On the morning of the seventh day the sun was not visible behind the clouds as usual. It was raining tired again. Another attempt to clean up the cemetery had begun. Yesterday was a very fruitful day, except for what the Inquisitor had experienced. Dan received an award, he increased strength, agility, and endurance. The system fully appreciated his constant jumping and dumping from monsters. From his victory over the Banshee, he got 4 points in "Self Control", 1 point "Psycho Control" and 1 point "Resistance to Cold". So, the creature was really freezing him. Dan raised the "Cognition" by two more points.Until lunch, he only pulled out warrior skeletons, the players were already able to handle them. Players were getting hurt, but Ron was quickly restoring their health. Now the whole group was in iron armor. The whole group wore rings and amulets. Even though the skeletons were at least level 15, they didn"t cause any particularly serious problems and the experience was good. Even the partners got 1000 points of experience. When the skeletons were out of reach, the players consulted and Dan called level 12 zombies in equipment and with weapons.
The creature managed to kill Alexander, Tom, and Nick, who had slipped into it. Michael was cured.
Players took a break to wait for the boys to come back to life.
The differences between cla.s.ses are now quite visible.
The biggest resistance to monster attacks could have been Dan and Leo.
The zombies, apart from the usual loot, dropped a bow with +1 to dexterity and a quiver with arrows.
Nick was very excited and immediately began to learn new weapons. Now from behind the Warriors" backs was flying a shimmering blue death. Nick often didn"t hit the target, and no dexterity helped him. He made everybody angry! His arrows beat in the back and caused annoying damage.
But after a while, when Nick had gained enough experience, he discovered the skill of "Shot".
Nick even smiled the first time he used his skill. With this skill, he always. .h.i.t the target and dealt good damage, due to the effect of ignoring the enemy"s defense.
The only problem was that using the skill required 5 mana points. And intelligence doesn"t count on scouts! A scout is strong and dexterous, he doesn"t need intelligence.
John immediately started calling Nick "Dumby eye". Nick was silent and patient and only occasionally threatened to shoot the joker a.s.sa.s.sin. John responded by saying that a cop had no right to do that. The stupid bickering between the two of them was really defusing the atmosphere. Even the wounded players had a smile.
Everyone was tired, but by evening the players had killed all the zombies.
There were not enough arrows for Nick, although it was the zombies who sometimes fell the trophy of 10 arrows.
Scouting with Michael ran to the village to resupply and put the trophies in the chest.
A gla.s.s of bones caught in the house.
Jim was developing a repair on leather armor.
Dan and Gandalf complemented the bestiary and began to form a guide for the game. The entire group received 100 points of "Glory" for the first guide in the world.
Dan and Gandalf got the "Chronist" achievement and each received 25 points of "Glory".
Gandalf was already level 13, he had raised his magic and threatened to make Doomsday for monsters.
Dan had fully developed all the skills of the "Librarian".
He sometimes took a complete distraction from the atmosphere of battle in the cemetery. He was already free to read most of the inscriptions on monuments and graves.
He had the impression that the world was working out perfectly well and in every detail.
Now Dan wasn"t sorry for his specialty. He was absolutely convinced that in this game it was important not to live the grey life of a player who quietly develops his cla.s.s.
He was sure he"d meet the surprises of the game again. And it will be powerful surprises, ancient and ancient secrets will not change into little things.
He wasn"t going to share his findings. He decided he"d think long and hard before revealing his secrets.
The guys from the village came back. Michael treated the guards to wine. He found out there was a small fortified house three days" journey with a small group of five players.
The newcomers were tied to the point of revival in the Castle and sent under the care of Turin to the castle.
But there was one nuance. Valerie flatly refused to leave in the village of a mangled soldier from the guards of the caravan. She helped treat him. The problem with this warrior was easy to solve. He wouldn"t go back alone, it was a suicide in his situation. No one in the village needs him. Michael talked to the guard"s colleagues, and then to the warrior himself, and as a result, the cripple got the right to go to the castle. He will become a coach. A specialist at this time can give initial lessons on how to properly handle a sword and how to use it in battle. Taking on the service of a local experienced soldier is the right thing to do. There is a lot of information from him about this world. Dan realized that such an expert would be interesting.
Just smile and wave, Dan. Smile and wave.
The evening"s usually over. Each player prepared and tested his equipment. Those who received new levels distributed new points of characteristics and skills. The players had dinner and went to bed.
***
The morning battle began with a performance of His Majesty. Gandalf showed his new possibilities. Magic in this game turned out to be terrible stuff.
The first fireball that Gandalf released left no one indifferent.
The ball of fire became slightly larger and flew much faster, but the most terrible was the consequences of hitting this ball. There was a small vortex at the site of the fireball explosion. The monsters that had been hit not only flew away but were also seriously injured. A maximally developed fireball dealt at least 1000 points of damage.
The "Blow of the Wind" was a skill that allowed the enemy to be thrown away. Warriors" skeletons flew away from a sharp blow of wind at five yards, zombies at two. The skill was developed by only five points. "Ice Needles" was an interesting skill. There were three icicles on the sides of Gandalf, three thick in the arm and one long in the elbow. Then, they quickly flew away towards the enemy and stabbed wounds were inflicted. The damage to the dead was small, but the skill was poorly developed only 3 points.
"The Swamp". Control! Good skill and very useful. It was a pity that Gandalf hadn"t developed the magic of the Earth.
The enemy caught in the spelling zone, knee-deep in viscous mud, and he had to make serious efforts to get out. Players tested and learned that this skill slowed the enemy"s movement for a short time! But the magician did not want to be an a.s.sistant, he wanted to become the main killer of monsters. He can be understood, Gandalf is sure to prove his usefulness to the clan.
Suddenly, Gandalf made a bid for the t.i.tle of the formidable Damager on the team. But he only had enough mana for five fireb.a.l.l.s. Michael scolded himself for not thinking of buying more potions that increase mana regeneration.
There were explosions and loud sounds from weapon strikes, alternating with swearing. Black and smelly smoke rose to the eternally frowning sky, and the bodies of ghouls and zombies were puked on fire. The players seemed to have been at war. They may have been in h.e.l.l.
Beast after beast, the players were breaking through to the center of the cemetery. There must be a boss in any location, and they were approaching him. Dan guessed what was waiting for the group ahead. The transformation marks on the bodies of zombies spoke clearly about the future enemy.
In the middle of the cemetery was a gorgeously decorated huge crypt. It stood on an elevation. And on the steps of the crypt stood a new enemy with a two-handed blade. The sword shone dead blue. The enemy stood in absolutely whole armor. It looked like an ordinary warrior"s skeleton, but the description clearly stated that it was not.
*
Rebellious Draugr
Type: Elite
Status: Boss of the location
Level: 20
Life: 30,000
Description: A zombie that has consumed enough flesh for the rebirth can turn into one of two types of undead, the Butcher or Draugr. And both of these species are extremely dangerous. But ask any veteran, and he will answer: "I"d rather meet the butcher twice than meet Draugr once". This creature"s bones become stronger than iron after transformation, his body gaining weight as if the monster were made of steel. This creature is intelligent and the fight is very calculated.
Draugr is a natural warrior, and his fighting skills and weapons are fully developed.
This cla.s.s is also capable of rebirth, and you must crush this monster as soon as possible.
The remains must be collected and crushed into dust, then drowned in the sea, otherwise, the monster will be reborn again.
Improved skills:
"Master Blade". The weapon in this monster"s hand is as dangerous as its master. This skill increases weapon damage and allows the use of special sword tricks and techniques. [10/10]
It opens up skills:
"Pressure". Skill is very similar to the `Strike" of a warrior, but in strength is many times superior to it. Draugr can punch a fully equipped opponent through with a simple blow of the hand. Even light stone walls can be punched through by a creature. Cooldown: 200 seconds. [10/10]
"Cutting through the void". This skill increases the chance to ignore your opponent"s armor and cla.s.s abilities. Cooldown: 120 seconds. [10/10]
Cla.s.s skills:
"Invincible". This skill increases protection and gives immunity from many types of damage. [10/10]
It opens up skills:
"Juggernaut". This skill greatly enhances the monster"s characteristics, making it a perfect destruction machine. [10/10]
"Inevitable Death". This skill significantly increases the speed of the monster"s movement, helping him to overcome his own weight. [10/10]
Battle skills:
"Enter the Crusher". The creature blows up into the air and lands on its feet, creating a powerful shock wave that inflicts huge damage and injury to the enemies around it. Cooldown: 400 seconds. [10/10]
"Singing Blade". Spinning a whirlwind, the monster strikes a powerful circular blow, destroying everything within its blade radius. Cooldown: 240 seconds. [10/10]
Immunity to arms:
Stabbing: 100%
Cutting: 80%
Crushing: 80%
The magic of fire: 80%
The magic of water: 60%
The magic of air: 90%
The magic of the earth: 60%
*
This monster"s suit was two levels 17 banshees.
"What"s up, Dan?"
"This is our death, Michael. Death on Two Legs."
"Is it really that bad?"
"I"m afraid that"s the deepest a.s.s we"ve ever met."
Dan loudly read the creature"s description of all the guys.
Everyone was quiet. With two more banshees, no one had any idea how to destroy this monster.
"We go around the edge and kill the weaker undead. We leave these behind for last."
The leader decided that it was clear, comfortable and pleasant for everyone.
Players made a circle and continued to clean up the rest of the territory.
By evening, they had finished cleaning the cemetery. They gently went around the center and went to the house. The mood of the group was depressed. The players could only retreat, they were not ready for a battle with such a monster.
But there was an important point: the description said that the creature could be reborn and become even more dangerous. And it seriously scared everyone.
On the way back, the players found a couple more skeletons that were hiding in the crypts. John got the "Tomb Robber" achievement for stealing things from surviving crypts. The s.h.a.ggy a.s.sa.s.sin was not punished and the players continued to explore the crypts.
They picked up a lot of interesting stuff, some things they couldn"t even identify. They didn"t have enough scrolls.
Now, almost all the equipment on the players was of the type "rare".
Five people went to the village. Michael thought of something and took the strongest.
Dan went to bed. He had a bad feeling about it. He was already used to having to stand on the edge of the attack. Inquisitor, no monster can get past him.
When the boys came back from the village, Michael told them his plan.
They brought two large barrels of oil and a small bag of red powder from the village. It was an alchemical reagent that increased the flammability of substances.
The Banshee group will kill with the usual method, Dan will pull each creature out to fight alone.
The guys promised to try to keep the creature away from the Inquisitor.
That was followed by a tricky plan. One part of the group distracts Draugr, and Dan slips inside the crypt. And then the Inquisitor calls Draugr to fight inside the tomb.
Gandalf will slow the creature down with the curse of the "Swamp". As soon as Draugr enters the crypt, the players come in quickly and put the barrels of oil and pour out the reagent. Then, the players set the oil on fire! Then, they ran away from the crypt.
The task of the Inquisitor is simple, it is not to die before the explosion.
The explosion will multiply the damage from the fire and the crushing effect of the blast wave, the monster will get a lot of damage. If the players are lucky, the blast can destroy Draugr.
In any case, after the blast, the guys run into the crypt and kill the stunned monster.
Are we crazy? I"m not exactly normal, thought Dan.
The plan was pleasing with its technical part. Working with explosives is a step forward in the world of sword and magic. But they didn"t know how big an explosion would be? Dan didn"t want to think about the prospect of voluntary suicide.
There were many a.s.sumptions and fantasies in the plan. Dan was silent about the fact that if he died, the action of "Autodafe" would die. And then the players wouldn"t be able to get Draugr to the full extent of his skills.
It"s all nonsense! I"ll do it.
The anger inside Dan wouldn"t let him back down. Anger at his helplessness and anger at the game that creates the conditions for such self-destruction.
He could barely sleep last night.
In the morning, all the players were quiet. They went slowly into battle.
The first banshee they managed to finish without loss, it was a redheaded young girl. But the second creature caused a lot of trouble. The old lady kept the remnants of her wisdom. She ignored everyone but the Inquisitor, and her translucent hands touched Dan.
He was no longer shouting in despair and cold. The pa.s.sive skills he received allowed him to resist the ghost. And then the stone-hardened weapons quickly cut shorts that sick the fantasy of the programmers who had created this world. Or perhaps the fantasy of G.o.d.
The cold that settled back inside Dan was rapidly squeezing his hooks. The player knew that this cold was only the birth of his mind, but this knowledge did not bring relief.
It"s okay, I"ll warm up soon, thought Dan.
*
John flew out of invisibility and hit Draugr armor. Then, the player barely managed to dodge the return sword hit.
Suddenly, the monster jumped and fell to the ground near the nearby building, behind which John decided to hide. There was a rumble, and the wall of the structure, on which large cracks ran, began to fall inside.
The entrance to the tomb was free and Dan slipped inside.
Gandalf remained at the entrance and began throwing fireb.a.l.l.s at the monster. The magician himself volunteered for the role. It"s necessary to lure the creature to the entrance to the tomb.
To activate the "Autodafe" skill, the Inquisitor must see the target.
The crypt was big. Columns, elaborate statues and a ma.s.sive dark stone sarcophagus with a broken lid... There was no time to look around, so Dan ran up to the sarcophagus. He jumped over it and clung to the wall.
His gaze swept through the open entrance. The monster could show up at any moment!
So, Gandalf ran past the aisle, threw something behind his back...
Where"s the draugr?
Got it!!!
The skull of the monster appeared in the doorway.
Coming here, you dead a.s.shole.
A call gesture and Draugr stopped and something wheezed. He froze for a moment and then started going to the Inquisitor.
The border outlining the court was exactly in the middle of the hall. That"s just great, there"s plenty of room. The monster that entered the crypt stopped. The creature"s burning eyes found Dan, and the creature moved quickly towards the player.
Yeah, it crossed the line.
"Get the oil!" shouted Dan.
Michael and Alexander ran into the room and started to put barrels a step away from the court line. Then, they started kicking the lids out.
"Are you cold?" asked Dan.
Draugr stopped when he heard the player"s question.
"I"m really cold. You must be very cold, too. Of course, because you only have bones and no flesh... But don"t worry, my friends will keep us warm."
Draugr turned around and noticed the barrels and the enemies who were doing something near the barrels. He made a nasty squeal and in an instant was at the border. Draugr stuck to it, but he could not overcome the obstacle.
Dan saw the oil in the barrels turn brown and began to foam. Dirty slurry flowed through the wooden sides of the barrels. Michael threw a lighted torch near one of the barrels and saluted the Inquisitor with his hand. Then, he chased Alexander out.
Draugr struck an invisible obstacle with his sword, but his attack brought no results.
"Why are you doing this? We"re in a game, and any game has rules that can"t be broken," said Dan calmly.
Draugr turned to the player and at the same second he was in the air.
Dan activated the buff and jumped aside and took cover behind one of the columns. Draugr jumped onto the sarcophagus and smashed it to pieces. The stone fragments were drummed on the armor on the Inquisitor"s back, and he ran closer to the barrels.
It"s better to die in the fire of an explosion than to die at the hand of this monster!
Dan stopped at the border opposite the barrels and turned to face the monster that was coming at him. Draugr brought his sword to strike. Dan heard a strange hissing behind his back.
His body was swept by a scorching wave, and the world sank in an all-consuming flash.
Again, a hated nothing and a coveted breath of air.
Dan had a ceiling in front of his eyes, a weakness in his body.
Some messages were flashing in front of his eyes, but he didn"t want to read them. His eyes were slowly pacing the ceiling, noticing tiny cracks on it.
It was quiet and peaceful here. He felt good.
After a while, Michael ran into the room, he said something joyfully.
"Dan? Dan? Do you hear that? We killed that monster, we killed him!"
"Okay."
And then they just laughed and laughed like crazy, couldn"t stop. Alexander looked into the house and staring at the players. He shook his head and went out.
Dan got up and went out, his weakness hadn"t gone away yet, and he was shaking a little. Dan looked around. In the middle of the cemetery, a large pillar of black smoke was rising into the sky. Let"s go and see what they"d done.
And the players had done a lot of disgrace and destruction.
From the central crypt remained only the foundation, a few walls and pieces of columns and broken statues. Now the crypt was still burning in places. There was a hustle and bustle near one of the fallen columns. Dan looked up and noticed the draugr hand sticking out from under the columns, smoldering slightly.
The players had a lot of work to do. Now they have to collect the remains of the monster. Dan was hoping the monster hadn"t been ripped to small pieces.
The draugr didn"t rip it into little pieces. But the problem was, the remains weighed a lot! Jim had to try very hard to split the remains into smaller pieces. Players thoroughly searched the ruins of the main crypt. Then, the whole group reached out of the cemetery.
The players cleaned up the location. The system pleased the clan with 100 points of "Glory", which were added to the general bank. For the victory and completion of the quest the players gained a lot of experience. Many players immediately got a new level. Under the place where the sarcophagus was, they found a stash with great trophies.
Dan was one of the lasts to leave the cemetery. He had a new "Kamikaze" achievement and got 50 "Glory" for it. Once again, the player has changed outwardly. Now Dan looked like an albino. His hair turned grey, his face turned pale and his eyes faded. Perhaps the game will restore his face in the next rebirth. Dan thought the new look would last forever because he was so reborn after the explosion.
Players were going back to the castle. Dan was carrying a draugr sword in his hands. The sword was unique with its own history, and it was also cursed. So the trophy was given to the Inquisitor without talking. But Dan was happy with another. They won the first major victory in this world, and that was the main thing at the moment. Four days in h.e.l.l ended with a victory over a superior opponent. The guys were joking and remembering the funniest moments of the cemetery fights. The Inquisitor was walking next to Nick, who was smiling at his thoughts.
Dan opened the character"s window and distributed free characteristics.
*
Character information:
Name: Dan.
Cla.s.s: Inquisitor
Subcla.s.s: Librarian
Race: Human
Level: 17
Experience: 974300/1573100
Strength 61 [52 +3 +2 +4]
Intellect 32 [18 +2 +3 +2 +7] [MP 320]
Dexterity 28 [20 +3 +2 +3]
Spirit 74 [66 +3 +3 +2]
Endurance 48 [HP 4800]
Protection: 430
Luck 4 [Pa.s.sive]
"See the hidden" 4 [Pa.s.sive]
"Self-control" 7 [Pa.s.sive]
"Psycho Protection" 3 [Pa.s.sive]
"Resistance to Cold" 2 [Pa.s.sive]
"Resistance to Fire" 1 [Pa.s.sive]
Improved skills:
"Cognition of Evil" [7/10]
"Calligraphy" [6/10]
Cla.s.s skills:
"Autodafe" [10/10]
"Spiritual power" [10/10]
"Tough Will" [10/10]
"Ancient Languages" [10/10]
"Master of the Puzzle" [10/10]
Combat skills:
"Punishment" [10/10]
Available with 0/34 characteristic points and 0/34 skill points.