The Azure Dragon

by Vladimir Vasilenko

  Genghis was lounging in one of the chairs, legs crossed. There was a glass with melted ice cubes on the bottom and an open bottle of some alcohol on the smooth polished armrest with wood finish. Judging by the color of the drink, it was whiskey. Genghis watched the fight, stroking the edge of the glass with his fingertips.

  "Sit down," he said, pointing to the chair next to him.

  The seat seemed hard at first but turned out to be pretty damn comfortable because of its shape. I leaned back, placing my hands on the armrests and also engaged in what was happening on the screen.

  The Destroyer's rival was very befitting—he was huge and packed in warrior armor up to the eyebrows. But it seemed that the head of the Legion had the ultimate say. He was just too aggressive. He fought with such rage as if it was his own life on a stake not a victory in a virtual duel. His opponent was much more skilled, but Destroyer relied on superiority in brutal force. That is, superior stats and the most expensive and durable armor. He picked out the best weapon too—a big two-handed mallet, much like the one our Daniel had. No need to learn fencing with this thing. Swing wide, and whack as hard as you can. One or two hits would do the trick.

  "Did you bet on the fight?" I asked.

  Genghis shook his head.

  "It's an old recording. The fight was about three weeks ago. No one is betting on the battles with Destroyer anymore."

  "Really?"

  "He's never lost a game. There are fewer and fewer people who want to go against him in the arena. So betting on fights with him is kind of boring."

  "Well, no one can be invincible. Sooner or later, he's gonna screw up somewhere."

  "He's got a big head start and keeps progressing. Although you're right, none of us are invincible. I won't be surprised if someday some Clever Dick will kick his ass."

  I shrugged my shoulders. On the screen, Destroyer just brought the fight to a logical conclusion. He knocked the opponent off his feet, and now was methodically finishing him off with sweeping blows as if he was just chopping firewood. He surely didn’t care about the fact that one shouldn't beat a person that was down. Here was a tough bastard.

  "What have you decided?" Asked Genghis, when footage of the fight was replaced by a screensaver with the Artar logo.

  "About what?"

  "Remember our conversation?"

  I sighed, concealing my irritation.

  "What do you need me for? Am I such a valuable asset to you?"

  "Maybe."

  "What's so valuable about me?"

  Genghis shook his glass thoughtfully in his hand, tinkling with the remnants of ice.

  "Artar is quite an interesting thing, Stan. It's not well studied in terms of psychology. At first, experts tried to apply the same standards to it as to the computer games of previous generations. But now it is clear that this was a mistake. They didn't foresee many things. For example, no one seriously thought that the newcomers would have such stupor in their first battles. Or that many players would be terrified of virtual pain."

  "Yes, I've experienced something similar. But Terekhov and Bers knocked sense into my head."

  Genghis nodded comprehendingly.

  "Artar's too realistic. And it turned out that few people could immediately get used to it."

  "Because few people can stab someone with a sword. I couldn't either. I'm not a killer."

  "Man is a murderer by nature," Genghis snapped. "It's just that we live in a time when most people do not need to fight for their lives every day with weapons in their hands. Therefore, gutting someone with a blade seems exorbitant cruelty whereas our medieval ancestor wouldn't even blink an eye."

  "I guess," I said. "What are you getting at?"

  "The fact that the first people to ride horseback were the ones who were not afraid of blood and pain. Whether it was their own or someone else's. This was a huge advantage. But not for long. My point is that those who understand Artar will be ahead of everyone. Those who embrace this new world. For whom it is not just a game."

  "How about yourself? What is Artar for you?"

  He snorted indulgently and poured himself more whiskey.

  "For me, it's a job. I am too old and cynical to take seriously all these tournaments and battles with monsters. So I'm just doing what I can. But you, for example, are different."

  "I certainly hope so," I said, immediately cursing at myself for my audacity. But Genghis seemed to ignore my remark.

  "It's like sports. Take football as an example. Anyone can learn to play it. But only those for whom football is life become champions."

  "Do you think I'm that interested in Artar?"

  "Don't you think so?"

  I didn't answer and turned away. But there was nothing to look at in the austere interior of the office. Only, as luck would have it, the Artar logo was glowing on the screen in front of us.

  "So what have you decided?"

  "What answer are you expecting from me?" I snapped. "I don't want to decide anything!"

  "That's not how it works, Stan. You're either with me or against me. If you're with me, you can join our search group as early as in the next gaming session. You'd be a good scout. I hear you're good at climbing trees. Terekhov and his failures can continue chasing monkeys."

  "What will the guys think of me after that?"

  "Do you care? In a few days, it won't matter. It all depends on what you want from life and what your goals are."

  "You're just like my father," I smiled wryly. "This reminds me of his rants."

  "Because it makes sense. And by the way, it's good you reminded me. Find Karim at the med unit. He'll connect your NCI communication unit. I already told him."

  "What's with this sudden generosity? I haven't decided anything yet."

  Genghis sighed.

  "Your father reported you missing."

  Oh, crap! Although, what did I expect? He gave me an ultimatum last time. Instead of giving him a response, I just disappeared for three days. But the police would be able to determine the location through the NCI even if the communication unit is switched off. For example, based on the outpoint to Eidos. And Genghis doesn't want that. Edge was right—he doesn't need problems with the law. All the bloodthirsty threats he made on the first day were probably bluffs.

  "Contact him, calm him down," Genghis continued. "Let him withdraw his statement. We don't need any extra attention."

  "And then you will cut off my connection again? Maybe you should stop tinkering with my sub-processors. This technology is too delicate..."

  "We won't disconnect it again. And anyway... We may not have gotten off on the right foot. I'm just a little... biased towards Terekhov's people. Let's forget it and move on."

  "You mean start with a clean slate?" I responded sarcastically.

  "Something like that. You don't seem to have the right idea about me either. You think I'm some kind of a villain."

  No, I just think you're an asshole.

  I didn't really have the heart to say it out loud. There was no need to make him angry.

  "Just think of me as an employer who offers you a great position. With prospects. With decent earnings. By the way, you already get a hundred and fifty euros per day. You'll see them on your account when your NCI is back online."

  I nodded.

  "But I need your decision today. I'm not going to have this conversation again. There's no time for that. So what have you decided? Are you with me or Terekhov?"

  I paused for as long as I could. Then I silently got up from my chair and went to the door slowly, stalling time. My head was still empty, like a leaky barrel. Not that I hesitated to make a decision. I just couldn't articulate the answer. I knew that a lot depended on the wording.

  Most of all, I just wanted to tell Genghis to go screw himself, but it would look like dumb boyishness. I had to come up with something to make him think. Plant a seed of doubt. So he wouldn't kick me out of camp that same night, after all.

  Finally, holding the door handle, I tu
rned around.

  "Actually, Clam is my employer. And as for the prospects and new conditions of cooperation, I would rather talk directly with him."

  Genghis smiled wryly.

  "You think too much of yourself, boy. Why would the boss talk to you in person? I decide your fate and the fate of Terekhov's whole team."

  "Well, don't take me for a fool! If you really could, you would have disbanded Terekhov's squad long ago and kicked us out into the street. But I don't think you have that authority yet. And that task you're working on is kind of like your last test."

  "Even if it is, what does it change?"

  "You haven't passed it yet. So do not delude yourself ahead of time. As for Clam... We have already played a game of chess in the Pearl Peacock. A couple of weeks ago, when I was still a noob. And even then, he was so interested in me that he wanted to meet me in person. And since then, I've been upgrading and advancing. If that conversation had taken place now, we would have been negotiating very different conditions."

  Judging by the shadow in Genghis' eyes, he hadn't known about our meeting with Clam. That was good. He could check if he wanted. I'd give him something else. Of course, it's a pure bluff, but in combination with the real facts, it might work.

  "Besides, I understand why you've cut me off these days. You must have figured that after I became the first Water Master on the server, I was showered with invitations from different guilds. But you didn't consider one detail. I have a chat medallion in the game and get PMs every day."

  "It turns out, you're in great demand?" He smiled tightly.

  "I'm not complaining," I mirrored his smile. "You see, unlike other guys from the team, the Steel Hounds is not my last hope. They're afraid of losing their spots. I’m not. Yes, I don't have my own Eidos modem yet. But all I need is to hint, and there will be people who would be happy to buy it for me as long as I work for them. People like Maverick. Corsairs. You already know that I know Jones in person."

  Genghis was silent, staring at me. I tried to be as relaxed and confident as possible. From the outside, it probably looked pathetic. I was just a kid in a sweaty camouflage uniform with a bandaged head, standing in front of the knucklehead in an impeccable expensive suit and with the unblinking gaze of a murderer.

  But he seemed to have doubts.

  "It's off the table," he croaked. "But let me tell you this: don't stand in my way."

  "Don't worry about that. We part ways."

  I closed the door behind me, reached the stairs, and only then breathed a sigh of relief.

  Man, oh man. No turning back. Mongoose teased Cobra. Now the question is, is he strong enough and fast enough to bite through the snake’s spine?

  Chapter 16. Back to the Jungle

  They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Even the jungles of Uobo can appear to be a serene and blooming oasis instead of the green hot hell, full of peril at every step. It just takes a different mindset.

  The area around the menhir of the return was safe by default, so one could take time to look around right after entering the game. It was early morning on the peninsula, which, according to Xilay legends, was the cradle of life. The pale blue sky barely glimpsed through the treetops, where the shade and coolness dissipated before the eyes. Some birds were chirping high above our heads. The wind was rustling the leaves. A waterfall was producing a steady hum nearby.

  Habitually, I started with meditation. It was a good way to get my head straight and tune in to the game. Moreover, now the full five cycles took me much less than fifteen minutes—the bonuses from Deep meditation and Spiritual stone with the smoky opal really helped.

  I ran through the descriptions of the skills, first of all noting the progress in Meditation and Knowledge of Qi. These were the only skills, that I try to deliberately upgrade. The transition from Basic to Deep gave both skills a significant improvement. I wondered what would happen at the Expert level. But it would be a while still. At this rate, I'd need another two weeks of daily logging into the game for twelve hours. I couldn't speed up the process unless I used the pearls, but there was no opportunity for me to farm them just yet. Oftentimes, it made more sense to bolt from the local animals than fight with them.

  Oh, it was pure gravy back on the Gray Peak when I had a free consistent stream of pure Qi. Just recently, I realized that the source gave a good boost to my development. I wonder what Genghis's people have done with those caves? How rich was the gold mine that the ogre showed us?

  None of the Hounds came near the menhir while I meditated. Although, synchronizing the time of entrance to Artar was generally difficult, so I had nothing to worry about. I figured to try and get a better look around.

  First of all, I decided to move to the waterfall murmuring to my left, hidden by dense thickets of bushes with large, like burdocks, leaves, and strange fleshy plants that were similar to giant mushrooms. Yesterday, when we were looking for a menhir to get out of the game, we passed this waterfall. The river here was rather narrow. It was more like a stream, which was clean because this part of the channel was rocky, not clay. There, behind the bushes, the stream plunged from the rocky ledge into a tiny lake, so tiny that one could jump over it taking a good running start. And the waterfall itself was low—about ten feet—but quite picturesque. I should fill my leather bottle with water and clean my armor that was an ugly sight, especially after a fight with the boa—the snake's dry scales were stuck all over the chest plate.

  I made my way through the bushes carefully. Even a couple of days in Uobo was enough to develop the habit of looking where you go and what you grab. Snakes, wasp nests, poisonous thorns—you never know what you come across in the jungle. Finally, I looked out of the bushes and froze for a moment.

  It seemed that I wasn't the only one who wanted to freshen up after wandering through the jungle.

  Plummeting from the rock, streams of water crashed against her flushed skin, running down her body like transparent tentacles. Facing up, she welcomed them, eyes closed. With patting movements of her palms, she ran her hand from her neck down to a small but nicely shaped bosom and toned abdomen. Her hips were probably a little too narrow, and her whole body seemed a bit awkward and too muscular for a girl. This impression was enhanced by the short asymmetrical hairstyle with shaved, almost bald, left temple. Yes, she didn't look like a doll, but it didn't make her less feminine and attractive. It was a different kind of beauty. Not a delicate flower. More like a panther, tensed and ready for the jump.

  Kata, Kata, Catastrophe.

  "How long are you going to stare?" She asked, shaking her head so that small, glistening splashes flew in all directions.

  "I'm not staring. Just admiring. I really didn't mean to hide. After all, what didn't I see here?"

  "Jerk!" She snorted and turned her back to me.

  But almost immediately she turned her head over her shoulder.

  "Well, what are you waiting for? Get in the water! Just don't go in your armor—it'll take a long time to dry it. If you want to clean it, take it off and rinse it.”

  I smiled and looked around. The place seemed quiet but taking a shower naked in Uobo didn’t feel like such a great idea.

  "Aren't you afraid that some toothy fish will bite your butt?"

  "Not a big deal. Besides, there are no big creatures here. You see, the water's up to your ankles. Get in here! Or are you scared?"

  She splashed water at me, but the drops did not reach. I shook my head. There was nowhere to retreat. Besides, the prospect of being next to her didn't scare me. Quite the opposite.

  It didn't take a lot of time to undress: all equipment can be deactivated in a matter of seconds through the interface. It was much more difficult to step into the water and go straight to Kata without covering myself.

  “Burr, the water is cold!" I grumbled.

  When the waterfall fell on my shoulders and my head, I shuddered and shook myself off like a dog. She laughed and put her arms around my neck. I took her by the wais
t and pulled her a little closer.

  "You've gotten stronger since the last time I saw you naked. Remember back in Merrah?"

  "Of course, I do. Well, it's not really me. Just my avatar."

  I looked down, examining myself. Yes, Qi invested in Strength manifests itself. I looked shredded and ripped and felt solid like a car tire. The night spent with Kata happened even before the Dahamesh mayhem, when I snatched a large portion of experience. No wonder she noticed the difference.

  "I know. I'm not quite myself either," she smiled sadly. "It's weird, isn't it?"

  "A little.”

  I pulled away from the waterfall, wiped the water from my face. I turned in the direction of the bushes.

  "Perhaps, we should call it a day."

  "Let's stay a little longer. Just a minute!"

  Her fingers clenched my shoulders as if she were grasping at a lifeline.

  "Well, alright. But only a minute."

  "Alright. Wait... Turn around…"

  "What?"

  "Let me see!"

  She gently but insistently turned me around. I felt the tips of her fingers sliding down my shoulder blades in ticklish zigzag movements.

  "So nice. When did you do that?"

  "Do what?"

  I turned over my shoulder, trying to look behind me, but of course couldn’t see anything. I could only see the edge of some dark spot extending from my scapula to the middle of my back.

  "What have I got there?"

  "Are you telling me you don't know?" Kata chuckled. "Got a tattoo all over your back and forgot about it?"

  "Huh?"

  "The tattoo that's going from your neck to the... ahem, your lower back. Huge scary snake coiled around a turtle. It's like they're fighting each other. There are also some hieroglyphs."

  What the...! The black turtle!

  Apparently, the tattoo showed up after I received the title of Master of Water. But I had no idea about it! I couldn't see myself from the back, and I didn’t really go around naked all that often.