“That palace, my friends, is where the head of the La-Varrez Faction lives, Leng Onuri-Unta La-Varrez! He is very cautious, so it’s unlikely he went to the Human-8 nodes to help them. And I hope greatly the old mage is in the game. I’ve wanted to chat with him for a long time! But enough talking! Into battle!”
Oh it was unforgettable! The city was in flames. The boom of the exploding cisterns where they stored gas and combustibles laid my ears flat. The blaze of the petroleum-processing and nitrate-enrichment plants turned night into brightest day. Our aircraft weaved between the high towers and smokestacks of the endless huge factories, dodging large workshops and hangars, leaving behind us a trail of fire and destruction. And it wasn’t so much that I loved destruction... though I did need to admit there was a certain attraction in decimating enemy buildings! I didn’t have time to read all the skill-up messages for Targeting, Rifles, Sharpshooter, Machine Control and Eagle Eye.
But that wasn’t the most important part. Five groups of landing troops had reached the central citadel, the source of the claim to the whole hexagon, and were getting deeper and deeper inside, killing the defenders and blowing up weapon and ammunition storage inside the building. The northern wing of the fortress was demolished and the central part of the building was just going up in flames. The node level fell from five to three causing lots of structures to collapse all around the city. And that wasn’t the end because our assault was still underway!
Finally the Small Relict Guard Drone told me its mission was complete: all AA systems in the city were destroyed! And because the jet and antigravity fighters at the airport had already been taken out, our air superiority was now unquestioned.
Machine Control skill increased to level eighty-seven!
You have reached level eighty-five!
You have received three skill points.
What great timing! I immediately placed all three points into Mental Fortitude, taking it to 93. I had a sense that mental defense would be coming in handy quite soon.
“Dmitry, come up higher and fly to the palace! Other Sio-Mi-Doris, follow us! Oh! I see they’re coming out to meet us. Hold your fire! I need to speak with them!”
Our aircraft took a bold turn and landed on a concrete platform in front of the building entrance, making sure all our cannons were aimed at the large group of people wearing mage cloaks. Yes, Dmitry Zheltov was a quick study and was already allowing himself little flourishes like that.
I jumped to the ground first and, gripping the Annihilator tight, headed forward unhurriedly. After me, shaking the earth with their heavy footsteps, the huge and skin-crawlingly fearsome Geckho brothers Basha and Vasha stepped out. The cannons attached to their exoskeleton armor could turn that whole crowd of mages to shreds. A bit behind the Geckho, brandishing blades, came three nimble Miyelonians. Gerd Mauu-La Mya-Ssa, Gerd Ayni Uri-Miayuu and Tini could instantly jump forward and chop the whole group of unarmored people to bits, while the mental defense provided by Gerd Tamara guaranteed the enemy psionics had no way of harming the Miyelonians back. The bloodcurdling and alert Roman Pavlovich, Valeri-Urla, Eduard and Imran completed our procession. I left the others in the vehicle. We needed our gunners in position, and there was no reason to show off our La-Fin Faction soldiers.
I walked forty steps toward the group of mages and ordered my companions to stop by raising a hand in the air. I went the rest of the way on my own. A tall old man wearing a gold embroidered luxurious black robe stepped out in front of their group. The staff in his strong, not at all old-looking hands, was somewhat reminiscent of Thumor-Anhu La-Fin’s Wrath but, instead of a skull, it was topped with a stone dragon head.
Leng Onuri-Unta La-Varrez. Human. Dark Faction. Level-128 Psionic Mage.
Level one hundred twenty-eight?! Respectable. Very respectable. But how old was my opponent here? He didn’t look all that old, definitely not decrepit. It looked very much like Coruler Onuri-Unta had spent his extra statistic points not only on Intelligence, but also on Constitution and Strength. I noticed sparse gray patches in his long dark mage’s beard and the fit of his mage robes hinted at a strong muscular figure. Curious. That meant the head of the La-Varrez dynasty had sacrificed magical strength for more youth and good health.
“Leng Gnat La-Fin!” the voice of the ruler of the Fourth Directory didn’t sound old either. “I’ve heard a lot about you, most of it bad, and now I’m finally seeing you before me. What brings you to my city? What need have you?”
Somewhat rude, especially considering our equal status, but I was expecting him to start the conversation somewhat worse than that. We were left in complete silence, even the explosions in the city had seemingly gone quiet. I gave a slight bow, displaying appropriate respect to a Coruler of humanity and replied:
“Leng Onuri-Unta La-Varrez! I have come to discuss your servants crudely intruding in my affairs. Your underlings, hopefully without your knowledge, are keeping people from my world in mental bondage and threatening to use weapons of mass destruction in our large cities. Call these people off and give your word as a Mage that it will not happen again and this conflict will not lead to war between our dynasties. If you do so, I will leave here at once. You have my word as a Mage!”
I tried to phrase my offer in such a way that my opponent wouldn’t be damaged in the eyes of his subordinates if he agreed. And I was also sending a different message mentally, keeping my word to the captive mage Imeer-Toh La-Gorr and saying he died heroically.
He spent a long time in silence, perhaps speaking covertly with his retinue. Tensions mounted. I even ordered the Small Relict Guard Drone to come down closer just in case. And suddenly a huge series of flashes in the city showed that the level of the fortress had just fallen to two, which led to another large-scale destruction of buildings. This time, it was the ones that could only exist at claim three and above. Only after that did Coruler Onuri Unta shudder, wince painfully. However he responded very politely and even gave a slight bow:
“Coruler Gnat La-Fin, there must have been a misunderstanding. I will withdraw all my subjects from your world, and all those mentally subjugated will have their minds freed. I will order my servants to be more careful in the future. I hope such a minor incident will not impact the ancient and strong bond between our great dynasties.”
From an outside perspective, it all looked very dignified, like two Corulers peacefully conversing about some minor friction then coming to an agreement. However my magical defenses were howling in strain. Mental Fortitude boosts flickered in one after the next. If not for Gerd Tamara and her magic protection spells, I’d already have been dead. Meanwhile, heard a mental message from Leng Onuri-Unta La-Varrez:
“This time, I admit. You outplayed me. Another half hour and there would have been nothing left of your sea landing party. But let’s wait two days and see how you start singing then! I will summon the Council of Rulers to tell everyone the La-Fin Faction is working with our enemies and subverting the entire magocratic world! You will be dethroned as Coruler. Then we can discuss the fate of the First Directory and the La-Fin Dynasty!”
* * *
“Captain, they took off just twenty minutes ago!” Orun Va-Mart pointed at the empty neighboring hangar and circle of burned, still smoking grass.
“I found out from the dispatchers,” Uline Tar instantly threw out, “The human La-Shin Faction’s Kurimiru shuttle is now in orbit. They must be testing on-board systems before a long-distance flight.”
Ugh, we had been beaten into orbit because of last night’s attack! While the seven Sio-Mi-Dori returned from the long-distance raid, while I spoke with Ivan Lozovsky and explained why the Human-8 Faction stopped resisting, while all the logistic issues on Rocky Island were being settled, the little bird flitted away. “Anyhow...” I bared my teeth predatorily, “Occasions like this are why Captain Gnat has pirate status in the first place. If I don’t wanna lose it, I’ve gotta cross the line sometimes.” My whole crew was here at the spaceport, so there was n
othing to stop us from a speedy take-off.
“Everyone to the ship! Dmitry, prepare systems for takeoff. UlineTar, handle the bureaucracy with the dispatcher service. We need immediate permission to take-off! By the way, did you get the dowry for your groom?”
“Yes, Captain Gnat. Eight million crystals, we didn’t even have to sell the Assassins, which we installed on our frigate. Even without them, it made a respectable dowry. Viceroy Kosta Dykhsh was in utter delight! The wedding will be in twenty days right here on Earth. I invited my relatives, so it will get loud. And you’re invited. Don’t even think of refusing. I would just die! By the way, I almost forgot in all this rush...” my furry friend turned on her palmtop and read some information. “A medic has requested to join our crew. A human woman named Anna. She isn’t in any faction. She said you personally invited her. Should I confirm? It’s just we’ve already got one Medic, and he’s pretty decent. Why do we need a second?”
A human Medic named Anna? I invited her? I hadn’t talked to her since a good deal before she fled the Dome. And I don’t remember inviting her to join my crew. Unless... Damn! That was right! I once really did ask Anya to come to space with me, back when I was heading to war in Uraz Tukhsh’s Shiamiru. But she refused. Was she bringing that old invitation up now? Really?
When I ran a scan, it did show an outsider on the frigate:
Woman. Human. Level-62 Medic.
I went to figure it out and on the stairs I saw Anya from First Med, who I first met so long ago. The long-legged blonde was wearing standard Human-3 light armor, but without a faction tag. She gave me a sheepish smile and handed me an item I’d recently failed to find:
“Leng Gnat, you asked for your Prospector Scanner!”
End of Book Four
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About the Author
MICHAEL ATAMANOV was born in 1975 in Grozny, Chechnia. He excelled at school, winning numerous national science and writing competitions. Having graduated with honors, he entered Moscow University to study material engineering. Soon, however, he had no home to return to: their house was destroyed during the first Chechen campaign. Michael’s family fled the war, taking shelter with some relatives in Stavropol Territory in the South of Russia.
Having graduated from the University, Michael was forced to accept whatever work was available. He moonlighted in chemical labs, loaded trucks, translated technical articles, worked as a software installer and scene shifter for local artists and events. At the same time he never stopped writing, even when squatting in some seedy Moscow hostels. Writing became an urgent need for Michael. He submitted articles to science publications, penned news fillers for a variety of web sites and completed a plethora of technical and copywriting gigs.
Then one day unexpectedly for himself he started writing fairy tales and science fiction novels. For several years, his audience consisted of only one person: Michael’s elder son. Then, at the end of 2014 he decided to upload one of his manuscripts to a free online writers resource. Readers liked it and demanded a sequel. Michael uploaded another book, and yet another, his audience growing as did his list. It was his readers who helped Michael hone his writing style. He finally had the breakthrough he deserved when the Moscow-based EKSMO - the biggest publishing house in Europe - offered him a contract for his first and consequent books.
Michael is now the author of three bestselling LitRPG series: Perimeter Defense, The Dark Herbalist and Reality Benders which are already considered the classics of LitRPG.
* * *
[1] Translator’s note: A line from classic Soviet comedy film Kidnapping Caucasian Style. The main character, an ethnography student, has come to the Caucasus to study their local toasting tradition. Unfortunately for him, the locals refuse to tell him their toasts, unless he follows their custom and drinks after each one. When he later causes a scene at a public event, the police conclude that it was not a criminal act but a “workplace accident,” because his drinking was in pursuit of a professional endeavor.
[2] Translator’s note: Originally a fairy tale by Korney Chukovsky rendered in English as “Little Fly So Sprightly,” it was adapted into a cartoon several times. The main characters are a little fly and a brave gnat who saves the fly from a bloodthirsty spider.
[3] Translator’s note: a regional variation on the shish-kebab.
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