It was a tricky move. Nick decided to start separating the group so he could then move on to capturing power. Now Dan was in total isolation! Nick didn't understand the other players. Even John admitted that only invisibility could protect against this monster.

Almost all the clan fighters saw Dan exercise with the sword. It was beyond understanding. The living sword began to affect their friend. Those who hadn't seen the Inquisitor's performances heard from eyewitnesses an exciting and terrifying description of his behavior.

Dan found himself in total isolation! He had not yet calmed down from the reaction of the locals to the phenomenon of a player of the inquisitor cla.s.s. But now the closest people he could understand had turned their backs on him.

Nick realized that this moment must not be missed!

He needs to talk to Dan. And he needs to talk to him in secret. No one needs witnesses.

Fools and cowardly b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, they even banished the guy from the common living area. That's great, now it's easy to find the Inquisitor. He's sitting alone now. Nick smiled. Dan's working! He's being ignored by the whole clan, and the guy's working for the clan. Hardly write a guide and update history and bestiary.

Nick walked into the castle, and he listened. There was no one nearby. He used to equip his cloak with equipment and activate the Camouflage. It's going to be a long way, but rus.h.i.+ng into a situation like this is risky and stupid.

When the Scout snuck up to the ma.s.sive library door, he quietly sc.r.a.ped the door surface with his nail.

It was quiet behind the door. So the footsteps were heard and the door opened.

Dan was without his creepy mask.

Nick almost laughed at the expression of confusion on the Inquisitor's face.

It was a freaky sight. The gray hair, the scars on his face, the pale eyes inspired respect for this serious man, but everyone was spoiling his lips. Dan's mouth opened up in a silent question. The Inquisitor turned his head one way, then the other and mumbled something.

Nick didn't want to make a bad impression on this important and cute guy.

Scout snapped his fingers and whispered:

"I'm sorry, Dan. I'm sorry about the surprise visit. Sir Inquisitor will accept a humble Scout for an important secret conversation?"

"Nick! You'll scare the dead with your tricks. Come in."

Nick quickly squeezed into the library.

Dan closed the door and went back to the table with clean paper, paper with pictures and schemes on it. Nick looked closely and didn't understand anything about these strange symbols and hieroglyphs.

"Dan, have you really become very understanding in these secret languages of this world?"

"I don't understand much. To the matter, Nick. You sneak in and you want to talk about secret business."

Dan sat down in the chair and pointed his hand at the guest in the other chair. Nick sat down next to him and started his confession:

"Dan, I ask you to support our conspiracy."

And Nick told the Inquisitor his story. About his strong and reliable alliance with a.s.sa.s.sin. He recalled the beginning of the story with the pets. And he ended with his disgust at the cowardly and treacherous behavior of the entire clan towards the changed Dan.

Dan listened and didn't show any emotion. His face froze and turned into the likeness of his mask.

When Nick finished his introduction to the conversation, the Inquisitor nodded his head:

"I understood your point of view. I respect your point of view. But I don't think you've thought about elementary benefit. Nick, you chose the path of dexterity. You need a fighter, a tank, a defender, meat for the monster so you can fight. If we leave the clan, we'll slow down our development. And about the other people's opinions... I don't care. You have no idea how much the Spirit helps carry the weight of loneliness. No friends, so I won't get used to friends.h.i.+p. No sympathy, so I'll get used to indifference and negativity. But no one will betray me. And now you're suggesting betrayal."

"You don't have to lie and play with words. You know who I was. You and I have made no vows or promises or signed any doc.u.ments. Our loyalty to the clan is a fiction. We're just comfortable together to develop skills and survive. But you've seen a lot of very conflicting situations. I repeat I will not accept Michael as my leader anyway."

"Will you accept me as your leader?"

Nick smiled:

"Union, Dan. Union of equals. As an inquisitor, you have no equal. You're my absolute leader. But, I'm glad you didn't throw your sword at me. I'm glad to continue, and I want to tell you about my plan. You'll see for yourself that I think about "the welfare of men and common safety" more than Michael."

Dan leaned his head a little to the shoulder. It's like he listened to an invisible little creature that sat on his shoulder and gave him important advice.

Nick got scared. Suddenly the cursed sword is whispering something to the Inquisitor? Suddenly the opinion of the ancient artifact will not support the conspirator's plans? It's a sword! It's a weapon of fair combat. On the other hand... a cursed sword, it's ready for all sorts of evil and tricks.

They've been silent for a while. Everyone was thinking of their own. Nick resumed the conversation in a quiet but confident voice:

"A secure life and the possibility of development nearby. One day's distance from us.

I remind you of the city! We talked and forgot. We put the question on hold for some time. Dan, a week ago, I wouldn't risk being with John for a run to Dor. Think about it, appreciate our strength, today our group will safely reach the city. The city is a civilization. It's a very big opportunity for people who have knowledge of another civilization. Look at us. There are always weak people. You shouldn't blame them. We have to find a safe place for them. I don't want to talk much about Valerie. But I don't want a woman killing herself about this horror next to me. Our castle is an outpost against monsters. But you don't have to live in war."

"This is an unexpected suggestion. I wasn't thinking about the city. You're right. There is something about it."

"The ancient Romans taught how to fight trouble.' Divide and conquer'. In my proposal hides the breakdown of the clan. We will surely divide. Tom and Ron, Leo and Alan, Valerie and Stefan, Jim and Gandalf will definitely stay in town. Michael will not leave the majority without his leaders.h.i.+p. He's a businessman. Even John and I have great perspectives in the city. I can learn a lot from village hunters. But John needs a place in the killer guild. Alexander worries me, Stefan didn't say much about the opportunities for a warrior in the city. But remember, there's a sewer in town with rats! What's a game without rats in a sewer? There are a lot of creatures in the dungeons. The city guards don't eat their bread for nothing."

"We have plenty of time to quietly complete the big required quest to keep the region in the clear. But the problem with a possible cursed artifact, which is stored in the lair of a dead werewolf, must be solved first!"

"I'm not going to raise the question of visiting Dora tomorrow. The clan can wait and go with the caravan. It'll be safer. I came to you with a problem important to me and John. It's going to escalate. I want to deal with it carefully and without scandals. I need Preceptorium. I need you. You need a calm place and a company of people who are calm about your surprises. And the rest of us can live in peace and enjoy the joys of the middle Ages.

Dan, think about how players need to take the lead in city quests. They'll have no compet.i.tion, they'll be able to acc.u.mulate power and influence."

"I think about my perspectives. In the city I can find a solution to some of my unexpected problems," the Inquisitor smiled.

"I hope we understand each other. You know, this may seem naive to you, but the credo of our union doesn't speak of safety and welfare, it just sounds, "Shoulder to Shoulder." Don't get upset, think about my proposal."

Nick got up and put on a cloak.

"Open the door for me, I'll walk away invisible. And you can be sure. n.o.body overheard us, I'm pretty good at feeling someone else's presence."

Dan got up and went to the door. He unlocked and let his invisible visitor out.

The scout surprised him. Dan started thinking about the perspectives and weaknesses of the new union.

*

The next day, Nick walked up to Dan and excited him with important news:

"Scouts aren't asleep, we found the lair of that werewolf. The lair was in the ravine. That b.a.s.t.a.r.d left a lot of tracks. The local hunters found him quickly. We now have the skill of a 'Pathfinder'. If we confess, we didn't even look, we were able to shake the information out of our mentors. Are you ready to do your part of the job?"

"Of course I'm in. Has Michael been notified?"

"He knows, he offered to take one of the fighters with us, but I refused. We'll do it quickly. We'll come, clean up the place and go. They've got plenty of fun of their own. We found one burial ground for the newcomers' development, there are several levels 4 skeletons, let them develop the newcomers."

They ran quickly on their way to the village. Nick was telling the news on the move:

"We're doing all right. Pathfinder's skill allows us to follow the tracks and find traces. We've already tracked down werewolves. The main benefit is that we can now use 'Mark' skills! That's a great thing. We've marked these werewolves and now we can see them on the map. They can't sneak up on us without being seen."

"I only have the location of a quest opponent illuminated, and it's constantly moving," Dan exhaled.

"I know I was. These locals turned out to be pretty well organized! You know this village is on the local border, don't you? The villagers quietly hunt monsters, get valuable ingredients and sell them to merchants from the city. The trick is that the village itself is under the influence of two local forest bosses. Stump and the Lord of the Forest are watching their territory. They clean the forest themselves, grow in levels. Smart creatures like werewolves or witches may appear here, but they are smart enough to stay away from the local bosses. And the locals themselves are careful not to mess with the giants, too."

"Well settled."

"Fools don't live here. Careful, Dan. Let's go through the woods now, watch your step. Try not to make any noise," said Nick.

Dan didn't like being in the woods. He already understood. It wasn't his comfort zone. The mood spoiled the dusky atmosphere.

The sun rarely broke through the clouds and it was dusky deep in the forest. It was annoying. It seemed to the Inquisitor that the enemy could attack from either side. He saw the calm face of the scouts and understood that everything was under control. But it wasn't enough. It was restless and disturbing. He did not know what nasty things awaited him in the lair.

The cursed artifacts were already tired of him! There were too many for one inquisitor. They prevented him from playing normally, surprises and unexpectedness are not always pleasant.

Soon they came to the ravine, and the scout nodded to the inquisitor at the entrance to the lair. The entrance is ink on the background of the ravine slope. There was no path to see.

Dan's depressed mood was finally ruined:

"And how do I get there? Did that werewolf know how to fly?"

"With a kind word and a strong rope, brother. Hard rope will always come in handy," said John.

Dan thought these guys were catching their special pleasure in the game. They're excited to develop their cla.s.ses, they want to get experience and fight monsters. But it's like they're playing an adventure. They're all fun and smart. But at the same time, gently and carefully. Interesting cla.s.ses.

The rope was lowered above the entrance to the werewolf's lair, and Dan carefully started going down the ravine.

He saw traces of blood on the ground, the entrance smelled like a dog. Added to that smell was the stench of rotten meat. Dan had already seen a piece of the human body and several bones lying at the entrance to a large hole.

"Did he eat corpse meat and admires the stars?"

Dan was throwing up, he saw more and more terrible details. There were sc.r.a.ps of clothing on the ground, they were in the brown spots of dried blood.

The Inquisitor took just a few steps from the entrance and stopped. He took a torch out of his inventory and lit it.

He took a few more steps down the narrow aisle and ended up in the lair.

It was a small room, but it could stand in full height. Dan took a look around and bent down from the vomit attack. The painting was creepy. The werewolf killed a few victims and dragged the remains into the lair. He was gradually eating them.

Dan trembled when the system suggested he collect the trophies.

He agreed and sighed with relief. Creepy pieces of bodies were disappearing in front of his eyes.

Dan would never touch a trophy like that, but he couldn't miss a single object!

There were branches on the ground in one corner, it was a place to sleep.

Dan came up and carefully threw the branches into the other corner. He was squeamishly wrinkled when he caught the big bones. This thing was lying here and eating meat.

Shone a piece of something metal.

*

[Attention! You found a cursed object.

Attention!!! A cursed object can have a devastating effect on your character. Under the influence of an object, you may lose your cla.s.s and become a monster.]

*

His level of Cognition of Evil already allowed for the identification of the subject. He took a closer look:

*

A chip of the Dagorean Key

Type: Cursed.

Effects: Hidden

Weight: Hidden

Strength: Hidden

Description: Hidden

[Link to the subject? Yes/No]

*

"Thank you, don't even give me that stuff for the collection!"

Dan shook his head and spit as the system pleased him with the 'Be careful' quest and repeated the offer to link the object to him.

He easily refused and put the artifact in his inventory.

Dan closed his eyes and listened to his own feelings. Nothing was going on. The cursed sword didn't react to neighboring a dangerous artifact.

Well, that's great!

Dan went to the exit quickly. He grabbed the rope and took a step down the ravine slope. The guys helped him out and quickly pulled him upstairs.

John looked at the Inquisitor with fear, and Nick immediately asked:

"I see you're pleased. Did you find him?"

"I'm pleased to be able to breathe this clean air! That monster's got s.h.i.+t all over his hole! Pieces of rotten meat and bone, there were half decomposed corpses. He's gone mad. He didn't even take the loot off the bodies. He's definitely gone mad."

"How do you feel? You're some kind of crazy freak coming out of that hole," asked John quietly.

Dan looked at the a.s.sa.s.sin and smiled:

"I got in there just as freaky. You're the Robin Hoods, spending time in the clean air. Enjoying the view of wonderful views and landscapes. The Inquisitors wander more through the cemeteries."

"It's a shame about you! We loved our time in the cemetery. It was interesting there and the experience fell nicely."

"John, I died there twice!"

"Stop! Dan. Calm down. We appreciated your desire to make jokes after a dangerous case. Are you feeling okay? Should we be afraid of you? You're not messing with this c.r.a.p?"

"It's okay. Nick. I'm fine, and I have the cursed artifact. We'll isolate it in the castle in a stash. Thank you. Guys, thanks for your help, we did a great job."

The Inquisitor sat on the ground, greedily breathing in the fresh forest air and didn't notice the scouts looking at each other.

Nick sat down next to Dan on the ground.

"We did a great job. You're welcome. It's a good thing it's over.

Listen, there's one interesting question. You're going to love it, Dan. This is something familiar to me and John. It's a dangerous question, but it is the perspective.

I'm talking about pets.

Dan, as a sign of our respect and other sympathies for the Trinity of Extreme Players union, we've been watching out for your pet. But there's a battle to be fought."

"What pet? Did you find another werewolf? I don't need monsters around me. I don't want to spoil our friends' nerves again."

"No, it's an interesting species of local fauna. A Forest Cat! Do you like cats?"

Dan sat down and thought.

"I can't remember. We didn't have any pets. And what's interesting about this cat? What do I need a cat for? Everybody loves cats, I know that, but my charisma from having a cute pet won't increase. But I could use a neutral a.s.sistant in combat."

John laughed:

"Dan, don't judge from past memories, brother. You've met some local animals before. Some things make the earthly creatures look like little pups in front of them. It's the local hunters who just called this beast "Forest Cat". And in fact, a real tiger is running through trees. With ta.s.sels on her ears. It looks like a lynx, but its skin is green. It's like a furry crocodile! Only more pleasant. And dangerous. Her fangs and claws are dangerous."

"Mobility, Sir Inquisitor! Think about mobility. Local horses are good, n.o.body argues, but a riding pet, and a loyal a.s.sistant in combat, that's another category."

Dan smiled, and now he's starting to understand the perspective. But he was straight down from heaven to earth. Nick's face took the usual cold and strict expression:

"Don't dream, Inquisitor. We'll pay dearly for trying. The mom of level 24. She's clever and dangerous. We found her nest in a tree. The real nest is at the trunk of a big tree, and the hollow is nearby. Little kittens are definitely there! Mother's guarding them. We followed her when she was hunting. You've got a little dexterity. You provoke a cat, and you hold on to it. I'm helping you. John's stealing a kitten invisibly. Then we all run away fast. I can hold her by the net. But we'll have to run very fast."

"And there's no guarantee that the system will let me have a kitten as a pet," Dan said.

"You're right, but we can take a chance and try."

"As a last resort, you won't have to stretch your legs on the way home. She'll kill you fast. She'll kill you with her bada boom paw and you're home. In a room with stone pedestals," smiled John.

"Buda boom is a serious teleporter home. Let's go. I like the idea," Dan stood up.

"Don't joke about it. Hey, guys. Don't joke about death," said Nick strictly.

He got off the ground and explained:

"You know what I mean, Dan. Death is serious. Death is bad. Our immortality is some kind of trickery. I'm not sure that after the hundredth death, a message from the system will pop out in my face, "You've survived 100 deaths. You get the 'I don't care about anything' achievement. Lifetime penalty on all characteristics 1%. A reputation penalty with the locals."

"You're crazy, brother! You can't do that," shouted John.

"You've convinced me, Nick. If the system can hear you and borrow your idea for the game... we won't put you on trial with the other players," smiled the Inquisitor.

"Stop talking! Time's running out. Let's go hit the forest cat!"

Nick stopped the empty talk and led the guys towards the woods.

The Inquisitor would have had a hard time walking through the woods. He couldn't feel the weight of heavy armor. The inventory was empty. It contained a supply of food and a set of medicinal potions. The trophies from the lair didn't weigh anything, it was jewelry. But Dan was tired of having to walk in a bent position. The trees were large, much larger than the earthly ones, and they had to be walked around all the time. They would go over huge roots and bend under thick branches. Nick found a path that was easier to walk on, but it wasn't a real path, it was just the best choice for a clean and comfortable path among the trees.

Suddenly, Nick stopped and said loudly:

"It didn't work. She's running towards us. John! Quickly run to the nest! Your target is to get the baby. Dan, try 'Autodafe'. There she is!"

Dan's already seen the rapid shadow that jumped on him from a tree branch.

He instantly activated the skill. But the skill didn't work!

And at that moment, he felt a blow to the chest. It was a strong blow as if a car had hit him at full speed. He flew off and hit his back against a tree trunk. Before Dan could fall, the cat jumped up to him and grabbed her teeth in his leg and rushed!

[You got 140 points of damage.]

Dan screamed out in pain. It felt disgusting. He was like a piece of meat in a tin can. The thing's fangs bit the steel armor and got to him.

The inquisitor instinctively reinforced his characteristics and struck the cat with a sword, which suddenly appeared in his hands.

[You did 340 points of damage.]

He shouted and beat and hit and screamed. No fencing technique, no sword voice in his head, he just punched a blade at the body of a creature that clung to him and chewed at his armor.

Reports of the damage received and caused were flickering before his eyes. Dan wasn't paying attention to them, he was killing this animal.

He didn't see how calm and very fast Nick was fighting.

A bow appeared in Scout's hands, and the arrows flew one after the other like bullets from a machine gun. Then Nick jumped up and started cutting the cat with daggers. And then John joined them and only had a few blows with daggers.

Dan groaned and fell to his knees.

[You got 1,300 points of experience.]

Nick jumped up to the Inquisitor and handed out a vial of potion.

"Don't save it for yourself. How painful! She chewed me like a sausage! I'll be with you in a minute, let me lie down, guys."

Dan fell on his side and froze.

"When you lie down, your health is best restored," confirmed the obvious truth to them, John.

a.s.sa.s.sin sat down in front of Dan and put a standard cat on his arm.

"You hold it to yourself. Then the system will suggest you take the pet. Maybe it will. I didn't get an offer. But I already have a Scout," said a.s.sa.s.sin.

"How weird she is," said Dan.

He turned gently and lay down on his back. He put the cat on his chest and gently started stroking with his hands.

Nick paid no attention to these ceremonies, he pulled out a special knife and started cutting up the big cat's body.

"You've had a hard time. Two-thirds of your health she ate from you. I told you! Inquisitor skills don't work on ordinary animals! And Nick had doubts," said John.

He gave Dan a flask:

"Take a little sip, brother, it's on herbs, it'll boost the regeneration."

Dan was feeling better. The pain wasn't tearing his body apart anymore, it was fading and remained only in a terrible memory.

He took a few sips and looked at the beast:

"She's funny. Like a Siamese cat, only with a strange color skin. It's like it's been painted green. Wow! The system's awake! Invites me to be the daddy of this baby."

*

[Attention! You can tame the pet.

Attention! The number of pets is limited to 0/1.

The abilities and skills of a pet develop during taming.

Would you like to tame your Woody Cat? Yes/No]

*

"Guys, I don't know anything about her! It's not a forest cat, it's a wooden cat. Skills will come later. And what do we do?"

"It's definitely got a 'Bleeding' and something that looks like 'Strike'. It's a dangerous thing! Only level 24, but she almost killed Dan. I like cats. Take it, Dan! You can't survive in the woods alone. And with an a.s.sistant like that, you'll feel better. Is it a boy or a girl?"

"I don't know."

"Look at this."

"I don't want to look at anything. I'm thinking!"

"Think, Inquisitor. Think. But one thing's good with her, she's certainly not a cursed creature. Then 'Autodafe' would have worked on Big Mom."

"The she-wolf was normal, too. And our boys would grow up to be werewolves. This is a mysterious place," mumbled John.

Dan was lying there thinking. Does he need this pet?

"You fought like a cowardly boy!"

And Tarrok's wake up, too! Criticism is not what Dan wanted to hear. Didn't help in the fight, came out with his comments when it was over. Not life, but trouble.

Dan looked at the animal and thought again.

We killed your mother. You won't survive alone. But I will become a bad master. I hope you don't regret it in the company of a lonely and weird player.