Keymaster

by Sergey Zaytsev

  Player detected...

  Player detected...

  Oh, fuck off, can’t you see that I’m busy?!

  Tinnie sent me a visual message of enemies showing up outside the protected area, somewhere behind the tunnel’s next turn. Thanks to these images, no one would catch me off guard. Ignoring the annoying system warnings, I took my improvised "soldering iron". After three sessions and another ten wasted minutes, the skin was completely ossified. I picked it up and thoroughly examined it. Smiling with satisfaction, I equipped it.

  As if not knowing how to react to my DIY skills, the system lagged behind with the new message:

  Changing the Cunning stat…

  Amateur’s Shield

  Durability: 36/45

  Defense: 108/135

  Fire resistance: +10%

  Acid resistance: +10%

  XP: +1,000

  Ignoring the first message, I admired my little project. The shield came out oval, about two feet wide and one and a half long, modest and full of holes in some places, but it felt personal and familiar. The horns served as stiffening ribs; I fastened two on the outside and two on the inside so that I could slide my hand under one, and grab the other with my fingers. The grip turned out to be quite good. The shield weighted around six or seven pounds.

  Using a shield has its own nuances. When you equip one, you have to kiss using two-handed weapons goodbye. Investing into defense meant that you had to sacrifice strength. However, I needed some form of protection from acid and now I had it. Let’s see how it will prove itself in battle...

  As if waiting for me to stop looking at my first creation, the system sent me another message.

  Learn the Inventor profession: yes / no?

  Description: Understanding how things work allows you to create objects from scrap and increases the chance to get an object with enhanced properties.

  Inventor...? Man, oh man.

  Attempting to quickly make something elementary unlocked the whole profession! It was so trivial of an approach that it almost felt funny. Although... In my “earthly” life I sometimes met people who weren’t able to hammer a nail into a wall; no joke. The task of making something more complicated than a microwaved meal simply stunned such “domesticated individuals”. After all, a significant number of my contemporaries lived lives where everything was always ready and prepared, created or done by other people, and they don’t have to do anything. Everything can be bought off the shelf at the nearest store. They were just consumers with an atrophied worldly wit. But in that same life, I was constantly doing something, creating simple things from scrap. So, perhaps, there is sense in this “Inventor” profession. After all, the thing I had just made seemed a simple task to me, but seem impossible to someone who just couldn’t come up with the idea. Perhaps this could be my advantage over others? In that case, “yes”.

  Profession unlocked: Inventor

  Rank 1 (1/100)

  Understanding how things work allows you to create objects from scrap.

  Chance to get an item with enhanced properties: +1%

  I barely resisted the temptation to use a stored skill point to immediately unlock rank 2 and increase the chance to 6%. No, if we’re gonna save, we’re gonna save. Soulcatcher is more important than having a higher chance to craft a better item.

  I focused my attention on another oddity. The hunger that had tormented me and interfered with my coherent thinking had almost subsided. I looked at my bars with interest. HP and energy were full. Stamina was at 69 out of 100. When my gaze fell on Fury, I found that her Hunger bar, which had just recently been filled, was slowly declining: 78, 77, 76... It had to be because of Synergy. As it turned out, Fury ate the Demon for both of us, using Spiritual Link to “fuel” me. Tinnie was shining slightly dimmer, having also shared with her energy with her master. That was nice of them, but I hoped that they wouldn’t overdo it with charity. I needed them to stay alive, healthy and vigorous. Thank you, girls. Of course, you can’t feed someone with energy alone. Because of that, my stamina reached a certain level and stopped regenerating. Still, it was better than nothing.

  Player detected. Imposed Curse of Idleness (6). You will lose 6 HP and energy every second.

  Just in time to try the new stuff.

  I picked up my backpack, put my dagger onto my belt, and, shield and sword at the ready, I went further.

  Around the corner, was a nest with six level 13 specimens, with a 30 feet aggro radius. The creatures began to move as soon as Tinnie flew closer and got offended when she expertly kicked one of them in the eye. Acid pouches hissed, and volleys hit the wall. Two Head-Eyes, having missed Tinnie who had cleverly darted past them, treated each other with tasty spittle and instantly forgot about us as sorrow and anguish swept through their mortal shells. I decapitated the remaining four with several precise and strong blows, after which I thoughtfully looked at my shield. After all the trouble I went through, I didn’t get to use it.

  In search of an enemy more difficult than the Head-Eyes, we had to clear another three hundred feet of the corridor, destroying several nests and adding more XP to the “shopping basket”. Moving forward, every ten steps I would cut the largest veins on both sides of the passage, but the lair was still not in a hurry to send another guard to deal with such insolence. If I understood it correctly, each Horned Demon had its own area. I needed a dozen more Head-Eyes to fulfill the quota and get the much needed the rewards: XP and a skill point.

  Population control: Head-Eyes

  Progress: 88/100

  Current XP: 32,861/46,130

  I then stepped into the hall and was temporarily forced to forget about the Demons.

  There was something new.

  The hall was about a hundred feet wide; hundreds of interlaced veins, glowing with a soft yellow light that pierced the darkness, were scattered all over the walls and domed ceiling. It was both beautiful and gloomy. In the middle of the room was a chest or something very similar to it. Oddly enough, there was not a single enemy in sight. But we all remember that there’s no such thing as a free lunch, right? According to Mashta, to defeat the lair, you needed to get to its “heart”. The heart itself was defenseless, so your main task was to break through the horde of minions that were guarding it. This “chest” didn’t look like a “heart”, but I haven’t heard anything about halls like these from the Lowlings.

  The glow seemed to blink and I felt invisible fingers seizing my throat, then the gloomy lighting was restored and the feeling was gone. In the upper right corner of my “interface” appeared an hourglass; a trickle of sand seeped into the lower compartment. What a funny little timer.

  Will I have enough time to solve the puzzle?

  Well, as they say: “what the eyes fear, the hands do.” Or wings, in Tinnie’s case.

  Staying behind with Fury, I sent, not without hesitation, Tinnie forward and watched tensely as she flew across the hall, hovering some three feet above the floor. Approaching the chest with a disturbed look, she began to circle above it at high speed, clearly sensing something valuable inside. She looked like a luminous comet with a trail of golden hair. I had no doubt that the guards weren’t sleeping, but were just waiting for me to touch the chest.

  How about I just forget the chest? Screw it, there’s a passage on the other side of the hall...

  The idea that having unlimited food stocks could let me stay here and level till the end of times appeared in my mind before I even received the Spiritual Link, and with it the opportunity to make this idea into reality. But…

  I didn’t think that one could so easily outwit the system. Surely there was some sort of protection against such form of cheating; otherwise all players would have long reached level thirty, which was the level cap for this location. First of all, I had been here for more than six hours and I felt an invisible heaviness pressing down my every muscle, and every cell. I doubted that this was the effect of psychological fatigue. Secondly, the Demon being level 12 and Head-
Eyes level 13 indicated that the lair was evolving. The inevitable moment would come when the opponents would become too tough for me. These two arguments alone were enough to make me want to get out of the lair as soon as possible. No achievements could compensate for an unjustified death.

  Sensing my doubts, Tinnie suddenly displayed uncharacteristic obstinacy; unable to refuse the loot, she squeaked something indignantly and just flopped onto the chest.

  ...which was enough to trigger an attack.

  With a sound akin to paper being torn, several holes opened up on the walls and six unknown creatures jumped out.

  Imp Bully

  Level 14

  HP: 450

  Creature of Chaos

  The creatures made my skin crawl.

  The size of a Lowling, they looked as if they were being starved from birth; an ensemble of knotty bones and black, scaly skin. Its rather satanic appearance was complemented by a triangular face that glistened like anthracite, with blood-red, round eyes and short horns, lower limbs of a goat with massive split hooves, and a long tail with a spiked end that wriggled excitedly around them. All six of them opened their mouths, showing impressive rows of sharp fangs, and broke out in an ominous laugh, much alike a screech. The next second, the creatures simultaneously clapped their clawed hands and launched fireballs the size of a weighty orange at Tinnie.

  They were wrong to start with her.

  No one is allowed to attack MY pet.

  Arms folded on her chest, Tinnie imperturbably waited until the last moment, and then quickly soared up, making the fireballs collide in a hissing flash. By this time, I had already reached the nearest creature and aimed at its thin, twig-like neck...

  ...and I missed.

  The Imp dodged with such incomprehensible agility that its silhouette seemed to blur in front of my eyes. Then it jumped high into the air and hit my shield with its hooves. The clash was followed by a sound similar to a shotgun shot that echoed through the hall. The blow was so strong that my arm went numb all the way up to my elbow, forcing me to take two steps back myself. Barely keeping my balance, I managed not to tumble over. The shield, surprisingly, endured the blow. The Imp landed with cat like grace. Stomping frantically and giggling, it flashed a nasty grin at me, dancing beyond the reach of my sword. The thought me an ordinary warrior. Wrong. Flamespear shot from the Uniq’s tip and hit the beast’s head, showering it with harmless sparks. Does it have complete immunity to fire?!

  A small window suddenly appeared on the left side of my peripheral vision with the side-view of the hall showing everyone who was in it: the Imps, Fury, and me. Tinnie had discovered another way of using telepathic imagery and I could now see everything that was happening behind me and react accordingly.

  The Imp laughed even louder and nastier than ever before. As soon as I tried to close the distance, it whipped me with its tail, spikes aimed at my eyes. Having caught the tail with the Uniq, I twisted my hand quickly and wound it around the blade. With a jerk, I pulled the impudent beast closer with the intention to rip its giggling head off. And then it kicked me in the chest with both hooves, twisting incredibly as it flew toward me. I felt as if I got hit with a battering ram, but the wave of pain immediately subsided, not stunning as the Head-Eyes’ acid. Tinnie’s Spiritual Link infused me with the much needed energy.

  Fury flew by like a shadow. Her Poisonous Sting was still on cooldown, but she bravely rushed to attack. Leaping high, the Direcat sunk all of her claws into the Imp’s triangular face and knocked it down. Now’s my chance! Stepping onto the creature’s chest, I cast the shield aside and put all my strength and rage into the blow. The blade cut into the floor and the severed head, still grinning, rolled away, spewing black liquid. Although decapitated, the Imp kicked me really hard right in the stomach.

  Spiritual Link didn’t help this time; the pain pierced my insides, reaching the spine...

  Chapter 23

  As soon as my vision began to clear up, I found myself kneeling, having dropped my shield and sword, and dry heaving. My HP bar sank by 50 and my consciousness perceived the system messages in a very detached manner.

  Imp Bully has been slain!

  Received XP: 1,200

  Current XP: 34,060/46,130

  Quest available: Population control: Imp Bullies

  Note: This is a one-time territorial quest.

  Progress: 1/50

  Reward: 5,000 XP; 1 skill point

  Accept: yes / no?

  Countdown: 30... 29 ... 28...

  Having picked up my weapon, I barely rose to my feet, and found that the attention of the other five creatures had shifted from Tinnie to a new target — me. The five fireballs were already flying in my head’s direction. Hissing, they whizzed through the air. I barely managed to lift the shield when a flashing flaming staccato broke against it; one of them slammed at me, pouring. I could feel the heat even through the hardened skin.

  Without waiting for the ability cooldown, the Demons’ blurred silhouettes rushed to me. Well aware of what awaited me, I decided to screw saving escs and blasted the nearest creature with Soulcatcher. This time I managed to see how the gesture needed to activate the skill looked like; it resembled the motion of throwing a knife or a dagger. A ghostly blade formed mid-flight. The Imp, as if having hit an invisible wall, collapsed to the ground with a shrill scream. As it writhed in agonizing convulsions, a spectral thread stretched from the blade’s ghostly handle that was sticking out of the skinny chest, swaying in the wind like cobweb. The web, linked to my hand, was pumping energy and HP from the creature into me.

  Fury knocked down another fiend, forming a tangle of flickering limbs that squealed violently. The third one was immobilized by a timely thrown Windspear. But two of them still managed to get to me and a melee broke out. Quick strokes of clawed legs, wild jumps, kicking hooves, a hail of blows fell upon me; bits and pieces flew from the scorched shield, and my arm and shoulder turned numb from the recoil, forcing me to roar at the Imps almost like the Direcat.

  Deftly blocking a sword attack with its forearm, one of the Imps managed to push aside the blade aimed at its face; the second one seized the moment and thrust its claws into my stomach. I heard a disgusting squelch, felt my muscles being torn apart, and felt the hot blood dampen the tattered jacket... And then the wound closed immediately thanks to my insane amounts of regeneration. The Imp didn’t have time to pull out its claw and I cut it off clean at the elbows using my trusty Uniq. I hit it right in the face with the edge of my shield, forcing it to roll away. Throwing the damn shield away, as it was only impeding my movement; I gripped the Uniq with both hands and slashed the second creature.

  Well, that went flawlessly.

  Both Ice Squall’s finishing blow and the Air damage from Tempest Blade got activated and boosted the crit. The Uniq cut the Imp’s torso with ease, as if the creature was made from cardboard.

  But the victory was only temporary.

  The crippled Imp jumped up and threw a fireball at me. As if having foreseen it, I deflected it with the blade, like with a baseball bat, and it flew off to the side, breaking up into fading shreds of fire. Two other blurred and galloping silhouettes rushed to the battlefield. One coped with the Windspear’s effect, and the other dealt with the Direcat, leaving her lying motionless. My gut was telling me that I wouldn’t survive this round. That trio was about to turn me into a burger with the ease of a good grill...

  I used my last trump card — Tinnie.

  She shone above the Imps’ heads like a miniature sun, her hair a golden crown from which a wave of shimmering sparks fell. The demons froze, spellbound by the dancing sparks, devouring Tinnie with eyes full of love. Even the cripple didn’t pay attention to the black blood gushing from its cut off hand. They were a higher level than me and the confusion wouldn’t last long, but I didn’t dare waste a second as there would be no second chance.

  Synergy has been interrupted. Energy required...

  When it was over, I w
earily looked at the hall strewn with corpses. Soulcatcher had finished off its victim without my participation. I stepped over the smoking fragments of the shield that got trampled over by hooves, and hobbled to Fury who was desperately trying to get up. I looked blankly at Tinnie. Exhausted, she sat on my shoulder and transmitted me a strange image — the Imp’s claw was still protruding from my stomach. I looked down and, lo and behold, it really was. The regeneration process had entrapped it in the regrowing flesh. Having no strength to even feel disgusted, I pulled it out and threw it away.

  When I reached Fury, I mentally forced her to lie down and poured the Tincture onto the deep wounds on her side. Squeezing the fur, blood and flesh grew into a white crust. Belated pain hit me like a tsunami. My whole body ached as if a steam roller passed over me. The recently healed wounds felt like they were about to open again. I fell to my knees. Were these the effects of Soulcatcher?!

  About five minutes later, when my consciousness had cleared up a little, I got two new messages.

  You are exhausted. You require rest and food.

  Synergy has been interrupted. Energy required...

  I stood up and trudged over to the corpses, stumbling at every step, like an old man. Five Imps dropped Soul Crystals and nothing more. I left the corpse of the sixth for Fury to chew on once she got up. One Crystal immediately went to Tinnie, who flared up right before our eyes.

  Synergy has been restored.

  Out of the frying pan and into the fire... How appropriate for this situation of mine. God, I’m so tired that it even sounds funny... Seemingly fine, Fury raised her head and looked at me with gratitude in her green eyes. I was just as grateful to her. The beast made me worry, but she had fought so hard that it was a marvel to see. Despite the unequal conditions, her, a level 1, against level 14 enemies... Fantastic.

  It was frighteningly clear to me that I wouldn’t have survived this fight without my pets, even with Soulcatcher. Fears and doubts aside, my pets were fine, and I needed to take care of myself. Alas, I still had nothing to eat...