by Rick Scar
“What are you talking about? Of course, I can. What for am I holding it?”
“But you’re blind…”
“Ah-ha-h…” The shaman mildly burst out laughing. “I get it, get it, no, I’m not, Envoy, I’m not blind, my race just has no pupils from the birth. Have you heard anything about Khhasakh?”
“I guess you know that I have not.”
“It is clear, what would you like…?”
“Can you translate this text?” he got a scrap of the withered paper and stretched to the old man.
“Gm-hm… it’s a ciphered message, but lucky you are that language is familiar to me. Show up in t five days. I think I will have finished by this time.”
“Thanks, Grrakhkat. And, until I forget again, tell everything that you know about the cursed monster.”
“Ask Vakhor, he is the only who could endure a meeting with him.”
“Well, I will show up in five days. See you soon.”
“Good luck, Envoy.”
…
He found Vakhor, a horgh the hunter in the house to which someone from the locals had pointed.
“Knock-knock. Hello.”
He knocked quietly, and in a moment the door was opened by a little girl.
“My to fhear you, Sir.” She was slightly more than three ft, with the same pale skin as all horghs had and with amusing pony tails. Her big childish eyes were gazing at the guest with curiosity.
“Hi, baby, is Vakhor at home?”
“Dad being lie, sick, no walk.” She shook her tiny head and pointed into the room. “There.”
“Thanks, baby, may I come in? I need to chat with your dad.”
Her blinking eyes and funny ponytails reminded his sister being interested in something new; she always approached it and, sticking with her finger, asked “Bro, bro, where are baby birds of pigeons? Big go everywhere, and small do not, well?” She was inquisitive, perhaps, it influenced somehow on her abilities to study.
Arch "Clouds over the capital"
Chapter 30. The loaded shard
Will opened the inventory, took the shard out, and began to look it through, but then sharply brought it closer to the hunter’s wound. That one was weakened and could not react quickly. When the shard was contacting with the wound, some weak violet smoke was being soaked up rapidly by it.
“Congratulations! You’ve found the hidden characteristic of the cursed shard.
+1 Luck;
+5% Chance to find hidden traps hideouts.”
The horgh, goggling, either looked at the shard in the guest's hands, or touched his terribly aching recently wound which had not been healing for a week because of this smoke. The shaman said that the wound had been formed by damnation, and a chance that it would be cured, was too small.
“You saved mine life … I thank yours for it.” - He inclined he head as he could, “My not to forget.”
Will nodded and went to the door.
“To stand up. Is that I could tell about the monster. Dangerously to his eye. One of my friend, be strange to die when it looked at it.”
“Thanks for information.”
….
" Inspection."
“Cursed shard (Unique).
It is loaded: 14/100.
Description: A Completely loaded shard shows the place where there are the others. Having united with a new shard, it should be loaded again.”
This shard is only a part something bigger. Find the one who will be able to tell you about it.
“Oh! It’s necessary to find the loaded places in the forest the shaman mentioned. But it’s not worth to go there by my own; I should discuss it with the local warriors. Where is Gikhor?"
…
The plan was simple: Gikhor was to introduce him to the captain Dreyrok, Will hoped that the captain had a grudge against this monster. Having heard the plan, at first the captain doubted, but when he learned that the Raven had cured the hunter, he decided to believe him. Besides, Gikhor with Lekhor interceded for him.
“Grrkh! Weak, but brave, yes! You to go behind mine when ours group to go to the forest. I to remember a little necessary to you the place. Five minutes and gate, entrance.” The captain told and went to prepare for the campaign to the forest.
…
In ten minutes they were walking to the forest. There were only four of them. Captain Dreyrok, Lekhor and Gikhor and Will. Horgh the guard did not change his pick-axe for another weapon.
As the captain joined them into the group, so everyone got an equal amount of experience. Will had learned it before the campaign, when he received the message from the captain about joining the group. The Locals did not stop their developing.
Each of NPC had the purpose. To become the best hunter, the strongest soldier, or just a smith or miner. How "Emperor" was watching all this, Will did not even try to consider.
Dreyrok conducted them surely. In twenty minutes they came across with small caterpillars. Those suddenly attacked the unsuspecting victims from the trees. They injected the immobilizing poison into them and turned in cocoons like spiders did.
“Arakhnite parasite: Level 67.
Health: 17300.”
There were not so many of them, but the horghs had to sweat. The RAVEN ran around like a squirrel in a cage, trying not to be under the attack. Sometimes he even managed to strikeout one of caterpillars. But once he passed the critical loss aimed the enemies above his level.
The fight was short only thanks to the captain. Gikhor and Lekhor were strong, but the captain turned to have an unimaginable level. His blows took down 1000-1500. This time the young man was awarded neither titles, nor level. It was required much Experience for 42 level. At the moment the scale was filled up to 47%.
They approached the first loaded place two hours later. This place turned to be a huge oak from which that cursed aura was lasting. It was seeping from its bark instead of pitch as if pulsing in the oak leaves.There were ten wolves around it.
“Cursed wolf: Level 64.
Health: 17000.”
Glancing at them, the rogue remembered those rats at once. Eyes of the wolves were hollow with the same violet smoke inside. Bodies created odors of putrefaction; it was unclear how long they had been in such a state. A-And it got Will thinking about some other version of infection. Due to the fact that there had been no crystals dropping out of the rats. He thought that they were just warriors of that baron, but, he might be mistaken.
The Wolves saw the group of soldiers, raised a howl and rushed towards the captain. The horghs did not allow them to surround him; each was fighting with three wolves only Dreyrok took on four of them. The RAVEN understood that under such circumstances he would not get a lot. Therefore he kept aloof, from time to time sticking the only dagger in the wolves’ bare sides.
One of wolves fighting with Lekhor blinked a red strip of the health, and Will decided to check something. Having crept behind, he thrust his dagger in the wolf’s back and hooked for it, got a cursed shard. The wolf suddenly began to shake, quietly whimpering and fell right there when the shard extended all energy.
“Probably, they were killed near this oak, battling against that monster. But this aura did not allow those bodies to leave the world quietly, forcing them to move. Is there any sense in it or just a side effect?
Chapter 31. Cause-effect relations
“Cursed Shard (Unique).
Loaded: 20/100.”
“Cap, don’t touch one of the wolves. It’s necessary to check something.”
“Yours or is silly, or … is not, yours is precisely silly! But I to try not to kill one.”
The captain turned aside from blows of the wolf chosen by him, but cut the others by a sword. At last, killing all of them except one, the horghs surrounded it, distracting attention from the rogue. Will crept to the animal like last time and jumped on it in order not to miss the monster in case of jolting, applied the violet stone to his edges. Of course, he was not 100% sure, only 98%. The crystal agai
n lit and began to soak up greedy the energy which was in the body of that wolf. It also began to whimper, shiver and at last tumbled down with zero health.
Level up...
“Congratulations! Awarded the title: "Without soiling hands” for killing a monster 20 levels above you with full health, without wounding him by your weapon. This event is unique.
You receive:
+50 Influence Points
+2 Luck;
+6% to strike mortal blow to the enemy whose health is lower than 20%.
Your name becomes better known. There have been rumors about you.
Relations with the next settlements +30.”
The horghs looked at a corpse of the wolf mistrustfully, and then looked at Will who was still embracing it.
“- Gr-rkh … Your some strange, White RAVen.” the captain told shaking his head.
“Cursed Shard (Unique).
Loaded: 27/100.”
After looking at the dead wolves, from those the cursed aura had disappeared, Will understood that the violet smoke evaporated after the second death.
Without paying attention to the surprised partners, the young man approached the tree and inserted the shard into the deepest crevice.
The oak started vibrating then there was a hum under the tree. The shard, absorbing the cursed, began to shine more and more brightly, not reminding that faded piece of the stone it had been earlier. The tree continued to vibrate, being exempted from the violet smoke. Even the atmosphere around changed. When the shard absorbed everything without the rest RAVen heard the forest as if breathe a sigh of relief.
“You’ve cleaned 1/50 cursed places in Taargada Forest. Clean all places and address Senior dryad for a reward.
Cursed Shard (Unique).
Loaded: 51/100.”
The stone exhausted a lot of energy from the cursed place. But RAVen was interested in one more task connected with the cursed aura. A jigsaw puzzle began to be assembled.
A sorcerer, who had stolen "Pandora's box", lived in this forest. Without knowing, RAVen got into the multilayered scenario step by step.The loot from the caterpillars and the cursed wolves did not please a lot; things had not dropped out, just twenty gold and reagents. Probably, that was a usual place for leveling players 55+. Something acceptable seldom dropped out in such places.
Chapter 32.A HUNTER OR HIS PREY
By the moment of escaping the town Will had absolutely forgotten to record because of all the emerging tasks, but that time he was fully equipped. Pak (Puck) never wrote back about the man being able to mount a high quality video. Will should have reminded him one more time.
...
Seven hours passed since their escaping Latakhorgh. The group visited two more cursed places killing damned serpents and bustling monkeys. Oh, yes, those monkeys stood out from the others somehow. They were dead too with the same hollow eyes and violet smoke oozing out their eye-pits, but could place a debuff in the form of a plague on you that reducing by 27% all your characteristics for half an hour.
The damned serpents spit out their venom and tried to bite the horghs, who shoot them down on the fly, cutting the serpents’ heads off. At last, from the bustling monkeys Will had the item which was appropriate to his class but inappropriate to his level.
“Rock Climber’s Cape (Silver)
Characteristics :Falling from height less than 12 meters takes away just 10% of your health;
+8% Physical attacks;
+3% Agility;
Requirements: 53 level;
Limitation: No.”
Having got infected with a plague, Lekhor was lying near the tree next to a small lake and waiting for the effect’s ending. It was the place to be the first cursed one. When they came there, the lake was violet and was exuding the miasmas of damnation.
The curdled condensed air above them was full of awful stench. Having killed the monkeys, Will placed the shard into the water and waited for the end then he took it out.
“Сursed shard (Unique)
Charged 100/100.”
After taking it, he felt the crystal pulling him somewhere. The zone on the map with the supposed place of that infected bear’s habitat started flashing.
“Cap, I’ve got it.”
“Gr-rh, get it!”
“Just a moment. I’ll tell you about that I got to know about this monster from Vakhor.”
Having told about the monster’s peculiarities, VORon took the crystal into his hands then travelled into the direction indicated on the map. There were apparently a few hundred meters up to the place. You could feel some oppressing aura. The sun was setting, and the wood was plunging into darkness. The captain refused completely the reasonable recommendation of Will to wait till tomorrow. So they had to go on swearing silently.
“It will come to an unhappy end!”
Dreyrok was rushing ahead furiously, without caring for a proper disguise, a sudden attack and any plans. What had happened that he was trying fiercely to kill the damned animal?
This time the monster did not run off, and the young man guessed the presence of the player caused it. At the approach the crystal began to blaze, informing that they were almost there, when there was an awful roar very far away... Without any hesitation, the robber hid the crystal in the stock. The last thing they needed was the bear swallowing the second shard.
“Gr-r-r-a-a-agkh!”
It was well heard as trees ahead cracking, being unable to sustain pressure, and as if thin rods, they were breaking one after another. The monster was not visible yet, but his aura pressed on Will.
He was looking at the moving apart trees; his face convulsively began to twitch. From the darkness of the wood there was an approaching huge eight-ton being that had been a bear before. Its height was about four meters and when that one got up on its hinder legs and began to roar, it seemed to be ten meters tall.
“Inspection”.
“Cave Bear (Baron)
Level ???
Health ???”
RAVen nervously swallowed.
"Damned captain!"
Dreyrok and Gikhor jerked to the bear at once. Lekhor continued to stand still. Having looked at it, the young man saw the glazed-over eyes of the horgh and how his body began to tremble. Probably, it was that Vakhor had told about. A Debaff for fear.
“So the mental protection went off".
Meanwhile the captain came around on the left side, Gikhor came on the right side, and both tried to cut his hinder legs, but the monster quickly fell down and attacked the captain.
That one somersaulted dexterously on the way and, having jumped, it continued the movement to the purpose. The damned creature did not wait until it was attacked, and struck with its forepaws on the ground, causing a small earthquake. Will did not realize how he could help in such a situation.
“Soul Cry” is useful against equal enemies or when hostile forces are below your level. The effect is cut down nearly to zero against the higher-level, for example, as the crimson runner, leaving several seconds of confusion.
The only thing that could be tried was to apply the shard, but risk was incredibly high in comparison with the harmless wolves. Instead of 98 % there were miserable 2% or even less. On top of that this could have happened the other way, and instead of the splinter’s influencing on its part that was in the bear, it could strengthen the monster. But it was a wipe of their mini - reid at once.
While he was standing apart and trying not to get under the casual attack Lekhor got rid of fear, took advantage of the situation that the bear was distracted by Gikhor and the captain, ran up and jumping, stroke maiming the hinder leg of the beast with his pick-axe.
It was its roar again you could hear around. The bear froze and looked at Lekhor. Around his eyes energy began to gather, threatening to stir up the area under the eyes of the beast.
“Lekhor!!! Quickly aside!”
RAVen rushed to the head of the bear and using a "Shock" skill managed to bring an unclear skill of the
baron down.
…
Time passed, Will ran from one side to another coming to the bear from its back and cutting its paws. The only skills which he had used were «a double attack" and "a twilight step" recently acquired. There was some effect from the double attack a few times; having 57 and 61 units of a loss, but generally the robber had twenty-thirty units.
The Level of the bear was obviously over the ninetieth, and it made you freeze up as it had been stated by the system that on each floor the level of enemies might have varied approximately in thirty levels. Taking the rats as a starting point, RAVen counted the eightieth was a limit, but what if they meant completely different?
For example, could levels of monsters from the floor to the floor be added together? Or could monsters with small levels be there counting on the fact that when floors opened, new players would be able to choose not only the first three floors as the place of dislocation but also opened at the time of their registration …
Thoughts rushed in his head, and the body continued to damage monotonously to this eight-ton monster.
When the monster’s health dropped below, just only the horghs knew what percentage, its attacks changed the style, and he began to use more often its mouth instead of paws. Half an hour later it fell into final rage and ran as if a bull after the one who was damaging, it was mostly the captain.
All in all the movements of the bear become slower; the horghs were shabby and wounded. Gikhor had no left hand up to an elbow, Dreyrok limped, the bone stuck out of his left leg. Lekhor lay aside bleeding profusely.
Will clenched his teeth from his powerlessness. His pokes were just for cleaning his conscience as if not only they were who had applied force for killing. He was looking at the horghs and vividly saw firmness of purpose in their bodies’ movement. They were digital beings who acted more nobly than most of people. They understood they could die at any moment but they went forward anyway trying to destroy potential threat for their native tribe.
RAVen did not understand why he had decided to play for keeps. The beast was weakened and it was noticeable that it could not control its damned force any more. Without bypassing the bear from its back, he rushed directly on it and activated "Soul cry" when there were nearly 15 feet up to the muzzle.
