by Sergei Katz
The world congratulates you! Your pet is the first in the world to acquire his first ability. The Phasm nicknamed Little Morph has acquired the “Agronomist” ability.
— Seriously? You’ve got to be BLEEP me!
I started looking around in search of my stupid pet. This was something I had to see. Little Morphy was frozen in the same position in which he had been caught out by the message. To be precise: the drunken creature was standing in the timeless posture of all four-footed beasts: three paws on the ground and one raised up. He was doing his business in a place where I had hadn’t ever planted anything successfully, now three new chewing berry bushes broke through the ground.
— What are you doing? — I pounced on my pet, which had quickly sobered up.
I raised my hands to the heavens:
— What have I done to deserve such a punishment?
The peaceful pink sunset was my only reply.
— Are you kidding? A peeing Phasm under the pink sky, if it keeps going this way I’ll lose my mind! — I couldn’t bear to look any longer at the gently pink sky, so I looked down at the Morph’s “statue”. — You are supposed to be a fighting pet, not a farming pet. So, please tell me, how did you manage it?
Little Morph shook his head, and tried to quietly walk away from the question.
— Uh, no! Stand still! You started this, so now go on and tell me the rest.
Little Morph looked at me doubtfully, and his whole look said: “Master, are you out of your mind? I can’t pee for this long.”
— Come on, come on then. Use your new-found talents, but before you reach the level of 50% as a beginner agronomist, I won’t feed you anymore.
Little Morphy made his proprietary sad face, but it didn’t work with me this time. Giving my pet a light slap on the back, I pointed his energy into the right direction.
— What on earth did you do? The chewing plant seeds you planted are already coming through. — Martha ran into the garden, out of breath.
— Don’t even ask, — I sighed. — This is all my pet’s doing.
— Really? — There was doubt in the hostess’s voice.
— If I looked at how my silly pet was digging into the ground at this very moment, I wouldn’t have believed it either, — I smiled, — But, the fact is that even without any ability as an Agronomist, this creature has managed to do what I couldn’t do even with the aid of your magical elixir. I think I have done enough planting for today.
— Yes, for sure, — the hostess laughed. — You planted thirty-one plants, and I was stupid enough to believe that not a single one of them would take root. Let’s go back to my place. Everything is on the house.
— That's great. I'm so hungry that I could eat a horse. Martha, after the meal, could you teach me some cooking techniques?
— Why not? An assistant in the kitchen is always welcome, especially one as capable as you.
The dinner was incredible, as if Martha wanted to show off. My intuition woke up and told me that something was wrong, but I was already suspecting it without its help. As it turned out, we were both close to the truth: Martha had prepared the role of her first student for me. It turned out that just the other day she had reached the level of Cooking Master, so at this point she was permitted to take on students. I found out that when someone achieved Mastery, they were free to choose one of many ways of teaching future students. Knowing that tomorrow I would be leaving, she had chosen a crash course of learning for me. She had set herself the goal of becoming the first Grandmaster in her discipline in the world, so she needed to bring a Newcomer student at least to the level of Craftsman. My cooking ability was close to 50% of beginner level, but if it had been 1% higher then she would have been forbidden to take me on as her student, so I was an ideal candidate. So, after I had given my consent to the training, I signed up until the moment that I became a Craftsman, or until I needed to leave. I was forbidden from contradicting my lecturer, but at least she couldn’t interfere with my future plans. I decided not to give up on my quest to discover new plants just yet. I told myself that I would wander around this world, in search for even more interesting things. There were no limits to the number of quests that were open to me, so that wasn’t an issue.
My first job was to wash up, clean and prepare the vegetables, fruits, meat, and fish, and it was never ending. Some of the products were so fresh that they were still moving. First, Martha showed me how to do it, after which I had to repeat the task ten times over without making any mistakes. By the time that this stage of torture was over, it was already dark outside the window.
— Now, have a break for about ten minutes, — my tutor smiled. — I'll prepare everything for the next stage of training.
I looked at the statistics:
“Cooking Practitioner level 5%.”
“That’s amazing! And this was despite the fact that I hadn’t yet cooked a singled dish! Martha really knows her stuff.”
My pet ran into the kitchen, wearing a bewildered but proud look on his face.
— Well, have you reached the 50% level of beginner Agronomist?
Little Morph nodded positively.
— Well done, — I put together a plate of goodies for him, put it on the table and invited him to treat himself.
As if expecting this moment, my Copper Wing flew into the kitchen. Seeing Little Morph’s plate of goodies, my Copper Wing cried out in indignation.
— Calm down! — I quickly put together a set of treats for him too. — Well, how's Alex doing?
The bird stopped eating for a second, and indicated that the boy was fine and didn’t need any help.
— Well, that’s good news. Tomorrow I'll decide where to go next, and maybe I'll try to follow the boy's tracks and catch up with him, but that's for tomorrow. As for today...
— Break time is over! — Martha was standing in the doorway. — Come on, let's continue your education.
I followed Martha into the back room. My personal hell for the immediate future had been prepared. There was a huge range of cast iron frying pans and stoves. Everything was the same as before. Martha showed me the recipe, and after that I had to repeat it ten times without making any mistakes. It's good that as my cooking skill increased, I found it easier to cook the dishes, and I no longer had to repeat the recipes that often. The constant monitoring and recommendations from my tutor also helped. We started with simple vegetable salads, and then went on to prepare breakfasts and lunch dishes after that. I realized how much easier it was when you had everything you needed at hand. Usually in the game you had to spend mountains of gold to improve an ability by so much so quickly, but I got everything for free. It was already morning, and I finally reached the level of a Craftsman. Martha was radiant. She had also reached a new level of achievement, and at that moment she kindly let me go for a rest. I decided that it was worth sleeping for a couple of hours, so I went to my room.
CHAPTER 23:
MIRAGE GAMES
Although I had slept for two hours only, I didn’t feel tired at all. On the contrary, I was full of energy. As it often happened, when enlightenment came to us in the morning, then many dilemmas would resolve themselves. In fact, there was no dilemma as such. There was a death quest hanging over my head, as well as Alex, and it was in my vital interests to help him. Catching up with the novice archer, who was used to always hunting as a part of a team, and was moving through the forest that was new to him, shouldn’t be a problem. In addition, I knew exactly where to find him because of my Totem.
We had a quick bite to eat. Martha had prepared a magnificent gift for her student: I was handed a sack filled with seasonings and herbs, and a large cooking pot to use on the road.
— Why such kindness? — I was curious.
Martha grinned:
— Consider it a bonus for being my first student to become a Craftsman, but the bonus for becoming a Master will be much greater! And you will definitely have every chance to improve in the future; just don’t
shirk your education. Try not to cook the same dish more than 10-15 times, and constantly experiment by changing the seasonings and ingredients in the dishes you have already mastered. Your ability will grow much faster, and this principle applies to all abilities, by the way. Now clear off. You're about to try and catch up with the boy, am I right?
— Of course, — I smiled, — he will be bored without us.
— That's right, — the landlady became serious. — Without you, his chances are close to none. Most monsters work in a group, and it will be very hard for a novice archer, because a lone traveler is a target for many in these parts.
I said goodbye to Martha, promising to return as soon as I could after I help Alex, to continue my cooking classes with her. We headed for the door. Before I could touch the handle, the door swung open.
A grinning Terin cried out:
— Did you really think that you could leave without saying goodbye to a dwarf?
— Don’t be silly, — I grinned, — I was just about to come and find you.
Looking at me carefully and making sure that I wasn’t lying, Terin stepped back, allowing us to walk past him.
— Forgive me Alder, that I didn’t even drink with you in thanks for my salvation. But everything happened so quickly, and I hadn’t communicated with my own kind for such a long time, so they plied me with booze and I couldn’t refuse them. — The Dwarf‘s facial skin blushed slightly and he appeared to be very embarrassed.
— Then there was a discussion about the new forge project, and by the time it was over, you were busy in the growing plots, so I decided not to interrupt you.
— It's all right, Terin, I understand. — I approached him and patted the dwarf on the shoulder. — So, has everything been decided, will you build a smithy here?
— You bet I will! — The Grand Master grinned. — Sometime in the next two or three weeks I will build the best smithy in the world. You won’t believe your eyes, it will be that good!
— I'm happy for you, I'll definitely come and see it, and I remember that you promised to make something for me, so I'll think about what I need.
— This is a serious business, so think about it. I want to create something for you that will be unique; I will not do this for anyone else no matter how much money they offer me. Also, I need to find the right ingredients, but that’s nothing for you to worry about. I'll take care of it personally! — The Grand Master’s body language was expressing his serious intentions. It showed how important it was to him to bestow his savior and benefactor with something worthy of his name.
— I can see that you're serious about it. — I shook the Dwarf's hand. — As soon as I'm done with Alex's quest, I'll be back, and if necessary, I'll stay here until you finish the job.
— That’s great! — Terin sighed with relief. — I don’t like to be in anybody’s debt. You never know what will happen in life, but my debt will always weigh upon me.
I said goodbye to the Dwarf on good terms, and I instructed my Copper Wing to lead us to where he had last seen Alex.
Even without Alex, we walked through this forest like a hot knife through butter. Although I had scarcely taken part in any fighting before, unless we came across a seriously dangerous opponent, at this point I was constantly ready to fight anything on my way.
Morph ceased to fear his own shadow and, as far as he could, he took a part in the fights, and although the damage he inflicted was incredibly small, he still was able to provoke a monster or embarrass it. We used him like a second sword on weaker opponents. So far, I was finding it difficult fighting with two swords and even Little Morph kept losing his concentration sometimes, fearing for his life. But I remained optimistic. The idea that I could fight with two swords, one of which could turn into a separate fighting unit whenever necessary, gave me strength and patience. As for Little Morph, although afraid at times, remembered that he should prove to be useful to me, especially after he hadn’t clearly understood how on earth he had become an Agronomist, so he was really trying hard.
My Copper Wing was flying a little ahead of us as usual, and conducted reconnaissance. This time he returned excited.
— Did you find Alex?
My Totem indicated that he indeed had found him, but it seemed that our archer needed help urgently. I expected something like this to happen. Many monsters attacked in groups, and if you failed to wipe out the first group before running into a second one, life was going to be pretty hard for you. My Copper Wing took off, Morphy jumped onto my shoulder, and we rushed through the forest.
Very soon, we stumbled upon a mob of fifteen strange creatures, very similar to a cross between a rabbit and a mole. They were jumping around a huge tree that reminded me of a weeping willow. The creatures hadn’t noticed us yet. My Copper Wing had warned us in advance that we were already close, and deduced that it would be better to bring us from a downwind side.
It looked like Alex had attracted as many as three groups at the same time. He was smart enough to climb a tree for safety, otherwise there wouldn’t have been anybody left to rescue. Alex was sitting somewhere in the crown of the tree, and before we turned up, the situation was at a stalemate. The monsters couldn’t climb the tree, and the young archer couldn’t get off it. At the same time, the monsters were easily dodging the boy's arrows, which he was periodically releasing, hoping to cut down the monsters’ ranks.
— Well, fifteen to four is unpleasant, but it's quite feasible. Copper Wing, pull back into the forest and drag some of them along with you. Keep them busy for as long as you can.
The Copper Wing obviously relished the idea of playing tag, and he soared into the air, ready to begin his mission.
— Morphy, distract some of those that are chasing Copper Wing. Don’t fight them, just grab their attention, you know, the way you like to ...
My Phasm nodded happily.
— Well, that's sorted. Some of them won’t take the bait for sure, and will stay put under the tree. I'll take care of them. Later, we'll deal with the mob chasing Morph, and then the ones chasing you, — I nodded to the Totem.
Everybody was happy with the plan and we began to put it into action without delay. Noticing the strange behavior of his pursuers, the archer looked out of the foliage. The boy was incredibly scared. There was panic in his eyes. Alex's head was jerking sharply from side to side, but the crown of the tree was hiding the Copper Wing from him, so the only thing he could see was that for some reason an angry group of monsters had taken off into the forest. At this moment, the boy had hope. There still were six monsters under the tree, but not fifteen, as there had been before. Once I launched the “Falling Leaves” spell on the remaining monsters, the boy calmed down completely. Making sure that Alex knew that we had arrived to save him, and that I wouldn’t get hit by an arrow fired at random, I rushed to meet my opponents. Everything went as I thought it would; we were able to wipe out the entire mob in ten minutes.
— Hello, Alex. — I greeted the boy who had just come down from the tree. — I’m sorry for being late, — I smiled.
Little Morph started happily spinning around the boy, demanding attention and affection, just like a playful puppy. He had an uncanny ability to influence people’s emotions. The boy crouched down unconsciously, and began to scratch my pet behind the ears.
— I’m the one who must ask for forgiveness, — the boy sighed after a pause. — I thought I could get through this forest alone, but without your help, I will never make it in time. You were right. As for the rest, you were also right; we needed a rest. I don’t know what came over me. The Fortune Teller told me to obey you in everything you said, even if I think that you are wrong, but to just follow your lead. I was furious at the time! It was as if I had been bewitched ...
— Come on, — I went over and patted the boy on the head. — I understand everything. Trust me; you are already doing a lot better than many adults would have done in your situation. This quest is for both of us, and we will undertake it together
. Let me cook a quick lunch, and then we’ll be off again. At least you will have an opportunity to experience something that I learned last night.
A smile returned to the boy's face:
— So, you’re not upset with me then?
— Of course not! — I laughed calmly. — I wasn’t expecting anything else from you, because you have such a strong character.
The boy blushed:
— I'll go and collect some firewood.
— Come on then, — I grinned. — And while you’re out there, if you catch any game then bring me the meat.
— Anything specific? — The boy asked professionally.
— No, anything will do. I will experiment.
Alex looked at me doubtfully, but didn’t say anything.
I didn’t recognize the meat that he came back with, so the dish didn’t turn out as well as it could have done, but even this recipe was able to seriously impress the boy.
— That’s simply delicious! — Alex exclaimed.
— Believe me, that's not all I'm capable of these days. By the way, did you appreciate the effect on your life points? — I smiled.
— Yes, it added nearly as much as 10% to my life points and has given me an extra two hours of energy! Now we can quickly make up for the time lost.
I decided that since the stone was going to jump soon, it was worth speeding up a little. So, along the way, all of us took part in the battles. The monsters were dying very quickly, and within a couple of hours we reached the desert. A sea of sand was stretching before us, and here and we could see small hillocks there. Vegetation was rare: some bald thorny bushes, solitary trees without foliage, and very strangely shaped black cacti.
— Are you sure that we moving in the right direction? — I nodded at the desert.
— That’s where we have to go, — the boy pointed straight into the desert.
— Well then, as we have no choice, then we might as well get on with it, — I said, entering the zone of sand.
