(World of Valdira 01) The Way of the Clan

by Dem Mikhaylov

  - I’m listening to you, warrior!

  - I want to enter the guild of warriors! – drew my body straight.

  - Right decision, sonny! Stretch your hand and touch the page of this book!

  - Yes, sir!

  - Well done, boy! Ha! Can you handle axes and clubs? Good for you!

  - At your orders!

  - You’d better improve your axes but as for the crushing weapon…Would you like to get a combat skill?

  - Sure, sir!

  - Which?

  - Please, give me the list!

  - ‘Buzzing head’ is number one! This skill allows you to stun your enemy for a long time, but only if you hit his head! ‘Ramming hit’ is number two! It will give you a chance to push your enemy or even to throw him one step back if your hit is precise and strong enough! You must choose!

  - ‘Buzzing head’, mentor!

  - Five golden coins, sonny! Military science will pay off every copper coin invested in it in spades!

  - Yes, sir. Here is the money!

  - Touch the page. Well done!

  You have successfully learnt a first rank skill named ‘Buzzing head’.

  Natural magic spell hit has increased by 3%.

  Natural magic spell duration has increased by 3%

  Achievement!

  You’ve got a first rank achievement – ‘Clubber’!

  You can see your achievements in your character’s settings.

  Your award for the achievement: +2% to the hit effect of the crushing weapon type.

  Current bonus: +7%

  - Thank you for your knowledge, mentor!

  - You can be free, warrior! And take away your damned horse from the territory of the guild! Is the order clear?

  - What?! I mean – yes, sir, yes, mentor! To take away my damned horse from the territory of the guild! Consider it’s done!

  Dashing from the arch, I hurried through the hall back, grabbed the reins of the horse which had already eaten all the grass and moved on to the bush. The knight’s shield disappeared together with the hand, the sword turned into a miserable stick thin enough for cleaning teeth. Damn it… squatting subconsciously at every step and looking around, I broke through the park and fell out through the gates of the guild. It worked out. There were no guards nearby. Otherwise one golden coin wouldn’t be enough. The beast ate up half a bush! It’s nice that the mentor-warrior turned out to be a kind-hearted guy. Or maybe he just doesn’t like green lanes?

  I had some more savings left, but after thinking properly I decided not to spend them so far since the old fisherman living in Mossy Hills could refuse to share his information free of charge. I was financially stable at least for the first time. Besides I acquired two combat skills, increased the number of spells, got dressed up. Sounds good. Sure, I would be happy to possess more advanced gear for example rare or even epic class but it was almost impossible to purchase such a thing in ordinary shops. Only at the auction. But unfortunately it would a problem to find an appropriate good gear for my miserable level thirteen. I have to grow to level twenty at least and then it will be possible to choose a couple of decent items. Nothing special, just level up by miserable seven levels. It’s definitely not a problem for me and that is what I’m going to do on my way to the far small village Mossy Hills. And the chestnut horse will help me depending on the situation either to gallop away from the chase or vice verse to pursue the escaping monster. I’ll be able to cast spells while riding besides it’s better to look around from the height of the horse buttocks. And moreover and it’s very nice that my bearing capacity has grown up by several times. I’ll be able to stuff loads of loot in the cantle bags and travel light.

  - Yes – I agreed with myself and patted the neck of the facile horse – So I’ll call you Helper. Or Help for short. If you’re a good boy, you’ll get the title Friend, and if you confirm your loyalty then even Best Friend. The chestnut one didn’t seem to object following me at a jog along the block-stone road obediently. I focused on my attributes. It’s high time to finish with them. Thinking for a while I distributed spare points fast and confirmed the obtained result. Then my character’s development looked like the following:

  Your character’s basic attributes:

  Strength – 16

  Intelligence – 30

  Agility – 11

  Stamina – 17

  Wisdom – 7

  Points available for distribution: 0

  It looked like a mage… certainly a strange one, but still a mage. As soon as my intelligence reached three dozens, I got another achievement.

  Achievement!

  You’ve got a first rank achievement – ‘Wiseacre’!

  You can see your achievements in your character’s settings.

  Your award for the achievement: +1% to the chance to identify items.

  +50 to mana points

  Current chance of successful identification: 4.8%

  Current bonus to mana points: +50

  I’ve become a wiseacre, haven’t I? It’s my first time when I’ve been called wise no matter that in the virtual world of Valdira. It’s very pleasant!

  As I was busy I didn’t notice how we left the central street and finally I could feel being a real rider. I put my foot into the stirrup, lifted up and found myself in a broad and comfy saddle. The massive horse didn’t even shake taking my weight.

  Achievement!

  You’ve got a first rank achievement – ‘Rider’!

  You can see your achievements in your character’s settings.

  Your award for the achievement: +0.5 to the speed of riding.

  Shutting the achievement message, I directed the horse ahead, looking around very attentively not to bump into any of citizens or gamers. In half an hour of slow ride I stopped at the bleak two-storey building of an inn and waited until a server jumped up to me, gave him the reins and five silver coins – the price for my horse occupying a lot in the stable. To have even a simple mount horse is rather expensive. I can’t imagine how much gamers possessing a winged Pegasus, combat unicorns or animals that don’t belong to or mount category – for example, polar bears, pay. There are also huge elephants that look like their ‘real’ relatives only due to the similar trunk and tusks. But as for the rest… I’ve never seen such spooky creatures even in the worst nightmares…

  I greeted with fatigue the girl who smiled at me and stomped along the corridor towards my private room, fell inside and shut the door behind me. One more disordered day was over. My glance fixed at the silver bracelet lying in the center of the empty room alone.

  I stepped forward to pick up Grim the Werewolf’s fatal gift, stared at the engraving ornament… and snapped the bracelet on my right upper-arm. Well, I have some time before the moon is full but then the silver werewolf will come to take my soul. Damn my crazy idea to cover Keira by my body at that tournament, she wouldn’t die anyway. On the other hand I wouldn’t have acquired two unique quests and become the owner of a piece of the legendary armor. Well… and I’ll have stayed its owner by the time when Grim in his beasty shape catches me and tears me off into small pieces. Then he’ll take the bracelet with bloody smears off my carcass and will merrily leap away. What a surprise it will be if it happens during the execution of the second mysterious assignment that Gosha had prepared for me. Shall tell Gosha everything? But why? The ban on the character’s death was cancelled. And even if I am torn off by the werewolf, it won’t cause any negative consequences. I am just a gamer. Certainly I’ll lose a part of the experience gained and some skills, but I will revive immediately. The only serous hazard is if Grim emerges at an inappropriate moment when I am in Keira’s party. Thus, I’ll have to complete the task at daylight when there is no full moon for sure. I’d prefer to know more but Gosha was fogging and creating some mystery. The only thing I know for sure – I’ll have to fight during the task. And not against gamers as previously but against monsters. I looked at the bracelet for the last time and pulled down the sleeve o
f my shirt to cover it. I didn’t want to wear it. Since it was very risky to lose the bracelet due to an awkward death. But the archmage had some reason to warn me about not leaving the silver bracelet anywhere. Can it for example vanish from my private room? Basically it’s impossible but recently I have started hesitating that Valdira admits such an absurd word as ‘impossible’. And I was also afraid of the possibility that Grim will be sick and tired of waiting for me at full-moon nights – as I can be offline that time – and once he’ll find me at day. And even in his human state he’s much stronger than I am. Nevertheless he’s not just an alcoholic but a hero praised in legends. A chance of such a meeting has never been mentioned, but I suppose I’m becoming a paranoiac. In case of such a meeting, the bracelet will increase my vitality chance and a chance to escape. A rather slight chance but still a chance. Besides any level-up will mean the increase of my chances – since the legendary bracelet progresses together with me consequently its attributes increase. By the way… what about the attributes?

  Name: Soul of the Silver Wolf

  Description: the right bracer, a piece of the legendary armor of Grim the Silver Hammer.

  Item class: Legendary!

  Current effects:

  +5 strength

  +3 stamina

  +3 protection

  The bonuses have significantly grown up but not equally. So it means that at a level either all attribute can go up or just one of them. Anyway they are growing increasing my vitality, strength and protection.

  I threw my sack on the floor, lay down near it having my arms folded on my chest and closed my eyes. I must sleep for some hours. Until the sun-rise in the game.

  A flash.

  A rainbow vortex was raising me…

  Looking forward to seeing you soon, Valdira…

  Exit

  Chapter 11

  Go to Timber Site! Road to Mossy Hills.

  I woke up myself. One minute before the alarm-clock standing by my bed started shaking nervously and emitted a chain of ear-piercing sounds. Five hours plus some minutes is the period of time during which I allowed my body to relax and a short nap made me fresh. The stomach coped with the recent dinner and was demanding some more food.

  I jumped out of the bed and dashed around my apartment doing several things simultaneously. A full kettle on the cooker, ten-minute warm-up in the corridor, fast run downstairs towards the litter bin in the yard and also fast run back. Before climbing into the bath, I dusted the bed of the game cocoon with wipers as it started smelling sour. It took me just several minutes to take a shower, then a short fuss around my tiny kitchen and here I am, sitting in front of the display waiting for the page of the game forum to download while drinking strong coffee.

  First of all I entered the just-created section called unambiguously ‘Navigator and Road to Zar’graad’.

  ‘The administration officially announces that the unique spell has been discovered and successfully learnt. The negotiations with the lucky gamer have been held and the administration can guarantee that journey to the unknown continent will happen for sure. But it is still unknown which of the fleet under construction Navigator will join. It will be entirely his choice. We ask you persuasively not to waste our time demanding to reveal the name of the gamer-navigator. Those who will attack the forum with such questions will be punished by penalty sanctions. Concentrate on constructing ships solid enough to survive all troubles on the way’.

  Wow… the administration seems to be worn out because of all these inquiries.

  So what about other topics?

  Oh holy shit… first I thought I logged in an employment site.

  Online labor exchange. Numerous headlines were flickering in front of my eyes ‘Required!’ ‘In great demand!’

  ‘A great number of laborers are required for a timber site in the area of Foggy Jungle!’

  ‘Miners are being hired for level eight of Black Abyss! Thrice payment!’

  ‘Buying ingredients – any quantity, good price! The list is inside the topic, the denominations highlighted red are bought at the price three times higher than standard!’

  ‘Lumbers, blacksmiths and miners willing to earn a fortune – come here!’

  ‘Wanted! Mercenaries! Level one hundred minimum! To provide security of Purple Tornado clan’s shipyards! Mages and shamans are welcome!’…

  Such a fuss! Most gamers hunting for monsters must have turned into hard-working laborers.

  And is there anything interesting in the game news and events section?

  Wow…

  ‘A successful night raid by Twilight Shadows clan over Albatrosses clan’s shipyard!’

  ‘Incredible! All the forces of Twilight Shadows clan were directed to attack the shipyard where Albatrosses clan’s admiral ship had been constructed! At the cost of incredible efforts Albatrosses managed to throw the enemy back and make their rows thinner, but Shadows entirely confirmed their name. Behind the backs of fighters a scout climbed o the shipyard moving like a noiseless shadow. He managed to set a flame artifact of an incredible power and to activate it. The flame blaze was so huge that it could be seen many miles away! The head of Albatrosses doesn’t make any comments for the reports from the World of Valdira Today, but nevertheless it’s clear that their admiral ship was seriously damaged or even completely destroyed! Are Albatrosses really going to leave the race towards Zar’graad?’

  Gosha must be in a wild rage now… he must be vituperating.

  And it wasn’t the only breaking news about raids over shipyards.

  ‘Terrible monsters attacking the shipyard of the Sleepless clan! The attack has been successfully rebuffed’.

  ‘A furious black dragon sent its rage at the shipyard of Amazons clan! There are victims among laborers!’

  ‘Robbers attack a caravan! Emerald cloaks clan was left without necessary shipment to their shipyard!’

  ‘Food intoxication of laborers at the shipyard of the Die-hard clan! They suppose a sabotage attack!’

  ‘A black flag on the horizon! Information from the reliable source! According to Graham the Sly, the head of the pirate fleet, he is looking forward to the first ships being floated out and gaining the offing. He said to the annalists that he would be happy to grapple with the ships, devastate their holds full of the rich loot and feed the crew to sharks!’

  A real war.

  Pushing away from the display I was thinking for a few minutes whether it was a good idea to call Gosha and express my deep regrets but finally I decided not to perform such a reckless action. I could be just in the heat of the moment.

  Fresh cleaned cocoon was blinking at me by green indicators as if inviting me; the ticking alarm-clock was emphasizing that time was flying fast.

  I got the hint and considered it.

  Having found a cozy position on the flexible bed, I closed the lid and put on the helm. Good-bye, Rostislav, hello, Rosgard.

  A flash…

  Raising my head a bit, I looked around. Grey walls, ceiling and floor of the similar color. My private room. There was no a sign of Grim the Inconsolable in any corner.

  I stood up and throwing my sack over the shoulder went out into the corridor. A few steps and I was in the lounge of the hotel. A lady greeted me with a friendly smile and nodded at the wall with lots of pictures on it.

  - Have a look, sir. There is a new painting of the type that I haven’t seen before. It emerged on its own. There wasn’t a sign of it a minute ago, but then I looked at the wall by chance and got amazed.

  - Good morning – I said subconsciously and stepped towards the place the lady was pointing out at. I looked at the depictions of heroic deeds and found the certain painting at once. No wonder. Since there wasn’t a painting in the classical meaning of the word. A simple wooden rectangular frame was embracing a totally black canvas. And a neat copper plate below saying: ‘The gamer ******* is learning the unique spell ‘To chase away Zar’graad’s veil’. Looking closer I distinguished quite clea
rly a very thin – about two or three millimeters wide – stripe of a green color with a blue edge of the water surface. Such a ‘Black Square’ by Malevich. You mustn’t be a genius to guess that the heart of the canvas painted black concealed an almost naked and wet gamer sitting on the bank of a quiet pond and staring at the stone plate. And a curious beaver sitting on its hind feet. The painting showed the scene captured by the Amreeta when I was studying the spell. A good joke. Or maybe a slight hint from the administration that I had to hurry up?

  - Can you see it?! – a gamer with a bow behind his shoulder who had just jumped up to me grumbled with excitement – This is the famous Navigator!

  - Yes, I can – I agreed and directed to the exit slowly.

  - Your horse is at the entrance, sir – the girl shouted at my back.

  - Thanks – I responded coming out into the street. Just to be caught by crossed rain.

  The sunny weather that had been for the last few days went missing. The light blue sky was covered by heavy grey clouds, a gusting wind got up throwing rain drops into the face and trying to climb inside my collar.

  - Thank you – I nodded at a young lad who had been stoically waiting for me at the entrance holding the reins of Help saddled up – Take it!

  A copper coin gleamed in the air flying from my hand into his; I fixed the grey cloak and got astride.

  There is no such a thing as bad weather!

  Today all herbalists have a nice reason to celebrate! In rainy weather all plants grow faster! There is a chance to run into rare healing herbs! Such a paradise for mushroom hunters! But don’t forget that rain provokes the high activity of such disgusting creatures as Palmate Basidiums, Spitting Slugs…

  I closed the message and softly pressed my heels against the horse’s sides. Let’s go…

  Merry streamlets were running along the streets carrying their water right into the drain of Algora.

  A nice way to clean streets from waste and dust. Once I found a couple of golden coins and a combat spell scroll just on the grid of the drainage system. And it happened right in a street.