I stumbled back and could barely stay on my feet. My health went down by sixty percent. And meanwhile my armor suit’s forcefield was still practically full! Did the damage pass through my armor, totally ignoring it?! And it did that much in one hit, even though I had 77% defense against magic?! I had to quickly take another sip of alcoholic cocktail to speed up regeneration and be able to survive a second identical attack. Although... no, I couldn’t survive now: the short-term blessing had just passed and together with it the magical protection.
Gerd Avir-Syn seemingly was very surprised at my impressive resilience. Nevertheless he gave a mischievous laugh:
“Impudent whelp! You have a lot to learn about Psionics, and about what happens when you get a skill up to level 150!”
And of course his laughter stopped as soon as Gerd Tamara replenished my hitpoints:
Healing effect applied.
Your wounds have healed.
And then some flashlights started flickering from the hallway, voices approaching. Was this more enemies? Or friends? Seemingly, my opponent was wondering the same thing. Taking a step and kicking the floor pistol to the other end of the room (Gerd Tamara’s fingers, stubbornly crawling toward the weapon clenched down on thin air), Gerd Avir-Syn spoke unhappily:
“It seems we will not be able to finish this conversation. But in any case...” the tip of the ghastly mage’s staff lit up again, “you will never receive the La-Fin Dynasty inheritance, it belongs to me!”
The old man raised the staff with two hands and I winced, preparing for pain and death. But... lightning flashed and behind me Minn-O La-Fin fell, smitten. The ghastly wizard put the fearsome staff in his own inventory, took out a vial, uncorked it loudly and gulped it down. A second later, he fell to the floor next to his dead granddaughter.
Chapter Seventeen. Returning Under the Dome
I BELLOWED like a wounded rhinoceros and ran over to my wife’s spell-addled body. Minn-O was not breathing, her heart was not beating, her health bar was completely empty. I tried to give her CPR and even unclenched her jaws and poured in a healing elixir. No effect. Garrison soldiers from the hallway, led by Shocktroop Gerd T’yu-Pan piled up in the doorway, looking at the bodies of the dead mage rulers from afar, then at the dead princess and naked girl holding a laser pistol as she sat on the cold floor. And they opted not to come in.
Authority increased to 60!
Mysticism skill increased to level thirty-five!
What were Authority and skill increases doing here?! My gorgeous wife had just died, that was all that mattered now! Minn-O didn’t have a virt pod she could use to leave the game, so this was most likely her final death. I didn’t give up though and attempted mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, but my hands and lips just went through her body. The game no longer considered it eligible for looting, so no longer allowed the body to be manipulated in any way. This was it.
I stood heavily and turned to the pile-up of La-Fin Faction players in the doorway. Probably, there was something off in my gaze, because the high-level players took a step-back in fear. Many even fell down on one knee.
“Garrison leader! Tell me, why did the mages of the outside La-Varrez faction make it in here?”
I didn’t raise my voice, but still the huge Shocktroop fell to his knees and even started breathing less often, I could clearly sense his fear.
“My lord, I was unable to stop them! The mage rulers didn’t even listen when I told them to wait. They just batted me off like a fly and headed straight for the citadel. What was I supposed to do, raise a hand to a mage?!”
For some time I glared at my subject with a burning gaze for failing my mission, then I waved a hand:
“Okay, no matter. I handled them...”
I fell down on one knee again next to the body of my late wife.
“Am I missing something here?” Gerd Tamara’s surprised voice rang out behind me. “Gerd... Ah, no Leng Gnat, congratulations! What, is Minn-O La-Fin’s respawn point far away? Why all this put-on grief?”
I realized that Gerd Tamara must have been out cold for most of that encounter. Plus she didn’t know the language of the Dark Faction, so she didn’t understand what me and the mages were talking about. I explained to the leader of the Second Legion what had just happened. Gerd Tamara put the pistol in her inventory, which looked quite strange given her current total lack of clothing or a bag. The weapon just disappeared and she pensively touched the dried blood on her broken and scabbed over nose.
“Well... I could try to resurrect her before the body disappears. But let me warn you that I’ve never brought a player back before! Only NPC’s like dryads and Centaurs. So I’m not sure it’ll work.”
Minn-O could be resurrected? A spark of hope flickered in my depressed and dead heart. I raised my head.
“Yes, try at once!!!” I demanded.
“Okay, I’ll try. Don’t shout at me. But let me replenish my strength first because resurrecting any creature takes a huge amount of energy.”
Need energy? I handed the paladin girl both thermoses of restorative cocktail, then got up and headed to the Dark Faction soldiers still frozen in the doorway.
“Gerd T’yu-Pan!” I addressed the still bowing head of the citadel garrison. “As far as I can see, you conduct video surveillance here. Tell me, are there any cameras in the secure rooms where the players set their respawn points?”
“Yes, my lord. There are cameras in all parts of the citadel right up to floor minus three,” the huge Shocktroop confirmed.
“Great! Then send a brigade of builders there right away to Gerd Avir-Syn’s res point! And make sure it’s filled with a very dense grouping of tall and sharpened metal stakes ten minutes from now! Rebar, spears, water pipes... it really doesn’t matter what they’re made of! What matters is for that traitorous scum to never be able to enter the game again! And give an order to prepare a Sio-Mi-Dori. I’m escorting a prisoner!”
Successful Authority check!
The huge Shocktroop got up and bowed, then extended a hand for the radio on his belt and told my orders to his subordinates. Gerd T’yu-Pan wanted to leave on his own to personally check if his orders were being carried out properly, but I stopped him:
“That’s not all! You must transmit a message from me to the people of the First Directory in the real world! Say that from this very minute, Avir-Syn La-Pirez shall be deprived of all titles and is now a criminal wanted for the bloody terror attack at the funeral of Coruler Thumor-Anhu La-Fin! He also stands accused of the murder...”
I fell silent and turned because I noticed something moving with the corner of my eye. I looked in surprise as the Paladin girl tried to stand but fell to the floor with a pained cry. I wanted to help her, but Tamara showed with a gesture that everything was fine and my help was not needed. I turned to the Shocktroop again.
“No, correction. He is accused not of murder but of the attempted murder of Princess Minn-O La-Fin and for the attempted murder of myself! And thus, by my authority as legal ruler of the First Directory, I officially set a generous reward for the traitor’s head! Whosoever kills the scummy old geezer and provides his head as proof, shall receive all the La-Pirez Dynasty’s property as a reward! Castles, industry, bank accounts, everything! Right up to the last rusty nail and pair of underwear from their last wayedda!”
The Shocktroop couldn’t hold back and whistled in surprise, then gave an emotional comment:
“The generosity of your reward is unheard of for one man, my lord! For that kind of reward, former ruler Avir-Syn would even kill his own reflection in a mirror. But most likely one of the old man’s heirs will do it first. After all, none of them will want to lose all that property because the head of the family acted tyrannical.”
I thought over the experienced veteran’s words and nodded in agreement:
“Good, we shall give his heirs that ability. The La-Pirez Dynasty has twenty-four hours to provide me the head of the traitor in order to retain all their property. I
f they cannot do so, the offer will be extended to everyone else. And if in the end that lucky person has no magical abilities, my order is for them to be officially elevated in privilege to that of a mage with all the trappings.”
Danger Sense skill increased to level sixty!
Authority reduced to 59!
I must have said something heretical, because the Dark Faction soldiers took a step back in fear and even began exchanging glances. One of them risked saying the reason everyone was so freaked out:
“Those are seditious and dangerous words, my lord. A simple person can never even dream of reaching mage-level privilege. Doing so is punished in the harshest manner! If anyone other than a mage ruler had said that, we would have already killed them for sowing unrest!”
Well, well! Was is it all that serious? I admit, I was somewhat discouraged by the sharply negative reaction. Could centuries of extremely harsh terror really have eradicated all desire among non-magical people to change the order of things? Or were they simply afraid to even think about having rights and freedoms in the presence of a mage? All that merited the most serious thought, but now was clearly not the time.
It wouldn’t be right to insist. In fact it might be dangerous, so I was forced to cancel my previous order.
“Perhaps I don’t know enough about your world, so I blurted out something foolish. Gerd T’yu-Pan, find me an advisor to correct me when necessary. That will allow me to avoid such incidents in the future. And you may correct me too, I give you that right!”
“Yes, Leng Gnat La-Fin!” the huge Shocktroop tried once again to bow in his heavy armor. “And as my lord has given me the right, allow me to give my first piece of advice. Given the horrendous crime committed by the head of the La-Pirez dynasty himself, all members of that family are legally subject to execution without exception, from the smallest to the greatest. That is the order Coruler Thumor-Anhu would have given, and all other great mages would do the exact same. Only fear can keep vassals in line!”
Strike down the whole family from smallest baby to the oldest geezer? Harsh... I was reminded involuntarily of the severe old Leng Thumor-Anhu. He always smelled of death and horror. He would have executed anyone involved in an attempt on himself or the members of his family. No exceptions. I was also reminded of a story Minn-O told me that her grandfather had ordered six million people executed in the Ninth Directory just to ease a famine. No, I was not raised like that. I could never do something like that. Did that make me not harsh enough for my subjects?
“And a second piece of advice, Leng Gnat. Put some clothes on your vaunted commander. As it is my people are embarrassed to look at her. Over here it’s... not okay for girls to walk around naked...”
What was this?! The huge severe Shocktroop went red at these words and did his best to look away from Gerd Tamara. Now that was a surprise! With all the harshness of the magocratic world, moral precepts were also a bit stronger there. In my world, nudists and images of naked people had long ceased to shock or embarrass anyone. Nevertheless, I walked over to Gerd Tamara and gave her my track suit. Sure, it was too big for her, but still better than nothing. And a second later, the Paladin was dressed and smiling sheepishly:
“Yes, this is much better! I’m almost ready, Leng Gnat, my energy is full. Help me up. I need to be vertical for this. And let me remind you that I’ve never resurrected a player, so don’t judge me if I don’t succeed. Agreed?”
I nodded in silence and, supporting the miniature girl with my good hand, lifted her from the floor. Gerd Tamara took a deep sigh and spread both arms, pointing them up as if blessing someone in front of her. Golden sparkles started enshrouding Princess Minn-O La-Fin’s body. My wayedda gave a jerk and sat up sharply with a scream. Then she jumped up off the floor and turned to me, her eyes wide in fear:
“My husband! What was that?! I could only look at the statistics of my last game session and the image was slowly going dim. Was that death?”
But I couldn’t answer, because I had to hold Gerd Tamara, who had lost consciousness and was falling on the floor. It was very awkward to do with one hand.
“Hey, what is going on!?” I objected justly. “Are you two in cahoots or something? Can you both be in the game at the same time? Or do you only play in sequence now?”
Fortunately, Gerd T’yu-Pan hurried to help, grabbing the girl’s body and picking it up.
“A powerful enemy! And yet she looks so fragile...” he said, looking at Gerd Tamara with incomprehensible joy and even tenderness. “No one in your faction was such a thorn in the side of the mage rulers as her! I have simply lost count of how many times we met on the battlefield! I know I killed her eight times. And she killed me fifteen... or maybe she made it up to twenty. My lord, it would be an honor for me to carry such an illustrious warrior to an antigrav!”
“Yes, carry her! Minn-O, go after them!” I said, starting for the exit. However I stopped because the Princess was just still standing there looking all at sea, dumbfounded. Seemingly my wayedda hadn’t even heard me. I had to repeat a bit louder. Minn-O La-Fin shuddered and turned. Woah! After dying and respawning, my wife’s eyes had changed color. Now they were glowing and blue instead of dark hazel.
“My husband...” Minn-O was now in a state of clear amazement. “I have a magic bar now! And my game class changed from Cartographer to Aristocrat!”
* * *
A cautious knock at the door distracted me from contemplating the glass of cognac in my hands. Who could it be at such an early hour? I looked at the time. It was eight thirty AM. Well okay, I guess it was morning. I could calm down. I hadn’t slept a wink last night, but sleep had been relegated to the back burner, pushed way onto the outskirts of my mind by a strong burst of adrenaline. Yes, too much had happened recently that required the most serious thought. And although I knew this would just make the exhaustion come back twice as strong, I didn’t really feel like sleeping yet. I stood up and went to open the door.
In the doorway, embarrassed and shuffling from one foot to the other, was deputy director Alexander Antipov. Well, well! Unexpected. Last I’d heard of him, our house fed was in a coma after someone released deadly spores under the Dome. I walked aside, allowing the unexpected guest in and pointed at the armchair next to mine.
“I don’t even know what to say, Kirill! On the one hand, you should probably be subject to immediate arrest due to your obvious connection to the Dark Faction. But on the other...” he didn’t finish and just waved wearily.
Instead of answering, I splashed some cognac into a glass for him. Alexander Antipov drank it downmechanically, seemingly not even noticing the flavor of the noble beverage. He looked at me and gave a crooked smirk:
“Never do that again! And I’m not talking about drinking in the morning. I’m not your father to be teaching you how to live. You know. The capital node guards just about shit themselves when an enemy antigrav flew up to our main fortress then landed!”
“Well that means they were sleeping on the job!” I objected justly. “We went on the emergency channel as we approached the border to say who was on board and where we were headed. The soldiers had at least ninety seconds, so it’s very strange that our coming to the central citadel caused such turmoil! What if it really was a Dark Faction invasion?!”
“Yes, conclusions will have to be drawn, and the magical butt-kickings will fly,” the fed promised. “But you can also understand our troops: no one knew what to do. The ceasefire was theoretically over, so no one wanted to open fire and provoke another flareup. How long will this indefinite state last? The curators of the Dome project will shake Lozovsky down. But meanwhile our Diplomat might as well have resigned. He keeps saying the negotiations with the Dark Faction aren’t being led by him, there’s a higher-profile player, so leave him alone! He just gets mad at everyone, you see... Me too, the pouty little lady! Is that any way for a true leader to behave?!”
Alexander Antipov seemed to expect me to support his accusations of the exces
sively inert faction head, but I preferred to downplay the topic and speak on something else:
“There won’t be a war for now. As Dark Faction Strategist General Ui-Taka said last night, ‘a war without the possibility of final victory is not at all what we were after.’ So everyone expects another round of negotiations to take place.”
I gave another bit of cognac to my guest who was trying to just blow off some steam. I filled my glass again too, to the very brim. I needed it today, because I had pushed myself to the edge both emotionally and physically.
“Yes, Gerd Ui-Taka is a real badass! He fully lived up to his reputation. But as for my personal opinion...” Alexander Antipov gave an unexpected chuckle and, setting the glass into his left hand, extended me his right for a handshake. “My thanks to you, Kirill! Above all for the ceasefire that allowed us to finish the Centaur Plateau node and turn on the new virt pods. It saved everyone who was in the medical center, even the most severe cases. And to put it briefly, now I’m a level-3 Inquisitor.”
“Inquisitor?” I couldn’t hide my surprise.
An inquisitor... well I’ll be! That was first and foremost a priest, even if it did have the “bonus” features of an investigator and torturer for the good of the sect. The game wouldn’t have offered Alexander Antipov such a profession if he wasn’t personally very pious. I honestly didn’t expect that from the severe fed.
“No one knows what that class is about,” he said, either truly not knowing or somehow embarrassed at his choice. “The game also offered the class Torturer. But we’ve already got two of them, which is more than enough. What’s more, I just can’t bare executions or torture, so I went with the path less travelled.”
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