Game Changer
a novel
by Michael Atamanov
Reality Benders
Book#3
Magic Dome Books
Reality Benders
Book #3: Game Changer
Copyright © Michael Atamanov 2018
Cover Art © Vladimir Manyukhin 2018
English translation copyright © Andrew Schmitt 2018
Published by Magic Dome Books, 2018
All Rights Reserved
ISBN: 978-80-88295-83-9
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This book is entirely a work of fiction.
Any correlation with real people or events is coincidental.
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ALL BOOKS BY MICHAEL ATAMANOV:
Perimeter Defense LitRPG Series:
Sector Eight (Perimeter Defense: Book #1)
Beyond Death (Perimeter Defense Book #2)
New Contract (Perimeter Defense Book #3)
A Game with No Rules (Perimeter Defense Book #4)
The Dark Herbalist LitRPG Series:
Video Game Plotline Tester (The Dark Herbalist Book #1)
Stay on the Wing (The Dark Herbalist Book #2)
A Trap for the Potentate (The Dark Herbalist Book #3)
Reality Benders LitRPG Series:
Countdown (Reality Benders Book #1)
External Threat (Reality Benders Book #2) LitRPG series
Game Changer (Reality Benders Book #3) LitRPG series
Short Stories:
You’re in Game!
(LitRPG Stories from Bestselling Authors)
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(More LitRPG stories set in your favorite worlds!)
Table of Contents:
Introduction. The Enemy’s Plans
Chapter One. Technical Difficulties
Chapter Two. Going to a Comet
Chapter Three. Seeing a Comet
Chapter Four. Master of Earth
Chapter Five. Audience
Chapter Six. To war!
Chapter Seven. Mutiny
Chapter Eight. The Wreck of the Shiamiru
Chapter 9. Wrong-Way Raid
Chapter Ten. Targeting
Chapter Eleven. Dead division
Chapter Twelve. A Classical Raymonda
Chapter Thirteen. Sad Celebration
Chapter Fourteen. Not Just a Dream
Chapter Fifteen. The Team Reassembles
Chapter Sixteen. Free Captain
Chapter Seventeen. Business Partner
Chapter Eighteen. Propaganda and Diplomacy
Chapter Nineteen. Ready for Takeoff
Chapter Twenty. Takeoff!!!
Chapter Twenty-One. Alien Guest
Chapter Twenty-Two. Family Matters
Chapter Twenty-Three. Second visit to the Pirates
Chapter Twenty-Four. Familiar Mugs
Chapter Twenty-Five. Danger Rating
Chapter Twenty-Six. Progress Vector
Chapter Twenty-Seven. Enemy of an Enemy
Chapter Twenty-Eight. Possible Earnings
Chapter Twenty-Nine. Pirate Vault
Chapter Thirty. After the Assault
Chapter Thirty-One. Big Meeting
Chapter Thirty-Two. Faction Power-Broker
About the Author
Introduction. The Enemy’s Plans
Pa-lin-thu, capital of the First Directory
Palace of Coruler Thumor-Anhu La-Fin
Small Council Chamber
“CONSEQUENTLY, honorable Coruler Thumor-Anhu La-Fin, our strategists deemed that plan unsatisfactory as well. Our troops would get bogged down in the enemy defenses and be unable to achieve their objectives in anything resembling a reasonable timeframe. We would completely lose the element of surprise. Then, the enemy would reinforce, and it would all be over.”
With a wave of his hand, the young Mage Diviner Mac-Peu Un-Roi dismissed the hovering helper drone that had been giving him cues for his speech. He then gave a respectful bow to his leader and rejoined the dozens of other advisors, allowing the Coruler to see the map and think things over at his leisure. The great mage Thumor-Anhu La-Fin, one of humanity’s three Corulers, was feeling peevish today and, with each subsequent report, his face went gloomier and gloomier. But this time, he had no criticism. Despite Un-Roi’s young age, he was considered one of the most talented soothsayers of modern times. He was so renowned for his deep multilayered analysis of the lines of fate that his predictions were simply taken at face value.
The Coruler didn’t take long to consider the information on the tactical screen and soon swiped it away with a wave of his hand, returning the map to its initial state. With obvious strain, bracing his trembling arms on his magic staff, the aged Thumor-Anhu stood from his chairman’s seat and walked on his stiff legs up to the glowing screen on the wall. The ghoulish old mage spent three minutes looking from the tactical map back to his ever more flustered advisors as they crumbled in fear. Finally, the great mage spoke, not even trying to hide his dismay:
“So am I to understand that, even with a three-fold advantage in manpower, a rapid-response air force and a battalion of nearly indestructible armored vehicles, my advisors still cannot find a single path to victory? Do you really think I will simply accept that?! You know, it might be time for me to really shake things up around here! After all, it seems none of my advisors are fit for the task at hand!”
The all-powerful mage furrowed his brows severely and, turning his gaze from one advisor to the next, read their emotions with ease: terror, indignation at unjust criticism (that was Mac-Peu Un-Roi), exhaustion and annoyance with his fickle manner, even some hate. No matter, fear of one’s superiors was the natural order of things, utterly normal. It was even acceptable for underlings to hate their lord and think him a despot unless that enmity became strong enough to serve as a limiting factor. Most importantly, Thumor-Anhu did not sense any treason or intentional sabotage. His advisors had not deceived him. They really did not see a route to speedy victory over the Human-3 Faction.
After calming down a bit, Coruler Thumor-Anhu returned to his seat and asked his advisors to review the scenarios he had criticized the least. The First Advisor approached the glowing screen, leaning on a crooked knotty staff. The once fearsome combat mage Avir-Syn La-Pirez was far past his prime but he was still the right hand of the Coruler both in the real world and the game that bends reality.
The great Mage fully trusted his First Advisor, who he considered his closest friend and basically a relative. Thumor-Anhu La-Fin’s only daughter, the unearthly beauty Princess Onessa-Rati had been married to Avir-Syn’s grandson, but they both perished in a terror attack orchestrated by enemy mages. However, the couple were survived by a daughter, Princess Minn-O La-Fin. Though not wealthy or too influential, the La-Pirez dynasty was ancient and proud and if Thumor-Anhu were to pass unexpectedly, they would be Princess Minn-O’s only source of protection and support. The Coruler always bore that in mind and so tried to maintain good relations with the First Advisor and his kin.
Meanwhile, the doddering old Mage Avir-Syn slurped down two magical strength elixirs, not ashamed to consume them in full public view. After that, he set his heavy staff aside. The old man was not accustomed to new-fangled antigrav helper drones so, as in days of yore, he picked up a remote control and a laser pointer.
“Of the plans elaborated by my colleagues, just two warrant further consideration. The first: try another blitz through the muck of the swamp hexagon. That proved quite ineffective ten days ago, but we could consider our errors and, instead of spreading our forces out along the whole front, concentrate on destroying the enemy citadel. Our three and a half thousand soldiers will surely be enough to overcome the enemy’s staggered defenses and occupy the oil-rich territory.”
“Stop right there!” said the great mage, interrupting his ancient friend and advisor. “As I already said, I will not allow all our troops to all be used in one attack! It is unthinkable and crosses all bounds of reasonable risk, giving our enemy a chance to score cheap points! I can hardly believe that the militarily erudite H3 Faction, will just stand calmly by and watch us devastate their hexagon. More likely, they will take advantage of our unguarded borders and mount a counterattack!”
“Exactly!” came an invited military expert, supporting the leader’s objection. “As soon as we start trying to erect pontoons, the enemy will rain fire on us. Our armor will be destroyed or get stuck in the mud like last time. And while thousands of our players trudge from landmark to landmark through waist-deep muck, struggling to keep their weapons clean, the enemy will burst into the grain or capital hexagon and destroy infrastructure we cannot afford to lose! Last time, they were able to do just as much damage with one lone raiding party as we did with our whole assault. But this time, the enemy has hundreds of galloping centaurs at their beck and call and many raiding groups. Sure, we may capture the swamp hexagon, but it will come at the cost of our most productive and developed lands! And then our faction’s position will be truly hopeless!”
“The most we can allocate to any assault without risking disaster is two thousand three hundred soldiers,” said Thumor-Anhu La-Fin, setting a concrete limit. The advisors then got back to thinking.
For a long time, no one said anything. They were all too immersed in calculations and studying the lines of fate. Finally, the prolonged silence was broken by the youngest advisor, Mage Diviner Mac-Peu Un-Roi:
“With an assault force of that size, the likelihood of capturing the grain hexagon is just eighteen percent. Given that is the most promising vector of attack, the enemy will be expecting us there. So, I’m sure that not only will their previous fortifications be rebuilt, they will also have new lines of defense, firing points and mine fields. There is more than an eighty percent chance that our first attack wave will be entirely wiped out... but then, I must admit, there is something in the lines of fate I cannot read... My guess is that the enemy will set some kind of trap. In any case, the probability of our faction holding the swamp hexagon for more than three days is exactly zero. It is unfeasible to supply a garrison there, and that hexagon is too near the enemy capital. I’m afraid nothing can be done about that.”
After such an unambiguous statement, continuing to discuss the clearly hopeless plan was no use, and Thumor-Anhu ordered the alternative brought up on screen. The First Advisor eagerly switched scenarios, and the colored markers and arrows on the map changed position.
“A more promising plan is to launch a concentrated mass attack on the unfinished enemy fortress in the Rocky Shores. Then, without losing speed, we could push toward the enemy capital and try to penetrate as deep as possible before they come to their senses and stop our advance. This plan does have certain downsides, though. Above all, after our recent unsuccessful attempts to use NPC’s against the enemy fort in the Rocky Shores, they beefed up their garrison and are still on high alert. And we shouldn’t expect the element of surprise either, so our losses in the first stage of battle will be extreme. What’s more, the dreaded Second Legion is in charge of defense there...”
“Gerd Tamara...” Thumor-Anhu said with vexation, spitting out the hated name.
“Yes, precisely. The enemy Paladin will be there, and the new Priests will be with her. That means their soldiers will have mental protection, so magic attacks will be of precious little use. Everything will be decided by brute force and firepower, but at least we have...”
The speaker sharply fell silent and gave a low bow because the door suddenly flew open and Princess Minn-O La-Fin strode quickly into the chamber. The Coruler’s granddaughter usually preferred not to wear official dress, which was a bright and loud proclamation of membership in a ruling mage dynasty. She had to wear it for official functions, but she generally changed into something less gaudy at the first opportunity. Her personal style placed more emphasis on comfort and beauty. But today she was wearing a dress of the proper cut in her own home with all the regalia befitting a Princess of her stature.
Everyone was struck by the change, and the great mage Thumor-Anhu no less so. He watched with satisfaction as all members of the council bowed respectfully and even obsequiously to his beloved granddaughter, even though she had no magical gift and thus could not claim a high position in society. That deference was new. Well to be fair, they had always treated Minn-O with elementary politeness, but this was the first time there was anything even close to true esteem. That meant there must have been a leak. Everyone clearly knew the beautiful Princess now had a husband with magical abilities and, consequently, expected that Minn-O would soon give birth to a mage of the great regnant house La-Fin. Or perhaps — the old mage gave a sad sigh, remembering his one hundred and eighty years of age — she would even be regent if her child were to be elevated to the throne before coming of age.
“Honorable mages, your suggestions for the upcoming battle have been taken into consideration, but now I need time to think them over and come to a decision. And I know just the person to help. Extend an invitation to General Ui-Taka, self-proclaimed monarch of the Second Directory! I want to find out if he really is as good a strategist and commander as they say.”
“Hrmm...” Thumor-Anhu’s last order baffled his advisors. They started exchanging glances, not hiding their incomprehension. “But General Ui-Taka is an illegitimate pretender, not acknowledged by the council of rulers. Would the honorable Coruler Thumor-Anhu like the rebellious General dragged here by force?”
Minn-O couldn’t hold back and snickered, imagining an attempt to arrest a commander surrounded by hundreds of unwaveringly loyal soldiers. Coruler Thumor-Anhu turned to his granddaughter, furrowed his brow severely and she immediately stopped giggling.
“No, we mustn’t be rude. The General is popular in the armed forces, and we would like to keep our soldiers happy. I would like to invite him to my palace as a guest and military expert. I’m quite sure the first non-mage to rule in eight hundred years will be eager to pay me a visit. He is desperate for recognition from other rule
rs, so I’m sure Ui-Taka will not only show up, he will be on his best behavior and do whatever I ask. But now, honorable mages, please forgive me, I must speak with Princess Minn-O.”
A minute later, only the old mage and his beloved granddaughter were left in the chamber. Thumor-Anhu even got up from his seat and went over to close the doors a bit tighter to make sure no one was eavesdropping.
“So, Minn-O, I see that you have news. Tell me! The enemy Gerd Gnat has visited your prison cell again. Did I guess right? Has he made any specific promises on when you are to be freed?”
“Prison cell?!” the Princess feigned surprise. “Thumor-Anhu, for the last hour and a half, I have been flying into deep space on a Geckho vessel!”
The expression of surprise and confusion on the wise mage’s wrinkled face was so unnatural and silly looking that the Princess couldn’t help it and broke down laughing. He was used to knowing the future, so this caught him off guard. But the old man quickly came to his senses and connected the dots:
Game Changer (Reality Benders Book #3) LitRPG Series Page 1
