John and I guarantee scouting and timely warning of a possible attack. I''m not talking about the clan perspective that''s waiting for us in town. If our clan becomes the first to indicate a presence in Dor, we''ll get first place in quests, influence and overall clan development. Dor is a city. You all understand how much we need a city. It''s teachers, it''s an entrance to a new market, and it''s an entrance to a whole new stage of life.\" \"Which is quite difficult to reach,\" said Alexander. \"Together with the caravan? I remind you the caravan will be gone in a few days,\" said Nick. \"I''m ready to confirm Sir Nick''s words,\" said Stefan quietly. \"The clan may reach the city. The average security level in the caravan is level 25. But you''re different. You''re called to the world to fight evil. You''re an amazingly fast study. Your immortality is a mysterious ability. You don''t risk anything. If luck turns its back on someone, they will rise here in the castle.\" \"And who will stay in the castle? Except for our Inquisitor?\" John asked a serious question. It was discussed. John gladly acted as a provoker and asked an unpleasant question with a smile. \"I''m ready to wait for you alone,\" said Dan calmly. \"The castle has serious protection. No dead people are scared of him. By the way, Turin and Velida, you must go to town, too. I''m sure you''ll have some important things to do in it.\" \"Are you seriously ready to be alone in the castle? Dan isn''t right,\" said Alexander sharply. \"I just can''t go into town. My class will cause you problems. This is not good for you. It requires exploration, a clear understanding of the city''s Spirituals'' attitude towards an Inquisitor like me. That''s easy for Ron! He will be welcomed there with open arms.\" \"In the castle, you will be safe. But what can you do alone, If the village is attacked by the dead?\" asked Michael. \"You are asking a cruel question. And I will give a cruel answer. The clan has no mission to protect the village. We are heirs to the ancient order and we have a quest. And in two days, we must destroy two werewolves. And not because they threaten the village. The headman will pay for his protection separately and he''s given you a separate quest. These creatures were on our map as soon as we became a clan and took the quest to keep clan territory clean.\" Everyone was silent. For the first time, someone said out loud that they didn''t care much about the local people''s problems. And said it by someone who didn''t please these locals. The Inquisitor couldn''t hope for even a small share of attention and participation from the locals. \"We have to think. Nick, you brought up the right and important question. We can''t miss our chance. But now I suggest we think about a plan to attack werewolves,\" said Michael. Nick knocked his hand on the table in front of him. Then he started the report: \"We know where the werewolf lair is. We couldn''t mark the creatures with our Pathfinder marks. They''re 25 levels. Their main danger is they''re very fast! They''re too fast. Only the clan''s combat branch, scouting and inquisitor will do the job. We''re going in a tight group to the lair. The local hunters said there are no ravines that way. There are meadows in the woods and small hills. John and I are giving a warning about a werewolf closing in. They''re all holding formation and guarding the Inquisitor. And then it will hurt. When the creatures attack, Dan challenges one of them. And that''s when Leo, Michael and the four warriors hit one enemy while they''re tied up with Dan. The werewolf is fast as lightning, but he can''t leave the Autodafe border. The one who dies is out of the game. Either way, we destroy the beast. I support with arrows and precision shooting skills. Survivors attack the last werewolf. If he doesn''t kill Dan, our Inquisitor will use the control and weakness of the enemy again.\" Nick was silent and leaned back in his chair. The plan was simple and clear. And everybody understood that without dying, we couldn''t do it. \"All this is only true in one case. We hope the werewolves will take the fight,\" Dan said quietly. \"Nick, I didn''t understand you. Werewolves are as fast as lightning. They''re beautiful words. Can I see his movement with the look?\" \"Of course you can. You''ll have a chance to put him on Court. But you''re right. If the werewolves start running from us... I don''t know what to do.\" \"We''re going to the lair anyway,\" noticed Michael. \"We can only hope that there''s more of an animal in them than a reasonable beast. Any animal will guard its sanctuary.\" \"I may suggest foolishness, but I don''t understand. Why shouldn''t I go with you?\" Gandalf''s question has stunned everyone. The mage smiled and added: \"I can work as bait. If they''re so clever, and they feel well threatened by us. They''ll feel a weak spot on the team.\" \"Gandalf, don''t be too hard,\" smiled at Michael. \"Let''s do without bait and sacrifice.\" \"Do you feel sorry for the experience for me?\" And at that moment, everyone was frozen. No one expected such a turn, especially from a man who was panicking about pain and death. \"Gandalf, you''re a smart guy, but sometimes you say such stupid things! When does it appear in your head?\" John said quite seriously. \"I want to come with you too,\" said Ron. \"And yes, I really need experience. And I need to go into town for sure! I''ve chosen a class that''s out of my league. Without experienced mentors, I can''t develop.\" Ron got caught in a trap when choosing a class! The spiritual class turned out to be interesting and weird. He demanded a maximum investment in the Spirit''s characteristic and a minimum investment in Intelligence. Ron could cure, but it required mana. Ron could hit with magic! He had the skill of ''Punch of the Spirit'', a blow to an enemy that would not damage the allies. But it also required the development of Intelligence. But the main power of the Spiritual Man was in the call of the Spirits! He could call upon the likeness of the Elementals of the Natures, who fought on the side of the confessor. Ron could cure the Spirits. He had the skills to reinforce spirits. And the skills of working with spirits didn''t require mana. It required the maximum development of the Spirit. The called Elemental was of the same level as the Spiritual. But the main problem was that the Elemental was opposed to the one who was weak in Spirit. Up to level 11, Ron had invested all of his characteristics in strength and dexterity. He had little in his intellect and spirit. On level 13, he had invested 10 points in the Spirit and called the Elemental for the first time. The Fire Spirit of Level 13 appeared with 24 Spirits. He immediately jumped on Ron and killed him. Next to Ron was Tom, they hadn''t told anyone about this experiment. Tom survived! After Ron died, the elemental disappeared into thin air. The guys told the story of a failed skill operation. Ron wasn''t afraid to repeat it. He was fully equipped. We gave him all the artifacts to boost his spirits. With the artifacts, Ron raised his spirits to 38. He activated the skill. A Level 13 element of Earth appeared and attacked Ron. The boys stood up to defend their confessor and had trouble destroying the enemy. It became clear that only the pure measure of the Spirit mattered, and all artifact bonuses did not confer credibility on a caller. Ron found out that Dan at level 17 had 66 ''honest'' spirits and 74 with artifact bonuses. The twin grabbed his head! He was asked to develop only his spirit and not to spend more on intelligence and endurance. He wasn''t even talking about strength and dexterity. Ron realized that he needed a specialty that would develop his spirit. There was no need for a second painter in the clan. What should he do? Learn how to embroidery? It''s the closest and most similar specialty to a painter. But where''s the guarantee? The clan suffocated without information. * In the morning, the clan went on a werewolf hunt. Everyone was wearing the best armor. Even Gandalf was wearing armor. They came out of the castle and went slowly towards the village. From the village, the squad went deep into the forest. Nick drove the boys down a decent lane. No one reacted to the provocations of the animals. In the event of a threat, the squad would stop and take up an all-round defense to protect Ron, Gandalf and Dan. The animals in the forest behaved like ordinary animals. They had their own paths, their own areas to protect against invasion. The guys wouldn''t get off the path. Twice they met the boars, once they got a bear. The forest dwellers had decent levels, 20-25. But when people were standing in a freezing state and a steel ring put up a steel weapon, and inside the ring, there were three people with torches... the owners of the local plots were giving \"backing up\". Gandalf was trying to hit a fireball! But he was strictly warned to stay calm and ordered not to fool around. They walked for four hours. Suddenly, Nick signaled to stop the squad: \"Werewolf. Over there. It''s coming.\" Everybody''s quiet. Soon the creature''s mark appeared on everyone''s map. Before that, everyone could just see the spot painted red. The werewolf didn''t attack. People were waiting. \"The second one is behind him. But it''s not coming,\" said Nick. \"How far is it?\" asked Michael. \"A mile and a half,\" answered the scout. \"Beautiful,\" whispered delightfully Alexander. \"It''s four miles to the lair. One hour''s journey. Let''s move out,\" commanded Nick. They only walked a couple of miles. \"He''s attacking!\" After the scout shout, everyone quickly took up the defense. Dan looked at Nick. He couldn''t distract the scout, but he could see the direction the enemy was approaching. Looking into the woods, Dan shook up his head. The path was curled almost by the trunks of big trees. The shrubs were interfering with the view. Nothing could be understood even from a few steps away. Nick shot an arrow. The arrow was glowing blue. Nick scolded: \"Missed. Fast beast. We''re waiting.\" The squad was standing. The mood wasn''t combat at all. People were just willing to take the maximum price for their deaths with the victims'' patience. \"We have to go. Slowly, calmly, but we have to go. He doesn''t want to attack, and the other one''s not coming,\" said Nick. And they went. Nick warned me that the werewolf was only a hundred steps away. The creature wasn''t backing down, it was circling the squad. The scout had the dexterity to turn to the werewolf''s face while continuing to walk the trail slowly. Even with his back forward! Dan had stopped cursing the roots and large branches of trees that were blocking his steps long ago. He looked up to Nick with respect. The Inquisitor himself walked carefully at the side of the werewolf was behind them. They went out into a small clearing. It was only a short walk to the lair. Everyone understood that the situation had changed. The forest itself was on the people''s side. In this place between two glades there was a space where giants did not grow trees. People came out to the center of the glade and stopped before a final step. They could already see the rise of the ground a couple of hundred yards away. There was a lair. The werewolves separated. They approached the squad and circled like wolves around the victim. \"Gandalf, get ready. After my command, hit the fire,\" said Nick in a merry voice. The magician was silent, but everyone knew the real battle was about to begin. Gandalf was holding two spells. Fireball and the Swamp. Slowing down a werewolf would be a great advantage for humans. But to hit fire in the woods was a provocation. They hoped werewolves would stop behaving with the coolness of elite killers, and animal instincts would weaken creatures'' minds. Nick froze and pulled the bowstring. Then he exhaled one word: \"Fire,\" and the scout fired at his target. They both missed. But it didn''t matter. From now on, the events flew like a blast of the storm. A fireball crashed into the big trunk of one of the giants at the edge of the clearing. The flame rushed in all directions. There was a werewolf roar. No one could understand how the creature jumped on people. A distance of twenty yards, the dark shadow overcame in one moment. One moment, that means that before anyone could see it, the werewolf hit the structure. The creature fell right inside their ring of defense! And a raging tornado of werewolf claws and fangs swept through people. Dan fell to the ground, Gandalf and Ron fell nearby. The Inquisitor realized he couldn''t get up, the werewolf pressed his leg with one paw. Gandalf flew off to Leo. Ron crashed into John. The warriors knew what to do, they did not think twice and turned around, hit the monster, which in one attack destroyed the entire order of their defense. And at that moment, new trouble came out of the forest! The werewolf swept past Michael at full speed and pawed at him on the move. The soldier rolled on the ground like a knocked-down bowling pin. And it was the monster''s mistake. It was a chance for the Inquisitor. Dan accidentally noticed the start of the attack and activated Autodafe at the moment when the creature stopped for a brief moment to hit Michael. The border of the Court was flashed! And everyone realized that the skill had worked! The creature crashed into the border and froze for a second, stunned by the blow. It was hit by an arrow. Alexander and Tom threw themselves at it. It is unknown what the first werewolf realized, but he swooped into the air and rushed away from the squad! Dan realized he was finished. The werewolf threw the warriors away with two blows and threw himself at the Inquisitor. And flew into the Swamp! Gandalf of his last forces activated the spell. Then he lost consciousness from broken bones. And that''s the kind of enemy the squad could deal with. Leo managed to intercept the first werewolf strike and struck him back with a few sword strokes. Nick didn''t stop the arrow flow. John worked like a werewolf, he swung toward the creature and slashed daggers at it on the move. The werewolf jumped up to Dan and grabbed his teeth into the hands of the Inquisitor, who covered himself from the creature''s jump. The clan made a decision. Dan was banned from using the cursed sword. He agreed. It''s just not normal to count on a two-handed sword in this situation. And getting hit by a sword that drinks lives! No one wanted to take any chances. Dan knew it was the right thing to do. He covered his throat with his hands and watched with horror the durability of his armor fall in front of his eyes. It was armor from Draugr. And the werewolf chewed it like simple skin! Dan was screaming in pain and was already fainting when the stripe of the creature''s life went out in an instant. Three swords struck from three sides at once. Nick''s arrow added its weight to the scale of the massacre. \"Potions! He''s here! Get in line!\" Ron gave up his cure on Gandalf. There was a scream of pain over the meadow: \"Fool! Finish it! I took the level,\" and the magician fainted again. No regeneration potion helped if one had only a couple hundred lives left. The body was just dying of blood loss. John jumped up to a broken bloody magician and said: \"Sorry, Bro.\" Then the Assassin killed him with one blow of the dagger. Tom wasn''t around. \"The other werewolf runs into the lair,\" said Nick angrily. \"The devil,\" whispered Dan. It was a good exit for the squad and the creepiest end of the fight for him. They had information about the werewolf''s lair. One day, a man was expelled from the village. He went into the woods and built a home at the base of a low hill on one of the glades. The man dug up enough room in the ground to live and strengthened the walls with wood. The trouble was that now an angry beast would meet them one by one. Meet them in a narrow corridor. And in this case, a terrible plan was drawn up. The Inquisitor goes first. He will activate Autodafe and take over the first strike of the monster. The werewolf knocks Dan down and then people start coming up one at a time and attacking. As long as there''s life left to attack. The wounded got up from the ground and the squad went slowly to the lair. \"Dan, what''s with the armor?\" \"It''s not so bad, Michael. Half durability. Total protection 360,\" said the Inquisitor. \"When we catch up, try to get past us. At least with two swords, you''ll have to punch him. He''s having an amazing regeneration! He is healing right in front of his eyes. I kill vampirism with control. But his regeneration is natural.\" Everybody was quiet. Dan looked at the group''s status. Everyone had less than 50% health. The potions had a cooldown! You couldn''t drink one portion after another. Ron completely wasted the mana. He was walking angrily. Tom didn''t survive. Alexander said his brother got hooked very badly, the claw hit right in the face. Tom died quickly. Dan saw the entrance to the lair. As Nick warned, it was the beginning of a narrow corridor. Pleased the aisle height didn''t have to bend down. They were standing at the entrance. \"I can run for Gandalf,\" John suggested. \"Sending five fireballs inside would be great. But you two aren''t going to be able to get through to us. \"We''ve had too much fun,\" sighed Nick. \"Animals are waiting for us on the way back. We stink of blood all over the area.\" \"Okay, guys, we need to get this story over with. You guys ready? I''m going,\" said Dan and stepped toward the entrance. And he froze. \"Use me!\" shouted a sword voice in his head. \"No. Your use could turn into trouble for the rest of us.\" \"They are nothing, they mean nothing to you.\" \"You''re right. You don''t mean anything to me too. And I''m not going to let you increase your meaning.\" \"Fool! We are bound forever.\" \"So I won''t be in any hurry. I wish you a nice show.\" The Inquisitor swung his hand away from the questions and stepped into the corridor. From there, everything was covered in a bloody mist of pain and suffering. All the senses came out of a sense of mortal danger. With each step, it was harder to breathe. The stench was such that Dan''s eyes started to tear. \"How can animals tolerate such a creepy stench? They''re half animals!\" \"It''s magic, you fool! Let me help you!\" \"Not now, Tarrok, you''re distracting me. ''Autodafe''!\" The werewolf was too big. The creature was the size of a big bear. The werewolf was sensible. But he couldn''t understand the Inquisitor''s skills. The werewolf wanted to hit the first man who dared to enter the lair in his side. For Dan to activate the skill, it was enough to see the werewolf''s paw sock. The lair was lit by the light of the spell. Now the creature couldn''t run away, maybe it wasn''t going to run away. The important thing was that the Court weakened the werewolf''s skills. Dan activated the reinforcement and drove the body right into the back of its lair. The creature''s hit him. The body wrapped up in the air like a coin thrown in the air. Dan hit his head on the ceiling of the room and fell to the floor. The weight of the monster came down from above. The claws hit the sides of his armor. And the monster''s fangs fell into his shoulder. The Inquisitor''s eyes were covered with bloody mist. The pain was terrible. He couldn''t turn around. He couldn''t do anything. But Dan wouldn''t give up, he''d scream and hit the paw of the creature with his gloves. The damage had to be done. Stay strong and do damage. The Inquisitor didn''t see the first suicide attacker enter the room. Alexander activated Strike and just knocked the werewolf down a couple of steps from his place. The warrior had time to make two hits, and the werewolf hit back with both paws. Alexander flew to the wall of the room. The werewolf didn''t have time to finish him off. Michael flew into the room with his sword already brought in for impact. The blow came to the head of the werewolf, who rushed to the soldier and could not strike strongly. At the last moments of consciousness, the Inquisitor stopped pounding the monster''s paw and just clung to it like a tick. Now his body was hanging like a weight on the monster''s paw. The knight flew and as the ram crashed into the enemy, Leo at one time dealt a blow with the shield and the edge of the sword. The arrows flew out of the aisle. One of the arrows went right into the werewolf''s eye. It was a critical strike. There was no space in the room to swing the sword. But everyone could and did stab at it with all their might. The beast made two more strikes. Alexander vanished into thin air. \"John!\" \"Got it, Bro!\" The assassin didn''t run, he jumped into the room at full speed and hit the werewolf''s body and earned his daggers as a machine gun. He hit his paw, left the top of the monster open to attack by a knight and a soldier. No one understood when they killed the monster. They stabbed and cut the dead beast. Then Ron ran into the room and started curing the Inquisitor. Nick spit on the dirty floor of the lair: \"The werewolf broke him... Tomorrow we have to go that far again. Don''t waste mana Ron, you can''t save him.\" \"Stop, brother! This is my job. I feel it''s the right thing to do,\" said John and stuck a dagger down the Inquisitor''s throat. \"I''ll be sure to ask him about that mask at the castle,\" Nick shook his head. \"Does this mask interfere much with your vision?\" \"Defense does add up well,\" said Michael. \"Let''s go home, guys. It''s dangerous for us to be here without Dan. Ron! You heal yourself! I feel fine,\" laughed Nick. Without even touching the werewolf body, they went into the fresh air. What kind of trophies? Without the Inquisitor, nobody even wanted to touch the damned creatures. Dan opened his eyes and shook his head. He couldn''t reach the end. He looked at the guys'' pale faces and smiled: \"They made him. We made him. Get ready to meet the heroes.\" The clan''s got time for personal needs. This month''s task has been completed. * [Attention! Map update: 21 desecrated locations detected. 7 locations of dungeon type. Despite the difficulties in your way, you must clear 2 desecrated locations per month from monsters. If you do not complete the task, your clan will lose 200 ''Glory'' points. [47:23:59]] 20 Cursed mine The news that the clan had completed the required quest was welcomed with joy. But everyone understood that the main reason for the good mood was the opportunity to visit the city. Everyone understood that there are many interesting and important things in the city for a successful life. Everyone wanted to visit Dor. Dan and the scout visited a less pleasant place. They thoroughly examined the werewolf''s lair and were able to bring some trophies. Nick got the most important trophies. He had the skill of Ripper. It''s a skill he''d love to learn from the village''s hunters. Now he could use a special knife to obtain special trophies from the body of a dead beast or monster. As a merchant, Nick knew that local alchemy uses animal and monster organs. And he was happy to replenish his stock. Ripe Skills allowed him to save valuable ingredients for a very long time. Nick ripped the bodies off of werewolves. John was guarding the place. Dan had a thorough inspection of the lair. He couldn''t find the cursed artifacts and it calmed him down. He''s been thinking lately that dangerous cursed artifacts are lurking everywhere in this world. Michael visited the village and talked to the head of the caravan security. They agreed on a date for the trip to Dor. Michael heard some rather unpleasant news from the head of security. The destruction of the village by the dead three days from the city is quite common! It won''t cause any alarm or reaction in the city. It''s the border of the civilized world. There is a special service in the city that accepts applications for resettlement in a dangerous area. Locals who wanted rapid enrichment were taking risks. Everyone knew how dangerous it was to live surround by wild animals and magical monsters. But also everyone knew that killing these monsters could yield valuable prey. And a caravan of traders would come to the village of hunters and buy trophies. In the clan, this news triggered an interesting reaction. Many players were now calmer about the words of the Inquisitor and his attitude towards the locals. Hunters are people who risk their lives for enrichment. Taking responsibility for their lives, worrying about their safety is a waste of time and emotional stress. Every man for himself. The clan is the clan, the locals are the locals. Players have realized that they are ordinary prey hunters who have the opportunity to revive after death. Michael expressed the important idea that immortality is the envy of the local world. And everyone has to be careful in the city. The city is full of surprises and dangers. People understand it very well. But the most unexpected reaction was Stefan''s words: \"One must always be careful with the dead. They''re not trusted in the city.\" At first, no one understood what we were talking about. Stefan explained. That the dead are magical creatures. They''ve always lived in this world. They live in the city! They serve as ordinary living people. But you can''t trust them. They are dead. And it says it all. The city''s dead are watched closely by the local Spirituals. Players have once again realized that they have entered a world full of surprises and surprises. An atmosphere of hope and a sense of new perspectives for development prevailed in the castle. Dan was about to go hunting. Now he had to kill twice as many monsters. He needs to develop on his own and help his pet become a strong animal. The Inquisitor entered the blacksmith shop. He gave the dwarf armor to fix it. Turin worked hard. He liked the new life. These strange hunters brought in a lot of income. They were immortal! That means they weren''t afraid of dying, they weren''t afraid of taking risks and they hunted a lot. They needed a good smith. One who would fix the armor and the weapons. And Turin was happy with his new life. Dan nodded the dwarf: \"Turin, sorry to bother you, did you fix at least part of my armor?\" \"I fixed your mask.\" \"Thank you for that, as well.\" \"Thank you. Sir Dan.\" The dwarf stopped the Inquisitor, who took the mask and was about to leave the blacksmith. \"Wait, Dan, we need to talk.\" \"Okay, I''m listening.\" The dwarf put his hammer aside and came closer to the Inquisitor. He scratched his beard and said quietly: \"I and Velida are not going to Dor. We will stay with you. We don''t have to go to the city. We have nothing to do there.\" Dan was surprised. \"I thought you''d be interested in just resting in town. To visit friends and associates.\" \"We visit Dor twice a year. We go on special occasions. That doesn''t concern you. It''s about the dwarves. But I have important words to say to you.\" Turin looked into Dan''s eyes and said very quietly: \"We''ll stay in the castle with you. With you and Sir Nick and Sir John.\" The Inquisitor knew at once that the dwarf knew about the conspiracy! But how? \"Turin, I don''t know what you''re talking about.\" \"Dan, do you know how old I am? No, you don''t. I''ve seen 173 winters.\" Dan was amazed. He didn''t think about that sort of thing. Now he''s been told the news of the unusual and incredible. Then he thought it was a world of wonder and magic. Dwarves live long, elves live even more. Nothing is surprising about it. The dwarf smiled: \"You can''t hide your face under a mask all the time. They can''t hide in invisibility all the time. You can keep your secrets from each other, but to me you''re like children. Don''t be sad, for a wise dwarf, many people are like unwise children. I read your decision on your faces. And I will tell you an important thing. I will be with you. I have my reasons. What''s important to you is that you have a blacksmith at your castle. Jim will stay in town.\" \"Jim stays in town,\" Dan was surprised. \"But you''re his teacher!\" The dwarf stroked his beard and explained: \"You don''t understand the basics of our craftsmanship. I''m just going to say one thing. A learner who learns from one master will never be a real master. I learned from 12 masters before becoming a master myself. Jim is an extraordinary man, like all of you. He''s managed to understand my mastery enough. He cannot stay in the castle. You call this \"development\". Two real master blacksmiths are working in Dor. I gave Jim letters of recommendation. He must learn from new masters.\" \"Your words are understandable and explain a lot. I understand Jim. As for me and the scouts. You see, Turin, we don''t want a clan scandal. But we can''t be like the others. We have disagreements... to say the truth, misunderstandings, and different views of life. We don''t want disagreements and fights and scandals.\" \"Sir Michael is not a hunter. Sir Michael is not exactly a hunter. I understand. That''s enough words. Go and kill the monsters. Talk to the scouts. And don''t let them count on my goodwill! You and I have our own business. You know what I''m talking about.\" \"Okay, Turin. I''ll make the boys happy with the news that a great blacksmith and his wonderful wife, a craftswoman to make a delicious dinner and just a wonderful woman will live in the castle.\" Dan went out into the courtyard, put on a mask and came up to John: \"John, close the gate behind me. I''m going hunting, I have to take care of my cat.\" \"Okay, brother. Soon our babies will be ready to fight alongside us shoulder to shoulder,\" John winked. \"Shoulder to shoulder,\" agreed to the Inquisitor. \"Wait, Dan! I found something interesting. Nick knows. But we didn''t say anything to Michael. I found a strange mine. It was in the system message,\" he leaned closer to the Inquisitor and whispered. \"Cursed mine. I ran away right away. It''s one of the dungeons on our land. I noticed two skeletons there. The little ones, level 5. Ordinary, not warriors. But you understand, all that has to do with the ''cursed'' is your business. I can walk you, and I can give you a map on which I drew the way to the mine.\" \"Come with me,\" said Dan. \"It''s a safe road. Take the map. Nick said you have to walk a lot on your own, you have to explore the surrounding area yourself. That way, you''ll have the ability to explore. You''re a disgusting tracker, you need to learn.\" Dan agreed with him. That approach had its advantages. A researcher''s skill will always come in handy. He took the map and went to explore the mysterious ''Cursed Mine''. Dan checked the map and quietly walked along the wide path that looped through the forest. Pussy was running next to him. Sometimes she''d run to the side, and then Dan''s start to worry about her. He didn''t want to see the animals again, but that fidget could provoke someone to attack. Dan didn''t like to fight in the woods. An unexpected blow from the enemy could have come from either side. Behind every tree, the enemy could hide. He didn''t feel safe even with his damn sword in his hand. The forest kept a lot of danger. The Inquisitor was constantly calling his pet to himself. He would send a signal to the cat, demanding that it return to its master. Sometimes he would just activate an icon with the cat and it would disappear somewhere in the distance. Then he would activate the icon and the cat would appear at his feet. She wasn''t angry at the master for distracting her from undoubtedly important cat business. He walked for a long time. One time, a wolf jumped out at him. * Wolf Level: 5 Type: normal Life: 2100 * The Inquisitor has once again envied Nick''s skills. This pathfinder instantly determined all the characteristics of forest dwellers. Nick found time every day and described in detail to the Inquisitor of the animals he met to update the information in Bestiary. An ordinary wolf was biting 750 damage. Dan was no longer worried about such damage, he had 4800 life points. He had 700 protection points. He never got the exact formula to calculate the defense in this game. The monsters were doing different amounts of damage. The damage depended on the type of armor. Heavy armor took 90% of the physical damage. A normal wolf could do about 760 damage. But each animal had its own skills. The wolf could cause Bleeding and then the player would lose 750 health points in 1 minute! And no armor helped. Level 5 wolf could bite steel! These are the rules of this game. The forest wolf of level 5 was a formidable opponent. Dan was helped by the fact that many animals did not attack at once. They gave themselves away first. This unreasonableness had its nobility in it. The Inquisitor heard the growling, stopped and prepared for battle. A sword instantly appeared in his hands. * Tarrok Type: unique. Linked to Dan''s character Attention! Cursed artifact! The influence on the gameplay 10% Damage: 1600-2400 [Critical damage: 4400-7200] Durability: Indestructible Weight: 3 pounds Combat skill: \"Cutting the Void\" Increases the chance to ignore the enemy''s armor and class abilities. Cooldown 120 seconds. [10/10] \"Drinking Life.\" 4% of the damage done in HP restores health. [10/10] * The Inquisitor has smiled, his strength has added 610 points of damage. He could have killed that wolf with one blow! Even without causing critical damage. Given his fully developed ''Tough Will'' skill, which translates 5% of the incoming damage into health, Dan wasn''t worried. He was just annoyed by the need to stop on the road. Pussy whispered loudly, she hit herself with her tail on the sides and slightly fell to the ground. Dan realized she was ready to use her teeth and claws at any moment. What a brave, stupid cat. Dan jumped up to the animal in a quick jump and struck a quick, simple blow from above. * [You have dealt 2,600 points of damage] [Got 105 experience points] * The cat jumped up to the chopped wolf and grabbed its teeth in the bleeding wound. \"You''re crazy, you greedy animal!\"We don''t have time to eat meat. Let''s go.\" Pussy looked at the master with an earshot. What a stupid master! But she only took one bite of this delicious fresh meat and ran after the Inquisitor. Dan put the sword in the inventory. The special features of the game made it possible to arm yourself in an instant. But Stefan was already teaching the guys how to move with the weapon that was in the sheath. In this world, weapons showed human status. Almost every man was armed. It was a rather unpleasant surprise, but carrying a weapon was very uncomfortable. The sheaths kept you from moving freely. Every warrior learned the science of sword possession. Possession in all circumstances, in battle and in a peaceful life. The Inquisitor was not worried about the convention. He didn''t care about local opinion. He preferred to hide the cursed sword in his inventory. In case of a sudden attack, he could answer with his fist. His battle gloves of Wrath caused enough damage. Once they stopped at the shore of a small river, ate, drank water and went on. The terrain was changing. The forest was becoming rarer. Trees did not become smaller, they began to stand at a greater distance from each other. They saw the beginning of the mountains. Stone ledges began to meet on the way, they had already seen the beginning of the mountains. Dan felt like he was enjoying it. The mountains are a dangerous place, but he liked them. They reached a place that gave away a man''s work. On the surface of the rocky ground were flat rows of dumps of empty rock. Dan realized that the mine was already close by. He stopped when he saw the entrance to the mine. It was dark at the beginning of the tunnel in the rock. Skeletal figures were clearly visible against the darkness. They stood out in the gray of the bones. * [Attention! The location of the ''Cursed Mine'' has been detected. Location type: Dungeon. Attention! Temporary revival point detected. Do you wish to make a binding? Yes/No] * Dan looked at his status. He''s already had two rebirth points. Basic and temporary. He thought about it. The new temporary point can erase the old one that was in the cemetery. But then he smiled, where he had to spend enough time. It''s going to be a long hunt. He knew that the dungeon would be long, there were different monsters and different levels. He agreed to link it to a new time point. Then he laughed. Now he had three rebirth points in status. Interesting things! How many points did this pair of tricksters have accumulated? Nick and John have been exploring the area for a long time. We''ll have to talk to Nick about it. But this conversation will be tonight. There''s a fight waiting for him now. Dan sat down and stroked the cat on the head: \"You''re not going to behave badly, are you, Pussy? I''m going to be very busy, and you don''t have to distract me. Be careful and stay behind me.\" An ordinary pet was different from a damn pet. Unlike werewolves wolfing, the cat didn''t require a binding to the point of rebirth. She was already dead once. That''s when the icon with the pet turned grey and Dan found out that the pet could only be summoned after 24 hours. But the cat''s death upset him. He gladly looked at the state of his beauty. * Pussy Master: Dan [Phoenix Clan] Type: pet Level: 5 Experience: 9274/15000 Strength: 5 Dexterity: 5 Intellect: 5 Endurance: 5 [HP: 1500] * The cat looked at him and pretended not to care about the master''s care. She can protect her own interests. She''ll help her master. Pussy knew that now they would beat and bite nasty and bad bones. She didn''t like them. The bones smelled disgusting. But she endured a nasty smell. She learned to distinguish the nasty bones from the nasty meat by their smell, so she could warn her master of the danger in time. She had a lot to do and a lot to worry about. Master so stupid! Dan pulled out his sword and the cat snorted it. She didn''t like that piece of iron. It was dangerous, but the master didn''t understand it. Dan had a sad smile: \"I understand you, I don''t trust this bastard myself.\" \"I''m not asking for trust, I want equality! I don''t want to be a simple servant. I''ve seen ancient times, I''m a keeper of knowledge and secrets you can''t imagine.\" \"Yes, I agree, you are a very wise and cunning bastard. We''re going to have a lot of work to do now,\" said the Inquisitor and went towards the skeletons. The usual level 5 skeletons. It''s boring, but somebody has to do this job. The inquisitor used to turn off the visibility of information about the damage done and received so as not to be distracted during the battle. In the woods, he was a little worried. And here everything seemed clear and simple. There''s a tunnel and there are enemies in front of it. And he saw the information about the strength and weakness of these enemies very well. Dan ran to the entrance of the mine. He blew up two skeletons with three strikes. He stopped and collected the trophies. The usual copper coins. Then he went into the tunnel and realized he had to pull out the torch. And he also realized that it''s not always comfortable to be alone in the dungeon. He lit the torch and went forward with a sword in his right hand. The dungeon was clean. Moss was growing on the walls. There were no corpses that had decayed. There was no sign of car rails. The local dwarves must have been carrying empty rock out of the mines in special bags. We should give them an idea of how to improve the mines. On the other hand, they can take out the empty rock with the help of small horses. The tunnel was wide, a few steps wide. But the tunnel was only slightly taller than a man. Dan could reach the ceiling with a torch. When he noticed another monster, he would throw the torch to the ground and quickly kill the enemy. Then he met a spider. The spider was big, dark gray, it was barely visible against the rocks. Pussy helped him, she loudly and threateningly meowed and an image appeared in his head, which he immediately recognized. Spider! Dan stopped and got ready for battle. He had no idea of the local spiders'' abilities. Suddenly, the system pleased him with a message: * Underground Spider Type: normal Level: 11 Life: 6000 Damage 700-1100 Several species of giant spiders live in dungeons. The forces of Evil have changed them, and now many of the spiders are actively seeking to feed on humans. These creatures are very poisonous and tend to have a lethal bite. Despite their defense, they often run when they are attacked, starting to use the spider web to slow down the enemy. Attention! Spiders recover 50% faster than ordinary monsters. * Great news! It worked! ''Cognition of Evil''! The Inquisitor smiled. You can not escape from me, and the threat of a deadly poisonous bite is not afraid of him. Nick bought a good stock of antibodies and shared them with everyone. ''Autodafe''. And Dan smiled again. The skill effect was a good illumination of the battlefield. In the dark of the dungeons, he could use it. The spider snarled his chew and crawled to the Inquisitor. But the man was not standing still. Three strokes, maybe two strokes are enough. He hit the spider''s head, took a sideways step and struck a second blow. The spider squealed loudly and tried to jump away from the enemy, but it only made him worse. The Inquisitor caught up with the victim with one jump and finished with the last fatal blow. Dan stopped and listened carefully. But no monsters were in a hurry to attack. The trophies made him happy. Even without any animal-cutting skills, he got a little leather bag. The spider poison was an ingredient in alchemy. 3 silver rials and a dagger with a poisoning effect. Good prey. Three strikes and three rials in the inventory. It''s a good place to live. \"If you have a wonderful ally like me on your side!\" The sword''s smug voice didn''t spoil the Inquisitor''s mood. 300 experience is not bad, 15 more spiders and Pussy gets a new level. And the three have continued to sweep the dungeon. Underground, Dan was once again glad to have an assistant. The cat was good support. It noticed opponents long before they showed up. The darkness didn''t stop her. Dan admired this moment of magic when he could see through his partner''s eyes. When he got a picture from Pussy, he could even read information about monsters! It was amazing. Several times he''d stop and pull out his notebook. There were signs on the walls of the dungeon. And not all the symbols were unique to him. Could it have been the gnome language? Dan was carefully and precisely drawing unknown symbols. He understood the meaning of most of the inscriptions. They were brief characteristics of the different rocks that were mined in this mine. There was good quality iron here, there were places with copper. The player''s card was very helpful. He could navigate well in the dungeon. All the passed way was marked on his map. Dan knew what he could do later on to put the map on paper. The economy would come in handy. He had already realized that this mine had to be cleared of monsters and then perhaps it could be used for income! They''ll definitely talk to Nick and Turin about it. He didn''t know how much time he spent in the dungeon, but the monsters met often. He killed them quickly, and when the cat took the next level, Dan decided to come back. They all missed hours! The cursed game didn''t allow them to navigate through time, Turin said there are watches in this world. This expensive thing could only be afforded by the aristocrats. Ordinary residents were guided by the sun, which was barely visible behind the eternal canopy of clouds. Dan was coming home and thought that soon he would miss the presence of new associates. He would look forward to their return from the city. They''ll bring him the watch! 21 A trap for an too curious player In the castle, all the players were talking about an early trip to the city. The more people talked, the more fantastic plans and perspectives appeared in their thoughts. Dan didn''t care about those perspectives. He cared about the opportunities they had opened up. In the dungeon, he discovered two brilliant possibilities. He couldn''t keep it from his allies. He asked Nick to take the time to tell him about the new animals the scouts had met. It was a signal that Dan wanted to have a private conversation. Nick came to the library and started talking about a new kind of monster. It was the Forest Spirit. It''s a very dangerous creature! It was almost ethereal. It was hard to kill him if he stood still and touched his feet on the ground. But when the spirit began to move, it took off and at that moment it could be hit with a strong blow from a conventional weapon. The hunters were not badly hurt, they had swords, which they reinforced with rare stones. Meeting Banshee taught the clan a lot. The hunters were ready for possible trouble. The spirit sent a curse on the players. Nightmares and bad memories began to arise in the player''s mind. Nick sat angry and very angry when he spoke about meeting this monster. \"He''s also taking his life slowly! He''s like a mosquito! Quietly sucks the life out of you, and you just stand there and see all the horror from your past life. We''re lucky. It was just the two of us and John knew right away that this thing had taken me, prisoner. John killed it quickly. The spirit was only 15 levels. But there was nothing I could do myself! I saw the horrors!\" Nick kept quiet, then smiled sadly and said: \"With your spirit, you have no need to be afraid. This game is dangerous. She''s giving a lot. But I think we''re making one important mistake. You have to develop your character equally in this game. I now understand the importance of intelligence and spirit. You can''t be a one-sided warrior, you can''t be a trickster or a smartass. We all pay no attention to the spirit except you. It can cause a lot of trouble. We are at the very beginning of the game. Who knows what powers monsters will meet us in the future?\" \"That''s what two specialties are for. You can find something that will enhance your spirit or intelligence. Alchemy! This is definitely not about dexterity or strength. And a good alchemist of your own can''t hurt us. I got the new ingredients. Nick, I want to tell you about my first day at the cursed mine. It''s a dungeon. There are skeletons, zombies and spiders. From spiders, I got the Spider Poison trophy. Here, take this and do an assessment in town. Written that this is an ingredient. But the important thing is that this mine can be cleared of undead and we can make money. We need to consult with Turin. He''s a dwarf, he has connections, and he''s our man... I mean, he''s our dwarf. And I''ll say more, he''s already figured out our intrigues and said he won''t leave us. He''s going to stay in the castle. He''s not going to town.\" \"I knew it! I saw the look in his eyes. That dwarf is not to be trusted. But you can deal with him. We need him. Did you have a good experience with mine? Did you meet any cursed artifacts or cursed monsters? Why is the mine called a cursed mine?\" \"Wait, Nick, too many questions! Turin doesn''t trust you much either. But he thanks me for taking revenge for killing his daughter. The dwarf is a reliable partner. There aren''t many monsters in the mine. But enough, I raised my cat''s level one. No cursed objects or monsters. If you''d like to join me, I''d be happy to have your company. There''s a temporary anchor point. Tell me, my dexterous and cunning friend, how many new binding points have you found with John?\" Nick was surprised to see the Inquisitor. And he answered honestly: \"Not one. A new temporary rebirth point. That''s dangerous news. We met a Beast in the cemetery. Which was only killed by a big fire blast and your work as inquisitor? Dan, be careful! Even next to the werewolf''s lair, we weren''t offered a rebirth point, but it was hot.\" Dan froze. He didn''t even think about it! Indeed, if the game offers a temporary rebirth point, it hints at the danger of the dungeon. It''s a direct test to warn you that the player is going to die! He shuddered and frowned. Then he confessed: \"It''s dark in the tunnel. But I didn''t feel any danger. There were only ordinary monsters up to level 20. Thank you, Nick. I''ll be careful. But I have a cat to develop. I''d even be glad to meet some spiders that have been reborn tomorrow. Like those skeletons that were reborn in the castle in the beginning.\" \"Be careful, Dan. I''m sorry, but we have a lot to do right now. John and I have to look at our entire area of responsibility. Our ownership of the Preceptorium depends on it. We don''t need any surprises. It is a few square miles. We''ve received a great inheritance as a gift. I really hate that you''re always alone. I feel good in your company and I don''t feel any negative reaction to the Inquisitor. Maybe it''s because I was a cop. I met different people and most of them were nasty bastards.\" \"Thank you, Nick, I''ll be careful. You told me right about danger. You''re wrong about being alone, I have company, and it''s easier with a cat.\" This morning, Dan realized he had to run away to the mine fast. The players'' eyes burned with an unhealthy shine, everybody was already packed, and everybody couldn''t wait to hit the road. People couldn''t even wait one day. The caravan to Dor was on the road tomorrow. Dan replenished his food supply and set out on the road for a new adventure. He didn''t see any revived monsters in the mine. That didn''t upset him. He didn''t know what size the mine was. He walked along the first branch and reached the end. Here, the tunnel walls clearly indicated it was a mine. There were traces of pickling on the walls, and there were many pieces of stone under his feet. And the tunnel itself became smaller, now it became a narrow corridor, which was dug in the rock of the mountain. Dan went back to the beginning of his journey and went looking for new monsters. One day, he was able to take level 19. Pussy was on level 8. No particular danger and no damn objects were found by the Inquisitor. In the evening, he had dinner alone. He was already used to eating in the library. He wasn''t disturbed by the anticipation and emotion of the players. In the morning, everything was calm. The clan suddenly showed itself as a clan of monster hunters. Everyone was calm and prepared for the fact that ahead is not an easy walk, but a dangerous road. There were monster attacks and possible deaths ahead. In the evening, Michael and Alexander strictly called for calm and concentration. Players built a column and went to the village. Dan waved goodbye to them and went to the mine. Nick promised to come back after five days. He decided that three days would be enough for him to gather information and start his trading activity for the first time in town. The question of the Inquisitor was a special subject. Nick promised to work in that direction. Dan was killing monsters in a mine. He didn''t count skeletons or spiders. Monsters didn''t go in groups. There was enough distance between enemies for the Inquisitor to deal with them quickly and calmly. He used ''Autodafe'' and destroyed another monster in several blows. Dan reached the end of the second branch and went to the next one. This could have been the last branch of the mine. On the map, he saw that the open and clean tunnel passages were like a trident. The main passageway and three moves to the side. But ahead, in the right aisle, new branches could appear. Dan smiled and went into battle. He was never killed! The monsters were upsetting him by gradually ruining his armor! Dan found that carrying 122 pounds wasn''t enough for a single hunter. He couldn''t overload himself! Dan was collecting all the money. He was collecting spider poison. He collected daggers and swords. He wouldn''t pay attention to ordinary armor. They were too heavy. Before this trek, he completely unloaded his inventory and put a stock of money and trophies in his personal chest in the castle. There were no special valuable trophies. But weapons were more valuable than armor. And swords and daggers weighed less. Dan had no regrets for the heavy armor left on the ground, new trophies ahead! He killed the last monster in the cursed mine! He knew it right away because he saw the message: * [Congratulations! You have completely cleared the ''Cursed Mine'' location from monsters. You get 50 points of Glory. For passing the location type Dungeon in Solo mode, you get the Achievement ''Dungeon Explorer'' and 7000 points of experience. Luck +1. Attention! You cannot become an owner of the '' Cursed Mine'' and start its exploitation. Warning! You have detected the entrance to the ''Vampire Grave'' location. Location type: the dungeon. Would you like to visit the ''Vampire Grave'' location? Yes/No] * Dan sat down on the tunnel floor and thought. Then he wanted to know more about a new achievement. The explanation made him happy. * Achievement: ''Dungeon Explorer'' 1 [Passive]. You get more experience and trophies when exploring dungeon type locations. Number of experiences and trophies *1.1 [Passive] * Dan realized that the achievement was shady at the moment, the increase in experience and trophies was minimal. But there was an opportunity to increase bonuses. The increase in luck pleased him a lot more. Luck wouldn''t hurt him. He chose a road too dangerous in this world. Dan was eating bread and meat, drinking clean water from the river and thinking. Going back to the castle or looking at a new location? He warned the dwarf that he was working to clear the mine. Turin was interested in the Inquisitor''s new adventure. He was a little upset that the mine was poor. Copper and iron are good, but silver would be much better. Dan has promised to study attentively all notes of ancient miners and to bring gnome interesting finds if will meet on the way. One such find was kept in the inquisitor''s inventory. He has found a rather interesting record on a wall that in mine it is possible to extract ore by name ''Adrand''. Dan found one strange piece of ore. It was the size of a fist, the stone was black and red veins were running through it. It was a very unusual piece, and Dan knew right away that this unknown rock would definitely interest the dwarf. It was three hours to the castle. It was annoying to the player. He stroked the pet over the head: \"Growing big and fast, Pussy. I hope you let me ride on your back.\" The cat snorted and her eyes widened. She already had big eyes, but now she looked very unusual. \"Don''t worry! I''m not heavy! I''m not going to burden you. Sometimes, in case of danger, in the most important case! You''re faster than me, so I hope you''ll help me.\" The cat narrowed its eyes and looked suspiciously at its master. Of course she''s faster than him! And she''ll be even faster! But she didn''t like the idea of driving that stupid master on her back. She turned away from him and punched him with her tail. Dan got back on his feet. He decided to look at the new location. For a little while. Just to look at that monster that guards the start of the new dungeon. In case of danger, he''ll go back to the castle and wait for the scouts to accompany him through the dungeon. On the stone wall, a green light was flickering. It looked like a portal. Dan pulled his pet away and went to the portal. And he agreed to visit the new location. He didn''t feel any tremors, he didn''t have to walk right into the wall. He just appeared in an unknown location. And he was trapped! There was a message in front of his eyes. Dan read it and sat down on the stone floor of the tunnel. It was the beginning of the end. * [Attention! ''Vampire Grave'' location detected. Location type: Dungeon. Attention! You can''t leave the location until it''s completely gone. All revival points are inaccessible. Attention! A temporary rebirth point has been detected. Do you wish to make a binding? Yes/No] * Dan immediately opened up character status. The names of the rebirth points became cloudy, they seemed to have disappeared from the field. He immediately confirmed his desire to make a binding to the temporary rebirth point. Die forever? No! Not again. Then he thought and called the pet. Dan looked at the cat with a guilty expression on his face and said: \"I made a mistake, Pussy. We''re in danger. Stay where you are! Don''t run forward! There''s enough light and I''ll look carefully at what''s ahead of us.\" The cat had a nasty snort. She sat down and turned her face against the wall. \"You make me happy, Dan. Draugr was boring. Do you know who vampires are? I have a great skill for fighting vampires. Would you like to learn a new skill to fight unclean forces?\" Tarrok''s cheerful voice pissed off the Inquisitor. \"I will do without a new skill. And all I have to do is take one look at the vampire. To learn all his secrets! Not all of them, but his fighting ability will be enough for me.\" \"To battle, Inquisitor. You just don''t know what you''re up against.\" \"Now I do,\" said Dan and took a step through the tunnel. The game showed him his abilities again. This tunnel was different from a simple tunnel cut down in the depths of a mountain. This tunnel seemed like an ordinary corridor in a stone building. The walls were plain. The walls were lighted up. They were metal bowls in which balls of magical light were shining. Dan didn''t know what kind of spells they were, he only cared that there was enough light. He didn''t have to pull out a torch, so he could hold the sword with both hands. Dan walked a few steps down the short corridor, and he noticed the first enemies. He immediately took a step back to the safe area. The situation looked dangerous. The corridor went into the big hall. Skeletons were walking around this hall. There were a lot of skeletons! They even joined in small groups. They were level 13 skeletons. But they were not simple. All the skeletons were armed. For the first time, Dan saw the whole set of undead warriors. He saw skeletons with spears, skeletons with bows. He even saw skeletons of scouts! Dan sat down and started reading descriptions of the undead. He felt terrible. There were hundreds of enemies there. He didn''t have an enemy counter. But there was a terrifying movement of bones in his eyes. If he drew attention to himself, he''d be torn. Very soon, his armor would lose all its durability. Then he''ll be finished. The skill of ''Autodafe'' will help him. But only at the very beginning. Then the Inquisitor will have to enter the hall, he''ll move away from the entrance to the safe corridor. ''Autodafe'' skill wasn''t a safe way to be with the enemy one-on-one. Yes, Dan deprived the enemy of the opportunity to leave the Court area. But any other creature would be free to join their confrontation! The skeletons of the scouts had a special ability. They could detect the presence of a live enemy at long range. They could use the Invisibility! They were real Assassin skeletons. \"Sorry, Pussy, but I don''t even know what to do with you. I just don''t know what''s going to happen to you. If I get killed,\" he smiled sadly. \"If I get killed and you''re alone, run to this place! I won''t leave you, I''ll be back.\" The cat nodded her head. Dan got scared. It''s never shown such sensibility before. Maybe Pussy can talk. She just keeps quiet and doesn''t waste words talking to a fool like him. Dan went back to the point of rebirth and started pulling all the trophies out of his inventory. What kind of trophies? Now he''s going to need all his speed, dexterity and strength. He didn''t want to increase his fatigue. He didn''t have a plan to get through the entire hall. Dan decided to take his time. He''s going to start challenging skeletons to fight one at a time. And he''ll be sure to pay special attention to the assassins. The more he kills the Assassins and the Archers. The more chance he has of getting through this room. Behind this hall will be the next one. Dan had no doubt about that. The Inquisitor walked to the entrance of the Skeleton Hall. He chose the sight of the Assassin skeleton. * Skeleton scout Type: normal Level: 13 Life: 5800 Damage: 800-1100 Fighting skill: ''A sense of life''. Skeleton scout can detect a live opponent at an increased distance. [10/10] ''Stealth''. A skeleton scout can hide from the eyes of the enemy if necessary. [10/10] ''Silent Song of the Killer''. The skeleton scout is a master of the short blade. An attack with his daggers can do great damage to any enemy. This skill increases the ability to ignore the enemy''s armor and defensive skills. [10/10] Overview: Skeletons are brutal dead warriors, they don''t want to eat meat, but they only exist to kill their victims. These scouts and assassins move faster than other skeletons. They have intellect, which helps them to use their skills successfully. These bony warriors have the same weapons with which they died. Attention! The chance of finding a valuable trophy has been increased. Attention! This monster has not killed any players and has the usual characteristics. * Dan was standing still. Reading the information calmed the player down. The skeleton didn''t have much life. Dan could kill him with two strikes. But he can''t die. These creatures will quickly become stronger and faster and increase life. Dan indicated his opponent with his finger and indicated his place at his feet. The light of the ''Autodafe'' activation flashed. And Dan realized that he couldn''t get past this room. The skeleton froze for a moment. Then he turned his skull towards the Inquisitor and the skeleton''s eyes flashed red. And the scout scribbled slightly and quickly moved towards a living person... Several skeletons immediately followed the scout towards Dan. One of the skeletons pulled the bowstring on the move. \"Hit it sideways with a wide blow! Move fast, you fool! Don''t just stand there! Kill them all!\" The scream of the sword in his head ripped the Inquisitor from his place. Dan wasn''t thinking about anything. He took one jump to get close to the scout and hit him. [You have dealt 2,700 points of damage] The skeleton flew away. Dan jumped on it again to kill the undead. [You got 120 damage points] He didn''t feel the pain of an arrow bite, he struck. [Critical punch! You''ve dealt 4,600 points of damage] [Got 270 experience points] Dan jumped back and ran towards safety. [You got 140 points of damage] Suddenly he felt a lot of pain in his back. [You got 480 points of damage] Dan wouldn''t stop and jumped into the hallway with a point of rebirth. [You got 130 points of damage] He sat by the wall and counted the losses. For killing one skeleton, he paid the loss of almost a quarter of his life, and the armor lost 40 points of durability. Life was recovering. The pain was tolerable. The fatigue rate wasn''t worrying. But he realized he was trapped. He had 580 points of general protection left. Another 20 such fights and he would be left without protection! And then they''d start killing him. He will revive, the skeletons will begin to grow in levels. And it will last forever and ever. \"Your foolishness will endlessly annoy me. Start by killing simple swordsmen. Then the ones with spears. They can throw a spear. It''s a dangerous enemy. But they will not tell their allies about you. They''re stupid skeletons! But you''re even dumber! Attack a scout! Get your living ass off the ground and go kill your enemies.\" Dan shook his head. And it''s called ''Intervention in Gameplay''. That''s a dirty game! It doesn''t give any references. His ''Cognition of Evil'' didn''t warn of this kind of scouting ability. \"I don''t know. What a goddess, this is your Game. I respect the gods and goddesses. But you must learn to think with your head.\" Dan didn''t respond to the remark. Tarrok was right, don''t ruin yourself. This is a game, and he''ll learn new things. It''s a dangerous game. And he will fight. Dan stroked Pussy. The cat sat quietly at his feet. She didn''t know how to help her master. She was just a simple little Wood cat. She wasn''t afraid of those nasty bones with weapons in their bone hands. But her master forbade her to interfere in the fight. Dan stood up and went towards the hall. The skeletons moved away from the entrance. When a living man crossed the border invisible to them, they lost any interest in him. Dan checked the feature. A skeleton with a sword. It''s a regular situation. An ordinary skeleton. A little life, a little damage. The weak opponent for a couple of sword strokes. If no dead help comes to him. Tarrok''s a sneaky bastard. But he''s good for him. He wants to gain Dan''s trust. The Inquisitor understood that. He has decided to check the words of the sword. The fight went as usual. Dan only took one step from the safe zone. The skeleton humbly moved on to his last fight. And Dan killed him quickly and beautifully. [Got 240 experience points] On the floor, at his feet was a sword. That''s a good sword. He could have put a ''bleeding'' effect on it. Such a sword was costing about 20 rials. Dan took the trophy. Then he walked to the point of rebirth and put the trophy in his inventory. The sword then appeared again in the hands of the player, who put his trophy against the wall. After 24 hours, the trophy would disappear. The game had its own sense of cleanliness. It didn''t let any garbage clog the area, even if it was quite expensive garbage. After that, the nightmare started. Dan lost count of time. It was a death conveyor belt. But his enemies were dying. Weak opponents were dying. The swordsmen were the weakest enemies. He killed them easily. Skeletons with a spear sometimes made it difficult. They could throw their spear at a living enemy. Dan was learning to dodge the blow! He didn''t want to lose even a few points in his defense. There was a hill of trophies growing against the wall in the safe zone. Pussy rose to the level. Skeletons were moving along certain courses. Dan was able to destroy all swordsmen and spearheads. So he took over the archers. And he began to lose the durability of his defense. Archers didn''t call for help. But they started shooting at the Inquisitor as soon as they crossed the border. Dan couldn''t help but dodge the arrows. He had to run from side to side a lot! He activated ''Autodafe'' and immediately started running in one direction. Then he would turn around and run back. It was only after the shot was fired that he would jump on the skeleton and strike. Reports of 100-140 points of damage caused Dan to grimace his anger. He didn''t care about his health, his spirit allowed him to regenerate quickly enough. His health never fell into the danger zone of 25% leftover, but the durability of his defense was fading point by point. Dan''s position was disgusting. 28 assassins were standing in his way to the opposite side of the hall, to new simple opponents. Dan had already counted the approximate number of dead in the room. He mentally divided the hall into four parts and counted the trophies. He killed 371 skeletons. He didn''t have enough experience for the new level, but his pet was growing up in front of his eyes. When Pussy took level 10, she was transformed. Before that, she had added a little more with each level but grew to the size of a regular big earth cat. When Dan killed another enemy and quickly returned with the trophy to the point of rebirth, he froze. A little evil fury the size of a big dog was waiting for him. Pussy was scalding her fangs and making it clear. That she''s rushing into battle! Dan remembered the Doberman breed for a moment. Only this animal''s skin was beige with brown and green stains. Dan walked up to the cat and looked at its status. * Pussy Master: Dan [Phoenix Clan] Type: pet Level: 10 Experience: 57 720/72 400 Power: 10 Delicacy: 10 Intellect: 10 Endurance: 10 [HP: 3000] Combat skill: not activated by the master of the pet. * \"Congratulations, Pussy. But don''t hiss me. It''s too early for you to throw yourself into a fight against those bastards. Well, let''s see what skills our dear game will offer us.\" Skills have made the pet happy with its variety and development prospects. In this matter, the game has been gracious. Dan immediately understood how to develop his cat. There were 3 main directions of development. He could increase her protection. The line of defense opened with a simple ''Tough Skin'' skill. It was just a normal increase in physical protection. Then came the ability to increase protection against magical damage. In the future, the cat could learn the ''Hiss'' skill and increase protection for itself and its master! The attacking skills were divided into 2 directions. In the first case the accent was on increasing and variety of physical damage. In the second case, the cat''s simple physical attacks were complemented by additional damage. The branch started with a simple ''Bleeding'', then it studied ''Terrible Growling'' to weaken the enemy attack. But in the end Pussy could do damage across the square! ''On the Warpath'' was a skill that allowed the cat to simply stomp on the ground with its paw so all enemies could take damage. Dan wanted to start by protecting his little nerd. But 10 points of intelligence did their job. It wasn''t the little nerd that reacted to his plan anymore. He saw a picture of a cat jumping in the air and hitting him on the head! \"Don''t you agree? And what skill do you want yourself? I''m willing to listen to you,\" said Dan. Dan didn''t expect such a clear and concise response from Pussy. She dumped the body and waved two front paws in the air. It seemed like... That the cat was able to read about its development perspective. It was a desire to start with an intensified physical attack. Dan already knew how her characteristics worked. The cat''s life was made up of a total of strength, dexterity and endurance points multiplied by 100. He was happy to know that very soon she would outrun him in life. But she had no protection! The cat''s damage depended on the amount of strength and dexterity multiplied by 10. Now her damage was three times less than the Inquisitor''s if he struck with his hand unarmed. She wanted the skill of ''Cat Claws''. The skill allowed her to strike with two paws at once. On level 1 skill added 50% damage and could stun the enemy in 4%. Stunned deprived the enemy of the ability to move for 3 seconds. Damage is not the main thing, Dan immediately understood. The ability to control the enemy could help in the most dangerous situation. 3 seconds is a lot, it''s a lot! On his side was a very powerful weapon, with this Dan was much more dangerous than other players of his level. He took a look at the future of the cat. ''Smash'' it was a skill, which allowed the cat to jump and hit with all four paws, it was already a serious punch that increased the chance of a critical punch and was a terrifying weapon of the cat. The attacking branch would end with the creepy ''Victim'' skill. It was a skill of magic attack. The cat would cause damage to any enemy that ignored any enemy defense. After the attack, the cat would die and pass the rest of her life to her master. The amount of her life plus the life of her master. The value of Endurance to its master did not matter, he received an improvement in his health without being limited by his number of Endurance. Dan shook his head. The girl''s growing up. Who is he to argue with a cat''s desire? It might be possible to activate the defense skill on the next level. But now she''ll get her claws. He was surprised to find that he could spend his Glory points on developing a pet skill. Dan didn''t doubt for a second and immediately brought the claw attack skill to its maximum. Damage increased by 150% and the chance to stun the enemy reached 31%. Unfortunately, the duration of the stunts has not increased. But Dan didn''t really count on such a gift. By that time he had already engaged in archers and the game with the cat became more fun. Dan has long noticed that the dexterity of the animal is different from that of humans. He had 28 dexterity, Pussy had 10. But he could barely catch her. She was faster. Now, a cat could show itself in combat. Dan was calming himself with a thought. That no skeleton would kill Pussy with one blow. Even a critical blow couldn''t kill her on the spot. He was hoping for his luck, maybe his master''s luck is spreading to his pet. Pussy was a dirty and cunning cat! She was attacking archery skeletons from the side. She wouldn''t let them shoot the master. Her attacks brought down skeletons with intent to shoot the Inquisitor. Sometimes the skeleton would freeze in place. In strange ways, Dan always knew when the enemy was stunned. And all he had to do was run up and hit with a sword. It wasn''t so bad with the assassins. They didn''t have a distant attack. They were far enough away from each other, and Dan could pick up the enemy. And then he was only dealing with two enemies. The most important thing was to stay calm and meet the new enemy in time with the new ''Autodafe'' activation. And so Dan could already handle two regular masters of combat. The skeletons were fast, but the cat was faster! It was running through Court space like a ball of rage. It would jump on the Assassin''s skeleton and instantly fly a few steps away from it. The enemy did not have time to hit her. If the assassin was stunned, Dan would end up with such an enemy quickly. But even without Pussy''s help, he was already in good control. He was taking damage. Skeletons would get to him sometimes. Point by point, the durability of the defense would fall. Dan smiled sadly and thought that everyone should have a blacksmith specialty in this game. He was hoping. That is the next room, he''d meet opponents who wore armor! He would be able to get trophy armor and then this adventure would be a complete success. He hoped for nothing. In the next room, he''d have to meet liches, spiders, and vampires. And the worst part was that when the massive doors to the next room opened, hundreds of heads and skulls and faces turned towards Dan. The creatures in the next room were smart. Liches and vampires were not wearing armor. They were attacking with magic. And they went straight to the hall, which was cleared of skeletons by the Inquisitor. Dan fled to the point of rebirth. Pussy screamed and carried in front of his master. They sat next to the wall, and Dan got two pieces of meat. He put one piece of meat in front of the cat and started eating. Was it dinner? Breakfast or lunch? He didn''t know. Pussy hissed and turned her face towards the hall. Dan looked at the hall, too. A few steps from the entrance to the hall, some vampires were watching a man with a smile. Dan had a piece of meat stuck in his throat. 22 Dor, city of hope and despair Nick and John didn''t expect Alexander. The scouts were running fast. But the warrior didn''t give up. He saw these guys watching the road closely. He knew they wouldn''t leave him in trouble. They were on their way back to the castle. They''d come home. Three days in town were filled with unexpected discoveries and new problems. The caravan arrived in town late at night. But Nick left the group as soon as they reached a safe section of the road. He ran ahead. Michael trusted a clan merchant to do the first important thing. Nick had to find a decent hotel for people and meet the group at the city gate. In the evening, Nick met the group and walked down narrow streets to a small two-story house. It was dark in the streets, nobody saw anything interesting. But it was pretty clear at once that this was a medieval town. Dor amused himself by the fact that the streets were clean. There wasn''t any garbage underfoot. The houses on the streets had a solid wall. All the windows were covered with sturdy shutters. The locals took care of their safety. Nick was able to rent a house for the clan. An old woman, the owner of the house, looked at the players with sympathy. Was it the joy of meeting or the good payment of rent? It doesn''t matter, people are tired. They had dinner, laid their cloaks on the floor and went to bed. Valerie went to a private room. \"Men, who have an interest in close contact with local women?\" John''s quiet voice drove away everyone''s fatigue. \"This is not good, John. Tomorrow I''ll show everyone where two respectable whorehouses are located. Each will get one rial. That''s enough to have fun and take the stress off,\" said Nick in a stern voice. \"This is not necessary information,\" said Michael. \"Whorehouse is far? I''m asking about the nearest one,\" asked Alexander. \"A couple of minutes walk,\" said Nick calmly. \"I have the money. Describe to me the directions.\" \"I''ll go with you. I''m not tired,\" Nick came up from the floor. \"You checked the quality of the local whores and you''re not tired? Did you do your job well? The clan needs a solid commercial agent,\" said John. A few more men came up off the floor with him. \"Guys, can''t you wait till morning? That''s not why you came to town,\" said Michael. \"And that'', too,\" said Alexander. And the men went to reduce the stress. In the morning everyone ate and went on business. Jim refused an escort. He had letters of recommendation for important dwarves in town. He said he''d find his way. Nick led people through the streets and the group was shrinking in size. The leader of the group went to the Magistrates, that''s what the city control center was called. Unfortunately, the main expectation was not realized. They weren''t the first players to hit the Dor. They did not receive any message from the game. No achievement, no Glory. \"There are other players in the city. We are not the first. But there aren''t many,\" said Nick. Michael left to deal with important matters that involved the clan''s cooperation with the local government. Nick did a good job. Next to their temporary home were the Warrior and Magic Guild. These guilds fought hard for influence, but their buildings were set up nearby. Guarding the warriors will never hurt a true magician. Soon, Tom, Alexander and Gandalf left to meet possible future teachers. Stefan said he''s taking Valerie on her business. The pair left the house early this morning. Nick showed Leo the Temple building. \"I''m not very good at the local religion. But it''s a solid temple. Dear God. Patron of war, but fair war and protection of the weak. You can learn how to meet local paladins and knights in the temple.\" Leo nodded his head silently. Showed the boys a gesture of \"Okay\" and went towards the building. Of late, he was almost always silent. Vows have been a serious and responsible thing to do. Ron''s situation was the most difficult. Nick discussed it with the whole clan. There was a strange situation in town with followers of the Spirit''s way. The local priests lived in temples and, if necessary, they helped the city, but did not seek close contact with the city government. The spiritual''s actively cooperated with the aristocracy. They occupied an important place in the administration of the city. Nick was unable to learn anything about the Inquisitors. Ron listened to many words about the need to be calm and secure. But everybody understood that the guy had taken a difficult development path. He''s got some hard meetings ahead of him. Nick showed Ron the building where the city''s spiritualists lived. He shook the young spiritualist''s hand, smiled and said: \"Don''t let them eat you. The clan hopes for you, Ron.\" \"I will not let you down! I''ll meet you at home.\" The scouts took a guy''s figure with their eyes. Then Nick said softly: \"We''ll go to the Killer Guild together.\" \"Real killers?\" \"It''s a normal job in this world, John. There are few, very few hired killers. I''m sure they won''t take you as a student.\" \"And why do we go to them, brother?\" \"Let''s spend the gold on buying skills. We''ll buy information. Hired killers are in contact with the Merchant Guild. It''s a matter of contraband, illegal and dangerous, but profitable business. It''s always the same, John, nothing new in this world.\" \"Will you be in time for your business? You too need to learn new skills, brother.\" \"I''ve already had time to upset someone''s needs. The local players are muddy guys. But they don''t want to be in a group. They''re about 20 people. Dirty and unreliable subjects. I''m picking up rumors. We need new people at the castle. We''re here! Meet John, this one-eyed man''s name is One-Eyed. Greetings, Master.\" Nick tilted his head with respect. John was just saying: \"My name is John. I''m a killer. Nice to meet you.\" \"I recognized your name, John. You recognized mine. Sir Nick, you have a lot to talk to important people about. This boy will escort you, masters.\" From the wall came the figure of a boy who worshipped the scouts. \"Remember who you are, brother,\" said Nick with a smile. \"Standing shoulder to shoulder,\" said John. \"Don''t let yourself be fooled, brother.\" And the guys went to make up their business. *** In the evening, the clan got excited. Ron refused to return to the castle. He said he had the opportunity to study his class. He will have many opportunities in the city under the guidance of experienced teachers. Ron wouldn''t listen to any objections or persuasions. He said he wouldn''t mind being kicked out of the clan. Everyone was surprised at his farewell words: \"I am not a hunter of monsters. I chose the way to fight evil.\" The warriors had an unpleasant situation. They could study in the city. But they cost money. Making money in the city was easy. Terrible monsters were living in the sewers. In the warriors'' guild, you could take a quest to destroy dangerous creatures. Tom honestly admitted his desire to stay with his brother. \"I must support Ron. The Spirituals are in charge of the local police, called the Guards. For some trophies, Ron will help me kill monsters. He has to pay his teachers money. I''ll need money to repair the equipment and pay my teachers too.\" Michael asked the main question: \"Can you help the clan fulfill its imperative quest to clear our land from monsters? The city''s Magistrate has recognized the clan''s right to own the ancient castle and the lands around it.\" Tom didn''t get a chance to answer. He was interrupted by Nick''s quiet but tough voice: \"Do they have the right to such recognition?\" \"What are you talking about, Nick?\" \"The local authorities have no right to interfere with our actions. You''re forgetting who we are. We are the immortal heirs to the Ancient Order of the Hunters of Monsters. No local aristocrat has any right to tell us how to do our business.\" \"It''s not diplomatic, Nick. We need to look for ways to cooperate with the local authorities.\" \"Raise your diplomacy skills, Michael. But not at the cost of the clan.\" \"What did you say? I''m thinking about the benefits to the clan,\" the leader said sharply. \"So you misunderstood the meaning of what you''ve become. I repeat you are an Immortal Leader of immortal heirs of ancient knowledge and ability. We''re playing in another league, Michael.\" \"What are you talking about?\" Alexander''s words, in their mocking tone, have diluted the cold of conversation: \"He says that you''ve forgotten your place. Are you going back to the castle? Or are you going to stay in town and start recruiting new people to the clan? Are you going to be a hunter or a bureaucrat, Michael?\" \"One thing doesn''t bother the other. Clan organization is serious work,\" said the leader. \"I think we''ve talked enough for today. We all need to think hard about our new circumstances,\" said Nick. \"I have nothing to think about and nothing to hide,\" said Alexander. \"I''m going back to the castle with you two. When do we get out? I have something to buy in town.\" Nick looked at John, then at Alexander and confessed honestly: \"In two days. We go out early in the morning.\" The warrior rubbed his bald head and smiled: \"Okay, boys. I''m going to a whorehouse. Who''s with me?\" Michael stood up and asked the question in a strict voice: \"Do you understand that you''re breaking up the clan? I need your help in town. We''ll get the quests. We''ll get a reputation and trophies and new skills and influence. Isn''t that what we wanted?\" \"Michael, this is what we all wanted. But that''s what we wanted at the castle. Now we''ve learned more about these people''s real lives. I won''t be a chained dog for the local aristocracy. I don''t care about their awards for shady operations. I''m not a politician. My business is killing monsters. I''m just an immortal warrior who has enough of the existing perspective. Tom didn''t say the local warriors looked up to us with respect and cautious fear. They''re all afraid of dying. They don''t understand us or the skills of our classes. And I don''t know what miracles the transformation of the warrior class will reveal to me. That''s enough words. I''m not coming back, I can sleep in a whorehouse.\" Alexander came out of the room. \"We need to talk seriously, Nick,\" said Michael quietly. And they talked. Two days later, the clan cracked. The scouts and Alexander were on their way back to the castle. The rest of them stayed in town. Michael had already accepted new people into the clan. He met a lot of different players. And he found those who understood that the group could more successfully solve their problems. Michael and Nick found that the question of separation of responsibilities wasn''t so easy to deal with. The castle belonged to the Phoenix Clan. But there were two groups in the clan that didn''t have the same interests. Leo solved all the problems. He came to say goodbye to the scouts and listened with a smile to the conversation of the two new leaders. Suddenly, he said: \"Michael, give the leadership to this crazy man. Nick, can you change the name and organize part of the clan into a separate group?\" \"It''s allowed in the game. You''re suggesting we split the clan as the order was divided into two combat groups? We''ll be allies, and everyone will have their own responsibility.\" \"I learned a lot about this Order of Hunters, too,\" said Leo. \"And you know. That in ancient times they were also immortal? This rebirth room in the castle wasn''t built by the game for us. It''s where the ancient hunters were reborn.\" Everyone was silent. Such thoughts never came to the players'' minds. Leo calmly asked: \"Nick, anyway, we should all have access to the Class Choice Room. I''m working on the transformation of the Knight class myself. And I''m willing to pay for my progress with the help needed to fulfill the mandatory clan quest.\" \"Leo, you can visit the castle anyway and solve your class problems,\" said Nick with a smile. \"I know what guest status is, scout.\" Michael shook his head, but the knight''s offer took away all the questions. Nick gained leadership over the Phoenix clan. Then a group led by Michael was able to form a new clan in alliance with the Phoenix clan. Nick then renamed ''the Phoenix'' to a clan called ''Shoulder to Shoulder''. The new clan left the ownership of the ancient castle and territories. The quests have not disappeared. Michael was able to keep the old name for his group and the ''Phoenix'' clan revived its name. In the early morning, scouts and a warrior returned to the castle. They didn''t expect it, but all the players came to say goodbye to them. People stood and smiled at each other, though many knew they wouldn''t see each other soon. The atmosphere was calm and cheerful. The reaction to the decision of three players to join the Inquisitor was fun. Let these madmen risk their lives in their backyard corner. The city has its revival points! Michael, as a clan leader, was able to create in his status a new permanent point of revival. It was simple. The Ancient Order had its residence in the city. The hunters kept close contact with the city. The bank even had an old vault of the Order of Hunters. There was no money or artifacts in it. Nothing was interesting in the old abandoned building either, except a room with a rebirth point. The buildings were in a respectable part of town. There were aristocratic mansions in the neighborhood. When the Phoenix clan began to live in a new house, it immediately showed interest to those players who previously wanted to show independence. Michael did not forget the words of Nick and soon found that the scout in many ways right. The status of the Phoenix clan players was different from the other players. The aristocracy opened the doors to him and his men. Michael''s job got bigger. He was looking for new helpers. People stood and joked with smiles about how soon desperate hunters would return to visit whorehouses again. Suddenly, a terrible thing happened! Bright rays of sunlight illuminated the city. The clouds disappeared from the sky as if they had been moved by a magic hand. No one understood what was happening. For the first time people saw a clear blue sky above their heads. Everyone stood and looked into the sky. And then a message appeared before the eyes of the players. * [Attention! Global message! Project ''Anyhorr'' has been successfully developing for exactly one month. The company thanks you for your active participation in the game process. Thanks to you, the world of ''Anyhorr'' is cleaner and more beautiful. The company is proud of you! Since the start of the project, 10,000 players have participated in it. Dead: 6,392 players. They couldn''t pass the initial test and couldn''t bind their character to the point of rebirth. This led to a malfunction in the initial configuration of the neuron-interface, which caused a brain hemorrhage. The company shares with you the sorrow of these victims. Changed class or race: 571 players. Cause: inattention to the game process. Cheating. Survived: 3 037 active and responsive game process participants. The company congratulates you on your success and looks forward to furthering productive cooperation. The participation of new players is not planned at the moment of the project development. As a reward for successful cooperation, the Company gives each conscious player 50 characteristic points for free distribution. The company and the developers of the ''Anyhorr'' project notify the players: Attention! AI monsters have been modified to meet the wishes of players. Battles will now be more interesting. Attention! Reduced prize number of ''Glory'' points for passing the dungeons and cleaning locations. Attention! The quantity of experience for killing monsters has been increased by 10%. Attention! Players have access to clan and group chat and game mail. The company wishes you have a nice game] 23 Dead Dan Nick was happy to look at the castle. A banner above the main tower clearly indicated that the castle belonged to the ''Shoulder to shoulder'' clan. There was no fantastic bird on this banner. The new clan symbol represented the figures of two warriors standing next to each other. The gates of the castle opened and travelers entered the castle courtyard. They immediately noticed the figure of Dan, who met them at the entrance to the castle. His cat was sitting at his feet. She was sitting at his feet. But her head was at the level of her master''s shoulder. The hunters and the warrior stopped. Dan laughed: \"Why did you stop? Are you scared of my Pussy?\" \"How she grew up! What level? Won''t she bite? Hello, brother!\" John came up to the Inquisitor and gave him a big arm. Then Nick and Alexander came up, but they limited themselves to a firm handshake. \"Let''s go to the castle. We''ve been waiting for you. Tell us about what happened in your town. Why did the castle change owners? We don''t know what to do here, what to be afraid of. We thought you''d been captured by other bad players and taken away from your castle.\" \"Nobody took anyone prisoner, but I really wanted to punch Michael in the face. Come on, I''ll tell you all about it over dinner,\" agreed Nick. In the dining room, they were met by Turin and Velida. And a humble party dinner on the table. The guys didn''t care about the ceremonies, so Nick spoke during the dinner. He talked about the change in clan leadership and invited Dan, Turin and Velida to join the new clan. The dwarf shook his head and the fun of these adult children and agreed with his wife. Dan, too, did not care about his fellow members and left ''the Phoenix'' clan and joined the clan ''Shoulder to Shoulder''. Then the fun began! Nick told us that Michael was a very strange leader. All of these games in different departments and activities of the clan is not a game. You can actually use different ways of leadership in the clan. Michael appointed players to leadership positions, but he didn''t give them the power! And all the players except him were in the castle as guests. Nick ended it with a simple sentence: \"I cannot be an individual leader. I''m offering general leadership in clan affairs. Each of you is already in fact the leader of a particular area. Alexander, you are a warrior, a fighting part of the clan. All newcomers will go under your responsibility. John, you''re in charge of internal security. Killing our enemies, keeping secrets and all the other spy work. Dan, you''re the head of the research department. Turin, you''re in charge of the craft. Velida, you are invited to be in charge of the castle and clan''s household. We''ll deal with all the issues together. There are not many of us to hide our secrets from each other.\" \"Sir Nick, my wife and I are refusing to participate in clan leadership. We wish to make new contracts with your clan and continue to work with the new Hunter clan,\" the dwarf replied. \"But why, Turin? Your advice and help are very important to us,\" said Nick. \"Sir Nick, gentlemen,\" the dwarf bowed his head a little in reverence. \"Do not be upset. But for us gnomes, your playing at the government looks a little strange. You must understand the main thing. I am a dwarf. And I have a responsibility to my race. In fact, you might even consider me a spy from the gnome race in your castle.\" Everyone''s quiet. Turin knew how to surprise when he wanted to. The dwarf laughed: \"It''s enough for my wife and me to feel like your guests and work together. You''re doing an important and strange thing. I''m not hiding my interest in my profit, my income and the security the castle provides in these troubled places.\" \"All right, Turin. All right, Velida. I see what you mean. Are you guys willing to take your mind off killing monsters and do \"nasty bureaucracy\"? Alexander, I can''t do this alone,\" said Nick. \"I''ll do it. It''s important that I trust you, not suspect you of a new conspiracy and look at your sly faces,\" agreed Alexander. \"I agree to do security, too,\" said John. \"You have to be careful with these vampires. The ugly creatures are as invisible as I am!\" \"Have you met with vampires before? I agree, filthy creatures,\" Dan smiled sadly. \"I agree to do my job. I understand the importance of my job.\" \"There''s an undead man on every corner of town! You weren''t there. Dan, but it''s full of bullshit and betrayal! They''ve gone mad,\" said John dramatically. \"Vampires in town?\" \"Dan, vampires are the best killers in the killer guild! The filthy creatures were trying to find out my secrets. But I didn''t tell them anything about the Order and the clan. They didn''t take me as a student,\" smiled John. \"It''s not easy in town. Michael didn''t understand. No one understood what kind of ass the clan was getting up to. Let them stay there. We can do everything without them,\" said Alexander sharply. \"That''s Michael''s biggest problem as a leader,\" said Nick. \"Michael is a good businessman. He''s a good leader. But he got into the medieval world. You can''t do business as in a past life.\" \"I have a little idea of what the medieval world device is,\" Dan said. \"I got to be honest, there are a lot of things about medieval management I don''t like.\" \"I have a little understanding of the device of the medieval world,\" said Dan. \"I''ll be honest, there''s a lot I don''t like about medieval systems.\" \"We got into this world. We''re going to live in it. Dan. What do you say to a Global Notice from the Unknown Company?\" Dan shrugged his shoulders. He saw that the guys were interested in his opinion and explained: \"I don''t care about that. I don''t remember who I was. I never lied to myself and I don''t believe that we could go back to our world. Had we could go back to our world. I now live in a world called ''Anyhorr'', I like my life. Thank you for the points of characteristics, but I''d prefer the points of Glory.\" \"Masters, my wife and I will leave you. You have something to talk about, it''s none of our business,\" Turin stood up. \"Thank you for a lovely dinner, Velida. I think we''ve finished eating and can go up to the fireplace room. There we''ll talk about our secrets,\" stood up from the table, Nick. Players went up to the room with the big fireplace. Dan sat in the rocking chair and had an important conversation: \"Let me tell you the unpleasant news of my adventure. Until it''s not too late.\" \"You''re already on level 20! What''s so unpleasant about that? Tell me, brother,\" rubbed hands with restless John. Nick smiled. In fact, John''s going to be a great head of security. The assassin was a very serious man, but he already accepted the rules of the game and wore his mask. It was a mask of a cheerful and simple cute player. But John was serious enough and not simple enough in reality. For Nick, John was the main mystery in their company. Dan laughed and told them about his adventures. He started sweeping the location. ''Cursed mine''. He went through the location. The game invited him to enter a new dungeon. He went into a new dungeon and got into an unpleasant situation. The game deprived him of the opportunity to leave the dungeon. Until he kills all the monsters and the dungeon boss. Dan was able to get through the first room. He succeeded in killing a skeleton. In the second room, more sensible monsters were waiting for him. Vampires and liches saw him right away, and he couldn''t control them. His armor was already broken. The monsters that killed the player grew in level and grew stronger. ''Autodafe'' skill did not help. The undead stood at the entrance to the safe zone and immediately attacked the man, once he took one step towards the enemies. And then the cursed sword offered his help. He had lived many centuries, he knew many different skills. The sword demanded one, the sword wanted to increase its influence on the player. Tarrok offered the Inquisitor a strange skill. For a while, Dan could turn into a dead man. The cursed sword spent several centuries in company with Draugr, he perfectly studied this particular kind of undead. If Dan accepted the sword''s offer. He could kill the undead at ease. Enemies will not pay attention to him! Dan has refused. He didn''t want to let a dangerous artifact affect his mind anymore. Dan started dying. He recalled Pussy and he was dying. He lost count of deaths and didn''t know how many times he died. He was reborn, took the sword and went to the vampires. They killed him. He''d get up from the point of rebirth and go to die again. At some moment, Tarrok agreed to Dan''s condition. The sword was afraid it would spend eternity with a crazy player. Tarrok confessed. That there was still a way to go! He''s ready to wait. With an idiot like Dan, he''ll soon get another chance to help him out of a new trap. Dan didn''t trust the tricky and clever sword, but he saw no other way. He agreed to give Tarrok the usual 10% influence on his game process in trade for the skill of turning into Draugr. Dan honestly admitted that he needed to test the new skill. He doesn''t believe in Tarrok. The Inquisitor needs proof. He''s got his proof! With the new skill, he has become the most dangerous monster! Draugr was a very strong enemy. Dan quietly walked into the corner of the hall, picked up one vampire and quietly killed him. No one paid any attention to Dan. The Inquisitor collected the trophies and returned to the point of rebirth. Dan called Pussy. He ordered her to sit at the entrance to the safe zone and not to interfere with the fight. The cat reacted in no way to the fact that her master had now become a terrible dead warrior. Dan started destroying monsters. He just walked up to the vampire, the spider, the lich and struck three or four blows. Then he would collect the trophies and take them to the safe zone. He didn''t know how long it took to mock the game. The payback followed when Dan took level 20! He correctly assumed that on level 20, the game would offer him a transformation of the Inquisitor class. But Dan took level 20 when he was in the body of a dead man! He had a race symbol in his status: Undead, the form of Draugr. The game went crazy! The system messages first showed a continuous stream of \"Game Process Error!\" And then Dan lost consciousness. When he woke up, he found out that the game had punished him for interfering with the game process. He had lost his Inquisitor class. He got a class of \"Sinner\". The cursed sword was also punished, and now the sword was only conscious and had an influence on Dan''s play process of only 20% of the day! The game has long shown that it has its own, rather horrible sense of humor. Now the tricky Tarrok slept for 15 hours and turned into an ordinary unique sword. While the sword was sleeping, the Player lost the ability to use the ''Memory of the Sword'' skill! Now Dan was turning from an elite swordsman into an ordinary fighter. But that wasn''t the scariest thing for a player! The system punished him for interfering in the game process. Dan got the skill of ''Live to Death''. Turns the body into the form of a dead man. Duration of minutes: Spirit* skill level. Dan did a pretty simple thing. At the time, he lacked a sense of time. Dan added 4 points to the spirit and got a 13-hour action time of the skill. He decided he could use at least some kind of replacement watch. Now he was paying for what he had done. The game changed Dan''s race in player status by 13 hours. Now he was turning into a living dead man by 13 hours for all the people in the world! It didn''t matter that he looked like a human being and could behave like an ordinary person. Vampires also look like humans, very beautiful and cute people. But the locals have enough artifacts and specialists to identify a stranger accurately. Dan finished his story and smiled sadly: \"It''s a late evening. I''m a normal person and you can see it in my status. But it''s midnight soon. We''re going to do an experiment. We''ll see how you react to me alive dead.\" Players were listening to his story with interest. Now they''re sitting there trying to figure out what kind of person they met in this life? Nick laughed: \"You''re just some kind of unicum! How do you find this kind of adventure on your head? I don''t understand. We already have enough magic and wonders, all sorts of monsters around, our extraordinary classes, Immortality! But it''s not enough for you. Don''t worry, Dan. There are many artifacts to identify you, but there are more to hide your temporal race.\" \"Be sure to describe the exact and detailed characteristics of your new class. And the characteristics of your combat transformation,\" said Alexander. \"We must know exactly what our strengths and weaknesses are. We have many battles ahead of us with dangerous adversaries.\" \"Guys, I''m ready to work and help you get to 20 levels. Find me a location with the dead and you can stand aside. We''ll be in the group, the experience will be shared with everyone,\" said Dan. \"We''ll be sure to get back to that. That''s a good suggestion. But I''d like to share some secret information, too,\" said Nick. He looked at John and added: \"It''s about you in the first place. John. Because you''re a real secret to me. I don''t know anything about you.\" The scout looked at Alexander and Dan. \"Sometimes we all have unpleasant dreams. Don''t deny it. We''re all the same. I recognized you both right away. And it helped me remember who I am. I used to work as a cop. I remembered you. We''re all dangerous criminals in this room. We''ve been sentenced to life in prison. You understand what I''m saying right now about our past lives. John, I don''t know what your fault is. I just want to tell you. I don''t care. I''m willing to work with you. I''m no better or worse than you.\" \"What''s your proof? What do you know about me? Tell me,\" smiled Alexander. \"Are you sure? This is your own personal matter. And I don''t remember all the details. That''s where your justice department used to work. You were in the Army,\" said Nick. \"Don''t! I believe that we all volunteered for this project of our own accord. Don''t give me the details. We started a new life, even if that life is a punishment for our crimes, let''s not share the burden of our sins,\" said Dan. Alexander laughed: \"You''re wrong. Dan. I personally remember agreeing to participate in some kind of scientific experiment. I used to sign papers. But I don''t remember the details of the contract. Well, anyway. Believe me, you put yourself in this world.\" \"I signed a contract, too. I don''t remember the details either. As far as I understand scientific terms, scientists work with our brains and all kinds of Cyber technology,\" said Nick. \"There are no such technologies on Earth,\" said Dan loudly. \"This is classified information. Outsiders are not allowed to know,\" said the warrior. \"This is crazy! And these wimps in town are moaning about coming home! Nick, do you think there are a lot of people like you? People who know that we''re all criminals\" asked John. \"It doesn''t matter. What matters is this. We''re alive. We''re free to do what we do. Of course we''re limited to this game process, but these are questions of philosophy. I said the main thing. I trust you. I don''t think of you like monsters,\" says Nick. \"We don''t know anything about me yet,\" laughed Dan. \"We''ll see at midnight.\" Nick took a close look at the former Inquisitor: \"We''ll see. But anyway, you''re not going anywhere with us. Let''s talk about what''s important. I learned some interesting information in town. Dan, what do you know about the runes?\" \"These are ancient symbols. They''re associated with sorcery and magic. Runes are the language of magic.\" \"That''s right! You''re practicing ancient languages. The game is bound to offer you to start working with the runes. Don''t say no and take a specialty. This skill will boost your spirit. There''s not a single master of runes in town. It is a very rare and honorable specialty in this world.\" \"Now I''m afraid to develop my spirit. I did not distribute 50 points of my characteristics. You see, I''m 13 hours into an unknown race. If I gain 144 spirits, I''ll be a living dead man forever. I''m afraid to think about what happens if I gain 150 spirits. The game with shit will eat me up.\" \"You''re full of mysteries, brother,\" told John. \"But I''m not giving up on your help. We need to get 20 levels fast. Transformation is awesome!\" \"Scouts, don''t you have a comfortable target to attack? Combine pleasant with useful. We have a quest to make. Our lands are full of disgusting things,\" said Alexander. \"And we shouldn''t count on Dan for everything. I have to get my own practice.\" \"There are a few places where our group can work. We need to think about our income. Now we can''t count on others to help us. There are some ruins. There are the ruins of an ancient city. I wouldn''t go into that location, it''s got level 20 dead men. But with Dan''s help, we can pick up levels quickly and pick up lots of trophies. The ancient city is an ancient hiding place and treasure chest,\" said Nick. \"Don''t worry about our clan''s start-up capital,\" laughed Dan. \"I damned everything! I''ve been running back and forth out of my last powers. When I cleaned out that damn vampire location, I had to carry the trophies! I took everything I could. The most valuable artifacts. There are several unique daggers! John, you''ll be pleased. There are some great unique swords for you, Alexander. No bows, sorry, Nick. Gandalf would be happy, there are great magic staffs.\" They looked up to him with respect. Amazing man, because he''s a complete idiot who''s willing to stick his curious nose in the first mousetrap he gets. But he can get out of trouble and even profit for himself. Nick didn''t even know what to say to that. But Dan wouldn''t give him a chance. He slapped himself on the forehead and surprised the guys again. \"Guys, we''re rich! I''m about to tell you such news that you''re going to be even more excited! Here''s the deal. That now the Cursed Mine has become a normal mine. It''s a place to mine ore. I found an unknown breed in it. I showed a piece of it to our dwarf and Turin almost ate his beard in delight. We have Adran in our mine. It''s a very rare and valuable breed. It produces a special metal, also called Adran. It enhances the durability of armor and weapons. It''s more expensive than gold! We don''t have to worry about trophies at all now.\" At first everybody was happy, but then Nick put his share of cold-blooded calm into an atmosphere of joy and complacency. \"It''s a dangerous question. It promises a lot of money. It''s a serious and dangerous business. I learned an important thing in town. No local government has any influence on us. Moreover, our lands are on the border of the civilized world and nobody is interested. Even if we discover a mine with gold, we will be allowed to develop it and make a profit. But you all understand that now we don''t need any extra attention to ourselves. We''re still too weak!\" \"I agree! And on this subject, I want to warn you. We must think seriously about defending the castle. About a hundred immortal hunter masters were living here. We are immortal, but we are weak newbies. We could be attacked! There are player killers in the game. The local authorities may not know our weaknesses and have some respect for us in honor of the Order''s former merits. For the other players, we are just the lucky ones to have access to excellent game classes. There are only four of us. One sudden attack by a big group and we''re done.\" \"We''re immortal, we''ll be reborn and we can kick it in the ears,\" smiled John. Alexander looked at him and shook his head: \"If there were a few of my guys with me, we could plan a competent operation. First, there''s the recon, then there''s the strike. Then you could be locked in a rebirth room, and you''d die of hunger and be reborn in it. And then you''ll die again. And the new owners have had enough of a temporary rebirth point. In a few months, you''ll go crazy. And you can be transferred to the basement. There are cells in there. I made one for Dan. No offense, but your sword scares me terribly.\" \"Look at me at midnight. Is there a grid in there? Is there a reliable grid in this cell? We''ll definitely go down to the basement,\" said Dan. He wasn''t offended, he was very worried. \"Let''s see how long we''ve got until we meet Dan Horrible and Dangerous,\" said Nick calmly and took the watch out of his jacket pocket. Dan saw the watch and froze. He could only whisper a few words quietly: \"What about me?\" John giggled, and there was a watch in his hand. It wasn''t very big, the size of a man''s fist. The shape of the case was as simple as a small box. John opened the box lid and specified the time. Then he got up and went to Dan. He gave him a gift and said: \"Here you go. This is for you. Don''t look at the fact that they''re so big. They''re pretty accurate on time and they don''t stop at the inventory at all.\" Dan took the watch. Thanked John for the gift and started looking at the artful design. He had a smile on his face. Then they decided that the mine question could only be resolved with the participation of Turin. If it is possible to arrange everything quietly and neatly, then mine can start developing. Nick decided this morning to evaluate the trophies Dan brought. And John and Alexander will go on an additional exploration of the ruins of the ancient city. They sat and got new status opportunities. Everyone was given additional opportunities to operate the castle. Everyone agreed that the castle needed more defenses. Nick sighed and admitted that he didn''t want to run into town at all. There was a Builders Guild in town, and there were great masters who even used magic in their work. Suddenly, Dan froze. He took out his watch and looked at the time. Then he started arguing: \"The crap of your watch! It doesn''t show the right time. It''s midnight! I''ve turned!\" Players looked at him and saw no change. An ordinary man, in whose status the race has changed its title. He didn''t evoke any negative emotions from them. No quest to kill him was offered by the game to anyone. A normal player, with his own problems in his head. Dan couldn''t be called a normal player. He took off his mask. Grey, with scars on his face, almost white eyes. Dan had a very unusual and unpleasant appearance. But everyone else was addicted to it. Alexander even got excited: \"You''re an indispensable person, Dan!\"We''ll know the exact time from you and check our watches!\" 24 The Sinner This morning, Dan delighted the guys with another discovery. They were surprised that his cat was 23 levels. And Dan told them something he didn''t want to open before everyone else. \"I keep careful records of the player''s progress in the game. It''s a weird picture. Pet increases the levels with a different amount of experience. A pet needs less experience to get a new level. The pet quickly gains more experience and even passes the master on 3 levels! But then it doesn''t grow in levels.\" \"I see,\" said John. \"We''re supposed to be fighting ourselves, not fighting our pets. I remember there are stories like that. You should have sat there in big robots and fought. Victory depends on the quality of the robot. Dan, you didn''t say the main thing! Your cat isn''t growing in level. But it eats experience?\" \"Experience is divided into two,\" Dan sighed. \"Having a pet is profitable, but you have to pay for your safety. But don''t forget, you can always take your pet out of the game! That''s when the player gets all the experience.\" \"Thank you for the information, Dan. We''ll be taming our wolves soon. It''s good to know they''ll be joining us soon,\" added Nick. \"You already tamed them, didn''t you?\" \"To finally tame our little werewolves, we need to fight them. Prove in the battle that we are worthy to be masters.\" \"You don''t think my help will come in handy in your fight. I can stand guard as an ex-inquisitor. I couldn''t pass the transformation, but my old skills are with me. Do you remember what kind of creature a werewolf can be?\" \"John and I remember everything. But this is our own business. If I can''t do this, then I''ll die. Then we''ll open the season for a new werewolf hunt,\" said Nick with a sad smile. \"We can do this, brother. They''re little werewolves. Level ten. We''re going to give them a good fight!\" John''s words were easy to believe. The guys were level 19, they took good care of developing their skills. Dan winked at Alexander: \"You''ve always been silent and just laughed at Gandalf''s desire for a bear in his pets. Believe me, a bear in allies would be a great help to a warrior.\" \"An ordinary bear. No cursed bears. It''s attractive. Recon! Will you help me solve this problem?\" \"Of course, Alexander, it''s not even up for discussion. John, I remember a lair a few miles from the castle. There seems to be a hint of a pup there.\" \"Nick, you mean that lair the devil has on his horns? It is 12 miles to go. The border of our land,\" said John. \"Calm down, boys, I''m not demanding a pet right now. We have enough tasks,\" said Alexander. \"No, warrior. This is a priority. Reinforcing every man in the clan is our common cause. Tomorrow we''re all busy and we''re not going. But we have to hurry. Don''t you forget, Alexander? We don''t know what age to tame a calf from. We can''t lose the chance. But have you decided positively about the bear in the pets?\" \"The bear suits me. I have to work at the point of attack. Bear is good,\" said the warrior with a smile. After this conversation, John and Alexander went to recon the ruins of an ancient city. Dan put the name on their overall map. The city was called Galatea. Nick talked to Turin about starting work in the mine. The dwarf said it was really a delicate matter. There are a lot of options for solving the problem. But anyway, the dwarf insists his race is involved. The guys found out that in the ''Anyhorr'' world, as in all fantasy worlds, dwarves act as chief bankers and mining specialists. People are simply incapable of working with rare rocks like Adran. They don''t even notice them. The locals had their skills in the game. And they differed in quality. A human blacksmith could never repeat a dwarf blacksmith''s work. It was the cause of longstanding conflicts between races. Dwarves were disliked for many reasons. The need to entrust their wealth to these short men was irritating to the rich. Jealousy for the specifics of gnomes'' skill did its job. The question of mining skills was very painful. People worked as hard as they could. They pierced the mines, they devastated the mine. And then the dwarves would buy an ''empty mine'' and use their capabilities. They would process the ''empty rock'' and get rare and unattainable results for people. There was much to dislike about dwarves. The guys were calm about local sympathy and antipathy between races. They found these problems ridiculous and unimportant. Players had their problems. Dan, as inquisitor, was disliked by the whole world. Now he has become a new unknown creature of an unknown race, and no one knew what kind of problems the clan could face. But they decided one thing for sure, and the decision was aggressive and tough. They will play this game with pleasure. They''ll stand to the death for every member of the clan. Alexander shook his head when he found out that the scouts didn''t care about the former leader''s opinion and went to collect levels in the cemetery. But now the warrior had a different perspective on development. He quickly found common ground with John, and they blocked all the ways for intruders to enter the castle. The castle was quite a strong fortification and had a system of warning of enemy invasion. John shook his head unhappily and cursed out loud those thieves and murderers he met in town: \"There are very strong masters there. Thieves in this world can crack any stash! We need to take serious care of our treasure.\" \"We have such damn treasures in the stash that no normal thief would dare deal with them,\" said Dan. \"You don''t know any local specialists, Dan,\" smiled John. Nick nodded and said there are many dangerous creatures and people in town. The issue of protecting one''s own interests required a quick decision. The mine development question required a quick solution. The class transformation issue needed a quick solution. They knew they had no time to waste. But they decided to hurry slowly and carefully. Nick and Dan were sorting the trophies. Nick couldn''t see all the information on the artifacts. Dan didn''t even have a rough idea of the value of the items. Nick was happy. Mining would make them more profitable. He told Dan about his search in town. Nick was primarily interested in the illegal side of the local society. One day a Cop is forever a Cop! He felt he was doing the right thing. He was born for this life. Getting to meet the leadership of the Killer Guild was a tough case. Nick immediately made it clear to these people and non-humans that he knew exactly who he was dealing with. Moral and ethical questions do not worry about the scout. He''s willing to accept the rules of the game. He''s not a fighter against crime, he''s a fighter against monsters. Nick understood that the other players couldn''t quickly make contact with legal criminals. Studying in the killer guild was worth a lot of money. Nick never understood what happened to him. He managed to convince the guild heads that he could be given a chance. The guild was interested in working with him. When Nick changed his status and became head of the Order of the Hunters, the Guild admitted they were interested in this man. He told Dan: \"The three of us have brought the clan''s balance to a minimum level of Glory. We''ve had enough of this. We don''t need to make any noise or show our success to other players. We can''t sell all our booty to ordinary merchants and the aristocracy. I suggest we make our first major deal with the Killer Guild. The guild has its own channel to sell the merchandise. You understand our interest in this,\" said Nick. \"I understand perfectly well. You know, I could really use my secret way into town. There''s an unknown ahead and this unknown stinks very badly. No one knows what I might need in town. But I need to be able to get there quietly and discreetly,\" agreed Dan. \"I''m a little uncomfortable that we can''t be truthful and honest with the others,\" Nick sighed. \"There are some good guys left. And Michael''s not really an ass. I''m worried about them.\" \"I''m not worried about them at all.\" \"Look at this!\" Nick was holding a dagger and admiring its beauty and the obvious danger of a weapon. \"Yeah, I got that from the boss,\" smiled at Dan. \"Vampires are terrible opponents. There was a level 17 bloodsucker! He had amazing skills. I already described my fight in the clan chronicle. Make sure you get to know the skills of a true vampire master! But ''Autodafe'' is an amazing skill. Along with the rest of my skills, I did it. I even called Pussy! She was sitting on the sidelines. I was hoping for new achievement and I hoped that the cat would have an achievement, too. ''Pussy the Vampire Slayer''! Sounds great.\" Nick laughed. He looked carefully at the dagger. Then he smiled. \"Did you know that dagger in ancient times belonged to the head of the Radiad vampire clan?\" \"And what''s the big deal?\" \"Vampires live long. This clan still exists now. And I have some good news for you. The bodyguard of the head of the Killer Guild is a vampire. Vampires are the best killers in the world. And they''re great bodyguards. Even the aristocrats use vampires. But serving people for a real vampire isn''t respectable. It''s not a worthy cause. One day, the Radiad vampire clan expelled one of the bloodsuckers... He grew up, learned and became the bodyguard of the Head of the Killer Guild. We can sell him that dagger! It will always be an opportunity for him to take revenge on the clan that expelled him. We''ll get the money and a little piece of respect.\" \"And future problems with the vampire clan,\" grinned Dan. \"And future problems with other problems on our heads. You''re right. It''s a big question. We''ll decide at the clan council. But it''s a good idea, right?\" \"It''s a very promising idea. How much can it cost?\" \"1,000 crowns at least. That''s the starting price for a very precious artifact in this world.\" \"1,000 gold coins! I looted the grave well,\" Dan whispered quietly. \"You came out of the accident well. I read your class description. A Sinner. Sounds unpleasant. But it''s just a word. I think you got more than you lost. The Game makes you the Dark Paladin.\" \"We don''t know what opportunities the transformation of the Inquisitor class has given. Initial skills are good. There could have been huge bonuses! I''m sure we''re not correctly working with our points of Glory. We are in a hurry and spend them on skills development. Maybe we''re making a mistake.\" \"We''ve already had a big piece of the pie. I know what you''re thinking. But we don''t need to be famous. We need popularity even less.\" Nick looked at the entrance to the room and whispered: \"I''ll tell you a secret. Still, it''s hard to have secrets. But I ask you not to tell John and Alexander about it. We have two spies among city players.\" Dan smiled and didn''t understand the scout''s behavior. \"But why are you telling me this? It''s a question in John''s hands, he''s your very first partner.\" \"I trust him completely. And I''m sure he has secrets from me. It seems to me. That it''s a good thing. The important thing is that we don''t hurt our clan.\" \"You''ve got me confused, and I don''t understand anything. But I won''t tell the others about your secret agents. What is it?\" \"They''re not just agents! They''re women.\" Dan''s frozen. Then he frowned and said he didn''t like the idea of involving women in their lives. He started putting together one big bunch of arguments about the danger of their existence and the argument that its men who should protect women. Nick listened to him carefully and objected: \"I''m not going to tell you about the importance of emancipation and the other nuances of feminism. But I do remember girls who ate girls like you for lunch. Believe me. Women are strong and reliable partners. I know it''s going to be hard for us to get along with women players. But it just so happens. I''ve seen almost every player in town. I''m not interested in people like Valerie. Michael''s not going to give us anybody. Two girls looked very promising. The look of snakes, but a pure heart. I gave them a chance to earn our trust. I told them about the perspective. Dan. There''s a girl already spoiling with alchemy! The future magician. But she has no fantasies or other fabulous nonsense in her head. Gandalf is about to hang a weight around Michael''s neck. It costs a lot more to train an independent wizard than to train an independent killer. They won''t work for the whole clan to develop one player. They have a quiet life in their plans. The careful performance of quests and gaining reputation is the way their clan is going. But they''re all people who weren''t born to live a normal, quiet life. If Michael imagined our land to be an opportunity for safari, then he''s wrong.\" Dan was in agreement with those words. He didn''t know all the subtleties of city life, but they don''t need tourists at the castle. He asked Nick: \"What are their wishes? Did they get classes yet?\" \"In this game, you can get class in the guild. Or, in a special case, how lucky we are to find a class selection room. When you receive and perform a special quest, you can get a special class. A magician and an archer. They won''t get into the carnage, but they''ll be a great support group.\" \"I don''t argue about the archer. But a magician in a support group requires a special mindset. It doesn''t matter. I don''t mind the women in our company. I hope they''re not unhappy with me being around.\" \"Don''t be ridiculous, Dan. You just haven''t seen some hunters and adventurers in Dor. There are cripples and freaks out there that make you look like a real handsome man with your special charm. And I''ll tell you one thing. In a whorehouse, these scarred guys are a big success. No one''s got a nose for them.\" \"Whores have that job,\" laughed Dan. \"Don''t hurt the honest ladies of the oldest profession!\" \"I didn''t mean to hurt anybody,\" laughed Dan. \"Our conversation has gone badly. Let''s get back to work.\" And they went on to dismantle a mountain of trophies. It''s a boring thing to do. Nick was working fast. He''d take an item in his hand and immediately see its average value. Then he''d throw the item aside and take a new one. He had his own record list of all items in his status. Dan''s work was harder, looking for artifacts. Some items were lit with green light before his eyes, and he would take them and put them aside where his collection of high-value items grew. The easiest items were with precious stones and costume jewelry. The hardest part was with the items of clothing. Vampires had items that would hide their characteristics and help hide among humans and monster hunters. These artifacts made Dan happy. He was very understanding. That very soon he would need the opportunity to hide his new nature from curious eyes. When they decided to rest, Nick asked: \"How many monsters did you kill?\" \"I don''t know,\" said Dan with a sad smile. \"You see, I didn''t feel like a human being when I was dead alive. I had thoughts, but they were cloudy and sticky. I was just killing those creatures. I remember for sure that when I finally realized I was safe, it was like I was crazy. Tarrok really likes murder. That was his influence. I was the stupid mechanism for killing. But I was smart enough to collect trophies. I''d walk and fold them at the point of rebirth. There were many more trophies there! I could take the time to re-fill my inventory, and then clean it up to prolong the trophies. That thought came to me. When the skill action was over. I was sitting in a safe zone back then. I was eating and crying. I called Pussy, and she was licking tears off my face. 13 hours in Draugr''s condition is awful! I almost went crazy. But there were still vampires and spiders. I drove the cat to bed. And I activated the skill again. Then I took level 20.\" Nick kept quiet, he turned his face and apologized for his curiosity. They finished their work by tonight. Alexander and John had already returned to the castle. The guys sat down at the vault entrance and talked about the scouting results. The city was in ruins. But it was strange to see that the town didn''t occupy a large area. There was only one district left of the ancient city. There were hills around the city and Alexander said that magicians had worked around the city. All suburbs of the city were magically buried under the debris of the earth. There was only one region left with ruins of ancient buildings and structures. From the top of the hill it was difficult to see the details. But they saw that the skeletons in the city are ordinary, level 15, sometimes fly a banshee and zombies slowly wander the streets. The good news was that the ruins of houses created a low line of barriers between the streets. It''ll be comfortable to destroy the dead in the city. But there''s a banshee to be afraid of. Those creatures could fly! When they left, John took a chance and made one attempt to get into the city center. He activated Invisibility and went into the ruins of Galatea. Alexander stayed waiting for him on top of the hill. They had a chat channel, and they were not afraid to lose each other. John told them about an interesting find. There was a square in the center of the city, where he noticed a great many undead. Nick said it was interesting and he had a plan to deal with the huge cluster of monsters. When the guys demanded details, he admitted he had a contact who could sell him the magic scroll. There were spell scrolls in the game. The scrolls had different levels of difficulty, and they required different levels of intellect to activate. The player''s mana was not used to activate the scroll. \"Medieval artillery,\" nodded Alexander. \"You want to buy a very powerful scroll that will blow up the square like a bomb.\" \"That''s right,\" said Nick. Dan smiled, he guessed that a scroll with such a powerful spell would require many points of intellect. He even guessed who could activate a scroll like that. But he wouldn''t ruin the surprise for Alexander and John. \"We can gently kill monsters. What are we waiting for? Tomorrow we''ll go and raise your levels to 20. You''ll be working three, I''ll be there to protect you. ''Autodafe'' is at your service, boys.\" \"We haven''t found a temporary renaissance point,\" sighed John. That was unpleasant news. The ruins were far from the castle. But Nick wasn''t upset, he nodded quietly: \"I don''t think the point of rebirth can be near the city. It could be in the city itself. John, you''re out of luck, you came in on the wrong side.\" Everybody agreed on this solution, everybody needed a good outlook. Then the scouts took their pets and left the castle. They had the important task of creating the final link between the master and the pet. Dan and Alexander could keep a close eye on the scouts'' health. They were ready to come to their rescue at any moment. Alexander was reading Dan''s new class description. * The Sinner. Warning! Access to the hidden class ''Nemesis'' has been unlocked. You will get access to it by learning the current transformation. Attention! You have betrayed your class, access to the transformation of the Spirit''s path is blocked. Attention! Your sins are so great that they are visible to all NPCs, and you can no longer receive any more quests from them. Attention! All who stand in the way of the Spirit will be generated quests for your extermination. If you fail in a fight with another player, you will lose 1% of your experience. It happens so that in the fight against evil you can cross the line and stand in line with those you had to cruelly destroy. You betrayed your class and the path you stood on when you made the deal with evil. Taste the fruits of your decision. From now on, you are a sinner, a living creature who has become a monster. 1. Improved skills [Passive]: ''The Perfect Nature of Evil''. You have taken the path of destruction and discovered incredible opportunities. By killing and tormenting living creatures, you will become stronger and more powerful. [This skill increases your characteristics by 5% per point of skill] It opens up skills: ''Evil Affinity''. Monsters feel your true nature and recognize you as theirs. You can live in desecrated areas and not be afraid of undead attacks. This skill belongs to the type of permanent effects. ''Cannibalism''. By eating the raw flesh of your victims, you partially adopt their properties. This skill increases resistance to the skills of your enemies and further increases your life volume. 2. Class skills: ''Fallen''. You know very well what classes that stand in the way of creation are capable of because you once stood in their way. Now you''re using that knowledge for your own good. This skill greatly increases your damage in battles with other classes. It opens up skills: ''Expert in Anatomy''. After many murders you''ve done, you''ve become familiar with the anatomy of your enemies. This skill highlights weak areas on the bodies of your enemies. The skill allows you to deal with critical blows with increased damage and the chance of injury without fail. ''Angry''. Confronting the world isn''t easy, you''ll have to harden your will and spirit to avoid falling at the hands of multiple hunters. This skill increases the amount of your Spirit by 5% per point of skill possession. ''Nemesis''. The one who has nothing to lose is terrified and you know it more than anyone else. This skill gives you temporary invulnerability. [Time of action of skill in seconds: Number of your spirit* skill level. Cooldown: 24 hours] 3. Combat skills: ''Chains of sins''. You have committed so many terrible sins that they can temporarily appear in the real world as chains. This skill allows you to make the enemy feel the weight of what you have done. Chains of sins will hold your opponent back and slow him down greatly. Skill duration: The number of your spirits* per skill level in seconds. Cooldown: 24 hours] ''Burnt wings''. You will present your true essence to the world when you gather the ultimate amount of Rage. The Burnt Wings behind your back inflict powerful circular damage with spiritual fire on all enemies surrounding you. [Damage Calculation: The number of your spirits* skill level. The amount of Fury needed to activate the skill: 100] Extra class skill: ''Horrible transformation''. You risked deceiving your destiny, and you have partially succeeded. Now you can become a kind of undead for a limited time. You''ve gained the ability to transform into Draugr. [Skill time in minutes: number of spirits* skill level] For each skill use you lose 1 point of ''Glory''] * \"And I like your abilities. Temporary invulnerability to any damage! That''s fantastic at all. It''s alarming that you were the target of the quest for destruction. But I don''t think there''s much to contact the city''s spiritualists and priest''s office. And people like Ron are not your opponent. You can''t get quests from locals? Nonsense. But cannibalism isn''t normal anymore. Although, on the other hand, you''re not going to get any worse from werewolf meat. How soon are those wolfhounds going to be there?\" Dan was listening to the warrior and smiling. Alexander was thinking about new class bonuses, but he didn''t want to see the downsides. Now the skill of transforming into Draugr was becoming dead weight. He required a point of Glory. But the easiest way to get Glory is to complete the quest. Dan''s direction is now limited. The ''Perfect Nature of Evil'' is an opportunity to increase all characteristics by 50% in the future. But what does the game mean by killing ''living creatures''? Clearly, these are not dead creatures. The Witch is definitely Dan''s main target. But the monsters and animals are they living creatures? What''s the level of sensitivity to be taken to kill? Dan hadn''t even thought about torture. He won''t be looking to meet witches and evil sorcerers. He''ll be fine without raising that skill. How he''ll be met in the city or village in the afternoon... he didn''t want to check. He lived without the sympathy and participation of the local people and will live on! At that moment they saw Nick and John returning to the castle. The guys looked beaten up. The stripes of their lives were falling by one-third. \"And where are your beasts? Show them,\" shouted Alexander. \"You''ll see tomorrow, the kids need to rest,\" answered John. \"Dan! Have you ever hit your cat? Why didn''t you say that...?\" \"I didn''t hit Pussy! Do you think I''m a flayer?\" Dan outraged interrupted Nick''s angry speech. But the sight of a scout calmed him down. Nick looked bad, he was in a disgusting mood. \"It was a very unpleasant feeling. It was just a horrible feeling. It was like I was cutting myself with a dagger. It was even worse! Dan, don''t even try it! It''s very unpleasant,\" confessed John. \"Sometimes I feel like... She''s already smarter than I am. And an intelligence point means nothing. How can I raise my hand on her? I really hope that this cunning beast will warn me. When I get back to the gates of trouble. Even if it''s very attractive trouble. I am a sinner. Curiosity is my greatest sin.\" Pussy was sitting at Dan''s feet. She looked at these fools and didn''t understand one thing. Why would her stupid master deal with such idiots! 25 Dead City Dan was surprised to see a new piece of armor from the guys. After fighting werewolves, they ordered a dwarf to make them face masks. The information that the mask didn''t limit the view was pretty crucial. During a battle, every 100 protections are important. No one wanted to get hit hard in the open face. The masks in the guys were simple, they did not cause any negative emotions and had no additional effects. The guys ran towards the ancient city. The road to Galatea had already disappeared, it had become a small path. The guys ran fast, the area near the castle was familiar to them. They stopped and rested several times. It was time to get a better look at the young werewolves. The new pets were almost the same as regular wolves. The pets had bigger muzzles and their fur was almost black. The guys didn''t have to worry. The cat and werewolves wouldn''t pay attention to each other. The guys thought they weren''t going to get along. When they reached the ruins of Galatea, they made a stop and ate. Then the scouts started looking for a temporary rebirth point. John found it, and the group made a binding. The point was in a dangerous place. It was a building with only one floor left. The street on which the ruins of this house were located was the first street for the attack of the group. Then a familiar part of a new life began. Scouts and warriors killed skeletons and zombies quickly, even without the help of ''Autodafe''. Dan didn''t interfere in their fight, he destroyed the banshees. The pets were very good. Pussy was supporting her master. When Alexander saw the cat destroy the skeleton in several blows, he finally confirmed his desire to have a pet. The city was unpleasant only with the view of the ruins. It was comfortable and almost safe to kill monsters in it. The street was a few steps wide. It had enough space to meet two or three skeletons and not to be afraid of the enemy attacking from behind. The guys were just showering off their advanced monster-killing skills! They were making a lot of noise, hitting skeletal bones all over the place. But they didn''t meet a dangerous opponent. Dan saw for the first time that on level 19, the hunter had a full advantage in the battle over a monster of equal level. Despite all the talk about how important it is to develop your character equally and harmoniously, Damagers remained Damagers. 50 prize points all divided between strength and Endurance. Damage and life, hit and survive. The scouts raised their dexterity a little, but it wasn''t a priority for them. The new weapon of the sinner''s trophy was also important. Alexander had chosen a unique vampire sword. The sword was unique in that it was completely untypical for this undead creature. The vampires were armed with daggers and short swords. Swords were narrow and resembled enlarged short swords. All bloodsucker weapons had the effect of vampirism and turned some of the damage into points of life to restore health. Alexander chose a strange sword that was larger than a normal vampire sword and looked stronger. The blade curved slightly and expanded to the blade''s sword head. The sword was unique, with a vampire effect and an effect on increasing damage. The warrior really liked it. The scouts had a richer choice. This was simple. They chose unique daggers with the greatest amount of damage. Dan looked at the group''s work and immediately admitted that they didn''t visit the city for nothing. In the city, the players spent almost all their money but bought a couple of skills that they liked. The most unpleasant discovery was that all the local skills were spending mana! All the races in the world were magical creatures, all the inhabitants had mana. But according to Nick''s story, they had little mana and it didn''t depend on the intellect and mind of the locals. As they grew older, the mana number increased slightly. But the local monster hunters treated their skills as a gift from the gods. Skills were a means of last resort. It helped in the most unpleasant situations. The locals did not have any kind of status, they had no characteristics, but experienced hunters and mages felt their mana reserve well. Potions that increased mana regeneration were the most popular alchemists'' products. For players, it was easier. They could clearly see their mana supply and operate more freely with their skills. Alexander was able to buy the two easiest and most necessary skills, to increase physical damage and to temporarily increase defense. The scouts were richer and bought special skills for their classes. No one wanted to increase their intelligence and spirit. Dan took a close look at the battle of the warrior and the scouts. He quickly realized that without Tarrok''s help and in his normal form he was even worse than they were in battle. The warrior was on his way! He knocked down the skeletons and took several blows. John showed class as well, the movement of his hands was impossible to keep track of! The assassin was no longer using the ''hit and run'' tactics. Skeletons and zombies flew bones and pieces of corpses to the side. Nick stood in the back and provided support. The scout bought a good bow in the city, a little better than the usual bow of the hunter, and now killed the enemy. The scout hadn''t missed in a very long time, and he was always making good shots. In the guild of murderers, he was offered to buy nice little crossbows, a real killer''s weapon. But Nick refused to buy them. He had his own development plans. The arrows were cheaper than crossbow bolts and they were made in the village by a master carpenter. The arrowheads were made by Turin. Nick had no problem with the ammunition. They were moving towards the center of town and soon found the crossroads. That''s where they had to stay. They cleaned out the passes and started moving forward. And at that moment, Galatea was no longer a place for easy experience. Archers and skeleton scouts appeared on the street! Undead levels went up to 18-20. The story of Dan''s adventures gave good information. Now they had slowed down and Dan began to actively use the skill of ''Autodafe''. In doing so, he called in several skeletons with swords and spears at once. The group would attack the bone warriors and destroy the enemy. Now players began to take losses. First of all suffered armor. Health did not worry about the players, the weapons helped to restore health. \"I don''t like it,\" said Alexander. \"We slowed down. I suggest we go back and clear two streets near our main attack direction.\" \"I agree we''re wasting time,\" nodded Nick. The guys turned around and left for the suburbs. They decided to keep the place as secure as possible with a rebirth point. It turned out that even the banshees didn''t fly freely, the creatures had their own route. The banshees were guarding in certain areas. It was comfortable for the players. Alexander was the first to take level 20. Then the scouts caught up with him, too. They got a message about a possible transformation of their classes. The guys shook hands with each other and decided to go back to the castle. Unlike Sinner, who immediately learned his new skills, normal players had to visit the Class Choice room. Dan surprised everyone with his decision. He did not want to go back to the castle with them! \"Guys, why am I wasting my time? I''m not really of any interest to the dead without activating the Draugr skill. You saw it yourself! They even slow down when I get there, I guess something breaks in the rest of their brains when they feel me around. I''ll be careful! No dives in the new location! I''ll start searching for the basements of the houses and looking for stashes. I need to develop the skill of ''See the hidden''. There''s one more important moment. Nobody''s going to give me quests, but the game itself can give me a quest! She didn''t kill me for interfering in the game process. I''ve even got the performance points. Don''t worry about me. I promise I''ll stay out of the city center. I''ve got enough work to do. I''ve seen very strange symbols in some rooms. Go to the castle and we''ll keep in touch on the group channel.\" \"There''s something about it, I don''t see the problem,\" agreed Nick. \"If you don''t find them on your own head.\" \"We''ll go and get a pet for Alexander,\" said John. \"Don''t stick your nose in the new traps, brother!\" \"We''ll leave you our food supplies,\" nodded the warrior''s head. Three lucky players ran back to the castle, no matter how tired they were. Dan smiled, rubbed his hands in anticipation, and began his work as a librarian who loves to look for other people''s hiding places. Galatea was full of surprises. The sinner wouldn''t let his notebook out of his hands. Most buildings had no ceiling. There were broken pieces of large wood and rocks on the floor. But the walls were standing. And these walls were often decorated with bas-reliefs and inscriptions in local languages. These inscriptions were Dan''s main prey. He wrote down the information carefully. In front of him, page by page was the history of this world. And it was a strange story with an unhappy ending. Sometimes Dan would find stashes, collect trophies and enjoy particularly unusual finds. He was delighted at the rich choice of costume jewelry. This part of town was close to the center of Galatea, in the hiding places, there were precious stones, jewelry, even bottles of wine! Dan was rowing all over the place. Now his load capacity had increased, he hadn''t spared any points to increase his strength. The question of developing his character caused a good debate in the clan. Dan refused to increase his spirit. He stood strong on that. He even said he''d refuse any spirit boost from costume jewelers and artifacts. He was afraid of the possibility of becoming a strange monster. The guys said it was his development, his game and his personal business, but it''s ridiculous! He remained a player in the Spirit''s path. And his damage and abilities depend on the spirit''s development. \"Decide as you like, Dan, but it''s wrong to leave a point of characteristics in reserve at this phase of the game. On the other hand, having a reserve for emergencies is a great solution. We''re the ones who play carefully and calmly. You''re the master of getting into extreme situations,\" laughed Nick. \"Normal dark paladin,\" agreed Alexander. \"Your dexterity upset me, but you''ve got Pussy,\" said John and turned to the cat. \"Thank you, beautiful, I hope for a new lesson from you, Master Pussy.\" And he bowed to the cat. This man never lost the opportunity to find new exercises to develop characteristics. \"Catching a cat\" was a great way to increase dexterity. The game probably had a lot of fun watching the assassin attempt to catch a clever and large animal. Even Invisibility didn''t always help the assassin. Pussy could feel it perfectly well with her great sniff! In an hour of running and tumbling in a small hall, the scout got +1 dexterity. Pussy got nothing but another portion of yummy from the kitchen. The cat liked Velida very much, the dwarf woman was not afraid of this animal at all. There was also an important experiment to test the influence of Undead''s condition on the local people. Turin was told about Dan''s new side and warned that he had become an unusual living person. The dwarf frowned and quarreled in his own language for a long time. Then he said he wouldn''t kill the fool right away, first looking at him carefully. The whole clan, except for Velida, was watching the experiment. It was morning, and Dan was in his strange \"alive dead\" status. Turin met him silently and stopped him by moving his hand. Then he frowned and said: \"You''ve changed. You''ve become worse than the Inquisitor. I used to hate being around you, but it was a strange feeling, I just understood. That I couldn''t deal with you. Now I understand that you''re dangerous. I don''t know what you''re dangerous about, but it''s like meeting a city vampire. Yeah, it feels like you''re the same. It''s a shame you don''t love yourself so much, Master Dan.\" \"I''m sorry to have caused you and Velida more trouble. I won''t have breakfast with you and be seen in the morning. It''s only until noon I''m so insane.\" \"You''ve been hiding from me for nothing. And thank you for... For taking care of my wife. I''ll tell you what''s important. I immediately noticed that our Inquisitor has changed. He is now a more pleasant man, but there is no desire to deal with him.\" So they decided Dan wouldn''t have breakfast with everyone, but he was ordered to have lunch and dinner at the common table. \"Don''t hide from us! That''s an order! You must hang on to your humanity, you must not lose touch with us,\" said Alexander briefly and cruelly. Dan was remembering that conversation with a smile. He never understood whether he wanted it or not? It was a pleasure to be with these people. He clearly felt that these people had no foolish hope of a happy return to a past life. The fact that they all turned out to be Dan''s criminals didn''t scare him. It was at the common table that Nick wouldn''t tell everyone what they''d done. But then, when they were working with the trophies, Nick told Dan a short story about Alexander''s crime. He wouldn''t hide his sins either. \"A cop. Killed a few times. Self-defense. Undercover work,\" he grinned sadly. \"To destroy a gang, you have to lead another gang. I''m really in trouble. I''m sorry about that. But I''m responsible for the death of innocents.\" They decided not to worry about John, let him remain a mysterious criminal. He blended in very well with this life. The main thing that the guys decided at the meeting was to stick to the roots, to make the fight against monsters the main objective of their development. Who knows what the reward will be for fulfilling the basic mandatory quest? They''ll do the job, do it well. And the only people they''ll accept into the clan... Who are ready to kill monsters and really want to kill monsters? Dan was looking at his status. He was a good novice hunter, even though he turned out to be a scampish sinner. * Name: Dan. Class: Sinner Subclass: Librarian Race: Human / Undead, the form of Draugr. Level: 21 Experience: 2858000/3360000 Strength 80 [71 +3 +2 +4] Intellect 47 [33 +2 +3 +2 +7] [MP 320] Dexterity 32 [24 +3 +2 +3] Spirit 78 [69 +3 +3 +2] Endurance 80 [HP 8000] Protection: 680 Luck 5 [Passive] ''See the hidden'' 5 [Passive] ''Dungeon Explorer'' 2 [Passive] ''Self-control'' 10 [Passive] ''Psychoprotection'' 5 [Passive] \"Resistance to Cold\" 2 [Passive] \"Resistance to Fire\" 1 [Passive] Improved skills: \"The Cognition of Evil\" [8/10] \"Calligraphy\" [8/10] \"The Perfect Nature of Evil\" [0/10] ''Evil Affinity'' [1/10] ''Cannibalism'' [0/10] Class skills: ''Autodafe'' [10/10] ''Spiritual power'' [10/10] \"Tough Will\" [10/10] ''Fallen'' [0/10] ''Expert in Anatomy'' 1/10 ''Angry'' [0/10] ''Ancient Languages'' [10/10] \"Master of the Puzzles\" [10/10] Combat skills: ''Punishment'' [10/10] ''Chains of sins'' [0/10] ''Burnt wings'' [1/10] Extra class skill: ''Horrible transformation'' [10/10] Available with 27 points characteristics and 4 points skills. * The new skills have made a big impression on everyone. The transformation of the class was the real transformation of the player. Dan often used the skill of ''Burnt wings''. His figure grew slightly in size and big black and burning wings opened behind his back. A terrible fallen angel who could wave his wings and then all enemies would start to burn with magic flames. Dan had a new stripe in his player status. It showed the number of Fury. The Fury was growing from confrontation with monsters, the strip was filling up pretty quickly, with 8000 Fury points. When everyone realized the magic flame wasn''t harming allies, Dan began to use the skill constantly. He didn''t want to waste skill points on it. He didn''t want to actively develop his sinner skills at all. He''d live a great life without being invincible. The fire did little damage, but it was a dangerous weapon. The undead did not reply to the attack! It just burned and lost its life. The radius of the skill was equal to the radius of ''Autodafe'' skill. Not that far. Not much damage, but everyone understood that the Sinner''s perspective was excellent. The skill required no mana, had no Cooldown. If taken to full development and 100 spirits, the ability to deal with 1000 damage seemed to be a very attractive and useful way to destroy monsters. Dan bravely tested the ''Evil Affinity'' skill. He came close to the dead and soon calmed down. He didn''t even have to turn into Draugr to be a great spy among the dead. The most unexpected was the skill of ''Expert in Anatomy''. Dan told everyone what he saw on enemy corpses as a weakness zone. And that tempts him to hit and take critical damage! He doesn''t want to hit the weak places! The skill development increases his Spirit! But he can''t control himself in battle! His hands themselves hit monsters'' weak places, and he feels great pleasure in knowing that he is causing critical damage. And he is quicker to kill monsters. When he got Level 1 skill, he was scared. But he discovered soon that the spirit increased temporarily, only during combat. That''s when Dan relaxed and enjoyed using ''Expert in Anatomy''. John got upset and said loudly: \"You stole all the best skills from all classes! That''s the main ability of an assassin. I''m not happy with you, brother. As a thief, you should increase your skill to open other people''s hiding places, not steal skills from your friends! Shame on you.\" Everybody laughed and threw their fists at Dan. Alexander seriously offered him a taste of the piece cut off from the zombie. Everybody shut up in a moment. The warrior rubbed his bald head and said that zombies are unpleasant opponents and ''Cannibalism'' is beyond human behavior. But a piece of zombie is not a piece of human meat. If their friend became a sinner, he should be a responsible sinner. It''s normal to eat his new relatives on condition. Everybody kept quiet. Dan didn''t understand whether the warrior was taunting him or seriously suggesting he taste zombie flesh? He looked Alexander in the eye. The blue eyes were mockingly and strictly looking at him. \"What, rookie? You don''t have the balls? Go home to Mommy!\" Dan spit on the ground. They just killed another zombie and the warrior took the opportunity to test Dan. The sinner bent over and took a piece of the zombie. Took it to his face, smelled it, curled up disgusted, and bite off a piece. He chewed and looked at the players'' faces. Players froze and waited for a reaction. Dan swallowed some disgusting tastes of zombie meat and honestly confessed: \"Like rotten rubber. It''s disgusting. I didn''t get any messages. I''m not going to eat that disgusting thing,\" said Dan. Then he threw the disgusting piece aside and took out of his inventory a handkerchief. Wiped his hands and added a few words: \"I''m not going to eat this crap all the time. But one piece of zombie can be taken every day. But I don''t recommend it to you, it tastes very unpleasant. But I don''t feel sick. Now I have to wash my mouth well to get rid of the taste of this crap.\" \"Now I know you''re a monster, brother,\" whispered John. \"I''m in the good sense of the word. You''re cool!\" Dan knew that his real power was his librarian skills. He understood the world more and more. His knowledge was growing, and Dan was even beginning to be afraid of that knowledge. He kept a lot of it a secret for now. A new clan, new connections with trusted partners, that''s great. But everyone has secrets. His knowledge was a dangerous weapon. And Dan knew that the moment would come when he would use the new weapon. All his development, all his adventures are just the first steps on a dangerous path to the secrets of this world. 26 Ranger and 邪 female mage Nick was running into town. It wasn''t really called ''running''. Sometimes the scout figure would speed up for a short time at such a speed that he would just disappear from view. It was one of his first-class transformation skills. Nick made an easy choice. He wasn''t tempted by the opportunity to be a great archer. He chose Ranger''s path. The first transformation of a scout developed his ability to conduct a distance attack. He was becoming the most skilled sniper, the Free Shooter. He developed skills that enhanced his vision, his concentration on the enemy, his ability to strike at a weak place. The shooter could improve his arrows, he could give them short-term effects to successfully inflict damage. The Shooter''s weakness was that he remained weak in close combat and his skills had a long cooldown. The second branch of transformation was called Diversant. It allowed him to maximize his camouflage and his dagger skills. The Diversant''s weapon was a crossbow. The player was allowed to work with poisons. He could infiltrate the enemy camp and cause great damage to his diversion. The disadvantage of this image of the game was that the diversion becomes visible on the map of the enemy when detected, it is clearly marked as a target. The Diversant was losing his reputation. The attitude of the locals to him was changing. The Diversant''s were not liked for their way of fighting. Legal killers are unpleasant, but understandably they did their dirty work, but they did not hide their status. Diversant stabbed them in the back, there was no Honor. That development path didn''t suit Nick at all. He was looking for a unique path, and he got his way. It was Ranger''s way. A forest tramp with a bow in his hand. He was a master of snares and traps. With a knife and his skills, he could give his opponents a very fun life. Ranger was automatically trained as an herbalist and could cook poisons on a vegetable basis. His development of archery skills did not increase damage. Ranger could only speed up the rate of fire and gain the ability to work with arrowheads. The player could apply special notches to the arrowheads and then the arrowheads would have the effect of Bleeding and it was not easy to get rid of them. Such arrowheads had to be cut out with a knife! Nick''s choice had two negative sides. His class ruined the quality of the trophies. Ahead of the new Ranger, the main intrigue of the game was waiting for him. The Rangers were hated by Elves! No clan Glory and no personal reputation can save Nick from death. The reason for this hate was that only Rangers and Druids survived the last war between humans and elves. Free Forest Rangers brought such problems and losses to the ears of the opponents that it was forever reflected in the game. The elves lived long, they had a long memory. Nick bought some books in town. They were books on the structure of this world. He learned that forests make up a significant area on this continent. And he made his choice. Now the forest was turning into his safe shelter. The enemy couldn''t catch Ranger in the woods. Traps and snares, arrow hits and even the help of ordinary animals were on Ranger''s side. Nick had the skill of being an animal friend. It was a skill that made it possible to target an animal at his enemies. Nick was happy when he discovered the skill of speeding up movement in the forest. It''s quite in the spirit of the Ranger to get away from danger in time and quickly. There are a lot of tricky animals and creatures waiting in the woods, there are a lot of ambushes and dangers. The skill of ''Wind over the Grass'' gave speed-up when moving in the woods. It required 10 mana to activate! But he had a fast Cooldown in one minute. Nick immediately developed the skill to its maximum and got a one-and-a-half speedup. He took out of the vault the costume jewelry to increase his intelligence, changed the rings on his hands and smiled. Now he was ready to visit the Dor again. He never regretted his choice of the Merchant subclass. Turin became treasurer of the new clan, but they both understood that the dwarf was in that position for a while. When Nick consolidated his ties in town, he would be clan treasurer. Nick carried part of Dan''s loot to the city. Up ahead was a meeting with the masters of the Killer Guild and a deal that would open up new opportunities for their clan. Nick was pleased. The road to the village didn''t allow the speeding skill to be activated, but it was worth taking a couple of steps aside and everything was fine. He spotted the time and ran. The road to Dor was an interesting adventure. Sometimes the ranger would notice wild animals and other monsters ahead. Then he activated the boost and sneaked past his enemies at high speed. The creatures didn''t even try to make a chase! Everything went according to the plan of a tricky scout. He got to Dor in seven hours. He was happy with that speed. Of course, the clan could take the noble cause of keeping the road to town safe. But the players didn''t need that kind of work. On the contrary, they were happy that the road was dangerous for people and players. They didn''t want to see guests at their castle. Nick came up to the One-Eyed Man and arranged a meeting with the Guild leaders on a profitable trade deal. He suggested that the bodyguard of the Head of the Guild should be present. There was special merchandise for this vampire. In the town of Nick, he changed his costume jewelry and put on an artifact from the Vampire''s Grave. It was a cloak that made it difficult to focus on the owner. They checked the work of the artifact and were pleased, the cloak was a great addition to Camouflage and Invisibility. Nick hadn''t made contact with Michael and other Phoenix clan members. He went to the suburbs of the town. Near the market, he saw an old man cripple. The old man was sitting by the wall on an empty barrel, looking up at the sky. The old man did not ask for charity. He was just admiring the sky. Nick walked up to the old man and threw a sack of money into a hole in the barrel. \"Do I know you, old man?\" \"We still know each other, Master Nick.\" \"That''s good. Can I talk to another friend of mine?\" The old man smiled back and knocked on the barrel. A boy ran up to them. The boy was dressed poor, but neat. Nick immediately recognized him as one of the thieves. The old man ordered the boy to find Bunny. Soon the big-eared boy came up to them. The boy''s ears were a little pointy at the tips. He certainly had elves in his family. The name Little Bunny was a good name for him. The boy had a pretty face, which aroused confidence and affection to meet such a sweet little boy. \"Thank you, old man. I hope to continue our introduction. We''ll talk aside about my business.\" \"I hope your business will not harm the Guild and we will continue our introduction, Master Nick.\" The scout and the boy stepped aside and Nick listened to his agent''s report. He nodded his head and gave the boy a purse with coins. Bunny went back to the old man and threw the money in the barrel, then did his usual work. Nick headed towards the city gate. He walked out of town and into the woods. The forest near Dor was safe. Hunters went out hunting every day and it was difficult to see a large, dangerous animal in the forest. There were no monsters, and large raids were made on them as soon as they found traces of dangerous creatures. Nick didn''t spend much time. He went out into the clearing and stopped not far from a small fire. Next to the fire, a familiar girl was doing some physical exercises. She squatted and jumped. She would squat and jump. Nick saw that the girl was working under pressure. He immediately noticed some big rocks. They were clean and did not serve as a fire fence, the girl used the rocks as a load. There were a few metal mugs on the fire. The girl was cooking something. Nick stood by the big tree trunk and whistled softly. The girl stopped the exercise, smiled happily, and said softly: \"Hello, Handsome. I wasn''t expecting you so soon.\" \"How are you, Anna?\" \"It''s never worse! I''m tired of their demands,\" Anna smiled widely. Nick wouldn''t understand sometimes, is she joking like that? Or she doesn''t really care about anything? A clear smile didn''t go off that redheaded girl''s face. She would smile a lot and even impress the girl out of the world. A little bit crazy to get into this horrible world. Sometimes Nick felt like a bastard. But now they had this life. \"Is it that bad?\" \"Your Gandalf is bothering me with his drooling requests to be his girlfriend. Your Michael is an idiot. Samantha spins them the way she wants. The bitch is sly and dangerous. I don''t care about the other weaklings or worry about them. Ron is a wimp who came running and demanded that your strange ex-inquisitor come to town for trial. You have an inquisitor! I want to see him.\" Anna suddenly stopped smiling and said absolutely seriously: \"Stay away from the Phoenix clan. They''re dangerous. Samantha will soon be the official leader of the clan. And then she''ll only think about her benefits. The rest of the players are tools, steps in her path to power.\" \"She''s not dangerous,\" objected Nick. \"She has chosen the simplest and most reliable path to power. But her impact on the aristocrats is not as great as it seems. On top of that, she doesn''t take into account the power of local women. An angry aristocrat in these times is a dangerous opponent. The poison is capable of killing any player.\" \"Samantha will revive. And she will have her revenge.\" \"She will not take revenge on anyone. Her hands are short. She''ll get everyone in trouble. But I''ll get you out. Don''t worry. I''m ready to take you now.\" \"You need a magician.\" \"Don''t you believe in my feelings for you at all?\" \"One thing doesn''t hurt the other, pretty boy. I remember people like you. A calculating and tricky bastard.\" Nick wasn''t smiling back at her pure smile. She scared him a little. But he felt this girl was the best thing they could meet at the beginning of the journey. There were no other choices. \"How are you doing? How''s your alchemy?\" \"Open my status and see for yourself.\" \"Anna, you are not in my clan, and we are not in the same group.\" \"Nikki the trickster confessed his weakness, how sweet. Okay, don''t be mad. What do you want from me?\" \"To know your number of intellect points. We''re preparing the mission. It takes a magician to activate a rank 4 scroll. Fire or Earth.\" \"You know how to seduce a humble girl. Rank 4 is a master of magic. I don''t even know what these powerful spells are called. But I can put all the prize points in my intellect and then the solution to your problem is in front of you.\" \"Anna, you haven''t wasted any points at all? Don''t answer that. 100 Intellect! You''re going to drive me crazy. I don''t want to know how you develop.\" \"Thank you for the gift. I''m developing quietly. Unlike your Gandalf, who''s ready to fry everybody''s asses, I''m useful and pleasant. Everybody needs a ''swamp'' and a ''shield of the earth'' in the sewers. To slow the creature down and increase the group''s protection, I''m a popular girl. Level 14.\" \"Get ready. We leave the Dor tomorrow.\" \"Don''t overload your inventory. I''m not taking away all my ingredients.\" * Nick was on his way to the Builders Guild and thought he was lucky to meet Anna in time. This girl had no illusions. She had a desperate desire to live in this world full of miracles and the cold mind of a scientist. She was studying chemistry. She wanted to be a magician. And from the moment she appeared in the game, she went to her target with the bulldozer''s persistence and confidence. The clan needs a magician and an alchemist. He really liked her. In the Builders Guild building, he immediately made his interest clear. He needed to increase the defense of the castle. Not the house, not the city residence, but the old castle of the Order of Hunters. An official accompanied him to a specialist and Nick expressed his wishes. The specialist pulled out books with schemes and offered the client to choose the options for improving the castle. After that, Nick realized that the job of improving the castle would cost a lot of money. He looked at the schemes and saw clearly what gave him the option to improve and how much it would cost. They wanted to improve not only the physical but also the magic protection of the castle. Everything was possible, everything was worth money. Nick realized that they would need at least 10,000 gold coins for the first improvement. The price looked incredible, but the clan could already afford the cost. Nick specified the problems, he and the master-builder approved the project. Nick paid for the master''s time and made a contract with the guild. Within a month, he pledged to transfer money to the guild''s account, in which case the guild will send specialists to the castle to start work. The question of the money remained to be resolved. Nick changed the rings one more time, he boosted his spirit. The first meeting with the head of the guild left a strong impression. Marrog was a grey old man of solid build with an attentive and clingy look in his grey eyes. The head of the Killer Guild was all grey and unremarkable. His unique wardrobe wouldn''t let you focus on him. It was hard to have a conversation with him. Sometimes Nick thought he was talking to himself. It was very unpleasant to be around this man. Even his bodyguard didn''t create such a thrill. An ordinary vampire. Greer didn''t surprise Nick at all. A vampire, what''s so surprising? Nick''s already met banshees, draugr and werewolves. Greer was slim and young. There was a curve smile on his lips. His eyes were completely faded out, they weren''t red, and they were two murky failures on his face, under his black eyebrows. The skin on his face was pale and did not look quite pleasant. But Nick thought Dan looked a little better. And he got accustomed to the look of the former Inquisitor somehow. Nick walked into the guild house and he was escorted into a small office. The scout got prepared for the meeting, got his spirits up, and relaxed. He was sitting at the table in a comfortable chair. Greer walked into the room. The vampire looked at Nick, looked around, and took a step away from the entrance. The head of the guild entered the room and went to the table. \"I have little time, Master Nick. I''m glad your words don''t break with the business, and we''ve begun a more productive collaboration. To the business. I want to know the reason for your interest in my bodyguard.\" \"I want to show you ancient weapons. It''s a trophy of our clan. It''s a very interesting trophy.\" Nick was quiet. Marrog nodded his head and Greer came to the table and stood between them. Nick pulled a unique dagger out of the inventory and put the artifact on the table. He noticed the vampire''s eyes shining, Marrog frowned but kept silent. Then the head asked a question: \"Greer, are we interested in this object?\" \"Yes, Master Marrog, we may have an interest in this artifact. I have a personal interest in it.\" \"How much interest?\" The vampire looked at the master. Marrog was silent. But the vampire read the answer to the face of a man he knew as a young killer. \"5,000 gold coins. And Master Nick''s word that he forgets the subject of the deal and the deal itself.\" Nick wasn''t expecting to get that amount. The deal was good. The amount was just great. He said very calmly: \"I give my word not to mention this artifact.\" \"And you vouch for your people.\" \"Yes, my clan will remain silent.\" \"Well, that''s good. I wish you a good meeting with the guild dealer.\" The old man turned around and left the room. The vampire smiled his crooked nasty smile and said goodbye: \"I memorized your favor. You can send your Assassin to the guild. I''ll give him a couple of lessons. And one more thing. Now I see that the disturbances of old spiders in temples and magistrates are not without reason. You are dangerous people, you have to deal with dangerous people and someone like me. If you can get a trophy that will interest me, I hope we meet again.\" \"I get it, Greer. John will get your word. I don''t promise any new trophies, but I agree. Dangerous humans and vampires deal with dangerous trophies. There''s no need for anyone else to know about these dangers. The world deserves its moments of peace and security.\" The vampire is out of the room. Nick didn''t even notice the moment when Greer took the dagger! On the table was a piece of white paper with the bank''s emblem. Nick already knew what it was. A debt receipt that allowed money to be transferred from one account to another in the city bank. The scout shook his head, this vampire could kill him several times in a row and only then Nick would notice it. The sight of another visitor made him happy. It was a short man known to him, not a dwarf, but a very short man, with a smile all over his face and a perfectly developed trade skill. It''s time to make money! And the work was boiling. Nick laid out the first three lots on the table. It was gems and jewelry without magic effects. There were also daggers on the table that could boost the effect of increased damage, nothing unusual, great daggers for killers. The merchant began with the gems and began to carefully consider each item, and then he called the price. Nick wouldn''t take long to resist and argue. He realized he was losing about 20% of the value he was given by his player status. That was fine with him. They were arguing and negotiating for some stones, jewelry and daggers. It was funny and entertaining, at times they switched to mutual abuse and raised their voices against each other. This trade lasted for about three hours. The trader offered to rest and Nick agreed. The trader clapped his hands and two girls entered the room with trays in their hands. They were serving an empty table. The traders sat down at the table and started a late dinner. Nick answered the main question. He left two very interesting lots of goods for the auction, and one of them may seem to the trader not just interesting, but stunning imagination. They finished dinner and continued. Nick started selling weapons with vampiristic and other good effects. Now it''s time for real emotion. Nick didn''t know how the local merchant was improving his skills, but he had to push his price hard! He fought for every dagger. He lied about the virtues of artifacts and told incredible stories about the bloody struggles his people had endured. He abused the Guild merchant and cursed for greed and stupidity. The merchant laughed and stood up for his price. He shouted loudly about all kinds of faults and stupidity of a young man who does not understand anything about the complex matters of the local market. At one moment the trader bounced off the table, quickly removed the sheath with a short sword from his belt and threw his weapon on the table. He showed clean hands to Nick and froze with the expression of a challenge on his face. He no longer seemed like a funny short man. Nick took the dagger off his belt and showed his hands clean to the trader. He held out his right hand for a handshake. Nick knew what was going on. Fighting was a great way to improve the deal! Nick shook the dealer''s hand. It was like his hand was caught in the grip of a steel jaw. A message flashed before his eyes. * [Attention! Merchant Laurenis calls you to a friendly duel.] Do you agree to take part in a duel? Yes/No] * Nick agreed and at that moment felt the fat man let go of his hand and quickly struck Nick in the face from his left hand. The scout bounced off and smiled. This will be interesting! The fight was quick. Nick found out that the city was not only fighting with his hands but also kicking. It was easier to fight in the village. He responded with hand-to-hand combat skills. They didn''t hit each other for long. The fat man turned out to be a tough man who never fell. Nick did not hold back the strength of the strikes. Suddenly, the fat man bounced off and exclaimed: \"Master Nick, let''s not argue like that. I agree that this dagger deserves a higher price.\" Nick didn''t believe that clever man on any copper. And he wouldn''t relax. But the game confirmed that the duel was over. They went back to trading. Nick sold a shipment of weapons and moved on to the last part of the deal. He took a bottle of wine out of his inventory and put it on the table. The bottle was the kind that Dan took out of the vampire''s grave. No one knew the quality of the wine in the bottles. But in Nick''s status, the wine was a very expensive elite product with an initial price of 250 gold coins. And he knew he''d make good money when he saw the trader''s excitement. The short man quickly pulled himself together and took out of his pocket strange glasses. Instead of transparent glasses, there were two big transparent stones in the frame. One was yellow, the other was light green. The merchant wore the glasses and began to look carefully at the wine bottle. He did not even touch the bottle with his hands. Then he took a step away from the table and looked away. The fat man whispered something quietly and asked the question in a normal voice: \"How big is a lot of this product, Master Nick?\" \"Unfortunately, the lot is small. There are only 13 bottles. We had to pay for this product by the death of many good people.\" \"Don''t say too much, Hunter. The Guild is ready to buy the whole lot for 3,575 gold coins.\" \"4,000 gold coins look like a worthy and perfect sum for this worthy commodity.\" \"3600 and only out of respect for the moment. And we will congratulate each other on your first successful major trading transaction.\" \"3.900.\" The merchant shook his head. Nick realized there was no way to raise the price. He waved his hand: \"You''re right. I''m still young. Okay, I won''t challenge your price. The product seemed rare to me. It wasn''t exactly a normal deal. I agree to rely on your experience.\" The merchant blossomed and snapped his fingers in anticipation. Nick put the other bottles of wine on the table. Each bottle was carefully examined by the merchant with his artifact. Nick looked at his watch. They were trading till the morning! He was tired. He was not even pleased with the achievement that added seven points of Glory and +1 to his intellect and the title of ''Merchant of Rarities''. Master Laurenis wrote a check for 12.000 gold and asked to wait until the wallets with gold were brought. Nick wanted 4,000 crowns in cash. Shorty called for a servant, and they sat down at the table. The girl brought two glass goblets and a bottle of wine. She filled the goblets and left the room. The fat guy smiled and raised his goblet: \"Well done. Congratulations on starting a worthy business. You have good perspectives, young man. But you need to improve your energy. More aggressiveness! Of course, only when you work a deal with a decent product. Let me ask you a question. Yes. I can afford it. You''re planning to make important purchases. Our guild can boast of special types of merchandise. I am authorized to expand our offer list for you.\" Nick took a sip of wine and didn''t withhold information. Still, these tricky guys are going to find out. \"I intend to make a couple of deals with the Magic Guild. I''m interested in the magic scrolls. Rare magic scrolls.\" \"You''re making me laugh. You go to the magicians for the magic goods. Do these old stumps know the real price of a good product? They can do magic, but they can''t sell it! What exactly is interesting to a young man? The summoning of the Elementals? Portal scrolls? Battle magic? The Guild of Killers is ready to offer a particularly valuable product. And our prices will pleasantly surprise you.\" \"Battle magic. Preferably ''The Shiver of the Earth''. ''Starfall'', if you please. 4 ranks.\" \"We have this. Only 1000 gold coins for the scroll.\" \"Do you have four scrolls of Earth''s magic with the ''Shiver of the Earth'' spell?\" \"Our guild has it all. And what''s not, we just haven''t taken possession. Oh, don''t take it personally. You can count on a deal. Four scrolls will cost you 3900 gold.\" Nick took out his watch and looked at the time. There was plenty of time. He took a breath and started working: \"3900 for 4 scrolls! You''ve gone mad. Cheap, rotten parchment, work done by an unknown who, there''s no guarantee that the spell will work. I''m willing to pay 3,500 gold coins and not copper anymore!\" Master Laurenis put his goblet on the table, rubbed his hands and smiled. He began to resemble a small but very dangerous predator. His eyes were burning with an evil challenge, he bent his head and poked his finger at the scout: \"Boy! How dare you defame the skills of the respected members of the Guild of Mages! The merchandise has been thoroughly tested. 3850 crowns!\" They had a good deal of negotiation. Nick bought scrolls and left the Killer Guild in a good mood. He went to the bank where he transferred the money to the Builders Guild. The clan had several thousand golds in its account. But ahead was an operation that promised good trophies, good experience and a good start in the clan of one redheaded girl magician. He met Anna at the gate. \"How much does your inventory weigh?\" \"14 pounds.\" \"7 strength, you need to do more of your training. We have a good specialist in physical training. What''s your weight?\" \"Such questions are not asked women.\" \"Anna, it can be dangerous on the road. I''ll carry you in my arms.\" \"120 pounds. I never thought I was dealing with such a weakling!\" \"120 pounds is good. We''ve got time. You need special ingredients. We can do the shopping. It''s on the clan. We need a good alchemist.\" Anna smiled and it got lighter outside. Nick flinched, that redhead will drive him crazy. He followed her and thought it would be hot talking to the guys. And pretty soon he''s going to have to look for new agents in town. And there''s no telling how the guys are going to take Emma, she was a serious, silent girl. Cute, but quiet. Not as pleasing to the eye as blooming Anna. But pretty and proud and a very good archer. Nick gave the girl a wallet and got some metal cups from her. He put them in the street and said: \"Anna, there''s a real alchemist''s lab waiting for you at the castle. I don''t understand anything about it, but there are lots of different jars and bottles and dishes for work.\" \"This is my lucky cup. Quickly picked it up and put it in your inventory. And the rest can be left behind.\" Nick smiled. You can''t do a good job without a happy cup. It''s a saint. He found the correct new person for the clan. 27 The Enemy of Unclean Power The appearance of a new person at the castle made an impression. Nick was worried about nothing. Everyone liked Anna. To be more precise, everyone recognized the need to have their own alchemist and magician. And it wasn''t clear what was important to the clan. First of all, the girl got to know everybody, she was delighted with the Class Choice Room. She came out of the old clan and joined the new clan. Then Anna chose a magician class and everyone sat down to discuss their plan to clean up the ruins of the old city. \"Are you sure there''s no chief monster in the city center?\" asked Anna. \"There''s no need to worry. In this case, we have a chief expert in destroying bosses. Dan''s in Galatea now, working his specialty and studying ancient symbols.\" \"Then we might be able to destroy a lot of undead in one blow. But you shouldn''t be hoping for the almighty power of the scroll. I''m just beginning to develop the class of magician. I can do a little damage, but in a large area.\" \"How big is the area? And how much damage are you talking about?\" Anna was holding a sheet with a spell, she carefully read the features of that spell. \"Damage is dealt with in all the visible areas. If there''s an opportunity to rise higher, I can see a larger area and then I activate the scroll. It requires 80 initial intellect and 20 spirits. It''s a mandatory minimum level for Master. I was able to obtain the rank of Master of the Earth. I have to grow up to the Expert Rank to 12 more levels. Now with this scroll, I can do 6400 damage. Will that be enough?\" \"I bought four scrolls, you''re going to get the best equipment for the Earth Magician,\" said Nick. \"I think it''ll be enough to destroy even Draugr. If the game is cruel to us.\" \"Draugr has protection against all kinds of damage. He has 60% protection against the Earth. We managed to defeat a monster with 40,000 lives.\" \"This is unbelievable! How did you do it?\" \"We burned it. Along with Dan, who kept Draugr from leaving the trap.\" \"I hope to meet him soon. Nick, tell me, how will the castle be improved? I hope you''ve taken care of the magical protection?\" Nick spoke about the trading results and described the contract with the Builders Guild. He contracted a project to enhance the magic defenses. The amount didn''t make any impression on the guys. Anna smiled and thought that the money had no meaning for them. Then Alexander asked Anna to tell about the beginning of the magician''s progress. The girl told me that it is difficult to develop a magician. There are 4 ways of legal magic and some magic of Death, magic that is used by monsters. Legal magic is the ways of elements: Fire, Air, Water and Earth. The magician passes 5 development ranks: Novice, Adept, Master, Expert, and Magister. There is an extra rank of Archimage, which is achievable for Master of all four ways of magic. Rank development requires an improvement in intellect and spirit. The main feature is that the combat skills of a magician require development in combat, or in support of allies. You cannot put points of Glory into the magic of fire and finish the rank of Novice to get the rank of Adept. Anna chose the magic of Earth. At the beginning of development, Anna had no attacking spells, only defense, and control of the enemy. Two initial spells allowed her to use them all the time. The Swamp and Shield spells didn''t harm the allies. But she rarely went down in the sewers. She preferred to practice alchemy, exercise, and the quiet development of Earth''s magic in the open air. Anna calmed the boys down: \"Don''t worry, scrolls with strong spells are not superweapons in this game. The castle is not threatened by anyone at the moment. After a gift from the administration of the game may find players with an intellect of 80. But the damage from the scroll will be weak. Magicians are not the most dangerous players, in fact they are much more useful as a support.\" Alexander didn''t agree with her: \"I hate to think that someone could destroy our castle. We chose a rather aggressive path of diplomacy. You do realize that Michael would be unpleasantly surprised by your joining our clan.\" \"I don''t care about Michael. But his friend is a funny case of a mixture of greed and ambition. Samantha won''t leave you alone.\" Nick stopped a new round of conversation and said they''d better get out the way of Galatea now. They''ll be able to make their way downtown by tonight, try to find a suitable building, and Nick will move Anna over there. And she''ll do her job. The Builders Guild workers have already received the money, they can arrive at the castle by tomorrow night. They''d better hurry up. Anna has received a full set of excellent equipment, costume jewelry to enhance intellect and magical staff to enhance the magic of the Earth. John was constantly joking at the ranger, who himself had set up nets and fell into his own trap. Alexander wasn''t joking about Nick''s choice, he liked that girl. But on the road, Anna showed herself to be a nasty partner. She was quickly tired. Strength 7 and dexterity 6 were not the characteristics that allowed a long run in the company of skilled hunters. She was not confused by her weakness and allowed Nick to carry her in his arms. Alexander calmed down when she said that she would bring her physical characteristics to 10 necessarily. She winked and added: \"I will definitely find a recipe for fatigue recovery, Daddy. You''ll be happy.\" Next to the hunters, their pets were running. The little bear delighted Anna. That cheerful and furry clot of energy wasn''t afraid of werewolves at all. There were fights between the pets all the time. But everyone saw that it wasn''t a serious fight, but more of a joke contest between pets. They approached the dead city before dark. Dan met his clan in the suburbs of the town. He was wearing a mask, but his sight didn''t scare Anna. She grabbed on to him with her curiosity and made him show her his face. Then she admired for a long time that she had first met a real monster hunter. \"We''re all ordinary. Not interesting at all. Dan is like the incarnation of heroes from fantasy books. Moorcock! Moorcock had a hero with grey hair and a very dangerous sword. Dan looks like him. We''re not interesting,\" said Anna. Dan put on a mask and said that Anna was interesting enough. She doesn''t know how interesting she is yet. There was no time to talk. The hunters went to work. Nick warned Dan in advance that the clan was coming to the final part of the operation. The sinner was given the job and left the trophies in the cellars and the ancient inscriptions on the walls alone. He was slowly clearing the street of dead people this morning. Dan walked to the square and chose a house that was comfortable as a platform. Almost all the ruins were the same, all had stone stairs to the second floor. There were no second floors, but the stairs were left in most cases. Dan only killed the nastiest enemies, banshees, skeletons of scouts and archers. The monsters couldn''t escape the skill of Autodafe, he didn''t have to follow them. Dan looked at two houses, picked a better option for their plans. Then he destroyed the monsters in the homes and went up to the second floor of one of the houses. The painting made him happy. An idea came to mind. That the view reminded him of a stadium filled with unusual fans of entertainment and spectacle. A real sea of bones was moving in front of him. Different shades of grey were slowly moving around the square. The sinner did not know how many skeletons and other undead creatures there were. He saw banshees, zombies, and ghouls. But then he noticed a nasty opponent in the middle of the square. Dan texted the whole group right away: \"Guys, Draugr''s here.\" \"And the girls! I''m happy to welcome you, my new brother in arms! This is Anna, I hope to see you soon.\" \"Are you sure it''s Draugr?\" \"Alexander, I can read. Level 21. But he''s kind of weak, only 20,000 life. All skills are normal, he has 50% protection against magic.\" \"I''ve already thought about it. The monsters in the dungeons and our opponents on the quests have higher performance. These ruins have not given us any quest. It''s just a place for free hunting. That''s very bad, by the way.\" \"Here and without a quest, everyone will have enough experience.\" \"Dan, how many monsters are there around here?\" \"Alexander, there''s no way to count them. The creatures are moving.\" \"Don''t worry, brother, our new magician will burn them all.\" \"Johnny, I''ll bury them. The burning isn''t for me.\" \"What about our trophies!\" \"I''m not sure about the trophies, this is the first time I can use a scroll like this.\" \"We''ve had enough trophies, stop talking. Dan, be careful. But work on clearing the way to this square. It''s going to be completely dark soon. We''re on our way.\" Dan looked around and began to destroy the most dangerous enemies. Then he came back and met the group. In a calm situation in the suburbs of the city, he was able to summon his cat and Anna got a reason for another explosion of emotion. She grabbed the cat with both hands and stroked, and tickled and tormented the defenseless animal with her attention. Pussy was patient for a long time, but her patience ran out, the cat broke out and hid behind its master''s back. The good mood before the fight was wonderful. Dan immediately realized that having this girl in the group would be helpful, at least in supporting the good spirits. Anna made a link to the temporary point of rebirth and the group started the hunt. The girl looked at the skill of the hunters with delight. She had never seen anything like it before. These players were different. They were completely different from the players in town. In battle, they were transformed! The transformation of classes caused an external transformation of a player if he used special skills. The warrior chose the Berserker path. Sometimes his body would glow red and almost double in size! This desperate hero did not care about defense, he destroyed his opponents quickly and skillfully. It seemed that the wounds and pain only gave him extra strength for a new attack. Then ''the ball was blown off'', as thought Anna. The assassin did not change in size, but around him began to concentrate darkness, the figure of the killer could not be seen, and his skill was not suitable for a fair fight. Everyone admitted that they felt uncomfortable being blind surrounded by enemies. John said that they understood nothing about the beauty of his skill. He sees everything very well in person and he enjoys admiring the confused faces of his friends. All agreed that Assassin was well prepared for solo missions and solo hunting. Nick also couldn''t boast of a special transformation of his appearance. He became even more invisible and completely disappointed Anna. She said the \"ranger is the most unattractive.\" Dan didn''t react to her requests to show his true face. The guys told her about his problem. Anna wasn''t embarrassed by the Sinner class at all. She laughed and looked forward to meeting with this player. When she saw Dan turned into some kind of dark Angel, Anna froze and after a few seconds screamed with delight. Then she found out it wasn''t their sinner''s main trick, but his main trick was better not to look at his friends. The girl was a little annoyed with Alexander''s behavior. He thought all magicians were the same. All magicians remained children with stupid fantasies in their heads. But then the warrior saw that above the wide-open and happy smile of the girl on her beautiful face are well noticeable attentive and calculating eyes. The girl knew what death was. She had already died several times. In this battle, she got a great opportunity to show her abilities, and Anna showed class. She constantly updated the defense on partners and masterfully used the Swamp spell. It was a very useful spell. It slowed down the enemy''s movement, and it could serve as a skill of provocation. Anna neither risked nor cursed skeletons with spears, but skeletons of swordsmen she competently and carefully pulled out to slaughter. When the evening twilight fell on the street and it became too dark for a confident continuation of the battle, Anna again surprised the guys and lit up a large ball of light over his head. \"It''s dangerous for you, we can use torches. This way we will attract less attention from the undead,\" said Alexander. \"You''re wrong, Daddy! With your torches, you''re just attracting the attention of monsters. It''s the mechanics of the game. Monsters react to fire. And my spell is everyday magic. My Firefly is invisible to monsters. It''s magic, Harry!\" Alexander laughed and nodded approvingly. The Firefly was a large ball that illuminated the space in front of them with a soft light that didn''t cut the eye even when you look at the ball. The close proximity to the final stage of their operation was disturbing. From the concentration of skeletons in the square sometimes came out new scouts and archers. Banshees also occasionally appeared on this side of the square and flew into the street on which the group was moving. At the very edge of the attack was Sinner. He would walk ahead of the group, sometimes return on Nick''s orders, and kill the banshee that flew into the rear of their squad. Nick could handle that beast, but he was always taking damage. Anna had already died twice from the attack by those creeps. Nick would come back for her to the point of rebirth and listen to that angry fox hissing. Now he knew exactly which pet they''d be looking for Anna. When the girl was angry, the features of her face sharpened and she looked like an angry fox. He told her about his thoughts and the girl laughed and said that the fox was great. But she''d like to tame a little dragon. A dragon is a good pet for a magician. It''s a classic. Nick never understood if she was joking or seriously looking to get a dragon as a pet. Now they''ve had enough problems without dragons. They weren''t in a hurry, they were careful, but the promotion was met with a decent fight against monsters. Alexander said they were wasting their time. It''s like the undead is following the orders of an invisible commander. The protection of the approach to the square was constantly updated. The Undead prevented the group from completely clearing the approach to the last building in the street. Everyone agreed with him, and Dan offered to break through to the second floor of the building. He could go ahead and destroy the skeletons of scouts and archers. And then Nick could jump past the other monsters with Anna. Everyone agreed to try this scenario. They didn''t lose anything by trying it. Another death? It''s a regular thing. John and Alexander took over the defense. It was a fairly strong six-unit combat team. Two men and four pets could cause a lot of trouble for the monsters. The group had already found a boundary that it was undesirable to cross. It was useless because destroying the enemies caused an influx of new enemies. Nick and Anna supported their partners and waited for the signal from the sinner who had gone ahead. A new day had already arrived. After midnight, the sinner appeared to Anna and she said that everything was fine. Dan may not have to worry. There will be no problem with her, she already has a boyfriend, her chosen one is certainly not the most luxurious man in the world, but for a humble girl, it will be enough. She doesn''t claim to have special attention for a strange sinner. Dan laughed and ran away. Nick stood there and heard everything. He kept firing a bow and had no time for emotion. Dan was attentive. He had already cleared the roof of the building he wanted and didn''t want to risk the magician''s life. The sinner quickly ran into the street and saw that the entrance to the house was guarded by a new archer skeleton. \"Nick, take Anna and go!\" said Dan. Then he attacked the archer, killed the skeleton and cast Autodafe on two scouts. Skeletons quickly ran in his direction, stretching the bone shoulders of swordsmen, zombies and spearheads. Dan jumped towards them himself and started the fight. It wasn''t easy to fight surrounded by other skeletons. The two-handed sword was a great weapon to destroy monsters, but now Dan was careful not to catch other opponents. As long as he didn''t touch the skeletons, they wouldn''t pay any attention to him. He could push the skeleton with his shoulder, push it aside if the skeleton was blocking his way. It didn''t cause an attack. But an attack with a weapon was already considered a challenge. A sinner had to beat his opponents gently. He didn''t even notice Ranger with Anna in his arms. Nick speeded past the skeletons and ran into the building. He ran straight up the wide stone stairs to the second floor, which had become the roof of this house. Nick and John had already been to the house and had examined and appreciated Dan''s choice. They checked the house across the street and admitted that a sinner could be praised for his work. From the second floor of the building there was a good view of the square, but the sight of the undead crowd once again made them excited. Nick was worried about Anna''s condition. He was afraid that the girl would panic when she saw a lot of dead things. On the other hand, he was worried about another problem. Will Anna be able to see all the dead? He warned the girl in advance about the unpleasant spectacle. In reply, he saw the mocking look of the green eyes and heard a few gentle words about how a good boy should behave in the company of a respectable girl. When Nick received Dan''s command, he instantly put the bow in his inventory and picked up the girl. He ran with an increase in speed. There was enough time, the ranger knew his way to the right place. Nick ran to the second floor and recalled his pet. Then he got ready to defend Anna. They discussed the issue with the pets quickly. Dan was being honest. That he would call Pussy off. She''ll overtake him quickly, and there''s no knowing if he''ll be able to level with her. Alexander agreed with him and decided to take all the experience for himself. John decided to share the experience with his werewolf. Nick understood that such a case to gain experience will not be presented soon, and it is not worth losing it. He pulled his pet out of the game. Anna was ready. She was given two scrolls. They were enough to do 15000 damage. It was enough to undead 17 and 19 levels. Skeletons were mostly found and their life stock was 9,500 hp. The Banshees on level 19 had 14300 hp. When she got back on her feet, she immediately lit up space in front of her. They ran in the dark, she couldn''t see anything and didn''t have time to see anything at the speed that crazy Nick was moving. But now a ball of light flew high above her head and she saw a disgusting picture. The sight was a little frightening with its strange, but an obvious threat, some nasty gray mess of bones swarming downstairs. And that mass of bones was really terrifying. Anna saw the limits of this square. The sphere could move in different directions if she wanted, and she moved the light source forward and up. She didn''t want to waste the expensive scrolls. Suddenly a beautiful smile appeared on her face and a scroll appeared in her hand. Anna pressed the scroll with the spell. * [Do you wish to activate the spell ''The Shiver of the Earth''? Yes/No] * Anna gave her an agreement and immediately repeated the attack. The ground under her feet was shaking. Anna did not see the effects of the spell, Firefly''s light was not enough to see everything in detail. But she was afraid that the building would collapse and she and Nick would fall to the ground floor. Her legs were bent. Her eyes were loaded with endless reports of damage to her enemies. She couldn''t even understand how many new levels she was getting. She should have listened to Nick! He warned her not to activate the battle detail reports. After a battle, it is always possible to raise status information and clarify all the details of the battle. In the final, the information from the game was the most pleasant news: * [Congratulations! You have destroyed over 5000 opponents of the undead class. You get the achievement of ''the Enemy of Unclean Power''. Your damage to the undead class has been increased by 3%. You have 5 points of Glory. +1 Spirit. ] * Anna woke up and saw she was standing on the street again. Next to her, men were fighting the dead. She instantly lit up space and entered the battle. First throw the shields of the earth at all the boys and pets, and then start cursing monsters. It''s a good thing that scrolls aren''t wasting mana! Anna didn''t have the patience, so she took a look at her status. Now she was laughing with delight. She looked like a happy, lively witch from the outside. Level 27! Twenty, bloody seven, goddamn level! In two seconds of combat... She loves these guys! She loves that clan! Maybe the handsome ranger will soon get a special gift from her. Maybe. 28 A modest reward for the winners When Anna activated the scrolls, Dan immediately noticed the effects of the spells. The ground under his feet was shaking. He shook and saw the cracks crawling on the ground. All the monsters started falling into these narrow gaps under their feet. Even the banshees that were flying above the ground couldn''t fly away from the danger. Flying creatures fell and plunged into the ground. Dan stood there and was afraid to make a move. He remembered well how dangerous magic spells could be. Some spells made no distinction between who is the enemy and who is the ally. But soon he discovered that he had nothing to fear. He was standing on a hard surface of the square. Around him, the bodies of his enemies were plunged into the ground. It was a terrible sight. The undead squeaking of his bones and the crackling and unpleasant rustling could be heard all around him. Skeletons and the rest of the undead were pulled into the depths of the earth by some force. Soon only the heads of enemies were left on the surface. And Dan saw that not all enemies were dead! In the center of the square stood the main opponent. Dan did not doubt, he went towards the enemy. * Rebellious Draugr Type: normal Level: 21 Life: 13800/20000 Improved skills: ''Master of the Blade''. The weapon in this monster''s hands is as dangerous as its master. This skill increases weapon damage and allows the use of special tricks and sword fighting techniques. [10/10] Class skills: ''Invincible''. This skill increases protection and gives immunity from many types of damage. [10/10] Combat skills: ''The Singing Blade''. Spinning a whirlwind, the monster strikes a powerful circular blow, destroying anything within its blade radius. Cooldown: 240 seconds. [10/10] Immunity to arms: Stabbing: 100% Cutting: 80% Crushing: 80% The magic of fire: 60% The magic of water: 40% The magic of air: 60% The magic of the earth: 40% * Dan saw that the enemy was dangerous. The sinner activated ''Autodafe''. The dead warrior went in his direction. The sword in Draugr''s hands was already drawing patterns in the air. It seemed that the monster was stretching his body before the fight. \"Can you do it alone? Or can I help you?\" \"Good morning, Tarrok. I want to test it for ''Chains of sins''. Look, it''ll be interesting.\" \"Nothing interesting, I wasn''t wrong about you. You''re not a warrior, you''re an executioner.\" Dan didn''t understand the words of the cursed sword. He hasn''t tried that skill yet. Cooldown: 24 hours! He knew he''d gotten a strong weapon to use as a last resort. For a moment, the sinner froze and activated ''Chains of sins''. The action of the skill shook the player. He felt a great pain in his whole body. Suddenly the real chains burst out of him and flew towards the enemy. It was disgusting chains, they were covered with some kind of slime and blood. Dan found it hard to breathe from the disgusting stench. He shook his head and almost fell from a headache. It wasn''t pleasant to look at Draugr. Chains wrapped him from all sides, the dead warrior was grabbed into a vice and fell to the ground. The sword fell out of Draugr''s hands. Dan could not move, he stood and looked at this strange and disgusting show. The chains wriggled with their loose ends over the monster''s body and Dan couldn''t make a move to the enemy. He was afraid he''d be hit by the skill effect. \"Do grace, show respect to a respectable opponent. Kill him!\" The voice of the sword was ringing in his head. Dan woke up and came quickly to Draugr. The sinner hit the monster on the head several times. Such a victory did not bring any joy. Dan felt bad as if he had bathed in a bath with disgusting contents. He took one look at the draugr''s body, quickly took the trophies into his inventory. There were no cursed artifacts. But the sword was very good! Dan heard the sound of battle! This is no time to collect trophies! The sinner called the pet, and they rushed to help their partners. At Anna''s feet, when she activated the scrolls, there was a dead zone where the enemies were standing. She couldn''t see them and now the hunters had many new targets to work with. Anna laughed and cast spells in all directions. It was as if the players had gone mad and lost their focus and restraint. The figure of the warrior dealt quick blows and managed to evade the return attacks of the enemy. Next to the warrior roared and pawed a small bear. It was only level 9 but had already grown to Pussy''s size. Next to them circled in a deadly dance, a furry figure of a dangerous creature. Scout, John''s werewolf had taken many levels and now showed how dangerous werewolves are in battle. He was taller than his master when the werewolf stood on his hind legs, he rose above the figures of the players. Scout would choose his victim and jump towards his opponent, he would knock an enemy down and start tearing him down with his claws and teeth. John was laughing and was already teasing Nick for greed. Kill, Ranger''s werewolf remained a small, humble wolf. He was smaller than all the other pets. Even Alexander''s bear was bigger! But the werewolf had a lot more anger than ordinary animals. The wolf could also knock his opponent down, he could chew and tear with his claws. It was impossible to sneak up on Nick and Anna unnoticed. The pet guarded his master reliably. Nick did not always have time to kill the enemy, and the enemy was close to the ranger. Then on the way of the enemy stood Kill and justified his name, destroying another monster. The hunters temporarily lost the sense of reality, completely gave up the battle. They stopped when everyone saw the message from the game: :* [Congratulations! You found the location of ''Ruin of Galatea''. Type: normal. You got a new quest: ''Cleansing from Filth''. Quest type: normal Reward: Variative. +50 Fame points Attention! By clearing the desecrated location, you can get a unique quest] * Anna, who first received such an unusual ''normal'' quest, asked a question: \"And what does that mean?\" \"It means that the big brother who''s watching us is a big greedy person!\" said John. The guys laughed and Nick explained to the girl what immediately occurred to the assassin: \"Now there''s going to be more experience for killing monsters. Do you imagine how much experience you could gain? Almost twice as much!\" Anna frowned and put her finger on it: \"You don''t have to provoke the game. It was a very tricky action, but you can''t play this way. It''s almost cheating! The game punishes cheaters. It''s enough that I can become an expert on the Earth! I have to go to town, I have to confirm my new rank.\" \"Attention, clan! I''ve taken the quest. But I have no desire to destroy the undead at night. What shall we do?\" Alexander laughed: \"No fighting with monsters. Our pretty girl did a good job. Anna, you''re going to the center of the square. Our pets will guard you. The others are collecting trophies. There are almost 5,000 bodies! We''ll be picking until morning.\" Dan was laughing. \"I just remembered carrying trophies from the vampire''s grave to the castle. We''ve really got a lot of unpleasant work to do.\" \"Well done, boys, get on with it. And I and the fuzzies will keep order.\" Anna went to the center of the square. The pets remained in place, but quickly received a command from the masters and ran to guard the magician. It was a boring and long job. Skeletons and zombies, banshees and ghouls were left on the surface. The player would go near the remains and agree to collect the trophies. The trophies were transferred to the inventory. The player took a step toward a new target. Not a single coin escaped the clinging hands of our heroes! The game was logical and fair. When the trophies were taken from the opponent''s body, the body disappeared. The guys went back and forth, they came to Anna and unloaded the trophies from the inventory. The mountain of weapons was growing. Dan got an important assignment, looking for archery skeletons. With his luck, he could count on better prey. But it turned out to be a stupid task, Dan got tired of looking for the remains of archery skeletons and began collecting trophies from all the skeletons in a row. The guys agreed not to make life harder for themselves. At one moment, everyone realized that the job was moving very fast. One hour had not passed, and there were almost no undead remains on the square. \"You''re fine, but I''m going to be in the vault all day looking for all the wealth,\" said Nick sadly. \"We''re not complaining. The three of us are definitely going to stay here. We''ll sleep in a house with a rebirth point, and in the afternoon we''ll clean the city from the dead,\" shouted John. \"I agree! I need to develop my Teddy,\" said Alexander. \"I''m ready to stay, I''ll tell you some important news. I got my specialty in ''Rune Expert''. And it scares me a lot.\" Everyone''s looking at Dan. Nobody understood his worries. The sinner explained that he would now receive additional Spirit points from the game. And that''s not good! He''ll increase his time in Living Dead status. This is very bad. John was the first to express his point of view: \"You''re a smart guy, Dan, but sometimes you say stupid things. It''s a very tricky game. It''s insidious and cruel. According to her, you betrayed the spirit''s way. But that''s not exactly true, brother. You''ve stumbled and lost the Spirit''s way, but the Spirit has not betrayed or forsaken you. The Spirit is your main weapon and your main defense. It is not known what danger you will face, but only the power of the Spirit will help you, Brother.\" \"That sounded very religious and solid, John. I agree with you. Dan, you''re with us, we''ll be there for you. I don''t want to talk about my fervent desire to have a Master of Rune in the clan. Then we won''t need all those pitiful trophies,\" said Nick. \"That''s right, the sinner. Do not forget the possibility of repentance. These guys at the Company have grounded the game to our brains. If there''s sin, there''s always the possibility of repentance. Don''t lose faith in yourself and the best in yourself. And show me the Draugr sword. I saw it. It''s my size. I don''t like that vampire toothpick!\" laughed the warrior. Anna wasn''t sitting still. She came up to Dan and started asking her uncomfortable questions: \"Why didn''t you turn into Draugr yourself? What are those creepy chains in your inventory? Did you see that? He pulled some chains out of the inventory and swaddled the little Draugr like a mummy. You''re a scary man, Dan. We can''t make you angry. You''re scary in anger.\" Dan didn''t know which question to answer. He said that his chains were a skill. And a skill can only be used once every 24 hours. And he doesn''t want to turn into a draugr. All the starts to feel is cold and hungry and angry at his enemies. There''s nothing good about being a dead warrior. And in the state of the living dead to be strange, he feels everything, but there are unpleasant moments. It seems to him that he does not see all the colors, that the food becomes tasteless, it is difficult to explain in words. Anna fell behind the embarrassed sinner and saw the skeleton of a swordsman who went out into the square. The magician threw the curse of ''the Swamp'' on the skeleton and screamed with a loud voice: \"Pussy! Teddy! Kill! Get that bastard killed. Scout, sit tight, they got a lot of training to do.\" She wasn''t scared of werewolves at all. The guys wouldn''t tell her about their confrontation with werewolves in detail. For Anna, they were two of their own werewolves. They were like wolves, only much stronger and more useful. When they collected all the trophies, the guys had to work as loaders. They''d run to the suburbs of town and carry the trophies to a house with a rebirth point. The building was in good condition. The room was large and the stairs to the second floor were intact. Dan had already firmly blocked the exit, he had moved many large pieces of stone and put a good obstacle at the top of the stairs. There was no furniture in the room, but he rested well when he slept on the floor. During his sleep, he was guarded by Pussy. The boys did not complain of a lack of strength and quickly moved the trophies into the house. They ate and went to bed. * In the morning, Nick and Anna were leaving for the castle. Nick took only the gems and jewelry with him. The guys were ruthless and tough on the ranger. They said Nick had to move all the trophies to the castle vault quickly. He''s the fastest and elusive, so let him run. Anna can keep an eye on the builders. She''s got nowhere to be in a hurry. She has to deal with the new transformation of her class. Alexander said very seriously that he was impressed. He is seriously upset. Magic is dangerous. Anna must make sure that the castle''s defense against magic is at the highest level. Anna says it''s a matter of magic storage. Storage devices are expensive. But it can develop well with them. Storage drives need to be constantly replenished and it is a good exercise for the development of intellect and spirit. Nick and Anna ran away to the castle. John and Alexander went to kill monsters, and Dan started looking at the ruins. He had the greatest luck and the skill of ''See the hidden''. He couldn''t wait to develop his understanding of the runes. He slowly researched the house behind the house and collected trophies from the hiding places and knowledge from the walls of the ruins. He wasn''t worried about the guys. These people were completely calm about possible death. They weren''t taking too many risks. Dan looked in his notebook and calculated that Anna had nearly 13 million experience points! Each of the guys got about 9 million experience points. Those were huge numbers. Dan and Anna got to level 27. Nick and Alexander got to level 26, and John got to level 24. The guys were quick to kill their opponents on level 15 and level 19. They weren''t even afraid to meet the banshees. Turns out this thing wasn''t nearly dangerous to werewolves. Scout rose to level 27, John didn''t invent new development options for the pet and went the sinner''s way. He was developing a werewolf attack to the maximum. Scout had great speed, and the level of regeneration increased with the level of the pet. He didn''t react at all to the magical attacks of the evil flying undead, and in one jump he caught a banshee in the air. Then pieces of rotten meat and scraps of clothing flew in different directions from the unhappy woman. Alexander listened carefully to the assassin and learned that werewolves are completely safe for the masters and other members of the clan. The connection between the master and the pet only strengthened with their development. Alexander understood this because he had a pet of his own, which never ceased to amaze him. The warrior was interested in experiencing the discoveries that Dan had gone through. Now, Alexander knew for sure that these animals had a much higher level of intelligence than ordinary animals. They kept hunting. Dan suggested they kick him out of the general group and divide the experience into four. But the guys got angry and John said that ''the sinner is a diagnose''. The game allowed the players to distance themselves from each other for a short distance within the same location and successfully share the experience. Dan was working on the same street, and the guys were cleaning up the neighborhood. They told him that if he stopped getting experience, it meant they had moved too far away from him. But there were only eight streets on the square. They''d already cleaned one. Staying in town for a week is not a good idea. They''re not going to wait for Dan, and they''re going to show their best skills in monster hunting. Two hours later, Nick came running. He seduced everybody to interrupt his activities and gave them hot pies. He told the news. The builders aren''t here yet. Michael''s asking stupid questions about Anna. Anna is so excited! Now this greedy city guild of mages can choke on their greed. She doesn''t have to visit the city guild and pay in gold to raise her magic rank. The Class Choice Room gave her the opportunity for a new transformation and the opportunity to obtain the rank of Expert of Magic of the Earth. The red-headed fox sits and thinks. She has a difficult choice of future prospects for the magic class. The guys agreed that choosing a second transform is important and complicated. The third transformation is likely to bring new improvements to their classes. Anna doesn''t have to hurry and it''s good that the girl can safely make her development choices. Nick raised an important topic for discussion: \"As long as this fox isn''t around. We need to talk seriously. What do you guys think about Anna?\" \"Good girl, don''t hurt her,\" said Alexander. \"A couple more of these missions and we''ll light up in front of the city. But she''s a good girl. She''s got a couple of attacking spells to learn. And she needs to find a pet quickly. Foxes are very rare animals. Brother, have you thought with your head? Foxes in the local woods are like mammoths. There are almost no foxes left. The local hunters beat out the redheads quickly and qualitatively. Their fur market is poor,\" said John. \"Calm down, John. She wants a dragon,\" smiled the ranger. Everyone laughed. Then Dan said that Anna was fun and if Nick had other alternatives, it would be good for the clan. They need reliable and competent people. And they need women, too.\" John and Alexander were staring at Nick. He confessed: \"I''m a recruiter. But Dan isn''t the Master of the Runes yet. We''re not going to rush into clan recruitment. We will not risk it. We''re going to see what the situation with Anna turns out to be. A good girl is working in town now. Dexterity. Bow. I''m not going to give you a name.\" \"How does the Master of Rune help us? Dan, did you get anything from his hint?\" Dan looked at Alexander and confessed: \"Alexander, in this world, runes is the language of magic. In other words, right now, we have no obligation to the clan, to each other. In the language of the runes, I can make up the text of the Oath. Do you remember the Vows of the Knights? I can write an oath of loyalty to the clan so that it will be impossible to leave.\" \"That''s great news, boy. The Oath! That''s just great. What do you need to develop this skill? We will help you,\" said Alexander. \"Will you climb the basements with me in the dust? I collect the alphabet of runes, I collect inscriptions of runes, runes chains. But I know a great place, guys. We work on the Galatea quest, and I run to kill a witch. Remember our Gandalf''s torturer? She tortured him on the altar. It was painted with runes. Gandalf once painted some pictures from his memory. It''s a very promising place to develop runes literacy.\" \"There are a lot of undead people there. It''s a high-risk area,\" said Nick. \"For a sinner, it''s a walking area in the company of his non-living friends,\" laughed Alexander. Everyone looked at the sinner. Before going to bed, they talked and Dan agreed to persuade and raised his spirit to 100. The guys laughed at the sinner, who received new evidence that he is not completely lost to the world. The player who raised his performance to 100 had an achievement Adept. Dan became the Adept of the Spirit, and his characteristics of the spirit increased by 5%. He wasn''t upset but understood that the Master of Spirit achievement and a 10% increase in spirit would likely follow. The ranks of the school of magic hinted at such perspectives. Nick filled his inventory and ran away to the castle. The boys returned to their usual occupations. There was a week of boring and uninteresting games ahead, but these people knew the adventure was good when it rarely happens. And it''s even better if they don''t happen accidentally and suddenly, but warn about their approach. But with a player like Sinner, it''s hard to count on a quiet life. 29 Disagreements among clans For five days, Assassin and Berserk had fun with their pets on the streets of Galatea. During that time, each of them managed to die several times. But the cause of death was not fighting with the dead. This pair of curious players didn''t miss an important moment in Nick''s trading history. The story of a duel with a fat guild dealer did not pass by the ears of attentive players. Alexander and John decided to repeat the interesting experience and opened the possibility of a duel. To start the duel, it was required that the opponents shook hands with each other. But everyone must have a fair intention of arranging a duel. After that, the players were shown a message from the game, where they could choose three duel modes. The first mode was a duel before the first blood. It was the easiest way to exercise well in developing strength and dexterity. The guys have already realized that physical exercise does not give any increase to the characteristics. But duels allowed you to add 10 points to strength, dexterity and Endurance. The second mode was to fight to the point of unconsciousness. Players could wound each other, the battle was fought with skills and weapons. When the player lost two-thirds of his health, he could faint from blood loss and wounds. In a real battle with monsters, it meant an early death. The results of the duel surprised the players. A duel before fainting could lead the loser to a loss of 1 point of Glory. They were never able to find out why the player had lost the Glory. Sometimes the winner conducted a beautiful combination of attacks, sometimes it was enough to win just to bring the opponent to half-death. The third mode was the real Mortal Combat mode. The battle to the death. According to the results of such a duel, the winner necessarily received 1 point of Glory, which was lost by the loser. Alexander and John were looking ahead. They both understood that the players were future rivals. Berserk learned to resist the skills of Assassin. Who chose the Diversant Transform. John was learning to destroy a warrior class player. Dan admitted a personal interest in getting Glory, but he rarely participated in duels. He proved to be an uncomfortable opponent, the skill of Autodafe began to work against opponents. John was delighted and admitted that every duel with the sinful Inquisitor taught him a useful lesson and that he had no pity for glory. Alexander once tried the skill of ''Chains of sins'' and said he hadn''t experienced such a nightmare in a long time. He remembered many of his evil deeds and even saw strange images in which he did completely unnecessary things. Anyway, the guys were glad that their sinner had found a way to gain points of glory. In the image of Draugr the sinner became a real duel champion. When Tarrok woke up, the sinner could also beat Berserker and Assassin in a normal human form. Alexander took the sword of Draugr from Galatea. The weapon was not cursed, had no vampire effect, but retained its fighting ability. * ''The Singing Blade'' Type: Elite. Damage: 800 [Critical damage: 1000-1400] Durability: 1200 Weight: 3 pounds Combat skill: ''The Singing Blade''. Spinning a whirlwind, the sword strikes a powerful circular blow, destroying anything within its blade radius. Cooldown: 240 seconds. [10/10] * Alexander was sincerely happy when he got acquainted with the new weapon. The ability to strike a blow that cuts down any enemy defense is the most enjoyable bonus for honest berserk. The damage was worthy, and the durability of the sword inspired reverence. The warrior began practicing with Dan in duels to teach him the skills of fighting with a two-handed sword. Especially useful were classes with the presence of an invisible but experienced master. When Tarrok woke up he was able to give a good lesson to his partner, Dan passed on his knowledge to Alexander to the best of his ability. \"Alexander, you did the right thing when you refused to use the vampire sword. I don''t trust things that can drink someone else''s life. I think a vampire sword could have turned into a dangerous artifact and awakened to live,\" said Dan. \"Like your cursed sword? Dan, I wasn''t thinking about the danger of a vampire sword. But it''s nice to have an elite two-handed sword. I''m sure the next transformation will allow me to completely abandon the use of the shield. But in return, I will gain new combat skills. Your status as Dead Inquisitor gives you a chance to increase damage by 100%. Your cursed sword makes you a master of battle. But that''s where your perspective ends. This is an unpleasant fact for the clan,\" said the warrior. Dan smiled and said he''ll try not to fall into a new game trap and come up with something for his development. Nick was running back and forth, he met the builders from the guild. Three masters worked with magic. The special magic of construction kept the local masters from getting their hands dirty. In three days, the workers increased the durability of the castle, reinforced the walls and provided additional magical protection. Nick escaped to Dor and sold a new shipment of weapons and jewelry. He found the trading situation strange. The city wasn''t actively fighting the monsters at all. There were monster hunters and specialists in the fight against the undead. But all this looked ridiculous and not serious. People weren''t fighting enemies, they were keeping order. Nick didn''t understand why his product was in demand. There were smiths in town that could fully satisfy all the demands of local adventurers. But the weapons were very expensive and Nick had a great trading operation. He quickly sold trophies from Galatea. Eventually, he smiled and told himself it was a game, it had its own rules. He bought five magic storage devices and paid 15,000 gold coins for them. Now they''ve increased the castle''s protection against all kinds of magical damage by 80%. There was no specialist to activate the defense against the \"magic of death\". There were specialists in Necromancy, there were demonologists in the city, but Nick wasn''t a person who had complete trust and respect. Nick had time to learn new rumors and news, met with interesting people and returned to the castle. Anna made her choice. The magician''s path offered six transformations to develop his class. Each magician could become a true master of his element. For the magician of the Element, additional skills and spells in the chosen element were opened. There were two universal directions for development. A combat mage was able to enhance the overall condition of his character. Battle Mage could improve its strength, health and dexterity. To confidently conduct combat, he needed to develop intellect, which increased the damage from spells. The second universal way was the path of common magical development. The magician remained a weak man in rag armor, but he improved his intelligence and spirit. Anna did not go the path of specialization in the magic of the Earth, she was not attracted to the path of a war mage, and she chose the path of the Sorceress. She didn''t hide the fact that the ultimate goal of her development was the rank of Archimage. When she found out that she didn''t have to go to the city guild of magicians, Anna realized that she had made a very good choice. Requirements for the rank of Magister at 320 points of intellect and 80 points of spirit no longer seemed impossible to achieve. Nick was worried about his girlfriend, her life reserve of 1200 hp frightened him. The question with the pet for the girl also gave no answers. Anna wasn''t trying to get a protector. She didn''t want to share her experience, she had a long road to the top of the class. She had enough defenders. She laughed and comforted Nick: \"When we meet the dragons, we''ll strain ourselves. It''s interesting to get some kind of magic bird as a pet. Flying is just a delightful opportunity. I still have a long way to go to work as an air Magister! And they''ve all been working. Nick joined the guys in Galatea, Anna never left the castle. She needed to put her Alchemist specialty on a normal, standard development path. She liked the castle lab. She had little free time and no time for stupid fights with the dead. It''s entertainment for boys. The boys had fun, fought in duels and soon the reward found its winners. And they were not indifferent in the face of new surprises. * [Congratulations! You successfully completed quest: ''Cleansing from Filth''. You get +1 to all the characteristics. +5 Fame points The ''Shoulder to Shoulder'' clan gets +50 Fame points. Attention! Your Clan is honored to perform its duties. 50 ''Glory'' points have been received. Your Clan''s overall status has been changed to ''Rumors confirmed'' and you have received the second level of fame. Up to the next level of fame you need to score two hundred more Glory Points. Now your Clan can count on more tasks and more details, the traders will give you a significant discount on their products. Attention! The unique quest ''Galatea Renaissance'' is available] * The guys got acquainted with the features of the unique quest and realized that the choice is very difficult. There was no desire to do this quest. There was no punishment for ignoring the quest. The clan had the opportunity to get into its possession of the whole city! This promised a lot of profit and prospects, but also caused many unpleasant thoughts about responsibility for the decision. Everyone understood that the city was power. Power is a responsibility, it is intriguing, and it is a lot of leadership and possible problems with the local population. It is not known what aristocrats will remember about their ancestors who flourished in the ancient city. Players have seen many flaws with active participation in this quest. The quest was not binding. The players collected their trophies and returned to the castle. They got into trouble at the castle. They weren''t expecting very pleasant guests. Michael and Leo took 20 levels and warned of their desire to transform the classes. Nick could keep in contact with Michael, they were allied clan leaders. No one was happy about the upcoming meeting with their former partners. Nick told them that urban players have a strange way of life. They''re trying to strengthen ties with the local aristocrats in every way they can. For many, the game has become a constant execution of orders and quests from the locals. The Phoenix clan had a militant group that destroyed monsters in the city sewers, but the group consisted of only four players. Leo, Michael, Gandalf and Tom were the strongest players in the clan. Sometimes Ron joined the group, but he spent a lot of time with the city''s teachers. Nick was worried Anna flatly refused to hide in the lab and not show her face. Ranger proposed to her. And he responded with a scandal. The redheaded witch took offense at him and complained to the other men. The guys'' reaction was tough and nice for Nick. Alexander and John called him a coward and a slippery bastard! \"You''re totally playing these secret games, brother! Anna''s not going to hide from these city wimps. And if they don''t like something, I''ll challenge anyone to a duel,\" said John. \"A duel is a necessity,\" smiled Alexander. \"It is necessary to deprive these traitors of several points of glory. And Nick must be deprived of his candy. Anna, give him an abstinence regimen. Nick, I didn''t expect you to be so weak. We are a clan, they are our probable allies. Probable is not obligatory or reliable. I won''t believe a word Michael says, and I don''t care much for the words of this traitor.\" Dan sat quietly at the table, unwilling to interfere with the conversation. He was in complete agreement with Alexander. The city players had betrayed the idea of fighting monsters. They got a unique chance to not just destroy monsters, it''s the basis of any game. But the players of the Phoenix clan got a bonus to this side of the game. They had the status of heirs to the Ancient Order of Monster Hunters. This status was associated with inconvenience and required little sacrifice. But Alexander, in his simple and harsh reaction, was right. Some players became ''city players''. Dan himself wasn''t in Dor, but the guys told me that the night in town was very fun. There are a whorehouse, taverns and even a theater in town! In the city, there was an opportunity not only to work hard but also to have a good rest. Alexander was determined to meet former partners according to the strictest rules of meeting guests. No honesty, full secrecy mode. Michael and Leo received the guest mode and could only visit the Class Choice room and the common dining room. John was in complete agreement with the warrior. \"The sooner we break up with them, the more convenient it was for us. I have nothing against Leo. But Michael tricked you. He used you! Anna only got three points of fame for completing the common quest. I''m sure this is about our status. We got a bonus as clan leadership. If this soldier starts making any claims, I''ll be sure to provoke a scandal.\" Anna threw a finger at the bloodthirsty assassin and said not to focus on her. She''s already received too much from the clan. But she has an opinion and her point of view is known to everyone. Nobody can trust the city''s players. Everyone decided to stay calm and behave like civilized hosts. And the guests have arrived! And the delegation was headed by a woman unfamiliar to three players. They knew who it was. It was Samantha, Michael''s girlfriend and a person who was not trustworthy. The meeting took place in the castle courtyard. Leo was quiet and smiling. He shook hands with the men, nodded at Anna and went silently towards the main tower. A couple of Phoenix clan leaders were in no hurry to enter the castle. First, Michael introduced his girlfriend to everyone: \"Greetings, everyone. Let me introduce my chief assistant. This is Samantha, my girlfriend and a very good person.\" \"How are you, Anna? We were worried when you went missing. You can''t do this to your friends,\" said Samantha in a tender voice. Samantha was a beautiful, very beautiful brunette. But her face kept a serious expression of severity and coldness towards others. When you look at her, comparison with the images of ''strict boss'', ''wicked witch'' came to your mind. The guys immediately realized that Anna was right when she described Samantha with one word ''Bitch''. It was a vulture, a cunning and greedy predator, which grows in confrontations with weak opponents. \"Sewer rats are not my friends. Oh, I''m sorry, Samantha, they''re not your friends either, you never went down the sewers. You were afraid to get your dress dirty! It''s a beautiful dress, by the way. Michael, you''re not going to go bankrupt on your friend''s outfit?\" \"I won''t,\" Michael smiled. \"You could''ve told me about your transition to another clan.\" \"I could have, that''s why I didn''t,\" smiled at Anna. \"Please proceed to the dining room. We can have lunch and keep Samantha company while you and Leo are busy transforming your classes,\" said Nick calmly. Michael didn''t take a step. Then he said in a quiet voice: \"What''s that supposed to mean? Are you implying that Samantha can''t look at the class selection room?\" \"There''s nothing curious about it. You understand, Michael, we lead a quiet, harsh life for humble monster hunters,\" said Alexander with a sly smile. \"I want to be a class scientist,\" said Samantha calmly. \"I have the right to get a class. You can''t break the alliance treaty.\" \"I''ll give you a free lesson, girl.\" A mocking voice came out of nowhere. John used the Invisibility skill right after he said hello to the knight. \"You are in the castle of those who follow in the footsteps of the Greats. We have taken responsibility for this castle. We have placed on our shoulders a heavy burden of protecting the surrounding lands for miles around. You are not one of us. You don''t deserve to be one of us. And you don''t have the right to be a perfect fighter against the monsters of this world.\" Everybody was silent. Michael tilted his head and a smile disappeared from his face. Nick was silent, he wasn''t in a hurry to interfere with the conversation. He and John had been tied up for hours of fighting, and they''d known their challenges and opportunities for successful partnerships in this world. The provocation is John''s case. Diplomacy and benefits in dealing with difficult situations are Nick''s job. \"I know the terms of the union treaty,\" said Alexander. \"Michael, we made a pact with you and your people. We knew each other. We did hard work together. You can get all the players you want in your clan. I don''t know any of them. This woman can get food and shelter under the roof of our house. She won''t interfere in our affairs.\" \"This is a breach of contract, Alexander. Nick, why won''t you say anything?\" \"I hate to discuss important matters in this place. I invited you to our house. If you accept the invitation, please proceed to the dining room. That''s where we can talk about the details of our contract,\" said Nick. At this time, Leo came out of the castle. The guy was happy. He got what he wanted. His joy in the face of general tension seemed insane. But he was met by someone who saw the best of everything. Anna blossomed with a smile: \"My knight, congratulations on your successful choice of transformation!\" \"Thank you, Anna. Thank you, guys. Do you need my help?\" Everyone''s frozen, they''ve already forgotten what Leo''s voice sounds like. He kept silent all the time because he took vows of silence. What attracted him to these very restrictions nobody knew. Leo just chose this path of restriction and told no one anything about the development of his class. \"Congratulations, Leo. We''re just planning an attack right now. We have to get through this. Thank you for your responsiveness and your offer of help,\" said Alexander. \"Goodbye,\" the knight bowed and went towards the gate. \"What about eating. Brother? I wanted to discuss one interesting event with you. Wait. Leo,\" said John''s voice. The knight didn''t even stop, he just walked out the gate. The hunters realized it wouldn''t be easy to do business with this man. Alexander gave his hand to Anna, and they went to the castle. There were many unpleasant things in this world. The weather was one of the most annoying things. The sky was constantly covered with clouds, the sun rays illuminated the world, but did not please with its bright light. It made the world seem devoid of many colors. Weak but prolonged rains did not give pleasure to the constant sensation of dampness and humidity. Having a strong roof over your head is always important. But in this world, the importance of a secure shelter was reinforced by the fact that the house can be set up bright and strong lighting to please their eyes to see clearly the beauty and features of the masterpieces of this world. One of the masterpieces of this world was cooking. Alexander was walking with Anna to the dining room and was outraged: \"Velida had prepared special dishes. She was so looking forward to meeting Michael, and this fool does not appreciate the opportunity to eat delicious food! Of course, in their town they used to visit all kinds of aristocrats. The aristocrats must have excellent cooking specialists.\" \"I agree with you. There are many good specialists in town. I''ve never visited the aristocrats, but Velida''s skill is a special case. They''re dwarves. They have their own secrets of craftsmanship.\" \"How are you doing with alchemy? Will you open the gunpowder soon?\" \"I''m fed up with you, you stupid bummer. There''s no gunpowder in this world! I''m not stupid and I can combine three elementary ingredients in the right proportions. Earth''s powder in this world doesn''t burn or explode when detonated.\" \"Anna, I know that. I''m asking you to open the local gunpowder.\" \"Alexander, there are thousands of ingredients in this world for alchemy. I think the game will prevent new means of killing. Swords and Magic. And no bombs or guns. Face it, berserk and accept it with honor.\" Alexander sighed and rubbed his baldness. He had no words to object and was quite happy with his new life. There was an open table waiting for everyone in the dining room. No one would refuse the opportunity to have lunch. Players talked about things that were unpleasant for all the participants. \"Why didn''t Dan come? He''s got a lot of trouble, I wanted to warn him. Ron had a bad quest. He has to kill Dan for apostasy and betraying the path of the Spirit,\" said Michael. \"If Ron needs to kill someone, let him try to kill someone,\" said Alexander. \"Does your former inquisitor have the right to be in this castle?\" \"Samantha, our inquisitor is our business. Our business is none of your business.\" \"That sounded rude and offensive. You don''t want to apologize. John?\" \"Michael, are you ready to fight for your lady''s honor? I''m ready to accept your challenge. Fight to the death. Just go first and get your transformation. Then you''ll save time on your way to Dor.\" Everyone shut up and kept eating. Michael didn''t understand. John''s making a joke about him or it''s a serious offer. He decided to clarify the matter: \"Are you kidding me, John? The game doesn''t allow the killing of players. Or rather, it punishes the killing of players.\" \"There''s a lot you don''t know about this game, soldier,\" said Assassin. \"I''m not kidding. In the game, it''s acceptable to fight to the death between players.\" \"Samantha, I don''t like this fun, but I''m ready to help you. I''m going to kill you fast. A few seconds of pain and you''re already in town. I won''t even take money from you for a favor,\" laughed Anna. \"Crazy witch,\" smiled at Samantha. \"The calculating bitch,\" smiled back at Anna. Michael ate and thought about how these people had changed for the worse. They weren''t interested in any cooperation. They called him a traitor and a renegade. It was a wild and unfair accusation! Nick made it clear that all relations between them could be limited to trade. If Michael wants new information on monsters, let him prepare to pay in gold for the information. These people were not worried about the fate of urban players, they were not worried about other people''s problems and someone else''s development. Michael was very surprised when he learned Nick''s level. Level 26! It''s only been a week! What kind of business is going on in the castle? What kind of monsters do they kill? Do they play in the dungeons? But it''s not enough to get this level so fast. Michael realized that the hunter clan had real secrets. And these players don''t want to share their secrets. He texted Samantha and got a reply: \"It''s okay. You go and get class development. I''ll talk about trading.\" Michael got up and thanked for a delicious lunch: \"Honey, I''m going to leave you alone for a while. I have to go to the class selection room.\" \"Okay, Michael, we''ll talk about possible cooperation here.\" Samantha felt comfortable and she was in a great mood. She was happy to meet people who were honest and good at doing business. In this matter, these players reminded her of the local aristocrats. She immediately realized that she was facing a new generation of aristocrats. Players who own the castle and the vast territory around it. Players who are independent of the city government. The real aristocrats. Who know their price, who values their principles. With people like that, she knew how to do business. She respected strong partners. But this time she came across a wall of overt negative reactions to herself. And Anna had little to do with that reaction. Anna never cared about the other players'' behavior. Anna wanted to develop calmly and leisurely. They did not have any conflicts. Samantha asked questions and received short answers. This clan was not interested in cooperation. This clan is not interested in urban affairs, and these players do not want anything to do with urban players. That was suspicious! Samantha suddenly realized that two players with advanced invisibility skills could run their own business in the city. She thought for the first time that Assassin could do business with the Killer Guild! This John was dangerous and did not hide his dislike. Samantha made her main proposition: \"I am not an enemy of your clan. I am ready to help your clan. I''m going to a city university. I got a class as a scientist, but I know that my development is too slow and imperfect. I''m willing to pay for the opportunity to get a game class. Think about my proposition.\" When Michael returned to the dining room, he knew the situation had worsened. There was no clan confrontation. But their alliance turned into two cold-blooded and indifferent trading partners. Guests said goodbye and left the Castle. \"What an interesting woman,\" said Dan. He came from the library and was happy to eat Velida''s special dishes. \"You were peeking!\" screamed Anna. \"I was also overhearing,\" confessed Dan. \"An ugly and uneducated man. I asked you to scare that bitch with your mask! And you were just sniffing around, overhearing and peeking. It''s a sin!\" \"I confess. My fault,\" smiled Dan. \"I liked Samantha, too. A simple and confident hussy,\" said Alexander. \"And I didn''t feel comfortable sitting at the same table with her. It''s been a bad day. It''s a nasty feeling at heart. We are right and we have the right to our point of view. But their visit ruined my mood. I want to go and kill some monsters,\" confessed John. \"I''m up north, I got a witch to deal with,\" said Dan. \"Dan, we''re willing to take our chances. Do you want some company?\" \"Why, Nick? I have the power to kill a couple of strong opponents. Even if she has a level 30, I''ll take my chances and call the witch into battle. If I die, the fool himself, I hope to find a temporary rebirth point in those parts. Forty miles is a long road, it''s going to be hard to come back.\" \"It will be difficult for you to reach this witch! You''re completely relaxed with your skills. You''ll meet many animals, many dangerous animals. Animals are honest, they don''t care about your immunity and good relations with dead people.\" \"All right, guys. Dan, work for the witch. We''ll take the nearest convenient target. We''ll do a month''s assignment and see what we can do next. And the city''s going to let them go through their sewers,\" said Alexander. Such perspectives were pleasant to everyone. Dan replenished his supply of food and went to kill the witch. The rest of them decided to go hunting in the morning. 30 The Witch Dan was running on his way north-east of the castle. He didn''t care about dangerous animals. Nearby ran a level 28 cat that could handle any beast in the area. There were five narrow paths in different directions from the castle. The paths were no roads, the real road started from the city gates and lasted several miles, and it had a stone base. Hunters'' possessions were large, with a map of the clan leader showing an area of nearly 4,000 square miles. Dangerous locations were highlighted in red, and Dan fled to one of the dangerous locations, to the hunters'' border. He thought it was only a miracle that allowed Jim and Gandalf to survive. The trail was clearly visible, a few steps wide, but the guys could walk about 50 miles to the village. They were very lucky not to meet any local wolves. Sometimes there were strange low stone pillars in its path. Dan would stop and inspect them thoroughly. He didn''t find anything interesting. He could only run for a few minutes. Dan didn''t want to take any chances and move with a full scale of fatigue. Two hours later on the road, the idea of going out in the afternoon didn''t seem good or smart to him. Dan was just talking about it. There''s a dangerous place ahead, but there''s a rebirth point in dangerous places. A rebirth point is a safe place, so he can spend the night in some kind of hiding place. But as he walked, he remembered the werewolf fight. There was no safe hiding place near the werewolf lair! Ask a witch to visit? Maybe that creep lives in a house with a rebirth point. The scouts couldn''t thoroughly investigate that direction. They found level 15 animals, saw level 20 predators, they had enough of this information and they went elsewhere. Dan had been walking the trail fast for seven hours. During that time, he was able to get close to the place on the scout map that they marked as the Dread Altar. That''s where Jim and Gandalf appeared. It''s been an hour since Dan was accompanied by an unpleasant company. There were a lot of dead people meeting in these places. Skeletons were level 15, they ignored the sinner. But these parasites were constantly attacking his cat! The progression slowed down a little. Pussy made it clear that the host didn''t have to worry. She was able to destroy a couple of enemies. But Dan was annoyed by the fact that she was losing health. He was worried and didn''t want to go to a dangerous place with a partner who wasn''t in full health. His inventory contained excellent regeneration enhancement potions. Anna worked hard and her potions were already superior to any product in the village. Anna gave Dan a short lecture on the peculiarities of developing the specialty Alchemist. The player had excellent prospects for development. Alchemy had to deal with three types of ingredients. These were ingredients of plant origin, extracted from animals and ingredients with magical properties that were extracted from all kinds of monsters. Local alchemists could start developing by working with one type of ingredient. An herbalist lived in the village and many hunters could boil a weak regeneration potion. But to mix different kinds of ingredients, the local alchemist had to study at the city university. And that cost a lot of money. Anna was immediately able to investigate mixtures of ingredients of three kinds. In town, she didn''t spend money buying recipes. For every open recipe for a potion, she received one point of Glory. But the game didn''t spoil the novice alchemist. If she learned a way to create a vegetable-based regeneration potion, she could only get 1 point of Glory. Then she could find a new recipe based on other vegetable ingredients, but she didn''t get anything from the Game. Her friend Nick was a major disappointment in the development of a red-headed alchemist. That rascal turned out to be the Friend of All Animals! He could kill animals, but as punishment for the game, he hardly received any valuable trophies. Anna was so counting on the archer''s help in extracting animal materials. She had to do everything herself, with her own hands. She wouldn''t waste time hunting. It''s stupid to run through the woods and kill cute animals. Anna asked Nick, and he bought some fishing nets in the village. The girl went fishing! There was a small river running next to the castle, and Anna was able to get her prey. She even had an offer to take the skill of fishing, but she did not pay attention to these little things. Fish proved to be a useful source of organic materials. Sometimes even magical ingredients could be found in Anna. Anna was allowed to have all three raw materials at her disposal and took the researcher''s wide path. As a result, she could already boil the weak healing potion! The portion restored only 100 HP, but it was for free, it was its clan production. Dan had a stock of different potions but didn''t want to waste it. He remembered the situation he was once driven into by the game. This time, he even carried a spare set of armor with him. The sinner had long realized that his life in this world would be full of surprises. And the surprise didn''t keep him waiting. But it was a pleasant surprise, even though it looked nasty and disgusting. Dan saw the altar and saw the runes on it! The player hadn''t noticed the ugly smell from the altar, and the dried blood on the altar surface didn''t worry him or frighten him. Dan even took a ragout of his inventory and cleaned some of the places on the surface to make sure he wouldn''t miss a single symbol or a single rune. Dan pulled out the notebook and worked. Pussy was guarding this crazy researcher. Soon, she signaled an enemy approach. Dan jumped off his knees and armed himself. Out of the darkness, a skeleton came out on him. A swordsman, with a shield, level 18, normal type. Dan thought the cat should be taken out of the game. No way to do anything serious! The undead wouldn''t pay attention to him, the dead would try to attack the animal, his cat. Dan put his swords in his inventory. He pulled out his notebook and turned his face down the aisle. On the surface of the ominous stone torture table were the melted remains of the candles. Dan didn''t light the candles, the light couldn''t light the sides of the low altar, and he didn''t want to draw any extra attention to himself. The player was not afraid of a sudden attack, the cat had clear orders to respond to any threat. But she did not consider skeletons as a threat. They were a hindrance, and Dan was in complete agreement with her. Pussy took up the skeleton, Dan had more interesting things to do. After a while, he was convinced that the altar was no longer of any interest in research. Pussy killed four skeletons and one zombie at that time. The little one already understood that there is a certain level of her development, the achievement of which will please her new ability to kill enemies. She felt the closeness of level 30! And she was bold and brave. Dan stood at the altar and didn''t know how to find the witch. Waiting for her at the altar? Wrong decision. There''s no telling when the witch will come with the new victim to have another session of torture. Why would she do that? Dan thought she might have a skill similar to that of a sinner. The more you hurt the victims, the better for the executioner. He didn''t want to wander around this dangerous place at night. He didn''t want to sleep at the altar. The player with doubtful eyes looked at the path that left the altar in an unknown direction. He felt good, he did not want to sleep. Dan went on a quest for adventure. He walked the trail and with every step he realized that the pet had to be removed from the game. The number of undead grew with each step. The sinner stopped and stroked the cat on the head: \"Rest, Honey, restore your health, if I get in trouble, I''ll call you.\" Then he went on alone. Pretty soon he saw familiar skeletons of scouts, archers, skeletons with spears, zombies and ghouls. It was strange that there was no banshee. Dan didn''t notice any harmful creatures. He did not like these flying nasty women ghosts, with dislike, remembering his fears and death in the cemetery. He didn''t see any vampires. But he did notice some ghosts. These ghosts were an undead creature who used the mental magic of intimidation. The player remembered all sorts of horrors and saw nightmare fantasies, the player froze and the ghost sucked the life out of man. These creatures were attacked from a few steps away. Nasty opponents for honest warriors. Dan was walking, reading the descriptions carefully, and he wasn''t worried. A new day had come. After midnight, he went into the live dead player mode and his mind became calmer. Dan did not become slow and stupid, he thought and analyzed everything perfectly. But some coolness wasn''t quite normal. He hadn''t figured out his features yet. They didn''t prevent him from successfully killing monsters and that was the main thing. Soon he realized that the levels of the counter undead had increased. Level 20 had become common to his dead company. Dan didn''t see any organization in dead people''s actions. They roamed around with no visible purpose. Suddenly, a stunning picture opened up before the sinner''s eyes. He froze with excitement. Dan was standing a few steps from the cliff. He almost fell down from a great height. He couldn''t see clearly what was down there and in front of his eyes, but he could see some large light massifs far ahead. The player approached the edge of the cliff carefully. And he saw that the trail was going down. Dan slowly took a few steps forward, the slope was strong but safe, he could hold on his feet. Dan noticed that on the sides of the trail there were low stone pillars, not his usual. The pillars now stood on both sides of the trail and a neat recess was made on top of each pillar. Dan immediately realized that the hollow was for oil or other liquids that could be set on fire and light the road. It was a road to a strange place. Dan already knew he was facing a new mystery. And what caught his attention most was the whitewashed darkness of the massif far ahead and far below. The behavior of the undead had not changed. Although the player knew for sure that he had invaded the new location, he definitely crossed a certain boundary. But the game itself did not warn him with a new message. The slope was losing its tilt, Dan had already gone far enough down that hollow. And finally his eyes saw familiar objects. Dan smiled at a nice picture of his eye. The crypts! Monuments and crypts! He''s in the cemetery! This may seem strange, but he''s already a little out of control. The cemetery wasn''t just a source of creepy and unpleasant memories for Dan from the battle a few weeks ago. But in that cemetery, he first started developing his skills as a librarian. Now he knew how important his specialty was, it wasn''t just a part of the game, it was the most attractive part of his new life. Killing monsters is a good and useful thing, but it''s destructive and somehow primitive. It was important for Dan to be aware of his importance as a researcher of this world, as a person of sense. Being a normal human hunter wasn''t enough for Dan. He smiled and walked carefully to the first crypt. A crypt is a wall and a roof. It''s a sanctuary, it''s what you needed to rest. To his disappointment, the crypt was an inconvenient place to sleep. The stone doors of the structure were destroyed, a player lit a torch inside the room and discovered an empty stone coffin. Dan wanted to leave and start looking for the whole crypt, but then he thought he was doing the wrong thing. This is where you can set up a temporary shelter. He put the torch on the floor and started carrying large pieces of stone to the entrance. He managed to lay the entrance almost completely with stones, he was a little tired and realized that in the morning he would have to dismantle his barricade. But he was already very sleepy. And even his tiredness was pleasant to him, it quenched his enthusiasm and desire to roam this strange place and further. In the end, Dan took out some kind of thin mattress from the inventory, put it on the floor, covered it with his cloak and went to bed. He wouldn''t call the cat. He didn''t find a temporary rebirth point. Surrounded by the undead, the cat could have provoked enemies to attack. The player wasn''t looking for attention, he wanted to go to sleep. *** Dan had a good night''s sleep. When he woke up, he wouldn''t act like greed. He took two pieces of meat jerky out of his inventory and called Pussy. The cat looked around and made it clear she didn''t like the place. But she took a piece of meat as an apology for her master''s bad taste. Dan pulled a small bowl out of his inventory and filled it with water from a flask. He drank it himself and approached the pile of rocks that had blocked the entrance to the crypt. \"You know, Pussy, I think I can get out if I climb up. Eat fast and we''ll move on.\" Pussy looked at him with a very expressive look that mixed frustration with reproach. Dan took his eyes to the side and mumbled that it was a dangerous place, and she''d better be in a safe place for now, but nothing would happen to him, he''d be very careful... The cat drank water and sat down, showing off its insulted pride. The sinner sighed and withdrew the pet from the game. The cat didn''t like it here, but Dan noticed some interesting things on the walls of the crypt at night. Now he''s at work in the morning. He was rewriting the inscriptions. He copied the images of runes and symbols. The player carefully examined the place and did not find the hiding places, but the gems and jewelry he saw and took away. Then Dan packed his bags and got out. Morning, fog and chill met the adventurer. It was useless to light a torch, a few steps away Dan couldn''t make out anything. The cursed fog stirred and inspired an unpleasant feeling of helplessness in the face of an enemy attack. Dan thought that if he walked on the road, he could come to an important and interesting place. And he came to a place like this! He did not often stop at monuments and crypts, but this time the sinner could not pass by. He saw the crypt whose walls were decorated with beautiful images and many runes and symbols. Scenes of fights with monsters carved on a stone surface had inscriptions that told about feats of the hero who found eternal rest in this place. Dan took out a notebook, threw the torch at his feet and began to sketch valuable information. He paid no attention to the world around him. Suddenly, he heard a familiar sound behind his back. There were many new sounds in this world that came into the lives of players. The sound of the sword, when it leaves the sheath, was familiar to every hunter. Dan froze and instantly removed the notebook and took out the sword. He turned abruptly and saw a familiar figure coming out of the mist on him. It was a draugr. And this monster had intelligence enough to see the sinner as an enemy. It was proved by meeting him on the ruins of Galatea. Dan realized that his skill had many nuances in it. He was ready for battle. But he took no risks and activated ''Horrible transformation''. The world finally lost its colors, the sinner felt anger at the enemy, which prevented him from doing important work. Needles of cold pierced his whole body, but then the pain went away, and there was an unpleasant feeling in his whole body. But Dan knew that his agility and strength hadn''t suffered. He had prepared the sword to strike. Prepared it to activate the ''Chains of Sins'' and ''Autodafe''. But he froze surprised by the strange behavior of the enemy. Level 39 Draugr has stopped. The monster bowed his head to his shoulder and began to look at the stranger. The dead warrior''s hand put the sword in its sheath and an unpleasant sound was heard in silence. It was a loud rustle and crackle, but the sounds were adding up to words. Words were heard in an unfamiliar language. Draugr asked: \"Who salue tvoy trecke?\" Different thoughts flashed quickly into Dan''s head. He was ready to attack the enemy, was interested in a strange language and almost understood the meaning of the question, and even knew the answer. But the sinner had no absolute certainty. He was prepared to activate his attack skills and answered quietly: \"Sardar.\" Draugr was silent and stood still. Then he turned around and went into the fog. Dan suddenly realized that no witches in this place would survive. And he didn''t belong here! He has a quest, a debt to the clan. First the case, and then he''ll be satisfied with his personal research and interests. The sinner removed his sword, raised his torch from the ground and went up the path. He went up the hillside and thought that this place he would explore for a long time. Several important inscriptions on the walls of the crypts he had been able to decipher were enough for Dan to make an important discovery. He didn''t just discover a cemetery. It was a cemetery of ancient monster hunters! Dan didn''t understand one thing, how could they die if they were immortal? On the other hand, even gods can die in this cursed world! Too many mysteries. He''s got a lot to work on. Now he was doing a simpler job, he was looking for a witch. The sinner went back down the altar and called Pussy. The cat started his hunt, Dan continued his hunt. He carefully researched the space around the altar. But he couldn''t find any path. Maybe this witch can fly, he thought. He couldn''t find any sign of the witch. He got angry, and it''s a good thing he wasn''t in a dead warrior''s condition. He thought he was ready to take out his sword and start chopping trees with anger. In the end, Pussy was angry about his master''s condition and she pointed Dan to the traces left by his enemy. The cat jumped up to the sinner and hit him with her paw, then walked away and he realized that she had found the witch''s trail. Dan took a few steps after the cat and saw that he was standing on a narrow path. But he was definitely looking at this place! Is this some kind of witchcraft and diversion? \"Pussy, you''re good, you''ve been a big help. Let''s go and find this scum.\" He took the path and soon met his target. The witch was no longer hiding, she stood on the path and laughed: \"You''re so stupid. Why did you come to me? Another hunter in search of prey. You found your death. But first I will play with you,\" said the witch. Dan looked at her and saw that she was strong. The witch was 32 levels. But she wasn''t triggered by the ''Cognition of evil''. So she was a local woman who took the villain''s path. Dan wouldn''t move, he would activate ''Autodafe'' without a word. The skill worked but strangely. The witch didn''t feel any threat, she just saw a strange gesture from a stranger. The gesture seemed insolent and defiant to her. \"You''re too bold, boy, my servants will teach you a good tone!\" And at that moment two male figures came out of the forest behind her back. Dan kept a close eye on the new enemies. Strong bodies, but slow motion. The enemies were moving like zombies. But they certainly weren''t dead. Skills. ''Cognition of evil'' didn''t work again. But Dan had enough to look at men more closely to know they weren''t zombies. The men''s bodies were bloody and cut up. Dan noticed strange scars on their faces that looked like symbols carved into the body. Dan took a closer look and realized he was right. It''s the ''Dolls''. That''s what the inscriptions on his opponents'' faces said. One man was 24 levels, another was 28 levels. At that moment, a witch reached out and whispered something in his direction. Dan wasn''t waiting anymore. He did not want to turn into a draugr again, he felt too disgusted when he returned to his usual state. But he had another ultimatum weapon, too. They cursed each other at the same time! The chains of his sins flew from the sinner''s body to the witch, he froze. Dan felt the blood boiling in his body. But at the same time, he wanted to fall to the ground and rest. Only a dream of salvation would help him live through that curse. There was a noise in his head, fragments of a strange battle in the woods. Some kind of animal was killing people. The terrible beast was just tearing poor hunters apart. Suddenly it became clear in Dan''s head, he heard a loud woman scream and clearly saw that his Pussy was fighting the enemy while he stood there like a fool and looked at his strange fantasies. Dan jumped up to the man who tried to stab his cat with a big knife and deftly knocked off the enemy''s arm with a weapon. Then he gave the command to the pet, Pussy bounced off his opponent in a flash and rushed to the cripple. Dan started killing the man who was coming off the ground. The sinner wasn''t paying attention to the blood. The man''s almost complete absence of a face on his head didn''t bother Dan. The cat practically ripped all the skin off his opponent''s face. The sinner made two strikes. One he cut off the enemy''s head, and the other hit right into the body. You can''t play with these guys, strange enemies, strange! He is already accustomed to the conditions of battle with monsters when you can see a strip of the health of your opponent. It was convenient, it was unrealistic, reminded that the whole world is a game. Dan was addicted to monsters. But now it''s the first time he''s killed a living person. Local people. He wasn''t thinking about responsibility. They attacked him. He wasn''t worried about the witch, either. The woman cried out in pain. 108 seconds of suffering and nightmares, baby! I''ll remind you of a young man named Gandalf, you evil bitch! He gave the order, and the cat left her enemy alone. She killed him. Dan saw a funny moment once again. Pussy sometimes expressed her triumph after the fight just, she could jump right up. It was an unexpected and funny sight. Dan looked at the menu and saw two reports of his experiences. Now there was the main adversary, and the sinner approached the witch. She was no longer screaming, she was moaning in pain. Dan smiled, he saw the skilled picture very well, from this picture you could see how much time was left until the end of the spell. The witch''s throat was bleeding. The woman could not be called beautiful, the face of an ordinary woman, but now she could be called a disgusting freak. The witch''s face blushed and was distorted by suffering. She wheezed: \"I give up, master. Leave me alive. I will pay! I cannot die.\" \"It''s a strange world, witch. There are enough people in it that can''t die. But everyone dies. Even gods and hunters and players.\" Dan put a blade point to the witch''s neck. If she twitches, if she tries to resist in any way, he''ll just cut off her head with one hand. But the witch has already given up. \"Why did you do that? I''m not your enemy? I pray for forgiveness. The Master was talking about people like you. We are on the same side.\" How interesting! A witch has a Master! Let''s hear what else this thing has to say. Dan knew he was disgusting, he stood there and watched the agony of a living person. It wasn''t a good woman who personally was very unpleasant to him. She tortured Gandalf. But at the time, the sinner understood that he was being inhumane. But Tarrok was asleep and stayed out of his head with suggestions to \"honor a worthy opponent.\" The time of the skill was running out. The witch did not say anything anymore, she moaned and it seemed that now her eyes would fall out of the eye sockets. In the final seconds of the action, Dan pierced her throat with a sword. Then he punched another blow to cut off her head. The locals had an abominable sense of justice. The clan took a quest to kill the witch. Proof of its victory has to be provided. * [Congratulations! You have completed the quest ''Kill the Unclean''. 12 points of Glory have been obtained. Got 24000 points of experience] * Dan immediately reported Nick''s quest: \"I killed a witch. How''s your day?\" \"Well done. I''ll trade her head for 40 gold. Was there a problem? We''re good. We''re having fun.\" \"No problem. I have news. It''s interesting. I''ll search for her house. I''ll look for the cursed artifacts.\" \"Work the Inquisitor. Well done. If you see a fox, tell me for sure!\" Dan smiled, the ranger couldn''t calm down and wanted to impose a pet on Anna''s neck. Maybe he was right, his cat was a good helper. \"You''re my pretty girl. Pussy! Stop eating human meat! You can''t eat human meat! Get away from that poor man. It''s not his fault.\" Dan knew it was the poor adventurer''s fault. Everyone in this world is to blame. This man''s desire for wealth has taken him to dangerous places. Nick already told the guys that all these ''advanced dead'' are the result of local hunters'' greed. The locals are getting into dangerous places! There''s not a piece of flesh left in cemeteries to feed the dead for a long time. But there are always those who like to dig in other people''s graves and crypts. Dan collected the trophies and the bodies of his enemies are gone. The witch''s head didn''t disappear, and the player put it in his inventory. There was no booty from the hunters'' bodies. From the witch''s body, he got a torture knife, some nice rings with a boost to intellect and a small book. The book had a leather cover, and Dan immediately realized it was human skin. He decided to get a good look at the late trophy. Now he was walking down an inconspicuous path towards the witch''s house. She has to live somewhere. Somewhere she has to store her supplies and her prey. The trail led him to a small house. The house stood on a meadow, all overgrown with bushes and was completely unnoticeable against the grass. Dan pulled out his sword and entered the house. Pussy went straight into the corner and froze by the bed. Dan came up and saw the baby. He stood there and looked at the little girl. Who was sick. She was awake, but her eyes were closed. The girl was moaning quietly. It was visible that she was crying. Dan wasn''t ready for that. So what''s he going to do now? \"What are you going to do now, player?\" The quiet voice behind his back made the sinner freeze and prepare for battle. 31 Warlock and Queen of spiders \"You''ll give me my student records. Now. You''re not ready for this kind of knowledge. Not yet.\" Dan saw a message above the old man''s head. It was a magician, no doubt it was. He was wearing a robe that was all covered in runes chains. The magician had on his head a hat. The magician leaned on a large staff, which was crowned with a large dried bone paw of a bird. * Karakar Warlock. 107 level. * Dan knew right away he couldn''t handle this opponent. But he also saw the eyes of an old warlock. There was no aggression in the warlock''s eyes. In his eyes, the sinner saw the calmness and wisdom of a man who was confident in his power. Dan took the witch''s book out of his inventory and silently stretched it towards the warlock. The book broke out of the sinner''s hand and flew towards the warlock, who cleverly caught it and hid it in one of the pockets of his robe. \" Wise move. Do your work, player. Then we will talk,\" said the warlock and left the house. Dan stood there and didn''t want to turn around and face the child. He looked around and saw that the witch was practicing bloody rituals in the house. In one corner, he saw a strange stone circle on the floor. The circle was black with dried blood. And Dan had a good sense of magic in the house. Strange and bad magic he felt around him. Suddenly, the pieces of the puzzle formed a picture. A witch. With a child. She became a student of an old warlock and learned how to maintain life in her child. It was a terrible way, but the witch chose this way. And Dan didn''t have a choice. To take the girl to the castle? No, he wouldn''t do that. The girl wasn''t evil. But she didn''t belong in this world anymore. Damn it all, Dan thought. Then he took the cat out of the game. Then the sinner took the dagger out of the inventory and hit the baby in the chest. He killed her with one blow. The little girl barely had the sparks of life. * [Congratulations! You have completed the quest to kill the Unclean. You get +1 point of spirit, you get 120000 points of experience] * Dan whispered the words of the curse again and went outside. The old man sat on a rock at the door to the house and enjoyed the warm weather and the absence of rain. He looked at the sinner and smiled: \"The right choice, player. You chose life.\" Dan didn''t understand the meaning of those words, but then he smiled sadly: \"You''d kill me if I showed weakness.\" \"That''s right. You''re an interesting player, a fallen inquisitor. And you wear interesting things. You think you''re ready for that kind of fate?\" \"I don''t think, I don''t know. Why you call me a player. Don''t tell me you''re an agent of the administration. I won''t get over it.\" \"Administration. That''s not a nice word. But I hear you. I respect Anyge, but my path is long away from her temples.\" \"Anyge, Mother of God.\" Dan was silent. He already knew the beginning of the creation of this world, but now he didn''t understand the old man''s words. The old man calls him a player, but he doesn''t explain. It''s hard to deal with a wise and secretive man. And it''s also not known if this warlock is a man. He teaches dangerous magic! \"You''ve learned so much so quickly, Dan. You know, in the ancient language, your name means ''Judge''. Funny you should be able to judge, fallen inquisitor.\" \"You know a lot about me. You know about people like me, about players.\" \"Now you know that I know, too.\" \"But I''ve never met anyone like you before. Local people and dwarves don''t call us players.\" \"So they respect their gods well.\" \"And who is your god?\" Dan knew right away he was asking the wrong question. So he decided to make it right: \"Sorry, it''s not my business.\" The old man laughed: \"It''s really not your business. But I''m not sure what you know about your business. Do you know who your god is? You don''t have to answer that, boy, it''s not my business.\" Dan kept quiet and tried to catch the tail of the idea, he thought he was saying stupid things. He has to say something important. But what? Quest! This old man''s a warlock can give him some kind of quest! It''ll be a very powerful task. \"Honored, I''m not sure, but perhaps we have something in common? Is there anything I can do for you?\" The old man scratched the sharp tip of his nose and thought. He took a close look at Dan''s belt. Dan saw that look. The gaze towards his cursed artifact, he noticed it well. The Karakar warlock turned to the side and said: \"This book is on your belt. You can''t get rid of it. There''s nothing you can do for me.\" The old man turned his head and looked into Dan''s eyes, he saw something in the player''s face. No doubt the old man saw something important to him because he frowned and whispered: \"Only I can help myself. Boy, you started a dangerous game. I hope to never meet you again. Don''t look for me, I''ll fly too far from these places. But even if you can get to me, don''t do it. There''s an unfinished deal between us. You gave me mine back. What do you want from me in return?\" \"Knowledge,\" said Dan. He never doubted for a second. The old man smiled. \"Good boy. It''s a pity that the Judge. The world falls into an abyss when a child starts to judge it.\" And Dan saw the message. * [Karakar Warlock would like to give you the skill of the Eye of Wisdom. Do you agree? Yes/No] * Dan immediately accepted the offer. And he was happy to get another message. * [You have learned the skill of the Eye of Wisdom. The skill allows you to see the meaning of the phenomena and creatures of the world around you.] * Dan didn''t understand what he could see now, but he realized that the gift was very useful and would serve him well. The sinner wanted to thank the warlock for his gift, but he saw that the warlock had disappeared. He vanished into thin air! He used the Invisibility! Dan laughed, he couldn''t be fooled by such tricks. Dan stood by the stone for a short time and returned to the house. He hoped that the corpse of the child had already disappeared from this world and that he could find the stash and the cursed objects in peace. He froze on the doorstep. The girl''s body was lying on the bed. Dan didn''t want to conduct a search in the house with the little body of the girl he had killed lying next to him. He stood there trying to find a solution in this difficult situation. Then he shook his head. He spent too much time playing this game! He completely forgot what it was like to be a normal person. Dan came out of the house and knelt down. He took the dagger out of his inventory and started digging the grave. The cat sat next to him and watched the owner''s work. \"Pussy, go and kill some bunny. Or a skeleton. Go for a walk.\" She jumped up and ran towards the trees. It was a good thing to do. Dan buried the girl and went back to the house. He took a good look around the whole place and found two stashes. The witch kept a lot of money and a very good stock of herbs. Dan was surprised not to find a stock of prepared potions. On one of the shelves, he found some vials with mana recovery potion. He thought the witch used to be an herbalist and persistently experimented on trying to find a medicinal potion for her daughter. But the only solution she found was magic. Dan looked at the stone circle in the corner of the room. Now he could see a more detailed description. * The small altar. Allows to perform 1st level rituals and make sacrifices. * He didn''t want to know what rituals and sacrifices the witch was doing. Dan felt an unpleasant atmosphere in this house. It seemed like the walls of the house were soaked in suffering. But he liked the house. The walls were made of logs, there were no windows. There was a small fireplace in one corner. Dan thought this was a place to stay for the night. But it wasn''t until a little while later. Now he didn''t like the house. Dan came out of the house and sat on a rock. He thought about it for a while and texted Nick: \"There''s a lot of work to do. The runes. The crypts. It''s a dangerous place for you. There are trophies. I''m waiting for you in four days. Get some food. You''ll take the trophies. Anna will be happy.\" \"You found the cemetery. What level of monsters?\" \"20 and 30. Undead. Very much. The question is important and serious.\" \"We''re all right. Take care of yourself. I''ll meet you again in four days.\" Dan stood up and walked towards the ancient hunter''s cemetery. He was analyzing the conversation with the warlock and trying to understand the old man''s words. The old man warned the sinner that the cursed artifacts would bring a lot of trouble. But Dan himself understood that his situation was not easy or pleasant. All these questions and secrets did not like the player. He was happy to think that soon he could do an interesting and important job. The magic of the runes attracted him. He really wanted to understand his place in this world. In the daylight, Dan saw that the hunters'' graveyard was in a real hollow. It wasn''t a small ravine, but a real hollow that hid its purpose well from the surface view. An ancient trail led to the cemetery, but Dan was sure it wasn''t a popular place at all. He wouldn''t restrain himself and went straight to the center of the cemetery. And he wasn''t disappointed in the sight of it. The closer he got, the clearer he could see the scale of his find. On his way he was surrounded by several thousand dead. Dan couldn''t count them, but he could see that the number of undead was enormous. And it was a strong army of the dead, averaging 30 levels, and it served as a guard for the place. There were three white stone structures in the middle of the cemetery. Dan stopped and saw that each structure was above the main tower of the hunters'' castle. The structures were shaped like a pyramid, but the top of these huge pyramids had been cut. Dan couldn''t get close to the bottom of the pyramids. He was no longer helped by the condition of a living dead player. The undead was worried, and he felt like skeletons could attack him at any moment. He finally decided to go back to the beginning of the cemetery, when he saw that there were several dozen level 30 draugrs ahead. The sinner did not want to become a colleague of these dead warriors at all. He turned around and went to explore the crypts at the cemetery entrance. It''s impossible to get everything at once and quickly. He had enough time to show his curiosity the next day. The skill of the Eye of Wisdom proved to be a good gift, it was passive and Dan had to develop it from the very beginning. But already now, Dan sometimes noticed interesting objects that he hadn''t paid attention to before. Dan spent most of his time sketching the inscriptions and replenishing the stock of symbols and runes. He read the stories of dead hunters and realized that he would soon be able to surprise his friends with unusual news. With Pussy, he decided the case was simple. He couldn''t refuse to let her want to hunt the dead and just let the cat go on a free hunt. She ran far from Dan and killed dead people. She had the nerve sometimes to go after Dan and get a refreshment potion. Then she''d go back to the cemetery entrance again. Pussy realized that her master was unwilling to hunt now and was busy doing her stupid thing. Looking at the walls and writing on paper was not at all interesting to the pet. We can say that both partners have found a good business and decided not to interfere with each other to spend time in their own pleasure. *** Ranger, assassin, and warrior were doing a nice job. They were going through a dungeon that needed to be cleared of monsters. The dungeon was a convenient place to play. Alexander walked ahead and was the first to attack the monsters, Nick supported archery, and John also did not waste time and was good at helping in the fight. The dungeon was of the usual type, there were no ore reserves, only spiders and undead 20 levels. The guys were happy with the amount of experience and production. They had a large supply of potions, Nick was willing to spend time running to the castle to replenish the potions, but soon everyone realized the whole team would have to go back to the castle. They decided to take home the trophies. Why dig up the stock so they could run back and forth? The clan paid a big price for fortifying the castle and the vault had to be replenished. There was no labyrinth or branches in the dungeon. The guys would walk down the corridor and go out into the big hall, where they met a small group of monsters. And so they moved for three days. In the final room, they found the boss. They stood at the entrance to the big hall and gently looked out for a strange monster that looked like a compound of a naked woman and a spider. The Queen of Spiders was horrible. A tall, naked woman, who was added to her height by her stabby, scarlet hair. The queen''s hands were clawed, her breasts were... huge! The Queen''s face was beautiful, but it was frightening beauty. Her hair moved like a scarlet snake, an evil smile never came off her face. Eyes stared at the entrance to the hall and the queen looked closely at the three players and their animals. She waited for them to come closer. But the players were in no hurry to get close to this monster. Starting from the belt, the female body would move into the body of a large spider carcass. The woman''s head would rise above the ground a few yards high. She was exactly twice the height of a man. Scary, horror and fear! The guys could only see a little bit of information about the boss. * Queen of spiders Type: normal Status: Boss of the location Level: 30 Life: 102000 Description:? Perfect skills:? Class skills:? Fighting skills:? Immunity to arms:? Stabbing:? Cutting:? Crushing:? The magic of fire:? The magic of water:? The magic of air:? The magic of the earth:? * \"What a mysterious woman,\" whispered Nick. \"We are missed by our sinner,\" agreed Alexander. \"No, brother, I understand that he has a problem with women''s attention. But he won''t like that kind of partner,\" said John. \"You should visit the town whorehouse, Private,\" smiled Alexander. \"I wonder if she can get into this corridor.\" John looked at the guys and explained his plan: \"We''re not going anywhere near her. We have an archer. He''ll shoot twice and run away. She''s not going to come in that corridor!\" Alexander turned towards the Queen and looked at her, and then he looked at the corridor ceiling and away. He made a conclusion: \"You have a disgusting eye, Private. She can pass if she bent over. But I like the idea. 102000 healths is a lot, but we''re already strong enough. We''ve got a decent amount of damage. She won''t kill everyone!\" The Queen of Spiders killed them all. The guys have decided to launch a general attack. Berserk hit one side of the body, Assassin attacked from the other side. Werewolves and a bear attacked from different sides. Nick stayed close to the hall entrance and started archery. From the beginning of the battle, they suffered losses. The queen did not move, but her eyes were watching the players who were quietly walking towards her. And she smiled. Alexander was at one wall of the hall, John used the Invisibility skill and walked on the other side. The queen did not move. She opened her mouth and her tongue licked her lips. Suddenly her body seemed to explode and a cloud of fine drops and splashes of green flew in all directions. Alexander saw the message. [You suffered 1020 damage. You have been poisoned! You''ll receive 102 points of damage per second for 60 seconds] Nick wasn''t hurt, he realized that their plan had failed and started shooting. [You caused 240 damage] [You have done 180 damage] [You caused 240 damage] [You have done 220 damage] [You''ve done 170 damage] The first arrow hit the queen in the face. And she began her attack. In an instant, she took off and ran forward. Running past the animals, she hit them with such force that the werewolves flew in different directions. The bear jumped on her and caught his fangs in one of her six legs. Before Assassin and the warrior could think of the need for an antidote, they threw themselves at the queen. The queen paid no attention to the arrow damage, she jumped up to Nick and hit him with her claws and two front paws. Ranger died instantly. The queen wouldn''t turn back on her enemies, she jumped up and ran up the ceiling! Players froze. They couldn''t run that far and high on the walls. \"Antidote! Johnny, drink the antidote, you fool!\" shouted Alexander. \"Yes, brother, now. How fast it is!\" answered John. \"Call Teddy off! They''re poisoned!\" Alexander clicked on the bear picture and that was it. That''s all he did. The queen jumped him from the ceiling. The warrior felt a great weight fall on him and could do nothing. He couldn''t move, the two-handed sword was useless. John threw himself at the queen at full speed, he wanted to hit and bounce. But his attempt to strike from invisibility failed. The queen could smell her poison beautifully. And she responded instantly to the attack. The claws of her three legs met an assassin jump. One of her claws hit the head and broke the mask''s defense. The queen turned her body towards the killer and shone her teeth in a smile. She slammed something and hit it with both hands, without mistaking the place of the assassin. John was able to make several blows and died. Alexander couldn''t move, he noticed with the edge of his eye that the group'' strips of life quickly lost their red color. Then he realized he could move, but the queen did not give him a chance to get back on his feet. She bounced away from a few steps and her arms and front legs began to beat the lying body of the enemy quickly. Alexander woke up at a temporary rebirth point and looked at his friends. The guys sat there and looked at him with silly smiles on his faces. \"Raising reports of combat. We''re looking at the amount of damage. Did we even get a chance to scratch that thing?\" \"I dealt 1000 damage, four shots, I couldn''t do more. She''s got a combat skill. She hits four claws at once. I wasn''t hurt by the poison. The strikes caused separate poisoning. One attack was enough for me,\" said Nick. \"She can do 20000 damage in one blow,\" said Alexander. \"2040 and add 408 hand-to-foot damage from the poison,\" corrected Nick. \"Poison is nothing, you can drink the antidote,\" said John. \"You can, but once every four minutes,\" smiled Alexander. \"The boss of the Draugr Location had a recovery time for the skills. On average, that''s 300 seconds. A mass attack with poison can definitely be neutralized.\" \"But the bitch hits too hard, and she can escape from our attacks on the ceiling. I can''t get to her with my sword,\" sighed the berserk. \"There''s no point in calling out the pets, let them recover in their sleep,\" said Nick. \"That''s right, but how do we kill her, brother?\" \"Slowly and long, Johnny,\" answered Nick. \"In this case, get your asses off the ground and run and beat that scum. Monsters are restoring health! I and John run to it and try to do as much damage as possible in one attack. I don''t care about the poison, I don''t care about the antidote. We do as much damage as we can and we die. Nikki, shoot a lot,\" said the berserk team. \"Yes, sir. I won''t miss, sir,\" said the ranger with a smile. And they ran into battle. Without a sinner with the skills of an inquisitor, these fights were a pitiful sight. Alexander confessed honestly that it was a tactic of pieces of meat. They did a couple of thousand damage and died. Nick tried to escape from the Queen in the corridor. It didn''t work out, she was very fast. He wouldn''t use the speeding skill and she caught up with Ranger and killed him with a blow to the back. But they noticed the main result of their attacks. The queen was recovering, but she couldn''t recover more than 2,000 points before another attack started. Nick asked the boys to wait for him while he ran after Anna. The sorceress herself might not have reached the dungeon. She could have been attacked by level 17 wolves on the way. The guys said they didn''t need to interrupt the attacks. Next time, the whole clan should be called into the boss. \"It''s okay, we''re going to die 80 more times, it''s nothing, but we''re going to kill this beautiful girl,\" laughed John. They died 94 more times. For their last fight, they called their pets, and Nick started the attack. The queen always went back to the far wall from the entrance to the big hall. Nick fired five shots, and all the close combat fighters poured their claws and weapons on the queen from different sides. And she died! * [Attention! Update mission: ''In the footsteps of the Greats''. Warning! Update map: 19 desecrated locations detected. 6 dungeon-type locations. Despite the difficulties in your way, you must clear 2 desecrated locations per month from monsters. If you do not complete the task, your clan will lose 200 ''Glory'' points. [64:13:46] Congratulations! You have successfully passed the location of Spider''s Logue. Award: 7 points of Glory. 1500000 points of experience. +1 point Spirit] * \"And no achievement! Dan got the Dungeon Explorer! We got nothing! But there''s a lot of experience, I can''t argue with that,\" outraged John. He was really hoping to get some kind of achievement with the poison damage. Achieving ''the Poisoner'' would be just perfect for the Assassin. But he had to accept what they got. All players received Poison Protection 1. They got the bad trophies from the boss''s body. The game once again showed that it would be hard for him to play in terms of getting the booty. It was the archer who caused the main damage to the queen, so no one was surprised by the modest award of 70 gold and 14 spider silks. There was also a ring that added 102 damage by poison. Rings with increased damage were rare. So they decided to store it in the arsenal, no one wanted to sell such artifacts. There were no cursed artifacts. Delighted 2 chests of which the guys got another 62 gold coins and a large stock of spider silk. They didn''t count the bags with poison anymore, they accumulated a lot for passing this dungeon. A rare dagger with added poison damage caught John''s eye for a while, but he wouldn''t change his weapon. His daggers were better. The boys went back to the castle. All the way back, they listened to Nick moan. Ranger needed 18,000 points of experience to level 28. Alexander was quiet, though he didn''t take the new level either. John took it to a new level and he was more concerned about his pet''s development. They thought it was a good trip to the dungeon. It wasn''t such a victory as in Galatea, but it was also a pleasant event. They gained experience fighting a strong opponent without the skills of a sinner. The Inquisitor in this game was creepy. He was perfectly equipped to face monsters. But each player honestly admitted that he didn''t want to live in this world like Dan. No one wanted to feel like an outcast and catch the negative views of the locals. Did everyone else realize? That they were a little jealous of Dan''s skills. But they weren''t going to make a problem out of it. At the castle, they were waiting for a victory dinner, they talked about fighting spiders and the rest of the evil. Anna regretted not going against the boss with them. In the morning, the Warrior and Assassin ran into town. Alexander wore an artificial cloak, which prevented him from observing. They didn''t want to draw attention to themselves. A whorehouse and a visit to the Killer Guild. That''s all the things that interest humble monster hunters in town. 32 Master of Runes Nick ran to meet with Dan this morning. The sinner said he was ready to go out on the road and meet Ranger in a safe place. When they met, Nick looked at the sinner''s face with surprise. \"Dan, how many hours did you sleep in the last 24 hours?\" \"I haven''t slept in two days. And I''m very tired, but I''ve managed to do a lot. Sorry, Nick, I barely collected any trophies. I only picked what was in the open. But I did it! I''ve changed my specialty from ''Rune Expert'' to ''Master of Runes''. I assembled a full set of runes. It''s a small set of runes, there are only 120 runes, but it''s a full set. I couldn''t stop, there was no time to sleep.\" \"On your way home, do you have enough strength?\" \"I feel good. Let''s go to the castle. Tell me about your adventures. I''ll tell you about my discoveries when we all gather at the same table.\" They went to the castle, and Nick told the sinner about the Spider Dungeon and the Spider Queen. Dan apologized for not being able to join the group. Nick laughed and said they should get different experiences from the game. It was interesting and difficult to pass the dungeon without the skills of an inquisitor. At the castle, Dan said hello to Anna and gave her a stock of herbs he had found in the witch''s house. Anna kissed him and ran away to her lab. Dan went to the blacksmith''s place. He had a question for the dwarf and he wanted an answer immediately. Turin was working, but he put his hammer aside to say hello to Dan: \"Greetings, aren''t you in any new trouble?\" \"Hello, Turin, my armor needs no repair. I''ve met unusual people and unusual places, as always. Master Turin, I have one important question to ask you.\" Dan came close to the pus and asked in a quiet voice: \"Visste du lenge at spillere dukker opp i din verden?\" The dwarf froze and was silent for a few seconds. Then he answered quietly: \"Seven years. Father of the mountains told our priests about the appearance of players in the world seven years ago.\" \"Thank you, Turin. I learned the main thing.\" \"Du har l?rt mye,\" smiled a dwarf. \"I learned a lot, you''re right, but I want to learn more. But I talked to a wise man and I realized I should be more careful when interfering in other people''s affairs.\" \"And that''s something you need to learn a lot about. It''s a shame you can''t get that skill, Master Dan.\" Dan laughed and left the smithy. He wanted to sleep, and he really wanted to sleep in a normal bed, on a clean sheet, under a normal blanket. He hugged Velida and apologized honestly: \"Velida, feed my cat. I want to sleep more than eat. Please make a meat pie for dinner.\" \"I''ll make a fish pie with a special recipe, Sir Dan,\" smiled the owner of the kitchen. Dan went into his room, got undressed and fell asleep as soon as he fell on the bed. He slept until late at night. When he woke up, he got a message from Pussy. The cat broke into his head with vivid images of delicious food that wasn''t being given to her because the stupid master was sleeping! Dan quickly washed his face and went down to the dining room. The women began to set the table, and the men sat there talking about the mine. Turin didn''t insist but said it was time to start working at the mine. A small group of mining dwarves would be able to mine a small part of the ore. Iron and copper isn''t the main thing. A batch of Adran''s ore is needed by the players. \"You have begun to fight strong monsters. I can reinforce your armor. The defense will almost double. I won''t hide it, it will be a pleasure to discover new facets of my skills,\" said the dwarf. \"The mine is safe, but the road to it is dangerous. Wolves live in the forest, we don''t kill animals on purpose. We''ll have to spend a lot of time guarding the dwarves,\" said Nick. Turin laughed: \"Master Nick, do you really think 12 experienced gnome masters would scare a pack of wolves?\" Dan looked at Turin''s level and laughed. The dwarf was level 37! The best masters will go to develop a mine with a valuable breed that will eat any wolf in the local forest. \"Nick, there''ll be level 40 dwarves, they''re not afraid to meet animals. All I care about is secrecy.\" \"You know the dwarf language, Master Dan. The contract will be strict and reliable,\" said Turin. Nick waved his hand and agreed that if the gnomes agree to do business quietly and in secret from the attention of others. But he needs to meet the dwarf and negotiate the terms of the income sharing well. Turin said he had no right to enter into a contract of this level, he was not a merchant, and he was a blacksmith. They''ve decided to make time and go to Dor. Then everyone ate and told each other their news. Anna complained to everyone. That she didn''t have the skills of an herbalist to identify some of the plants that Dan brought in. He was surprised and said that he hadn''t seen any unknown herbs. She didn''t believe it and took some root out of her dress pocket and gave it to Dan: \"What is that root? I can''t see its name or its properties.\" Dan took the root and looked at it. Then he shrugged his shoulders and said: \"The root of the Swampy Golden-Eyed Jug. It''s a rare type. Sorry, but I can''t say more. I''m no expert in alchemy.\" \"It''s more than that! I don''t understand. You have the skill to recognize evil, but the ingredient cannot be evil or good. It can''t be cursed. How could you know its name? Thank you for that, I can work with him now.\" \"I have discovered the skill of the ''Eye of Wisdom''. I can see the levels of the inhabitants of this world, the beasts, and many things and phenomena,\" confessed Dan. \"He also became the Master of the Runes!\" The words of Nick, who gave away the secret of the sinner, silenced everyone. The gnomes were the first to react. They got up and bowed to the player, then sat down at the table and continued eating. Anna was silent and thought about the important question. Nick did not feel guilty. They wanted to discuss this issue during the general meeting, but the guys had already written him a message: \"We are in a whorehouse! We''re happy. We''ll be back tomorrow afternoon.\" Dinner continued in a calmer atmosphere. After dinner, Anna called Dan to the lab where he could help her and identify the rest of the unknown material. Dan called her properties and a brief description of the different ingredients. She listened carefully and even took notes in her book. When they finished the work, she stopped Dan: \"Dan, there''s an important case. It''s about me and Nick. Did I get it right that your skill in runes is a new rank in the specialty?\" \"Yeah, now I can start cautious experiments with runes. It''s possible to combine the runes with a certain effect. Protection, damage enhancement, enhances strength, protection against magic. It''s small and simple to start with.\" \"I''m interested in something else. You once talked about... That you could create a Vow for the clan. A magical oath that will have power.\" Dan sat down in his chair and confessed: \"Now I can do it. But it requires careful and careful drafting of the oath. And think carefully about the consequences of breaking the oath. I assure you, this case is serious and dangerous. In this world, an oath is not a toy.\" Anna smiled such a happy smile that Dan felt weird. He felt very good for a moment. He felt truly alive and full of the pure joy of existence. \"Girls learn the words of one important vow early on. Will you help me arrange a wedding with Nick?\" Dan hadn''t thought about using runes magic like that. He was a little scared. And he felt uncomfortable. And Nick wasn''t in the lab. The situation went beyond a simple conversation. \"Does Nick know?\" \"Nick wants it,\" smiled at Anna. \"Aren''t you kidding me?\" \"I''m going to fry your balls now. I can do that. I know the initial level of fire magic,\" said Anna. \"How can I joke and cheat about that?\" \"I''m sorry, this is all sudden. Are you sure about the text? I''m not taking responsibility for your relationship. It''s none of my business. I can help, but it''s your business now. Getting married... wedding... until the day you die.\" Anna corrected his words: \"Until death do us part.\" Dan closed his eyes and shut up, he was a little jealous of Nick and Anna for the first time, jealous of this relationship. Then he looked into her eyes, which did not lose a spark of laughter even during such a serious conversation, and said: \"I know how to perform the ceremony. Don''t worry about it. It''ll be real. I know how ancient immortal hunters made and bound their vows. You can talk to Nick any way you want. I can help you now, it''s no problem.\" \"We''ll wait for everyone. We''ll be pleased to please the boys with such an event.\" \"Then Nick should run into town to meet the boys. Bachelor party!\" \"Fiery magic,\" said Anna strictly and threw a finger at the sinner. \"Without your stupid bachelor parties and whores from the whorehouse, we can do it.\" Dan said good night to her and went to take his notes. He took notes on the clan history, added to the bestiary and the Hyde of the player. Then he sat down by the fireplace and read the books that Nick had bought in town. Dan learned the history of this world, its characteristics and made important conclusions. * When Alexander and John returned to the castle, they told the latest city news. The main news was the news about the Phoenix clan. Michael and a group of top players went to the sewers to complete a very important quest. There were some dangerous places in town. In the depths of the sewers some places led to the dungeons with very dangerous monsters. Michael decided to test his new skills, tested and took the quest to destroy the monster, which was an old terrible fairy tale in the city. In the end, the whole group died a few tens of times, until the players realized that they were not strong enough to defeat the dungeon boss. Unfortunately, the city quests clan had a time limit. The Phoenix clan had lost its reputation. John said the clan wasn''t feeling well. Most players were dissatisfied with the actions of the battle group. There were 32 people in the Phoenix clan and everyone was able to face the danger of peace when passing the survival test. Players came to town in different ways and found that for a comfortable life is not necessary to play in the heroes of the sword and magic. It is enough to perform quests of the locals and gain a reputation to get new quests. Most players did not spend points of Glory on their development. When Michael asked the players to restore the reputation of the clan and share their personal points of Glory, his words caused indignation among the peaceful players. Everyone knew that the players were special people to the locals and were treated with respect. No one wanted to share their reputation and suffer for others'' mistakes. \"Gandalf is a student of the Guild of Mages, but he develops the magic of fire. It''s a powerful, but not the best weapon in the dungeon. It''s dangerous to play with fire in an enclosed space. Ron has refused to participate in the quest. He said Michael needed to hire an experienced priest''s man to act as a healer for the players. The clan hired a priest. The priest is dead. That was the clan''s biggest problem. They must pay in gold for the death of a priest, bring a donation to the temple. Tom flatly refused to participate in such operations in the future. He works with the Warrior Guild and has his own company of trusted partners. He is the leader of a small group of local warriors. Valerie and Alan are busy developing in the city. Michael''s in sadness, Leo smiles and goes to the sewers alone, extracts trophies and saves gold. He took the clan''s debt for the death of a priest,\" said Alexander. \"This handsome cheater! He''s not a paladin, he''s the favorite of all the beauties in town. A silent knight with a mysterious and tender smile with pockets full of gold, he has many fans,\" said John outraged loudly. Everyone saw that Assassin was joking. But the stories about the city clan didn''t look funny. When everyone had lunch, the players gathered for a meeting on an important issue in the Council Chamber. Nick sat in the main chair and said it was time to listen to a report from their librarian and a big fan of surprises and unexpected discoveries. Ranger nodded at Dan and sat down. Dan got up and started the story. He told the story of how he killed the witch. He talked about meeting a strange warlock. He talked about finding a cemetery of ancient hunters. Eventually, he confessed that he had become the Master of Runes and was ready to work for the clan. \"You are ready to make a magical runes oath for the members of the clan,\" said Alexander. \"Yes, I can do that. We must write the text of the oath with care and attention. Each player takes the oath individually, I testify and fix it in front of the whole world,\" said Dan. \"And a violation can be punished as the killing of players? There are good penalties,\" smiled John. \"Scarier, Johnny boy, we''ll give a scarier penalty! I don''t care about the other players, I''m willing to kill if I have to protect your lives. But I will not forgive your betrayal. There''s no point in an immortal life if there are no loyal friends around,\" said Alexander. \"Dan, do you think we can do this? I''m afraid it''ll interfere with the game process. And the punishment for such acts will come from the administration,\" asked Nick. The sinner smiled and said quietly: \"We don''t do anything wrong. An oath of loyalty is a solid and worthy cause. As a last resort, the game will blame the whole responsibility on me. I''m already a violator of the game rules we don''t understand, I''ll take an oath, all this work will not work without me.\" \"You have a strange point of view. Are you sure you won''t get a surprise achievement and the right to be our ''Warden''? A lot of responsibility comes with a lot of power,\" said Alexander. \"I have interfered twice in the game process and the clan has not been punished for the mistakes of the offender. A blacksmith can create weapons, but he does not create his own responsibility for the possible deaths of innocents at the hands of a swordsman. We are all equal leaders in the clan. Any change like leadership is a matter of clan politics. I have only become an expert in the special craft of this world,\" replied Dan. Everybody agreed to put together the text of the vows and hold a ceremony of swearing an oath to the clan. Everyone was ready to take personal responsibility for this action. But this meeting didn''t end there. Dan asked everyone to listen to him carefully. His words revealed unpleasant things to the players and made them think about life. \"Nick, you have to, you owe an important operation in town. I studied the history of this Order of Monster Fighters. I''m sure we need to restore the full Order. We have 12 different classes of specialists. I met the mention of the Hunter''s Circle. The general sense is clear to me. Our clan is not taking full advantage of its position. We must restore the Hunter''s Circle. Now we have Warrior, Assassin, Scout and Magician. I''m afraid I can no longer be considered the Inquisitor. Nick, get us eight new players in town! They must be players of special character. I''d hate to shackle others with our oath of loyalty to the clan.\" All listened with interest to the important message of the sinner. Nick sat frowning and tapping on the table with his fingers. Then he began his report: \"I have three good candidates for the clan. You will laugh, but we may have a good Thief. There''s a rather interesting man there, I helped him join the Killer Guild. He works for us and is ready to join the clan. There''s an honest guy who''s just in no hurry to make a choice. He''s quietly accumulating points of glory and can get in the Soldier''s way. He''s got great potential. But he doesn''t like Michael as a boss. He goes to the sewers alone. He can''t fit into Michael''s group. His name is Richard. There''s this one girl, Emma''s very good, an archer. Anna, you know her. What do you think?\" \"She''s kind. And by the way, she can help with the clan recruitment. She''s no good as a Scientist, but she could be a clan Craftsman. She''s a dressmaker, she promised to sew me the mantle of a magician when I became a Master. She owes me one. And I remember Richard. He''s strong but proud, he never asked for my help. But he thanked me honestly for my support. He shared his trophies with me, I always enhanced his protection.\" \"It''s a pity Jim went off on a free quest, I thought he was a reliable and intelligent man,\" said John. Nick began to make conclusions: \"We can now do a good job in that direction. We can take advantage of the problems in the Phoenix clan. But I don''t like the general mood of the players. We really need Leo. He''s a nice guy and a great knight. Michael is a special case and even though he''s a soldier, I''m not ready to have this man close to our secrets so quickly. Samantha, our common acquaintance wants to be a scientist, but she''s in another league.\" \"She''s in a different sport at all,\" laughed John. \"The hardest part for us is finding three loyal players who will follow the path of the Spirit. Who can turn a blind eye to the presence of Sinner Dan in our clan,\" summed up Nick. Alexander made an unexpected offer: \"Finding players on the path of the Spirit is the most difficult moment. But we can lure all newcomers to the rapid rise in levels. Dan, we can visit the dead in this cemetery of hunters, right? You''re saying there are a few thousand monsters. Our Anna is stronger, and there are left scrolls with a powerful spell. We can go down carefully on the ropes to the area where she can see many skeletons and everyone will be happy!\" Dan frowned and objected: \"I wouldn''t recommend doing that. The fact is, an army of dead men guards this cemetery. I saw a lot of bones under my feet and it was the vampire''s bones. Jaws with distorted fangs, I knew right away. There were several battles between skeletons and vampires. It''s hard for me to admit it. But I have a strange sympathy for these skeletons. They''re mostly upraised hunters of monsters. I''ve seen a terrible fight. Once, a few level 20 skeletons caught my attention. They got together in a group and started knocking their weapons on their bones. Then two skeletons came out into the empty space in the center and started fighting among themselves. I came closer and looked at the fight. Good masters, they worked with swords as well as Stefan. It was a creepy and beautiful sight. The most amazing thing happened at the end of the fight. When the winner cut off the skull of the loser, the skeleton of the winner flashed in a flash of green light and changed its level! They had a duel and as a result the winner gained experience for his victory. He took two levels and became the skeleton of level 22. After the battle, a group of dead parted, as usual, wandering around the cemetery. I saw the loser''s sword on the ground. It''s time to pick up trophies! I came up, and at that moment magic began. The bones of the deceased skeleton moved and began to gather in the skeleton. And then the skull rolled to the body and joined the body and this loser stood up. But he was no longer 20, but 16 levels! They''re developing in this cemetery, they''re getting ready to do some duty. I''m not sure what''s important! I thought about the operation involving Anna myself. This is a chance to raise the levels! But I''m telling you my honest opinion. Don''t touch those skeletons! They guard a very important place.\" \"How could the immortal antique hunters even die? That''s the most confusing thing,\" shouted John. \"I''m not telling you anything,\" said Dan. \"I''ve already realized that sometimes with my stories, I''m a hindrance to your development. Nick, confirm what I''m saying.\" \"Guys, I remind you of the importance of being a librarian. Dan is writing the history of our clan. He gets bonuses for it! But don''t think he''s the only one who can get bonuses from it. I repeat, find the time and read his notes! It''s a great exercise for developing intelligence and spirit.\" \"I know about it, and I''m reading Dan''s notes, I''m curious about all the tricky news he''s got,\" said John. \"For reading the description of this news on your own, you get a plus to the characteristics. And words don''t give you anything,\" said Anna. \"Words are cheap, whiskey costs money,\" added Alexander. \"Anna, beautiful, can you make whiskey in the lab?\" \"This is for Velida, she has a recipe for a strong dwarf drink,\" laughed the sorceress. Everyone smiled. Velida abruptly refused to make the gnome drink for the players. No persuasion helped. She said that the gnome drink acts almost like poison on people. The meeting ended in an unexpected event for the warrior and the assassin. Nick got up and invited everyone to the wedding ceremony. John and Alexander couldn''t believe it. \"It was worth leaving you for one day. And you''ve done so many things here,\" resented John. \"Dan, you''re the one who''s going to perform the ceremony with the groom and bride''s vows based on your runes magic, aren''t you? It''s a great test of your abilities,\" laughed Alexander. Players and a family of dwarves have gathered on the roof of the main tower. The day was already climbing towards the evening, but it was bright enough. The weather was not pleasant, as always it rained quietly, and the sun was hidden behind the clouds. Turin shone with joy and said that his relative could make rings for the partners. The dwarf himself did not work with precious metals. There were enough places on the roof. Nick and Anna stood under the clan''s flag and prepared to take their vows. Dan took a blank piece of paper and an ink pen out of the inventory. The players were interested to see how the Master of Runes worked. It looked simple and clear. Nick was the first one to say the words of the oath out loud: \"I, Nick, take you, Anna, to be my wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. In this world, in the presence of the Gods of this world, I make this vow.\" Anna swore after Nick, changing the words a little to make them sound on the bride''s side. Dan would write down their words on paper. Nobody saw what he was writing there, but everyone knew he was probably making a recording with mysterious magical runes. Dan finished writing and handed out a page of vows to the players. Nick and Anna stretched out their hands, and the leaf was held with three hands for a moment. And then it flashed! He just disappeared in a flash of light and there was nothing left of the vowed leaf. Nobody noticed how the two rays of light slipped to the hands of the couple. Only the participants in the ceremony received a message from the game. Dan smiled and shook his head, then admitted he got +1 to the spirit. Anna and Nick''s reaction was more vivid. Anna squealed with delight and hugged her husband. Nick was pleased and happy, too. He showed his hand to John and reported funny: \"A Ring of Love! + 1 to all the characteristics and + 1 to Luck! And 12 more points of Glory as the first bride among the players.\" Anna added her portion to the rings'' description: \"Teleport to Nick! The Ring of Love allows you to move to your beloved. Once in 24 hours.\" \"Instant teleport to the beloved,\" whispered John. \"Guys, this is awesome.\" Alexander shook Nick''s hand and kissed Anna''s hand. He turned to Dan and said in a hard voice: \"You''ll have the text of your vows to our Clan, Dan. Now we''re going to have a celebration, but tomorrow morning we''re all going to do a good job.\" \"And somebody''s got to do a good job all night. Don''t let the recon down, brother,\" laughed John. Dan warned the joker with one phrase: \"The magic of fire is a terrible power, brother. Don''t joke with Anna, remember about The magic of fire.\" 33 Hunters come to town In the morning, Alexander woke Den up and gave him his version of the text of the oath. Dan was not surprised at the size of the penalty for betraying the clan. The loss of 50% of the points of characteristics and experience and the decline in reputation was sufficient punishment for the oath-breaker. Alexander was waiting for sinner''s reaction. \"I don''t know how the game punishes players'' killers. But it''s exactly like interfering in the game process. Alexander, maybe there''s another solution. For treason, our clan will declare a hunt for the traitor. We will kill the traitor always and everywhere.\" \"It''s an interesting decision, but I don''t think I''ll be interested in running around and catching a traitor.\" \"It might interest John.\" \"Then we must put your thought into the text of the oath,\" smiled the warrior. Nick and John agreed with the text and agreed to risk the punishment. Anna said that any bloodthirsty and destructive moments in the life of the clan she is not interested, let the men decide everything, she will take the oath with her husband. As a result, the players took the oath and were happy that they did not receive any penalties from the game. For oath of loyalty to the clan, everyone received +1 to the spirit. Dan received +5 to spirit for conducting the procedures and thought that at this speed he would soon lose the opportunity to be a living player forever. He was now a living dead player for 19 and a half hours a day. And Nick insisted that he go into town with everyone! \"We''ll need to impress the new recruits. We can take the city''s quest to destroy a couple of bosses and raise the new ones'' levels. But without you, it''s going to be harder for us to handle.\" \"Very good decision,\" agreed to Alexander. \"We need to deprive the city players of the opportunity to gain levels from the bosses. The sewers are gradually restoring the number of rats. Let them fiddle with the little things. And we''ll get the main prizes!\" \"I wanted to work with the runes. I can enhance the castle defense! But damn you, I''m ready to go to Dor, I''ll be interested to see the new monsters. There''s no way I can improve the cognition of evil!\" The whole clan and Turin have gone to town. The players have put the castle under siege. Now Velida was in no danger. She wasn''t afraid to be alone in the castle, the dwarf promised to return in two days. Their journey was quiet and peaceful. Nick immediately said he would control meat-hungry predators. The possible attack of the undead didn''t worry them. In case of great danger, Nick could grab a dwarf and run away for a short distance, the dwarf was heavy and the ranger risked falling off his feet from overload and fatigue. But there was no attack. Nick suggested that the caravans were being attacked by gangs of robbers from the city. Criminals know the movement of the caravans; it''s easy to ambush them. Turin said that''s what happens in most cases. There are a lot of nasty things going on in Dor. In the city, the players went straight to the Dwarf Quarter. Turin agreed to rent his townhouse. Nick and Turin went to an important meeting about mine development. The guys decided to show the sinner interesting places in town. The first place was a whorehouse. Dan was a little worried. In town, he was catching the wary eyes of the townspeople. He was wearing a full set of clothes to help hide his status. He had rings on his fingers from the Vampire''s Grave, a useful cloak on his shoulders. In the whorehouse, he was waiting for his first discovery. The mistress of the whorehouse looked attentively at the figure of the sinner and said that for him the price for girls'' services had been tripled. John laughed and patted Dan on the shoulder: \"It''s not easy being a sinner, brother. You ask if you need the money.\" Dan laughed, gave his mistress a few rials, and went to take a relaxation treatment. After such an important case, the guys went to a good tavern where they regained their strength. Dan said the city dishes have some features, but he''s already used to gnome food. Alexander agreed with him and added that he likes spicy gnome dishes. Velida was getting good pay for her work. But even more money was spent to buy special spices. At the tavern, there was a first unpleasant meeting with the city''s law enforcement officials. A guardsman approached the table, four other men in armor and with weapons stopped behind his back. The guardsman took out an artifact from his bag and a stone in the artifact was lit up by a yellow light. The squad leader then nodded his head and addressed Dan: \"You''re coming with us to the magistracy. You''re not registered. Those like you can''t walk the streets of our town freely.\" What struck the guys most was the fact that this guard wasn''t paying any attention to ordinary players. Dan immediately sent them a message about Chief 34 and the thirtieth levels of the other guards. Alexander looked at the city guard with a cheerful and bold look and said: \"You turned to a hunter from the Order of Hunters. The clan, ''Shoulder to Shoulder''. Now you can take your boys and go on with your work. Don''t stop us from eating.\" The Guardsman tilted his head and pinched his eyes, his hand lay on the sword handle. The guards behind his back were also preparing to attack the unknown. \"He has no registration. He has to go to the Magistrate''s office and register,\" said the chief quietly. \"I do not recommend that you interfere with this case.\" \"I''ve already interfered in this case, boy. Do you want to live?\" The chief froze. He heard a quiet whisper in his ear and felt something slam down his throat. \"Doesn''t move or I''ll slit your throat.\" \"This is an attack on the city guard,\" whispered the Chief. \"And the murder of four City Guard officers,\" whispered John out of stealth. \"For illegal claims and insulting the honor of a clan player, Simon, your family will pay separately. How will you pay for your life?\" Alexander stood up from the table and a two-handed sword appeared in his hands. The guards froze and couldn''t take their eyes off the scary blade. \"I am doing my duty. You have no right,\" resented the chief. \"Have you forgotten the ancient laws, Boy? Or were you poorly taught as a child? Are you really that stupid? Or do you have a mission from someone and intend to bring trouble to the city of Dor? We will deal with your family later. Now you will slowly put your wallet, all your artifacts and your weapons on the table. Otherwise you''ll have that interesting coin on your body.\" And the guardsman saw a gold coin in front of his nose, which was punched in the center by a dagger. It turned pale even more. It was a sign from the Guild of Killers. It was an explanation for the death of a citizen. A sign that he died as a result of a completed and paid order. Simon laid out his possessions on the table and felt the weapon removed from his throat. The player armed with the sword looked him in the eyes, and calmly ordered the guards to clean up and not to disturb the hunter to eat. All issues with the magistrate and Simon''s family would soon be resolved by the hunters. When the guards left, Alexander removed his sword and breathed a sigh: \"Weak, I was hoping we''d have some fun.\" \"A good artifact, it allows you to see the status of a man covered with amulets from recognition. It must be Magistrate''s property or City Guard property. It''ll have to be returned,\" said Dan. \"We''re not giving anything back! It''s good and pleasant to deal with you, Dan. We''ll get compensation from the relatives of this fool,\" laughed John. \"Is it that serious?\" Alexander nodded his head and said it was very serious. But city pushers shouldn''t be given an excuse to interfere with the hunters'' lives. The Guardsman had broken an ancient law. The law was passed many hundreds of years ago, but nobody canceled it. The Magistrate has no right to interfere in the affairs of the Order unless they threaten the affairs of the city. Players did not threaten anyone, they ate peacefully. The guys paid for lunch and went to get monster destruction missions. Alexander spent a few minutes in the Warriors Guild. He took over the mission, the clan didn''t get any experience for doing it. Players will help in killing the monster, but will not be members of the group and all the experience will go to Alexander and all members of his group. The guys returned to the house of Turin and found out that Nick and Anna left to talk to interesting players. Turin was satisfied. The Dwarf Elders were able to agree with Nick and the work at the mine was approved. The contract was made. The dwarf could return to the castle. When the dwarf found out about the tavern incident, he laughed: \"People have too short a memory. Master Nick is a complicated person and has chosen a difficult life, but it is possible to deal with him. Hunters have always been difficult clients, dwarves remember it well.\" \"Now we remind people of it. I already sent a man to find out about Simon''s family. We should visit his relatives. I hope he''s from an old, noble and rich family,\" smiled Assassin. *** Nick and Anna were eating at an aristocratic restaurant and waiting for players from the city clan. Nick sent two boys from the Killer Guild to look for players he was interested in. \"Don''t worry, they''ll agree to join us,\" reassured Anna. \"They may be pushed away by the need to take the oath of the clan. Now they all feel free and happy to live like this.\" \"Our life suits me. And there''s enough joy in it. And the perspectives are great,\" smiled Anna. Nick looked at his wife and removed a very useful artifact from his inventory. He put it on the table and explained himself: \"This object prevents us from eavesdropping. I''ve been secreting it with our sinner. He told me his own version of the future. And that''s a very unpleasant version of events, Anna. He thinks logically and interestingly. Some company made a contract with us. We''re part of a scientific experiment on the crossroads of cybernetics and ''brainetics''. Our brains are sending signals to some powerful computer and our brains could collapse if we disrupt the processes of this computer. And now the simplest and most important thing! We''re working on a product. It doesn''t matter if it''s a game or another means to improve people''s lives. There will come a time when the experiment will be over and the product will be ready. The company will start selling this product. Now imagine that in the village appeared a player, who saw our castle, you and said: \"I want this castle, I want this beautiful girl, and I''m willing to pay. What will we do?\" \"I''ll kill that cheeky first. Then you''ll take him into the woods and play Rambo with him,\" answered Anna in a serious voice. \"But I hear you, Nick. I was thinking in that direction, too. We have no rights at all as participants in this experiment. Thousands of people have died. This is disturbing information.\" \"I''ll be sure to give you some important information. I''ve been postponing this conversation, I wanted to talk to a few new people in the clan.\" A girl came to the table in a modest but refined dress. Against the background of aristocrats and rich citizens, she looked very dignified, unlike hunters who gave the impression of rough savages from the forest. \"Hello, Nick. Hi, Anna, I''m glad you didn''t die,\" said the girl. \"Hello, Emma,\" Nick got up and invited the girl to sit down. She sat down, and Nick started his promotion campaign. To his surprise, Emma was not thrilled to be able to join the new clan. When she read the text of the oath, she gave the paper to Nick and responded seriously: \"I''m not interested in this. Nick, I was running around the woods around town with a bow, playing this game. But then I realized I wasn''t interested. Anna must have told you that I was always attracted to the craft of tailoring. I was a fashion designer in a past life. I gained 500 points of Glory on little quests from the townspeople. And I was able to join the Tailor Guild. I could soon be a student of a good master. What do I do in your Castle? I need the city, where I can improve my skills.\" Anna objected to her girlfriend: \"It will take many years. And no one makes you sit in the castle, you can have clients in town.\" Nick was more persistent and gave the girl a list of rare materials that the clan had obtained at that time. He looked at his wife and added in words: \"Emma, I lead a life full of horrors and blood and abominations. I need you. I want to go home and see my beautiful wife even more wonderful. And that''s something only you can help me with. I want the next time I show up on the streets of Dor, the townspeople will look at my suit with envy. We are heirs to the ancient Order, we must look respectable.\" Emma thought about it, and she didn''t seem to pay any attention to what Ranger said. She was impressed by the list of materials, they were very rare and expensive. Suddenly she looked up and looked at her girlfriend: \"You got married! Officially? How did you do it?\" \"The clan is ready to do this service. I got this sly handsome guy,\" answered Anna and nodded at Nick. Emma hid the list in her inventory and nodded firmly: \"I agree to join your clan. But I''m going to insist on my active involvement in the trade in the city. I''m going to need a store, and it''s not going to be easy to reconcile with the city guilds.\" \"No problem, Emma. These are the little things the clan can easily handle,\" smiled Nick. \"Are you expecting anyone else?\" \"Yes, we''re waiting for a couple more people. Richard and Nick. Red Nick, he''s a curly and funny guy,\" said the ranger. \"Interesting guys. You''ve decided to take active steps. Samantha won''t like it,\" smiled at Emma. \"She''ll have to embrace the cruel nature of this world,\" breathed a sad sigh for Anna. A tall brunette came to their table with a serious eye look. \"I was betrayed by a request for a meeting. Master Nick, Anna, hello Emma,\" he said and saw an empty chair by the table. \"May I join you?\" \"We would like that,\" answered Nick. Richard has agreed to join the clan. When he heard about the opportunity to join the leadership team. The oath didn''t scare him at all. He only had one remark: \"Soldier, it''s okay. Good class, I saw Michael fighting. But I like Leo''s class better. You want to talk to Leo? I''m warning you, Nick, he won''t agree. He''s a complete madman.\" Nick didn''t understand Richard''s words and asked for an explanation. Richard shrugged his shoulders and said he thought Leo was crazy. He leads a suicidal life. He started to do quests alone and drink a lot. One day Richard was drinking with Leo and heard unpleasant revelations from the knight. Leo believed that none of them was worth living, all of them deserved only the right to die in this terrible world. Nick listened carefully and frowned. Another player was able to remember the details of his past life. John. Alexander and Dan were never able to remember the specifics of their past lives. Their dreams remained unpleasant but tolerable nightmares. Anna had unpleasant dreams too, but he hadn''t spoken to his wife about it yet. \"I want to help Leo, but if he doesn''t accept our offer, then you can choose from two classes,\" said Nick. \"Who else is coming? Jack''s a normal guy, we''ve worked out a bit. You could use him. He likes to run around chasing rats with swords sometimes,\" said Richard. \"Jack''s really a normal guy,\" added Emma. \"But he''s kind of silent and on his own.\" \"We''re all not much of a talker, Emma. Congratulations, it''s good to have you with us,\" was seriously noticed by Richard. It seemed like this guy couldn''t smile. But his face did not make an unpleasant impression, in his seriousness was pleasant calm confidence, which spoke about the reliability of this man. Curly redhead Nick came to the table, nodded to the ranger Nick and looked around the whole company with a wary and cunning look. He sat down at the table without asking permission and turned his head slightly towards the ranger. \"You could have said hello for decency,\" sighed Emma. \"Emma. We said hello this morning. I exchanged a few words with Richard, too. I don''t know Anna, and Master Nick doesn''t need my decency,\" said the guy quietly... \"You''re right, Nick, I need you as a specialist,\" agreed the ranger. \"Fine! Quid pro quo, you helped me, I''ll help you. And that''s where our paths diverge,\" smiled at the novice thief. Nick laughed at that impudence. He shook his head: \"No, Nikki, our paths are not diverging. But you''re right, quid pro quo. I want you to join my clan.\" Red Nick frowned and started objecting: \"Master Nick, I don''t mind joining the clan. I don''t care which clan I belong to. But I have a lot of work to do in town. You''re suggesting I go through the pockets and personal chests of your clan''s hunters? That''s not normal, I don''t agree.\" \"You get in my chest, I''ll fry you,\" resented Anna. \"I''ll sew your mouth shut. And I''ll sew your hands to your body,\" added Emma. \"Don''t worry, girls, I don''t agree to do nasty things to the players myself. It''s too early for me to do that kind of thing. The penalties are high. I don''t want to take any chances.\" \"Nick, the situation with you is simple and easy to solve. The clan needs you as a clan administrator, as a trap specialist, and we could certainly use your work in town. Read carefully the text of the oath, which is mandatory for each member of the clan, and also look at the list of skills that you can immediately get in the castle when you take the game class.\" Ranger gave the young thief two sheets of paper and started waiting for a reaction. But he got a reaction right away, the redheaded guy started giving up any leadership: \"It''s going to be impossible for me to work in the guild! I am already tense from the attention of urban killers and thieves, they are interested in the abilities of the players. And if you drag me into the management position, I''m finished. They''re not getting off me! Master Nick, they whisper about you and Master John all the time, I''m tired of answering questions. They don''t believe what I''m saying and they''re always coming to me. It''s completely impossible to work.\" \"Read the documents carefully. I don''t understand how you want to be an adept specialist with such an explosive nature,\" said Nick. Then he told the redheaded thief about the great work in the ruins of an ancient city that the clan had already cleared of the dead. But there are sure to cache that only a specialist with their skills in detecting and disarming caches and traps will be able to find. Red Nick admitted that the future is excellent, he can only dream about such skills today. The boy also liked the idea of digging in the basements of the ancient city. Anna finally convinced him to join the clan by saying that leadership is a guarantee of independence. If he doesn''t want to be involved in politics and solve any clan problems, no one is forcing him. Everyone in their clan has the right to conduct free hunting. \"But this is only temporary. You will take over as your class leaders. Twelve players will be clan leaders. The other players will have fewer rights when they join the clan later,\" summed up Nick. \"I get that idea. I''m fine with it. How many seats are available in the clan now? I''m talking about free classes for players,\" asked Richard. \"There are five positions available. We need five players in the classes of Scientist, Priest, Inquisitor, Spiritual and Knight,\" answered the Ranger. \"We need to talk to Jack,\" said Richard. \"Anna, have you considered other girls you know? What do you think of Jane''s candidacy? She''s quiet and calm, always sitting at the local university,\" said Emma. \"Jane''s mouse is a good candidate,\" smiled a redhead thief. \"We got to save her, or Samantha''s going to torture her with her jokes.\" Nick has set a time and place for the pledges to meet. He warned them that they were going to perform the quest. Nothing dangerous, clan players will do the job, but the newcomers will get the experience. He promised to talk to their friends in the morning. Then Nick took Anna to the Dwarf Quarter and went to see Leo. They didn''t get a chance to talk. Leo looked at Ranger like he was nothing. The knight smiled and asked: \"Did you arrest any of us?\" \"No. Leo, it didn''t happen. I''m sorry you found out this nasty news about our acquaintances.\" \"Then you can understand me, Nick. You think about the future, make plans. I won''t be a part of this. I won''t get in your way, don''t worry. But I don''t want to see any of the players. In the temple and in the sewers, I''m at peace.\" \"Good luck, Leo. And come to the castle. When you need a new transformation. We''ll be happy to see you.\" \"Then I''ll see you in the future,\" smiled Leo. Nick was upset about the results of the conversation. Leo took an honest stand, he decided to lock himself up in a new prison. It was a pity to lose a player like that. In the morning, the players decided to put off the quest. Disagreements with the city clan threatened to turn into a big confrontation. If almost a quarter of the Phoenix clan goes to the hunters, it will definitely weaken clan position in the city. John and Alexander decided to have fun and deal with their conflict with the City Guard. But they didn''t get any fun. Simon''s family sent a man who brought a box of gems and a letter. In the letter, the head of the family apologized for the behavior of his grandson and expressed hope for future fruitful cooperation with the clan of monster hunters. The guys did not expect such a quick solution to the problem. But Turin only laughed, looked at the jewels and said that the issue was over, but the dwarves would have paid a smaller penalty for such a violation. Everyone liked Jack, he was a player who didn''t disturb anyone and quietly tried to learn sword skills. Richard and Jack had long argued and decided which of them more was worthy to become the first knight of the clan of hunters. The examples of Michael and Leo told them about the great prospects of these war classes. But the knight''s path attracted them with its mystery. The soldier''s path was immediately clear - it was the choice of the future leader and chief of all clan combat operations. In the end, the boys tossed a coin! Richard was not at all upset that he would become a Soldier. Jack scratched his neck and said he was suddenly a little scared to play knight class. But the biggest surprise was Anna and Emma. When they met Jane, everyone was fascinated by this quiet and shy girl. She had long brown hair, which covered her face with frequent spinning, but couldn''t hide the wary gaze of big gray eyes. The girl spoke in a quiet voice and was embarrassed by the attention she paid to herself. She replied that she agreed to join the clan because it was interesting for her to study at university, but she was tired of the attention of others. She wanted a class of scientists as a result of several years of study. Three girls whispered about their own, about a woman''s, and made a demand that slightly alerted the other players. The girls insisted on gender equality in clan leadership. They proposed three familiar girls for the Spirit''s path. The guys did not resist for long and warned that the girls would have problems with Dan. Jane and Emma looked at their new friend and said they wouldn''t have any problems with him. If this so-called sinner behaves well. Dan didn''t understand what the girls had in mind, but assured everybody of his desire to go the way of good and kindness, that he is the one with the monsters who are not good, and otherwise he is a quiet, brooding former inquisitor. The first one to be interviewed was Betty, who agreed to become the Spiritual Master. This girl made the impression of a child. She was the youngest, and her face did not come off a slight surprise that she was in this strange world. When Betty got into town, she quickly found something to do, she had never fought a monster. She passed her survival test only because local hunters had come to her rescue and killed a Level 3 wolf that Betty had swung a big stick at. In the city, she made small quests of the townspeople, then bought brushes, paints and paper from a shop and began painting portraits on the street. The game offered her a specialty Painter, which the girl was happy to accept. Betty became friends with Emma, who helped her a lot when she sewed for the painter a few neat and decent dresses. On level 12, Betty had 32 characteristic points in stock and 84 Spirit points. The girl found out that as a last resort she would be able to get Elemental to help her, who would be able to protect her from enemies. Dan assured Betty that she was well prepared for the Spiritual Way, he only had 29 Spirit points on level 10. No Elemental can resist her influence and her power of the spirit. The next two candidates for the clan were completely different. Kate was a cute blonde with long hair and a pretty face. She was surprised by the invitation to the new clan and was not ready to give a quick answer to the unexpected invitation. Bella was determined to leave town, she was in a very strained relationship with Samantha. That tall brunette had a strict and determined expression. She did not look beautiful but inspired respect for herself. The girls listened to the features of the classes of priests and inquisitors. Bella stated resolutely that she wanted to be a Priestess! Dan explained to the girl that the situation with the gods in this world is tense. In his humble opinion, she would have to become a priestess of the world''s main goddess. Mother of all the gods. \"And what is the problem? How many gods are there in this world?\" \"I know about seven gods. Perhaps there are others. But the figure of Anyge is a special case. You see, Bella, I think this goddess is the incarnation of the most important computer responsible for our game.\" \"Explain. And explain what the problem is.\" \"The game has a main computer, a main artificial intelligence. And in this world, the very first goddess was Anyge, who then created his assistants, other gods. This world was once invaded by several conquering gods and there was war.\" Dan was silent, everyone was listening carefully. The guys already knew the story. Bella shrugged her shoulders and asked: \"Dan, what''s the problem? I''m going to be a priestess of Anyge, and let the Chief AI stay where he is. I''m not going to interfere with his work and address him with my questions and sacrifices.\" \"You''ll be making sacrifices,\" surprised Anna. \"Of course I''m going to make sacrifices,\" answered Bella calmly. \"But we''ll do without the wild and no human sacrifice. And your company kills animals without me, without any pity.\" \"You can sacrifice fish,\" suggested Anna. \"I catch a lot of fish, we have enough for sale and for the kitchen.\" \"We can have fish and other food and jewelry. I''m a little worried about accountability for not fulfilling the quest to kill Dan. But we''ll figure something out. I''m going to ask this Anyge not to punish us too much,\" said Bella. The girl even slightly frightened all the players with her practicality and cynicism about the complexity of her class. Kate''s reaction was even more disturbing. The girl smiled and said loudly that she agreed! She will be the Inquisitor! And she won''t let him down. \"Dan, I believe you''re a good man, it''s not your fault. This game has confused you and wrongly punished you. You''re going to help me with advice, aren''t you? I''ll be an attentive student,\" said Kate and fixed her long hair. Dan was embarrassed. The others just now realized that this cute girl is no match for the one who will use Autodafe skill to summon monsters into battle and stay one-on-one with them. Both girls had a significant advantage in the development of intelligence and spirit, a stock of characteristic points, small levels and a large stock of Glory points. To exist peacefully in the city all had to accumulate more than 300 points of Glory and get the status of people who ''can be trusted on the word''. But this was the first step towards obtaining 500 points of Glory and reputation of an ''Honorable Person''. The reputation level of girls surprised the guys who were used to developing their class skills at the expense of reputation points. Alexander looked at Kate with a strange look, and it was obvious that he felt uncomfortable. John showed a lot of honesty and sincerity: \"Kate, maybe you shouldn''t take the class inquisitor. Girls, this is a pretty nasty class. The locals will treat you badly, Kate. They don''t like inquisitors. And in battle, you''re going to have a hard time.\" \"You think I''m weak, John? What a cheek, look at that one. Quickly washed away into his invisibility before I hit you on the cheeky face,\" resented Kate. \"Wait, don''t fight. There''s a special situation in our clan. I''m talking about the Inquisitor class. Tomorrow we''ll go on a quest and the girls will see how the real inquisitor works. But what I''m saying is that Kate doesn''t have to be a quick and sharp inquisitor. We''ll try to help her and gain 20 levels. And we''ll see what transformation the game offers her,\" said Nick. \"I don''t understand. You just said I''m not capable of anything and you''ll do all the work for me? Anna, let your husband out of my sight too, he can do it, you told me,\" said Kate. \"We''d better talk about the rules of the dungeon quest,\" suggested Alexander. Everyone agreed to put off the scouts'' punishment and started planning the operation. One quest was to destroy the cannibal Minotaur. And in the second quest the guys had to destroy the boss, who easily dealt with Michael''s group. But they had information about this boss. It was a big level 27 snakes that could use the skill of mass poisoning. \"The Minotaur is a man with the head of a bull. He''s got a big ax and he''s got to hit you like a warrior,\" said Bella. \"I know the mythology. It''s a creature from the myths of ancient Greece.\" \"We have the likeness of Draugr and the Queen of Spiders. Familiar monsters. Dan, you''re going to have to take your form of Draugr on one. But a snake you can soothe with the chains of a sinner,\" said Alexander. \"Yes, ''Chains'' can do it,\" agreed Dan. \"If you are so mighty and strong, let''s go to the dungeon! I''ve never been to a dungeon. This is so interesting,\" said Jane quietly. The boys wouldn''t put off the quest. It was noon outside and everyone went on their first mission. Everyone wanted to see the mythical Minotaur with the big ax. 34 The Dungeons of Dor In the dungeons of the city players were met by a cozy and comfortable atmosphere. The dungeons of the clean city were clean. Players stood by a stone wall on a path several steps wide. Next to it was a canal where water was flowing. The water was not dirty, but garbage and various unpleasant things sometimes flowed downstream. There was another path on the other side of the canal. The group took up a combat formation. Alexander was walking ahead, his pet was walking behind the group. The warrior was followed by Anna and Dan. No one wanted to come across an unexpected surprise. The sinner was ready to use ''Autodafe'', Anna could slow down the sudden appearance of a very strong enemy. But there were no strong adversaries. Alexander waved his two-handed sword like a twig and with one stroke killed the rats of level 3. Nick followed the group''s combat unit. But he didn''t have to interfere in the fight to get all the experience points to the new clan members. John guarded the company against behind, along with the bear. Only Alexander called his pet. The group followed the route they received from the Warriors Guild. Alexander began to meet level 10 rats, but these opponents did not slow down the movement of the squad. Soon the group reached a dead end, in this part of the dungeon there was no channel for dirt and everyone was walking along a narrow aisle, which ended with a stone wall. Players received a message. * [Attention! The location of the Minotaur Labyrinth has been detected. Location type: Dungeon. Attention! A temporary rebirth point detected. Do you wish to make a binding? Yes/No] * \"All the facilities are at our service. We all do the binding. Don''t worry, the other rebirth points won''t go away,\" said Nick. The dungeons were different from the usual sewers. The aisle was wider, the height also increased, everyone felt much more confident. Alexander called Teddy in so the squad could deal powerful damage to any enemy. Soon, the players noticed the first opponent. It was a tall monster with a human body, which was not covered with armor. The monster''s head was the head of a bull with a big ring in its nose. The Minotaur had a large ax with two blades in his hands, but the longhorns of this monster were more frightening. Dan read the monster''s description in a loud voice: * Minotaur Type: normal Level: 25 Life: 20,000 Damage: 1200-2200 Overview: This monster was created during the experiments of an evil sorcerer. Terrible experiments have increased the physical muscle mass of this warrior, far beyond the normal proportions. The head and mind of the monster are affected by the transformation, which makes a Minotaur fighter ready to do anything to win. To intimidate the enemy, he uses the remains of those who were killed as weapons or jewelry. Minotaur attacks can stun for a long time. Don''t let the Minotaurs surround you, or you may end up in constant shock from the blows, eventually, you will die. The Minotaur also recovers twice as quickly as normal monsters. * Everyone saw an unpleasant decoration on the powerful chest of the Minotaur. It was a bundle of pieces of skulls and other human bones. There was nothing wrong with this stupid ornament. \"Calm down, Teddy. Wait for the team,\" ordered Alexander. \"Attention, everyone. We''re working carefully. Anna, slow him down. Dan works ''Autodafe'' and don''t worry, Teddy and I will tear him up in a couple of hits.\" That''s what happened, usually and beautiful. The inquisitor''s skill light flashed in the hallway, and the Minotaur went towards the group. Anna threw the ''Swamp'' at the enemy, reinforced the defense of the Berserker and the bear. Suddenly, the warrior''s body grew in size and shrouded in red smoke. The warrior and the bear threw themselves at the monster and hit at the same time. The Minotaur of level 25 stood only one attack. It only managed to lift its ax above its head to strike and flew back already killed. It made an impression on the new players. \"Dan, accept the invitation to the group and work with a dead body. You''re a dungeon expert.\" Dan went up to the Minotaur and took the trophies. He stepped out of the group and said: \"We can take the skin off the Minotaur. It''s a rare craft material. The horns need to be taken too, Anna, you''ll need them. I wonder if Jeweler''s specialty affects what characteristics? Work requires dexterity and intelligence. Horns can be processed by a jeweler.\" \"If we can, we''ll take them off. Alexander, throw me an invitation, it''s my specialty,\" said Nick and went ahead. There was no terrible bloody spectacle. Nick pulled a special freshening knife from his inventory and touched the body of the Minotaur. Without skin, the Minotaur looked more intimidating and disgusting. But before anyone could see the body, it quickly disappeared. \"This is how we work in our clan,\" said Anna. \"Quickly, boldly and with profit!\" \"I got 2000 points of experience. Really impressive,\" smiled Emma. \"I''ll look at the skin later, I''ve got ideas.\" \"A sexy leather suit! I suggested it first! Emma, I hope to get a share of the profits from the sale,\" said John. Emma laughed and promised to think about the offer. The group went ahead. Pretty soon everyone realized that going through the dungeons was boring and not interesting. Two killing machines were doing all the work. When the corridor led to the big hall, nothing changed. Those monsters were stupid! They didn''t react at all to the appearance of players. Dan caught the pace of the battle and called the monsters to the entrance to the hall under the deadly blows of the warrior''s sword and the claws of a bear. When they killed about 10 Minotaurs, the fighters had time to recover. Dan and the ranger were collecting trophies. Axes were rare weapons, Nick was happy with the future profits. The weapons were immediately handed over to the New Players. The experienced players were strict and persistent in this matter. Alexander did not insist, but everyone was aware of the need and benefits of exercise. The guys increased the load, but they went slowly and did not feel tired. Alexander immediately said that no one had to run. Running is panic, running is a violation of the order and the group will do without such situations. Everybody in the corridor was safe under the protection of experienced players, and the pets were called in just in case. The appearance of a big cat and a couple of strange wolves did not cause panic, but a complete breach of order and calmness. Pussy was already used to Anna''s insistent caresses. Now, new lovers of touching the soft and velvety have thrown themselves at her. Dan did not listen to any objections and gave the cat a quiet rest from the game and twelve clinging women''s hands, who wanted to grip and touch and stroke a cute and amazing creature named ''Pussy''. The group walked the corridors of the Labyrinth for about 4 hours. Everyone was tired of this walk, which was more like an excursion. Dan would sometimes stop the whole group and carefully write down the symbols that met on the walls. Beginners have explained the specialty of the sinner. Once, the group stopped and ate. The conversation was about the subtleties of the distribution of characteristic points for future classes. Beginners learned that the clan does not attack the personal stock of points of Glory. But reputation does not matter to the players of the clan. They rely on the reputation of the clan itself, but even in this matter, the players are not interested in the sharp increase in the reputation of the clan. The clan has many secrets and mysteries, and players do not want to attract attention to them. In the dungeon, it was possible to count on confidentiality, and the newcomers learned some of the secrets of the clan. But many secrets were left in the castle for individual study. Carefully reading the work of Dan, who will soon be joined by Betty as the painter, can help well in the development of characteristics. The most difficult situation was waiting for Kate. The new inquisitor could read Dan''s notes on the development of this class, but she was not allowed to look into the book Bestiary. Dan said that developing the skill of ''Cognition of Evil'' requires a personal introduction to the diversity of local monsters. It took the players six hours to get through the Labyrinth. They realized it when the group reached the big hall with the boss on the far wall. Dan made everyone happy with the description. * King Minotaur Type: normal Status: Boss of the location Level: 29 Life: 104000 Damage: 2500-6000 Improved skills: ''Axe Master''. The weapon in this monster''s hand is as dangerous as its master. This skill increases weapon damage and allows the use of special tricks and ax fighting techniques. [8/10] It opens up skills: ''Stun''. Skill stuns the enemy. The time an enemy will spend in a state of inability to move increases as the skull increases. Cooldown: 60 seconds. [10/10] ''Cutting through the void''. This skill increases the chance to ignore your opponent''s armor and class abilities. Cooldown: 120 seconds. [10/10] Class skills: ''Invincible''. This skill increases protection and gives immunity from many types of damage. [7/10] It opens up skills: ''Inevitable Death''. This skill greatly increases the speed of the monster''s movement, helping him to overcome his own weight. [8/10] Battle skills: ''Heavy hit''. Skill increases damage to enemies and throws them back. Cooldown: 200 seconds. [9/10] ''Angry roar''. The monster makes a roar that stuns and damages the enemy. Cooldown: 200 seconds. [8/10] Immunity to weapons: Stabbing: 30 Cutting: 30 Crushing: 40 The magic of fire: 25 The magic of water: 20 The magic of the air: 25 The magic of the earth: 20 * The king was scary. The Minotaur sat on a throne that was decorated with skulls. At the feet of the monster, which ended in hooves, stood his ax, the weapon was the height of an ordinary man. The monster itself was apparently twice as tall as a human. But the figure of this monster inspired special respect. He had unnaturally wide shoulders, muscles on his bare hands protruded powerful and large knots. From the muzzle of the bull to the side of the players were looking at the eyes in which the red fire was burning. The horns of the beast were long, straight and bound with steel at the ends. The newcomers were able to get a good look at the boss, then they went into the corridor. Nick, John and the pets blocked the monster''s way to the newcomers. They prepared their weapons for battle but had orders to interfere only in extreme danger. Dan reminded the warrior that he could block all the boss''s skills except battle skills. \"Anna, we''ll go ahead. We can''t let his roar hurt the others. Don''t rush to the slowing down. Stay away from us,\" said Alexander. \"The spell will get him out of this place. But I can go back further. If you keep him in my sight,\" replied the sorceress. \"I remember the rules, just in case, I''ll be ready to hit him with ''Swarm''.\" \"Your creepy Swarm is a problem. The monsters go blind and start throwing themselves in different directions. Don''t worry, Teddy and I can handle it. Dan''s going to make him an almost normal piece of dangerous meat with a lot of health. Slow him down and I can dodge his ax,\" said the warrior. \"Ladies and gentlemen, watch closely and enjoy the show. For you, the masters are performing in our rodeo arena! Brothers Alexander and Dan, supported by teddy-baby Teddy and the redheaded Mistress of Dirt and Nasty Insects. Deadly number! The extraction of meat for steak,\" announced John''s cheerful voice. No one smiled, and Dan quietly corrected the assassin: \"You need to learn the words ''matador'' and ''corrida'', brother. Come on, Alexander, I''m ready. Guys, girls, I hope you''ll excuse my appearance.\" Dan turned his face to the boss and started turning into a weird monster. He stood with his back to the group and the players were able to see the sinner''s figure increase in size, a sword appeared in his hands that inspired an inexplicable sense of danger. The armor on the sinner''s body made an unpleasant rattle from afar and also changed its size, adjusted to the change of the size of the holder. \"Our chief expert on the dead, a brave scout and a spy in the dark, Draugr Dan,\" whispered Assassin. Kate looked at the back of a sinner with interest. She was not afraid at all, but very interesting to look at this inquisitor. So he took a few steps forward and raised his hand. She did not see, but she already knew that there was no place for stupid effects in the work of the inquisitor. The gesture of ''Autodafe'' was simple. It was light in the hall. The monster got back on its feet and went to the Inquisitor. At that moment, a puddle of mud appeared at his feet. The Minotaur even stopped for a few seconds, then he took a step forward and everyone saw how strong jets of dirt kept the monster from rapid movements, it seemed that a magical puddle sucks out of the monster speed and agility. Berserk had already rushed towards the Minotaur, and a bear was running beside him. The king raised his horned face higher and roared. And Alexander and the bear fell and rolled on the floor towards the Minotaur. The beast began to lift its huge ax and all froze in terror. But at that moment Draugr jumped out to meet the monster. A large stock of spirit and warrior skeleton skills helped Dan to calmly survive the attack of Raging Roar. The bones of his hands held the big sword firmly, and the sinner''s movements were almost invisible. Dan''s attack made the boss scream in pain and accept the fight with a new enemy. They started fighting and everyone couldn''t take their eyes off this fight. It was noticeable that Dan could easily handle the Minotaur. He dodged ax blades, he knocked ax blows aside and wouldn''t let himself get hurt. A few seconds later, Alexander came up from the floor and screamed with rage. And then all the newcomers saw a terrible sight. The warrior turned into a piece of rage and anger, with his powerful blows he did not just inflict wounds, and he immediately cut off a Minotaur one hand. The sword in the hands of the warrior flew and struck at lightning speed. The strip of life above the boss''s head began to shrink right in front of his eyes. Anna cast a spell of weak healing from the school of water magic on the warrior and the bear and continued to follow the battle closely. But it was no longer a battle, but a beating of the enemy. Not a minute later, the boss fell into a large puddle of his own blood. Next to him fell to the knees of the warrior and quickly began to drink fatigue recovery potions and mana regeneration potion. The figure of the sinner began to shrink, squeaking with the metal armor and Dan again turned into a normal player with a human face. The sinner turned towards the group and smiled. Then he respectfully nodded to Alexander: \"Not bad, not bad, but it seems to me, my friend, that you didn''t do your best. I got a lot more out of you during the duels.\" \"I kept him under control. I wanted to improve my sword-fighting skills. An opponent with an ax is a good experience. Level 20 bullfighters couldn''t be useful,\" laughed Alexander. \"Very good! We completed the quest and got 1500000 points of experience per group. Accept the invitation and see what happens to the trophies.\" Nick approached the corpse of the Minotaur King and took out a knife. Richard and Jack got close, and the girls didn''t get to know the remains of the monster. In fact, all the girls were confused. They saw for the first time how a normal and calm man, who enjoyed his care and heartfelt attention, turned into a real monster during the battle. Anna approached her new girlfriends and immediately understood their condition. She smiled and said: \"Yes, sometimes they scare me. Memories of myself scare me even more. I never told you how I got so many levels. Read the history of our clan. But believe me, girls, for a while, I actually turned into a witch. I was very happy, I remember very well how happy I was to be able to help kill skeletons.\" \"I got to level 15, plus seven points of Glory and +1 to the Spirit,\" whispered Jane. \"I ran around town for almost a month and carried notes and letters from the citizens to get level 10. Now I''m not surprised at the speed of your development, Anna. But uncle Alexander looked really nasty.\" \"An ordinary man for dirty work,\" said Bella. \"He likes to kill mammoths and all sorts of bloody entertainment. Girls. I wouldn''t be surprised. If those assholes cut a piece of meat off the boss and actually make steak.\" \"I will calm you down and disappoint you, Bella,\" murmured Anna quietly. \"These bloodthirsty monsters are about to make poor Dan actually eat a piece of meat from this overgrown bull.\" \"Boo! That''s disgusting,\" said Emma. \"The class is a sinner with his secrets. You''ll find out about them at the castle,\" smiled Anna. The men went back to the girls. Their faces expressed full satisfaction with the results of the dungeon. \"Return to the house of Turin. We''re overloaded. The Minotaur weapons are heavy. You can eat in the house and go to war with snakes,\" said Nick. Girls wouldn''t listen to the ranger. They were looking at Dan''s face with interest. The sinner chewed something, his face was an expression of thoughtfulness and weak disgust with the process. They had not yet known the disgusting name of the sinner''s skill! It took the group two hours to get home. Lights and signs were already burning in the streets of the city, lighting up the Dor and inviting them to have a good time. In the house of the dwarf everyone quickly cleaned up and sat down at the table. The food supply wasn''t over yet. The newcomers gladly continued their acquaintance with the dishes of the gnome kitchen. \"And how does the meat of the Minotaur King taste?\" Dan looked at Jane and smiled sadly, but answered honestly: \"It''s not delicious, it can''t be eaten without adding spices. Dwarf spices work wonders, I always carry a supply, with these spices can tolerate any inconvenience.\" \"Have you eaten many different monsters? I ask out of academic interest,\" continued Jane. \"I haven''t eaten the meat of ten monsters yet, I hope my skill will begin to work and benefit me. As long as it''s not of any use to me.\" \"That''s not a good topic to talk about. Are we going to the snake dungeon, or are we going to wait until the morning? I suggest we go and work until midnight. Then we can rest and leave town in the morning,\" said Nick. Everyone agreed with the offer to continue working. The new clan people wanted to get to the castle and get their classes. In the sewer system, as the squad walked to the new dungeon entrance, Alexander let Richard and Jack work against the rats. The guys were doing good. Alexander answered Bella''s question and admitted that without the help of the Inquisitor, they could have killed the Minotaur King. But they were all in danger of dying and being reborn several times. Alexander liked the boss, he did not run on the ceiling, poisoned, dangerous and honest opponent. The group reached the right place and entered the dungeon of the ''Lair of Snakes''. In the new dungeon, everyone made a binding to the point of revival and went to explore a new place and new monsters. Dan brought clarity to the quality of the new enemies. * Underworld Snake Type: normal Level: 26 Life: 22000 Damage: 1300-2800 Description: The origin of these monsters is mysterious. It is not known whether they are victims of the curses of powerful magicians or the birth of evil. These creatures are very strong and fast, able to stun, sometimes pierce their victims to the bone. Fear the venom of these monstrous snakes, the poisonous bite inflicts damage many times greater than that of an ordinary snake. * The usual monster hunting has begun. Snakes proved to be a more dangerous adversary than Minotaurs. These creatures were smart and had time to spit poison on their enemies. Alexander was always drinking the antidote. But he was good with snakes, which were slowed down by the spell of the sorceress. Anna was happy, Emma was happy, with the snakes they received new material to develop their specialties. Emma planned to make a lot of ladies'' handbags and other elegant haberdashery. The squad would walk the halls and get into the big rooms. The rooms had large numbers of snakes, but the ''Autodafe'' skill worked perfectly in them. Dan attracted several snakes to the warrior and the bear, and they could easily kill poisonous enemies. In total, they met four rooms, and the squad reached the main hall with the boss. Dan read the description of the big snake. The snake didn''t scare anybody with its size. It was admired for its terrifying beauty. The snake''s skin was light green, spots of darker color were scattered all over the skin, and these spots glowed with soft light. Two big canines were sticking out of the monster''s mouth, the teeth were sharp and bent back, there was no poison dripping from the teeth, but no one doubted the ability of this creature to poison. The snake with the beautiful name ''Silent Death'' was a normal type, level 27 boss, with mass poisoning and strangulation skills. It has 90000 life points. The fight with this beautiful opponent was a hunter''s scenario. First, Dan stripped the boss of most of the useful skills that enhanced the defense and attack of the snake. Then a bear and berserk were thrown at it. Alexander sacrificed Teddy''s life in cold blood. The bear ran a little ahead and got caught up with the monster first. The bear immediately sealed the rings of the snake body, and the snake stuck its fangs into the poor pet and began to strangle him. Alexander drank the antidote and began to strike quickly at the snake''s head. Dan ran to the place of the fight, but he wasn''t in a hurry to get involved. Anna was healing the poor bear. But it was obvious that she was wasting mana. The poison and power of the snake killed the pet quickly. But the berserk did not waste time and growled like a terrible animal with every stroke of his sword. He managed to strike a few quick blows and cut off the monster''s head! But the fight didn''t stop there. The body of the snake suddenly shut down when the pet died and disappeared from the game. But then the snake''s body dealt a strong blow to the warrior with its tail. Alexander flew away a few steps, but immediately jumped up and rushed into battle again. The body moved quickly, but his movements were easily visible, the slowdown had its effect. All players froze and watched with excitement as the warrior dodged the snake''s tail kicks. Alexander had time to jump high or almost fall to the floor of the hall, but then he made more and more blows. It was a very beautiful and terrible sight. Dan kept a close eye on the fight. The sinner was watching and indignant that the warrior decided to deal without the help of ''Chain'' skill. New people need experience! And these mysterious chains caused strange damage, and somehow drank life from the enemy. And now the warrior was demonstrating all the capabilities of his class. And Alexander was doing well! Dan and all the other players saw that even without the help of the bear, the warrior would be able to finish off this boss. Blood was whipping in all directions and pieces of snake''s body were flying, Alexander was frightening with his screams and the view. But covered with blood from head to toe, the warrior managed to finish the snake before a new attack with battle skill. \"You''re just some kind of monster! Now you have worked hard. Congratulations,\" said Dan. \"That scum killed Teddy! I was ready to eat her alive,\" shouted Alexander. \"I''m definitely going to like snake meat,\" nodded Dan. \"Did you get any experience with the group? Nick! I want some pieces of this creature. The little snakes were delicious.\" Nick laughed and got his knife out. All the players came up to the snake body. Strangely enough, this monster didn''t cause any fear or horror to the girls. Emma shook her head as if she were sorry that the barbarian had ruined such a wonderful skin with his sword. Nick made the party happy that he could get snake meat, but it was alchemy material. \"Dan can have one piece and that''s enough for you,\" laughed Anna. The players got 470,000 experience points each for passing through this dungeon. Everyone scored 16 levels. Richard got to level 17. The trophies made Emma and Anna happy. Red Nick looked at the rare daggers with poisoning with interest, but John told him that the castle has daggers even better. The castle will give everyone armor and weapons of rare artifacts. The group was on their way back to the Dwarf Quarter. Everyone got tired and yawned. Everybody was sleepy. The game required eating and sleeping. The player could turn off the hunger and sleepiness. But at the same time, he immediately received a penalty for all the characteristics. And this penalty increased with the number of continuous participation in the game. When players returned to the house of Turin, they parted and immediately fell asleep. Newcomers were not worried about their fate. They hadn''t yet left the Phoenix clan, they were performing the quest as a separate combat group. The newcomers wanted to make their transition to the new clan on their way to the castle. Now the two clans were risking a confrontation. But the players from the ''Shoulder to Shoulder'' clan were not worried about future problems. Some had no desire to think about future perspectives. Going to the dungeons of the city was too tiring for everyone. 35 Hunters Circle and the Demon In the early morning, players left the Dwarf Quarter and went to the bank, where they left a stock of weapons for sale in the clan vault. They took the jewels and gems with them on Jane''s advice. The Jeweler''s craft was a great choice for Emma, who already boasted a good stock of dexterity, a characteristic very necessary for a confident development in the Jeweler''s specialty. Newcomers had their own personal belongings, they carefully moved them to the house of Turin and now distributed them among players with a large reserve of strength. The journey went smoothly and without incident, but took almost 13 hours. The players did not enter the village and immediately turned to the road to the castle. Dwarves met the players in the castle. Turin and Velida met new people and the dwarf went to the smithy, and his wife ran to prepare a special dinner. First of all, the newcomers went to the roof of the main tower and joined the new clan. Then they took oaths of loyalty to the ''Shoulder to Shoulder'' clan. Dan met the next player and handed the player a piece of paper with the text of the oath. The player took an oath and left the roof of the tower, and went straight to the class selection room. Nick was the last one to swear. He shook his head and said: \"I hope it''s worth it.\" Dan smiled and handed him a piece of paper on which he used runes to write down the words of the red thief. Nick took this paper, and the paper flashed in his hands and disappeared. \"It''s an interesting effect. +1 to the Spirit, a small reward for such a serious act,\" laughed Nick. \"You''ll have plenty of opportunities to get your main rewards,\" smiled Dan. Nick''s gone to get the Thief class. Dan stood on the roof, a clan flag flying above his head. The sinner looked out at the edge of the forest and waited. Anything in the game was possible, he might have misunderstood the ancient inscriptions in the ancient cemetery. A message flashed before the player''s eyes. * [Attention! You have successfully completed a hidden quest assignment: ''In the footsteps of the Greats''. You revived Hunter''s Circle. Attention! Your Clan is honored to fulfill its duties. Congratulations! 300 points of ''Glory'' have been received. The general status of the clan is changed to ''You can be believed in the word''. Until the next general status change, gain 500 more ''Glory'' Points. Your clan gets the third level of fame [3/20]. Each clan member gets +1 to all characteristics, 5 skill points, 3 Glory points, +1 to Luck] * I hope this award will please you more, Nick, thought Dan. He went down to the castle and walked into the council room. Alexander, John and Nick were already sitting at the table. \"You were right, Dan, we won the big prize,\" laughed John. \"I hope that''s all the news for today,\" smiled Dan and sat down at the table. \"I invited everyone to join us. He wrote that new members of the leadership need to learn how to use an expanded version of the castle map,\" said Nick. Soon, all the players gathered at the same table. The last one entered the hall was Anna, who had already started working in the laboratory. She smiled widely and it was clear that she was rejoicing as both an alchemist and a clan magician. When Anna sat down at the table, a message appeared before the players'' eyes. * [Circle of Hunters assembled. Head of Circle wants a special mission? Yes/No] * Nick looked at the players and saw that Dan looks embarrassed. \"Dan, did you get a message from the game?\" \"No,\" confessed the sinner. \"I can leave the council room.\" \"Sit where you sit, you cunning sinner! Nick was declared Head of the Circle and offered us a special quest,\" said Alexander. \"Dan, what do you say about an opportunity to gain new experience?\" Dan rubbed his chin and looked at Kate, and then he said: \"A lot of work in an ancient hunter''s cemetery. I''m sure I need to work on my runes'' craftsmanship. I need to be there for Kate and support her with advice early in the process. I think we should take the task! I hope the terms of the special quest will be kind to us.\" \"Have you received an award for fulfilling the hidden quest?\" \"Yes, I received an award,\" replied Dan. \"Well, I don''t know what it''s like to be Head of the Circle, I haven''t received any reports about the nature of the post. I''m just sitting in the main chair. I agree with Dan, we have a special assignment to do,\" said Nick. Every player has agreed to take part in a new adventure. Nick has mentally agreed to take on a special mission. * [Attention! Update the map of possessions! A new location is available. Location type: Dungeon. Quest type: Rare. Reward: Variative. Job time is limited to [30:23:59]. If the quest is not fulfilled, your clan will lose 200 ''Glory'' points] * \"A new dungeon appeared just a pair of miles from the castle. It takes half an hour to get there,\" said John. \"I don''t think we''re going to the dungeon today. Everybody needs to be very familiar with the features of their class. There''s a special dinner waiting for us. Tomorrow afternoon we''ll be able to see this dungeon if it''s so close to the castle,\" suggested Anna. They all agreed with the sorceress, everyone wanted to have a pleasant end of the day. The players approached the new dungeon at noon. No one noticed any dungeon, the players were walking along the river bank and suddenly stopped. * [Warning] Daemon Residence location detected. Location type: Dungeon. Attention! The temporary revival point has been detected. Do you wish to make a binding? Yes/No] * After the game message everyone saw in a few steps a strange place. There was a dark spot on the ground, with sparks of light running through it. No one knew what to do next, but the warrior and Assassin approached this strange place. * [Attention! Successful destruction of the Demon is possible only by a group of players. The opponent''s level is equal to the average level of the group members. Did you really dare to challenge the Demon? Yes/No] * \"We''re invited to a meeting with the boss, come on, let''s not keep him waiting,\" shouted John. When all the players approached the entrance to the dungeon, Alexander reminded the players of the rules of battle: \"Dan, activate ''Autodafe'' immediately and discover all about this demon. He should have an average level, so 20, we can do it. We''re calling the pets. Nick, confirm the call to battle.\" Suddenly all the players got into the small hall and immediately noticed their opponent. The demon looked like a naked man who had four hands and had the top half of some beast''s skull on his head instead of a helmet. Dan was able to activate ''Autodafe'' and it was the beginning of the end. [You suffered 6000 damage] The sinner was twisted in pain, and he shook and could hardly hold his legs. In the demon flew arrows and a spell of slowing down, but the enemy has already managed to jump to the distance of impact. A strange weapon slammed into the sinner''s chest and Dan died. He woke up at the point of rebirth and could not get back on his feet. As soon as the sinner regained consciousness, Nick appeared near him. One second later, Anna joined them. When Alexander showed up, everyone realized that the first attack had failed. John and Richard appeared almost at the same time, and behind them in the circle of revival began to appear the other players. The girls could not calm down, for some it was the first death in the game. Some had already forgotten the feeling of meeting the cold emptiness of non-existence. Alexander took out his cloak and sheltered Jane, who couldn''t get up and just lay there crying. The men nodded and also took out their cloaks from the inventory and helped the other girls. Dan looked at Kate, who was silent and shivering. \"Kate, what did you see?\" She turned her head frightened towards the sinner and whispered quietly: \"It''s a demon named Daros. He''s an elite demon, and he''s on level 21. Half a million points in life. Four hands and he kill with weird swords and daggers. He has magic. He hit me and I died. It hurts and it''s scary.\" \"Well done, you could see a lot. Did you use ''Autodafe''?\" \"I did,\" smiled weakly at the girl. \"But he already killed you all, and he killed us all.\" \"It happens, it''s not always as fun and right as yesterday. Thank you, Kate, now let''s hear our sinner,\" smiled Alexander. Dan closed his eyes and read the notes from his status. * Daros Race: Demon Type: Elite Status: Boss of the location Level: 21 Life: 499500 Damage: 1500 Overview: Daros, also known as Prince of Suffering, is a demon with many hands. Each demon hand is armed with different weapons, but the demon is a master of all kinds of weapons. Beware of the demon''s magical attack, it can destroy any player with a weak spirit. Improved skills: ''Master of the Blade''. The weapon in this monster''s hand is as dangerous as its master. This skill increases weapon damage and allows the use of special sword tricks and techniques. [5/10] It opens up skills: ''Cutting through the void''. This skill increases the chance to ignore your opponent''s armor and class abilities. Cooldown: 120 seconds. [4/10] Class skills: ''Invincible''. This skill increases protection and gives immunity from many types of damage. [5/10] Battle skills: ''A sharp blow''. A demon strikes several quick hits in a row. Damage to every blow 1900-2500. Cooldown: 30 seconds. [4/10] ''Execution''. Demon strikes, stunning and repelling the enemy. Damage 1900-2200. The enemy loses the ability to move for 12 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds. [3/10] ''Hell Strike''. A magical demon attack that deals magical damage from a distance. Damage to 5500-7500. Cooldown: 30 seconds. [4/10] Immunity to weapons: Stabbing: 50% Cutting: 50% Crushing: 50% The magic of fire: 50% The magic of water: 50% The magic of the air: 50% The magic of the earth: 50% * Everyone was silent and each player remembered his first meeting with the Prince of Suffering. The silence was broken by Alexander: \"It was so. He immediately marked the Inquisitor and killed him first. Then he threw Nick away and hit Anna. He was able to counteract my blow. He is a great master of weapons. And he can do 1500 damage with each hand. He hit me with all his hands, I took 5000 damage, and then he killed me with one hand and fought John and Richard with three. Dangerous demon, we''re lucky he doesn''t have an attack with damage in the square!\" Nick pinned his wife down harder and confessed honestly: \"I see no need to go to the death of our peaceful part of the clan. Girls shouldn''t be involved in this.\" \"That''s right, you shouldn''t go to him. Look at the demon, and that''s enough. A disgusting cheeky bastard. You shouldn''t look at any naked demons,\" joked John. The girls were embarrassed and no one smiled. Some were able to see the demon well enough. He wasn''t completely naked. Severed human hands and paws of different animals and creatures hung from the demon''s belt. Memories of that ugly skirt didn''t add to the mood. The demon had a necklace made of children''s skulls on its chest. The demon was tall and had a powerful physique, but was not much higher than a very tall man. \"But this is a mission for all of us,\" said Jane quietly. \"For the entire Hunter''s Circle.\" \"Jane, we will take our time and make a second attack. But without your involvement. Dan, it''s okay, we''ve done some recon on the battlefield. This time, make sure you use ''Chains of Sins'' and go into Draugr form and call Pussy. Pets can''t go into this dungeon with their master. I had no idea to call Teddy, but it''s for the best. Everybody calls the pets inside the dungeon. When the chains grab him, it''ll be easier for us. Me, Dan, Richard, and Jack work with swords. Use the skill of maximum damage right away! John and Nick go into invisibility and attack with daggers. Anna and Nick hit from a distance, Anna uses the ''Swamp'' first, then strikes ''Swarm''s'' spell.\" Alexander finished explaining the new attack conditions and started waiting for a reaction. \"It''s clear and simple, we have to try,\" said Nick. \"Ladies, you wait a minute and you can join us. If that''s what you want. Bella, your Blessing was definitely gone when we got to the dungeon. Betty, your earth elemental is beautiful!\" \"Yeah, that guy hit that demon pretty good a couple of times,\" agreed John. \"I wait thirty seconds and I come in. I''m working Blessing and then healing,\" said Bella. All the girls agreed to go into the dungeon a second time, too. They already had a watch, and they could take the necessary pause. They didn''t have to risk their lives. Alexander''s plan had failed from the start. Players appeared in the room and saw the demon standing right in front of them. He did not move back to the opposite wall and immediately attacked Dan, who was marked as the most unpleasant opponent. Dan managed to activate ''Chains of sins''! The demon laughed and screamed: \"Fool, I am the Demon, I am the Prince of Suffering, and I am the embodiment of sin!\" The chains did no harm to the enemy, they just fell to dust when they touched the red skin of the demon. Laughter and screaming did not prevent the demon from striking. Blood splattered all over the players, a deadly vortex seemed to be spinning next to them. Alexander managed to summon the bear and tried to repel the blow of the crooked dagger. But in his mask, the sharp edge of the blade stuck right in his eye. [Critical blow! You were hit with 4,400 points of damage] [You''ve been dealt 3,300 points of damage] [Critical blow! You''ve been hit with 6,100 points of damage] And Alexander woke up at the point of revival. Dan was sitting there rubbing his chin. \"You know. We need to get him out of the door. I can''t work normally under these conditions. Did you see that? It appears that demonic creatures are not affected by ''Chains of Sins''.\" \"Dan, they don''t work on demons. And you haven''t tried your skill against demonic creatures yet,\" said the warrior. \"Here comes Anna, how did you, honey, get your insects on him?\" Anna smiled and suddenly laughed loud and not quite healthy. The girls immediately rushed to her and began to comfort her. The sorceress was best consoled and brought to consciousness the appearance of her husband. Nick breathed the air and sat down with a wheeze. He looked at everyone and asked: \"Why are you sitting there? Why are you resting? Ladies, your trip is canceled! Men, get your asses off the ground and go! We already took 10% of his health off!\" Then the Ranger jumped up and leaped towards the spot on the ground and immediately disappeared. Dan didn''t think twice about it. He jumped into the dungeon. And he immediately activated ''Autodafe''. Then he ran! The sinner rushed to the right side. Dan ran to the wall and ran along with it to the other side of the room. He called the cat and ordered it: \"Wait! Attack only when the enemy is close to us! Hit it with all your might, girl.\" A terrible picture unfolded across from him. The demon no longer killed the players with a couple of blows, but he continued to kill the players! \"Anna! To me! Run to me!\" screamed Dan when he saw the sorceress. Anna didn''t let him down. At first, a dark ribbon separated from her figure. The ribbon flew towards the demon''s body and circled the head of the enemy. Then the sorceress threw the curse of the ''Swamp'' at the enemy and only then ran towards the sinner. Attack from this corner, I''ll go to the other corner!\" When the sinner ran to the side, he noticed that the demon was fast approaching him. \"Pussy, kill him,\" Dan gave the command and threw himself at the enemy with the sword. [You caused 4800 damage] [You''ve taken 3700 damage] [You''ve done 4100 damage] [You took 6100 damage] Dan woke up in a circle of rebirth and screamed out of anger: \"What a bastard! How does he do it?\" Then the sinner jumped up on his feet and almost fell to the ground. Bella whispered the word ''Blessing'' activation, and Dan got better, smiling at the priestess: When the sinner ran to the side, he noticed that the demon was fast approaching him. \"Pussy, kill him,\" Dan gave the command and threw himself at the enemy with the sword. [You caused 4800 damage] [You''ve taken 3700 damage] [You''ve done 4100 damage] [You took 6100 damage] Dan woke up in a circle of rebirth and screamed out of anger: \"What a bastard! How does he do it?\" Then the sinner jumped up on his feet and almost fell to the ground. Bella whispered the word Blessing activation, and Dan got better, he smiled at the priestess: \"Thank you, Belle! It''s helping! I''m out of here.\" In the dungeon he saw the figure of a demon at the opposite wall and immediately called for a fight, and then Dan went into the form of Draugr and rushed towards the enemy. The picture of the cat''s face was graying with dim light. The demon killed Pussy. None of the players knew how many times he had already died, but the players knew very well that they were doing damage to the demon. The strip of life above the enemy''s head was already half empty. Dan realized he had died 17 times when he couldn''t activate the transformation into Draugr. He''d used up all the Glory points. After that, he began to do less damage, but the sinner did not have time to get upset, he was gripped by the madness of the battle. Sometimes he could hear a hoarse breath behind his back as he walked into the dungeon. Sometimes he saw a figure of the earthly Elemental called by Betty in the room. He no longer saw the powerful shapes of werewolves and a bear, but he managed to notice the brief moments of the transformation of Alexander. Berserk struck a powerful blow and died of an equally powerful demon attack. The demon was a clever and cold-blooded master of battle. He remembered the sinner and Alexander well, and maybe saw the level of protection and health of his main enemies. The demon dealt the strongest blows to these two enemies. He killed Anna with a two-handed blow. The demon could not dodge Assassin strikes, but often repulsed the attacks of daggers with its weapons. The demon was forced to approach the ranger. Nick immediately understood the idea of the sinner and always tried to run to the end of the room before his death. Warriors also tried to keep the place of the fight as far away as possible from the place of appearance in the dungeon. Soon, the figure of Bella became more and more visible in the room. The priestess was very useful. Her skill ''Blessing'' increased the damage to the players. She spent all of her mana on a health-recovery spell that restored 500 HP and continued to use a minor cure skill that required no mana cost. Kate appeared only to apply the ''Autodafe'' skill. She did not rush into battle and simply died on the spot when the demon drew attention to her. Several times, Dan also noticed Emma, who ran to the corner of the room and shot the enemy with a bow. It seemed to him that the brave girl managed to do more damage than he! The demon almost did not pay attention to the small damage from her arrows, but the girl managed to last long! All the attention of the demon was drawn to the main enemies, who as madmen died, revived and immediately ran towards a new death with the only desire to inflict more damage to the enemy for a couple of blows. All players managed to change the armor set, the clan veterans were already running without their masks. John gave Nick a couple of daggers with the effect of poisoning. Striking and dodging the attack was all that was left to the thief and assassin. The damage from the poisoned daggers was less, the poison dealt 180 points per second for 4 seconds. But the demon stopped paying special attention to the thief and the assassin. No one ever understood who or what killed the demon. Maybe it was Anna''s spell, maybe Alexander''s attack or Nick''s arrow or Emma''s shot. But when the demon fell to the floor of the room, all the players hit the floor too. Dan would sit there and look at his hands. The cursed sword immediately disappeared into the inventory after the fight was over. The sinner''s hands were shaking hard. Suddenly, he felt sick. The player was dizzy and nauseous, and the clarity of the image disappeared in his eyes. But he saw the message. * [Congratulations! Demon Daros, Prince of Suffering is defeated! Congratulations! The Hunter Circle is honored to perform its duties. Congratulations! 100 points of ''Glory'' have been received. Each member of the Hunters'' Circle gets a new level. Each member of the clan gets +1 to all characteristics, 3 skill points, 3 ''Glory'' points] * All the players couldn''t believe in such a reward. Dan wasn''t in the least bit upset that he didn''t get a new level, and he had enough of a regular clan member''s reward. Players looked at the sinner as a madman when he got up and staggered closer to the body of a demon. Dan pulled out a dagger and leaned over Daros'' head. John laughed, Alexander groaned: \"I want a piece of demonic meat, too.\" Everyone saw the sinner cut off the demon''s ear and sprinkled powder from a small bottle that had appeared in his hands. No one had the strength to resent the sinner''s behavior. Dan was chewing on a piece of his ear and couldn''t swallow it. He took a flask out of his inventory and took a sip of apple juice. It helped, and he could swallow a piece of meat. * [You get +1 to the ''Cannibalism'' skill.] Immunity to weapons: Stabbing: 5% Cutting: 5% Crushing: 5% The magic of fire: 5% The magic of water: 5% The magic of air: 5% The magic of the earth: 5% Endurance +5%] * Now the sinner felt full satisfaction. 36 Dead Guard Arena All new members of the clan were in a depressed mood this morning. The veterans were well aware that meeting with the Demon and many subsequent deaths were not easy to get out of memory. After breakfast, everyone went to get a closer look at the trophies. The trophies were charming. Unique sword, dagger, sickle and club for class only Thief and potion full recovery. Red Nick didn''t think long and took the club. He explained that the club was the Burglar''s main weapon. A thief doesn''t like blood, blood is a murder case. The thief''s job is just to come in, open up, take it and leave. He''s going to need that club a lot. * Daros Stick Type: unique. Attention! Only for Thief class Damage: 1200-2500 Durability: Indestructible Weight: 2 pounds Combat skill: ''Execution''. A blow that stuns and repels the enemy. Damage 1900-2200. The enemy loses the ability to move for 12 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds. [0/10] * John updated his weapons and took the demon dagger. * Daros Spike Type: unique Damage: 1300-2200 Durability: Indestructible Weight: 1 pound Combat skill: ''Cutting the Void'' Increases the chance to ignore the enemy''s armor and class abilities. Cooldown 120 seconds. 0/10 * The demon sword caused an ambiguous reaction. Alexander flatly refused to change his ''Singer'' for a unique one-handed sword. His sword dealt 800 damage and could penetrate the defense of several opponents at once. The warrior said he would meet another of his unique two-handed swords. And then Jack and Richard laughed and didn''t waste time. They flipped a coin again and luck smiled at Richard this time. The demon''s unique sword became a soldier''s weapon. * Daros Blade Type: unique Damage: 1600-2300 Durability: Indestructible Weight: 2 pounds Combat skill: ''Drinking the Life'' 5% of the damage done in HP restores health. [0/10] * There remained a strange weapon that was a battle sickle. The weapon looked threatening, only a player of the Inquisitor class could use it. But Kate flatly refused to touch that creepy sickle. And the clan''s arsenal was replenished with another one. * Daros Sickle Type: unique. For Inquisitor class only. Damage: 1850-1950 Durability: Indestructible Weight: 2 pounds Combat skill: ''A sharp blow''. Sickle a few quick blows in a row. Damage to each strike 1900-2500. Cooldown: 30 seconds. [0/10] * Players went out into the yard and started doing physical exercises. Kate became interested in hand-to-hand combat and Nick and John started the Inquisitor''s training. Nick winked at John and stepped aside. Leaving a friend to continue the practice with the girl. Nick looked at the players and couldn''t solve the important issue. He didn''t want to talk about the players'' criminal past. He didn''t want to ruin people''s lives. Nick dueled to Richard''s first blood and was able to relax a little. The soldier was comforted by the fact that he got a +1 to dexterity. The new clan fighters really liked the opportunity to duel. The guys were always fighting in the hallways of the castle, which already began to piss off and annoy girls. Someone suggested a duel only in the castle courtyard, and the proposal decided to agree to a meeting of the clan. At breakfast, Jane said that she would try to find out as soon as possible about the specialties for players. But she''s already recommending a specialty for Kate or Bella. All clan finance operations were developed primarily by the Spirit. Bella and Kate didn''t want to be in finance. And everyone understood them very well. The Priestess''s class was quite murky and peculiar. He was tied up in heavy penalties, it''s unclear what kind of trouble he was in. Anyge will! It was more worrying than the situation with the knight''s vows. Richard took the matter seriously and consulted with the clan. Everyone said that a vow of silence was not the best choice! \"You can take a vow without gambling and duels,\" offered his version of the ranger. Richard said it''s not a bad idea, he''ll think about it. Nick noticed Jane and took a breath. He could no longer look at Jane''s sad face in peace. The girl didn''t feel needed but preferred to go through all her problems alone. Nick went up to her and invited her to take a walk and talk. The conversation, he started easy: \"You disappoint me, Jane. You''re a scientist, but you don''t want to see much behind a bunch of little things. You''ve got a magical future! Imagine that! Betty, when a painter develops his specialty, he can draw scrolls with magic spells. Not Dan, who studies ancient symbols and writes documents. Betty will be able to combine the two directions of the game. I''m sure you''ll be sure to open up the Teacher''s skill. And you can not only teach yourself, but you can learn any skill in the game! That''s when it''s time for you to get involved in battles. The work of a scientist is discreet and modest, but the development of science is important to civilization.\" The girl blushed and whispered some words, but Nick realized that she was ready to continue life and development on the path of intelligence. But Jane hadn''t let him go or even grabbed his sleeve so easily that it was an expression of her brash impudence. \"Nick, how can you be so calm about your deaths? You''ve died a hundred times before, haven''t you?\" \"I didn''t count the number, but you''re right. That''s not how we look at death in the game. Believe me, we take the rebirth seriously. Dan even thinks it''s some kind of game trap. And our rebirth is incomplete recovery from death.\" \"Dan''s a very smart guy,\" smiled at Jane. \"It''s a shame that the game did this to him.\" For the new people in the clan, information about the Sinner''s condition was given honestly and directly. Dan was the Inquisitor, this class is the only one who can work with cursed things. The clan found the Cursed Mine, very necessary for the clan. Dan was the only one who took on the job of clearing the mine of the undead. But the game trapped him! And punished him for taking advantage of an artifact that Dan had every right to use by the rules of the game! The situation looked like this. That Dan had suffered in defending the clan''s interests. He humbly kept quiet and frowned his eyebrows. He was a little amused by the attention to him. And it was nice that the new players were not in a hurry to treat him negatively. The girls immediately said that they got Quest to kill the apostate. As a penalty, they lost 1 point of ''Glory'' a month. The guys said that they will definitely look for additional quests to compensate for the losses of good and understanding needs of the followers of the Spirit''s way clan. By lunchtime, the players calmed down and got to work. Many continued reading Dan''s books. Betty was working on the Bestiary illustrations. Jane was reading books in the library. John and Alexander took the players to the location, where the new inquisitor can get a rich practice. Everyone was surprised by the determination of red Nick. The guy was already predicting the transformation of his class and chose the path of the Burglar. The burglar is a thief who completely neglects the physical struggle with weapons and skills to hide from enemies. The burglar can hide in the shadows, but he can be easily spotted if the rays of light fall on him. But the cracker became an expert in dealing with traps and stashes. The rare skill of ''See the Hidden'' was immediately given to him when choosing a thief class. Nick honestly admitted that he needed the support of the clan, but with the unique equipment from his attention will not leave any hiding places and the clan will get its profits. When Nick received the unique weapon, he stopped doubting and resolutely spent a significant part of his reputation on developing the skills of a thief. After that, he took a large stock of food and went to the ruins of Galatea, checking the cellars of ancient houses with his special thieving methods. Dan stayed in the castle and was engaged in rune learning. He experimented outside the castle walls because he started the dangerous part, he was looking for ways to enhance the protection of the castle. It was like inventing runes traps and mines. By evening, a combat team returned to the castle, which was able to clean the area well from the undead. Kate blamed Dan for not doing his job as a curator. She wanted special lessons, and Dan agreed to take her for a walk to several dangerous places where Kate could develop her skills and become better acquainted with the variety of undead and monsters in the area. Pussy and he can protect her. In the evening, everyone noticed that the atmosphere and environment at the castle were changing. Anna and Emma took the time to run around and picked up some large bouquets of flowers to decorate the dining room and common room at the castle. Nick had already run into the village and bought some large glass jars that could serve as vases for flowers. At dinner, Emma suggested discussing new costume designs. And everyone was interested in the prospect of dressing up a little more elegant and fashionable than the local aristocrats. Dan confirmed that he could enhance the durability of the clothes with the runes. He said the greater the demand, the greater the opportunity to give the material special properties. He could develop a formula for each class. Then the warrior''s shirt can''t be worn by a player of another class, but the warrior''s shirt can be protected as rare leather armor. For three days the clan lived a quiet life, the players got used to their new environment and gradually got to know each other better. Dan spent a very useful day with Kate. They left the castle on the way to the cemetery hunters and there Kate was able to practice inquisitor skills. The scouts got into unexpected trouble. The girls unanimously chose wooden cats as their pets. One Bella chose the bear as her future partner. There were many wolves in the county, these lands were sometimes called the Wolf''s Land. Bears were found in the woods, but wooden cats and foxes were rare. Mentioning foxes also interested girls, but the guys suspected that the foxes were considered as a source of future fur ornaments for clothing. Nick was worried and waiting for the city players to react. But neither Michael nor Samantha were in a hurry to bring up a conversation about the departure of some players from one clan to another. Dan turned down offers to participate in a monster hunt. He explained his behavior by having players who needed more experience. And he''s going to have time to gain his levels. To Nick, he honestly said he''d be gone for a couple of days and go to the cemetery to add to his collection of runes and knowledge about the history of this world. The cunning sinner wanted to replenish his experience points! In the cemetery, he decided to take part in the local Dead Man Tournament. Each Draugr could challenge another dead warrior and fight to the death. Dan watched several dead fights and concluded that the winner gets a new level, while the loser loses a significant number of experience points and falls in the level. Dan knew that in this honest matter, the cursed sword would not advise him. But Dan could count on the skills of the Inquisitor! And that was an ultimate advantage. He couldn''t decide on the level of his future opponent. 28 or 29? Or could he challenge level 30 draugrs? It was a difficult question. No less difficult as the question of how many levels he will lose if he loses. Dan looked at the warriors'' descriptions and once again amazed at the power of this place''s security. The heart of the cemetery was guarded by several hundred elite warriors. Dan decided to stop at the elite level 29 Draugr. This warrior had 39,000 life points. Dan could count on ''Spiritual Power'' and ''Juggernaut'' skills, which increased the strength to 178. ''Master Blade'' and ''Punishment'' played to increase damage, increasing damage by 100% and defense by 50%. With average damage of 4178 points, he could count on a victory with 10 accurate strikes against his opponent. ''Cutting the Void'' was a great bonus with the ability to deal with clean damage while ignoring the enemy defense. ''Pressure'' allowed striking the same amount of damage as a critical strike. The perfect ''Singing Blade'' hit, Dan chose not to use it, the damage was dealt in the square and he didn''t know how the audience would react to the possible damage. In a decisive move, Dan reached the foot of one of the pyramids and turned to one of the dead warriors: \"I wollte faire vysov.\" Draugr paid no attention to him. Even his skull''s jaw didn''t move, but Dan heard a quiet rustle and a crackling response from the monster: \"Saardar beleuchtet,\" For a few seconds, the Draugr looked down at the mask of a dead warrior. The message was familiar to Dan and didn''t take him by surprise, but this time he was about to make the quest to the end. * [Attention! The Dead Guard Arena Quest is available. Reward: Grade 1 level. Have you really decided to challenge the Dead Guard Warrior? Yes/No] * Dan nodded his head and turned his back on the pyramid, and took a few steps forward. Something had changed in the dead guard''s behavior, someone seemed to have given the dead a new command. A few steps away from the sinner one draugr stopped, and then another stood next to him. Warriors came and froze with fixed statues, which shone with scarlet and green light from the empty eye sockets of skulls. Soon Dan was surrounded on all sides by witnesses and judges of the upcoming fight. He looked at one of the warriors of level 29 and pulled out a cursed sword. \"You meine adversaire,\" he said to the warrior. \"I''m dein adversaire,\" said the Draugr. Dan stood up in the bar. He held the sword in front of him to be able to make a finger gesture of ''Autodafe'' activation. The fight had begun. The Draugr was the first to attack. But the sinner''s skill was already in effect. Dan reinforced his personality and was fully prepared for battle. Now he wanted to assess the enemy''s condition. Draugr made a fast forward strike, the sword point aimed at the sinner''s chest. With the sword, it passed by. Strike! [You have caused 4170 damage] The turn is one more blow, and again the two-handed sword showed its dignity in a winning position in terms of attack range. [You have dealt 4200 damage] Draugr bounced back and prepared to attack, but Dan did not give him this opportunity and cut the air over the tilted warrior with a sharp movement. Draugr, in turn, made a clever flip forward and tried to reach the sinner with a sword in the back. But Dan cleverly removed the threat from his back and made a stabbing blow to Draugr''s body. The warrior failed to react from his position and missed a shot of the cursed sword. [Critical damage! You caused 10100 damage] Despite a successful attack, Dan felt that fatigue was a bit of a hindrance and retreated one step back. And the Draugr rushed into a frontal attack in no time. A wide swing of the sword on his left repulsed. On the right, the lower shot, and back again repulsed. With each stroke of the weapon, more and more spectators appeared around the opponents. Warriors rustled, cracked bones and reacted with bone strikes on their armor, marking successful attacks. Suddenly, the Draugr made a notch, Dan jumped, and at that moment the warrior intercepted the sword. And he struck the chest of the sinner with the back of the sword, whose handle ended in a sharp tip. [You sustained 1140 damage] The sinner flew away one step and fell to the ground with a rumble. The audience was noisy, caught with bone fists, dressed in steel gloves, on the bones dressed in cuirasses. Dan got up on his feet, scrolled his sword in his hands. A smile shone on his dusty mask. \"Fast. Sehr schnell.\" The sinner learned the main thing, he could move faster than the enemy, and it was time for a decisive attack. The sword strike immediately reached the dead warrior. [You caused 4200 damage] [You''ve done 4170 damage] [You caused 4190 damage] Sharp cutting blows on the diagonal, fell on the draugr, like a kitchen knife in the hands of an experienced chef lightning chops on vegetables. Draugr barely managed to repel some bloody sword strokes. But Draugr noticed that the enemy began to exhale and knock down his breath, he took the initiative. Having knocked down the next swing of the sword, Draugr quickly turned around under the sinner''s left hand and hit Dan in the back. [You took 590 damage] With a barely audible rustle of groaning. Dead men watching the fight were joyfully caught in the bones. Every successful blow made by their comrade, they perceived as a personal victory. Draugr appreciated the strength of his opponent and, without waiting for a new attack, made the first strike. A deceptive maneuver, a shot to the stomach. [You took 610 damage] And a sharp swing up into the throat. How clever he is! Dan dodged and grabbed his opponent''s sword in the clamp between his arm and body. Then, without thinking for a long time, activated the ''Pressure'' skill and struck a top-to-neck draugr, and a sharp swing up his throat. [You caused 6100 damage] The dead man''s legs were bent by the blow, and he let out his sword. The sinner retreated a few steps back. And showed by moving his palm that he would wait for the enemy to rise to his feet. Draugr raised his sword, jumped to his feet and prepared for the attack. Having chosen the tactics of hitting the center at a distance of an extended sword, he rushed forward. The shots came down on Dan like a downpour in cloudy weather. But the sinner was quicker and just as easily repulsed the punches. Wildly circling, with each other, they trampled all the grass that had broken through on the ground. The ring that surrounded them from the other world diverged more and more. Another drop of the draugr and the sinner turns the hull and lets the sword pass by the chest. At the same time, swinging the sword into the Draugr''s stomach area. ''Cutting the Void''. The blow and the Dead with the rumble fall to the ground. [Critical damage! You caused 10400 damage] Dead warriors burst out with a knock of bones and a crackle of cries. Dan was well aware of the words ''Deadly Schlag''. * [Congratulations! You have successfully completed the Dead Guard Arena quest. [Congratulations! You got level 28.] * Dan opened up the status and saw how he was doing. * Name: Dan. Class: Sinner Subclass: Librarian, Master of Runes. Race: Human / Undead, the form of Draugr Level: 28 Experience: 12800000/15600000 Strength 89 [80 +3 +2 +4] Intellect 43 [29 +2 +3 +2 +7] [MP 410] Dexterity 36 [28 +3 +2 +3] Spirit 128 [120 +3 +3 +2] Endurance 94 [HP 9460] Protection: 740 Luck 6 [Passive] ''See the hidden'' 6 [Passive] ''Eye of Wisdom'' 1 [Passive] ''Dungeon Explorer'' 2 [Passive] ''Self-control'' 10 [Passive] ''Psychoprotection'' 5 [Passive] Immunity to weapons: Stabbing: 5% Cutting: 5% Crushing: 5% \"Resistance to Cold\" 7 [Passive] ''Resistance to Fire'' 6 [Passive] \"Resistance to Earth\" 5 [Passive] \"Resistance to Water\" 5 [Passive] Improved skills: \"The Cognition of Evil\" [8/10] \"Calligraphy\" [9/10] \"The Perfect Nature of Evil\" [0/10] \"Evil Affinity\" [1/10] ''Cannibalism'' [1/10] Class skills: ''Autodafe'' [10/10] ''Spiritual power'' [10/10] \"Tough Will\" [10/10] ''Fallen'' [0/10] ''Expert in Anatomy'' 1/10 ''Angry'' [0/10] ''Ancient Languages'' [10/10] \"Master of the Puzzles\" [10/10] Combat skills: ''Punishment'' [10/10] ''Chains of sins'' [0/10] ''Burnt wings'' [1/10] Extra class skill: ''Horrible transformation'' [10/10] Available with 5 points characteristics and 9 points skills. * I wish I could do that trick again. Not bad for a couple months of play. I''ve got to get back to the castle and make Pussy happy on the way. Now it''s possible to develop her last attack skill to the max. 37 Boring news for the ranger In three days, Dan managed to bypass all the crypts and monuments of the ancient cemetery and carefully study the foothills of the three pyramids in the center of the location. Victory in the Arena changed little in his position as a living dead man, but the sinner sometimes thought that some draugrs nod at his meeting. He added 17 new symbols to his stock of runes and went to the castle. On the way he called the pet and improved her attack skills. Pussy immediately ran to the side and began hunting animals, gaining points of experience for a new level. * Pussy Master: Dan [Shoulder to Shoulder clan] Type: pet Level: 30 Experience: 4671000/5500000 Power: 30 Dexterity: 30 Intellect: 30 Endurance: 30 [HP: 9000] Fighting skill: ''Cat Claws'' [10/10] ''Smash'' [10/10] ''Victim'' [10/10] * When Dan came to the castle, he went into the vault. The gems and jewelry he saw in some crypts he left in the vault. He was walking down the stairs and saw Nick, who stopped and shook his head. \"How?!\" That''s all Nick asked. \"Places to know,\" smiled at Dan. \"Look, you know, connoisseur, we need to do a major operation and raise all new players to level 20. Do you know what transformation means to a player, do you happen to know a place where the group can hunt well?\" \"I don''t know a place like this, Nick. But I don''t think we should rush into it. I was able to discover my personal quest for a sharp rise in level. The Hunter''s Circle makes it possible. I''ll be able to make the quest again in a month. I think you''ll have a new quest for the Hunters'' Circle in a month.\" \"That''s an interesting idea. I''ll be sure to read your new clan perspective notes. You found new information, didn''t you?\" \"I''d rather confirm the old information and put it all in my findings book. I haven''t seen the update of the mandatory quest. What were you waiting for me to see a couple of new monsters and a new boss?\" \"It''s a strange way to ask a question in the form of an answer. Yes. We love and appreciate you. Thank you for replenishing the vault. Betty and I are personally grateful to you. Betty became a financier! She scares me! A desperate girl who stepped on the warpath.\" Nick told that Betty had drawn her conclusions from meeting a demon. And the conclusions were disappointing. She realized that players who seemed to her as almighty heroes could not do anything when they met with a monster that was below the level. And she was a completely weak and useless part of the team. The girl found out from Anna how many points of fame the sorceress had. Anna answered her that she keeps a reserve of 12 points, but this is in the extreme case of a sudden appearance of a magic skill, which she can immediately raise to 10. And then the girl put all her reputation in the Spirit! She left a reserve of 30 glory points to be able to improve her unexpected gift from the game. Also, she stated that she was willing to take on the position of the clan financier, she needed to develop the Spirit, and she was ready to work in that direction. The 300 Spirit points immediately gave her the Spirit Expert Rank and raised her base character by 15%. At this point Betty has temporarily calmed down, and now she can summon a Level 18 Earth Elemental, with a life expectancy of 13150 HP, capable of doing 1315 damage. The Spiritual tested her skill in the dungeon and was satisfied. Calling one Elemental cost 24 mana points. It can be sent to hit the enemy, and the most important thing was that if the stone guy died, the monsters wouldn''t throw themselves at his master. Betty tried to call the second Elemental and it turned out that she could only have one stone fighter. She tried to call another Elemental and it turned out that she could not get four defenders from different elements at the same time. But that didn''t upset the girl. The guys were impressed by the damage to her boy''s stone fists, excellent support during the passage of the dungeon. The newcomers from the combat team followed the example of red Nick and Betty and significantly reduced their stock of Glory points to develop the characteristics necessary for the classes. Betty was asked how she was going to be a financier for a clan with little reputation? The girl replied that she is the face of the clan and in the bank will work for her clan reputation, and the financier himself can afford the status of not a very pleasant person, the main thing is that he was a great specialist. Dan guessed the newcomers would come to this position. He found out that the group was waiting for him, and he could join her if he hurried. That day, the clan went through another dungeon and updated the map of the mandatory quest. Nobody got a new level, but everyone was excited to continue the main task for the clan. At dinner, they discussed the possibility of raising the level monthly, and everyone agreed that this was a working version of future development. But the players were ready to work on their own. The spirit of adventure awakened in them, and many realized that once a month the clan could meet an outstanding and dangerous enemy. But in normal locations, players can prove themselves well and not worry about their safety. Nick pleased everyone with the news that there were strange events in the city and Michael wants to meet him. The soldier sent a personal letter to the game mail, in which he made an appointment to meet and wrote in the conclusion that he leaves the Dor and leaves the clan. Samantha now holds the position of leader. This news sparked a strange reaction. All the girls snarled and even in words expressed their attitude to \"this bitch\". The men did not worry, although Nick said he would continue to stand up for the clan''s firm position on cooperation with urban players. Hunters can do well without urban problems, and if the hunters need something, they''ll get their own without someone else''s help. Richard added that there is not enough experience, and the clan would like not to lose the opportunity to use the resources of the city. Nick said he worked carefully and quietly and the clan doesn''t want any conflict with the locals. Ranger added that he had left the order in the village and the local hunters will now be watching the forest more closely. The clan will pay a good price for the opportunity to get a little wooden cat cub and one bear cub. \"For the little fox, I''ve set a fee of one gold crown,\" added quietly, Nick. \"Anna laughed and everyone supported the red sorceress. Everyone knew Anna was cool about the idea of having a pet. The sorceress herself said she already had one pet and was in no hurry to get a new one. All laughed at Nick, but the girls were jealous of Anna and already started some of their cunning combinations and operations with matrimonial character. John in Betty and Kate''s company barely sat in the castle. As soon as the group was released from work in the dungeon, the trinity disappeared and wandered around. Kate and Betty met the monsters. Betty would fill out her drawing album, Kate would increase her skill in ''Cognition of Evil''. But Kate had already realized that John was paying special attention to Betty and not disturbing the young people. She had her own plans on this important issue. Suddenly, there was an alliance of warrior and priestess. This couple was a good cheerleader for all the witnesses. Bella kept an eye on Alexander''s health all the time. The priestess did not stop swearing at the brainless berserk, who does not care about his defense and drinks mana from it! The imperturbable ''manasucker'' rubbed his bald head and justified himself by the fact that he had everything under control, he was not worth such close attention and care. But despite their supposed differences, they muttered something and tried to hide their interest in each other. Richard spent a lot of time with Jane. In his past life he had nothing to do with the army and was an ordinary servant. To his surprise, Jane knew a lot of stories about different historical war events from both worlds'' past. Richard had already spent a considerable amount of money buying local books on military operations. These books were read aloud by Jane, and Richard looked at her and sometimes took notes in his notebook. Alexander once read his notes, then flipped through a couple of books describing the wars of this world and said that he could help in something, but does not intend to deal with this issue yet. * Early in the morning, Nick left the castle and ran into town. He had several reasons to visit Dor. A meeting with Michael. Meeting with Samantha. An unexpected invitation to meet the head of the Killer Guild. The need to make purchases for the clan. Nick arrived in town at almost noon. He texted Michael and arranged a meeting. He set up a meeting with Samantha. And he warned the guild members that he was ready to meet the head of the guild. After that, he went shopping. The clan took most of his expenses to buy books. Players liked to read stories about the new world, it was a pleasant activity for them, even if you do not pay attention to the increase in the characteristics of the intellect while reading. Nick sat in the tavern and sighed. The books were heavy. He was thinking about how to change the connection between hunters and the city. Hire a detachment to deliver your purchases to the castle? It''s a good solution, but you need to find out about the cost of hiring a team of city adventurers. Nick regretted that there was mail in this game, but there was no way to exchange packages by mail. The ranger spotted Michael right away. Michael looked serious, tired and in his eyes clearly read the expression of sadness. \"Hey, soldier, you''re on level 22, congratulations.\" \"And you''re 28, glad you''re doing well, Nick. You already know that I''m going to another town. There''s a player from the ''Sunrise'' clan coming to Dor. They''re recruiting new people. I''ve agreed to move into their clan.\" \"That''s a great clan. 5th place in our continent''s ranking. Can you tell me what they do?\" \"It''s no secret. They''re practically a military organization. They''re most interested in classes of soldiers, warrior, knight, and priests. There are four former military men in the top positions. I realized I''d had enough of the life of a leader and decided to be a simple executor of orders. Good prospects for development. Strict discipline and quiet life. I hope I won''t be disappointed. Nick, you''re not going to hurt Samantha?\" \"Michael, I''m not at war with women. I''m a married man. With players from the city, all I can do is trade.\" \"But you started doing quests in town. It hit the reputation of her clan. She urgently changed the game policy. A lot of people didn''t like it.\" \"And you decided to leave the clan with a new policy. I''m meeting with her today. I hope she doesn''t hope to change the nature of our relationship.\" \"Why don''t you want to help them, Nick? I mean the city players. Don''t you care about their fate? You''re a cop. We''re very few, and it''s hard not to think about responsibility.\" \"Michael, I have a good sense of responsibility. I have a wife. I have a clan. I don''t want to be responsible for the actions of the ''Sunrise'' clan players and other strangers.\" \"Cruel, but fair. I know what you mean. I hope we don''t meet like enemies.\" Michael stood up from the table and extended his hand to the ranger. Nick stood up and answered the handshake, too. When Michael left, the ranger finished his juice and went to meet with Samantha. She set up a meeting with him at the mansion of one of Dor''s aristocrats. Nick thought about the offer and agreed. He didn''t expect anything unpleasant from this baron. An ordinary local aristocrat. At the appointed time, the ranger approached the gate, behind which was a large ornamental garden. A beautiful and large mansion building was rising above the greenery. The gatekeeper let the hunter in and walked him to the entrance of the mansion. Nick entered the house and saw Samantha. The woman looked beautiful. She was serious, polite, and Nick didn''t notice a bit of excitement in her face. \"Hello, Nick. I want you to meet the owner of this house, and then we can talk business.\" \"Hello, Samantha. I don''t see the need to meet the owner of this house. If it''s against protocol, we can go out and discuss business in the garden. The weather is nice today, cloudy, but it''s not raining.\" \"Nick, it''s not decent. Why do you refuse to make new acquaintances?\" \"We''re wasting time. I''ll see you next time.\" He turned around and left the house. He was walking down a wide path covered in a light smooth stone and didn''t understand what that woman wanted from him. It''s a very strange start to a new phase of the relationship. He got the answers to these questions from the Killer Guild. Marrog greeted the Ranger and looked at him with a certain reproach. The head of the guild didn''t smile and went straight to the point. \"Master Nick, we''re worried about your life. I understand you''re not in danger of death, but you must agree that losing your life is an unpleasant event.\" Nick was surprised and asked a little: \"Did the Guild get an order for my destruction? Don''t answer that. I''m glad. That the guild can make good money on this case. I hope I''m valued high enough.\" \"No, Nick. There are no orders, no such crazy and fools in our town. The city''s rich people might sometimes make expensive gifts to show their respect and look forward to future cooperation. Did you know that two men from our guild died near your castle?\" \"I know nothing about your people, our clan has nothing to do with the deaths of your people.\" \"I have no doubt about it. I''ll tell you how they died. Nick, you understand perfectly well how we do business. We don''t interfere with someone else''s privacy, but we try to keep our hand on the pulse, as city healers say. In the village near your castle, there are several guild members. They sometimes show curiosity and keep a close eye on events. Three people wanted to get a closer look at the Hunters'' Castle. One man suddenly fell, they came to him and saw that our man was dead. There were no enemies near him. Another man took a few steps aside and fell too. The third man decided to be careful and prudent and slowly left that mysterious place. I can see that you understand what I''m telling you. I''m not hiding from you the fact that our team went to investigate this incident. Our specialists found an inconspicuous stone near the corpse and risked their lives, they were able to review and carefully record on paper the creativity of your practice on the runes. Master Nick, I received an answer from the capital. This is the conclusion of two famous Masters of Runes. You live in the lair of a monster. Your specialist violates every conceivable and possible rule of the runes. Are you confident in your man''s competence? Are you sure of your own safety?\" \"This is the man I trust in my life. And I''m willing to trust his work in the future. He may have shown unhealthy enthusiasm for his work, but all members and guests of our clan have no problem with it.\" \"Clan guests and clan members,\" nodded the head of an old gray man. \"I see. You have a dangerous and honorable occupation. The people of the city appreciate your efforts and are happy that real monster hunters have returned to the world.\" \"Master Marrog, with all due respect. I specify that I personally gave a serious warning to the head of the village. I warned that if you saw the roof of our castle, you can''t come any closer to the castle. We have no intention of joking, and we await an attack at any moment. We live in a dangerous place, we have enemies, and we must exercise reasonable care.\" The head of the guild smiled and agreed with the ranger: \"You''re a good leader for your men. Now we''ve cleared up all the questions about this. No claims, you''re in your right. The guild took a risk, the guild got the information. Do you have any questions or suggestions for me?\" \"No. Master Marrog, I believe our clan has not yet established its position. We''re just getting started and it''s inappropriate for us to bother the guild with unnecessary questions and suggestions. We''re doing business together, the hunters are grateful for the opportunity to do business with your guild.\" \"Wonderful, I wish you success and prosperity. I am pleased with the result of the meeting.\" Nick stood up and bowed his head in a respectful bow, a man he respected. He liked the Guild of Killers for its strict order and speed of response in resolving issues. Samantha met him again, this time in a respectable tavern, more like a restaurant. Nick had dinner and made a list of gifts for the clan girls and boys. She walked up to his desk and without an invitation sat across from Nick. He smiled at her and nodded his head at the greeting. Samantha was silent, waiting for a maid to come to the table and order a glass of wine. Nick sometimes glanced at her and saw the woman pretending not to know them. Samantha looked away, at the company of the young aristocrats, who had dinner and laughed merrily but behaved with decency and honor. The maid brought the wine. Samantha took a sip and set the goblet. \"Why is it so difficult with you? Nick?\" He heard a little beautiful voice and looked at her. Samantha looked past him, she looked behind his back, at another company. Her left hand went up to the corner of her mouth, and she bit her index finger. Nick wouldn''t answer that question. He was in a good, calm mood. Things were going just fine. And he had no desire to deal with this woman''s questions. If only she''d offered him a dragon egg! \"Can you sell me a dragon egg?\" asked Nick. Samantha looked at him in the face and saw that he was asking completely seriously. \"You already do dragons in your castle. I didn''t know, I didn''t know, I''ll try to do something for you.\" \"You try.\" \"Will you owe me?\" \"Don''t get your hopes up. Money decides.\" \"Not always.\" \"Maybe. Maybe it does. But for us, the money will be an excellent intermediary.\" \"You could do me a favor and meet Baron Harper. A lot of money for a simple task. Your clan is very good at urban tasks.\" \"Not interested. Not Baron Harper, not his daughter.\" She wasn''t surprised by his knowledge and realized that Nick was unwilling to make contact. Samantha got up and left without saying goodbye. Nick had eaten and recovered from shopping. He had a big shopping list. The leader was in a great mood. Nick remembered Dan convincing everybody to set the boundary of the runway protection at a distance from the castle walls. The girls were the most important opponents. There are children in the village! Children can run far into the forest! The children could die by accident! In the end, Dan fortified his mines in the wall of the Castle of Hunters. Now the hunters didn''t worry about the city masters'' curiosity to infiltrate other people''s homes and hiding places. Baron wanted the hunters to take on a mission to protect his daughter, who had poisoned her lover. One young aristocrat refused to marry, another aristocrat was not against marrying the girl, but the girl did not like him. Nick waved at the prospects that threatened the clan. They wouldn''t get into the problems of the local aristocracy for a mountain of gold. Samantha decided to take a peaceful path. She took an interest in the possibility of owning the land. She could buy slaves and give them jobs in her village. Becoming a Feudal is the right decision for a player who doesn''t want to do the usual quests and fight against monsters. Samantha could even give quests to her assistants. She would definitely be delighted if she had the opportunity to engage in the development of Galatea. Ranger decided to give Samantha time and not to worry about the problems of a novice slave owner. The clan decided to get down to the fundamental quest. It''ll take a couple of weeks. Then they''re going to have to organize a trip outside their territory. It was calm in the south, more civilized lands began in that direction, there were already two large cities, somewhere far to the south was the capital. The West and the North were good destinations to find large monster forces. And there they are! After all, some large groups of the dead appeared, destroyed the local village and returned to its territory. Nick smiled, he was happy to take his mind off the bureaucracy and work as a scout. They''re going to pair up with John for long-range reconnaissance. It''s going to be interesting. Maybe we''ll meet the dragon, thought the ranger. 38 Mysteries of the far North The Council of Hunters listened to news from the city and Nick''s proposal to conduct recon to find a large concentration of monsters. After the winners returned from Galatea, they discovered that a new low relief had appeared in the castle. On one of the walls of the castle, a picture of the new hunters'' victories appeared from stone. The red-haired sorceress was doing her sorcery and many skeletons at her feet plunged into the ground. Ranger was killing monsters with precision bow shots. The warrior turned into a large formidable figure of a fighter and smashed his enemies with precise sword strokes. The shaggy assassin pushed his daggers into the enemy in a deadly blow. A strange dark figure with dark wings behind his back and a two-handed sword in his hands was also on this low relief. Players understood that to make mass extermination of monsters is what is needed for a breakthrough in development. Nick proposed to the clan: \"In the east, we have a strange location with a cemetery of former hunters. According to the village, there''s never been an attack on civilians from those places. We won''t be disturbing this location. The South is useless to us in terms of development. It''s where the more populated land begins. It''s where other players can put things in order. West and north, these are the two directions of our quest for adventure. The North is a very unpleasant place. There''s a huge swamp in the north-east. There''s nothing to look for. In case of danger, we can''t count on powerful scrolls. Anna is not a Master of Water. Earth''s magic spells are almost useless in a battle in the Swamp. We will not climb into the swamp. In the event of monster invasion, we''ll survive on solid ground under our feet. But John and I looked a little outside our territory, we were heading north of Galatea. Swamp monsters can be found there, but most monsters are dangerous creatures on levels 20 and 30. The West is the most convenient place for us to recon. There are a lot of dead people out there, we can count on Dan to help us. Somewhere in the west there''s a large congregation of the undead, and we can find and destroy it.\" Players were thinking about the terms. Alexander decided to give his opinion: \"I don''t agree with you, Nick. We''ll meet a familiar opponent on the west side. That wouldn''t give Dan a chance for development. Meeting new monsters is the perfect job for the Inquisitor. Let''s not go the easy way, it''s not right.\" \"I agree with that,\" said Dan. \"I''m more interested in the North. I''m not thrilled with the features of my Sinner class, but I need to develop it. Fighting the dead is not the best way for me.\" \"Is there no way I can join your group?\" asked Kate. \"Mistress Inquisitor, the clan needs you on a major mission,\" said Nick. \"I''m sorry, I was in a hurry, but I was wondering if I could join the intelligence team,\" said Kate. \"It''s not interesting, Kate. We''ll be quiet and slow on the road. We''ll apply our invisibility and camouflage skills and be ready to run away from danger at any moment. Dan''s at great risk, I don''t think the artifacts of stealth will help him. And his status as a living dead player won''t work against dangerous animals either. A boring walk through unknown places,\" smiled John. \"He''s got a good look at the forest and the area we own. John may seem to be a brave and confident expert on his land. But in intelligence, he''s careful and slow,\" said Nick. \"I am very careful, brother, and too slow compared to you,\" corrected the Assassin. Alexander smiled and summed up the council: \"The three of you are going on a reconnaissance mission. The clan is not relaxing and continues to perform the main quest. When are you ready to go on a mission?\" \"Tomorrow morning, we''ll go towards Galatea. We''ll visit our redheaded thief, who is so pleased the clan with his findings,\" said Nick. Red Nick rarely came to the castle. But he did bring great trophies. He found a great place to develop his skills and was delighted. He even met the traps in the cellars of the ruins! The future burglar had a lot of work to do. * In the morning, the scouts left the castle. On the ruins of Galatea, they met with Nick and heard the news. Nick met some high-ranking dead but managed to get through. The skeletons were 20 levels and appeared one by one. The victory wasn''t easy for a thief. But the unique club did wonder! The thief could lurk in the shadow and attack unexpectedly and strike several quick blows. Sometimes, he received wounds, but so far his life reserve was enough to survive. But the redhead did not worry. He had a rebirth point under his side. That''s great! He''s happy to work in this place. One quarter of the city hasn''t been explored by a ginger thief. The guys shared food with him and wished him good luck. Nick learned about the purpose of their trip and was happy to learn about the opportunity to gain a lot of experience. The road from Galatea was destroyed by time and resembled a path surrounded by woodland. Nick felt confident in those places. They were not afraid of animal attacks. Players were moving slowly. On the first day, they walked a few miles and in the evening they found a good place to sleep. By the bank of a small river that flowed out of the big swamp, they found a big empty hole in the hill. The owner of the hole was a bear, it was a den. Nick recognized the former owner with confidence from the few woolens he found in the den. The ranger was able to shoot a small boar on the way, and a piece of meat was waiting for his fate. \"I''m not taking a chef specialty! It develops dexterity and spirit. I agree with increased agility, but I don''t need the spirit! I lack intellect,\" said John. The guys talked him into cooking. The opportunity to eat delicious food on the road was nice for everyone. \"You don''t read enough books! You''re not interested in this world at all.\" \"I''m listening to Betty. It''s not hard for her to read out loud. But you''re right, brother, she''s getting more intellect points. I already warned Richard.\" \"The lazy and the weak,\" concluded Nick. \"If you like a girl, propose to her. Dan will marry you.\" \"I''d be happy to help and connect loving hearts,\" smiled the sinner. John was embarrassed and twisted that not everyone is as brave as Nick and his girlfriend are happy with his attention. The assassin looked at Dan and laughed: \"Our Inquisitor will surely catch you! There''s no escape from the skill of Autodafe.\" Dan smiled sadly and admitted he was embarrassed. He doesn''t want to ruin a girl''s life. He''s afraid of what might happen to him when he changes his status for 24 hours and stops being a live player forever. \"You''re not afraid to develop your spirit anymore? Betty, Bella and Kate are already ahead of you in that direction.\" \"Newcomers have proven to be great players. Their reputation stock is fantastic! They''ll soon outpace us all in terms of performance,\" replied Dan. They sat by the fire of a small fire and ate roast meat. The food tasted disgusting, and it was impossible to eat meat without a stock of dwarf spices. But it was a great way to quench the hunger and keep playing. The guys ate and went to bed. The pets went to guard their master''s sleep. In the morning, everyone washed up and went further north. In these places it was difficult to move, many small rivers blocked the way. There were no bridges left. Players did not risk and did not enter the water of the rivers. One day they saw a monster that immediately repulsed the desire to risk their lives. Dan calmly reads the scouts a description of the monster. * River Beast Type: normal Level: 30 Life: 40000 Damage: 1900-3300 Description: This animal is a species of aquatic reptiles living in river waters. Travelers must be extremely careful, especially when water bodies, streams and rivers are close by. Bubbles rippling on the water surface, this is a sure sign that River Beast is waiting for you. It emits poisonous saliva, which it spits from its mouth with incredible force, often knocking anyone down. Sometimes River Beast''s groups work together, one of the monsters spits out the victim, pushing him into the mouth of the other. * The incomprehensible monster did not surrender to the skills of a ranger who admitted to his friends that he could not control fish and other inhabitants of rivers and reservoirs. In a strange likeness of an octopus, they noticed scales and a few tentacles with powerful claws at the ends of each tentacle. The poisoning and the ability to hit at a distance killed any desire to get in touch with such an opponent. The scouts found a place where everyone could run away and jump over the river. They continued moving on the barely visible remains of the ancient road. The road always connects the two inhabited places. If they find a new dead city, that would be a great end to their journey. On the evening of the second day of the journey, the scouts stopped away from the river, but the meadow in the forest seemed to them to be a good place to sleep. Nick assured that there were no paths near the glade and the local animals would not disturb the players'' sleep. The local animals were on levels 20 and 30. The skill of the ''Friend of the Beasts'' ranger was a terrible advantage. Each skill level gave power over a stronger animal. Nick could command the animals on level 38! Of course, he couldn''t command a pack of animals but confessed that he was able to make a good acquaintance with several wolves near the castle. These wolves were the leaders of the herd and Nick managed to leave his image in the leaders'' minds. Right next to the castle, he could count on the whole herd to come to the rescue of the ranger. The guys dug a hole in the ground and started a fire in it, they didn''t want to draw attention to themselves. The players were going to have dinner with another batch of disgusting roast meat. They had a little talk about their adventures, the girls and the specifics of the area. Nick didn''t like the woods. He admitted that the proximity of a large swamp spoiled the forest. This forest wasn''t a jungle, it had the usual big trees. But there was no shrubbery in the forest. The trees stood at a small distance from each other and were seen with a thick carpet of lianas. Nick said there was no need to get close to the trees. These lianas didn''t inspire confidence in him. Beautiful flowers were often found on large and thick stems. The forest was very beautiful from an artistic point of view. But everyone knew that everything about the swamp was about poison. The most dangerous enemy for players was insects! They did not encounter swarms of small insects. But they had already faced air attacks by the Swamp Bloodsuckers. Large flying monsters were covered in red wool and had a strange proboscis. The players were lucky! These overgrown mosquitoes made a loud noise as they flew, warning of an attack. The monsters were a pitiful resemblance to vampires, they were 30 and 32 levels and could restore their health by feeding on the blood of their victims. The guys easily handled the bloodsuckers'' attacks, which were captured by the ''Autodafe'' skill and became easy prey for three players. Nick didn''t even intervene in the fight to avoid spoiling the trophies. Being able to please his wife with new ingredients instantly reduced his desire to enjoy the fight. Nights in this world were more enjoyable than days. The nights were never raining. It was strange, but it made the players happy. There was an almost ordinary moon shining in the sky, the moonlight illuminating the terrain well. They missed the attack. Dan felt weird. His head was blurred and he suddenly wanted to sleep. It wasn''t normal. He looked at his friends and saw that John was already lying by the pit with the fire and that Nick was up and walking towards the trees. Dan jumped up on his feet and followed the ranger. He didn''t see the enemy immediately, the moonlight wasn''t enough to see a gray figure at the trunk of one of the trees. But one glance was enough for the Inquisitor to know that they had gotten into trouble. * Succubus Type: normal Level: 32 Life: 36000 Damage: 900-1700 Overview: A pitiful resemblance to a powerful demoness who was killed during the battle. The succubus has a constant craving for blood, especially male blood. It is particularly beneficial for her development. A Succubus is weak in attack, but very fast in combat, usually a Succubus weakens his victim by a curse from a distance. The curse makes the victim fall asleep and quickly lose their lives. After weakening the victim, Succubus kills the victim with its long curved claws. Attention! The succubus can cause a variety of magical damage. The succubus can cause magical damage. Succubus also uses a variety of curses. A curse can take lives [35% at Succubus level]. The succubus can use a special curse that takes mana and lives when used. When this terrible curse is cast on you, try to find a priest faster to break the curse. In its development Succubus passes through Harlot and Temptress levels, and turns into the most dangerous opponent. Kill the succubus the first chance you get, so don''t give it a chance to become the most dangerous enemy of all living creatures. * \"You''re not like them. Stop, or I''ll curse your friend even harder,\" said the monster. Dan stopped and took a close look at the enemy. The naked woman had long red hair. The body was covered with only two shoulder pads and handcuffs. She was beautiful and her body shapes were good, but the succubus did not cause any erotic desire in the sinner. The skin was an unpleasant grey color. And the voice and expression of the face expressed cold, insensitivity and calm indifference. But it was certainly not a kind of undead. She attacked a sinner. And Dan didn''t want to put his friend in new danger. The sinner instantly activated ''Autodafe'' and went into Draugr''s form. \"Kill the goddamn thing! I hate those filthy weaklings who can''t fight fair and use nasty magic!\" Dan was in complete agreement with his cursed sword. He struck a quick blow and immediately used the skill of ''Cutting the Void''. [Critical damage! You caused 11.200 damage] The Succubus could do nothing to counter the dead warrior''s onslaught as a fighter, she tried to dodge it and put the most powerful curse on the enemy. She knew that this enemy would kill her very quickly. Dan struck a few more blows and managed to finish off the Succubus. But she was able to do her dying curse. * [You cursed! You will lose 190 health points every second for 24 hours. Seek the help of a priest to break the curse. You''ve gained 6.000 points of experience.] * Dan stood and laughed. I don''t know what that naked stupid girl was counting on. But she certainly wasn''t dealing with the players. And she definitely didn''t meet any followers of the Spirit''s way, thought an insolent sinner. 1 point Endurance regenerates 1 point HP per minute. 1 Point Spirit regenerates 1 Point HP and 1 MP per minute. Dan was restoring 222 health points per minute. And it was a simple sum of his characteristics, for healing he used his skills for a momentary increase in Spirit! He did not deny himself the pleasure and kicked a Ranger who fell to the ground and kept sleeping and smiling silly. Dan realized that the guy was dreaming about a nice erotic scene. \"Wake up, you disgust traitor! I''ll tell Anna everything!\" \"Don''t tell Anna anything!\" Nick knelt down and crawled towards the faint light of the fire flame. Dan woke John up. The scouts already lost two-thirds of their health and immediately took a small healing potion and an excellent regeneration potion. Dan talked about the properties of a dangerous monster that attacked them suddenly. The sinner looked at the cat with a quick look: \"Pussy! I understand that these two shaggy dodgers could have amused themselves to the charms of a fallen woman. But you''re a girl! How could you have missed the attack of that insolent bastard?\" The cat turned its back on the sinner, and he saw a picture of the cat sleeping in it. \"Very clever creature. Guys, it even enchanted pets!\" \"And managed to sneak up unnoticed. I don''t like this one,\" wince, Nick. \"And if we get attacked by a few of those succubuses, we''ll wake up in Galatea! Two days to get back to this place! Nasty opponents,\" noticed John. \"No, they don''t like to share their prey. These creatures are very clever and are eager to gain new power and new rank. She gave me a clear and competent order,\" said the sinner. \"Dan. You will guard our dreams. You''ll get a penalty from the game, but I hope that damn road leads us to someplace tomorrow with a rebirth point,\" said Nick. \"I won''t do anything like that, and I''ll sleep like normal people. We''re going to eat now, and then we''re going to take the daggers in our hands and start digging. Relax at all. We''re going to dig ourselves some shelter and go to bed. I didn''t see any wings on that thing. I hope Harlot or Temptress doesn''t come to see us. Pathetic demons can grow into strong ones. Demons sure have wings. I remember that for sure,\" said Dan. \"Kill, you let me down, you definitely ate during the day, get to work now,\" said the ranger. Two werewolves and a cat wouldn''t argue and started digging a hole in the ground. When the players ate, they saw the pets digging a big hole. The players didn''t waste time talking, put out the fire and went straight to bed. And in the morning, they walked only two hours along the path and met their reward. Nick was the first person to see the big news. * [Attention! Location Nazgor Ruins detected. Location type: normal] * Big trees surrounded the ancient ruins of the city. Small remains of buildings were covered with vines, walls of ancient houses were covered with a solid green moss carpet. The ancient gates were destroyed, but from the gates began a wide alley covered with stone, which in rare places gave way to spots of greenery. The sight of strange monsters pleased Dan, he felt that the skill of ''Cognition of Evil'' was a good opportunity for development. On the ruins of the city and the remains of his streets players noticed worthy monsters 30 levels. ''Mana stealers'' were strange monsters who were weak in physical attack, but could steal the player''s entire mana supply and make life much harder. These monsters looked like very large size bats sparkling with the red light. Ordinary warriors were the ''Lords of War''. They were not skeletons, but tall and powerful creatures that looked like a mixture of man and frog. The most dangerous opponents seemed to be the ''Swamp Knights''. They looked like drowned men, but Dan said they weren''t exactly dead or like zombies. These monsters were made of drowned trees, mud and algae. They''re very weak against fire magic attacks. Dangerous because they have healing skills and can successfully rebuild their lives in battle. Strong enemies of close combat who use magic to enhance defense and attack. Then Dan notices an even scarier opponent. It was a large creature that moved on four limbs and looked like a skinny, hungry animal. The monster was called the Abyss and was dangerous because it could create several larvae. No larvae were noticed by the players, but they refused to contact this opponent. Players were careful and, above all, went around the ruins of the city in a circle. The city turned out to be a big location, the guys spent 8 hours to bypass its border. Players found four entrances to the city, but they didn''t find a temporary renaissance point. They had to start battles with monsters, and the players worked on an old and proven battle pattern. First, Dan called the enemy to fight, and then the enemy was attacked by six opponents. A life reserve of 40,000 HP and armor could not save the monsters from death. All participants in the battle began the battle with the skill with the much powerful damage. They did not go far towards the city center. They spent one hour on the first gate and clearing the street from the monsters. Then they went back to the gate and walked to the next entrance to the city, where they started the battle in the street again. The time of exploring this area was coming to an end when the hunters were happy with the message from the game. * [Attention! A temporary rebirth point has been detected. Do you wish to make a binding? Yes/No] * The guys made binding, but they met an unpleasant opponent. In the ruins of the house with the point of revival sat the Abyss. * Abyss Type: normal Level: 31 Life: 38000 Damage: 1900-3600 Combat skill: Call larvae. The monster summons 6 larvae that serve as assistants in combat and strengthen their master. Cooldown: 30 seconds. Description: No one knows where this monster came from. As if there wasn''t enough damage with its sharp razor claws, the monster is also breeding at an incredible speed. Attention! Kill the Abyss as soon as possible to prevent rapid reproduction. The larvae of this monster are very dangerous. * Dan was able to read the monster''s description and warned the guys to attack quickly. The sinner used ''Autodafe'' and the whole team rushed to the Abyss. At this moment disgusting creatures appeared around the monster, which stank and looked like scrawny big dogs, which immediately shone to the mouth and threw the whole pack at the sinner. Dan noticed the description of the lousy little dogs while he struck a wide sword in front of him. [You caused 3100 damage] [You have done 3500 damage] [Critical damage! You caused 5200 damage!] [You caused 2950 damage] And at that moment he felt his body pierced with pain from biting several creatures at once. [You have sustained 300 damage] [You took 320 damage] [You got 360 damage] [You took 280 damage] [You took 310 damage] [You took 270 damage] The cursed creatures almost destroyed a third of the sinner''s life in one attack! He struck a new blow and at that moment was already ready to activate the transformation into Draugr to increase his chances of victory and survival. But he did not have to do that. Two jaws of evil werewolves got caught in two larvae. Pussy struck just one blow and suddenly Dan felt great, all the weakness was gone from his body, and he struck another nasty creature. [You caused 3100 damage] [You took 340 damage] [You got 300 damage] [You got 360 damage] [You took 270 damage] Precise ranger shots and assassin dagger strikes came to the rescue. Dan took another round of damage from three little monsters and killed one creature. When he calmed down and didn''t see a pet nearby, He understood everything. Pussy sacrificed herself and gave him her health stock. So, he was able to survive. Dan wasn''t too upset, he knew the cat would be reborn in 24 hours, but there was an unpleasant thing left on his mind. He immediately explained to the scouts how dangerous the abyss was. These larvae turned out to be unpleasant rivals, they must have acted on the orders of the creator and attacked all together one enemy. * Abyss Larvae. Type: normal Level: 31 Life: 11000 Damage: 900-1600 Overview: Insatiable since its birth, this stinking beast immediately finds a victim and attacks with several more of the same. The larvae are very dangerous, so you must start with their owner, otherwise, they will appear forever. * The guys took a look at their new safe house. They didn''t notice any flying monsters. The ceiling of the large hall was undamaged. The stairs, they put up rocks just in case. Dan managed to draw some new symbols and found the basement entrance. The players wouldn''t go down into the basement. Dan already figured out he was lucky to be in the ruins of Galatea. Red Nick said he met 28 traps! And each trap dealt 12.000 points of purely physical damage and could have additional magical and poison damage properties. Scouts and the sinner looked closely at nearby homes and cleared the street until they saw a new Abyss and retreated to their shelter. The monster did not follow them, perhaps he did not notice his enemies. Go back to the road and spend the night in the woods or spend the night in the shelter? Players knew one simple rule of the game. There''s a safe zone near the rebirth point. They built a small fire in the remains of the fireplace and pleased themselves with a supply of food from the castle. These ruins were interesting. The scouts have not yet tried to sneak into the depths of the city unnoticed. That''s the operation they decided to do the next day. 39 A few hard discoveries Players woke up and were glad to be able to rest in peace. When they ate, it was time to continue exploring the city of Nazgor. In the street, they saw two monsters. They killed the Lord of War with the Sword and the Knight of the Swamps. \"Dan awaits our return. John and I will go forward at the same time but from different sides of the streets. We''ll start moving on the rooftops of old houses. Perhaps the only danger we face is the danger of falling through the ceiling to the first floor of the house to visit the Abyss,\" said Nick. Jon activated Invisibility and disappeared, Nick walked up to the wall of the house and instantly blended in with the color of the wall, and Dan couldn''t see the Ranger. \"Nick, are you there?\" asked the sinner. He couldn''t wait to get an answer and sat on the street rock. He''s not going to make any noise or look for rivals, now he''s going to do the Librarian''s work and wait for the scouts to come back. It''s been about an hour and Dan saw a message from John: \"Dan, we need you here. We met a big boy. Some kind of boss. Follow the rooftops on my end, brother. Walk in the center! And get down low.\" A new monster and a new boss! The sinner got up, crossed the street and entered the house. On the second floor was a staircase that led him up to the \"roof\" of this house. It was difficult to go to the center of the city. Sometimes the sinner had to climb over the remnants of the walls of the second floor, he got a good opportunity to hold a morning session of physical exercises. John met him on one of the roofs and said: \"On the next roof you can crawl up to the edge and look down the street. You''ll see that big monster there. He looks solid.\" Dan nodded and gently walked a few steps, and then he lay down on the roof surface and crawled to the edge to look outside. Down the street, a few yards away, monsters were walking, Dan looked closely at the crowd. But he didn''t see any new bodies. The view of the big and tall monster made the sinner bend his head even lower to the roof surface. The monster was standing on its legs. A large two-handed sword was shining blue in his right paw. His opponent had no shield. Instead of the head of a man on the shoulders of the monster was the head of an animal of the incomprehensible breed, but Dan thought that the monster is like a twisted likeness of a cat without hair. The monster had a tail. * Diguar Type: Elite Status: Boss of the location Level: 40 Life: 119400 Damage: 2500-4600 Overview: Diguar was the head of the Guard of Ancient Nazgor. One day, he led a fierce, final battle against the forces of evil. During the battle Diguar was defeated by enemy legions and disappeared in the darkness. Despite his bravery and strength, the forces of evil broke his will and submitted it to himself. For his crimes, the spirit of Diguar was imprisoned in the form of a terrible creature. Diguar still has great power. He poses a threat to anyone who will oppose him. Improved skills: ''Master Blade''. The weapon in this monster''s hand is as dangerous as its master. This skill increases weapon damage and allows the use of special tricks and sword fighting techniques. [10/10] It opens up skills: ''Cutting through the void''. This skill increases the chance to ignore your opponent''s armor and class abilities. Cooldown: 120 seconds. [10/10] Class skills: ''Invincible''. This skill increases protection and gives immunity from many types of damage. [10/10] It opens up skills: ''Inevitable Death''. This skill greatly increases the speed of the monster''s movement, helping him to overcome his own weight. [10/10] Battle skills: ''The Ice Blade''. It causes additional damage with Water Magic and freezes your opponent for 12 seconds. Cooldown: 240 seconds. [10/10] Immunity to arms: Stabbing: 40% Cutting: 40% Crushing: 40% The magic of fire: 40% The magic of water: 20% The magic of air: 40% The magic of the earth: 20% * The sinner slowly crawled from the edge of the roof to John, who was lying waiting for the results of his reconnaissance. \"Level 40. Elite. 120000 lives. Swordsman can freeze with a sword strike. He''s got the whole set of bosses. Immunity from weapons is 40% unpleasant, increasing defense and attack, but that''s what I eliminate with inquisitor skill,\" said Dan. \"We''re going back to the point of rebirth. Nick made it all the way down the street. We''ve got the results. Everyone''s going to have fun, brother,\" smiled John. They went on their way back. When they returned to the house with the rebirth point, Nick gave his information. The situation in the city was similar to that in Galatea. Eight streets lead from the edge of the city to the center. There are a crossroads about halfway down the street. But in these ruins, there''s an elite boss at the crossroad... Nick took a chance and applied the speeding skill, he managed to cross the street quickly and climbed to the roof of the building. So, he could continue towards the center. They were lucky there weren''t any flying monsters in town. The clan will be happy when they hear the big news. There''s some kind of square and monsters in the center, a few thousand of them. But the main boss of this crowd of nasty freaks is a big freak with a big whip. Nick couldn''t see the level of the monster, and that meant the monster was above level 38. \"It''s going to be hard here,\" said Dan. \"Next to the bosses, its like monsters are doing commands, they can attack more cunningly and cleverly. Eight streets are fine, but eight bosses are a serious few fights.\" \"This Jaguar with the ice sword, is he definitely not a demon?\" asked Nick. \"Nick, we''re in the game! I''m not relying on memory, I''m picking up the record from my status and giving you accurate information,\" replied Dan. \"The boss does look like a modified jaguar, but he''s not a demon.\" \"And that''s great! With an elite boss, our team can handle it,\" smiled Assassin. \"He''s standing at a crossroads, I''ll activate ''Autodafe'', but the sound of battle will attract many monsters to help the boss. He can call the monsters to help himself! Skeletons scouts were smart bastards,\" said Dan. \"You''re used to thinking only of yourself, brother! You''re wrong. Kate activates ''Autodafe'' and runs away! And then you intercept the boss at the new ''Autodafe''! Do you understand? We''re going to lure him far away from his servants,\" said John immediately. \"It''s an interesting suggestion and it might work if I start the attack first, not Kate. You''re forgetting that our girls are more powerful than I am in spirit. Kate''s going to be at the edge of her skill, and she''s not going to runaways. We''ve both developed our skills to the limit, I can''t interfere in the fight, I mean, I can, but as Draugr,\" said Dan. \"Stop talking and fantasize, we''re going back to the castle. At home, we will prepare for battle and make plans for the attack,\" said the ranger. Players went home. They felt better surrounded by the trees on the old trail. Even meeting a flying bloodsucker made the players cheerful, and they enjoyed the fight. Dan said that when they reach the river, they must fight the River Beast. \"Guys, I have eaten the meat of eight different monsters. I''m sure a piece of Boss Diguar will give me a good bonus. But it should be the tenth monster I''ve tasted,\" explained Dan. \"You''re crazy,\" laughed Nick. \"We''re all not quite normal, brother,\" noticed John. \"I agree. We''re going to go here with the girls. I want to know the power of this River Beast.\" Nick laughed and agreed to take part in the hunt for the dangerous local octopus. But the boys don''t have to count on him, he won''t spoil the trophy. They were able to see one monster and the fight with him wasn''t interesting. The sinner used the skill and called the monster to the fight, and then the fight went funny. The monster came out of the river and crawled to Dan, but the first thing the monster attacked the enemy and spit in the sinner. And the slime hit was so hard, it knocked the player down. The sinner drank the antidote to stop the poison and had time to jump on his feet and hit the monster with his sword. The attack of five opponents was enough to kill the creature quickly. Dan cut off a piece of the tentacle and ate it. The meat wasn''t poisoned, and Dan said it tasted like fish. John tasted it, too, and said they could have dinner with this meat. They cut a few pieces off the monster and then Dan took the trophies. He was pleased with the new kind of poison and a few dozen scales from the monster''s body. Then, Nick managed to remove the skin and claws from the body. Despite the successful outcome of the battle, everyone agreed that meeting a group of these monsters is very dangerous and that you need to keep a close eye on the water surface of local rivers and reservoirs. Players were in a hurry to return and fled most of the way. If they met with a succubus, they hoped for the strength of the sinner''s spirit. John seriously said that for him the main result of the reconnaissance was an unpleasant discovery of his own weakness. It seems that the stakes in the game are going up! That''s a minimum of 10 points in each characteristic for urban peaceful players. The hunter must have at least 100 points in Spirit to resist the attacks of some monsters. \"I''m lucky to have you around, brother. But I feel sorry for you. That nasty girl made you have very funny dreams,\" giggled John. \"Not a word to Anna!\" said Nick right away. \"I''m sorry, Nick, but I have to make a full and detailed report on our operation. She''ll read it all on her own. But I''m going to be as delicate as possible,\" said Dan. Ranger thought and got a little upset, but soon everyone forgot about the unpleasant encounter with the succubus, which even after death was able to give players a headache. They were lucky, and the return journey went without meeting new dangerous and unknown opponents. In the ruins of Galatea, they met a redheaded Nick, who took the scouts'' leftovers and loaded them with trophies. The thief listened to the stories of the newly abandoned city and was delighted: \"Well done! That''s just great! Let''s warm me up to level 20. I''ll make a transformation into a Burglar, and I''ll search the cellars and walls well there,\" said the thief. \"I know the guys are really good at gaining levels there, but I have my own specific game. I can''t invest skill points to develop my special abilities. I have to work with stashes and traps.\" He couldn''t go back to the castle, he had a few more ruins to look through. The guys wished him luck and went to the castle. They couldn''t run, the thief managed to get many weapons in the basements and caches, and the guys were overloaded. On the territory of their possessions they were no longer afraid to meet a dangerous monster, so they walked calmly. Jane met them in the castle and immediately grabbed a book from Dan''s hand, a detailed description of the scouts'' journey. The girl hugged all the boys and ran away to the library. Turin and Nick started sorting the red thief''s booty. Some of the weapons needed repairing. The dwarf laughed with joy as he looked at the new elite trophy. Velida went out into the courtyard and hugged Dan, then invited the hunters to go into the dining room and eat some normal food, which she had prepared for the return of the three brave sirs of hunters. John and Dan gladly went and complained about the crap they''d eaten on the road. And how lucky they were to have such a wonderful master as Velida living in the castle. Every night they ate a small meal from their stock, and that was the best reward for their troubles on the road. The hunter''s clan did not lose time, and in five days the hunters cleared two more locations of dead people. The hunters took into account the sinner''s request and did not touch the dungeon-like locations. They had enough meetings with banshees and draugrs. The battles with the bosses were hard. Kate admitted that the first meeting with the banshee wasn''t terrifying for her. She felt a terrible cold and was very unpleasant, but she was able to withstand and easily escape from the attack of a flying woman. The banshees were set by the hunters on Earth Elemental and Anna did a good job. The ''Swamp'' and ''Swarm'' slowed it down and quickly killed the nasty creature. With Draugr, it was harder and the fight went hard. Kate activated ''Autodafe'' and Alexander and Teddy went into the attack with the support of Earth Elemental. Richard and Jack were guarding Jane, Bella came out a little ahead and was ready to treat the berserker. Teddy flew into the draugr and was able to remove 2000 of his health, then he sacrificed himself and Alexander and the Elemental came into battle. Anna hit the dead warrior with ''Swarm''. The dead man could not pass by the berserker and a duel began between them. Alexander struck two powerful blows and was able to reduce the health of Draugr, but he also received a good wound. They were able to kill the warrior, but Bella was constantly applying the treatment. Betty had to call in a new Elemental because the Draugr was able to kill one stone fighter. Immunity to the players'' weapons was an unpleasant assistant to these dead warriors. The group was able to destroy another monster in another location. For clearing two locations each player received 674.000 points of experience. This was enough for all newcomers to get level 19, but up to level 20 each lacked 210.000 points of experience. During dinner, everyone decided that the clan will clear another location. John, Nick and Dan will guard Jane and will not interfere in the fight. Then, the players will be able to gain enough experience to take the important 20th level. \"Redhead has a lot to lose in the ruins of Galatea! He''s doing an important job, but I don''t think he''s right,\" said Jack. \"Leave the guy alone, he understands everything and goes his own way,\" said Emma. \"It''s very difficult for me to be involved in your operations. I stand far away and only shoot with a bow! And still, I feel terrible and uncomfortable. I''m just not born to fight and there''s nothing I can do about it.\" \"Emma, don''t do anything to yourself, we love you for who you are,\" said Jack quietly. \"I understand everything. But I hate to know that I''m unsuitable like this,\" sighed the craftswoman. \"But you shoot well,\" remarked Alexander. \"You''re much better than Nick. When he took the bow in his hand, his shots could only hit our backs.\" \"And just below the back, he hit very well too,\" laughed John. \"The magic of fire,\" the sorceress threw a finger at him. \"Don''t make fun of my husband, or I''ll fry your ass.\" Everybody laughed, nobody wanted to talk about shortcomings or weaknesses. Nick was taking lessons from Alexander. An experienced military man could give a good lesson in developing an accurate eye. The ability to determine distance without using any devices or devices other than his own eyes was very important to a scout. This ability is trained in the army and Alexander told the scouts the main principles of development lessons for the accurate eye. The guys did not get any game skills, but they learned to determine the distance quite accurately. While Nick was lying on the roof and was looking at the main square of Nazgor, he measured the distance and was able to roughly determine the size of the area. Knowing that size, he could name an approximate number of monsters in the square. \"Five acres. 20000 monsters. That''s about 700 million experience per 13 people. Almost 50 million for each. But when Anna finishes the job, we''re in a lot of trouble. I''m talking about the bosses that are on the streets of Nazgor. If we meet nine bosses who will manage monster attacks, we''ll have to endure a tough fight,\" said Nick. The possible reward was impressive, but the possible difficulties also made the players think. The clan decided to quietly raise the levels of players in the familiar environment of their possessions. They will go to the city when they get new skills to meet the challenges and dangers with dignity. Jane had already read Dan''s book and read it with Richard, but they hadn''t told anyone about the scouts'' journey. In the evening, Betty took the book. Kate was upset that she had to wait for the trip and see the new monsters with her own eyes. Dan was sitting in his favorite spot by the fireplace and taking notes at the Bestiary. He didn''t notice the curious Inquisitor sneaking up on his chair. Pussy, the traitor, pretended that nothing dangerous was happening and did not warn her master of the blonde''s invasion. \"Dan, have you enhanced the ''Cognition of Evil'' during the tour?\" \"Kate! You scared me! Come on. Are you taking lessons from John or Nick? Sneaked up like a real Assassin,\" exclaimed the sinner and quickly hid the Bestiary in his inventory. \"Sit down next to me. Yeah, there were a lot of interesting monsters in there, and I''ve increased my skill by one point. Now I have one last step left to take to the full development of the ''Cognition of Evil''.\" \"Congratulations. I only have seven in this skill,\" said Kate modestly. \"It''s a good result, you''re doing great. Was it hard on your assignments? I remember the banshee almost drove me crazy,\" asked Dan. \"No, you know we built up a lot of reputation in town while you were here fighting skeletons. I''m an expert on the spirit, and it helps me well. I was just running from a banshee, and she couldn''t get to me with her claws,\" laughed the girl. \"You''re special,\" smiled Dan. \"You did a good job in town. I couldn''t run around on small errands to get a point of Glory as a reward.\" \"It was a bit unpleasant at the beginning. And then it got better and the reward went up,\" smiled at Kate and extended her hand. \"I was worried about you. Give me your hand.\" Dan froze and looked at her hand, and then he gave his hand out and felt the girl grab it tightly. \"She''s warm. I can feel you, Dan,\" smiled at Kate. \"It''s two o''clock till midnight, Kate. I''m alive. But I wouldn''t want to do it again after midnight,\" muttered Dan. \"Is that why you''re slowing down your development?\" \"I''m not slowing down anymore, but I''m not at your level,\" smiled Dan. \"132 points of spirit.\" \"Let''s wait until midnight. I want to see what you''re like when you''re alive dead.\" Kate saw the white eyes of the sinner expand and laughed: \"Nothing extravagant and sexual harassment! Calm down, Dan.\" She saw him frowning and confessed to her interest: \"But you hooked on to me, Dan. It was back then, in town. In the dungeons. I saw you playing, I saw what it meant to you. I knew right away I wanted this man. And I''m going to get you,\" she threw a finger at him. \"Don''t forget about ''Autodafe''! You can''t hide from my skill, Mr. Sinner.\" \"Kate, I''m not ready for a relationship. I''m just not ready to be with someone. I can''t remember the details of a past life, but there was definitely a woman there. Nothing is clear and I know for a fact that I''m a lonely man. But... it''s too complicated with me right now.\" \"I know. We already picked the hardest class in the game. By the way, you know, I was already the Inquisitor in the village and the locals weren''t scared of me. But then I haven''t lost my reputation yet. It''s different now, it''s not nice to go into the village. I tried it once and decided not to spoil my mood in the future,\" she spoke quickly and her blue eyes looked carefully into Dan''s eyes. Kate saw that he had calmed down a little and smiled, but said it very seriously: \"You''re not getting away from me. I need you. I really hope for you. You have to admit it! Do you like me like a woman?\" \"I like you,\" said Dan calmly and honestly. \"I know what''s going on in the clan. You''re doing great. It''s a different game with you. It''s easier and more complicated at the same time.\" She shone from his confession and let go of his hand. Kate started swinging in her chair and singing some songs. Dan was looking at the flame in the fireplace. \"You work, I won''t peek into your Bestiary. I''ll sit next to you and we''ll wait until midnight.\" The completely insane girl! ''We''ll wait until midnight''. And then what? I''m definitely losing some of my humanity. Strangely, I never cared about the change in feeling. I''m pretty sure my mind isn''t suffering. I am even like a certain coldness and cold blood in my reactions and actions. But it''s all good for meeting monsters! And the boys and I went to the whorehouse until midnight. There''s no problem. It''s been a pleasure. And the woman didn''t mind. Hell, I''m not ready for a relationship at all. I feel familiar with this song... \"Kate, what''s the name of this song?\" \"I couldn''t remember the title, but I''d call it ''Yesterday''. It''s just great for you and me,\" replied the Inquisitor. Now I need a place to hideaway. Oh, I believe in yesterday, repeated the sinner thoughtfully. 40 New Transformations At the beginning of the day, red Nick came running to the castle. Alexander asked the thief to quit his job in Galatea and take part in a campaign to the dungeon. The curly guy sat in the dining room, eating as if he had been hungry for a week, and bragging about his exploits: \"60 hiding places! 9 traps! I got 100.000 points of experience for successful disarming. I flew four times for the rebirth. Traps are more dangerous than dead people, though the banshees were difficult opponents. Velida, can I have another piece of fish cake? You''re just a magician!\" \"Did you kill the banshee? Nick, you''re really cool,\" surprised Jack. \"First I saw the skeletons. Weak opponents! I gently, like a mouse, applied the skill of ''Hiding in the Shadow'' and came up to this bone fool. And gave him a club on his skull! Yes, it was done quickly and accurately. The skeletons fell apart like weaklings. I killed 17 dead men. I don''t know when you cleaned the city of them, but they come from somewhere. Normal guys, level 20. There''s no problem with them. Oh, fish pie! You''re great!\" \"As you killed a banshee, she attacks with the magic of death!\" \"I''m a humble intruder who doesn''t like magic and other dangerous prickly and cutting objects. I have the skill of ''Silence''. I didn''t notice it at first. He silences the enemy for 1 second in 1 point of skill development. That''s silly, I thought, although the skill is useful. If you are suddenly caught or discovered, it is not necessary to hit a man with a club, it is not humane and rude. An experienced burglar will throw ''Silence'' at the enemy and in 10 seconds will run very far. I heard about the banshee. I didn''t like it. Beating a woman, even dead, is disgusting. But I didn''t have a choice. I hid in the ''Shadow'' and threw a coin aside. That flying lady flew close and I spelled her. It was a very sad sight. She opened her mouth and started screaming something, so I had to calm the rude girl down with my club. It''s a great weapon. Shoulder to shoulder! It was yours, now it''s ours! One for all! When do we go to the dungeon? I don''t mind working.\" The guy leaned back in the chair and enjoyed the attention the players were looking at him with. \"What is the distance to the enemy to successfully activate the ''Silence'' skill?\" asked Alexander. \"1 yard for 1 skill point. 10 yards (9.14 m),\" said Nick. Alexander rubbed his bald head and the thief realized that he had just signed up for a dangerous and complicated operation. \"In this new city, we have very dangerous enemies waiting for us. We have to shut their mouths, so they can''t call for help. That''s the way it is, Nick, that''s the way it is,\" said the warrior seriously. \"An enemy attack immediately throws me out of my pitiful invisibility. If I don''t get killed instantly and escape, I''m ready to help. But with my death, the skill stops,\" replied Nick, then smiled and added. \"I''ll be able to escape or I won''t be able to escape, either way I''ll attack. 50x50. That''s a good chance for a job.\" \"Nick, you show Kate and me a gesture of activating your skill. We''re going to attack right along with you. Our skill will definitely make us the boss''s main opponent. You''ll be able to retreat and prepare for another attack,\" said Dan. \"This is good news for me. I''m in! When do we go to the dungeon?\" Red Nick''s optimism has lifted everyone''s spirits. The clan''s out on the road. It took those four hours to get to the dungeon, often stopping resting and have a snack in the fresh air. Nobody paid attention to the quiet rain, it was another reason to quickly get to the dungeon and shelter from the weather. The dungeon was inhabited by spiders. Kate was upset that they hadn''t met any new monsters. The clan decided to make the most of the walks. Only newcomers to the clan were a combat group, and the veterans were guarded by peaceful specialists. The Battle Five were doing a great job. Kate summoned the monster to battle, Richard and Jack skipped ahead of the earthly Elemental called Betty. Jane, Nick and Emma were not involved in destroying the monster. Bella closely monitored the health of the group and helped treat and amplify the attack. Everything was going great and the Level 18 Underground Spiders didn''t cause any problems. For killing each spider, the group received almost 10000 points of experience. Progress was fast and effective, the fighters were not distracted by the collection of trophies. Bella threw an invitation to a sinner and a ranger who quickly collected trophies and left the group. Richard took level 20 first and said he was ready to leave the group. He explained his decision and added that the warrior''s participation would be more helpful, and they would be able to work faster. He got out of the group and immediately joined Jane''s guard. Then Jack picked up the level and left the group, too. Before the hunters reached the dungeon boss, the 20 levels got Emma and Betty. Kate suggested Dan were part of the group. \"Seven points of ''Glory'' will be useful on the road and the ruins of Nazgor. You''re not going to have your fatal duels there to throw him 1 point of ''Glory'', are you? And there''s certainly enough experience for everyone to take level 20.\" said the Inquisitor. Everybody agreed that the stock of transformations in Draugr would be useful in the future. Dan shrugged his shoulders and joined the group. Against the Queen of Spiders, he and Alexander immediately used their primary abilities. With Bella behind his back, the players did not worry about saving lives and the huge spider attacked simultaneously two players. After the Queen used the skill of mass poisoning to attack joined Pussy and Teddy. Two pets hit the spider''s body from a run and immediately reduced the amount of life by a third. Alexander and Dan attacked the Queen from different sides and did not interfere with each other when they struck with powerful two-handed swords. They did it quickly and first thanked Bell for her excellent work. Her ability to lift curses was a miraculous tool that helped players not to be distracted in battle by the antidote and taking care of their own health. * Congratulations! You have successfully passed the location of Spider''s Logue. Award: 7 points of Glory. 1500000 points of experience. +1 point Spirit] * Bella and Jane squealed joyfully and rushed out of the dungeon. The rest of the newcomers also ran after them, all were eager to get to the castle and learn the peculiarities of the transformation of their classes. John rushed for everyone to help in case of an attack by wolves or a bear. Kate waved her hand: \"Let them run, let''s get the trophies.\" Players took the trophies from the boss'' corps and went to the castle. When they came home, it turned out that the whole clan was sitting in the Class Choice Room holding emergency advice on the possibilities for a new transformation. Red Nick wasn''t in any trouble. He immediately chose the path of the Burglar and now sat in the dining room and told Velida how they fought the ugly spiders and how he was able to get some spider silk, which he gave to the wonderful craftswoman to help him put special embroidery on his gloves. Velida laughed and fed the redheaded trickster. But the spider silk she took and embroidery on leather gloves to increase dexterity promised to do quickly. \"You are a good man, Master Nick. You rely on dexterity, but not on Luck,\" said Velida affectionately. \"Can you make embroidery with increased Luck? Velida, I am bad, I am very, very bad! I''m normal, but I''m bad at traps. And what cans you do?\" \"7 bonuses in dexterity or 3 bonuses in luck,\" smiled the master. Nick started begging for his embroidery with Luck. Players entered the dining room one by one and joined the celebration dinner. Anna and Jane came first, they had a simple choice. Anna laughed and honestly said that she had already chosen the future transformation. The sorceress decided that at level 30 will choose the Magic of Water, which, like the magic of the Earth did not have strong attacking spells. But Water''s spells could help cure and break the curse. The peculiarity of Water Spells of the highest rank was that they froze the enemy for a few seconds and it was a useful skill to control the enemy. Jane shone when she saw the opportunity to become a Teacher. Richard, too, hadn''t been in the room long; he had carefully read the transformation possibilities so that Dan could make an accurate record of the Clan Chronicle. Then, the soldier chose a way to enhance Command skills. Betty could choose the path to develop the Elementals of Earth''s calling abilities, but she chose the path on which she was allowed to call the Elementals of another element. She could also choose the path to better support her call, but Betty decided to get at least two assistants first, and then perhaps work on improving them. Emma was faced with a similar choice. She could choose the way to perfect the tailor''s craft. She could choose an additional craft for the rank of game specialty and could choose a path on which to significantly improve the quality of their products. Emma consulted with Nick, and they decided that a skilled jeweler''s skill development was good for the clan. Emma honestly admitted that the opportunity to work with gems on a serious level was very attractive to her. And in the city, it''s worth showing a set of products from a new master. Jack didn''t know what to choose. He could enhance his attacking abilities, he could enhance his defense, and he could enhance his magic abilities. He took a vow of abstinence from food! The guy was eating bread and water. Velida was overwhelmed with such courage. Jack sat at the common table, shrugging his shoulders and rubbing his neck with a guilty smile. Sometimes, he could afford a day of gluttony and then everyone was happy to see the boy enjoying his meals. But for the most part, the knight ate humble ascetic food. The problem was that the real knight''s journey was about making a commitment to the local gods. The knight became a Paladin. In this matter, Dan was the chief specialist. But the sinner immediately said that he was ready to recommend only one goddess and it was worth consulting with Bella. Bella looked at the boys like they were nothing and answered calmly: \"I''m not complaining. It''s your choice.\" Jack waved his hand and chose Paladin''s way, then quickly ran off to complain to Emma that there are players who are strange and unable to provide real help. Six players were standing in the class selection room. Dan was already happy to be able to walk into the room. He was pouring oil into the flames every day and giving the Order''s Tribute of Respect. Sometimes the world didn''t respond to his actions, but sometimes he got a boost of the Spirit. But the sinner did not enter the room. Bella and Kate couldn''t make a choice. Bella immediately said she wouldn''t share any information with the clan. The guys nodded silently, the question with the divine influence on the game was very tense and even frightened everyone with its incomprehension and mystery. Kate did not hide the path of the Inquisitor. She could enhance their attacking abilities and could increase their survival in opposition to the monsters. The third path developed the ability to summon monsters to a fight. Kate didn''t even consider the Reaper''s path. She immediately admitted that she didn''t want to cause damage or arm herself to successfully fight the monsters, which is normal, but the clan has excellent fighters. Everyone knew that the girl would choose Executor''s path. Autodafe skill was complemented by the ''Execution'' skill, which not only weakened the enemy but significantly reduced his characteristics and resistance. With great luck, Kate could even eliminate the random battle skill of the monster! After her choice, everyone realized that the sinner finally cedes his powers to the Inquisitor. Bella congratulated her girlfriend on her choice of transformation and asked to be left alone. The players realized that their priestess could now arrange a session of communication with the higher forces and hurried to leave for the dining room. Soon, Bella joined the clan at the common table. She chose the path of the Rescuer. Now she could provide mass healing and enhanced her skills to break curses. In light of the clan''s new capabilities, the players decided to have a quiet dinner and postponed the discussion of details on fighting monsters in Nazgor. Jane walked up to Dan and asked him to take care of quiet rest on the road: \"I don''t want any succubus invading our personal space. Can you create a simple security circuit? A few stones with runes of protection can safely guard the group''s rest.\" Dan said she''s a genius, and he''s a fool who hasn''t thought of such a possibility. Then, he thought about the possible use of runes magic in battles with monsters, and he and Alexander started making some grand plans. But all of their plans were destroyed by Bell, who disappointed the two militarists: \"Dan, you were only able to strengthen the castle''s defense because chains of your runes are charged from the castle. You''re inventing a grenade, but runes aren''t grenade fuel, runes are the trigger mechanism. The castle is a powerful magical design created by this world. You can design a grenade! Take the unique dagger from the arsenal, and I''m sure it''ll be a good triggering device for the explosion. But I''m warning you right away! Once activated, the dagger is likely to lose its unique properties. Do you need a grenade worth 100 gold crowns?\" The men have looked over and admitted she''s right, and they won''t be scattering gold anyway. Then, Bella looked at Dan and asked: \"Sorry to be curious, but you''re hiding everything about the magic of the runes. You''re right about that. I was wondering, how did you check your runes'' traps? It''s not like they work away from the castle.\" \"They don''t work,\" smiled Dan. \"The castle has an aura of protection outside of which the runes don''t work. Bella, I was fishing! There are dangerous creatures on level 15 and 20 in the river. They don''t die right away if you get them out of the water. That''s what I was experimenting with.\" * In the morning, the clan set out on the road. Everyone looked with interest in the features of the forest, which differed from the familiar to them forest near the castle. A special delight was shown by Anna, who together with the sinner began to collect a new collection of ingredients of plant type. Everyone was able to try their new skills in battles with monsters. The battles were fair, each player met with an opponent equal in level and had the opportunity to test their abilities well. Bella provided treatment and blessing. The squad progressed without any delays or stoppages, an incredible opportunity to raise levels gave the player''s strength, added to the concern for the safety of the castle, which was left a family of dwarves. For three days, they walked to the ruins of Nazgor. They met a succubus, but the battle wasn''t interesting because Kate immediately applied her new ''Execution'' skill, and the earth elemental caused by it easily killed the nasty creature. There was a pleasant show waiting for the players in the city. On the street with safe house guards against new monsters stood. Kate and Betty quickly began studying monsters. Hunters divided into three squads and began clearing the street from the enemies. Support squads included Bella, Emma, Jane and Nick with Anna. Dan and Kate summoned the monsters under attack from two combat groups. They moved quickly and searched for all the houses. Red Nick thoroughly checked the houses for traps. The house with the time point of rebirth left most of the hunters behind. The burglar began inspecting the house and the basement. The girls cleaned the house. The scouts and Dan were given a mission. They returned to the suburbs of the city to the gate and began moving carefully forward on the rooftops of the new streets. They were looking for dangerous bosses. And they found them. It wasn''t until late at night that the scouts returned to hiding. Nick said they were lucky and there were only five bosses. One in the square downtown and four at crossroads. Dan added much important information about the biggest opponents. * Diguar Type: Elite Status: Boss of the location Level: 40 Life: 180000 Damage: 2500-4600 Overview: Diguar was the head of the Guard of Ancient Nazgor. One day, he led a fierce, final battle against the forces of evil. During the battle Diguar was defeated by enemy legions and disappeared in the darkness. Despite his bravery and strength, the forces of evil broke his will and submitted it to himself. For his crimes, the spirit of Diguar was imprisoned in the form of a terrible creature. Diguar still has great power. He poses a threat to anyone who will oppose him. Improved skills: ''Master Blade''. The weapon in this monster''s hand is as dangerous as its master. This skill increases weapon damage and allows the use of special sword tricks and techniques. [10/10] It opens up skills: ''Cutting through the void''. This skill increases the chance to ignore your opponent''s armor and class abilities. Cooldown: 120 seconds. [10/10] Class skills: ''Invincible''. This skill increases protection and gives immunity from many types of damage. [10/10] It opens up skills: ''Inevitable Death''. This skill significantly increases the speed of the monster''s movement, helping him to overcome his own weight. [10/10] Battle skills: ''The Ice Blade''. It causes additional damage with Water Magic and freezes your opponent for 12 seconds. Cooldown: 240 seconds. [10/10] Immunity to arms: Stabbing: 40% Cutting: 40% Crushing: 40% The magic of fire: 60% The magic of water: 40% The magic of air: 60% The magic of the earth: 40% * Marlog Type: Elite Status: Boss of the location Level: 40 Life: 180000 Damage: 3000-5400 Overview: Once, evil forces tried to destroy ancient Nazgor. Marlog, one of the smiths of the city, showed desperate resistance to the siege. He killed many opponents but was captured. Marlog became a master weapon maker of the forces of evil. He had been tried more than once by envious men, surrounded by evil forces. Attention! Marlog''s hammer strike is dangerous, but this warrior can damage many opponents at once. Improved skills: ''Crushing Master''. The weapon in this monster''s hand is as dangerous as its master. This skill increases weapon damage and allows the use of special tricks and techniques to fight with crushing weapons. [10/10] It opens up skills: ''Cutting through the void''. This skill increases the chance to ignore your opponent''s armor and class abilities. Cooldown: 120 seconds. [10/10] Class skills: ''Invincible''. This skill increases protection and gives immunity from many types of damage. [10/10] It opens up skills: ''Inevitable Death''. This skill significantly increases the speed of the monster''s movement, helping him to overcome his own weight. [10/10] Battle skills: ''Fall of the Hammer''. A powerful blow to the ground damage to allies at a considerable distance. Cooldown: 240 seconds. [10/10] Immunity to arms: Stabbing: 40% Cutting: 40% Crushing: 40% The magic of fire: 60% The magic of water: 40% The magic of air: 60% The magic of the earth: 40% * Darramar Type: Elite Status: Boss of the location Level: 40 Life: 150000 Damage: 3000-4400 Overview: Great Mage Darramar succumbed to temptation and took the side of Evil in ancient times. Darramar has become a dangerous enemy and has repeatedly participated in attacks on his hometown. He brought much sorrow and grief to the streets of Nazgor. In places of mysterious and dirty power, he improved his magical skills. Attention! Darramar has all the magic skills of the elements. He also applies the magic of Evil. Improved skills: ''The Power of the Archimage''. It greatly reduces the time it takes to restore magical spells and speeds up the casting of spells in battle. [10/10] It opens up skills: ''Pure mind''. This skill allows you to cast a spell without mana costs and instantly replicate the spell. Cooldown: 120 seconds. [10/10] Class skills: ''Invincible''. This skill increases protection and gives immunity from many types of damage. [10/10] It opens up skills: ''Inevitable Death''. This skill significantly increases the speed of the monster''s movement, helping him to overcome his own weight. [10/10] Battle skills: ''Rotting''. Causes damage to the enemy and deprives the enemy of the ability to move, the enemy loses 1% health every second for 60 seconds. Cooldown: 120 seconds. [10/10] ''Blindness''. Deals damage to all enemies at considerable distances and prevents enemies from orienting themselves in space for 60 seconds. Cooldown: 120 seconds. [10/10] Immunity to arms: Stabbing: 30% Cutting: 30% Crushing: 30% The magic of fire: 60% The magic of water: 40% The magic of air: 60% The magic of the earth: 40% * Rinaldo Type: Elite Status: Boss of the location Level: 40 Life: 180000 Damage: 3000-4000 Overview: Rinaldo was a master of Alchemy in ancient Nazgor. His skill saved the lives of many defenders of the city. But one day the master left the city and came back as an evil generation of nightmares. The dark alchemist Rinaldo is a very dangerous opponent and is ready to use all the forces of his evil craft to win. Warning! Rinaldo can quickly restore his health, try to kill him as soon as possible. Improved skills: ''The Power of Dark Craft''. All of this master''s potions and mixtures are of superior quality and strength. [10/10] It opens up skills: ''Perfection''. This skill allows you to create a potion or mixture without mana costs and without having to spend on making a potion or mixture of valuable ingredients. Cooldown: 120 seconds. [10/10] Class skills: ''Invincible''. This skill increases protection and gives immunity from many types of damage. [10/10] It opens up skills: ''Inevitable Death''. This skill significantly increases the speed of the monster''s movement, helping him to overcome his own weight. [10/10] Battle skills: ''Dark regeneration''. Deals damage to the enemy and steals his life, instantly restoring the life of the monster. The enemy loses 1% health every second for 20 seconds. Cooldown: 120 seconds. [10/10] Immunity to arms: Stabbing: 30% Cutting: 30% Crushing: 30% The magic of fire: 30% The magic of water: 20% The magic of air: 30% The magic of the earth: 20% * Ardogan Type: Elite Status: Boss of the location Level: 42 Life: 200000 Damage: 3500-5500 Overview: Ardogan worked for two centuries to create an artifact that would keep him from dying. Over time this influential aristocrat of ancient Nazgor spread his influence over the whole city. The king of the local kingdom was too strong to fall under his influence, so Ardogan began to act on the king''s daughter. Ardogan managed to escape from Crown''s punishment and fled to the dungeons of ancient Nazgor. For many years he sowed fear and death among the townspeople, poured out hordes of his vile creatures on the townspeople. Attention! Ardogan uses a special weapon that allows him to inflict many types of damage. The Whip of this warrior inflicts not only physical damage but also poisoning damage. Ardogan heals quickly, so try to kill this monster as quickly as possible. Improved skills: ''Master of the Whip''. The weapon in this monster''s hand is as dangerous as its master. This skill increases weapon damage and allows you to use special tricks and methods of whiplash combat. [10/10] It opens up skills: ''Cutting through the void''. This skill increases the chance to ignore your opponent''s armor and class abilities. Cooldown: 120 seconds. [10/10] Class skills: ''Invincible''. This skill increases protection and gives immunity from many types of damage. [10/10] It opens up skills: ''Inevitable Death''. This skill significantly increases the speed of the monster''s movement, helping him to overcome his own weight. [10/10] Battle skills: ''Cutting through the void''. This skill increases the chance to ignore the enemy''s armor and class abilities. Cooldown: 120 seconds. [10/10] ''The whip of Horror''. The whip strikes a circle and hits all enemies within weapons range. Cooldown: 240 seconds. [10/10] Immunity to arms: Stabbing: 40% Cutting: 40% Crushing: 40% The magic of fire: 60% The magic of water: 40% The magic of air: 60% The magic of the earth: 40% * Anna and Emma were sparkling eyes with pleasure. They received a hint of the peaks of skill to which they should aspire. Richard already acted as a commander and learned to make decisions and take responsibility for him. On the road, the players discussed possible options against the bosses. Were there fewer bosses than players expected? The worse for them. \"We''re in no hurry. We''re working our way down the street. We''re approaching the Diguar and starting the fight. Nick activates the ''Silence''. Kate activates the ''Execution''. We''re all weakening the enemy as much as we can. Dan''s working in the Draugr forms. Distance attacks support the fight. Alexander and Dan are the boss''s main opponents. Jack and I are defending Kate. Diguar is a swordsman with ice skills. Bella will control the situation.\" Beginning the fight with a familiar swordsman was a pleasant surprise. Even the boss at the center didn''t raise as many questions as a mysterious magician and alchemist. The players had dinner and went to bed. Red Nick calmed everyone down: \"There was a great trap in the basement! But don''t worry, I''m with you. The unsurpassed Nick Houdini! There are no more ghosts or monsters in the basement!\" \"Were there ghosts in the basement?\" \"I didn''t meet one,\" smiled the burglar. \"But there''s no denying the possibility they were there. And there were also these wonderful jewels! Here, Emma, you''re going to love them.\" 41 Bosses of an ancient city Early in the morning, the hunters went hunting. They killed a few monsters that came out of the crossroads and walked down the street towards the shelter. A figure of a strange boss stood in front, surrounded by a pair of Abysses and Knights of the Swamp. \"I wonder how you''ll notice my silent attack if I''m in the Shadow?\" asked the burglar. \"Based on the boss''s reaction,\" replied Kate. \"Are you suggesting that I start a fight?\" \"Nick, the subject is interesting and important, but why didn''t you kept quiet last night?\" asked Richard. \"Go and attack! And may Dexterity be with you.\" The redhead smiled and came to the wall of the house. It wasn''t raining, but there was little light outside. The burglar disappeared from view immediately, and some of the hunters went ahead to intercept Diguar. Dan took the form of Draugr and maximized his characteristics. He felt just great. Richard could apply his excellent skills to reinforce his squad, now the Commander was walking just behind him to apply the skill of weakening the enemy. Almost every class of hunters had the skill to weaken the enemy or to amplify the characteristics of their character. When a full group of hunters began to work, each player turned into a strong fighter. Dan saw that Diguar shuddered and shook his jaw in a silent hissing. And the soft light of Kate''s new skill immediately flashed. ''Execution''. Diguar took a step towards the players. He could not resist the curse. Dan took advantage of the last seconds of peace and looked at the boss. Kate was unlucky and didn''t block the enemy''s fighting skill, but his immunity to damage dropped to 20% and damage dropped to 2000-3500. Kate was retreating back down the street. Alexander and the sinner were on their way to Diguar. Suddenly he was hit by arrows and Anna''s spell. Anna had prepared for battle and warned everyone that she would use the Ice Spear spell. The spell froze the enemy for 1-2 seconds, although it did not cause much damage. 2000 damage was a small amount of damage in the sorceress''s mind. At this point, two fighters rushed against the enemy. Dan blocked the boss''s way and attacked with the ''The Singing Blade'' skill. [You caused 10300 damage] At this time, a figure covered with red smoke of Blood Lust skill hit one side of the street, and the berserker also went into battle. Werewolves ran behind the boss''s back and grabbed his legs, one side of which was struck by a stone figure of Elemental. Suddenly almost half of Diguar''s hand fell to the rocks of the street. John was very lucky, his strongest attack came with critical damage, and he was able to inflict a strong wound on the enemy and inflict a bleeding effect. Dan didn''t notice the details of the battle, he fenced with his boss, and he even managed to strike at vulnerable points on the enemy''s hull that flared up for a few moments and were clearly visible. But his main goal was to capture the enemy. The hunters had many duels. The girls were in shock! There was no way they could understand the need for duels to die. But the men did not explain their point of view and just found out that the best master of the sword is Dan. But in terms of damage, he was inferior to Alexander. This fight to be the main test of the two players'' interactions. Dan did not much damage but did not let the enemy pass, Alexander interfered in the course of the battle and did a lot of damage and retreat so that the attention of Diguar again captured the sinner. The boss couldn''t react to the pets'' strikes and arrows when the two scoundrels were around to keep him from reaching the one that challenged him. [You caused 6200 damage] Dan managed to hit the chest hard and got ready to repel another Diguar attack. But the enemy made a low growl and fell. His icy sword fell on the rocks of the street. * [Congratulations! You have discovered the location of Nazgor Ruin. Type: normal. You''ve received a new quest: \"Cleansing the filth.\" Quest Type: Normal Reward: Variative. +50 Glory points Attention! By clearing the desecrated location, you can get a unique quest] * \"Dan, Nick, trophies! The others blocked the street. Everybody stays cool! Always wanted to say that,\" said Richard. There were joy and relief in his voice. It wasn''t his first fight under his command, he''d already gotten the position of group leader, but it was his first real fought as commander. The players stood up for the trophy boys. The monsters could react most unexpectedly to the changing situation in the city. They smiled because everyone understood that the reward for passing the location is increasing and now for each monster, they will get more experience. Dan pointed out that they got a strange book from their boss and didn''t look through it, but immediately gave it to Nick, who was engaged in animal breeding. The sinner himself sat down by the corpse and cut off a piece of meat from the left paw of the monster, where he was perfectly wounded by an assassin. The sinner raised his head and noticed that Kate was watching him with interest. That''s no way to live! there''s no privacy, thought Dan. \"Kate. Don''t look, I''m shy!\" \"Come on, Pussy, let''s not watch your boss eat cats. Yes, your master eats cats, I''m not deceiving you,\" complained to the sinner executor. Pussy snorted a sniffle and defiantly jumped into Diguar''s corpse. She was evil. She was very angry. Because the stupid master wouldn''t let her fight! She was guarding a stupid female who understood nothing about a good fight and could only retreat from the enemy. \"Pussy! Stop eating all that crap! Go and work, it''s a madhouse of some kind,\" said the sinner and threw a piece of meat in his mouth. * [Attention! ''Cannibalism'' +1] * \"Did it work, brother?\" From invisibility, John came up with his question. \"Yes. I was right! Characteristics have grown,\" confessed Dan. \"How does it taste?\" \"The wolf''s meat tastes better, and the river monster is delicious.\" The guys chased the other hunters. Who had finished guarding their prey collection process and retreated to the shelter. Now the whole squad was walking along the edge of the ruins and started fighting monsters in the new street to meet the new boss. The clan chose another warrior''s boss as its second enemy. Marlog could cause damage in the square and it was dangerous. But he remained a warrior, a type of enemy with whom players were already used to fighting. For almost three hours, the players had been killing monsters. Even the Abyss was a weak opponent, her skill to call the Larvae was constantly blocked by the executor. Hunters relaxed and allowed themselves to split into 4 combat groups. Betty attacked the enemy with two Elements. On the streets of the city well-showed fire Elementals, he had no defensive abilities, and he inflicted less damage than his earth colleague. But for each damage, the Fire Elemental''s hull reacted with a backfire and dealt a little damage. Two of the Elementals could deal with level 30 monsters. Kate was pulling enemies under Nick and Emma''s attack. Alexander was working with John and Red Nick. Dan called the monsters into the fight that Jack helped him with. Richard kept a close eye on the situation and occasionally attacked Elementals'' opponents. He needed to improve his sword skills. Jane felt superfluous but rarely remembered it. She was fully drawn to the spectacle of continuous fighting in the streets of the ancient city. Bella was dissatisfied with the barbaric violence, but smiled condescendingly, at times applying common healing to all participants in the battle. Applying this skill cost 240 mana, but treated 120 health. The Rescuer''s intellect was modest, but a large stock of spirit almost instantly restored the entire stock of mana. Bella could apply the skill of general healing almost without interruption, but she preferred to restore the Blessing and increase the players'' defense. When Marlog''s figure appeared ahead, everyone calmed down sharply. The squad began hunting carefully and thoughtfully. They stopped and Kate and Dan started provoking monsters to fight. Marlog wasn''t like a man, but it was clear that he was a man. Now it was a mountain of muscles, huge height. Wide shoulders. Thick hands with a big hammer in them. The naked body of the monster was wearing a leather apron, but on his belt he was decorated with disgusting ligaments of dried severed hands. Marlog''s face was gone. Instead of his face, he froze the face of evil and mad waiting for blood and battle. The red hair was gathered into several thick short plaits. The boss instilled respect and everyone realized that this opponent would be stronger than an overgrown jaguar. \"Marlog. Elite. Level: 40. Life: 180000. Damage: 3000-5400. ''Fall of the Hammer''. A powerful blow to the ground damage to all enemies at a considerable distance. Cooldown: 240 seconds,\" slightly but clearly reminded Dan of the main details. He felt great again. Immediately after the battle with his boss, he reversed Draugr''s transformation and realized how much he was losing when he turned into a strong and skilled dead warrior. It may have been the effect of an 80% increase in the characteristics he received from Richard''s skill, but the feeling was very pleasant. The commander was quite a clever transformation, next to him wanted to play in the style of Fight, Kill, and Win! Red Nick was pleased with the way he participated in the battle. Richard had already told him that the burglar had to get used to the first attack. It''s the burglar and no one else who''s going to be the first to strike the magician. And then the whole fight, Nick must silence the warlock with silence. Anna said it''s true, maybe local magicians don''t use the gesture to activate spells. Dan saw Alexander holding the dead boss''s two-handed sword. * Ice Heart Type: unique. Damage: 1500-2500 [Critical damage: 3200-6500] Durability: Indestructible Weight: 3 pounds (1.36 kg) Combat skill: ''The Ice Blade''. It causes additional damage with Water Magic and freezes enemy units for 3 seconds. Cooldown: 240 seconds. [10/10] \"Drinking Life. 4% of the damage done in HP restores health. 10/10 * \"That''s a good sword,\" he said. \"A good, better than Singer, though a bloodsucker. The main thing is that he''s indestructible and the damage he''s done is just mad,\" said a warrior smiled. \"Two-handed, unique, it''ll last,\" agreed Dan. \"Guys tonight will definitely break their heads about how to share trophies. There''s a book falling out with Master of the Sword skill. It''s a skill in my class. And a soldier and a knight need that skill.\" \"They flip a coin, as always,\" smiled Dan. \"Jack''s already learned the book, no coins. Alas, I don''t belong at the point of attack, and our paladin will soon catch up with you on the damage,\" said Richard calmly. \"Shall we begin gentleman hunters?\" Everyone nodded and got ready for a new fight. The burglar went forward, Kate stepped out into the middle of the street and froze, watching closely the figure of the huge blacksmith. The boss shuddered and raised the hammer high above his head and ran in a lighted circle towards the girl. He ran only a few steps and flew into the mire that Anna had organized for him. And at that moment the fight turned into a strange battle. Marlog fell face forward and hit the ground with a hammer with all his might. He was a very cunning and insidious monster and made his most powerful attack. [You took 2200 damage. Attention! You have received damage with the Stunner skill! You cannot move and apply skills and abilities for 2 seconds!] Draugr is frozen in place. A stupid resentment slipped through Dan''s head with lightning: It''s not fair! What''s the Stunner? It wasn''t mentioned anywhere! Next to him, Alexander fell to the rock on the street. Dan was terrified to see what was going on behind his back. He has heavy armor that absorbs 90-95% of the damage! The girls are completely naked! They had an endurance rate of 30-35. Before this fight, everyone was wearing heavy armor. The girls barely moved or got tired, but still the thought of them made them want to jump up to the monster and hit him very hard. And the blacksmith was already on his feet and walking towards Dan. But the sinner saw that Marlog was ready to hit him with his hammer on the way. The blacksmith''s eyes were filled with blood, and he looked outside behind Dan''s back. ''The Singing Blade''. [You caused 12100 damage] The blow of the cursed sword pierced the blacksmith''s side. Dan took a step back and turned, the sword struck the boss''s back again. [You did 6400 damage] The blacksmith leaned a little forward from the punch, of course, it was impossible to knock an ordinary player off his feet, even with a two-handed sword. And at that moment the sinner activated his second powerful skill, and with all his might, with all his fury hit the wound on the boss''s back with a powerful push of the handle. ''Pressure''. [You caused 13700 damage] The smith swung the hammer. He almost fell, but held on his feet and turned around, facing an annoying enemy who was distracting from the main enemy. Dan ducked down and missed the hammer''s blow above his head, and struck a simple blow with the blade''s point forward. Once again, the sinner''s mind was at peace and a cold-blooded desire to destroy the enemy. [You caused 6100 damage] Step back, hitting the hammer throw, mistake, and hands pierced with pain, parry hits of the two-hand hammer is a mistake, Draugr smiled and slipped: \"That''s gut le?on, spasibo.\" The smith didn''t understand the words, he didn''t have a chance to answer. A two-handed sword struck his back and Marlog froze. On the bloody skin of the monster appeared a thin transparent film of a bluish color. Dan began to strike quickly before the monster hit the frostbite skill. And at this time, an icy, thin, long icicle crashed into the blacksmith. Anna''s spell didn''t look scary at all, but the effect was good. From that moment on, the blacksmith just started chopping like a huge piece of meat. Werewolves roared at his feet, arrows and spells flew into his body. The fight didn''t last a minute. * [Congratulations! You defeated Marlog. Reward: 3 points of Glory. 1500000 points of experience. +1 point Spirit. Congratulations! You have destroyed 12 Elite level opponents. Achieved the ''Threat to Titans''. Your damage to the opponents of the Elite level is increased by 5%. Got 5 points of Glory. +3 Strength] * Dan was a little surprised at this new achievement. He didn''t count any elite opponents. The first thing he did was pick up the trophies from the smith. He didn''t consider the unique hammer and gave it to Nick immediately. Next to it, a redheaded burglar was screaming: \"I couldn''t make it! I ran with all of my legs, but I didn''t make it! You filthy bastard!\" And Nick kicked the monster''s body. The burglar suffered the most from the boss''s attack. That crook only had 1500 health! He didn''t care at all about power, endurance, spirit, and intellect. Huge stock of dexterity very good helped in fights with ordinary monsters. 400 dexterity points gave him a 40% chance of dodging a blow! Nick was fast, but not at all ready for powerful attacks across the square. On top of that, he was wearing rare leather armor that took 40% of the damage. The hammer hit sent the burglar back to life in no time, and he rushed to the battlefield. But he ran only a few hundred steps and realized that fatigue prevented him from continuing his run. It was too late! And 100000 points of experience and Glory and 1 point of Spirit flew past his clinging hands. Bella was able to save Jane, who, too, had not pampered herself with health enhancement. The girl almost died of pain shock when she lost two-thirds of her health at once. Bella used several strong treatment spells and Jane watched the fight with tears in her eyes. The pain went away quickly, but she left a strong reminder. The other girls survived, though they had lost more than half of their health. The men were not so angry with the damage, but with the insidious blow of Stunner. The hunters returned to the house with a revival point and decided to eat. There was no book with a new skill in the trophies. The unique hammer was good! Indestructible, with average damage 3000, with the skill of striking the area, and the ability to Stun. But this weapon required special skill to be fully proficient. Players thought that Turin could give some lessons to the new hammer owner. But no one wanted to fight the hammer in their hands. All men liked swords, there was something high, magical and honorable about this weapon. Daggers and clubs didn''t cause that much excitement. Gold, a set of strange powders for a blacksmith''s craft, and an apron. When the disgusting bloody apron got into Nick''s inventory, all the disgusting jewelers were missing from him. And the ranger pulled a modified item out of his inventory. The item turned out to be a unique artifact, which had good protection and added 30% to the chance to create a product of rare rank. Everyone knew the dwarf would be happy. The hunters chose the magician monster as their next opponent. Darramar was intimidated by his abilities and everyone realized that if he could curse the hunters with Blindness, then the whole squad would go to the rebirth. In one minute, this monster would destroy all the helpless hunters. The skill of the ''Chains of sins'' remained in stock and everyone decided to use it against the most dangerous enemy. Then, they will somehow be able to deal with the alchemist, and the morning will just kill the monsters until Dan has restored the skill of the ''Chains of sins''. Then, it will be possible to carry out the final part of the operation, and Anna will use the scrolls with the ''Shiver of the Earth'', and then the sinner will use the ''Chain'' on the boss with the whip. The stock of trophies from ordinary monsters grew rapidly in the corner of the big room. How to carry back into the castle such a mountain of weapons no one imagined, the veterans tried not to think about the future problem. Ranger aloud expressed indignation at the lack of the game auction and the opportunity to send things to the package. Emma had helped the clan a lot and had already sewn eight large bags out of solid material. These bags could be hung on pets. The pets weren''t offended by being used as cargo carriers. Werewolves constantly carried large pieces of meat in their teeth as they accompanied scouts on the hunt. Even Pussy didn''t mind carrying the cargo. But there were too many weapons and armor piled up. All the way to the street with the warlock players quietly discussed the new city, new monsters and new bosses. Achievement of Dan caused a tide of enthusiasm, the future fight seemed easy and simple for everyone. The fight with the warlock was quick, the hunters showed maximum insolence and impudence. Red Nick and Dan was the team''s main weapon. When the whole street was cleared of monsters and the figure of the warlock was already well-visible. The sinner lay on his stomach and crawled towards the warlock next to the wall. The burglar went into the Shadow and also moved towards Darramar. All the players entered the building and only Kate was left on the street. Dan froze against the wall and signaled to Nick that it was time to start. And the burglar cursed the warlock with silence. Kate lit the street with the light of ''Execution'' and started walking down the street. The warlock went to meet the executor, suddenly he threw some spell aside and Dan realized that the burglar had been killed. The picture of him immediately became gray. Dan waited for Darramar to get away from a cluster of monsters. The sinner was counting seconds. At eight seconds, he threw ''Chains of Sins'' at the warlock. Dan jumped off the ground and threw himself at the warlock who fell on the rocks of the street. Strange disgusting chains did not prevent the cursed sword from cutting the lying enemy, when Pussy jumped to the place of battle, she jumped up and hit the sorcerer with all her paws. Then, Alexander ran up, and the hunters struck only a few blows and killed the boss. But this time the battle did not end there, a few dozen monsters approached the players from the side of the crossroads. The warrior and the sinner didn''t even think about winning or trophies. They parted a few steps on different sides of the street and began to fight off the monsters. The dumpsite was creepy! There were two Abysses among the monsters and Dan was too keen on fighting to activate ''Autodafe''. The situation saved Kate and was able to redirect the aggression to her. Disgusting dog-like monsters jumped in her direction and slowly poked around the Abysses themselves. Next to Alexander roared with Teddy''s rage, Pussy fought next to Dan. They successfully fought to back the Lords of War and the Knights of the Swamp. Monsters walked past them, intent on attacking most of the squad. Richard''s team had reached Dan''s consciousness. He was ordering two idiots to retreat. Dan saw that Alexander had long been ready to retreat to a dense line of hunters, but waited for an adequate response from the sinner. \"Fall back!\" \"It''s about time!\" shouted the berserk. Players cautiously began to retreat, there was no need for that anymore because the squad led by Richard was able to destroy a group of monsters and began moving towards the two fighters. Richard spoke loudly: \"Retreating sometimes means running very fast. Sluggish barbarians. One Dead, the other Conan. We get to the boss''s body. We got to get the trophies.\" The trophies were unusual. Great set of rings with increased intellect. 400 gold coins and a book with the skill of ''Pure Mind''. Archimage staff was allowed the dark spell of ''Rotting'' to be used. Anna decisively refused to take this nasty, though the staff added +7 to the intellect and dealt good physical damage with a chance of Stun. The book made her happy, she got the clan''s consent and learned a skill she could only count on at level 60, provided she was ready to become an Archimage. The burglar Nick wasn''t very upset that he didn''t have much experience, he even admired that the nasty old man turned out to be such an insightful and observant opponent. The squad went into battle with the alchemist Rinaldo. Most emotions were shown by Anna, who was looking forward to very useful trophies. She liked to do alchemy and the sorceress was not against getting a special tool or skill for new successes in a difficult specialty. The mood of the squad did not spoil even heavy rain. Everyone put on cloaks and walked on the suburbs of the city, along the ruined wall that did not allow the monsters to disperse around. But most likely the monsters were simply bounded by the borders of the ruins of Nazgor, and they did not hurry to go outside the destroyed gates. \"We don''t get nervous, we work calmly and everything will work out,\" said Richard. And the squad began another series of fights with monsters. The calm and familiar game, in which there was no interest and excitement. Each monster was attacked by several players and finished with a few strikes. Hunters collected trophies and periodically unloaded their inventory right on the street near the wall of a house. Rinaldo boss didn''t look scary, but weird. It was a tall man dressed in a black shirt and black pants. He had a black leather apron on his chest and looked much neater than the blacksmith. The sleeves of the shirt were rolled up to the elbows of the alchemist. The face was perfectly normal. Short gray hair protruded in different directions, the alchemist had no right eye, and his face was bandaged. Rinaldo wore a short beard, but he did not have a mustache. He stood there and did not pay any attention to the surrounding monsters. His black figure at the center of the street intersection resembled a monument. He didn''t move at all. He was a very mysterious and strange opponent. The guys knew how dangerous mixtures were in battle. They only managed to defeat the first strong opponent when they used a fired mixture. Nobody treated this boss like a light opponent. Nick scratched his curly head and went to do his business. He wasn''t reassured or praised for fighting the warlock, but John winked at the burglar and said that this time he just had to quickly escape from any alchemist attack. Rinaldo doesn''t have a weapon, but he does have strange bracelets on his hands. This boss is a master of hand-to-hand combat at worst, but there''s not a word about it in the description. \"Run, Nick, run,\" smiled John. The fight was hard for Dan. Rinaldo didn''t see the burglar and had to step back from the intersection to meet Kate. Dan met the alchemist and immediately jumped into the attack. Two glass bubbles crashed on Draugr''s armor and his body was sorely in pain. [You took 620 damage] [You sustained 660 damage] [You took 410 damage] [You took 480 damage] [You took 200 damage] [You have sustained 260 damage] Dan struck two powerful hits with the activation of skills [You caused 12800 damage] [You caused 14100 damage] The alchemist tried to beat off sword strokes with his bracelets, but sometimes he had time to throw a new vial at the sinner with another crap. Dan struck quick blows and marked in the head of the enemy, he noticed that the alchemist jumped werewolves and Pussy, who was able to knock down Rinaldo with their powerful attacks. Then, Teddy jumped up and hit the alchemist too, like a big furry ball. The rain couldn''t help, the flame was special and didn''t stop at all under the raindrops. Dan was calm. He could see the strip of his life moving in both directions. He was receiving damage from the fire, Bella was restoring his health. Dan wasn''t in a lot of pain, he was feeling some kind of severe sickness stretched all over his body. He was more irritated by the disgusting smell of burned hair and the smell of burning skin and meat. He was hitting quickly. He saw Emma and Nick''s arrows getting into Rinaldo body. He saw that they would definitely kill the bastard. And when they killed him, Dan immediately canceled the Draugr Transform. But it didn''t make it any easier. He reached out and touched his head. After that, he quickly removed his cloak from the inventory, put on and covered his head with a hood. He was afraid to imagine what a creep he looked like now. Players passed by and silently began to guard the sinner and the ranger. Dan pulled out the dagger and froze. It was a human being. It was a monster, but it was a human being. Marlog had been so altered by secret dark forces that he was no longer human. Darramar did a good job on himself, too, and there was nothing human about him. The old warlock''s head looked like a snake face with long gray hair. But Rinaldo seemed like an ordinary man. And it was unnatural and horrible to cut a piece of meat off him. \"Dan, I can cut off two tidy pieces of meat. And I can even keep you company. Nasty creature. I almost got gray when I looked at you.\" \"Nick, this is cannibalism.\" \"Dan. It''s not human. It''s not even human by local standards for a long time. It''s a monster. Give me your spice and take a piece.\" Ranger already cut a thin strip of meat off the alchemist''s hand and split it into two. He gave one strip of meat to a sinner. \"Nick. Don''t suffer from stupidity. Thank you for your attention, you don''t need it.\" Dan took a little stripe, sprinkled a spice. He froze and put it in his mouth. Chewed it and swallowed it quickly. He looked at the ranger and smiled: \"You''re going to get the skin off him.\" \"That''s not my profile. The game''s not offering.\" \"Weird,\" whispered the sinner thoughtfully. \"And I have a suggestion.\" \"Sinner,\" smiled at Nick. He went up and shouted loudly: \"Richard. We''re done, we can go back.\" \"All right, let''s go. Dan, good job,\" said the commander. \"Keep your mask and hood on, Dan,\" begged Bella. \"Have some regeneration potions.\" \"Thank you, Bella, you saved me.\" \"This is my class. But I think we shouldn''t have rushed it. What''s our hurry? That creature should have been wrapped in your chains and killed like a mad beast!\" \"Good and useful thoughts are always late,\" said Alexander. \"Are you all right? How are you?\" \"Bella is beautiful, she kept everything under control. You know, it doesn''t hurt at all, the smell is nasty and you''re very upset about the spectacle.\" Players stuffed their inventory with trophies and went to the shelter. Anna was tense and quiet. Dan came up to her and asked her not to be upset, and everyone would be better off if she shared the joy. The redheaded sorceress said the pair of trophies paid for all the trouble of the tour. To hell with experience and new levels. She got a new skill book and Rinaldo''s artifact apron. It''s just beyond her knowledge of the craft of alchemist. The skill of ''Perfection'' makes it possible to create a potion or mixture without mana costs and without having to spend on making a potion or mixture of valuable ingredients. Cooldown: 120 seconds. [10/10] The apron increased the chance of creating a rare potion or mixture by 30%. \"Not to spend on creating ingredients is understandable to me, it''s magic, and it''s great. But do you spend mana in alchemy?\" \"Dan, come into the house, I''ll give you a little lecture on alchemy,\" laughed Anna. Dan realized there''d be a lot of work to do tonight. He and Betty need to make new notes at the Bestiary about the Nazgor bosses. He''ll put Anna''s information in the Clan Chronicles. How are we going to get all of our trophies home? We need horses, we need normal mail, the sinner thought. 42 New levels for hunters Anna told Dan about the nuances of alchemy. It turns out that an alchemist spends mana creating a difficult potion. The effects of potions don''t come from anything. Anna spent about 1000 points of mana to create a weak potion treatment that instantly restored 100 points of health. The acceleration of the regeneration potion had the same effect, only the recovery of 120 health points was stretched out for a minute. \"With your intellect reserve, you don''t have a problem with mana regeneration,\" smiled Dan. \"When I make a strong treatment potion, I spend most of my supply. 2500 mana for one operation. When a magician instantly spends 90% of his mana reserve, he goes unconscious for a few seconds. I just stand there and feel nothing. It doesn''t hurt, I feel general weakness. And it''s very good training to develop my intellect and spirit,\" added the sorceress. \"This is already serious,\" agreed the sinner. \"The magician''s game is very difficult, Dan. It''s like a mathematician''s job. A magician has to do the exact calculation of the spell ligaments. The magician constantly trains different spell combinations. That''s why I started working with Earth. Spells require less mana to activate. But that''s only on the initial level. Do you know what geometric progression is?\" \"I''ve heard of it, but I can''t count these things,\" confessed Dan. \"1 rank of ''Swarm'' spends 80 mana, 2 ranks spend 160 mana, and 3 ranks spend 320 mana and so on. Is the principal clear? I can only use 6 ranks ''Swarm'', 2560 mana and I''m almost empty. I monitor the status of the ''Shield'' spell on you and update it. I''m slowing enemies down with the ''Swamp''. Now I can treat and help Bella in difficult cases. But to do my job properly and wisely, I need to keep an eye on my mana reserve.\" \"And what''s the damage to the ''Swamp'' spell at rank 6?\" \"The amount of damage depends on a sorcerer''s skill. My ''Swarm'' deals 4200 damage in 4 seconds. A magician in this game can do huge damage in one blow, but to do so, he must take Master''s rank in his magic school and accumulate 5000 points of intellect at least.\" \"5000 points of intellect! That''s a huge number,\" wowed Dan. \"It''s a month''s game, I''ve got 300 intellect points or even a little more. You can earn 10 points of ''Glory'' a day in town. Two years of play,\" smiled Anna. \"We''re going to be here long, Dan. I hope we''re here for a long time.\" He looked at in the eye and decided to cheer her up: \"And what''s Swarm''s damage at rank 10?\" \"6700 at Earth''s magic expert,\" smiled a red sorceress. \"Magicians are dangerous players,\" confessed the sinner. \"Smart magicians are dangerous players,\" laughed Anna. \"To become a Magister, you must be able to activate any spell of rank 10 in the chosen direction of magic. 12 mana worth the ''Shield of the Earth'' Rank 1. Only 6000 mana, Dan, I''m working on it,\" she smiled. Dan has realized that this information must be included in the Clan Chronicles. He was not interested in the features of other classes and had already received a reprimand from Nick. Nick was serious and reminded the sinner that meeting other players was dangerous for him. The players have quests to kill the sinner. He doesn''t recommend going and killing other players, but the sinner should develop the ''Fallen'' skill as soon as possible. Dan did not want to think about the problems, he filled the pages with the Bestiary, and admired the drawings of Betty. The creepy and unpleasant monsters in her exact images looked beautiful and did not cause disgust, The night went quietly. In the morning the hunters decided to get as close to the main square as possible. To do that, they had to clean up the intersection. It was a long and difficult battle. The detachment again divided into 4 groups and three groups of fighters were engaged in three directions, from which monsters came to the crossroads. Some players had already taken the new levels and quietly improved their characteristics. Everyone knew that the main award was ahead. The battle did not cause difficulties, the hunters always had in stock 3 skill inquisitors to attract the attention of enemies. Kate activated both ''Autodafe'' and ''Execution'' and pulled the creatures from two streets. Nick''s preliminary calculations didn''t scare the hunters. There were about 400 monsters on each street. The players spent until noon at the intersection. During this time, they destroyed several hundred monsters and were able to get close to the main square. No one risked or rushed to get caught in front of the main boss. Nick and John chose a safe and comfortable building from which the sorceress could activate the spell scrolls. Ranger helped Kate and Betty looked at Ardogan. When the big massacre begins, it''s unlikely the girls will have time to study this monster thoroughly. Ardogan was great and terrible. The tall figure of this monster''s powerful body towered above the crowd of other monsters. She stood out against a dark and greenish background with her red, bloody color. Betty looked and awoke, the monster was completely skinned, and the appearance of a bloody body caused vomiting. On Ardogan''s head was a huge jaw with pointed white teeth and fangs. His body was not decorated with skulls and severed human limbs. The boss''s powerful chest was protected by a metal cuirass, his arms and legs also had armor. In his right hand, Ardogan held a huge whip. He had no shield. The big claws on his hands and toes threatened as much damage as a two-handed sword. Nick carried the girls in his arms and ran with the speeding skill. The girls kept their impressions to themselves but said Ardogan was a strong opponent. ''Chains of Sins'' will be a great ornament for this monster, he didn''t deserve more. The hunters went back to the shelter and ate. Then, the burglar and the sinner went to investigate the houses on the street. The other players went to the crossroads and slowly destroyed the monsters, which sometimes left the square and appeared from other sides. The weather was pleasant on that day. The usual grayness of the sky and dense clouds, but there was no rain. Everybody felt high humidity in the air in this place. A pleasant surprise was the absence of moisture and dirt in houses and streets. When Dan announced that the ''Chains of sins'' spell had been restored, the squad began preparations for the main battle. Nick managed to buy four more ''The Shiver of the Earth'' scrolls in town. Anna admitted that the maximum damage to the scroll is 7800. And she''s going to need six scrolls to make sure she safely buries all the monsters in the ground. Nick was a little worried about her, Activating two scrolls is a matter of one moment, but launching six scrolls is three seconds. This Ardogan can react instantly and then the whole operation could go wrong! There was a dense crowd of monsters at the entrance to the square. Ardogan could be seen. Kate was ready to take a chance and step forward to use the ''Execution'' on the boss when the first spell of the sorceress began to work. That''s what they decided. Anna''s acting fast. Kate and Dan are taking their blows. The entire squad is preparing to meet those monsters that will survive the total annihilation. And under Anna''s feet, in the dead zone, out of reach of her eyes, there will be many monsters left. The hunters knew that after a successful attack, they couldn''t relax. Richard wished everyone good luck and the operation on the general breakthrough in levels began. Nick took his wife in his arms and ran away to the right place. They could walk slowly and carefully through the rooftops, but the ranger liked to carry the girls in his arms. Anna was wearing a cloak that promoted Hiding. She saw Richard''s message about the start of the operation went to the edge of the roof and looked at the large square filled with a huge number of monsters. There was no thought or excitement in her head. She activated two ''The Shiver of the Earth'' scrolls at once, ignoring the shaking surface under her feet. The sorceress quickly grabbed the other two scrolls, which her husband gave her and repeated the activation. He gave her the last scrolls, and she managed to get them in before the building shook so that they both couldn''t hold their own and sat down so that they wouldn''t fall off the roof. Kate immediately realized that Anna had begun her witchcraft. The earth under her feet shook and the executor looked at Ardogan''s head to summon him to the execution. And at that moment, she experienced real horror. Because the earth was already shaking under her feet and Kate leaned against the wall, so she wouldn''t fall. But the most terrible thing was that she couldn''t take her eyes off the face of the beast. Ardogan glittered at her jaw in an angry smile and walked toward her, gleaming with the scarlet color of her eyes. Kate realized that she was finished. That no one would stop that monster. At the same time she looked at the ugly face of the monster with cold indifference, and a smile appeared on her face too. At that moment nobody would call her a nice and shy girl. Blue eyes looked at the enemy with cold anger and challenge, the expression of the face has lost any kind of cute and shy smile turned into a real predator''s smile. \"Kate! Work ''Autodafe''!\" Richard''s loud and calm voice brought her back to reality. She saw that Ardogan''s body was already entangled with nasty chains, and the tall figure of Draugr was approaching in high jumps to meet the main boss of Nazgor. Players couldn''t see what was happening in the square, they started fighting with the monsters that were standing in front of them. Messages from the game were all turned off. Everyone understood that these messages would be a lot and would be distracted during the battle to read the records of their achievements is not the smartest thing to do. Dan knew that everyone was taking risks. And he took the biggest risk of all. The enemies weren''t skeletons or other dead people who wouldn''t pay attention to him. The Nazgor monsters reacted well to the presence of a sinner. So, he had to jump into the square from the roof of the building. And the powerful magic of the earth began to work on the square at that time. The sinner had no time to develop the skill of ''Chains of sins''. But he activated it every day and already got 1 point in development, which did not add time to the action of a terrible spell. 132 seconds of nightmare and suffering is a lot for Ardogan, but Dan couldn''t figure out what damage this creepy skill does. The sinner''s task was simple. He tangled his boss with chains and then jumped off the roof and ran to the enemy. Two minutes is a long time. In this game, hunters have realized the price of every second in the battle. Dan knew it would take 30 seconds to kill the boss. But could he get to him in a minute and a half? No one knew the answer to that question. Anna''s spells were friendly to her allies, but you can expect any trouble from the powerful ''The Shiver of the Earth'' bacchanalia. Draugr jumped down and fell to the rocks of the square with a rumble. The awkward player couldn''t stay on his feet and almost fell into the crack between the stones. Monsters were shouting around. Unlike the dead, these creatures could scream and growl loud and nasty. Dan realized he wasn''t going anywhere! He''d have to jump over all those nightmare monsters that were already in the ground but kept waving their weapons in his paws. It seemed to him that some Abyss had even managed to summon the larvae. This immediately fell into a net of small cracks between the rocks. Dan was jumping over monster bodies and dodging blows. It was a terrible test for his coolness, but the cooled mind of a dead warrior was on his side. He sometimes fell from a strong earth tremor, which did not want to calm down after activating several consecutive spells. But there were never any cracks under his feet, and this immediately calmed the sinner down. He was already more confident in jumping over the heads and other parts of the bodies of monsters, which were silenced by the strong embrace of rocks and earth. When Dan jumped up to Ardogan, the monster had already lost half his health but was still moving and the sinner began to kill the boss. A terrible whip fell out of Ardogan''s paw. Several times Ardogan swung his claws away from the attacks, but Dan managed to dodge and strike. Nothing worthwhile. Nothing beautiful. The torturer''s job. Then there was the work of the cannibal and the trophy man. It was only after he finished with that nasty part that Dan realized how much he didn''t like to use his most powerful skill. He ran towards the rest of the hunters and took part in a battle that was a little excited about the ability of a fighter who plays in good and strong company. After killing the last boss, the monsters were not stupid, but the hunters have already learned how to take a strong defense and gradually destroy the enemy. Nick warned them... That there would be about 3000 monsters on all streets of the city. They won''t be bored! The hunters have not been bored for two days. They were collecting trophies and tearing them down to safety. They took their time and thoroughly inspected every house, every roof in town. The eight streets and the crossroads between them were filled with a roar, screaming, and weapons ringing for two days in a row. The joy of new achievements soon gave way to the calm and indifference of experienced monster killers. The reward was excellent. It was magical. In the first moment, everyone sat quietly and waited for punishment from the Game for such ways to improve characters. All newcomers for destroying all the monsters in Nazgor received more than 70 million points of experience and were able to gain level 40. The veterans reached level 42, Anna got to level 47 and became the undisputed clan champion. She received 111,430,000 experience points for destroying monsters in the area alone. The hunters realized that when they returned to the castle, everyone could make two new class transformations. Nobody knew what demands would be made by the Class Choice Room, so nobody distributed skill points. When everyone saw the main message of victory, it did not arouse much enthusiasm. * [Congratulations! You completed the quest: ''Cleansing from Filth''. You get +1 to all the characteristics. +5 ''Glory'' points Attention! Your Clan is honored to perform its duties. The ''Shoulder to Shoulder'' clan gets +50 Fame points. Attention! The unique quest ''Nazgor Renaissance'' is available] * The hunters sat by the fire, which was set up in the street and had dinner. The question of the unique quest was removed from the discussion. To own a property so far away from the main base was unrealistic and foolish. Nick sat gloomily and looked sadly at a mountain of trophies against the wall of his house. His words greatly reduced the winners'' good spirits and made them think of the little things in life. \"We have about 700 trophies. Most of them are swords. We''ve got 40000 pounds (18,143.69 kg) of trophies! 6 players who can carry 2000 pounds (907.18 kg) of weight in 1 trip. 20 trips, 120 days, 4 months to play in the Loader class,\" Nick said with a sad voice. \"Or we could throw a 200000 gold coin slide here.\" \"Have you considered the help of our pets?\" asked Alexander. \"Of course,\" said Nick. \"I''d hate to lose a mountain of gold like that,\" said John. \"There''s not going to be a four-month game of porters,\" said Anna funny. \"I don''t want to live without a husband for so long. Calm down, honey, I''ll help you. Magicians don''t care about their strength at all, but they love trophies. Thank you for the third transformation. When we come to the castle, I''ll take not only the magic of Water, but also the magic of Air. The magicians have a wonderful ''Feather'' spell. It reduces the weight of things. A fully developed skill will reduce the weight of things by a factor of 10. 4,000 pounds you can carry in 2 visits to Nazgor. Six days can be spent on carrying weights.\" Everyone was silent and smiles appeared on the faces of the male part of the clan. \"You''re a real fairy, sis,\" laughed John. \"I''m not going to learn to ''Fly'' soon,\" laughed Anna. \"Skills are beautiful and useful, but I don''t want to waste skill points developing air magic. She''s weird and pretty clumsy.\" The next day, the hunters loaded up their equipment to the max and set off on their way back. They took their time, often went to rest. Everybody realized that Nick''s total trophies had been significantly reduced. Armor was heavier than a weapon. But no one complained. On the evening of the second day, there was an important conversation that changed the clan''s policy. The veterans had already understood that newcomers significantly exceeded them in performance. And the policy of complete isolation is not suitable for a team of strong players. The hunters needed city quests. It was the best way to gain points of Glory, which could be translated into points of development of new skills and characteristics. No one doubted that the new transformations would provide excellent new skills in each class. The clan decided to stop the main quest for a while and shift its attention to Dor. The clan had enough money to buy a building for Emma''s shop. Emma said she would soon make a major leap in skill and the product would be of the highest quality. Jane immediately clarified one funny moment. There''s no need for Emma herself to have a good reputation. There are players in town that would be happy to join the clan, provided that they stay in Dor, but become employees of a luxury store. \"Master of the Runes, will you be able to take an oath from the new people in town? I understand they have no place in the castle, and we have our-special secrets,\" asked Jane. \"Honey. I don''t know,\" confessed Dan. \"At the town hunters'' residence, I can work with the runes. There''s a powerful revival point working there, so there''s a source for the oath.\" \"I''d hate to change our relationship with Samantha,\" said Nick. \"This is her territory.\" \"To which she has no right, brother,\" noticed John. \"Let''s not rush into this. Two days of quiet travel to the castle and back, and getting game class can reconcile smart people with the need to swear an oath to the clan,\" said Bella. The clan eventually decided that when Emma returned, they would start working with the best materials and prepare the first consignment. The men will carry the trophies. Girls can have fun at their own pace, but its best not to touch the dungeons, it can hurt a sinner. But Dan thought that he would soon cross the dangerous edge of the unknown at this speed of spirit increase. And it seems to him that then a certain person will get to him, and of all his resentments and grievances will seem like a childish babbling before the onslaught of Mistress Judge. * Name: Dan. Class: Sinner Subclass: Librarian, Master of Runes. Race: Human / Undead, the form of Draugr Level: 42 Experience: 91 480 000/94 800 000 Strength 93 [84 +3 +2 +4] Intellect 45 [31 +2 +3 +2 +7] [MP 450] Dexterity 37 [29 +3 +2 +3] Spirit 228 [200 +3 +3 +2] Endurance 96 [HP 9670] Protection: 740 Luck 6 [Passive] ''See the hidden'' 7 [Passive] \"Eye of Wisdom\" 3 [Passive] ''Dungeon Explorer'' 2 [Passive] ''Threat to the Titans'' 1 [Passive] ''Self-control'' 10 [Passive] ''Psychoprotection'' 5 [Passive] Immunity to weapons: Stabbing: 10% Cutting: 10% Crushing: 10% \"Resistance to Cold\" 12 [Passive] \"Resistance to Fire\" 11 [Passive] \"Resistance to Earth\" 10 [Passive] \"Resistance to Water\" 10 [Passive] Improved skills: \"The Cognition of Evil\" [9/10] \"Calligraphy\" [9/10] \"The Perfect Nature of Evil\" [0/10] \"Evil Affinity\" [1/10] ''Cannibalism'' [1/10] Class skills: ''Autodafe'' [10/10] ''Spiritual power'' [10/10] \"Tough Will\" [10/10] ''Fallen'' [0/10] ''Expert in Anatomy'' 2/10 ''Angry'' [0/10] ''Ancient Languages'' [10/10] \"Master of the Puzzles\" [10/10] Combat skills: ''Punishment'' [10/10] ''Chains of sins'' [1/10] ''Burnt wings'' [3/10] Extra class skill: ''Horrible transformation'' [10/10] Available with 0 point characteristics and 23 point skills. 43 N.N. means No Name The burglar regretted only one thing. After passing the test, he picked the wrong name! ''Nick''! There''s a lot of ''Nick'' in the world. Why isn''t he called himself ''Houdini''? The redhead guy passed the test easily. He showed up by the riverside. Washed and drank water. Saw a wolf. The wolf was as big as a motorcycle. And Nick did what normal people do. He jumped in the river and swam. He knew exactly what he could swim. The river wasn''t wide, but the stream was fast. Nick was tired, but he was able to swim fast. He crawled to the shore and rested. Then, he heard a strange growling behind him. Nick got up and saw the wolf. The wolf was swimming in the river! The wolf wanted to eat him. Nick grabbed a stone and threw it at the insolent animal. And another stone. And one more. The guy was happy to see he was often hitting a target. The target was small, with the wolf'' glowing face rising above the surface of the water. There were many stones. Nick wasn''t surprised when the evil predator drowned. \"Is this your test? Nothing complicated! Let''s do it again!\" screamed the guy. \"You''re sharp, but with a bow you''d be more comfortable,\" said the man with the big bow in his hand. Nick jumped to the side and turned to the voice. He saw two men in strange clothes and with strange weapons in their hands. The bows and short swords that looked more like huge knives. The guy thought they were new enemies and now he can''t run away. The men suggested he go to town with them. The young man agreed and on the way he remembered his name. He had strange feelings. A wild mixture of retardation and clarity of mind. He didn''t remember anything about himself, but he knew for sure that it was no accident that he got into this world. Nick listened to the words about Dor, the aristocrats and the Grand Duke, the terrible monsters and all sorts of nonsense he wasn''t interested in. In the city, he walked down the street and looked at houses and people with surprise. He wanted to laugh in his voice. But then he saw a message about how good he was! He passed the test and even got a +1 to Luck. And the big building had some kind of temporary rebirth point. Nick accepted the offer and got a rebirth point. And it was a moment of truth! And it was the moment of a great and unique horror! The worst nightmare in Nick''s life. He chose the wrong name! The funniest thing was that he agreed to be called Nick and immediately realized that he had made a mistake. Life was beautiful. He didn''t remember the old life, and the new life was a wonderful and pleasant game. There were calm and responsive people in town. They were afraid of rats! But they frowned and gave Nick a quest. Nick would run down the sewers and kill rats. Pretty soon he realized it was a great way to earn enough honey to pay for food and a place to sleep. And he was saving up the ''Glory'' points! Nick met two other players, a man, and a woman. He didn''t agree to work with them. He was doing a great job himself. He didn''t like the woman at once, her name was Samantha, and she was cunning and looked at him like he was nothing. Nick politely refused and did not listen to stories about the benefits of working together. He knew his benefits and his own. If you are not lazy and spend a lot of copper coins you can buy a short sword and kill a lot of rats with it. And then you will get even more copper coins! And more points of ''Glory''. When he died the first time, he woke up in a familiar yard. It was the yard of the Temple. Nick was lying there angry at his stupidity. He was too carried away in battle and did not take care of his rest and recovery. Nick was already taking quests at the Warrior Guild. Local adventurers and warriors frowned and watched in silence as the guy took the quests to kill rats. The locals themselves didn''t go to the sewers, they killed monsters near the city. Nick heard stories in taverns from drunken hunters and warriors. It was fun for him. The locals waited for a month for the monster to appear and then went to kill him with a large company. But it was understandable. They were mortal. Nick was a player in a strange game with a strange attitude to the development of his abilities. Dexterity comes first! It doesn''t take a lot of health and strength to kill rats. To win, you have to have a dexterous body and a desire to work hard and not complain. And then Nick committed the first theft. All the townspeople were nice and calm, they met young rat-killer with understanding. But there was one salesman who never gave him an assignment. The Borz trader sold all sorts of things, and in his shop you could buy weapons, armor, books, and jewelry. The merchandise was of modest quality. Nick sold the trader trophies that were sometimes caught after rats were killed. The merchant also bought rat tails. Nick acted wisely, taking several missions from the locals and a mission to the Warriors Guild to kill rats all day long. But this Borz was a completely strange man who had no respect for Nick and was constantly cursing when he gave money for rat tails. A greedy and petty sly man who got what he wanted. Nick had long seen a useful thing in the shop of that bad salesman. * Adventurer''s Ring +1 to Luck * Nick had already accumulated 50 silver rials. That was the price of 500 rat tails, and killing 500 rats is 2 days of hard work in the sewers. But the reward of 10 points of Glory and 10000 points of experience is a good motivation for feats of perfection. Nick didn''t come out of the sewer for 2 days and got 10 levels and enough goods to trade for the Ring of the Adventurer. And this nasty merchant decided to cheat on honest Nick. The Borz said that he could only buy this amount of rat tails for 45 rials! Nick argued and bargained, but couldn''t win the unequal battle with an experienced trader. Skinny Borz crooked his face in the winner''s smile and threw the wallet with the silver on the counter. Nick started counting the coins. The merchant whispered something quietly with contempt and took the bag of rat tails to the next room. And when Nick counted the coins, he reached out and took the Ring of the Adventurer off the shelf. In all the stores in town, the product was on the shelves and counters so the customer could pick it up and check the quality of the product. Suddenly, Nick put the Ring in his inventory and waited for the merchant to pay. But the Borz never came back. First the merchant was doing something in the next room, then it got quiet and Nick stood in silence and looked at one sword that could help him well in the sewers. He had a great sword that killed rat perfectly but wasn''t very durable. Where''s that greedy bastard? I got a lot to do, Nick thought. * [You commit theft. There''s a 97% chance of a successful theft. Do you want to commit theft? Yes/No] * Nick froze. What a heinous abuse! I''m not stealing anything, I''m waiting for that skinny bastard. I''m an honest player, I have money. Stupid game! Ninety-seven percent of a successful steal. That''s interesting. What happens if I agree? If I fail, I''ll get caught and go to jail. There''s a prison. Raging drunkards and the rest of the rude ones are in it. It''s a game, let''s see what happens, Nick thought and agreed to steal the ring. At that moment the Borz showed up in the aisle and looked at the player with contempt. Then, he was screaming in an unpleasant voice: \"You don''t buy anything! You just bring me those damn rats tails. Why are you standing there like a tree? Go to your sewer, hope the rats eat you forever this time.\" * [Congratulations! The theft was a success! You get 500 points of experience. You successfully committed your first theft. You get +1 Spirit. Do you wish to obtain the specialty Thief? Yes/No] * \"You are a very strange merchant, master Borz,\" smiled Nick. \"You are the strangest merchant of all the Dor merchants. But I''ll go and kill a couple more rats if you don''t mind.\" Nick came out of the store. He opened the inventory and looked at the ring. He wouldn''t put it on his finger. He wasn''t happy. That he stole something he could buy. He tried so hard, that filthy merchant ruined the winning final. Nick remembered that Luck in this game couldn''t be increased at the expense of performance points and glory points. He only wore the ring in the sewers. It was a very funny sight: a naked redhead with a sword in his hand, running through the sewers and killing rats. Nick was saving his clothes from blood stains and other nasty traces from the rat fight. Suddenly, the guy sat down by the wall and thought. Then, he got up, his body was covered in clean, tidy and modest clothes of a citizen. Nick thought he was done with rats. He decided to have some fun. The fun didn''t last long. When Nick walked into the store and successfully stole the cheap thing, he accepted the offer of the game and took the specialty Thief. Stealings cheap stuff was easy and rewarding in terms of experience. He got 100 experience points for each theft, for killing a rat he got only 20 experience points. Nick immediately realized that the amount of experience depends on the value of the stolen thing. Then, a vampire came up to him and asked him to give 30% of the value of the stolen goods to the Killer Guild. The vampire explained that the Guild can reveal the player''s activities to all traders and townspeople. Nick decided that the price for a quiet life wasn''t that high. He wasn''t very interested in money. He wasn''t even interested in the experience anymore. Nick realized he wasn''t getting any Glory for stealing. And he was losing a lot in his character development. He could pay only 1 gold coin and join the Guild. As a member of the Guild he could get assignments, and then he could get Glory, but had to part with the stolen value. Studying in the Guild of Killers was very expensive. Eventually, Nick stopped stealing stuff from shops and went back to work in the sewers. He joined a clan where no one demanded anything from him. Nick was polite and humble. Then, Nick changed the clan and realized that the new environment was a completely different level of development. Above all, he felt a strange sense of pride when he learned that the Thief was a decent game class. He already knew about the Order of the Immortal Hunters and he was pleased to be part of the team. The mastery and skills of new acquaintances surprised him. Their levels were also respected by Nick. But the most enjoyable discovery was waiting for him after choosing a class. When Nick scored 100 dexterity points, he realized that he had to stop developing and increase his reputation. He didn''t find anything special about an increased reputation. The nasty Borz started giving him the quest to kill rats! It was a great achievement! It opened up such perspectives that it was unbelievable! At that moment, Nick laughed and decided to increase his dexterity by 100 points. In the class selection room, he got the answer to a mystery he couldn''t solve. Nick immediately noticed the strange characteristic of the Spirit. * Spirit: Increases the rate of regeneration of life and mana and the length of time the skills are used and their power. Highs spirit level allows you to confront opponents above you in level. * Mysterious and incomprehensible character property. The spirit was like Luck, they worked strangely and mysteriously. What does it mean to confront the opponent above you in the level? How does the spirit help in this case? Nick looked closely at the description of the most magical skill in Thief class. He immediately raised that skill to its maximum level. * ''Hide in the Shadows''. Skill allows you to hide your presence from outsiders. Attention! The chance of detection is greatly increased if you make fast movements or are exposed to bright light. When you activate the skill, you spend 120 MP. Time of action and Cooldown skill: 120/240 seconds. * Nick increased his spirit by 20 points, then read a description of the skill and smiled. He raised his spirit to 100. With a new smile, he met the news that he had become an adept of the Spirit. But the main thing was that he increased the effect of the skill by 60 seconds! Nick stood at a stone figure that looked nothing like a thief, a crook, or a petty criminal. The tall man stood with pride and independence. He had a condescending smile on his stone lips. His left hand was set aside a little and rested on his stick. Most of all, the figure resembled a monument to a nobleman, a true aristocrat. And then the redheaded thief decisively spent another 100 points on the development of the characteristics of the Spirit. He was pleased to see some perfection in describing the skill. Time of action and Cooldown skill: 240/240 seconds. * Nick did a pretty good job on the ruins of Galatea, he was able to add to his collection of rings with a boost of Luck. He wouldn''t hide his findings from the clan and was grateful for permission to use rare artifacts. Daros Stick was a reliable weapon, but most of all Nick was pleased with the appearance of this unique artifact. The stick did not look like a rough club, it looked like a short pole. And it looked a lot like the stick. Nick soon got used to carrying a stick in his left hand and under his arm. He liked to use an ancient artifact as a stick rather than keep it in his inventory. The ruins of Nazgor were fun and simply stunning in terms of character development. When the clan decided to return to the castle, the burglar came up to the ranger and said: \"Nick, I''m staying. I''m going to look for local hiding places, work on the traps. Then, I''m going to take the binding off and let some monsters eat me in peace. I''ll meet you at Galatea in two days. This is the closest point to rebirth.\" \"Your intelligence is working very well. But you''re making some sick decisions. There''s no problem. Nick, this is your game. I hope your plan works. We''re going out with the girls,\" answered the ranger. Two days later, they met in Galatea. The burglar was pleased and pleased with the clan''s excellent selection of rare trophies. But he also reported some unpleasant news. \"There were strangers in the ruins of Galatea. I did not leave any traps, but I noticed a stranger. He ran away. He''s not a player. A local man, but clever and fast. I did not chase him, it is useless with my level of endurance. I''m not an athlete. I''m a humble burglar. I''m not waiting for applause! Girls, your grateful smiles are my best reward,\" said the burglar and bowed. \"I''m not smiling,\" noticed Bella calmly. \"But you did good, Nick. You''ve helped us a lot with your warning.\" \"Well-done, brother,\" smiled John. \"And a great move with a deadly journey back to the castle!\" \"I could have easily defeated that bloodsucker! I could have hit him hard on the nasty trunk with my stick! But I tolerated it, and here I am. I''m back with you! Who has Velida''s food left? I filled my inventory with a rare weapon. I found a magnificent bow for you, Emma! You''ll be happy. Who''ll give me a piece of yummy?\" The players laughed and went to the castle. Emma asked Nick to show her the weapon. * Magic Shooter Bow Type: rare Damage: 230-500 [Critical damage: 500-1000] Durability: 1200 Weight: 3 pounds (1.36 kg) Combat skill: The Eternal Arrow. The skill creates a magic arrow that does not consume conventional arrows. You can shoot without even having arrows. Costs mana 7 MP. 70% damage is magical in effect. Attention! Successful possession of this weapon requires level 37, strength 64, dexterity 143. * \"What a cutie! Nick''s bow does more damage, but he doesn''t have the combat skill,\" admitted Emma. \"Take this, it''s a great weapon and you''ll need it,\" said the burglar. \"How did you find it? Were there any traps?\" \"Piece of hamburger! Don''t worry, the great Nick Houdini is not afraid of traps. Let''s go and catch up with our guys.\" Not all the players in the castle went straight to the class selection room. Girls went up to their rooms to take a bath. The girls were unhappy with the living conditions at the castle. Having a small room, more like a monk''s cell, is normal. But not to have a bath! It was unacceptable and had to be corrected immediately! The players were not sweating! Players didn''t stink. In the morning you could wash your face and hands and wipe your hands with a towel, but it was a respect for tradition, there was no need for that. Blood and dirt could be washed after work in the common bathing room. The castle provided enough hot water. But the girls didn''t agree with that kind of order. The builders were summoned to the castle, and the girls'' rooms were expanded to provide space for individual hygiene procedures. The bathtubs were able to be made by Turin, who took on this job cheaply. The redheaded burglar got what he hoped for! On level 20, he didn''t get a new magic skill. But now he had something that only Assassins could boast. * Anonymous. Skills allow you to hide your name from outsiders. Attention! The chance of disclosing your real name increases significantly when you meet someone who knows your real name and face. When you activate the skill, you spend 240 MP. Time of action and Cooldown skill: 120/120 seconds. * Nick had the skill of changing his face, now he could start the game full of exciting adventures and fun. The burglar came up to John and quietly said: \"John, there''s a serious case on your part. Intelligence! I have a skill that will not give my name to other players and other citizens. I think there''s a job in town for a master like me.\" John nodded and sent the burglar to the ranger. \"He''s in charge of intelligence in our clan. You do realize, brother, that secret service has to be secret. I''m just acting as the chief of intelligence, actually, Nick''s the boss. I have a different kind of job,\" said John quietly. The two of Nick''s had a serious conversation. Ranger was worried that the clan had sharply decided to reveal its involvement in the city. But that made sense and was a great opportunity. \"So you can hide your name. For how long?\" \"I can walk under someone else''s name all the time. It requires you to keep track of the duration of the skill and resume its work. It''s not complicated.\" \"Nick started working at Dor. Special attention has been paid to Samantha''s work. She is one of the main players in this field. Needs to be kept an eye on her. She''s a tough woman.\" \"Yeah, I didn''t like her right away. But she''s good.\" \"You''re good, too. Nick. Remember the main danger. The main monster isn''t around you. The main monster is lurking inside you. You''ve learned the skills that local professionals have gained from decades of hard work. Don''t lose your head, burglar.\" \"Who is not with us, is against us. They''re smart, but we recognize them. These aren''t the players you''re looking for.\" \"May the Dext be with you,\" laughed the ranger. \"Start operation ''N.N.'' which means ''Nick and Nick''.\" \"Agent ''No Name'' is ready to show his intelligence, Dexterity and all of his skills, boss.\" And that same night, the burglar ran off to Dor. On level 40, he may have overlooked level 15-20 monsters. Meeting the local gangsters of the ginger guy didn''t bother at all. Nick was well-aware that some vampire or wise old man''s life experience required to respect and caution. He''d walk down the road with a quick step and smile. The elusive and unique Nick Houdini walked the path of war! His adversaries will have many surprises. 44 Missing book The Hunters'' Circle held the conference. Before starting active work in the city, the clan made decisions on the main issues. \"The activity of strangers in the Galatea area is unpleasant news. Our clan is not taking responsibility for the development of the city. The question is. How much will we lose if another player takes the quest?\" asked Nick. \"Developing a new city is a matter of general government policy. There are already 10 cities in our part of the world. We don''t know how the capital will react to the revival of the ancient city. But our clan bears no responsibility for the future of Galatea. The Order has no duty to protect the kingdom,\" replied Jane. \"But we can have a quest to defend Galatea. We will fight monsters, and some ''Samantha'' will receive Glory as ruler,\" resented John. \"John, we even have a mandatory quest that''s kind of weird and not mandatory at all. We don''t care about the loss of 200 points of Glory at all. It''s not a punishment, or we don''t understand the meaning and significance of Glory in this game at all,\" said Jane. \"Ideally, we should make a deal with Samantha. And give her the city,\" said Bella. All the players waited silently for the continuation. Bella made her idea clear: \"Only the Order of Hunters can give a player a game specialty. Only our Order can allow the player to develop his specialty. We all don''t like Samantha. She wants to play a game we''re not interested in. But she''s not our enemy. Our job is to see her as our enemy and keep her close and on a short leash.\" \"Bella, are you suggesting we have our pocket policy? To be honest, I''d rather deal with Samantha than a group of ''Sunrise'' clan players commanded by Michael,\" said Alexander. \"There are five continents in the game. 3500 players. There are 3 kingdoms and 700 players on our mainland. 42 players in the city of Dor passed the test in this area. There are already representatives of other clans from other cities and places. We could use independent players who are loyal to our clan,\" said Nick. \"Your calculations are based on a desire to get an average score. But it''s not about the calculations, it''s about you being right,\" said Alexander. \"We need to tie other local players to ourselves.\" \"Who doesn''t want to be someone, will be with someone,\" added the burglar. \"I declare to you with full responsibility and sufficient knowledge of information. If Samantha takes the position of Baroness Galatea, it''s an application for the status of the Duchess of Galatea. She will not be harassed every day. But all of her slaves and other Dor employees will be killed in one night,\" said the ranger. \"The Guild resolves such matters quickly and skillfully,\" added John. \"We can''t screw up our relationship with the Guild. We can''t ruin a relationship with the Duke of Dor. Therefore, I do not wish to take responsibility for Galatea''s rebirth. This matter must be resolved with the Duke and the rest of the city''s big men. We are not interested in it. Galatea is a trap for a greedy and conceited player,\" said Jane. \"Jane, you know Samantha. If you were in her shoes, how would you play?\" \"It''s very simple. You have to buy the Order''s loyalty and not compete for it. It''s necessary to have leadership over ten players who are willing to get peaceful craftsmen''s game classes. I would buy a piece of land in a safe place near Dor and start a craftsmen''s settlement,\" replied Jane. \"The land next to the city is expensive. The price is measured simply. The price of a plot is equal to the number of gold coins that cover the area of the plot. 250 gold pieces per square foot. A place to install her throne can be sold to her. But no one is going to sell her the land to build ten houses,\" laughed John. \"It depends on the nature of the negotiations, John,\" smiled at Jane. \"We will ruin our relationship with the craft guilds,\" said Emma. \"But I will make an exclusive product. From exclusive material. Really, as a jeweler, I can''t bring in anything new. With the Tailor Guild, we''ll be able to make a deal. It''ll be harder with the jewelers, but I hope our customers won''t be poisoned.\" \"Trouble from these cities! We need to solve the city quests,\" said Kate. \"There are 17 dungeons in the city that we can reach in an hour and kick rats on the way. 34 hours and 85 points of fame,\" said Richard. \"You''re forgetting about rats! Our faithful shaggy, immortal allies. How many hundreds of ''Glory'' have these sweet friends brought to you and me,\" exclaimed the burglar. Richard smiled and agreed that rat quests could be collected. Alexander made an addition: \"The dungeons with the bosses are recovering after a while. It''s possible that in a month. I suggest we go to Dor humbly, gather up quests to kill all the bosses and work four days. Figure out how to set up a store for Emma. Resolve the issue of hiring players to serve the clan. But then we have to go back to the castle and finish the mandatory quest. And we need to do some exploration to the west.\" \"I''m concerned about one important moment. Monsters are growing in levels. I suppose the ruins of Nazgor were a special location. But our burglar met a level 40 skeleton in Galatea,\" said the ranger. \"I did it. But I remind you that we were warned about this. The monsters are getting smarter. I did it with the skill of my unique stick. I have to be honest, I had to run and I hid from the skeleton. Then I took another risk and hoped for Stun... I did it and got a good experience,\" told the burglar without adding his jokes. \"In the dungeons of Dor, we''ll have to work hard,\" said Alexander. \"And buy new scrolls of monster mass destruction,\" added Jane. \"These scrolls were not necessary,\" said Anna. \"We''re just in a hurry, so we''re going the easy way. There were three times more monsters in the square than in the whole town. We just saved a week of work.\" \"Nobody''s arguing with that,\" said Jane. \"But just in case, we need to have a stock of weapons. A village in the west was destroyed by a large group of the dead. You weren''t punished for that, though the village was in Hunters'' territory. If those bastards come again, Anna just buries them in one second.\" \"You''re right, I will do that,\" agreed Anna. \"I remind you that the locals can see our achievements. I remind you of modesty and serenity. We''ve all developed our abilities quite well. Let''s get this job done in the city neat and fast,\" said the ranger. \"Careful and fast! Precision and coolness! I''m going to leave you today because I can''t wait to meet old friends,\" said the burglar. He answered the players'' questioning eyes: \"I''m talking about rats.\" * The city of Dor was lit by the gentle rays of morning sunlight. The gods did not leave the ancient city. Many hundreds of years have passed since the immortal defenders of the city and kingdom began dying. But the power of ancient magic kept the lands of the kingdom from invading armies of monsters and dead. The temples of the gods were not deserted. The rays of the sun were clear proof of the favor of higher powers. Above the city the clouds never completely closed the sky, they flew over the city quickly or unexplained way around the city. In the shadow of a tall tree, at the western gate to Dor, a redheaded burglar sat and admired the view. Then he closed his eyes and a smile disappeared from his face. The player''s face began to change. His lips increased, his nose grew bigger, and his eyebrows became dark. The hair on his head straightened and darkened to black. Nick opened his eyes and went to the side of a small group of peasants who were rushing into town early in the morning to sell food from their farms. The player paid 12 copper coins at the entrance and walked down the street. He walked and realized how much he had changed. His eyes noticed such trifles and important places that he had never paid attention to before. Here''s a hiding place under an old barrel at the entrance to the store. Here''s another hiding place at the base of the roof. Here''s a small square he knew. Nick was happy to look at this place. Players who were in town or stayed single or in small groups. But all the players were trying to stay away from each other. Nick looked at the nice places. Meowurrin, a funny creature shop that sold good weapons. Mistress Rion''s bookstore. The armor shop of the big, fat Woolgren. Mistress Medar''s clothing store. The shop of the old Borz. Nick used to buy necessities in this little square and sell his trophies here. He lived in the attic of Mistress Medar''s house. Nick was smiling, it was time to check one idea. Meowurrin, the merchant, stood behind the counter and carried a small brush comb around his ears. It was a pleasure for him. The trader enjoyed himself, even more, when he looked through the open door at the entrance to his enemy and competitor''s shop. Already four hunters came to him and restocked the arrows. However, the nasty stinking Borz had no customers in the morning! Meowurrin purred and brushed the hairbrush on his right ear. A new client entered the store. The merchant was a magical creature of the cat shape shapeshifter kind. These creatures never caused any harm. They combined human and cat shapes and were famous for their agility and ability to trade. Catshapes were not even registered in the magistrates of the city, although everyone knew that they are not only good hunters, but also thieves and crooks. Of course, one of the main advantages of the shapes was their smell, which served them no worse than their eyes. Meowurrin concentrated, the visitor was a man, he was a player, he was an unknown player, and the merchant was unfamiliar with the smell of this player. But the greeting is never superfluous in good trading. \"Greetings stranger, good to see you in my shop. How can Meowurrin help you?\" \"I am selling, dear Meowurrin. My name is Holmes. Sherlock Holmes.\" The merchant liked the player. The player was smiling modestly. He didn''t use the strange magic of the players and took the thing out of the usual bag. The trader had enough of a look at the dagger to realize that it was a rare thing. Meowurrin clasped his eyes and meowed with pleasure: \"Meowurrin will give you 50 gold coins for this dagger.\" And the next moment all the charm of the beautiful beginning of the day was gone! The life of the merchant had lost its meaning! And all the fault was this Holmes! The gambler smiled and answered: \"I agree. I expected to get a bit more money for this weapon. But I''m also satisfied with your price. Alas, I don''t know how to trade, I can''t do this important and honorable business.\" The tassels on Meowurrin''s ears went up and his eyes sparkled. The trade goes on! Great day, just a great start to the day. \"I have a great product for you. Mr. Holmes. I can sell you a magic book! With its help you will immediately learn the skills of the trade and will be able to conduct your business with great success. 50 gold and the book is yours!\" Meowurrin has changed how he could be so insolent! The local players have ruined him. He used to be such a nice cat, thought a burglar. He looked calmly at the changeling merchant. Meowurrin looked away at the bookshelf and his eyes expanded with shock. The wool all over his body stirred and lifted. Vibrasses like antennas rushed aside in search of an intruder of calm. Meowurrin saw that he had been robbed! The book with the skill of Trade was not on the shelf! Wonderful book, with a beautiful green cover. For which the merchant paid 10 gold coins to Mistress Rion! The book was missing! Meowurrin was no longer paying attention to the player, he wanted to jump out of the store and call the guards for help. \"What''s wrong? Master Meowurrin. What''s wrong with you?\" \"I''ve been robbed! Robbery! What''s the guild looking at? I''m an honest merchant, I pay for the order in my shop.\" \"Robbery? That''s interesting. I don''t know how to trade at all, but I''m a big expert in finding stolen items and in dealing with delicate situations. I can help you. Where was the last place you saw your book?\" Meowurrin froze. He sniffed the air again. This time he wasn''t hiding his suspicions and he sniffed at a stranger. Then the merchant pointed his paw at the shelf: \"The book was standing on the shelf. It was on the shelf yesterday and this morning.\" \"Calmness, only calmness. Sherlock Holmes will help you. Stealing, that''s ridiculous. My art will easily trace the subtle emanations of a stolen object. Do you say it was a book of skills? A stupid thief, what a cheeky and stupid thief. Finding Magic Things is the easiest thing to do. The subtle emanations and fluids of magic cannot be hidden from my powerful art!\" The player kept saying strange words, but he did the job. Meowurrin watched with surprise as the player approached the shelf and began making strange gestures with his hands. The player''s fingers moved and pointed in different directions. Then the player slowly walked towards the exit of the store. Meowurrin followed the player. They moved a few steps away from the entrance and the player said softly: \"It''s clear to me! The case of the missing book is solved! Do you want me to give you your book back? Yes or no?\" \"Give me back my book! I''ll pay you 1 gold coin,\" said the merchant. * [Attention! The \"Missing Book Meowurrin\" quest is available. Return the missing book to the merchant Meowurrin. Award: 1000 experience points, 3 ''Glory'' points, 1 crown. Do you accept the assignment? Yes/No] * \"Yes, I will help you find the book. But perhaps you should close the door to the store? A stupid thief hid the book next door, but why leaves the shop unattended? Oh, the valiant guard of Dor! Please give us your support. My respects. Your armor shines in the sun like new gold coins. You are honest and not lazy warriors. You can support us.\" \"Meowurrin, what is it? Who is this man? I don''t know you,\" said one guard. \"I am a player. You can call me Holmes. Sherlock Holmes. I''m a sort of scout and a master of searching for things. Master Meowurrin has lost a book. I know exactly where it''s missing.\" \"Where''s my book?\" stuttered Meowurrin, who locked the shop door and walked up to the group. \"Do you know the owner of this store? The magic trail leads to this store.\" The player pointed a finger at one of the buildings in the square. \"Borz! He stole a book from me! It''s revenge! He''s taking revenge on me for losing the fight. Scoundrel and villain,\" sewed the merchant. \"Calm down, Meowurrin. Your fight has been going on for a long time. You suffered well in your last fight, too. Let''s go and check Holmes'' words,\" said the guardsman quietly. There was an unpleasant scene at the Borz shop. The player nodded at the bookshelf. Meowurrin was near the books in one jump and immediately saw his missing. Then there was a scandal. The Borz shouted that it was not his fault. He wasn''t a thief or a book thief, he didn''t know how he got the book. The vile Meowurrin deliberately hired thieves from the guild to throw the book to the honest Borz! This is revenge! The guards asked the merchants to go to the magistrate and write official complaints about the case. There are specialists in the magistracy. They''ll deal with it. Holmes did not draw attention to himself. He received 1 gold coin from Meowurrin''s paw and went to get acquainted with the city. Nick went to the tavern and calculated the losses. He could sell the dagger for 70 gold. In the guild of killers he had to pay 2 gold, because he stole the book, and no matter what, he returned it to the owner. There''s a strange artifact in the Guild that takes into account all the robberies in town. 22 gold for 3 points of ''Glory''. Unfavorable and difficult. But the scheme works and it can be applied in a special case. It''s time to take care of Samantha. The clan players will be in town in a few hours. Nick decided to go through some merchants he knew and collect quests to kill rats! On the way, he''ll try to find out all about Samantha''s business. Nick smiled, left a food fee on the table and left the tavern. The burglar would walk around town and collect quests to destroy the rats. The city''s players were lazy. They stopped going to the sewers and preferred to do more respectable work. Nick took 17 missions and decided to visit the hunters'' mansion. He hid his name and went into the Shadows. He put the skill pictures in a corner of the field of view to constantly control the duration of the skills. The mansion was quiet, with several players sitting by the fireplace and talking about all sorts of nonsense. Nick walked down the stairs to the second floor and pulled out a picklock. What do we have here? The locks nice, but no trap. The room''s big, the bed''s even bigger. Here''s the stash, simple but secure. 3 traps, not weak traps, Samantha paid a lot of money to put up that security. Nick defused the traps and opened the safe. He found a stock of gold coins in the safe. 7,500 gold coins was a good stock of money, but the burglar didn''t take the money. He wouldn''t touch the jewels. Nick took the big book and started looking through it. Interesting information, Emma could use it. In the book was a description of the important people of the city, with accurate portraits of these people, with notes of Samantha herself, which were made by more ugly handwriting. These notes were compromising and could be useful in setting up intrigues and troubles for Dor''s important people. \"Boss, I found the book in Samantha''s safe. A detailed description of Dor''s important people and compromising. Emma could use it.\" \"N.N. Take the book. Don''t take the money. We''ll be in the gnome quarter in one hour.\" Nick put the book in his inventory. Then he locked the safe and left the room. Piece of pizza! It couldn''t be easier! The burglar left the building and went towards the gnome quarter. It''s delicious to eat and participate in the destruction of little rats and big monsters, it''ll be a great continuation of the day. What if the rats in the sewers have already grown to level 40! Poor townspeople, thought the burglar. 45 Samantha makes a choice Samantha lay on the bed and asked herself a question. What is wrong with this world? When she appeared here, she was pleasantly surprised. Life seemed clear and interesting. So, what''s the point of running through sewers and killing rats? You can walk around town and do small jobs for citizens. Samantha was getting a reputation and making new contacts. Pretty soon she decided that it was stupid to waste Glory Points to develop characteristics. You don''t need strength, dexterity and endurance to walk around the city in peace. These characteristics themselves grew out of her work. Samantha was slowly gaining levels and increasing her intellect. Samantha started taking classes at City University. She was interested in world history, guild management and organization. Samantha took a specialty as a Student, but her development was slow and depended on attending lessons at the university. Then, Michael came to town. Sweet, strong, stupid Michael, who really liked her. It was comfortable with him. Samantha listened carefully to the clan leader. Soon she realized the ultimate truth of the game. Her specialty is a miserable kind of real game specialty! She needed to get a game class as a Scientist! Samantha had a hard time imagining the opportunities this class offered. Just think about it! You can already become a Scientist on level 10. She remained a simple Student on level 15. Michael didn''t understand the important moment that Samantha quickly understood and accepted. Life in this world is different from what it used to be. And it''s not that there are a Unique middle Ages in this world. It''s about local people who did business unusually and strangely. Samantha was trying to understand the logic of what the locals did. And she learned from her mistakes. Only a great reputation helped her keep her face. Samantha already knew the structure of this kingdom. Four cities served as defense centers against evil forces in the north. Next to Dor was safe, but already in the day of the journey to the north began a real borderland, where crowds of monsters and predatory animals threatened a normal civilized life. The kingdom''s next line of defense was made up of three cities; one of the three days south of the Dor. Life in those places was much more expensive. To settle in the southern city one had to have a reputation of 1000 points of Glory and a large stock of gold. Then there were 2 big cities in the south and the demands on the player increased to 3000 points of Glory. There were no copper coins in circulation in those cities at all. The sun was shining brightly on the magnificent buildings and streets. Ancient magic kept those places from evil forces. Samantha could hardly imagine her participation in the life of those far attractive places. She decided to save money and reputation to get her place in the sun. Michael broke down and decided to go to a nearby town to join a new clan. Samantha was happy to accept the leadership position. This post was no longer of any material benefit. Players always performed individual quests and were unwilling to share their experience and reputation. Samantha proved to be useful to those players who decided to engage in peaceful activities. She had good contacts with many people in town. Samantha quietly accepted the Hunters'' rejection when she wasn''t allowed to have a game class. She did not make a scandal when her clan was abandoned by several people. They had the right to play wherever they wanted. They had the right to play how they wanted and with whomever they wanted. But the events of the last three days were of concern to her. The hunters returned to town and their actions caused a strong wave of rumors. All the hunters were 40 levels! They took all the complex quests in the warrior''s guild and completed them in three days. These prudent players did not squeal quests to destroy the rats. They were the ones who stole her important records; she had no doubt about it. But what could she have done? The Guild of Killers paid back half the money Samantha paid to set traps on her safe. The Guild once again informed her that the Guild was not interfering in the affairs of the immortal. She was hinted that no one interferes with the affairs of immortal hunters. Samantha already studied this subject at university. The Order of Hunters was an ancient organization supported by the gods themselves! The return of real immortal hunters to the citizens was an act of higher power. But Samantha was not a hunter! She was a strange immortal, which no one could understand, and no one was going to trust her. She did not hunt, she did not kill monsters! For most aristocrats, she was a strange madwoman who did not appreciate the gift of the gods at all. She spent a lot of money to hire two excellent local warriors who decided to conduct scouting in the possessions of the Order of Hunters. She wasn''t happy with the results. This world has been changing. And the reason for the change was the players'' actions. Samantha found out that the hunters had paid 250,000 gold coins and bought a house in the city. A small modest two-story house on one of the small squares was bought to organize a clothing and jewelry store for Emma Hunter. The Tailor Guild obtained the right to sell the material from its warehouses to the shop. Emma had no right to make independent purchases of material. But the hunter calmed down the Guild by the fact that she would mainly work with special material. Monster hunting pleases different trophies. And the Guild agreed to this state of affairs. The Guild got its share of the profits and got a new buyer, who will pay a lot of money for ordinary material. But that didn''t stop the hunters'' activity. Emma offered three girls to make a contract with her and works with her in a new clothing store. The painter and two craftswomen went to her. It affected Samantha''s interests. In her clan, there were 34 people left. She realized that she could be left without people. Samantha knew she had nothing to offer the players of her clan. The clan''s reputation went down when warriors couldn''t complete a difficult quest in Dor''s dungeon. Reputations were slow to recover. Samantha saw no way out of this unpleasant situation. She sat on the bed in her room and watched the invitation from the clan of hunters. They wanted to meet and talk to her. She could have refused to meet, but it was the wrong thing to do. Samantha got out of bed and started choosing clothes for the meeting. She has to look great. She''s still the clan leader. The meeting was set up at a respectable tavern. When Samantha arrived at the tavern, she was escorted to a private room. She saw three hunter girls and realized it wouldn''t be easy for her. The hunters would exchange messages and comments during this conversation. Samantha hoped to meet Nick; it was easier for her to communicate with men. She walked up to the table and saw that the girls were dressed in excellent suits of leather and rare material. \"You look great, girls. Your suits are gorgeous. Emma''s store is going to make a good profit. Your clan hasn''t wasted money.\" \"Would you like to join us?\" asked Jane. \"To your company? Your clan? Or is you suggesting I work in a shop?\" Jane and Kate smiled, there was no emotion on Bella''s face. Samantha never trusted those girls. They were too independent, too calm, and they didn''t pay any attention to her. \"The clan has an offer for you. Game class Scientist. Are you ready to discuss the details?\" Samantha looked at Jane and decided she could use some new information. She nodded her head and Jane went on to propose: \"A necessary condition for a class is joining the hunter''s clan. An oath of loyalty to the clan. You will get help and be able to quickly get level 20, it will allow you to immediately enter the new level of class development. We insist on your specialization in Economic Management. Managing and organizing a peaceful life.\" Samantha realized she was being offered a lot, she was being offered what she was aiming for. But the words about the oath made her suspicious. \"Is taking an oath a necessary procedure?\" she asked. \"Samantha, it''s hard for you to believe it, but staying loyal to the new clan will be a necessary procedure. The punishment for betrayal is too heavy,\" answered Bella. Samantha realized that the hunters had found new opportunities in the game. And now the clan of hunters can exist as a normal organization. This clan has responsibilities. This clan has control measures to control the players. It was an unpleasant discovery for a woman. \"What are my perspectives? What can you offer me? I want to live in the city. I really want to live in a more respectable city.\" Jane smiled and Samantha didn''t like that smile. A quiet and humble girl looked at her and Samantha saw that there was no shyness or fright in Jane''s eyes. The girl looked at Samantha as an interesting scientific exhibit, as a detail of a complex mechanism. \"Diplomacy. You''re thinking in the right direction, Samantha. You don''t have any opportunity to be the head of our store chain in town. You''ve learned the laws of this world. Future masters of the clan, like Emma, don''t need to be in charge. The system is simple and doesn''t need any intermediaries. What do you think of Galatea?\" What do you think of Galatea?\" Samantha was not surprised by the question. She decided to be surprised by the answer. \"I''m not interested in Galatea right now. You''ve changed the living conditions in that area. Level 40 dead people are too much of a problem to run a business properly. In the future, Galatea is going to face problems with local government. The kingdom does not need new duchesses.\" \"You won''t have much of a class development opportunity in the city. Especially valuable skills cannot be developed by simply investing skill points. You have to apply valuable skills to the game. The clan doesn''t need parasites, the clan doesn''t want to do charity. Unfortunately, the Order of Hunters is not in a hurry to change ancient traditions, and we don''t need a diplomat to work with the city,\" said Jane. \"You''re worried about military problems in Galatea for nothing,\" said Kate. \"The Order does not interfere with the lives of the locals. But the people of Galatea under your leadership are the hunters'' business. Guarding the city will be good practice for us. Keeping order in Galatea is your responsibility.\" Samantha looked at the blonde and didn''t believe a word of that sly and cunning girl who smiled sweet and cute. \"Will the clan provide financial support? Hiring employees would be expensive.\" \"Betty is an accomplished financier. The clan understands its benefits. Of course, we''ll provide financial support,\" replied Jane. Samantha didn''t want to leave Dor. She didn''t want to live in a dangerous area. She needed to think that this change in her life required a serious response. \"I need to think about your proposals. Everything is too serious and totally changing my plans. How much time do I have?\" \"No one''s rushing you. Think and seek your advantage. The north isn''t the most enjoyable atmosphere for a woman who likes to have fun. But we do allow ourselves to visit Dor sometimes,\" said Bella. \"Samantha. The clan intends to make a very profitable offer to your people. We don''t want to lose resources. Either the players will stay in our area or they will be recruited by other clans,\" said Kate. \"We have too many tasks that require specialists in different fields.\" Samantha got up and left the room. She went back to the mansion and saw several players waiting for her in the large hall. They looked at her with interest. These smart guys could have been smart enough to tell my players about the important meeting, thought Samantha. \"How was your meeting?\" \"Fruitful. You''re all about being invited to join the ''Shoulder to Shoulder'' clan. You take an oath of loyalty to the new clan, and you get a game class and great prospects for a successful game. It''s the peaceful development they''re interested in. In killing monsters, they don''t really need help. You know, in two weeks, they all got to level 40. They promise to help to raise the level. The ''Sunrise'' Clan is a military organization in a nearby town. I don''t mind, you can leave the clan at any time.\" \"What did they offer you?\" \"It''s my business.\" Samantha went up to her room and lay on the bed. What''s wrong with this world? Merde! Why can''t any aristocrat take her as his wife? Diplomacy. It''s a brilliant offer, est une excellente offre. But Galatea is a too uncomfortable place to live. The ruins and the gray sky above. And the damn rain every day! Mauvaise pluie, maudit Gibier. Damn game. The woman was lying there trying to decide. Suddenly her thoughts were broken by a quiet knock on the door. Samantha got out of bed and came to the door. \"Who''s there?\" \"Open up.\" She opened the door and an invisible guest walked past her. Samantha locked the door. And she turned to the visitor. \"Your wife will be upset.\" \"Anna''s not against our talk. She and Dan are picking up loot and shopping at the city''s alchemist shops.\" \"Nick, you keep me from thinking about your offer.\" \"You''re wasting your time. You''ve got two life choices. You can live in Dor in peace and quiet. 20 years of taking classes at university and reaching many heights. You''ll remain independent and become a strong player. But other players use violence against a strong player. You will not be left alone when you become a valuable player. You''ll be a weak specialist compared to a clan diplomat, but you''ll be a competitor. You have an easy and pleasant life now, but you won''t have an easy life in the future. Our offer makes you take responsibility and make your life harder. Samantha, there are big problems and challenges ahead of us all. And death is the smallest of the problems.\" \"Death? Why should I be intimidated by this temporary inconvenience?\" \"The administration has already killed several thousand players. A temporary inconvenience can be a permanent outcome of the game for any of us.\" \"I don''t break the rules. But your clan is playing a dangerous game. You''re making progress too quickly. You are dangerous allies and colleagues.\" \"One day, this game will end. And then a new game will begin. Do you think there''s any place for you to be so great and strong? Do you think they''ll give you a third chance for a new life?\" \"Nick, this isn''t a very nice topic to talk about. It''s a dangerous topic. They read your mind, they can punish you for thinking that.\" \"I''m ready to die. So, I''m not afraid to play in a clan that allows you to play very successfully.\" \"Galatea will spoil my appetite.\" Nick laughed and sat down in the chair. \"You started trading! Why didn''t you start trading with girls?\" \"Ce n''est pas int¨¦ressant. I''m more successful with men.\" \"I don''t understand French. Don''t distract me. Samantha, we''re not offering you a business together, and that''s the most disgusting thing, it annoys me. No one knows what quest will offer you the game. Jane and Nick have been thinking about economic strategies. Well, that makes sense. We''re playing a game that many people think his familiarity with. We''re playing Role-Playing Game. Emma already got economic quests. Her game is a secret of the clan. But we''re hoping that you''ll find yourself facing a similar scenario. The city is a big store!\" \"And we are buyers and sellers in it,\" laughed Samantha. \"You''re buying me, Nick.\" \"Don''t forget about the magic of fire! Anna is dangerous in her anger.\" \"You actually had a wedding. It''s a big achievement. You''re perfect for each other.\" \"Don''t get distracted. You''re a very unpleasant woman. Nobody likes you. You''re a parasite and you only think about your own benefit. That''s the kind of diplomat the clan needs.\" \"You''re a very bad diplomat, you''re too honest. It''s rude and unpleasant to hear such words. You come into my bedroom and you act like a barbarian.\" Nick started laughing. He was glad to see that woman supporting his laughter. \"Now it''s important for you to lead a group of players. In Galatea, you''re going to need the Builder and Master Carpenter and Smith first. Players will be able to improve their skills in a good way. You''ll have a lot of work to do, Samantha.\" \"Merde! Don''t scare me with work. I''ve worked hard for my levels.\" \"Then go and start working. Your players are sitting downstairs making plans for the future. Go and recruit a team for a great project. The unique quest ''Galatea Renaissance'' is waiting for you.\" The ranger figure is gone. Samantha came to the door and left the room. She couldn''t hear the steps behind her, but she knew this devil''s hunters wouldn''t leave her alone. Samantha suddenly realized that conditions had changed in the game. There were clans in the game who was willing to put pressure on the players. She wasn''t ready for it. Now she had to change her game, change her life. One day, she''ll think about revenge. But now Samantha has entered the common room of the hunters'' mansion and made a text message to all the players of the clan about the important meeting. She wasn''t waiting for the absentees; there were people in the hall that could be useful to her. Samantha started talking about her decision to leave the clan. \"I was offered a unique quest. The rebirth of an ancient city. To the north of Dor. Two days'' journey. I''m starting to play Scientist, Economist, and Diplomat class. I need players who are ready to become the strongest masters of peaceful crafts in the shortest possible time. We don''t care about security. If someone wants to continue developing as a fighting class, that''s great, the new city will need the Head of the Guard. But my new clan is taking over the main responsibility for guarding the city against monsters. There is a lot of work to do, so we will get into submission to local adventurers and urban craftsmen who want to improve their skills. It''s a unique quest. It''s a unique opportunity for development. Sean, will you be the chief Architect of the ancient city? Dennis and Maria, you have great opportunities, but there''s a lot of work to be done. I explained the prospects to you. Let''s start a conversation about specific questions. Sean, aren''t you tired of carrying logs and rocks? We don''t just need a master builder, we need an architect. Are you with us?\" Sean didn''t get a chance to answer. The players'' questions were heard from all sides. Samantha stopped the mess with a loud voice. \"Nick! Get them out of your Invisibility! I''m sure you''re standing by and controlling our meeting.\" There appeared a figure of a player in the corner of the hall who took a step forward. ''Invisibility'' is my craft. Hello, Alan. Hi, Sofia. Samantha has the authority to answer all questions. Listen to future baroness. And I will tell you the main thing. Friends, don''t envy her choice. I''d rather meet a level 40 snake three times than talk to the Head of the Killer Guild once. These are nasty and dangerous people. They grew up in this world. Let our slyest snake deal with these snakes. Don''t be upset, Samantha, but you never seemed to please me. Good luck, folks. We''d love to see you in our clan.\" And the figure of the shaggy Assassin has vanished into thin air. \"It''s impossible to deal with these combatants. Savages! To business, gentlemen, and ladies. Shawn, you have something to say.\" 46 The Quest for the dead man Dan was happy to leave Dor. He was receptive to his friends'' desire to improve their performance, but he was worried in town. For 15 dungeons he received 45 points of ''Glory'' and 17 points added for killing rats. The rats were common, they didn''t grow to level 40. But the monsters in the dungeons matched the new player levels. The players spent three days performing all quests. Dan wouldn''t stay in town and rushed to the hunters'' castle. But he didn''t go back to the castle itself. The sinner reached the village near the castle and went towards the old cemetery. He hoped that the new level would allow him to climb the steps of the three mysterious pyramids and explore new runes. His expectations were met. In the cemetery, he did not take risks and took the form of a dead warrior 42 levels. The rats were common, they didn''t grow to level 40. But the monsters in the dungeons matched the new player levels. The players spent three days performing all quests. Dan wouldn''t stay in town and rushed to the hunters'' castle. But he didn''t go back to the castle itself. The sinner reached the village near the castle and went towards the old cemetery. He hoped that the new level would allow him to climb the steps of the three mysterious pyramids and explore new runes. His expectations were met. In the cemetery, he did not take risks and took the form of a dead warrior 40 levels. Dan came to the pyramid and learned that he could not cause the enemy to fight. His time had not yet come. The sinner wasn''t upset because he wasn''t stopped. He was able to climb the pyramid and start adding to his list of ancient runes. There were warriors of level 40 standing on the steps, they did not pay attention to the unusual draugr. Above were the real monsters of the army of the dead. The Juggernaut was a new level of development for the Draugr. Dan already knew the Draugrs had to reach level 50 to become Juggernauts. He didn''t know how this transformation happened. But he saw very well that the level 50 warrior was already equal in life to the dungeon boss. The 400.000 points of life inspired respect. And there were several hundred of these monsters on the guard of three pyramids. Sometimes Dan also saw Level 50 warriors coming down from the top of the pyramid, going down the steps below and going back to the top. Dan already solved the main puzzle of this cemetery. Inside the huge buildings laid three great ancient hunters. Their peace was guarded by faithful apprentices and associates. Dan was afraid to imagine what would happen to the kingdom if this army of the dead was awakened and angry. The worst part was that near the dead pyramids, it was impossible to destroy the dead. They were being reborn. After the destruction, the dead gave some of their experience to their stronger and more skillful colleague, and their bones were joined together again. Dan spent three days carefully examining the surface of the three pyramids. On the third day of the unusual draugr''s work, he was called to account. The sinner tried not to draw attention to himself, did not take out of inventory his book of records. He stood still and carefully examined the images. His skills helped him to memorize important information perfectly. Dan paid no attention to his neighbors, who stood beside him like strange statues in armor and with weapons. \"You remember your name.\" Dan froze when he heard a quiet voice, more like the rustle of dry leaves under his feet. He already understood the strange ancient language of the dead and could speak it well. The sinner raised his head and saw three guards. Lich and two Juggernauts stood higher. The dead were staring at the sinner. There was no expression of order in the question, but Dan did not deny his nature. \"I remember my name.\" \"You walk the paths of the living. You''re going at the ways of the non-living. Are you ready to serve your brothers in arms?\" Dan didn''t have time to think about the meaning of the words. He saw the message. * [Attention! A new quest is available: ''The Brotherhood of Arms''. Quest type: Rare. Reward: 20 points of ''Glory''. Do you accept the quest? Yes/No] * The award looked simple but nice. Dan had long suggested that someday he could get quests from the sentient beings of this world. Dead hunters were nice to him. The player had a sincere reverence for those who do some important work after death. He immediately agreed to accept the quest. If he refused, he would lose the opportunity to raise his level in the Arena every month. Of course, the player thought about this punishment. \"I am ready to serve the Brotherhood.\" Leach took a few steps down and Dan was happy to be around a dead magician. The player was uncomfortable standing up and looking up. \"Your brothers need food. You can bring some live food. You can bring non-living food. The choice is yours, warrior.\" Lich turned and went to the top of the pyramid. The Juggernauts have remained in place. Dan was reading the terms of the mission. * [Attention! Updating quest: ''Brotherhood of Arms''. Overview: Great warriors whose Power and Glory protect the surrounding lands need food to gain new strength and capabilities. You must deliver food to your brothers in arms. Quest Results: Living 0/7 or Not Living 0/12] * Dan immediately saw the simplest solution to his problem. He could spend 700 gold and buy 7 slaves. The locals were calm about slavery. Losers sold themselves into slavery. Dan wasn''t worried about the locals'' problems. Then, a funny thought came to his mind that he could serve himself as food for zombies. But it was a stupid thought he''d thrown away. He was interested in the question of the non-living. \"Where will I meet non-living food?\" \"You''re a real warrior. You''ve chosen a worthy path. This map will help you.\" One of the Juggernauts pulled a thin plate. Dan took the item. There was an image on the surface of the metal. Dan looked into his status and saw that his game card had changed. There was a new location and several inscriptions made the player worry. Not living food served as vampires and harpies. Dan realized that the task wouldn''t be easy to complete. The vampires were strong opponents. The harpies were intelligent monsters that served to vampires. The harpies looked like winged women. Aggressive, predatory flying monsters who hunted both animals and humans. Harpies often served vampires and protected the habitats of bloodsuckers. Dan didn''t waste any time, he went outside the cemetery and called Pussy. The cat went hunting right away. In Nazgor, all hunters decided not to share their experience with their pets. Now the cat had the time and desire to catch up and overtake its master. The player did not know how to complete the mission. He could kill monsters. The main result and achievement of the campaign through the dungeons of Dor was the completion of the development of the skill ''Cognition of Evil''. No new transformations of his abnormal class sinner received on level 40. But by completing the ''Cognition of Evil'' development, the former Inquisitor was able to increase damage to monsters. The ''Hammer of Witches''. If the monster is near you, he will experience severe pain and loss of life force. Damage Calculation Formula: The amount of your Spirit per second* per skill level. The ability to deal with 1850 damage every second was a great support in combat. Activating a skill was not worth the mana. Dan may not have used the ''Hammer'' all the time. In the cemetery, he didn''t piss off his neighbors. Skill didn''t make him the most powerful fighter. Players have already discovered that each transformation gives one skill that increases damage by 50%. All clan fighters were superior to the sinner in the attack. But quite unexpectedly for the clan, Dan unlocked the ''Nemesis'' skill! ''Nemesis''. The one who has nothing to lose is terrified and you know it more than anyone else. This skill gives you temporary invulnerability. [Time of action of skill in seconds: Number of your spirit* skill level. Cooldown: 24 hours]. Dan couldn''t raise his skill level with skill points. But even without any development, he got Invincible for 3 minutes! An unpleasant discovery was the need to spend mana on keeping the skill running. Every second of invincibility cost 24 mana. But a huge reserve of spirit helped instantly restore mana loss. Dan didn''t understand the sense of Inquisitor-class game mechanics. But Kate explained that moment to him. For 4 transformations, she received new skills, and support for their work required several hundred points of Spirit and Intellect. Jack was invulnerable for 3 seconds. Paladin was happy and not jealous of the sinner''s advantage. Alexander made a simple joke about it: \"You do a little damage, but you can safely do it for 3 minutes. That''s enough time to finish off any monster.\" \"It''s hard for me to imagine a game with the possibility of being invincible for 30 minutes. It''s not fair and it breaks any rules of the game,\" said Dan. \"We''ll see in two weeks,\" smiled the warrior. \"What if the game changes the action of the skill and requires mana to support the skill?\" \"That''s not going to be a problem with the amount of spirit I have.\" \"The demand will be great. At least 24 points of mana for 1 second of the skill action. I compare it to your ''Hammer''. Calculate the possible duration of the skill action and calm down.\" Dan counted, but he didn''t calm down. He''s completely confused about the calculations! He activated ''Nemesis'' once a day, like his ''Chains of Sin''. He didn''t have the skill to fully control his opponent! The burglar already could put his opponent to sleep for a few seconds. He was stunned. Dan could have destroyed the monster. But he couldn''t figure out how to catch the monster and bring it to the cemetery. He couldn''t put a dead body in his inventory. But the monster''s body hadn''t been out of the game for hours. Dan looked at the map and calculated the distance. The player was tasked with carrying the corpse of a vampire or harpy a few miles. He had to act very carefully. He was thinking that maybe he should call in other players for help. But the sinner thought well and gave up the idea. He didn''t want to draw the clan''s attention to the cemetery. Dan could do it alone. He had the skill of ''Autodafe'' and hoped he wouldn''t meet a Level 50 monster. And with a weaker opponent, he could handle it. Dan ate and went on his way. There were over a hundred miles to the nearest monster''s den. The sinner looked at his supply of fatigue-recovery potions and decided to save useful potions. He walked through the woods, tried to move quickly, but he could hardly do it. When he met the open spaces, he quickly ran through the meadows. He wasn''t afraid of animals. The animals of level 20 didn''t attack him anymore, but when he met they were ready to respond to the attack. Pussy played with wolves and boars. When Dan approached the harpy lair, he didn''t know what to do. The evening came, it was dark and the player did not want to wander through the woods at night. Even less he wanted to run through the woods at night. He had not found any shelter for a quiet rest. Dan decided to take his chances and hoped to guard his cat. He picked up some branches and got himself a bed on the ground. Then he lay down and covered himself with a cloak. The night went quietly. Dan woke up and ate. Then, he sent Pussy to sleep. It was time for his hunting. The sinner gently sneaked towards the harpy den. Dangerous flying creatures could sit on tree branches and guard their territory. Dan saw the first harpy he sat on the ground right away. He''d already met these monsters and decided to clarify the enemy''s level. * Harpy Type: normal Level: 35 Life: 26400 Damage 1000-1900 Overview: This monster is created by the forces of evil from the body of a fallen woman. Harpy is very fast in combat, usually weakens her victim by attacking from a distance. After weakening her victim, Harpy kills the victim with her long, curved claws. * The harpy looked pretty good. All the fallen women in life were pretty enough. When they got big wings, it didn''t reduce the beauty of their appearance. It was the wings that posed a particular threat. The feathers of these wings could fall off and quickly strike the enemy like small throwing knives. Dan did not think long and applied the skill of ''Autodafe'' to his opponent. Harpy wouldn''t raise a scream. She jumped up in the air and flew towards the sinner. Dan was waiting for her with his sword in his hand. When the Harpy flew closer, he winked at the pretty girl with short black hair and activated the ''Hammer of Witches''. The harpy swooped. Bleeding wounds began to appear on her body, causing her severe pain. Dan wasn''t wasting any time and jumped towards the enemy. He immediately applied his strongest combat skills. [You caused 7.300 damage] Harpy stuck her claws into the player''s armor and began to strike quickly. [You took 340 damage] [You took 410 damage] [You took 370 damage] [You took 320 damage] Dan struck a powerful new blow to the body of the harpy and threw the enemy away to finish off this harmful and vicious flying bitch with a new jump and new attack. Two strokes of the sword proved to be enough to win. Dan wouldn''t read the battle results report. He jumped up to the harpy body and picked it up. To put it on his shoulder. He had 93 strength, and he hoped the harpy wouldn''t be too heavy a burden. Dan ran away from this dangerous place. After a few seconds of running, the player realized that fatigue was growing too fast. He took a step and drank a potion. There was no alarm, no chase he heard. The sinner moved quickly towards the cemetery. The task proved uninteresting and began to irritate the sinner. He liked the results of the battle. The ''Hammer'' once again showed itself excellently in the confrontation with an ordinary monster. It took him nine hours to get back. He went to that pyramid where he got the quest and dumped the body of the harpy at the base. Dead warriors rustled around approvingly and several Draugrs even slammed their colleague on the shoulder. Juggernaut descended from the top of the pyramid. The monster said nothing, he grabbed the harpy by the hair and went upstairs. The corpse of the harpy dragged the warrior-like a terrible unusual doll. Dan checked the results and was happy to hear. The harpy was living food! Dan turned around and went to get new prey. No vampires! They''re definitely not living food. Just harpies, just delicacies on dead friends'' table. Harpy meat tastes like regular. Dan didn''t want to recall any unpleasant moments in the game, but he couldn''t give up some of his class features. He spent almost a week on this nasty quest. The sinner was afraid that the harpy would be concerned about their acquaintances'' disappearance. He trampled a noticeable path towards the cemetery. The harpy might have tracked him down and ambushed him. He was even hoping. That a small squad of flying monsters would fly towards him, and then he could fight and shorten his journey time. But the harpies were selfish and self-loving! They didn''t meet the wishes of a lazy player. Dan had to run back and forth six times. He realized that for level 42 he had very little strength, very low capacity. He even thought of a ''Feather'' spell that could help him through one trip. But Jane was all disappointed to hear about the news that it would take her time to develop the ''Teacher'' skill. And her abilities will be limited, she won''t be able to learn the class skills and combat skills of other classes. Entry-level spells and improved skills were available for learning and transferring to another player. The week of fast fighting and boring and uncomfortable movement in the forest with Pussy is over, and the sinner has received his reward. * [Attention! Updating quest: ''Brotherhood of Arms''. Congratulations! You have successfully completed your task. Quest results: Living 7/7 or Not Living 0/12. You get +20 points of ''Glory''. Attention! A new quest is available. Quest type: Rare. Reward: 50 Points of ''Glory''. Do you accept the quest? Yes/No] * Draugr sighed and was glad that his face was not visible under the mask. The award did not impress him, he had already spent 7 points of ''Glory'' on turning into Draugr. But the future of the rare quest looked more tempting. The sinner was looking forward to a new phase of cooperation with the army of the dead. * [Attention! Updating quest: ''Brotherhood of Arms''. Overview: Great warriors whose Power and Glory protect the surrounding lands need food to gain new strength and capabilities. You must deliver food to your brothers in arms. Results of the quest: Living 0/15 or Not Living 0/24] * You gotta be kidding me. I am a player, I am a sinner. I''m not a pizza delivery boy! There''s no time limit. I need to get back to the castle and find out about Jane''s progress right now. I need a weight relief spell. I''ll get Anna with me. No, no, I can''t call a sorceress. Nick will go with her. Nick will be followed by John. I''ll cooperate with the dead alone. This is a completely insane game! 47 Second meeting with a demon In the castle, the sinner was met by disgruntled players. Jane put all business aside and asked for training in the skill of ''Cognition of Evil''. Her success in class development required a personal conversation with the master of the skill she was interested in. Players showed a close interest in the skills of ''Cognition of Evil'' and ''Feather''. These skills made life easier. Jane and Dan were sitting in the library, and Dan shared the specifics of working with his skill. He had to spend about an hour describing the intricacies of applying a skill that he invented and remembered during the conversation. \"Thank you. I''m ready. We have one attempt. Now you have to seriously invite me to learn this skill,\" said Jane. \"Just like that? You''ve made great progress,\" smiled Dan. Then, he focused and offered Jane training. * [Teacher Jane asks you to teach her the skill of ''Cognition of Evil''. Do you agree to pass on the skill? Yes/No] * Dan agreed and joyful Jane hugged the sinner. \"Everybody''s already learned the ''Feather'' spell. I suggest you learn it. It''s very useful! You can make your life a lot easier. All the guys make armor and weapons easy and it helps them well.\" \"I''m going to need the ''Feather'' very much. I don''t develop strength like our fighters. Of course, I want to learn the spell,\" said Dan. \"We have one attempt. Be serious. This is an important and serious procedure.\" Dan thought she had no idea how important it was for him to get this spell. * [Teacher Jane wants to teach you the ''Feather'' spell. Do you agree? Yes/No] * Dan agreed, and he was lucky. He learned the spell the first time. Turns out not everyone had been able to learn the spell. Success depends on the intellect and luck of the player. Dan thought he wasn''t happy with intellect. But his luck is fine. The spell required constant used to raise his level. The application of the spell cost 12 mana and Dan had a lot of work to do. He wasn''t surprised when he was met by Master Rune''s specialty job. Jane and Richard wanted to have a wedding. Jane didn''t really want to run through locations and dungeons, and Anna''s magic ring made her really jealous. The opportunity to be with Richard instantly and participate in the murder of the boss scientist could afford it. An unexpected event for Dan was the oath of the Warrior and Priestess. Their alliance has long been the alliance of a couple of quiet and interesting to each other. But Dan didn''t think they''d come to a new stage in their relationship so quickly. Dan took the oaths of lovers. Everyone was surprised to learn that rings can be different properties. Jane and Richard''s rings allowed teleportation to the partner. Alexander and Bella''s rings allowed not only teleportation but also the possibility of combining and then equally dividing the two partners'' health reserves. To all questions and Bell and Dan could not give an answer, they did not understand the subtleties of the work of magic runes. Dan found out that Samantha needed his services in Galatea. The clan accepted the ''Galatea Renaissance'' Quest. Samantha had days of serious problems and difficult decisions. She met the hunters from the castle with curses. The post of Head of the city turned out to be difficult and with interesting gameplay. The main event of the clan was the completion of the principal main quest. Dan arrived on time. He came back the day the clan went to clean up the last dungeon. In three groups, the hunters were able to complete the tasks in the week of the sinner''s absence. In the dungeon, everything went easily and routinely for the hunters. The main boss was another Queen of Spiders, and Emma was pleased. The web of monsters was a rare material for the tailor''s craft. After killing the boss, the hunters saw the message everyone was curious to expect. * [Congratulations! Despite the difficulties in your way, you successfully completed your task! Attention! Your Clan is honored to fulfill its duties. Congratulations! 300 points of ''Glory'' have been received. Your clan''s overall status changes to ''You are a Man of Honor''. Before the next general status change, dial another 2000 points of fame. Your clan gets the fourth level of fame [4/20]. Reward: Your clan gets to choose a new feature of the Order of Hunters. Each clan member gets +1 to all the characteristics, 5 points of skill, 5 points of Glory, +1 to Fortune. Attention! Mission update: ''In the Footsteps of the Greats''. Attention! Intelligent monsters living in these lands will do anything to desecrate the locations you have liberated. Regardless of the difficulties in your way, you must clean up the desecrated areas from the monsters within 1 month] * All the hunters were happy to receive a big award. Almost all the players of the clan gathered at the castle. Galatea players were invited to the final part of the quest. City players were already helped to score level 20. Many did not need help and already had this level, which allowed them to immediately get the transformation of the selected class. During a dinner party at the castle, the difference between hunters and city players was immediately noticeable. Galatea players were not at all interested in the details and features of confrontation with monsters. The game offered Samantha and her team a rather complicated and tense life in the style of economic strategy. This life was fully satisfied with many players. Circle of Hunters made a difficult choice. Hunters could expand the list of classes and get a new class. Hunters could increase the rank of the castle and significantly increase its protection. They could also increase the amount of experience that a member of the clan of hunters gets. Nick and Samantha long ago shared with all the information about the possibilities of the players in different places. Not all players were able to get such an advanced castle. Players of the ''Sunrise'' Clan had a choice from 7 classes. They did not have magicians, thieves, scientists, inquisitors, and spirituals. The question of getting a new class didn''t worry about the hunters. They just didn''t have the candidates to take the opportunity. There were 5 players left in the City who wanted to live and travel in peace. They built up a reputation and were not interested in joining any clan at all. To increase the experience also seemed uninteresting to the players who were happy with their progress. The clan decided to strengthen the defense of the castle. Nick indicated the choice on behalf of all players. * [Congratulations! The Castle of the Order of Hunters has reached rank 3. The secure radius, magic protection and durability of the castle increased by 50%. The territory of the Order of Hunters has been increased by 10%] * \"You took a big piece of land from me! I''m not paying the rent,\" said Samantha immediately. The evil baroness was immediately reassured that she could continue using her former resources for free. The city of Galatea stood on the northern border of the hunting clan''s property. Samantha was able to hire 100 citizens who agreed to lead the lives of farmers and fishermen in the new place. The issue of providing food for Galatea residents was the most difficult for Samantha. Its specialists handled the problems of construction and arrangement of the city life successfully. Nick began discussing the immediate events in the clan''s life: \"This week, we have a quest for the Hunters'' Circle. Samantha, we invite everyone to take part. You don''t have to take part in the battle, but you have to be there for them. As a reward, each member of the clan gets +1 to all the characteristics, 3 points of skill, and 3 points of Glory.\" \"We are interested in this offer, we will take part,\" replied Samantha. \"We can handle the protection of our territory. Scouts, are you ready to conduct good scouting in the west? Dan, your participation is mandatory,\" said Alexander. \"I''ll be ready an early next week. I have the opportunity to raise the level. I''d like to take advantage of that before a difficult case,\" answered Dan. \"In my city area, one dead body shows up every day. They scare my peasants. Alan''s handling it, but I''m concerned. Are you sure you won''t cause a large group of monsters to attack? And I also have rats! Do you have rats?\" \"Samantha, calm down. There are always rats in town. There are no rats in the castle. You''ve got enough people to destroy rats. I hope they''re not level 20 strong monsters?\" \"Rats are small, but they''re nasty. And I have to spend the city''s reputation on a reward for destroying them. It''s not a city, it''s some crazy house,\" complained Samantha. \"But you have the most skilled culinary man in the clan. Guys, make sure you visit Galatea. John opened the restaurant and he cooks amazingly. I spent three gold coins, but I''m not sorry, dinner was just delicious. He can even make pizza! John has discovered many recipes that were not known in this world,\" said Alexander. The hunters were aware of some of the successes of the city''s players and were interested in the news about the opportunity to eat familiar dishes, the taste of which no one remembered. Until the end of the week, the sinner tormented with the development of the level of the spell. It was very difficult, boring and took a long time. Even if you cast the spell 100.000 times in a row, it took longer than a day. Dan spent three days in his training and looked with great respect at Anna, who had chosen this way to play. He postponed the execution of the quest for the Dead Army until the spell was fully developed. He even decided to spend the points of Glory and increase the strength to 100 and become an Adept of the Strength to perform the quest in one trip to the harpy lair. Everybody was looking forward to meeting a dangerous new opponent. The first meeting with a demon showed that the clan is weak. Players could only kill a monster at the cost of constant death and constant damage. 12 hunters gathered in the room and Nick accepted the new quest. * [Attention! Update the property map! A new location is available. Location type: Dungeon. Mission type: Rare. Reward: Variate. Mission time is limited to [30:23:59]. If the mission is not completed, your clan will lose 200 ''Glory'' points.] * The game did not make life harder for the players, and the new dungeon was again within an hours'' walk from the castle. A large group of players went to complete the mission. The townspeople were warned. That they would receive a team and could join the hunters at the very end of the battle. No one was surprised by the warning about the features of the new monster. Hunters with smiles received a message about the averaged level of the enemy. The clan had 52 players. But the level of 39 townspeople was half the level of hunters. Players expected to meet the monster level 28. The first to go to the dungeon was a sinner. Kate was dissatisfied with the fact that she could not get the last levels of the skill ''Cognition of Evil''. Richard looked at the message. * [Attention! Successful destruction of the Demon is possible only by a group of players. The opponent''s level is equal to the average level of the group members. Did you really dare to challenge the Demon? Yes/No] * The clan commander accepted the terms of the battle and nodded to Dan. The sinner approached the dark spot on the ground and disappeared into a new dungeon. Everyone was waiting for his quick return, but Dan didn''t appear at the temporary revival point. Kate was the first to fail and promised to unscrew the ugly sinner''s stupid head. Then she took a decisive step into the dungeon. Richard didn''t like it when the operation plan to change as the operation progressed. He invited the hunters to join the Inquisitors. When the hunters got into the dungeon, they saw Kate walking around Dan and punched him constantly. \"How long can we wait for you? That creep doesn''t tell me anything! He thinks I should see the demon with my own eyes,\" screamed Kate. \"He''s right. Kate, you''re going to cover your ears tight and not eavesdrop on us! Now I can see why you didn''t come back. Dan tells us the information,\" said Richard. The hunters found themselves in a big room that led from one corridor. Dan walked carefully down the hallway and was able to look at the enemy. The hunters liked the information. * Cadma Race: Demon Type: Elite Status: Boss of the location Level: 28 Life: 666600 Damage: 2000 Overview: Cadma, also known as Princess of Torment. She has reached unprecedented heights in her mastery of torture and suffering. Beware of a magical demon attack, she can destroy any player with a weak spirit. Improved skills: ''Master of the Short Blade''. The weapon in this monster''s hand is as dangerous as its master. This skill increases weapon damage and allows the use of special tricks and combat techniques on short blades. [4/10] It opens up skills: ''Cutting through the void''. This skill increases the chance to ignore your opponent''s armor and class abilities. Cooldown: 120 seconds. [4/10] ''The Power of the Archimage''. Significantly reduces the time it takes to restore magical spells and speeds up the casting of spells in battle. [10/10] It opens up skills: ''Pure mind''. This skill allows you to cast a spell without mana costs and instantly replicate the spell. Cooldown: 120 seconds. [10/10] Class skills: ''Invincible''. This skill increases protection and gives immunity from many types of damage. [6/10] Battle skills: ''The swirl of the blade''. A demon strikes several quick hits in a row. Damage to each blow is 3000-4500. Cooldown: 30 seconds. [4/10] ''Sweet torture''. A demon strikes a magical blow that deals damage and replenishes the demon''s life. Damage 2000-2500. The enemy loses 50% of his health within 20 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds. [4/10] ''Blow of filthy''. A magical demon attack that deals magical damage from a distance. Damage to 5500-7500. Cooldown: 30 seconds. [4/10] Immunity to arms: Stabbing: 50% Cutting: 50% Crushing: 50% The magic of fire: 50% The magic of water: 50% The magic of air: 50% The magic of the earth: 50% * \"She looks like an ordinary tall woman. Absolutely ordinary, beautiful woman. I didn''t notice the weapon. I took one look and went straight away,\" said Dan. \"An interesting blend of Assassin and a magician with advanced vampire skills,\" summed up Richard. \"Kate, let''s get started. You''re going to start the fight. Good luck, Judge.\" \"There''s plenty of room, we should invite the Galatea guys,\" suggested to Nick. \"Notify Samantha. Hunters, prepare for battle. We''re working calmly and neatly. Everyone knows what they''re doing. Attention! Activate group reinforcement,\" said Richard. Further events very surprised the players. Kate entered the corridor, and she had enough moments to apply her ''Judgment'' skills. This skill with a guarantee of 100% deprived the enemy of one combat skill and significantly weakened all the skills and immunity of the enemy. When the hunters joined Kate, they didn''t have time to rush into battle. Demoness saw a group of opponents and laughed: \"I''m tired of waiting! Daros told me about your company. I have a suggestion. A one-on-one fight with your champion. If he wins, I''ll give him one of my skills. If I win, I admit my defeat, but I''ll leave my dagger with me. You won''t need it. Even a fool like your sinner wouldn''t want to mess with my instrument of torture. Decide quickly! I have little time and much to do in my possessions.\" \"You''ll accept your defeat anyway,\" replied Richard. \"What skills are you ready to pass on?\" asked the more important question, Anna. \"Important and useful to any of you. You, redheaded witch, can have the ''Power of the Archimage'' or the ''Pure Mind''. But you can''t beat me,\" answered the demoness. \"She can''t drink life out of us, her immunity''s down to 25%. Damage in 1000. The magic attack in 3000. I can handle it,\" said Dan calmly. \"I''m ready to try it, too. I''ve got a lot of potions. A minute of the unpleasant show and a piece of bloody meat will be left of it,\" Alexander rubbed his bald head. \"How long can I give you? My time is precious,\" laughed Cadma. \"Don''t trust the gifts of demons,\" said Bella calmly. \"We should just kill this bitch.\" Dan saw Richard''s message: \"No deals. Attack!\" The sinner immediately took the form of a draugr and activated ''Nemesis''. The Demoness was attacked by all the clan fighters. From the entrance, the arrows and spells of Anna hit the demoness. Dan struck fast and powerful with his sword. Next to him, the figure of a berserk burst into flames of red. On the other side of Dan was a blue light on the paladin figure. Demoness knew about his skill, so he felt no pain from her attacks. He made a few strikes and the enemy died. The fight to end in a few seconds. * [Congratulations! Demon Cadma, Princess of Torment is defeated! Congratulations! The Hunter Circle is honored to perform its duties. Congratulations! 100 points of Glory have been received. Each participant of the Circle of Hunters gets a new level. Each member of the clan gets +1 to all characteristics, 3 skill points, 3 Glory points] * Players from Galatea clapped their hands and went out. Samantha had a thoughtful and serious look. She didn''t say it very loudly: \"We''re already known to demons in demon possessions we don''t know. Who I contacted!\" \"The clan of hunters, ch¨¦rie. You''re a hunter from the hunter clan,\" laughed Betty. \"I hope these events don''t happen again often,\" shook the Baroness''s head and went out. The dagger was unique, but it was risky to use. * Tormentor Type: unique. Damage: 1500-2200 [Critical damage: 3400-6200] Durability: Indestructible Weight: 1 pound Combat skill: ''Cutting the Void'' Increases the chance to ignore the enemy''s armor and class abilities. Cooldown 120 seconds. [0/10] ''Sweet Torment''. Skills deal damage and make up for the owner''s life. Damage 2000-2500. The enemy loses 50% of his health within 20 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds. [0/10] * No one doubted that using demonic skills would not do good. The dagger was deposited in the clan''s stash. Dan spent some of his glory points on developing his strength and left the castle. He had two important cases with an army of the dead. He promised to do it in a couple of days and keep the hunter''s company in the exploration of western lands. 48 The sinners desires are not related to honey The scouts passed to the western border of the Order of Hunters in a day and stopped at the river bank. In this place, they could spend the night in peace. No one wanted to enter the unknown territory in the evening. Nick, John, and Dan were sitting by the fire talking about strange things. Dan decided to tell them some of his secrets and assumptions. John didn''t understand his friends'' common worries. \"I don''t care about sudden death. I agree that we''re all involved in some kind of experiment, and we could all get killed at any moment. But that doesn''t change anything, brother! Everybody anywhere can suddenly die. Why worry and think about such things? You have to live and enjoy what you have. And make your life even better.\" \"John, you''re absolutely right. But I''m thinking about how to avoid sudden death. We''re immortal! Ancient hunters are dead. I don''t want us all to die suddenly,\" said Dan. \"You don''t want to die, somebody wants to die, it''s too crazy wishes,\" laughed Assassin. \"I''m not ready to discuss the reasons for possible sudden death. I''m ready to be a part of Dan''s plan. That makes a magical point. My game is turning into a regular job. I used to go on duty and catch criminals, now I wake up in the morning, kiss my wife, and go kill monsters. Dan offers an interesting case,\" said Nick. \"Dan, I agree to deal with your damn artifact. I agree that you need to reach level 80. But I don''t want to get involved with any of the local gods! I''m fine with my faith,\" said Assassin quietly. \"And everyone else is not going to like this turn of events. Anna and Dan have become level 80! Many will be jealous. That''s not good.\" \"No problem for the clan, John. The clan has Kate. The clan doesn''t need me, I''ll go away and kill the dead in peace and get my level 80,\" responded Dan. \"You have to kill level 30 skeletons to get to level 80,\" laughed Nick. \"Three dead cities like Nazgor will be enough. I''ve roughly calculated the progress of our levels and the amount of experience. 70.000 monsters on level 30,\" answered Dan with a serious voice. \"You fight like a girl! You''ve got the smallest damage among fighters, brother,\" laughed Assassin. \"6000 is good average damage. One month of continuous slaughter and I''ll take my 80th level,\" replied Dan. \"There''s no such thing as a continuous massacre. You can''t find that many skeletons in one place,\" objected Nick. \"I hope the clan doesn''t mind if I start working against the dead of the West. I hope we find places with lots of dead people,\" told Dan. \"And then your book will help you meet one of the local gods? The one who supports the army of the dead. You have strange desires, brother,\" said John. \"His desires are unusual and full of mysteries and riddles, just like his game. Let''s go to bed. Tomorrow will be a busy day,\" suggested the ranger. \"Dan, have you calculated how much it takes to kill monsters to get to level 100,\" asked John in a quiet voice. \"From level 44 to level 80, it''s a month of slaughter. There''s still a month of slaughter to level 88. There are tens of billions of experiences going on, I''m not interested in them,\" replied Dan. * In the morning, the scouts did not move far from the river but approached the border of the thick forest. The river flowed eastwards. The scouts decided that the sinner and the Assassin would walk along the river to the west. But the ranger will use of all his skills and will survey a large area of the forest at high speed. The pets have once again proved to be useful. Each player received on his map details of the place where his pet has been. Dan proved to be the most uncomfortable companion for clever scouts. His ability to move through the forest was at its lowest level. In the game, each participant was engaged in some kind of business and received an offer to master their activities as a specialty. The player could three times give up an unnecessary specialty and forever remained a regular novice in the rejected type of activity. Dan was a disgusting forest traveler. He was making noise, he was moving slowly, he was holding up scouts. His weakest characteristic was dexterity! Only 39 points in dexterity couldn''t help their clumsy character. By noon, the players had realized that the forest was becoming dangerous. No animals posed a threat to them. But Nick found an unpleasant opponent. Dangerous insects lived in the forest. Ranger saw a strange creature that was level 30 and looked like a mixture of a bee and a mantis. Nick was able to see the creature''s level and incomplete information. Ranger immediately ran away from the dangerous creature and went back to the river. They needed Dan''s advice. Players began slowly approaching the monster. Soon they could hear the loud sound of the insect''s wings as it flew. Players sat behind the bush and watched the incredible creature. The honey mantis looked like a threatening and dangerous monster. On its triangular head with large red eyes stood out powerful jaws with sharpened teeth. The monster was the size of a man. Its body was covered with yellow wool, with brown spots scattered on it. The front legs of the mantis had powerful thorns on their shins. The wings were transparent when the mantis sat down, they were immediately folded on his back. Dan looked at this dangerous creature and immediately turned around to stealthily get away from him. The scouts moved to a safe distance, and the sinner gave them an exact reference to the new enemy. * Honey Mantis Type: normal Level: 31 Life: 33000 Damage 2000-3500 Description: Dangerous creation of evil forces. The honey mantis is dangerous with its variety of attacks. This predator can do different types of damage. The monster can fly and track its prey. The Mantis can make a fast throw and stab its spikes into the body of the victim. Attention! The attack of the Mantis'' spikes inflicts venomous damage. The Mantis can also strike with its sting and paralyze the victim for a few seconds. Do not try to sneak up on the Mantis from behind, the monster can turn his head and look behind his back. Never pursue a wounded mantis. The predator will lead you to his nest, where all of its inhabitants will meet you. * The presence of a poisonous monster in the forest, which is capable of immobilizing the enemy, was an unpleasant discovery. \"I do not like the news of the nests of the mantis! I don''t know how normal mantis lives, but bees live in hives. There are a lot of them,\" said Assassin. \"Tame bees live in hives. But wild bees live in swarms. Bees are somehow organized, they''re like ants, they''re very smart,\" explained Dan. \"A clever flying predator that can''t be separated from peacefully. An unpleasant opponent. I wonder what the honey of these mantis tastes like. Let''s kill one. I want honey,\" said Nick. \"I like honey, too, brother. Dan, let''s go. You''re going to lure that ''woolly eyes'' out. We''ll kill him fast,\" proposed John. They didn''t doubt their victory and decided to go back to where the insect was spotted. The Mantis was sitting in the same place. He did not move and waited for his sacrifice. Dan took no chances and activated ''Autodafe'' as soon as he could see the enemy. The Mantis made a long jump in his direction and came across an unexpected obstacle. John jumped invisibly on him and dealt a strong blow with daggers. Nick fired two arrows and finally killed the enemy. John immediately began drinking the antidote and the potion. The attack of the Mantis caused him 1500 damage and 3000 damage from poison. The angry assassin wouldn''t stop groaning: \"Nick, I could have handled myself! You''ve destroyed all our prey with your arrows, now we won''t get honey! Dan, go get his honey fast, you''re the luckiest.\" Dan ran up to the insect body and collected the trophies. Then, the ranger started collecting the rest of the booty. John wasn''t worried at all. Honey was in the trophies! The guys got three pounds of honey, 30 rials, and lots of good trophies. Honey was the most valuable product. One portion of honey restored 300 health points and well-enhanced the regeneration of health. Honey was a rare ingredient for alchemy and cooking. Nick said ones portion was worth 1 rial, and they could sell honey for 150 rials. That''s a good catch. Hunting these dangerous monsters could have been very profitable. The scouts even stopped and ate honey and bread. They were seriously considering finding a nest of honey mantis. There could be a lot of monsters in it. And there could be a lot of honey! John said they should focus all their attention on finding a swarm of a mantis. The castle was only a day and a half away, it''s a great challenge for the future battle mission of the clan. Nick supported Assassin''s plan. Dan agreed with them, finding a nest of mantis is a great target. But he decided not to be a hindrance to the dexterous specialists. \"I will move slowly along the river. I remember the river monsters and I''ll be careful. The Mantis has pleasantly surprised me with his level. I''d like to check the level of the local dead.\" The guys easily agreed with the sinner''s suggestion. He had Invincibility, he didn''t risk anything. If he dies, he''ll shorten his way home. The sinner was a big hindrance to exploring the forest area. Dan was moving swiftly through the edge of the forest. His cat was next to him, and he wasn''t afraid of predators. Pussy kept running away and killing animals. She''d already reached level 41 and the owner upset her by not intensifying her attack. She agreed to take one defense upgrade. But on level 50, she''ll get an increased attack again! That''s what they agreed to do. Dan didn''t see a lot of dead people. He noticed a lot more honey mantis that came to the river to get drunk. He and Pussy hunted once, and the sinner didn''t like the result. He spent the antidote on a cat. They were able to kill the insect quickly, but Dan had already noticed that the watering mantises were often flown in pairs. It wasn''t life-threatening to meet two mantises, but it was unpleasant. Dan noticed that insects don''t touch dead people! It was strange, but the behavior of the mantis could be understood. Why would they waste their energy on the dead? Bones aren''t the best food. Bones may be interesting as a building material, but Dan was pleased that the mantises aren''t being attacked. He crossed a dangerous line a long time ago and was always in the state of a living dead man. He had a strange relationship with Kate. They conducted several intimate experiments and both were happy with the results. Kate was very pleased with the results. Dan was saddened to realize that he had lost a lot in the pleasure of sex. But it was a tolerable disappointment. When evening came, Dan stepped away from the river and set up a place to sleep. Pussy got the team to guard, not hunt any sighted animals or insects. The night passed quietly and the sinner moved on from early in the morning. Next to the river it was uncomfortable to walk, the fog made it difficult to see the ground under his feet. Dan walked slowly along the edge of the forest and was angry at the local climate. Samantha could already admire the rays of the sun for several hours a day. In Galatea, magical protection from monsters awakened, which could affect the sky above the city. Dan hadn''t been to the new city yet and didn''t want to visit. Dead cities attracted him a lot more. Level 80 beckoned the sinner. Kate told him the secret of Bella. Their priestess gave up the path of the Temple woman and went to break the curses. Bella didn''t care much for the welfare of the sinner, but she was sure that one day she would be able to lift the curse from him. That possibility made Dan a little excited. He''d be happy to develop as an inquisitor. Kate''s example inspired respect. But he couldn''t get rid of the interaction with the cursed object. Dan immediately told Kate that the ancient priests were excellent specialists. They hid the cursed artifacts, knowing perfectly for sure their value as cursed objects. On the third day of the trip, Dan got some bad news. Nick''s unexpected message made the sinner laughs. \"We got caught. We''ve been killed. Go back to the castle. We''re planning an operation.\" Dan was glad to see more and more dead people. Somewhere around here could be a place of undead accumulation. Now he had to come back. The sinner sat down and started thinking. It takes a long walk along the river, and there''s no guarantee he''ll find the right place. Dead people don''t need to water! They will not refuse the meat of men and reasonable monsters, but the dead are not interested in water. The camp of the dead could be deep in the forest. Dan could have walked past it. Unfortunately, he didn''t meet any reasonably dead people. The skeletons were the dumbest and didn''t understand the dead''s language at all. Banshee and zombies didn''t meet him. If he''d met the Draugr, he''d have been able to use his skills to get the information he needed. Dan realized he had to go deep into the woods. If he ran into dangerous opponents, he would fight to the death. Then, he''ll rise in the castle and everything will be fine. He wasn''t exactly going back to the castle on foot. The sinner decided to spend one day on unpleasant scouting. He wrote a message to Nick and received a reply from Kate, who was dissatisfied with his behavior and promised that he would be punished. Dan sighed, the bad mood was finally ruined. In the woods, he moved slowly and carefully. Even Pussy''s guards wouldn''t help if they were suddenly attacked by five mantises. Dan can handle it if he activates ''Nemesis''. But this trick only works once. This time, his luck didn''t smile. He didn''t meet a banshee or a zombie. He was attacked by the mantis. Pussy warned him about an enemy that was lurking in an ambush. She even managed to smell two mantises that smelled like delicious honey. But when the fight started, Dan realized they couldn''t handle it. This big mantis could jump far and fast like grasshoppers. He activated the ''Hammer of Witches'', the additional 2290 points of damage per second was excellent support. But right after the cat''s death, Dan had to activate ''Nemesis'' and got 229 seconds of invulnerability. He didn''t pay attention to strikes on the armor, the first thing he did was drink an antidote and a recovery potion. Then, he started killing insects. The sinner used all of his skills and killed the mantis in a few strokes. It was hard to understand how many monsters attacked him. One mantis constantly circled over his head and struck from above. First, Dan killed every insect on earth. Every time the mantis was in poor health, the bastard tried to escape! But the former Inquisitor immediately remembered this quality of the enemy. He applied the ''Autodafe'' skill to every opponent. 5 mantises ambushed the player and his cat. He was quickly finished with them. Dan collected the trophies. He wasn''t happy about any honey. Without invincibility, he''s finished. Pussy had 12300 HP. He had more protection, but the poison didn''t pay any attention to protection, and those mantises punctured the armor. A few poison attacks would quickly kill a 10650 HP sinner. Dan clenched his fists and went deep into the forest. He was in a bit of a hurry to think that he missed the quiet and cold-blooded dead. A few minutes later he met two mantises and managed to kill one and quickly pick up the trophies. There''s no such thing as extra honey! Then the poison finished him off. * Dan woke up in a room he knew and told his friend and Nick he was coming back. The mood was disgusting. Dan went into the dining room for a delicious meal. He didn''t want to think about the future operation and the opportunity to gain much experience. 49 The work of the sinner of level 57 Alexander met a frowning sinner with a smile: \"A teleport called Death?\" \"Hello, warrior. Yes, I had to die to avoid wasting time on foot.\" \"I think you came back for nothing. The guys'' information is disappointing and incomplete. They were able to bypass the hive''s mantis guard posts. There''s a hill in the woods with a huge structure. The Mantises were able to secure the large branches and build their hive. But there are many guards around. The Mantises have been able to smell our tricks under the skill of secrecy! The other clan players couldn''t get close to the hive. And Anna said there''s no point in applying the ''Shiver of the Earth'' to the structure where the enemies sit. It''s a square spell. Destruction in such cases requires powerful fire magic spells.\" Dan couldn''t contain the irritation. \"There''s one thing I don''t understand. Why did they interrupt my exploration? The Mantises aren''t responding to me. You can shake the hand of a player who''s ''alive dead''. They attacked me as I walked with the aggressive intent to kill a couple of mantises. There were five insects. I killed them. Now we''ll have to go back and find a way to safely approach the nest of the mantis for all the hunters. Not everyone is as smart as our scouts. I go with them. Perhaps I can get closer than a slick, invisible, living trickster.\" \"My boyfriend brought honey! And they screwed up,\" laughed Kate. \"But don''t count on a reward. Stop playing with death! This is disrespect for the game.\" Alexander agreed with it. \"I had a serious conversation with Bella on this subject. Dan, we''re crossing the line. Lethal duels have to be limited. We have enough opportunities to die with dignity. And I''m against the tactics of one massive strike. It''s a dangerous game, too. We have a location where we can hunt nicely. This honey is a miracle! And it''s got a great price. We can replenish the treasury and gain experience. I don''t think there are over 20000 insects in one hive. They''re the size of a big man. Do you have any idea what kind of building you have to build to fit 20000 people?\" \"It''s not a fair question. The hive should have aisles and rooms for honey and little mantis, and the Queen of the Honey Mantis lives there. This is the lady I''d like to see,\" laughed Dan. \"Nick blabbed to Anne. Anna told Bella that you''re working as a supplier of fresh meat for zombies at the hunters'' cemetery. Is that true?\" \"Nothing can be trusted to that gossip! I hunt harpies, no terror of people,\" replied to the sinner. \"These dead men pay you well,\" laughed Alexander. \"I''m not complaining. But soon the harpy will be over and I''ll have to deal with vampires. Nick advised me to be very careful and only hunt in the uniform of a dead warrior. Don''t worry about it. I will not draw attention to the clan.\" \"I don''t care about the attacks of these bloodsuckers. Things are going very smoothly at our mine. But we''re always ready to pull out extra tusks for the brazen creatures,\" smiled the warrior. \"You have one aggression on your mind,\" shook Kate''s head. \"You''ve ruined Betty, she keeps running around our property and destroying dead people.\" Players laughed and agreed to meet at a clan meeting tonight. Kate took the sinner to her room to get the punishment he deserved. At the clan meeting, everyone decided that the scouts should continue exploring and leave the location with the mantis beehive alone. The hunters will go hunting and will one day organize an operation inside the hive. But first it is necessary to significantly reduce the number of insects. The next day, the scouts left the castle again. They split up. Dan walked along the river. Nick and John decided to survey the area south of the mantises hive. Dan wasn''t sorry for the time wasted. He spent four days looking for dead people who had preserved the remains of their minds. He and Pussy were hunting the mantis. These insects reacted well to the cat, but Pussy managed to escape from the attack and lead the mantis to their master. When Dan got the image of a many of insects from her, he just withdrew the cat from the game. And she would disappear. When he called her into the game, Pussy showed up next to her master and her muzzle was like a happy sigh. She knew she''d left nasty, tasteless insects in the fools. Let these stupid insects now run and fly and catch a wooden cat. Nick and John weren''t happy with the reconnaissance results. They didn''t see any banshees or zombies, but they were able to stock up on honey in their inventory. Dan was trying to figure out a way to improve his exploration. They didn''t have enough flying pets in the clan. The local hunters were already able to get three kittens and two bears for the hunters. There were no dangerous birds in the local forests. Small birds were flying in the forest. But to tame a little bird so that it could conduct scouting? It was a stupid decision. On the fifth day of his journey, Dan met a banshee. He was happy with that dead woman as his old friend! The banshees were reasonable enough to answer questions from the former Inquisitor. The skill of ''Inquiry'' allowed him to easily recognize the lies and expose any dead man. The sinner quickly approached the banshee and ordered: \"Show me the way to where you live.\" The banshee stopped and looked at the eyes with the white pupils squinting. She looked at the sinner and took her time to answer. The banshee did not move. Her voice was quiet, like the whistling of the wind. \"You''re weird. You''re not like the others. I can''t take you to a secret place.\" Damn creature! We''ll have to waste the point of ''Glory''. With Draugr, she''ll be more agreeable! Dan took the form of a dead warrior and ordered a second time: \"Show me the way.\" \"Yes, sir,\" answered the banshee and flew slowly aside. Dan could barely keep up with the flying dead. He was making a quick step. He thought the banshee sometimes started giggling nasty and quietly, mocking the dead who couldn''t fly. After two hours of suffering, Dan saw a small hollow in which he immediately noticed a large cluster of dead people. He let the banshee go, and she flew off on her own business. Dan wasn''t worried. He wasn''t threatened with anything. They were just ordinary dead people who weren''t worth the attention of dead hunters. There were no structures visible in the hollow. The dead don''t need any weather hideouts. At the bottom of the valley, there were several large trees with curved trunks and no leaves at all. There were different skeletons everywhere. Banshees flew in different directions. The sinner hadn''t seen a lot of zombies. But three figures caught his attention. At that moment, his game changed. * [Attention! Update of Quest: ''Brotherhood of Arms''. Quest type: Rare. Reward: Variable. Description: Great warriors whose Power and Glory protect their lands require comrades-in-arms to gain new strength and capabilities. You must deliver the recruits to your brothers in arms. Results of the Quest: 0/3 of the recruits have been delivered. Do you accept the quest? Yes/No] * Dan stood there and thought about the time on the road. Dead people don''t know fatigue and can move without stopping for hours on end. Four days to the castle and a day to the ancient cemetery. One Lich and two draugrs. Good thing there are no ghouls, Dan didn''t like those disease handlers. He decided to accept the assignment. There was something attractive about him. He was wondering how these dead people would meet in an ancient cemetery. Dan accepted the assignment and started going down the gully. At first, he decided to talk to the dead warriors he understood more. Draugr approached another dead warrior. \"I am ready to show you the way to your brothers in arms.\" \"Whose light illuminates your way?\" \"Sardar,\" said the sinner. Dead warriors walked through the valley and another Draugr had a short and simple conversation. Dan had no doubts about success. He was indifferent to the skeletons. They were a simple part of the world, unreasonable and simple as a piece of wood. But zombies were the material to develop into draugrs, the remnants of reasonableness forced these warriors to follow orders and their destiny. The Lich was less accommodating. He did not respond by refusing the offer to leave the camp of a dead man. Dan realized that this dead man would have to bargain with. He offered him the only thing the magician might be interested in. \"You will gain knowledge. For thousands of years, dead magicians have kept ancient knowledge. Do you want to touch the wisdom of the ancients? Or is you going to stay here and remain a miserable ignoramus?\" Dan saw that he made the right offer. Four dead men left the valley immediately. It was four days of grey and gloomy life. Dan had no difficulty traveling. He did not sleep or stop, walking a quick step towards the ancient cemetery. After 24 hours, he was fined for keeping his body from resting. For the player, it was a 10% fine on all character characteristics. For the third day the sinner was weakened by a third of his normal condition. No one interfered with their journey. At the very beginning of his journey, Dan managed to quickly destroy several mantises. In the hunters'' territory, their group did not encounter an attack. When the dead came to the ancient cemetery, Dan received his reward. 30 points of ''Glory'' didn''t bother him. The sinner entered the nearest crypt, lie on the ground and fell asleep. When he woke up, the road to the castle was waiting for him. Dan didn''t know what he was going to do. He didn''t want to share his experience with the other players. The hollow was inhabited by the weak dead of level 19 and 20. Anyone he could handle with 2 or 3 sword strokes. Waving his sword for hour after hours? Boring, but very profitable activity. At the castle, he informed the clan veterans of his problem and went to bed. After resting in the cemetery, his fine was reduced by 10%, but the player experienced a strange state of indifference to business, to the game, to himself. He slept well. The penalty did not go down, but Dan realized that interest in life was returning to him. A meeting of four clan veterans was held in the presence of their girlfriends. Bella made a simple point. \"I don''t feel an urgent need to raise the level. We''ve already received too much from the clan. I need to control Dan''s condition. If he gets to level 50, I don''t see any problem with that.\" Alexander supported his girlfriend. \"Can you handle it alone? That''s great. Go ahead and get stronger. You''re the weakest player on the team. You have advantages that allow you to survive. But you don''t have our skills to survive quickly and beautifully.\" \"Insect control is a very interesting prospect for the Clan,\" said Nick. \"Players get good experience and great trophies. We may have an inexhaustible source of experience and gold. It''s like a mine with a valuable rock. But insects have to breed, they can recover their numbers. We will destroy them, they will regain their numbers. Everything''s fine! Everyone is happy.\" \"And after a while, we should visit Nazgor. Maybe those special monsters are coming from all around us, and we can have a good time in town,\" laughed John. \"I became a Magister of Intellect. 320 points of intellect and 80 points of spirit,\" said Anna. \"I can now use Earth''s most advanced magic spells. We have a magic Teleport. This spell is very uncomfortable. Now I can create one teleport once a day, which will allow a group of players to instantly move 32 miles. When I develop this skill, we will have six teleports a day and each teleported for 320 miles. In my spellbook, it''s possible to mark the necessary places. Nick is a scout, the fastest player in the clan. In a couple of months, the clan could be in Nazgor almost instantly. Work, boys, look for new locations with monsters. Dan, let''s play your game. I''m very interested in what awaits us when you take level 80.\" \"God will get in touch with the sinner. A god who has no desire to do this. We won''t say any names. But this god will be in a bad mood. Dan, be ready,\" said Bella quite seriously. \"I understand that very clearly,\" replied Dan. \"I hope the game doesn''t kill me for such a horrible gameplay violation.\" \"You had the right to play with a cursed artifact. You have the right to see the game to its end. That''s why I''m glad you''re going to go alone and go boring and hard work alone. That''s fair,\" said Kate. Dan left the castle and headed for the Dead Hollow. Ranger kept him company. A clan merchant couldn''t pass up an opportunity to fill the clan''s treasury. Three days later, two players silently looked at the dead crowd. \"Two months ago, this sight could have scared us horribly. Remember our first cemetery? You helped the clan nicely there,\" smiled Nick. \"I don''t feel like remembering. But you''re right. It''s a pitiful sight. I''m going to go crazy with boredom,\" laughed Dan. \"Have fun, I''m going to go ahead and explore the neighborhood. Let me know when you destroy half this crowd, I''ll come back, and we''ll collect the trophies,\" said the ranger and ran away towards the forest. Dan took the form of a Draugr, pulled out his sword, and began his boring mission. It took almost 24 hours. He killed a dead man with a couple of sword strokes. Dead people didn''t pay any attention to him. Even the banshees didn''t fly away when the inevitable quick death approached them. Dan expected to make it in 18 hours, but he spent 22 hours on this bone cutting. When Nick came back and started collecting trophies, the sinner couldn''t help him, he went to sleep. Nick woke the worker up and loaded him with trophies. \"Level 57 is respectable. Congratulations. The trophies are modest, but the clan could use every gold coin. Back to the castle.\" \"Did you find anything interesting?\" \"Nothing special. Not a single location. Not a single dungeon. Not a single new monster. Deadlands. There must be villages in the west controlled by the city of Grod. This is western neighbor Dor. I don''t want to spend gold on information about the ''Sunrise'' clan. When the time comes, I''ll visit Grod myself and scout it out. They have a kind of our property. It seems to me that these lands are not an interesting area to play, which separates the two clans. But we have a huge advantage!\" \"We just have a lot of advantages,\" agreed Dan. \"We''ve got a more developed castle, we''ve got swamps on the side and an ocean far east.\" \"I was talking about swamps. \"It''s hard to fight monsters there. We''ll take our time and scout the area north of these places. There we can meet new monsters and find interesting locations.\" \"I''m interested,\" smiled a sinner. Nick looked at him in the eyes and quietly said: \"Dan, we''re sympathetic to your game. But don''t forget the whole clan''s decision. You''re on a free hunt. If you find the location and you can handle yourself, no one will be offended. But John and I work for the clan. The locations we find, the clan is working full time. Everyone needs experience.\" \"I appreciate your understanding. All are fair,\" agreed the sinner. \"The river near the castle flows east. According to ancient maps, the river flows into the ocean, and in ancient times there was a port in that place. Now it''s a swamp. Those places are of great interest to urban adventurers. They die there in dozens, but some come back with good prey. Are you going to deal with the vampire lair?\" \"I''m going to change my armor completely and work without a mask in the shape of draugrs. I won''t take any chances. Vampires are smart and use artifacts. They may recognize me as a player, but I will be careful.\" \"That''s right. Don''t make our lives harder. I was going to suggest that you reconnoiter those places in the future. It''s a weeks'' journey to the ocean. You can find other reasonable monsters and earn a reputation in the army of the dead. You can deal with the ruins of an ancient port yourself. If the Succubuses live there, it''s too hard to work for the clan.\" That was Dan''s option. Players allowed him to develop a character. Dan was surprised to see the hunters with excitement. He didn''t care about the city players'' opinions. But the opinion of the twelve members of the Circle of Hunters he was worried about. The sinner was walking and dealing with the distribution of fairly earned characteristic points. It was a pleasant thing to do. * Name: Dan. Class: Sinner Subclass: Librarian, Master of Runes. Race: Human / Undead, the form of Draugr Level: 57 Experience: 369,200,000/394,000,000 Strength 114 [100 +3 +2 +4] Intellect 57 [43 +2 +3 +2 +7] [MP 570] Dext 49 [41 +3 +2 +3] Spirit 297 [262 +3 +3 +2] Endurance 115 [HP 11650] Protection: 740 Luck 8 [Passive] ''See the hidden'' 7 [Passive] \"Eye of Wisdom\" 4 [Passive] ''Dungeon Explorer'' 3 [Passive] ''Threat to the Titans'' 2 [Passive] ''Self-control'' 10 [Passive] ''Psychoprotection'' 5 [Passive] Immunity to weapons: Stabbing: 10% Cutting: 10% Crushing: 10% \"Resistance to Cold\" 12 [Passive] \"Resistance to Fire\" 11 [Passive] \"Resistance to Earth\" 10 [Passive] \"Resistance to Water\" 10 [Passive] Improved skills: \"The Cognition of Evil\" [10/10] \"Calligraphy\" [9/10] \"The Perfect Nature of Evil\" [1/10] \"Evil Affinity\" [3/10] ''Cannibalism'' [1/10] \"Hammer of Witches\" [10/10] Class skills: ''Autodafe'' [10/10] ''Spiritual power'' [10/10] \"Tough Will\" [10/10] ''Fallen'' [2/10] ''Expert in Anatomy'' 5/10 ''Angry'' [2/10] ''Nemesis'' [0/10] ''Ancient Languages'' [10/10] \"Master of the Puzzles\" [10/10] Combat skills: ''Punishment'' [10/10] \"Chains of sins\" [2/10] ''Burnt wings'' [7/10] Extra class skill: ''Horrible transformation'' [10/10] Available with 0 characteristic points and 26 skill points. 50 And that happens Ranger told the sinner a lot about vampires. When they returned to Castle, Dan made new records in the clan chronicles. Vampires were dangerous non-living creatures. The vampire''s greatest strength was his mind. The vampire lived long, hundreds of years. He accumulated experience and knowledge about his place of residence. The vampire''s power was to have a reliable link to its followers. The head of the clan could count on the absolute loyalty of his children. Vampires had their own special measure of counting, they respected the number 6. The small clan had a head and six followers. The middle clan had thirteen vampires. The big clan had nineteen vampires. Vampires were not afraid of sunlight but did not like daylight. The light increased bloodlust and made them eat more. An ordinary vampire needed no more than one quart (1.136 liters) of blood per month. The vampire''s main weapon was their fangs and their mastery of the short blade. Vampires used daggers, they carried swords but did not respect sword fights. Vampires respected intrigues. Solving cases with weapons was the most primitive way to solve issues and problems. When bitten, the vampire could paralyze the victim with his spit. Also, the vampire''s saliva was like a drug, it anesthetized the bite site and plunged the victim into a state of euphoria. The vampire''s main weakness was his pride. A vampire would never give up the opportunity to have a one-on-one fight. In the case of victory, the vampire received recognition and honor, and no one wanted to share eternal glory. Vampires had a well-developed ability to be invisible. Only years of training and skill use made vampires the best killers in the world. The first strike was always behind the vampire. Dan was sitting by the fireplace thinking about his chances. He had a good chance of defeating a vampire. He remembered the big pile of bones at the cemetery, and they were bloodsuckers'' bones. The dead fought the vampires on equal terms. Dan knew that every creature in this world had its own protector. He didn''t know the name of the vampire protector, but the dead and vampires were deadly blood enemies. In light of new information, it was unprofitable to engage in a vampire clan. The third stage of the quest for the army of the dead promised a reward of 100 points of Glory and it was already a solid prize. The sinner had to deliver 30 alive or 50 undead bodies to the cemetery. Dan had almost destroyed the harpies in the nest, but there were still a few flying creatures left. There were few vampires, 19 vampires are the maximum number. But the vampires had servants! But the servants were normal living people. Dan didn''t want to kill people. Everybody has their own destiny and no one''s easy. He has no right to kill people, even if they chose to serve the eternal bloodsuckers. The bloodsuckers had their place in this world. The cities were populated by exiles from clans. They worked together with other creatures. Ordinary vampires visited the cities to eat, but they knew the measure and did not seek to cause trouble with their thirst. Ordinary drug dealers and unusual creatures those were once created by a god, and left to exist and multiply in this world. Dan decided to do something simple and in the measure of his curiosity. He''ll clean out the harpies'' nest and meet the vampires. One blow of the dagger he will survive, and then he will apply ''Autodafe'' and deprive the enemy of invisibility and maneuver. It''s a good thing that Invisibility was common, not a fighting skill. His level of ''Autodafe'' could only weaken the combat skill, Kate could completely deprive the enemy of the main advantage. If the operation is successful, Dan will take a good look at the enemy''s lair and look for stashes. The skills of ''See the hidden'' 7 [Passive] and ''Eye of Wisdom'' 4 [Passive] were very difficult to develop. A redhead cracker could spend time in town and climb the houses of the rich, which gave him experience and skill development. Nick didn''t even steal stuff! He didn''t want to mess with Guild. He just hacked into stashes and defused traps. Sometimes he''d spend time researching interesting information, but he wouldn''t touch the archives of the old Dor families. He never touched any unique artifacts, but the clan already had accurate information about the location of interesting artifacts. The sinner''s reflection was interrupted by Jane, who immediately received a message from him about a new addition to the pages of the clan chronicle. The girl came to him on business. She had already trained all the members of the clan to cast the ''Feather'' spell. Her skill ''The Teacher'' was difficult to develop. She needed to teach a hundred members a new skill, but those hundred members had to fully develop that skill. It was only then that Jane could gain a new level of ''Teacher'' skill. The skill of weight relief was enthusiastically received by the players. Inventories were endless. But the weight of the contents restricted the player. Now, Jane was teaching the two most important spells. The hunters immediately chose increased physical protection and treatment. Galatea players also recognized the usefulness of these spells, but with great success developed the ''Speeding up'' from the Air Magic spell. Applying the skill looked fun, and the player could increase movement speed for a few seconds. Developing the skill to level 10 allowed the player to speed up 100% within 10 seconds. It was interesting for urban players to run away from danger and increase their movement speed at home in time. Jane was relentless and strict in her training. Until the player developed a new skill to level 10, she did not teach the student new abilities. Everyone understood the need for such a solution. Jane could not learn by herself and give other players Class and Combat skills. She could only learn simple spells and Improved Skills. Dan was primarily interested in speeding up. He learned ''Speeding up'' on the first try. \"You''re good, watching your intellect. I won''t say who, but there is a couple of strong players with 25-point intellect. They couldn''t learn a simple spell for days,\" smiled Jane. \"Specialty helps,\" said the librarian. \"You didn''t spend any character points on intellectual development?\" \"I don''t remember exactly, but I didn''t spend more than ten points on intellect,\" confessed Dan. \"I''m sure that if you raise all the character points to 100, the game will reward you with a new achievement. Think about it. Good luck with the vampires. If you find any interesting books, give me a heads up,\" said Jane. Dan promised to be careful and read the new spell. Spending 12 mana allowed for a second to speed up by 10%. He grinned. He''ll have something to do on his way to the harpies'' nest. At first, the spell was easy to develop, but it had a positive effect and couldn''t be used on an already strengthened character. Dan brought the spell''s image into the corner of his field of vision to control its activation. He thought that gradually they all turn into players who have before their eyes constantly hanging all sorts of pictures and gameplay values. * He came to the harpies'' nest in the morning. Large hills became more common in this part of the forest. The harpies'' nest was in a hill cave. Two guards were sitting at the cave entrance. Ordinary harpy, level 35, 26000 HP. \"Thirty fallen women for a dead man''s lunch. Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of rum,\" the sinner blurted out and called the first harpy to battle. While she was flying to him, he applied the skill to the second harpy and met the first harpy with a sword. [You caused 7800 damage] [You caused 7300 damage] [You took 140 damage] [You took 210 damage] [You took 170 damage] [You took 220 damage] [You took 160 damage] [You took 110 damage] [You took 170 damage] [You took 200 damage] Pussy jumped one harpy to the ground and grabbed her opponent with the death grip of her mouth. Dan managed to get a few punches of feathers of two harpies but was able to successfully finish his opponent. The skill of the ''Hammer of Witches'' was simple, the skill did not require attention. The other skills the sinner activated with the voice command. And his fights began to resemble the performance of the master of patterned, he constantly and instinctively repeated the learned ligaments of the teams. The sinner did not waste time collecting trophies and immediately ran to the cave entrance. Winged monsters are excellent rivals in some cases. They have large lairs with large aisles. Dan saw a new opponent. Another beauty with a short haircut swung her wings and sent some dangerous feathers in his direction. Dan''s armor was perfectly fine, and he was taking little damage. As he reached the den of the harpy, he managed to pump the ''Speed up'' to level 8. Eight seconds is a lot when it comes to fighting monsters. Dan tried to keep moving under the speedup and catch up with enemies as fast as possible. Hitting a two-handed sword always interrupted the enemy for a moment, this dangerous weapon had its advantages. Fighting was quick and Dan interrupted his run through the dungeon when he saw a message that made him very happy. * [Warning! Harpy Nest location detected. Location type: Dungeon. Attention! A temporary rebirth point has been detected. Do you wish to make a binding? Yes/No] * \"This is just some kind of holiday! Pussy, we won a prize,\" laughed Dan. Now he was confident that he would soon gain much experience and Glory. A hundred to two hundred harpies were waiting for him in the dungeon. In the finale he will have a fight with a new monster, even in the dungeon itself can meet new types of a harpy. This was great news for the player, who took into account every passed dungeon. Dan made the binding and entered the dungeon. He did not like the high ceilings of the wide corridor. Airstrikes will be inevitable. Dan only killed seven harpies and didn''t want to return to the cemetery with valuable cargo. He figured he''d kill 23 more enemies first and then leave the dungeon. In the cemetery, he''ll get a new assignment. The reward promised to be just great, 200 Glory for killing 60 opponents! The sinner smiled, updated his performance and went ahead. The dungeon dwellers disappointed him. He met no underground harpies. Ordinary beauties who liked to hide on small balconies at the ceiling itself and look for prey. They could look out all they wanted. But the beginning of the attack well-demonstrated the swing of big wings, and the sinner immediately applied ''Autodafe'' and ran back. He constantly moved, used speedup to protect the durability of his armor. A couple of predators were doing well. An hour later, Dan killed the last harpy and decided to go back to the cemetery. He kept expecting a nasty surprise from the game. But to his joy, nothing unexpected happened. The sinner walked through the dungeon, collected trophies from the bodies of the harpy and put the corpses in a big sack. The sack was made by Emma. The artifact looked disgusting and creepy. The mistress knew in advance for what purpose the sinner needed the thing. A smile disappeared from her face, and she asked Dan again: \"Do you need a dead body sack?\" \"Emma, this is on a mission! I don''t kill people! It''s not a body sack, but the bodies of dead monsters. I want to start a vampire hunt. It''s just a secret. You don''t tell anybody. You know, vampires are vengeful and you can''t expect anything good from them,\" Dan told his version. \"A sack to carry the bodies of monsters is normal. Okay, I''ll do you one of those things. It''s okay to kill vampires. But why do you need their bodies?\" \"Emma, there''s a business there, it''s a little secret, I got an assignment from dead hunters I know. They want vampire bodies. They''ve got their own special conflicts there.\" \"You''re insane. Your dealings with dead hunters aren''t going to do any good!\" The sack of thin leather looked creepy. It was called scary. * The sack for carrying dead monsters. Type: unique. Linked to Dan''s character Capacity: 500 pounds (226.8 kg) Durability: 1472 Weight: 1 pound (453.59 g) Attention! The artifact allows only monster bodies to be carried. The weight of monster bodies has been reduced by 20%. * With such an artifact, the execution of a strange quest became a pleasant walk to the habitat of reasonable creatures and back to the cemetery. Dan was collecting trophies and harpies. Sometimes he''d come across rare daggers, a few silver coins and a set of feathers. Harpy feathers were Emma''s material. She was already satisfied with the sinner''s work and even promised to make him a rare sack to carry normal trophies. The Ranger had a unique sack for trophies and goods. Making such an artifact again was not easy. But the rare bag also allowed reducing the weight by 10%, which was a good help in the game. Dan made it to the cemetery in a day. Pussy kept upping with him, but she didn''t like the rush. Now the cat didn''t have time to hunt animals. The sinner was looking forward to future triumphs and improvements. He laid out the corpses of harpies at the foot of the pyramid and saw the long-awaited message. * [Congratulations! You have successfully completed the quest ''Brotherhood of Arms''. Quest results: Live 30/30 or Not Live 0/50 Reward: 100 Points of Glory] * He stood and waited to continue. After a minute of waiting, Draugr quietly scolded on the tongue of the living and left the cemetery. It seemed to him that dead warriors were murmuring silently at the failure of his plans to gain a huge reputation. Dan ran to the witch''s house and decided to rest. In the house, he could cook a hot meal. He gave the cat a mission, and she went hunting. She did not like to eat fried meat, spices and dishes of dwarves led her to frenzy, the master recently stupid in front of her eyes and turned into an unbearable child. Why run so fast from place to place? She didn''t understand that. But she liked the idea of going to distant places to explore. They would move slowly again, so she could hunt new animals easily. Dan was thinking about Jane''s idea. He liked the idea of having at least 100 points in each characteristic. The character''s harmonious development had its charm. He''ll always get new tasks from the dead to raise his spirits. The player shared a large stock of reputation and improved dexterity and intellect. He was able to become an Adept of Dexterity. But his intellect could only be raised to 83. He left 12 points of Glory in reserve to activate his transformation into a Draugr. The Dead Quest has not been renewed. But Dan had already calmed down. All ahead of him. These guys in the cemetery are bound to need new food. There are a lot of zombies in the cemetery. The army of the dead has its own order and methods of organization. Even if they offer him to re-enter every step of the quest, it''ll be great. He''s not going into the harpy dungeon right now. He''ll visit it when he gets a new assignment from the dead. But he''ll take care of the vampires. The player already knew that dungeon monsters aren''t real vampires, they''re game monsters. And real vampires are special creatures. It will be interesting and educational to test his skills against such opponents. Dan waited for the cat to return with his prey, fried the meat, and had dinner. Then, he decided to sleep in normal conditions. No memory of the unpleasant events in the house disturbed him anymore. Dan and Nick were more worried that their dreams had changed. When the players got Level 40, they were less likely to have nightmares related to their past lives. Dan, at Nick''s request, noticed these changes. Now he knew for sure that on level 50, the dreams were almost gone. And he felt like he was forgetting information about Earth. The knowledge of the old world was becoming more and more fragmented and faded images. Players made the assumption that the game makes them forget about the past, so they become special locals of the world Anyhorr. 51 A long time ago in the Earth far, far away What would a man be willing to do to get the desired thing, which is beyond normal human capabilities? Answering such a question is difficult. Every man determines for himself a line that, once crossed, he can''t go back. An old man, in his 50s, was shaved clean. It further marked his painful thinness and gray skin tone. The man was wearing a white coat. He was sitting in a wheelchair. The wheelchair was equipped with an autonomous life support system. The fine threads of the drops wrapped around the man''s neck. The panel watching his body''s vital signs winked indifferently. The room was cool, the air conditioning was buzzing quietly. A huge table stretched along with one of the walls and was filled with monitors. There were many lines of code on the screens. The wall itself was glass, and behind it there was a huge room in which computer cases stood in straight rows. Thousands of hard disks and system boards, processors and other specialized equipment formed a single system. Thick bundles of shielded cable went into the floor and walls. They stretched in different directions and disappeared into the walls of the building complex. In several large rooms in the buildings there were hundreds of rows of medical capsules that supported the lives of thousands of people. Only now these people were called ''materials'' and ''objects''. Formally, the complex was in a government department, but for several years now it was run by the Company. The buildings were staffed by people in white coats. The government had security on their behalf. The records identified the complex as a Rehabilitation Centre to Assist Criminals. They could correct themselves and return to a full society. In the history of the center, none of the prisoners have left the compound. Several decades ago, prisoners from all over the country were brought to the complex. These criminals were sentenced to a life sentence. The state was in a hurry to free up budgetary resources. The scientific study of Cryonics was of interest. There was no success in this direction. Even the beginning of the era of virtual reality did not change anything when it brought with it several years of unsuccessful scientific experiments. The content of the complex required huge resources. One of the concerns offered its assistance in rehabilitation activities. The government agreed. The government''s commission was appointed and the complex got a new owner. \"You have an appointment. You will come with me.\" A young man in a strict black suit entered the room without knocking. An old invalid with a careful movement of the joystick turned the wheelchair towards the guard. \"I''m ready. Please take a tablet with my report.\" The guard came to the table and took the tablet computer. He waited until the invalid left the room, put out the lights and locked the door with an electronic lock. The guard followed the programmer''s chair down the hall. He was a couple of steps behind, like a security guard. They took the elevator and arrived at the office on the fourth floor of the administration building. A gold-plated sign shone on the office door. \"Come in, you''re already expected,\" said the guard. He opened the door and helped the programmer overcome a small threshold in front of the door. The guard gave the invalid a tablet computer and came out of the office. There were two left in the spacious office with a large table. An official of the Company was a young professional, who immediately got down to business: \"Have you been briefed on the results of the Security Service investigation?\" \"Of course. I do not suffer from memory failures,\" smiled politely at the programmer. \"That''s interesting. I''m here because I don''t understand what you''re doing. The company has repeatedly encountered attempts at industrial espionage. Your case cannot be explained by personal motives. You''ve been with us for over twelve years. You''ve had good references and repeated references to your professionalism. Over the past seven years, you have allowed yourself only indirect interference in the work of the complex and perfectly cleaned up your tracks. Other specialists have found little information about the consequences of your actions. I was interested in your report. You worked alone and found an answer to the cause of the deaths of the people. But that answer is incomplete. You asked to meet for your full report. I''m listening to you.\" The programmer started his report. \"The company has to do with Virtual Reality. The company produces products for complete immersion.\" The programmer turned on the tablet and asked for the big display. A man from the Company pressed one of the buttons on the table. On the sidewall of the cabinet, the Company logo was shimmering on the big monitor screen. A signal was received from the tablet and a huge array of constantly changing program code appeared on the screen. \"What is it? Some kind of program?\" asked the young man. \"No, it''s not even code. It''s a thoughts. The thoughts of criminals who are connected to the compound. You know that the entire complex is run by a few Artificial Intelligences. I was disturbed by the work of one AI. One little-known company was going to make a name for itself in the world of computer games and used this artificial intelligence. The team wasn''t making any progress. It is difficult to compete with huge corporations that contain an army of scriptwriters and programmers. Their last project was a game universe with huge tools and an empty world. The meaning of the game was that the players themselves wrote an interesting world for the game. The game gathered a small audience and the company went bankrupt. AI was in the market, where it was purchased for our science center. It had access to the tools of previous developers. Tech Security studied the programs and found no danger. The old programs were not removed and AI started working. But for the act of creation, he needs a full mind, not the mess that was in the heads of criminals. AI faked the presence of psychiatrists and started his work.\" The programmer pressed a button on the tablet, and the screen played with paint. The screen was broadcasting landscapes of the fairytale world. A very beautiful world. Medieval cities lived their lives. Warriors in armor fought with different monsters and even dangerous plants. \"Are you saying that artificial intelligence, using the thoughts of our subjects, began to create a new Game?\" frowned a young man. \"AI had already created the game. This is the most accomplished project in the world. Modern games have their own gradation in the success of the project. The requirements are high, it''s the depth of immersion in the game, and the percentage of real equivalents and other details. Today, the most famous game projects have hundreds of millions of registered users. Attention! The degree of authenticity of these projects is 85%. But you now see the world with a 95% authenticity degree. I have conducted the necessary tests. AI has almost finished the project. The company has a unique product for market entry.\" For a while there was a silence in the office, disturbed by raindrops hitting the window. \"This is the important information of an economic character. Now I can see why you worked alone,\" smiled a young man. The programmer laughed sadly. \"I noticed an increase in the energy used by one of the AI. I looked at the problem and made a report to management. The problem looks complicated and unusual. Each criminal''s capsule is connected to an AI complex. But on this AI, every criminal is an incomplete administrator. The mediator between the criminals and the real world has full rights. A month ago, this artificial intelligence simply removed those who remembered how to use the tools. The company''s capsules are perfectly equipped and have served as a great tool for this AI.\" \"This is crazy,\" sighed the young man. \"You''re telling me that our subjects have created a game with artificial intelligence and live in it. But some have been exploited.\" \"They refused to accept the new reality for themselves. For them, this is not a game. The tech department has diagnostic pods connected to the complex. Anyhorr is a world built of nightmares and horrors connected to it. I was there. All the surviving players are there all the time and are fighting for their lives. They are not in a coma.\" \"Have you spoken to them?\" \"Anyhorr has forbidden this to me.\" \"Anyhorr is Artificial Intelligence?\" \"No. It''s an Intermediator, an imitator written by artificial intelligence.\" The programmer activated the tablet, and a picture of a strange woman appeared on the big screen. One half of her body was like an angel, but the other half couldn''t be looked at without disgust. \"It''s a kind of embodiment of the meaning of that world,\" explained the programmer. \"The world is almost complete. It''s impossible to influence it programmatically. Believe me, I''ve tried it. Disconnecting patients from service is not the answer. Criminals will lose their sense. They could die. Anyhorr agrees to delegate authority if we take the final steps to make the world complete. It''ll take two steps. One step from our side and the other step from artificial intelligence.\" \"Virus attack?\" suggested a man from the Company. \"I tried it. I was shown a demonstration. The man I was trying to influence died there in the game. The capsule automatics couldn''t do anything. The brain gave the player''s body a team to die, and the body followed orders.\" \"What steps does Artificial Intelligence require?\" asked the Company man with a doubtful voice. \"He doesn''t have enough power. Anyhorr demanded that seven more artificial intelligence be connected to him. That''s enough to complete the world. The problem is they can only be activated from the other side. In exchange, he''ll give the Company power over the Holy Grail, which is being searched for by game creators all over the world.\" For some time, the young man has been thinking about the situation. \"Is all the material on your tablet on this case?\" \"Yes. Initial economic and my technical calculations.\" \"The company will consider this case. You''ll have to live at work for a while. I hope you don''t mind.\" \"I understand everything. The HR department is good at selecting employees. The corporation pays for my life,\" grinned the programmer and pointed to the life support system. \"Leave the materials. The fate of the complex will be decided by the board of directors of the corporation.\" A security guard went into the office and helped an invalid leave the room. The Company man finally loosened the noose of the tie. He was young but had already achieved great success as a good administrator and a great manager. He got the phone and dialed the number. After a short beep, he was answered by a cheerful soft baritone. \"Hello, do me a favor. I need an analytical profile on the economic sector of the world''s biggest gaming projects. It''s a secret for now. Oh, great. I''m waiting.\" An employee started scrolling through the files on the tablet computer. He was an excellent manager and rightfully took a seat on the board of directors of one of the largest companies in the world, which gained new prospects for development. The old man was going back to his lab. They won''t refuse that kind of profit. A team of top specialists will be created. They''ll be targeted at Anyge. They''ll kill half the scum in the pods. I can'' t be in any hurry. Some knowledge has no value. Like life, old man, like life itself. 52 Journey to the sea Dan was woken up by a zombie. At first, the player did not understand anything and looked with surprise at the smile of the skull, which was almost completely covered with gray skin. The player waved his head. The zombie had not disappeared. The dead man stood and grinning his teeth in a smile. Dan looked around and realized that someone wasn''t in the room. Somebody''s busy with something out there that''s not clear. And a zombie is standing here, and this zombie is keeping him from sleeping. \"Pussy! It''s a zombie. A dead guy snuck up on me. Why didn''t you wake me up?\" screamed the sinner. In response, he got the image of a sinner running away with a big sack behind his back. You''re bad security. Bad Pussy! Next time you wake me up when you feel a stranger. The image of a smiling blonde didn''t add to the player''s mood. Kate''s not a stranger. But you warn me if she comes close. Dan looked at the zombie and asked in a disgruntled voice: \"What do you want from me?\" The zombie stopped smiling and came to the door. He made an inviting gesture. \"These zombies are a problem. As long as they grow their lungs and you can''t wait to say a word. Hey, buddy, have you learned how to write yet? Where are you calling me? I got a lot to do.\" A zombie couldn''t talk. Pieces of flesh just started to appear on his bones in different places. Dan was always surprised by zombies from former hunters. They didn''t have the unpleasant smell of decomposition, zombie''s smelled raw meat and weird bones. Pure bones also had a smell, the sinner already knew it, and it was the smell of dust and emptiness. The player left the witch''s house and saw that the dead man had gone towards the hunters'' cemetery. \"I hope you woke me up on an important matter, buddy. Hey, buddy, I hear you. I''ll get to the cemetery myself. You wouldn''t give up a piece of raw meat, would you?\" The zombie stopped and turned towards the player. Dan smiled and took a piece of raw meat out of his inventory. One day he made a strange discovery. Zombies would love to eat raw meat from his inventory. But they weren''t paying attention to the usual raw meat. Dan never understood the magical and attractive properties of meat in his inventory, but sometimes fed the zombies. It always pissed off Pussy, who couldn''t accompany him to the cemetery and didn''t see her master spending valuable product on dead people. But the cat always knew about the consumption of its meat! Pussy always looked at the master with resentment and even punched her tail for unworthy use of the valuable product. Dan apologized to the cat, and she forgave him. He had a strange feeling of guilt in front of dead warriors. They spent their strength and tried to grow into strong warriors, and he easily took away their levels. It wasn''t fair. The sinner ran down the path and smiled. He rarely traveled at night. Nights in the company of recruits, he remembered with a shudder. He had to work very hard to complete that quest. The night was as good as most nights in this world. The moonlight was falling from the sky. At night the clouds disappeared from the sky, and there were many stars. There was always enough moonlight to make you feel comfortable. Dan fled quickly and hoped to be called to receive an update on his mission for the army of the dead. In the cemetery, the player took the form of a dead warrior and came to the foot of the central pyramid. He saw a level 70 Juggernaut coming down from the top of the pyramid. This warrior wasn''t much different from the draugr. The shape of the warrior was taller and more powerful. The Juggernaut always wore a closed helmet and quality armor. These warriors waved a two-handed sword freely and easily with one hand, but they did not use shields. The Juggernaut stopped on the steps of the pyramid and swayed: \"You''ve changed. You''ve become stronger. But you''re weak. You''ve proven yourself to be reliable. Your reward is waiting for you.\" And Dan saw a message that made him more excited than any other award in the form of points of Glory. He got a new combat skill! * [Attention! You have learned the skill of ''Stunning blow''. The skill increases the damage you do and deals with the Stunned effect by 0.2 seconds. Your damage and the duration of the effect are increased by 5% per skill point. Action time and Cooldown skill: 120/240 seconds]. * Juggernaut turned his head and looked at something by the wall of one of the crypts. Suddenly, he said: \"Go and kill one vampire. You have to throw a vampire''s jaw on his body. The vampires will understand and come for revenge. It''s been a long time since we''ve fought vampires.\" The dead warrior turned around and started climbing the steps. Dan kept quiet and frowned under his mask. Completely impossible order in this army. No quest, no reward, no little point of Glory! Just go and kill. Cunning, greedy dead hunters. I wonder if after death I''ll be such a greedy and cunning bastard, too. Dan stepped away from the pyramid, bent over and picked up the first vampire''s jaw he got. He put it in his inventory and went to the cemetery exit. The player in his mind scolded the dead, walked the path, and raised his new skill level. Increasing the damage by 50% and staggering by 2 seconds was a great reward. He was delighted with the kind of skill property: Action time and Cooldown skill: 240/40 seconds. Normal players were able to make three transformations of their class, and each time they were able to increase the damage. Kate had a good one-handed elite sword with 600 damage. Her skills allowed her to deal 3000 damage on a normal strike. Jane quickly calculated and compared the damage of different monsters. She calmed and cooled the warriors down well with the calculations. After level 40, they could only increase damage by increasing their characteristics. And she recommended that everyone raise their spirits, which increased the duration of their combat skills and reduced their cooldown. With regular monsters of equal level, players will not have problems up to level 50-60. But the average damage to a regular level 70 monster will be 7000. And its life reserve of 50000-60000 HP will allow the monster to cause fatal damage to the player, even in new armor. Dan assigned the word activator to the new skill and went towards the vampire den. With his movement speed, he expected to be in place in 24 hours. From there, he''d have to gently lure some vampire into battle. Then he''ll go east and start exploring new places. A mission from the dead didn''t upset him. They want to fight vampires? Fine. He''s more interested in finding a place to mass gather monsters. The sinner walked past the harpy lair and had to take a slow step. Vampires have not visited their flying allies. The harpies could fly. Dan couldn''t find a single path to the bloodsuckers'' den. But the lair was marked on the map and he had the exact direction to go. The meeting with the enemy happened suddenly. A vampire ambushed him. And a loyal scout and security guard didn''t see the enemy coming. Dan froze when he heard a quiet mocking voice. \"You''ve come a long way, a strange dead man. Who are you?\" Dan saw a vampire and thought he was out of luck with the enemy. The vampire was too good for dead people''s plans. It was a shame to leave such a body on the ground and not collect great trophies from it. And what other trophies could there be from a level 72 vampire? * Egnar Type: elite Status: Head of the Clan Level: 72 Life: 75000 Damage 4100-8300 Protection: 1400 Immunity to arms: Stabbing: 50% Cutting: 50% Crushing: 50% The magic of Fire: 33% The magic of Water: 55% The magic of Air: 33% The magic of Earth: 55% * He''s not a monster. No description. Description of features and abilities of an ancient vampire can take several pages. I wonder how much he''ll pay me to work. \"Greetings, Lord Egnar. I''m a traveling librarian with excellent calligraphy skills. Would you care to write an autobiography? A description of your achievements, victories, and successes.\" The vampire smiled. He differed from the average person only in pale skin color. In front of the sinner stood a young redheaded man with an attentive and wise look of green eyes. The strangest thing was to see his age and realize that he had already lived several hundred years. And the vampire lord certainly lived more than one hundred years. \"I don''t need servants. The history of my life is full of secrets, a description of my apparent success I can only trust myself. That''s enough words, dead Dan. It''s time for death.\" Greedy and stingy Scrooge! Dan made a quick gesture and a smile disappeared from the vampire''s face. He scratched his eyes a little bit and looked closely at the boundaries of the sphere of light behind his opponent''s back. \"What cunning! A dead man with the skills of a hunter inquisitor. I don''t think bony magicians from an ancient cemetery could bring you back to existence. You are immortal. One of the ones I was warned about. Are you sure you want to fight me? I want nothing to do with people like you.\" Dan suddenly realized that he had no desire to kill an ancient vampire. But the vampire isn''t willing to cooperate. What good does it do? Uncomfortable creatures, too proud and unable to do business with other strong partners. Dan sadly realized that the time of conversation was over, and threw the ''Chains of Sins'' at his opponent. He''ll find out the limits of his skill against simpler monsters. There was a short distance between them, and the body of the vampire was immediately captured by black and green chains. They wrapped him up and chained him up. The vampire screamed in pain and Dan decided to end this outrage faster. Suddenly he felt a strong blow to his back. [You took 2400 damage] [You''ve taken 1100 damage] Dan turned around and hit the wide arc with his sword. [You caused 4100 damage] At the same moment, the shadow of the animal''s large body flashed in the air. The cat knocked down the vampire and immediately gave its life to its master. ''Autodafe''. And the sinner threw himself at the enemy with a series of his fighting skills. [You have done 13500 damage] [You have done 18300 damage] [You have done 14200 damage] He didn''t give the enemy any chance to go into battle. Dan took a quick look at the level 51 vampire and rushed to finish the clan lord. Hearing screams and moans were too unpleasant. Dan was swearing at Nick with his useless information. ''Vampires don''t attack as a group, they appreciate fights''. Why he gets the craziest vampires and the craziest conditions. And Pussy doesn''t know how to measure the situation at all! Everything was under control, he wasn''t in any danger. Now he''s going to be walking through the woods alone for 24 hours. Nasty Egnar had no pride, sly and calculated bloodsucker. As punishment, the sinner will take all the trophies from his corpse. He will even cut off a piece of the clever one and eat it. Dan hadn''t looked at the trophies he''d collected. He took a vampire''s jaw out of his inventory and dumped it on the body of a dead vampire. Now he has to run and run very fast. The sinner met the wrong clan leader and all the vampires in his clan are just as wrong. They can attack at any moment. And the skill of ''Nemesis'' did not guarantee survival and victory over a large number of opponents. And Dan ran his trail at full speed. He decided to leave a good trail for the chase, to surely give the vampires the right direction to attack. * The sinner found time to rest and carefully considered his prey. An excellent dagger, a few gold coins and an excellent set of rings. The rings were rare. The vampire wore the rings with increased luck. Dan didn''t understand how these jewels helped the vampire. On the one hand, the vampire wasn''t a monster, but the player gained experience for killing him. In this game, it was difficult to understand the place of some of the world''s inhabitants. The sinner wasn''t bored on the road. When he went out to the bank of the river, he even began to enjoy the journey. He quickly ran along the bank of the river and was distracted by monster hunting. River monsters disturbed him often, but the player won the fight. He wanted to scold his cat for senseless sacrifice. Dan didn''t do it when he saw her muzzle and felt the joy of meeting her master. He was having fun with Pussy. The player talked to the cat a lot and was absolutely sure that she was dealing with a reasonable and very clever creature. The river was getting wider, the other side was moving further away from the player with each new mile of travel. The forest retreated further and further away from the river and there was more space between the big trees. Shrubs began to give way to vines. Flying bloodsuckers were more common in the air and immediately attracted attention with their red hair and the loud sound of a buzzing sound. Next to the river bank there were large snakes that could swim. Dan met and killed a new succubus. He didn''t like this fight. He used the creepy skill of the ''Chains of Sins''. The poor naked woman screamed loudly in pain and moaned even longer. The sinner made an unpleasant discovery about his class. The Sinner was a strange class, designed to confront the players. It was a great class for a player killer. But Dan didn''t want to torture the reasonable ones. Every day, he was bound to use his ''Chains of Sins'' and ''Nemesis'' skills to develop them. It turned out that when he tortures his opponent with ''Chains'', he develops his most important and useful improved skull, ''The Perfect Nature of Evil''. For each skill level, he received a 5% increase in all characteristics. But the development was related to the torture of sentient beings. The player did not notice any sadistic tendencies. He felt uncomfortable tormenting his victims. But he was doing it. Dan didn''t get any more damage in the fight against monsters. For players, he became a more dangerous opponent. Dan accumulated enough skill points and was able to fully develop the ''Angry'' skill, which increased his spirit by 50%. Now he wasn''t bothered by the Succubus attacks. The 421 points of spirit provided a good defense against mental attacks. Dan was serious about spending a long time on the ruins of an ancient port and killing all the monsters he would meet there. Six days later, he saw the place he had been walking to for so long. The view of the ruins of an ancient city made the player smile. On the wide streets, he saw the monsters he knew. Mana stealers flew from the roof to roof like big bats. In this place, a more dangerous opponent flew over the city. It wasn''t a swamp bloodsucker. It was Swarm. Dan read the enemy''s description and realized he didn''t stand a chance against this opponent. * Swarm Type: normal Level: 32 Life: 36000 Damage: 3000 Description: The dangerous generation of evil that hides in the swamps. The swarm is a few hundred small insects. The bite of one insect is pitiful, but an attack by Swarm can destroy the strongest warrior. Swarm is a very dangerous adversary, for the destruction of which the Magic of Fire is recommended. * Dan didn''t possess fire magic spells. He knew that killing insects with a big two-handed sword was the most ridiculous and stupid thing to do. He would wave a sword for a long time, for which small insects would just eat him. So there was a use for ''Nemesis'', Dan thought. There''s no way I can kill him without invincibility. It''s funny, but the fact is, I''ll use invulnerability to fight the local mosquitoes. Strange and dangerous birds in the sky over a dead port, he didn''t notice. There were monsters he knew walking the streets. Frog heads of warlords farted their eyes in all directions in search of rivals. The Swamp Knights would appear from the center of the city and come back. The sinner did not notice the Abyss, but this nasty monster liked to sit in buildings. Swamp snakes crawled into the port streets from the woods and swamps. They were monsters that delighted the sinner with the taste of their meat. They weren''t dangerous. Ordinary animals of 34 levels, which he could easily handle. The snake loved to make a throw and grab the victim in the arms of its body. But Dan had already improved his dexterity and often dodged the snake throw. Very helpful Pussy, who found fights with snakes fun and exciting exercise. A clever master lured delicious snakes into a trap! He pretended to be a tree, and the stupid snakes wrapped him in their bodies, which were so easy to rip and tear with their claws and fangs. Pussy really liked swamp snakes. Sometimes Dan thought that this sick cat was luring reptiles to him on purpose to kill another snake. The most unpleasant discovery Dan made later. It wasn''t just the succubus that lived in the ruins of the port. He spotted a strange flying creature. The monster flew fast and had more elegant wings than the Mana Stealer. It was Harlot. Dan shook his head. A very unpleasant opponent. Undoubtedly a reasonable and dangerous creature. There''s going to be a lot of work for the ''Chains of Sins'' in this place. * Harlot Type: normal Level: 38 Life: 42000 Damage: 1200-2800 Protection: 600 Overview: A weak resemblance to the powerful demoness who was killed during the battle. Harlot has a constant craving for blood, especially male blood. It is especially beneficial for her development. Harlot can fly and that makes her a dangerous opponent. She is weak in attack but very fast in combat. Usually, Harlot weakens her prey with a curse from a distance. The curse makes the victim fall asleep and quickly loses his life. After weakening the victim, Harlot kills the victim with his long curved claws. Attention! Harlot can cause a variety of magical damage. Harlot uses a variety of curses. A curse can take lives [45% at Harlot level]. Harlot can use a special curse that takes mana and lives when used. When this terrible curse is cast on you, try to find a priest faster to break the curse. The harlot can reach the Temptress level in its development and turns into the most dangerous enemy. Kill Harlot the first chance you get, so don''t give her a chance to become the most dangerous enemy of all living things. * The only pleasant feeling from the meeting with Harlot was that the monster looked very beautiful. Harlot was beautiful, her skin was lighter than the skin of the Succubus. The wings added to the charm of this creation. Dan realized it would be a very unpleasant necessity to torture these wretched creatures. On the first day, he carefully passed the city limits. Of course, he went towards the sea! He was curious to watch the vast expanse of the sea. He was sure that new discoveries and new impressions were waiting for him at the seaside. 53 The temptress It wasn''t easy to get to the coast. Lianas came up close to the low city wall. Lots of swampy snakes and flying bloodsuckers prevented them from moving along the wall. Dan and Pussy had no difficulty, the sinner was annoyed by the fighting. They kept him from looking at the sea as soon as possible. They went out to the beach and stopped. The cat looked indifferently at the sand, the rocks, and the boundless seawater. She was more interested in the inhabitants of the coast. The crabs were 32 levels, and the sinner let her go hunting. Dan did not experience any excitement from the sea view. The gray sky and the grey waters didn''t please the eye. The quiet rain did not add to the mood. He thought that Samantha should have been sent to this town. There wasn''t enough weak sunlight in this place. Pussy brought him a torn limb of a dead crab. She knew about her master''s habit of eating the meat of all kinds. The crab meat was good and delicious. Dan looked at the coast. There were a lot of crabs, but not enough to distract him from the streets. He needed to find a temporary rebirth point. Without it, he risked a long journey again. He spent the whole day looking for the right place. There were seven gates to the port. The sinner knew he had to walk down the street to find a rebirth point. He quietly lured the monsters and killed the victims quickly enough. The most unpleasant thing was meeting a flying succubus. When Dan saw that monster, he didn''t take any chances and immediately applied the ''Autodafe'' skill. He didn''t feel any curse from the enemy and didn''t experience any problems killing Harlot, the 421 points reserve of spirit helped him to cope with the magical attack. * Harlot Type: normal Level: 38 Life: 42000 Damage: 1200-2800 Protection: 600 * Together with a cat, they quickly finished off beauty with wings. Dan had a bad feeling after he won. That monster looked almost like a normal woman. A very beautiful woman with wings. She showed no aggression, the sinner clearly understood that Harlot was reasonable. He saw her girlfriends in the sky, and on distant rooftops. He had no desire to lure them into battle. He called this Harlot to fight to know exactly the fighting qualities of a monster. With flying beauties, he decided not to get involved. When he started cleaning the street from the monsters, these monsters went straight up in the air and flew on. It was only in the evening that he could find a point of revival. It was on Fifth Street, very close to the gate. Dan made a binding and decided to go further down the street before dark and check every house well. But he left Swarm for the final day of work. It was stupid to get in touch with that monster. Only the terrible ''Chains of Sins'' and Invincibility can help him fight hundreds of small insects. Dan has withdrawn Pussy, if she is covered with insects from all sides, she will die quickly and will have no support in battle. The sinner climbed to the second floor of one of the houses and saw the enemy. Swarm was on the next roof, a large dark cloud constantly changing shape but not moving. * Swarm Type: normal Level: 32 Life: 36000 * Dan used an activator and saw dozens of magic chains flying from his body to the enemy. But then he saw a picture of the failure of an attack. The chains flew through a cluster of insects, and Swarm rose higher and slowly flew toward the sinner. The insects kill someone and they''re sinless! Are you kidding me? I''ll believe a little mosquito has no brain. But there are hundreds of them and they''re somehow organized, Dan thought and got ready for battle. Swarm flew to the roof on which the sinner was standing. Dan applied the ''Nemesis'' skill, fully enhanced the character, and activated the ''Hammer of Witches''. And at that moment, he realized he was an idiot. The ''Hammer of Witches'' was the only simple and true solution to his problem. The Inquisitor dealt 4210 points of damage every second to any monster that was approaching him. Little mosquitoes were so small, even monster recognition skills didn''t take them into account. And that monster had no brains. Dan was standing there angry at himself. Swarm was shrinking before his eyes, Hundreds of insects flew up to the player and immediately flashed and burned in the bright magic flames of the inquisitor skill. And why did he spend the two strongest skills? To gain useful experience. Soon, Swarm died completely. Before Dan called the cat, he was too busy criticizing himself. But then he was distracted by a new event. He heard a quiet rustle and words behind his back. \"It''s an interesting spell. Greetings, warrior. I come with love. I want to talk to you.\" Dan instinctively summoned a sword from his inventory and turned to the voice. On the opposite side of the roof stood the most beautiful woman he''d ever seen in his life. Dan just froze from the brilliance and perfection of her beauty. Her naked body was covered in elegant women''s armor. The breastplate wasn''t hiding the top half of her breasts. The most remarkable feature of her face was the color of her eyes. When the sinner saw the color of her hair, he immediately thought of platinum. And the beauty''s eyes glowed like a shade of dark silver. And he also remembered Samantha. These ladies had similar hairstyles. Beauty''s long straight hair covered her forehead and was neatly and evenly trimmed on her eyebrows. * Sarrisa Temptress Type: normal Status: Head of Coven Level: 61 Life: 120000 Damage: 2400-4300 Protection: 952 Overview: The semblance of a powerful demoness who was killed in battle. Temptress is the most dangerous opponent and enemy of all living things. Temptress has a constant craving for blood, especially her taste of male blood. It is particularly beneficial to her development. Temptress is strong and uses a variety of physical attacks. She is very fast in combat and kills the victim with strong claw strokes, she is a master of using the whip. Attention! Temptress can do a variety of magical damage. Temptress also uses a variety of curses. Usually Temptress weakens its victim with a curse from a distance. The curse makes the victim fall asleep and quickly loses his life. A curse can take lives [50% at Temptress level]. Temptress can use a special curse that takes mana and lives when used. When this terrible curse is cast on you, try to find a priest to break the curse as quickly as possible. * Dan did not feel any aggression from the temptress, but the unexpected guest did not inspire confidence, and he did not remove the sword. \"Greetings to Sarrisa. I came with the sword, but we can talk before the fight.\" She wrapped her hands around his elegant arms and turned her palms to his side. The show of peaceful intentions was complemented by a lovely smile on her face. \"I don''t want to just talk to the warrior. I want to make a deal with you. You''re an unusual immortal. And I hope we can come to an agreement.\" Dan wouldn''t answer anything. His game was already different from other people he knew. He was dealing with dead hunters. But now he was facing a monster. She looked like the embodiment of female beauty, but she was a monster. The sinner nodded his head. Sarrisa smiled and continued the conversation with an unexpected suggestion. \"I''m sorry we''re not having a meeting at my residence. The provision obliges me to observe decency. Please don''t worry, my daughters will not hurt you. We''ll talk in a more comfortable environment.\" She slowly put her hands together and clapped her hands. It was a team for her entourage. Dan saw some harlots take off from adjacent rooftops and fly to them. He was preparing to activate his fighting skills. The harlots flew closer, and Dan shook his head. It was getting more and more fun. The harlots brought a rug, a table, two chairs, and tableware. They quickly spread out the rug, set the table and chairs, and put two glasses and a pitcher on the table. Then they went to the edge of the roof, opened its wings, and soared away on the neighboring roofs. Sarrisa went up to the table and sat down in the chair. Dan noticed her wings folded behind her back. When the temptress''s wings were folded, they looked like a strange cloak. The temptress had shoulder arms on her shoulders. Above them were two claws on either side of the head, which grew from the edge of the wings and served as weapons to the monster. She took a pitcher and filled the glasses with red wine. Dan sensed the pleasant aroma of this wine. The temptress took one glass, leaned over the back of the chair, and took a sip. Her face was even more beautiful, shining with pleasure and enjoyment of life. \"Please, warrior, sit down next to me, drink some wine. The wine is not poisoned. I came with love.\" Dan grinned and sat down in the chair. He tasted the wine. The taste seemed familiar to him. Hunters sometimes pampered themselves with the most valuable wine from the vault. Drinking such wines was like drinking liquid gold. The sinner was waiting for serious words to begin. The temptress was perfectly able to read people''s emotions and moods. \"I''ve seen you fight. A strong warrior, a wise warrior. And I liked your pet. You killed my daughters. I want to talk about it.\" Sarrisa took a sip of wine. Her eyes looked seriously and carefully at the sinner. \"I have no doubt you''re capable of killing every monster in the streets of abandoned Avrin. You can kill me and all my daughters. I won''t let that happen.\" She took a sip and looked away, into the sky above the sea. \"Look at her, warrior. This is my girlfriend Rory. If you kill me, she''ll fly away with all the daughters to a new safe place.\" Dan turned his head and saw another temptress. Her figure was floating over the waves. The wings had a purple tint. Dan admired the painting and was silent. Sarrisa continued her speech. \"We don''t oppose the destruction of monsters. We''d be happy to have you destroy them. Monsters aren''t dangerous to us, but they interfere with our development. From the city of Dor, wealth seekers and adventurers come to the ruins of Avrin. We are glad to meet strong and brave men. We use men for our development. But we always pay for it. Many adventurers come back to Dor with our gifts. But many men are killed by monsters. You''re an immortal monster hunter, you don''t care about ordinary people. Kill monsters. I ask you not to touch our Coven.\" Dan leaned on the back of his chair and thought about the temptress''s proposal. It was a serious case. It could lead to new quests from a new kind of monster. But he hasn''t seen any message about the new quest yet. \"Your words are just the words of a monster. You''re right. I don''t care about ordinary people, and I don''t care about what monsters want. But unlike you, I don''t kill people. Sarris, what happens to adventurers if we make a deal? Ten adventurers are coming to Avrin. You''ll get your sex and your development. They will take your artifacts and your gold to Dor. A hundred adventurers will come to these ruins in a month. I don''t know how many of you there are in Avrin. Maybe a couple hundred of you. You''ll be happy to meet a hundred strong and brave men in Dor. I didn''t count your wealth, I''m sure you''ll reward it well for love. But what will you do when a thousand adventurers come to Avrin? I will explain my thought, and ask you the main question. When are you going to start killing people?\" Sarrisa leaned her head against her shoulder and thought about the answer. \"A strong and wise warrior. You are a dangerous adversary. I must make a deal with you. You said you didn''t care about people. We will take care of the welfare of ancient Avrin. This city has always had the patronage of my goddess. I don''t want to leave this place. You have a heavenly patron. There''s never been animosity between our gods. My goddess gives love. She''s always been able to deal even with the One Who protects desperate warriors. What do you want from us?\" Dan smiled. \"What can you offer? I''m interested in knowledge.\" \"My knowledge is for women only,\" said the temptress in a voice full of regret. \"Your answer makes me unhappy. I don''t think that women hunters I know will treat you as calmly as I do.\" Sarrisa laughed and put a glass on the table. \"How interesting! It''s very interesting, immortal. No disrespect, but you''re a man and you''ll never understand women to the end. Give me a chance, give me a chance to meet and talk to the hunters.\" Dan laughed at that kind of turn in the conversation. The situation looked unattractive to him. He wouldn''t kill that kind of monster. He''s going to kill all the other monsters. With ''Chains of Sins'' and ''Nemesis'', he can handle any bosses on the streets. He''ll gain his experience for development. Ancient ruins will be a great place for a burglar to work. The clan''s vault will be filled with new artifacts and treasures. If the girls agree with these beauties, the clan will be reinforced. But he''ll only get experience! This isn''t fair. And no mission reports are coming in from the game. And he has an Oath of Faithfulness to the clan. He must help develop the clan. The temptress was waiting for an answer. Dan realized he couldn''t win anything. But he''s also not losing anything. \"I am disappointed, Sarrisa. I have a commitment to my clan. Now I''m going to describe our situation to the hunters. You''ll have to wait for their decision. It''ll take a week to get to Avrin. You got yours. We had no agreement. I will kill monsters. Your daughters must not disturb me, and then I will not touch you.\" Sarrisa looked angry and hurt. What hurt and humiliated Dan most was that she couldn''t satisfy a man. The temptress stood up and opened her wings. \"I''m sorry, warrior. My daughters will not stand in your way. We will meet again.\" She jumped in the air and waved black wings that looked like bat wings. The skin of the wings looked weird and beautiful, like suede. Dan knew right away that he wanted to touch those wings. He also realized that the flight of harlots and temptresses depended not only on the wings but was a special kind of magic. Sarrisa didn''t fly away, she was hovering over the surface of the roof. It was a pleasure for her to show her worth. The wings moved slowly, something was fascinating about those movements. Suddenly, Dan remembered something important: \"I have an immodest question for you if you will. Did you magically paint your eyes that amazing color?\" \"Dummy. It was easier for me to dye my hair,\" whispered Sarrisa and flew away. He heard her. Dan immediately wrote a message to Nick and gave information about possible cooperation with a new kind of monster. Nick responded immediately. Ranger called Dan a crazy, brainless sinner. He''s the one who can deal with monsters, the dead and anyone. The rest of the players are just regular hunters. And there are no deals with monsters that hunters make. But girls may be interested in offering a special female skill. Nick doubted the girls would be tempted. \"Dan, the port of Arvin is very far away. We''re a day away from home with great hunting opportunities. We found another nest of the Mantis in the north. In the morning, I will write the clan''s answer.\" Dan returned to the house with a temporary rebirth point, called a cat and went to bed. Before he went to bed, he was looking at different choices for the clan. The conclusion was strange and he took full responsibility for it. The sinner decided that he would have a difficult new day in the morning. Everything looked so simple. He wanted to quietly kill monsters and gain experience. 54 End of History Sarrisa was watching a strange warrior and she was scared. Early in the morning, this monster went outside and started killing monsters. He didn''t stop for a second. The warrior didn''t take any chances. He had an unpleasant skill, with his help the warrior pulled his enemies to death one by one. A warrior with a large two-handed sword made several quick blows and killed the enemy. Then he would summon the next enemy to his death. There was no funny cat next to him. The warrior did not worry about his life. By noon, this monster reached the crossroads where the terrible enemy was standing. Sarris saw a terrible sight. The warrior first drew the attention of the big monster to himself, and then threw terrible nasty chains at the enemy. The Huge Swamp Knight could do nothing. He fell to the rocks of the street and wheezed in pain and suffering. Sarris realized that such a fate threatens her when she encounters a strange ally. The worst thing was that the warrior hadn''t even fought the huge monster. He left the enemy in pain and suffering. The warrior summoned an ordinary monster from the crossroads to fight and continued his monotonous work. The monsters died quickly. Sarris was already bored watching the warrior''s actions. When his opponent was quiet and stopped moving, the warrior approached the killed enemy. Sarris saw the warrior cut off a piece of meat from the dead body and ate it. She couldn''t believe her eyes. But then she saw the body of the Great Swamp Knight goes missing. The warrior went in her direction. He stopped and waved his hand at her. Sarris realized it was time to talk. She spread her wings and flew off the roof to the warrior. \"Greetings Sarrisa, I have some unpleasant news for you. The people of my clan don''t agree to deal with you. Hunters kill monsters, hunters do not deal with monsters. I''m happy with that. Our women are very dangerous and strong. If they agreed and got your knowledge, then the men of my clan would be angry at me for a long time. You are useless to me. It''s sad. But I have one proposal for you. I am a warrior, I am not a merchant. I''ll kill every monster in town. I''ll get the trophies. You''ll buy trophies from me at a fair price. You''ll need them. When the adventurers from Dor come to town, you can give weapons and armor to these brave men. Weapons and armor are a good reward. You know where I am staying. Your daughters can''t come to my house. I''ll put my weapon and armor outside the house. Your daughters will bring money and gems. Do you agree to that deal?\" Sarris was unhappy. She was hoping to make a deal with immortal hunters. Women can always make a deal. Perhaps they can agree later? You can''t lose touch with immortals. This man''s offer was simple and acceptable. \"I agree to exchange money for weapons. I''m sorry your women won''t come to town,\" she said. \"Not all at once, Sarrisa. I''m a special hunter. I can do business with monsters. I''ll propose one hunter. He''s a master trap hunter. There are a lot of hiding places with traps in these old houses. They''re dangerous even for me. Nikki''s a very capable guy. He doesn''t like to kill monsters. He likes stashes and traps. You''re going to have to negotiate with him, or ignore him. But Master Nikki will want to get into your treasury. And that trickster will be able to kill you all. It will not be easy for him, but he is capable of much.\" \"I don''t want all sorts of masters in my treasury! Can this Nikki go around my town?\" \"Your town? Sarrisa, you made the impression of a smart monster. You want the city to be your own. There''s a price to pay for everything in this life. The city''s a valuable commodity. You''ll have to keep your place in order. You have to find a balance, find a limit within which you can kill people from Dor. If you destroy too many men, the citizens will call the Hunter Clan. The Hunters do business with humans. Hunters can always take a mission to Dor and destroy you and all your daughters. My clan already has its city. Be grateful to your goddess for that. I hope the hunters of their other lands are not interested in this place. That''s enough words. I have a lot of work to do. Are you aware of the prices of weapons, beautiful?\" Sarris snorting and laughing. \"I''m not a trader. I hope you''re not fooling me.\" The warrior smiled and she realized that he also didn''t care about gold and jewelry. \"I won''t lie to you. One object for one gold coin. Five items for one gem. Sarris, I don''t know what advice to give you. Do you know about vampires?\" The temptress nodded her head. She read about these creatures. \"Vampires deal with humans. Vampires get to negotiate with humans. But you can''t negotiate with humans. You''re too beautiful. You''re divine and unrealistically beautiful. Every human has a woman. No normal woman can tolerate you around her man. And your knowledge may be useless to ordinary women. You have a difficult life ahead of you. See you later, daughter Avri, it''s nice to talk to you. It''s nice to enjoy your perfection. But I have a lot of dirty and boring work to do.\" Dan was killing monsters until tonight. When it got dark, he went back to the house with a time point of rebirth and called Pussy. The cat was unhappy with its master. She already understood the meaning of the experience for killing monsters. She knew it was harder for him to get stronger. She didn''t remember anything about her offside condition. She was bored in an unknown place where she sometimes found herself after death. It was fun and interesting with the master. The sinner sent her hunting and asked her to kill the crab. The cat ran away to the sea. Killing these monsters was fun and their meat was delicious. Dan was pleased with the deal with the temptress. The trophies had weight. But money and gems did not weight this game! Exchanging weapons and armor for coins and gems was a great deal. At least some benefit from these monsters. Pussy brought a big limb in the teeth of a killed crab, and Dan fried his meat on fire. Suddenly, he heard a rustle. Dan raised his head and saw another temptress. She looked like a bright piece of fire. Red hair, red wings, red rocks in her necklace, the temptress was dangerous as a flame of fire. She looked younger than her girlfriend. Rory had a small teenage girl figure, but her big green eyes looked at the world with the cold and calm look of the monster. The expression of her eyes was the most unpleasant thing about this beauty. Her behavior was also cheeky, bold and not quite pleasant. She stood up on the roof of the next house and immediately made a demand. \"I came with love, warrior. I want to touch your beast. It looks soft and pleasant. I want to touch it. Tell him not to attack me.\" Dan looked at this little cheek bird and then turned his gaze on Pussy. The cat understood the cheeky girl very well. Dan had a picture in his head of a cat ripping off the wings of this redheaded girl. \"Pussy, don''t hurt Rory. She wants to touch you. She''s not evil. You know how much girls like you. Get over it, my beautiful, and do something nice for our guest.\" The cat started snorting and resenting. It didn''t like to be stroked by strangers. Dan smiled at the temptress. \"If you hurt my pet, I will kill you. You can try stroking her. I was wondering if you could get along. Pussy''s a girl too, let''s see what happens.\" He ate meat and watched the animal and the monster get to know each other. They ended up fighting. The temptress fought back with a whip against a wood cat''s tail. Both of them liked the game. Pussy let herself be petted, but easily scratched her new acquaintance and gave her bruises with tail punches. The temptress called in a harlot, which brought in the trophies. The winged monsters brought a chair for their lady and took away the trophies. Dan wasn''t paying attention to the harlots. He talked to the redheaded beauty. She talked about monsters from the sea. It was useful information. The player found out that very dangerous monsters live in the sea with long tentacles. Suddenly, these monsters can grab the victim and quickly eat with their huge mouths. Some monsters spit poison! Harlots and temptresses do not need food or drink. But they like the taste of wine and food. They like the taste of raw meat of crabs and snakes. But hunting snakes and crabs is a dangerous business. Sometimes girls die from wounds and bites. Rory saw Pussy hunting. The brave and clever cat was very much liked by the young temptress. Rory confessed that she was bored in town, and she wanted to hunt with such a clever little prey. Dan laughed after confessing to the temptress. After killing the first boss of the location, he got a quest to kill every monster in town. Now the game has offered him a new quest! * [Attention! A new Food for Monsters Quest is available. Quest type: Rare. Reward: 5 points of Glory. Description: Winged monsters love to enjoy the flavor of crab meat and snakes. You must deliver food to your friends. Quest results: Crabs 0/10 or Snakes 0/10. Are you taking the quest? Yes/No] * Dan stopped laughing and took the quest. He wouldn''t give all the details of his game to a new friend. But he was laughed at by the fact that he again plays the role of a monster food provider. They agreed that every day he will call Pussy, who will kill monsters to feed the winged beauties. Rory was pleased and specified that she would also be taking part in the crab hunt. It''s not nice to deal with snakes. There''s not much room for flight in the woods, it''s uncomfortable and dangerous. Dan told the redheaded beauty that Pussy has a mind and should not be seen as a stupid animal. The most important thing is that Pussy is immortal, and a redheaded beauty must understand all the responsibility for her decision to participate in the hunt. The temptress wasn''t upset. Dan saw that this young and brazen monster likes to risk and participate in all kinds of dangerous pranks. The player thought that when Rory met Nikki, those redheads would drink Sarris'' blood well. Dan learned from a new acquaintance that there are seven scary big monsters left in the city that protect their habitat. A small part of the city is flooded. When the player kills all the monsters in the streets of the ancient port, the swamp will surely appear new monsters. The temptress was sure that the Succubus and the Harlots would be able to cope with them. Monsters from the swamp will not be the biggest problem. Even this young beauty understood that new life would dictate new difficult conditions for their pack. The second day after killing the second boss, Dan sent a message to the burglar. \"Hey, redhead. I''m cleaning the ancient port from monsters. Houses are full of stashes and traps. I died three times. It''s a good place for you. You can make arrangements with the local flying beauties. You don''t have to pay any attention to them. It''s your decision.\" The burglar answered the next day. He wrote that he likes the job, he''ll come to the port and work. He wasn''t advised to mess with monsters. He''ll take care of it on his own. Dan warned his friends about an interesting guest from the hunting clan. Sarris had already fought with the player. She didn''t like the fact that her girlfriend was running around like crazy on the beach and risking her life during a stupid crabs hunt. Dan said there''s no such thing as experience. Soon, they''ll have to kill the swamp monsters themselves. Rory doesn''t seem like a reasonable friend. He advised Sarris to negotiate a deal with a redhead burglar. The burglar can sell her some great health recovery potions. If Nick says no, then she''ll have to fly west and look for him. He''s willing to sell her some healing potions for her herd. The temptress said she was interested in the offer. Dan confessed to her. That he has a crazy idea. \"Sarrisa, your biggest problem is that you''re too beautiful. And that''s... That you''re a monster. But people are willing to do business with a reasonable monster, people are no better than monsters. You can wear a cape and hide your wings. But then it works. That you can wear a mask! If you hide your face, you can fly to the city of Dor and try to make contact with Duke Dorian. As head of the coven, you can count on the ruler''s understanding. There are a lot of crazy adventurers in town, if some of them disappear into the jungle of the north it''s okay. It''s very difficult to keep the situation under control.\" Sarrisa thought and admitted that she liked the idea of doing business with him or with another immortal hunter. \"You know too much, Dan. My goddess warned me about the appearance of people like you. My conclusion is simple. I''ll take my chances and try to deal with you and others like you. I have had no visions of dealing with ordinary people. I once had a vision. We have to be careful and pay for our needs. That''s where our connection with ordinary people ends.\" Dan shrugged his shoulders. She was right, she couldn''t compete with the Duke of the ancient rulers in intrigue and administration. The contract with the hunter was simple and clear to her. Only time would show them the new facets of a possible relationship. * For eight long days, the sinner had been killing monsters. When he got to level 60, Kate congratulated him. \"Are you crazy out there yet? How long do you have to wait?\" \"It''s okay. I''ll be back in ten days.\" * He never comes back. He didn''t come, he ran as fast as he could. The world has changed completely. The loud rumble of thunder drew Dan''s attention. The clouds in the sky were gone and the world shone with the sunlight. And the players saw a global message. * [Attention! Global message! Project ''Anyhorr'' has completed its early development stage. The Company thanks you for your active participation in the game process. Thanks to you, the world of ''Anyhorr'' is cleaner and more beautiful. The Company is proud of you! The Company congratulates you on your success and looks forward to furthering fruitful cooperation. The ''Anyhorr'' world is ready for new players to take part. As an award for successful cooperation, the Company awards each player with 30 free distribution characteristic points. The company and the developers of the ''Anyhorr'' project notify the players: Attention! Players gain access to the Auction. The company wishes you a nice game] * Dan got a message from Nick asking him to go back to Castle. The sinner quietly destroyed the bosses and decided to return to the clan. He talked to Sarrisa. \"The world has changed, Sarrisa. New immortals will now come into the world. So many will come to this place. Be ready to accept death.\" \"I''d rather leave this place. We''ll fly north.\" \"Sarris, I know the map. You''ll never hide from the immortals. Let Avri keep your way. Goodbye, Temptress.\" \"Let Sardar light your way, immortal.\" * Most of all, Dan was amused by the idea that it was time for sinner''s skills. Killing players is big business. It''s a serious job. He''ll have a lot of work to do on clan lands. *** Name: Dan. Class: Sinner Subclass: Librarian, Master of Runes Race: Human / Undead, the form of Draugr Level: 69 Experience: 1 114 750 000 /1 140 000 000 Strength 119 [100 +3 +2 +4] Intellect 101 [83 +2 +3 +2 +7] [MP 1010] Dexterity 118 [100 +3 +2 +3] Spirit 421 [262 +3 +3 +2] Endurance 120 [HP 12650] Protection: 740 Luck 8 [Passive] ''See the hidden'' 7 [Passive] ''Eye of Wisdom'' 4 [Passive] ''Dungeon Explorer'' 3 [Passive] ''Threat to the Titans'' 2 [Passive] ''Self-control'' 10 [Passive] ''Psychoprotection'' 5 [Passive] Immunity to weapons: Stabbing: 10% Cutting: 10% Crushing: 10% ''Resistance to Cold'' 17 [Passive] ''Resistance to Fire'' 16 [Passive] ''Resistance to Earth'' 15 [Passive] ''Resistance to Water'' 15 [Passive] Improved skills: ''The Cognition of Evil'' [10/10] ''Calligraphy'' [10/10] ''The Perfect Nature of Evil'' [2/10] ''Evil Affinity'' [4/10] ''Cannibalism'' [2/10] ''Hammer of Witches'' [10/10] Class skills: ''Autodafe'' [10/10] ''Spiritual power'' [10/10] ''Tough Will'' [10/10] ''Fallen'' [2/10] ''Expert in Anatomy'' [10/10] ''Angry'' [10/10] ''Nemesis'' [1/10] ''Ancient Languages'' [10/10] ''Master of the Puzzles'' [10/10] Combat skills: ''Punishment'' [10/10] ''Stunning blow''[10/10] ''Chains of sins'' [1/10] ''Burnt wings'' [7/10] Extra class skill: ''Horrible transformation'' [10/10] Available with 90 characteristic points and 15 skill points.