The Quest (Dark Paladin Book #2) LitRPG Series

by Vasily Mahanenko

  Boom-Boom-Boom!

  Phphpht! Phphpht! Phphpht!

  The Kord’s shots and ricochets filled the cave. Cheering myself on by screams I turned my shoulder and dropped my numb hand onto the cache. My loot fell into my palm: the hexagon so coveted by all players. Twisting, I fell onto the ground, managing to do two important things at once: stick the stone into personal inventory and turn towards the center of the hall. The boss was just finishing with Miltay, tearing him in half with its claws. Rast was already gone from the Dungeon.

  Knowing that our adventure was over, I pulled all the ammunition I had prepared from the personal inventory. The shells that fell into the magma started melting but were immediately covered with a new bunch and thus did not fully burn up. They were followed by scrolls rolled up into tight packs: my personal bombs. I had made so many of those that I had even attained the status of junior craftsman’s apprentice in draftsmanship. That meant 400,000 successfully created items! Now I was looking at a huge pile of scrolls that caught fire immediately – it was amazing how they had even fit in the inventory. I did not see any point in keeping them: no one would need such low level work at the auction. My attack capability was too low. It was funny: I had been preparing for the Dungeon for so long and lost all my materials in such a stupid way. I decided to go out with a bang, and activated the detonator. In five seconds the Dungeon would see another nuclear explosion, this time a local one. The “Templar’s Blow” impact area was a mere five meters.

  The crab appeared suddenly. From the right.

  With a precise move it grabbed me by my body and the imitation legs. I noticed only now that the machine guns had been cut in half: apparently, during my flight the crab actually had managed to reach me. Had my limbs still been intact, I would have crushed into the wall screaming and basically unconscious. I was lucky, there was no arguing about that.

  There was a crash and I was thrown upwards like on a roller coaster: the crab tore me in half. One claw clutched my body, the other – the machine guns. The claw that was holding me started closing as if to crush me, when the Dungeon perceptibly shook. The claw opened, and I fell, bruising all my insides on the stones yet again. Only after I automatically downed a blue elixir and a red one, which granted me a few extra minutes of life, I saw that this time it was not the stones that assaulted me. The unwelcome impact came from the internal surface of the boss’ chitin. I was lying inside a ten-foot crab; one half of it was simply missing. There was no claw, no legs and no eye. The meat had fallen into the lava and hissed and smoked in the most disgusting way; however, the armor filters prevented me from smelling roasted crab. Everything jolted again, so I had to grab onto some sharp edge which started growing slowly even as I was holding it. The boss was regenerating. I did not know if crabs were not prone to screaming or I just happened across a mute one, but at least the boss twisted in agony without making a sound.

  The chitin grew another few inches and it became hard to hold onto the crab. The Book of Knowledge immediately produced a projection, indicating that the boss would return to its original state in two and a half minutes. Angry at my inability to do anything, I pulled out a piece of still-soft chitin and threw it at the boss’ insides. Die, blasted freak!

  The crab could not care less; it kept moving in circles and actively regenerating. Tracing the flight of the chitin with my eyes I basically despaired of getting out of this whole thing alive, when I noticed that something inside the boss was pulsing oddly. The artifact pinpointed the phenomenon and highlighted it in green: yes, something was beating inside the boss. The AK I had put away at the very beginning of the Dungeon raid jumped into my hands and I put the entire clip into the crab’s insides. I was shaking so badly that there was no way I could aim precisely. And I only had one clip – all the rest I had thrown into the lava a few moments ago. The crab jerked sharply yet again and I hit my head on the chitin. The last thing I saw before I fainted was a system message:

  You have completed Dungeon “Alveona”

  Chapter Four. The Meeting

  MY HEAD RANG as if a hundred drummers were giving a concert there. I opened my eyes reluctantly and tried to look around. Compete darkness was slightly diluted by the glowing semi-transparent energy dome that encompassed me on all sides, protecting from the hellish inferno of the sizzling Dungeon. The dome was small; there were just a few inches of free space, beyond which I saw the white and red insides of the crab. The boss was dead, but its body kept regenerating; it sealed me completely within its insides. I tried to sit up, but hit my head on something and fell back.

  Drip! Pshhhh!

  The force shell protected me from pressure and temperature extremes; however, as it turned out, it did not help against dripping ichor. Another drop fell precisely on my neck and rolled down disgustingly. My neck started itching badly, and I turned my head every which way to ease my suffering. Bending my head forward to the extent my “coffin” would allow I noticed the way my armor looked. The armor that once used to shine even covered in mud now seemed to be covered with stains and an elaborate lacing of scratches. Another drop fell through my dome and splashed muddy red on my armor, covering the last clean bits. Worried for my expensive armor, I opened the properties screen and rejoiced at what I saw. My protection had acquired additional attributes.

  From now on my class armor blocked 10% of damage from lightning, and overall physical protection had increased by 5%. The “scratches” that had scared me were actually a spell‒“Level 3 Energy Shield”‒ which did not require Energy usage and automatically activated in case of a sudden blow. Now it would be hard to take me by surprise or knock me out unexpectedly. Those advantages were worth the deteriorated appearance of the armor.

  Would you like to collect your winnings?

  Once I closed the properties screen, the Game offered me the chance to collect my “hard-earned gains” I acquired in the Dungeon. A virtual window appeared again; this time the interface was a rolling drum with the possible options of final loot. I got used to the rotation speed and read the words on the sections: “Gem”, “Artifact Enhancer”, “Attribute Stone”, “Engraving Pattern”. “Gem” again, and the other options rolled through. All in all there were about fifty sections. There were only two that did not repeat on the drum; they were located opposite each other: “Game Set Enhancement” and “Double Game Set Enhancement”. Oh yes, I wanted that. I wanted that very much.

  Where is my double Luck? Hoping that there is fortune and luck in the Game that would help me, I closed my eyes: this way I would not see it if my luck were to float away right from under my nose. Then it would be easier to accept whatever super prize I received and not torment myself with the thoughts of what could have been.

  Your prize is determined. Would you like to collect it?

  YEEESSSSS! Lady Luck, if you were a person, I would have kissed you heartily! There was a reason I was so excited: the arrow of the virtual drum stopped right in the middle of “Double Game Set Enhancement”. Come here, my Precious!

  Daro Set cannot be received automatically; request for Viceroy generated

  Received: 10 granises

  Grandeur +10

  Do you wish to leave Dungeon “Alveona”?

  That seemed unfortunate. Now I would have to wait till the Viceroy deemed it acceptable to give me the set. Well, fine, at least that was clear. But where did the ten granises come from?! Miltay’s words echoed through my head. This amount of granises would make me even more attractive to head hunters. My imagination readily painted a couple of scenes with evil seekers of easy money who would send me for respawn time after time until they killed me for good. I swallowed and asked for help.

  “I need information on the current reward!” I screamed into the darkness. “I cannot accept it. This way I will just become prey sought by everyone! I must understand what threats I will be facing, or else I demand an equivalent exchange to the amount of the prize!”

  Another information message appeared almost imm
ediately:

  Request is granted. Access to Temple of Knowledge is provided

  “Welcome to the Temple of Knowledge, young Paladin.” The keeper of knowledge spread his arms in a welcoming gesture. “Your request was deemed justified and your teachers will be subjected to well-deserved punishment for their negligence in training you. In this scroll you will find the information you have requested.”

  The old man fell silent, letting me stretch my shoulders and legs with a great deal of pleasure. It was great to feel my lower limbs again! I had been transported to the Temple of Knowledge in a completely healthy state.

  Granis: official monetary unit of the Game used for settlements among players. Granises received directly from the Game are considered basic; they increase player’s “Basic granis” scale.

  Grandeur: dynamic parameter; determines player’s achievements/punishments. Cannot be negative. Each Grandeur unit equals 10 virtual levels (cannot exceed 20 times player’s current level); removes constraints on visiting Game worlds, using abilities, spell activation and other actions linked to player’s level.

  Daro set: second strongest set in the Game. Cannot be purchased. Issued by Viceroy for Game achievements. Set properties depend on player’s class.

  If the difference between all granises available to player and parameter “Basic granis” is from 3-10, player acquires a temporary attribute “Failure”.

  If the difference between all granises available to player and parameter “Basic granis” exceeds 10, “Terror” is initiated. A player with attribute “Terror” acquires specific aura enabling traders to significantly overstate prices of their goods; it also aides headhunters to locate and kill the victim.

  Exchange rate: 1 granis = 100 Game gold coins = 200 kilograms gold.

  Your current level of “Grandeur”: 10.

  Difference between granises available and parameter “Basic granis”: +14. 2 quests are initiated for your permanent respawn. Quests accepted by: 1447 headhunters.

  “Did all the mercenaries receive ten granises each?” I asked once I finished reading. The old man frowned in concern, and I started pushing bluntly: “You can’t tell me that it is not relevant to my inquiry! I received ten granises and I need to know if I have to give them away or no. It will determine the difference between available and basic granises, so it directly relates to my inquiry.”

  “Well, you are right,” the keeper agreed reluctantly and scratched his beard. “I need to provide a clarification. Ten-fold enhancement of the Dungeon affected only the reward of the owner. Instead of the guaranteed one basic granis he received ten. Everyone else received one.”

  “Three granises that will be paid to Miltay for helping in completing the Dungeon: what type are they?”

  “Once received, they have nothing to do with the Game. Your mercenaries are quite young; they’ve only been working for twenty years. That’s why they accept all orders: they need to accumulate the initial capital of basic granises; doing so in the Dungeons is simplest for novices. The group was lucky with you. Because of the Luck they received Grandeur having completed a 10-fold Dungeon. This will enable them to register for hire in a different world.”

  “Judges.” I hastened to start on the next topic of interest to me before the old guy would decide that he had had enough questions for the day. “It does not say anything here about Judges and granises that they receive. What should I be concerned about?”

  “Judges don’t receive granises, they receive a virtual reward for headhunters. That activates neither ‘Indignation’, nor ‘Terror’. The hunter, or whatever being executes the sentence, will receive granises from the Judge, not from the Game. The ‘Basic granis’ level in this case will not increase.” Apparently, the keeper was tired of my curiosity. “Enough, you have already received all the information you needed.”

  So that would have to do. The space around me shifted, returning me to the innards of the giant crab. Finally I understood the universal interest in the Dungeons and reasons why barter was so popular. Everyone wants granises, but large amounts of them are dangerous.

  I poked listlessly at the crab’s insides, hoping to reach the organ that had pulsed in the middle, but realized it was futile. I was not able to advance a single inch. Deciding that I’d had enough Luck for one day, I hastened to agree to the Game’s suggestion to finish the Dungeon and return my legs. Miltay cheerfully greeted me in the Sanctuary.

  There were no problems with sharing the loot. While I was away, the mercenary prepared the final list, separated my share, added a bit on top and presented all that to me in a red bag with a blue bow. I really wanted to make a joke about it, but decided against it, to Miltay’s extreme disappointment. Apparently, that was the team’s thing, with a well-prepared response. On my part I presented to them the attribute stone I had collected, and my parting with “Zeltan” team was quite friendly, as we were pleased with each other. I was assured that in case I needed them they would be happy to assist, this time with the two nukes their new license allowed.

  “Hello! What an unexpected meeting!” A familiar female voice called to me as I was leaving the building with the Dungeon portals. I stopped and looked at Helen. I had expected an encounter with the Doll, but not so fast. The Game’s creation was waving its hand at me with a friendly air from the other side of the street. In a couple moments Helen was standing next to me, and I let myself drown in her baby-blue eyes.

  “I wanted to take a stroll around the city and got lost‒ can you imagine?” Passers-by were looking warmly at us. The NPCs felt that my Doll and I were ideally suited to each other, and were glad to see a really beautiful couple. “It’s just that no one speaks Russian here, and my German… is quite limited. At least the navigator in my phone works really well. Listen, would it be too forward of me to bring you to a café? I would be so glad to hear someone speak my language! What do you say to that?”

  The girl extended her hand to me and I surrendered, accepting her invitation with a smile. To me Helen was first of all a pretty girl with a sweet smile and charming dimples on her cheeks, and only then a Doll. After all, I had not had sex for a very long time!

  “Paladin Yaropolk, come with us. The Viceroy is ready to meet you.” We made barely ten paces when a crowd of players appeared out of nowhere and encircled us. A druid elf stepped forward and made a gesture, inviting me to step into a portal that opened right beside us, but I disagreed with that approach. I noticed that some of those in the escort had a tattoo covering their entire shoulder: hissing snakes entwined around a shining stone. The Book of Knowledge told me that it was the emblem of the Viceroy, and I recalled looking at it during the speech his highness had made before we were all sent off to the Academy.

  “Guys, but who are you, actually? And why am I supposed to follow your orders?”

  Helen shied away, frightened, then hid behind my back and pressed herself against me, seeking protection. Maybe I did not want to follow the unexpected escort stupidly as a sheep on a rope; maybe I was just trying to show off in front of the girl. They say that you can tell what the master is like by his servants or followers; following that logic the Viceroy was quite something. I had expected that an invitation would be handed to me festively, that it would highlight my grandeur and my unique achievements. Or something like that. But definitely not an armed escort. Now what, would they pull out shackles to prevent me from biting his blue-skinned highness accidentally?

  “Paladin Yaropolk, we are wasting time! You don’t have enough brainpower to make a guess?”

  “Well, let’s be clear: you are wasting time exclusively due to your stupidity.” I underscored the “you” part. “And I have enough brainpower not to jump into portals with everyone who sports the Viceroy’s tattoo.”

  “You, dog meat, you don’t get it – you are supposed to be delivered to the ceremony in one piece, but afterwards there’s nothing that prevents us from making you pay for the insults,” the druid exploded indignantly. He did contain hims
elf, but his flaring nostrils indicated that he was ready to burst. Apparently, in his worldview I was already supposed to be rushing for the portal so fast that I would overtake my own shadow.

  “Is this a threat?” Fatigue was taking its toll, and I was becoming angry as well.

  “It’s a warning!” barked the elven-descended arrogant upstart in response. “If you don’t voluntarily get in gear and run towards this portal, I’ll just toss you in there like a sack. And even the Sanctuary will not stop me! Like I’m supposed to bow and scrape in front of every random half-wit!”

  I did not respond to the lout. It became crystal clear to me that those guys were from the caste of “tough guys that no one wants to mess with”, imagining that they were an important part of the universe machinery, and it would be pointless to try arguing with them.

  “Vorta, get the net ready,” the druid signaled to the player standing behind me, and actually turned away, considering the incident over. We’ll just haul him like a pig.”

  I was nearly gnashing my teeth in anger. Servants who confused themselves with masters would have to answer for that “pig”.